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LETTER 4（第1页）

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LETTER4

（Apparentlyacontinuationofaletterthefirstpartofwhichismissing）

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[Begun]MondayNight[June13，1796].

UNFURNISHEDatpresentwithanysheet-fillingsubject，Ishallcontinuemylettergraduallyandjournal-wise.Mysecondthoughtsentirelycoincidewithyourmentson"JoanofArc，"andIcanonlywonderatmychildishjudgmentwhichoverlookedthe1stbookandcouldpreferthe9th:notthatIwasinsensibletothesobererbeautiesoftheformer，butthelattercaughtmewithitsglareofmagic，—theformer，however，leftamorepleasinggeneralrecollectioninmymind.Letmeadd，the1stbookwasthefavouriteofmysister—andInow，withJoan，often"thinkonDomremiandthefieldsofArc."Imustnotpassoverwithoutacknowledgingmyobligationstoyourfullandsatisfactoryaccountofpersonifications.Ihavereaditagainandagain，anditwillbeaguidetomyfuturetaste.PerhapsIhadestimatedSoutheysmeritstoomuchbynumber，weight，andmeasure.InowagreepletelyandentirelyinyouropinionofthegeniusofSouthey.Yourownimageofmelancholyisillustrativeofwhatyouteach，andinitselfmasterly.Iconjectureitis"disbranched"fromoneofyourembryo"hymns."Whentheyarematureofbirth（wereIyou）Ishouldprinteminoneseparatevolume，with"ReligiousMusings"andyourpartofthe"JoanofArc."Birdsofthesamesoaringwingshouldholdontheirflightinpany.Onceforall（andbyrenewingthesubjectyouwillonlyrenewinmethecondemnationofTantalus），Ihopetobeabletopayyouavisit（ifyouarethenatBristol）sometimeinthelatterendofAugustorbeginningofSeptemberforaweekorfortnight;beforethattime，officebusinessputsanabsolutevetoonmying.

"Andifasighthatspeaksregretofhappiertimesappear，

Aglimpseofjoythatwehavemetshallshineanddrythetear."

OftheblankversesIspokeof，thefollowinglinesaretheonlytolerablypleteonesIhavewritoutofnotmorethanonehundredandfifty.ThatIgetonsoslowlyyoumayfairlyimputetowantofpracticeinposition，whenIdeclaretoyouthat（thefewverseswhichyouhaveseenexcepted）IhavenotwritfiftylinessinceIleftschool.Itmaynotbeamisstoremarkthatmygrandmother（onwhomtheversesarewritten）livedhousekeeperinafamilythefiftyorsixtylastyearsofherlife—thatshewasawomanofexemplarypietyandgoodness—andformanyyearsbeforeherdeathwasterriblyafflictedwithacancerinherbreastwhichsheborewithtrueChristianpatience.YoumaythinkthatIhavenotkeptenoughaparttheideasofherheavenlyandherearthlymasterbutrecollectIhavedesignedlygivenintoherownwayoffeeling—andifshehadafailing，twasthatsherespectedhermastersfamilytoomuch，notreverencedherMakertoolittle.Thelinesbeginimperfectly，asImayprobablyconnectemifIfinishatall，—andifIdo，Biggsshallprinteminamoreeconomicalwaythanyouyours，for（Sonnetsandall）theywontmakeathousandlinesasIproposepletingem，andthesubstancemustbewire-drawn.

TuesdayEvening，June14，1796.

IamnotquitesatisfiednowwiththeChatterton，andwithyourleavewilltrymyhandatitagain.Amasterjoiner，youknow，mayleaveacabinettobefinished，whenhisownhandsarefull.Toyourlistofillustrativepersonifications，intowhichafineimaginationenters，IwilltakeleavetoaddthefollowingfromBeaumontandFletchers"WifeforaMonth;"tistheconclusionofadescriptionofasea-fight;—"Thegameofdeathwasneverplayedsonobly;themeagrethiefgrewwantoninhismischiefs，andhisshrunkholloweyessmiledonhisruins."Thereisfancyintheseofalowerorderfrom"Bonduca;"—"ThendidIseethesevaliantmenofBritain，likebodingowlscreepintotodsofivy，andhoottheirfearstooneanothernightly."Notthatitisapersonification;onlyitjustcaughtmyeyeinalittleextractbookIkeep，whichisfullof"ationsfromB.andF.inparticular，inwhichauthorsIcanthelpthinkingthereisagreaterrichnessofpoeticalfancythaninanyone，Shakspeareexcepted.AreyouacquaintedwithMassinger?AtahazardIwilltroubleyouwithapassagefromaplayofhiscalled"AVeryWoman."Thelinesarespokenbyalover（disguised）tohisfaithlessmistress.Youwillremarkthefineeffectofthedoubleendings.Youwillbyyoureardistinguishthelines，forIwriteemasprose."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，shescorndme;andinsopoorandbaseawayabusedmeforallmyservices，forallmybounties，soboldneglectsflungonme."—"Whatoutoflove，andworthylove，Igaveher（shametohermostunworthymind，）tofools，togirls，tofiddlersandherboyssheflung，allindisdainofme."OnemorepassagestrikesmyeyefromB.andF.s"PalamonandArcite."Oneofemplainsinprison:"Thisisallourworld;weshallknownothingherebutoneanother，hearnothingbuttheclockthattellsourwoes;thevineshallgrow，butweshallneverseeit，"&c.Isnotthelastcircumstanceexquisite?ImeannottolaymyselfopenbysayingtheyexceedMilton，andperhapsCollins，insublimity.ButdontyouconceiveallpoetsafterShakspeareyieldtoeminvarietyofgenius?Massingertreadscloseontheirheels;butyouaremostprobablyaswellacquaintedwithhiswritingsasyourhumbleservant.My"ations，inthatcase，willonlyservetoexposemybarrennessofmatter.Southeyinsimplicityandtenderness，isexcelleddecidedlyonly，Ithink，byBeaumontandF.inhis[their]"MaidsTragedy"andsomepartsof"Philaster"inparticular，andelsewhereoccasionally;andperhapsbyCowperinhis"CrazyKate，"andinpartsofhistranslation，suchasthespeechesofHecubaandAndromache.Ilongtoknowyouropinionofthattranslation.TheOdysseyespeciallyissurelyveryHomeric.WhatnoblerthantheappearanceofPhoebusatthebeginningoftheIliad—thelinesendingwith"Dreadsounding，boundingonthesilverbow!"

Ibegyouwillgivemeyouropinionofthetranslation;itaffordedmehighpleasure.Ascuriousaspecimenoftranslationaseverfellintomyhands，isayoungmansinouroffice，ofaFrenchnovel.Whatintheoriginalwasliterally"amiabledelusionsofthefancy，"heproposedtorender"thefairfraudsoftheimagination!"Ihadmuchtroubleinlickingthebookintoanymeaningatall.Yetdidtheknaveclearfiftyorsixtypoundsbysubscriptionandsellingthecopyright.Thebookitselfnotaweekswork!To-daysportionofmyjournalisingepistlehasbeenverydullandpoverty-stricken.Iwillhereend.

TuesdayNight.

Ihavebeendrinkingegg-hotandsmokingOronooko（associatedcircumstances，whicheverforciblyrecalltomymindoureveningsandnightsattheSalutation）;myeyesandbrainareheavyandasleep，butmyheartisawake;andifwordscameasreadyasideas，andideasasfeelings，Icouldsaytenhundredkindthings.Coleridge，youknownotmysupremehappinessathavingoneonearth（thoughcountiesseparateus）whomIcancallafriend.RememberyouthosetenderlinesofLogan?—

"Ourbrokenfriendshipswedeplore，

Andlovesofyouththatarenomore;

Noafterfriendshipseercanraise

Thendearmentsofourearlydays，

Andneertheheartsuchfondnessprove，

Aswhenwefirstbegantolove."

Iamwritingatrandom，andhalf-tipsy，whatyoumaynotequallyunderstand，asyouwillbesoberwhenyoureadit;butmysoberandmyhalf-tipsyhoursyouarealikeasharerin.Goodnight.

"Thenuproseourbard，likeaprophetindrink，

Craigdoroch，thoultsoarwhencreationshallsink."

BURNS.

Thursday[June16，1796].

Iamnowinhighhopestobeabletovisityou，ifperfectlyconvenientonyourpart，bytheendofnextmonth—perhapsthelastweekorfortnightinJuly.Achangeofsceneandachangeoffaceswoulddomegood，evenifthatscenewerenottobeBristol，andthosefacesColeridgesandhisfriends.InthewordsofTerence，alittlealtered，"Taedetmehujus"idianimundi."Iamheartilysickoftheevery-dayscenesoflife.Ishallhalfwishyouunmarried（dontshowthistoMrs.C.）foroneeveningonly，tohavethepleasureofsmokingwithyou，anddrinkingegg-hotinsomelittlesmokyroominapot-house，forIknownotyethowIshalllikeyouinadecentroom，andlookingquitehappy.MybestloveandrespectstoSaranotwithstanding.

Yourssincerely，

CHARLESLAMB.

[Coleridgesimageofmelancholywillbefoundinthelines"Melancholy—afragment."ItwaspublishedinSibyllineLeaves，1817，andinanoteColeridgesaidthattheverseswereprintedintheMorningChroniclein1794.TheywerereallyprintedintheMorningPost，December12，1797.ColeridgehadprobablysentthemtoLambinMS.The"hymns"cametonothing.

"Thefollowinglines."Lambspoem"TheGrandame"waspresumablyincludedinthisletter.SeeVol.IV.MaryField，Lambsgrandmother，diedJuly31，1792，agedseventy-nine，andwasburiedinWidfordchurchyard.ShehadbeenformanyyearshousekeeperinthePlumerfamilyatBlakesware.OnWilliamPlumersmovingtoGilston，aneighbouringseat，in1767，shehadsolechargeoftheBlakeswaremansion，wherehergrandchildrenusedtovisither.CompareLambsEliaessays"BlakesmoorinH——shire"and"Dream-Children，"

N.BiggswastheprinterofColeridgesPoems，1797.

LambhadbegunhisamendmentofColeridges"MonodyontheDeathofChatterton"inhisletterofJune10.Coleridgesillustrativepersonifications，herereferredto，areinthatpoeTheextractbookfromwhichLambcopiedhis"ationsfromBeaumontandFletcherandMassingerwas，heafterwardstellsus，destroyed;butsimilarvolumes，whichhefilledlater，arepreserved.ManyofhisextractsheincludedinhisDramaticSpecimens.

WritingtoCharlesLloyd，sen.，in1809，LambsaysofCowperasatranslatorofHomerthathe"delaysyou…walkingoveraBowlingGreen."

CanonAingerpossessedacopyofthebooktranslatedbyLambs

fellow-clerk.ItwascalledSentimentalTabletsoftheGoodPamphile.

"TranslatedfromtheFrenchofM.GorjybyP.S.DupuyoftheEastIndia

House，1795."AmongthesubscribersnameswereThomasBye（5copies），

Ball，Evans，Savory（2copies），andLambhimself.]

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