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LETTER 314（第1页）

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LETTER314

CHARLESLAMBTOBERNARDBARTON

[P.M.5April1823.]

DearSir—Youmustthinkmeillmannerednottohaverepliedtoyourfirstlettersooner，butIhaveanuglyhabitofaversionfromletterwriting，whichmakesmeanunworthycorrespondent.Ihavehadnospring，orcordialcalltotheoccupationoflate.Ihavebeennotwelllately，whichmustbemylameexcuse.Yourpoem，whichIconsiderveryaffecting，foundmeengagedaboutahumorousPaperfortheLondon，whichIhadcalleda"LettertoanOldGentlemanwhoseEducationhadbeenneglected"—andwhenitwasdoneTaylorandHesseywouldnotprintit，anditdiscouragedmefromdoinganythingelse，soItookupScott，whereIhadscribbledsomepetulantremarks，andforamakeshiftfatherdthemonRitson.ItisobviousIcouldnotmakeyourPoemapartofthem，andasIdidnotknowwhetherIshouldeverbeabletodotomymindwhatyousuggested，Ithoughtitnotfairtokeepbacktheversesforthechance.Mr.MitfordssonnetIlikeverywell;butasIalsohavemyreasonsagainstinterferingatallwiththeEditorialarrangementoftheLondon，Itransmittedit（notinmyownhand-writing）tothem，whoIdoubtnotwillbegladtoinsertit.Whateventualbenefititcanbetoyou（otherwisethanthatakindmanswishisabenefit）Icannotconjecture.YourSocietyareeminentlymenofBusiness，andwillprobablyregardyouasanidlefellow，possiblydisownyou，thatistosay，ifyouhadputyourownnametoasonnetofthatsort，buttheycannotexmunicateMr.Mitford，thereforeIthoroughlyapproveofprintingthesaidverses.WhenIseeanyQuakernamestotheConcertofAntientMusic，orasDirectorsoftheBritishInstitution，orbequeathingmedalstoOxfordforthebestclassicalthemes，etc.—thenIshallbegintohopetheywillemancipateyou.ButwhatasaSocietycantheydoforyou?youwouldnotacceptaCommissionintheArmy，northeybelikelytoprocureit;PostsinChurchorStatehavetheynoneintheirgiving;andtheniftheydisownyou—think—youmustlive"amanforbid."

Iwishdforyouyesterday.IdinedinParnassus，withWordsworth，Coleridge，Rogers，andTomMoore—halfthePoetryofEnglandconstellatedandclusteredinGlosterPlace!ItwasadelightfulEven!Coleridgewasinhisfinestveinoftalk，hadallthetalk，andletemtalkasevillyastheydooftheenvyofPoets，Iamsurenotonetherebutwascontenttobenothingbutalistener.TheMusesweredumb，whileApollolecturedonhisandtheirfineArt.ItisaliethatPoetsareenvious，Ihaveknownthebestofthem，andcanspeaktoit，thattheygiveeachothertheirmerits，andarethekindestcriticsaswellasbestauthors.Iamscribblingamuddyepistlewithanakinghead，forwedidnotquaffHippocrenelastnight.Many，itwasHippocrasrather.Prayacceptthisasaletterinthemeantime，anddomethefavortomentionmyrespectstoMr.Mitford，whoissogoodastoentertaingoodthoughtsofElia，butdontshowthisalmostimpertinentscrawl.Iwillwritemorerespectfullynexttime，forbelieveme，ifnotinwords，infeelings，yoursmostso.

["Yourpoe"Bartonspoemwasentitled"APoetsThanks，"andwasprintedintheLondonMagazineforApril，1823，thesamenumberthatcontainedLambsarticleonRitsonandScott.Itisoneofhisbestpoems，anexpressionofcontentmentinsimplicity.The"LettertoanOldGentleman，"aparodyofDeQuinceysseriesof"LetterstoaYoungGentleman"intheLondonMagazine，wasnotpublisheduntilJanuary，1825.ScottwasJohnScottofAmwell（BartonspredecessorastheQuakerpoet），whohadwrittenaratherfoolishbookofprose，CriticalEssaysontheEnglishPoets.RitsonwasJosephRitson，thecriticandantiquarian.SeeVol.I.ofthepresenteditionfortheessay.BartonseemstohavesuggestedtoLambthatheshouldwriteanessayaroundthepoem"APoetsThanks."Mitfordssonnet，whichwasprintedintheLondonMagazineforJune，1823，wasaddressedmiseratinglytoBernardBarton.Itbegan:—

WhattothybrokenSpiritcanatone，

UnhappyvictimoftheTyrantsfears;

andcontinuedinthesamestrain，thepointbeingthatBartonwasthevictimofhisQuakeremployers，whomadehim"prisoneratonceandslave."LambspreviouslettershowsusthatBartonwasbeingworkedfromninetillnine，andwemustsupposealsothatanobjectiontohispoeticalexerciseshadbeenlodgedorsuggested.Thematterrighteditselfintime.

"IdinedinParnassus."Thisdinner，atThomasMonkhouses，No.34GloucesterPlace，isdescribedbothbyMooreandbyCrabbRobinson，whowaspresent.MoorewroteinhisJournal:—

"DinedatMr.Monkhouses（agentlemanIhadneverseenbefore）onWordsworthsinvitation，wholivestherewheneverheestotown.Asingularparty.Coleridge，Rogers，Wordsworthandwife，CharlesLamb（theheroatpresentoftheLondonMagazine），andhissister（thepoorwomanwhowentmadinadiligenceonthewaytoParis），andaMr.Robinson，oneoftheminorasideraofthisconstellationoftheLakes;thehosthimself，aMaecenasoftheschool，contributingnothingbutgooddinnersandsilence.CharlesLamb，acleverfellow，certainly，butfullofvillainousandabortivepuns，whichhemiscarriesofeveryminute.Someexcellentthings，however，haveefromhi"

LambtoldMoorethathehadhithertoalwaysfeltanantipathytohim，buthenceforwardshouldlikehi

CrabbRobinsonwrites:—

"April4th.—DinedatMonkhouses.OurpartyconsistedofWordsworth，Coleridge，Lamb，Moore，andRogers.Fivepoetsofveryunequalworthandmostdisproportionatepopularity，whomthepublicprobablywouldarrangeintheveryinverseorder，exceptthatitwouldplaceMooreaboveRogers.Duringthisafternoon，Coleridgealonedisplayedanyofhispeculiartalent.Hetalkedmuchandwell.Ihavenotforyearsseenhiminsuchexcellenthealthandspirits.Hissubjectsmetaphysicalcriticism—Wordsworthhechieflytalkedto.Rogersoccasionallyletfallaremark.Mooreseemedconsciousofhisinferiority.HewasveryattentivetoColeridge，butseemedtorelishLamb，whomhesatnext.L.wasinagoodframe—kepthimselfwithinboundsandwasonlycheerfulatlast….Iwasatthebottomofthetable，whereIveryillperformedmypart….IwalkedhomelatewithLamb."

ManyyearslaterRobinsonsenttoTheAthenaeum（June25，1853）afurtherandfulleraccountoftheevening.]

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