LETTER4

letter4

(apparentlyacontinuationofaletterthefirstpartofwhichismissing)

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[begun]mondaynight[june13,1796].

unfurnishedatpresentwithanysheet-fillingsubject,ishallcontinuemylettergraduallyandjournal-wise.mysecondthoughtsentirelycoincidewithyourcommentson"joanofarc,"andicanonlywonderatmychildishjudgmentwhichoverlookedthe1stbookandcouldpreferthe9th:notthatiwasinsensibletothesobererbeautiesoftheformer,butthelattercaughtmewithitsglareofmagic,—theformer,however,leftamorepleasinggeneralrecollectioninmymind.letmeadd,the1stbookwasthefavouriteofmysister—andinow,withjoan,often"thinkondomremiandthefieldsofarc."imustnotpassoverwithoutacknowledgingmyobligationstoyourfullandsatisfactoryaccountofpersonifications.ihavereaditagainandagain,anditwillbeaguidetomyfuturetaste.perhapsihadestimatedsouthey'smeritstoomuchbynumber,weight,andmeasure.inowagreecompletelyandentirelyinyouropinionofthegeniusofsouthey.yourownimageofmelancholyisillustrativeofwhatyouteach,andinitselfmasterly.iconjectureitis"disbranched"fromoneofyourembryo"hymns."whentheyarematureofbirth(wereiyou)ishouldprint'eminoneseparatevolume,with"religiousmusings"andyourpartofthe"joanofarc."birdsofthesamesoaringwingshouldholdontheirflightincompany.onceforall(andbyrenewingthesubjectyouwillonlyrenewinmethecondemnationoftantalus),ihopetobeabletopayyouavisit(ifyouarethenatbristol)sometimeinthelatterendofaugustorbeginningofseptemberforaweekorfortnight;beforethattime,officebusinessputsanabsolutevetoonmycoming.

"andifasighthatspeaksregretofhappiertimesappear,

aglimpseofjoythatwehavemetshallshineanddrythetear."

oftheblankversesispokeof,thefollowinglinesaretheonlytolerablycompleteonesihavewritoutofnotmorethanonehundredandfifty.thatigetonsoslowlyyoumayfairlyimputetowantofpracticeincomposition,whenideclaretoyouthat(thefewverseswhichyouhaveseenexcepted)ihavenotwritfiftylinessinceileftschool.itmaynotbeamisstoremarkthatmygrandmother(onwhomtheversesarewritten)livedhousekeeperinafamilythefiftyorsixtylastyearsofherlife—thatshewasawomanofexemplarypietyandgoodness—andformanyyearsbeforeherdeathwasterriblyafflictedwithacancerinherbreastwhichsheborewithtruechristianpatience.youmaythinkthatihavenotkeptenoughaparttheideasofherheavenlyandherearthlymasterbutrecollectihavedesignedlygivenintoherownwayoffeeling—andifshehadafailing,'twasthatsherespectedhermaster'sfamilytoomuch,notreverencedhermakertoolittle.thelinesbeginimperfectly,asimayprobablyconnect'emififinishatall,—andifido,sshallprint'eminamoreeconomicalwaythanyouyours,for(sonnetsandall)theywon'tmakeathousandlinesasiproposecompleting'em,andthesubstancemustbewire-drawn.

tuesdayevening,june14,1796.

iamnotquitesatisfiednowwiththechatterton,andwithyourleavewilltrymyhandatitagain.amasterjoiner,youknow,mayleaveacabinettobefinished,whenhisownhandsarefull.toyourlistofillustrativepersonifications,intowhichafineimaginationenters,iwilltakeleavetoaddthefollowingfrombeaumontandfletcher's"wifeforamonth;"'tistheconclusionofadescriptionofasea-fight;—"thegameofdeathwasneverplayedsonobly;themeagrethiefgrewwantoninhismischiefs,andhisshrunkholloweyessmiledonhisruins."thereisfancyintheseofalowerorderfrom"bonduca;"—"thendidiseethesevaliantmenofbritain,likebodingowlscreepintotodsofivy,andhoottheirfearstooneanothernightly."notthatitisapersonification;onlyitjustcaughtmyeyeinalittleextractbookikeep,whichisfullof"ationsfromb.andf.inparticular,inwhichauthorsican'thelpthinkingthereisagreaterrichnessofpoeticalfancythaninanyone,shakspeareexcepted.areyouacquaintedwithmassinger?atahazardiwilltroubleyouwithapassagefromaplayofhiscalled"averywoman."thelinesarespokenbyalover(disguised)tohisfaithlessmistress.youwillremarkthefineeffectofthedoubleendings.youwillbyyoureardistinguishthelines,foriwrite'emasprose."notfarfromwheremyfatherlives,alady,aneighbourby,blestwithasgreatabeautyasnaturedurstbestowwithoutundoing,dwelt,andmosthappily,asithoughtthen,andblestthehouseathousandtimesshedweltin.thisbeauty,intheblossomofmyyouth,whenmyfirstfireknewnoadulterateincense,norinowaytoflatterbutmyfondness;inallthebraverymyfriendscouldshowme,inallthefaithmyinnocencecouldgiveme,inthebestlanguagemytruetonguecouldtellme,andallthebrokensighsmysickheartlendme,isuedandserved;longdidiservethislady,longwasmytravail,longmytradetowinher;withallthedutyofmysouliservedher.""thenshemustlove.""shedid,butneverme:shecouldnotloveme;shewouldnotlove,shehated,—more,shescorn'dme;andinsopoorandbaseawayabusedmeforallmyservices,forallmybounties,soboldneglectsflungonme."—"whatoutoflove,andworthylove,igaveher(shametohermostunworthymind,)tofools,togirls,tofiddlersandherboyssheflung,allindisdainofme."onemorepassagestrikesmyeyefromb.andf.'s"palamonandarcite."oneof'emcomplainsinprison:"thisisallourworld;weshallknownothingherebutoneanother,hearnothingbuttheclockthattellsourwoes;thevineshallgrow,butweshallneverseeit,"&c.isnotthelastcircumstanceexquisite?imeannottolaymyselfopenbysayingtheyexceedmilton,andperhapscollins,insublimity.butdon'tyouconceiveallpoetsaftershakspeareyieldto'eminvarietyofgenius?massingertreadscloseontheirheels;butyouaremostprobablyaswellacquaintedwithhiswritingsasyourhumbleservant.my"ations,inthatcase,willonlyservetoexposemybarrennessofmatter.southeyinsimplicityandtenderness,isexcelleddecidedlyonly,ithink,bybeaumontandf.inhis[their]"maid'stragedy"andsomepartsof"philaster"inparticular,andelsewhereoccasionally;andperhapsbycowperinhis"crazykate,"andinpartsofhistranslation,suchasthespeechesofhecubaandandromache.ilongtoknowyouropinionofthattranslation.theodysseyespeciallyissurelyveryhomeric.whatnoblerthantheappearanceofphoebusatthebeginningoftheiliad—thelinesendingwith"dreadsounding,boundingonthesilverbow!"

ibegyouwillgivemeyouropinionofthetranslation;itaffordedmehighpleasure.ascuriousaspecimenoftranslationaseverfellintomyhands,isayoungman'sinouroffice,ofafrenchnovel.whatintheoriginalwasliterally"amiabledelusionsofthefancy,"heproposedtorender"thefairfraudsoftheimagination!"ihadmuchtroubleinlickingthebookintoanymeaningatall.yetdidtheknaveclearfiftyorsixtypoundsbysubscriptionandsellingthecopyright.thebookitselfnotaweek'swork!to-day'sportionofmyjournalisingepistlehasbeenverydullandpoverty-stricken.iwillhereend.

tuesdaynight.

ihavebeendrinkingegg-hotandsmokingoronooko(associatedcircumstances,whicheverforciblyrecalltomymindoureveningsandnightsatthesalutation);myeyesandbrainareheavyandasleep,butmyheartisawake;andifwordscameasreadyasideas,andideasasfeelings,icouldsaytenhundredkindthings.coleridge,youknownotmysupremehappinessathavingoneonearth(thoughcountiesseparateus)whomicancallafriend.rememberyouthosetenderlinesoflogan?—

"ourbrokenfriendshipswedeplore,

andlovesofyouththatarenomore;

noafterfriendshipse'ercanraise

th'endearmentsofourearlydays,

andne'ertheheartsuchfondnessprove,

aswhenwefirstbegantolove."

iamwritingatrandom,andhalf-tipsy,whatyoumaynotequallyunderstand,asyouwillbesoberwhenyoureadit;butmysoberandmyhalf-tipsyhoursyouarealikeasharerin.goodnight.

"thenuproseourbard,likeaprophetindrink,

craigdoroch,thou'ltsoarwhencreationshallsink."

burns.

thursday[june16,1796].

iamnowinhighhopestobeabletovisityou,ifperfectlyconvenientonyourpart,bytheendofnextmonth—perhapsthelastweekorfortnightinjuly.achangeofsceneandachangeoffaceswoulddomegood,evenifthatscenewerenottobebristol,andthosefacescoleridge'sandhisfriends.inthewordsofterence,alittlealtered,"taedetmehujus"idianimundi."iamheartilysickoftheevery-dayscenesoflife.ishallhalfwishyouunmarried(don'tshowthistomrs.c.)foroneeveningonly,tohavethepleasureofsmokingwithyou,anddrinkingegg-hotinsomelittlesmokyroominapot-house,foriknownotyethowishalllikeyouinadecentroom,andlookingquitehappy.mybestloveandrespectstosaranotwithstanding.

yourssincerely,

charleslamb.

[coleridge'simageofmelancholywillbefoundinthelines"melancholy—afragment."itwaspublishedinsibyllineleaves,1817,andinanotecoleridgesaidthattheverseswereprintedinthemorningchroniclein1794.theywerereallyprintedinthemorningpost,december12,1797.coleridgehadprobablysentthemtolambinms.the"hymns"cametonothing.

"thefollowinglines."lamb'spoem"thegrandame"waspresumablyincludedinthisletter.seevol.iv.maryfield,lamb'sgrandmother,diedjuly31,1792,agedseventy-nine,andwasburiedinwidfordchurchyard.shehadbeenformanyyearshousekeeperintheplumerfamilyatblakesware.onwilliamplumer'smovingtogilston,aneighbouringseat,in1767,shehadsolechargeoftheblakeswaremansion,wherehergrandchildrenusedtovisither.comparelamb'seliaessays"blakesmoorinh——shire"and"dream-children,"

n.swastheprinterofcoleridge'spoems,1797.

lambhadbegunhisamendmentofcoleridge's"monodyonthedeathofchatterton"inhisletterofjune10.coleridge'sillustrativepersonifications,herereferredto,areinthatpoem.theextractbookfromwhichlambcopiedhis"ationsfrombeaumontandfletcherandmassingerwas,heafterwardstellsus,destroyed;butsimilarvolumes,whichhefilledlater,arepreserved.manyofhisextractsheincludedinhisdramaticspecimens.

writingtocharleslloyd,sen.,in1809,lambsaysofcowperasatranslatorofhomerthathe"delaysyou…walkingoverabowlinggreen."

canonaingerpossessedacopyofthebooktranslatedbylamb's

fellow-clerk.itwascalledsentimentaltabletsofthegoodpamphile.

"translatedfromthefrenchofm.gorjybyp.s.dupuyoftheeastindia

house,1795."amongthesubscribers'nameswerethomasbye(5copies),

ball,evans,savory(2copies),andlambhimself.]