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LETTER 64(第1页)

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LETTER64

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

Thursday,Aug.14,1800.

ReadonandyoulletothePens.

Myheadisplayingallthetunesintheworld,ringingsuchpeals.Ithasjustfinishedthe"MerryChristChurchBells,"andabsolutelyisbeginning"Turnagain,Whittington."Buz,buz,buz:bum,bum,bum:wheeze,wheeze,wheeze:feu,feu,feu:tinky,tinky,tinky:craunch.Ishallcertainlyetobedamnedatlast.Ihavebeengettingdrunkfortwodaysrunning.Ifindmymoralsenseinthelaststageofaconsumption,andmyreligionburningasblueandfaintasthetopsofeveningbricks.HellgapesandtheDevilsgreatgutscrycupboardforme.Inthemidstofthisinfernaltorture,Conscience(andbedamndtoher),isbarkingandyelpingasloudasanyofthe

Ihavesatdowntoreadoveragain,andIthinkIdobegintospyoutsomethingwithbeautyanddesigninit.Iperfectlyaccedetoallyouralterations,andonlydesirethatyouhadcutdeeper,whenyourhandwasin.

Inthenexteditionofthe"Anthology"(whichPhoebusavertandthosenineotherwanderingmaidsalso!)pleasetoblotoutgentle-hearted,andsubstitutedrunken:dog,ragged-head,seld-shaven,odd-eyed,stuttering,oranyotherepithetwhichtrulyandproperlybelongstothegentlemaninquestion.AndforCharlesreadTom,orBob,orRichardformoredelicacy.Damnyou,Iwasbeginningtoforgiveyouandbelieveinearnestthatthelugginginofmypropernamewaspurelyunintentionalonyourpart,whenlookingbackforfurtherconviction,staresmeinthefaceCharlesLamboftheIndiaHouse.NowIamconvinceditwasalldoneinmalice,heapedsack-upon-sack,congregated,studiedmalice.YouDog!your141stpageshallnotsaveyou.IownIwasjustreadytoacknowledgethatthereisasomethingnotunlikegoodpoetryinthatpage,ifyouhadnotrunintotheunintelligibleabstraction-fitaboutthemanneroftheDeitysmakingspiritsperceivehispresence.God,norcreatedthingalive,canreceiveanyhonourfromsuchthinshow-boxattributes.

By-the-by,wheredidyoupickupthatscandalouspieceofprivatehistoryabouttheangelandtheDuchessofDevonshire?Ifitisafictionofyourown,whytrulyitisaverymodestoneforyou.NowIdoaffirmthat"Lewti"isaverybeautifulpoeIwasinearnestwhenIpraisedit.Itdescribesasillyspeciesofonenotthewisestofpassions.Thereforeitcannotdeeplyaffectadisenthralledmind.Butsuchimagery,suchnovelty,suchdelicacy,andsuchversificationnevergotintoan"Anthology"before.IamonlysorrythatthecauseofallthepassionateplaintisnotgreaterthanthetriflingcircumstanceofLewtibeingoutoftemperoneday.Insobertruth,IcannotseeanygreatmeritinthelittleDialoguecalled"Blenhei"Itisrathernovelandpretty;butthethoughtisveryobviousandchildrenspoorprattle,athingofeasyimitation.PaupervultviderietEST.

"Gualberto"certainlyhasconsiderableoriginality,butsadlywantsfinishing.Itis,asitis,oneoftheverybestinthebook.Nextto"Lewti"Ilikethe"Raven,"whichhasagooddealofhumour.Iwaspleasedtoseeitagain,foryouoncesentitme,andIhavelosttheletterwhichcontainedit.NowIamonthesubjectofAnthologies,ImustsayIamsorrytheoldPastoralwayhasfallenintodisrepute.TheGentrywhichnowinditeSonnetsarecertainlythelegitimatedescendantsoftheancientshepherds.Thesamesimperingfaceofdescription,theoldfamilyface,isvisiblycontinuedintheline.SomeoftheirancestorslaboursareyettobefoundinAllanRamsaysandJacobTonsonsMiscellanies.

But,miscellaniesdecayingandtheoldPastoralwaydyingofmerewant,theirsuccessors(drivenfromtheirpaternalacres)now-a-dayssettleandhiveuponMagazinesandAnthologies.ThisRaceofmenareunmonlyaddictedtosuperstition.SomeofthemareIdolatersandworshiptheMoon.Othersdeifyqualities,aslove,friendship,sensibility,orbareaccidents,asSolitude.GriefandMelancholyhavetheirrespectivealtarsandtemplesamongthem,astheheathensbuildedtheirstoMors,Febris,Palloris.Theyallagreeinascribingapeculiarsanctitytothenumberfourteen.Oneoftheirownlegislatorsaffirmeth,thatwhateverexceedsthatnumber"encroachethupontheprovinceoftheElegy"—viceversa,whatever"ethshortofthatnumberabuttethuponthepremisesoftheEpigra"IhavebeenabletodiscoverbutfewImagesintheirtemples,which,liketheCavesofDelphosofold,arefamousforgivingEchoes.TheyimputeareligiousimportancetotheletterO,whetherbecausebyitsroundnessitisthoughttotypifythemoon,theirprincipalgoddess,orforitsanalogiestotheirownlabours,allendingwheretheybegan;orwhateverotherhighandmysticalreference,Ihaveneverbeenabletodiscover,butIobservetheyneverbegintheirinvocationstotheirgodswithoutit,exceptindeedoneinsignificantsectamongthem,whousetheDoricA,pronouncedlikeAh!broad,instead.TheseboasttohaverestoredtheoldDorianmood.

NowIamonthesubjectofpoetry,Imustannouncetoyou,who,doubtless,inyourremotepartoftheIsland,havenotheardtidingsofsogreatablessing,thatGEORGEDYERhathpreparedtwoponderousvolumesfullofPoetryandCriticisTheyimpendoverthetown,andarethreatenedtofallinthewinter.Thefirstvolumecontainseverysortofpoetryexceptpersonalsatire,whichGeorge,inhistrulyoriginalprospectus,renouncethforever,whimsicallyfoistingtheintentioninbetweenthepriceofhisbookandtheproposednumberofsubscribers.(IfIcan,Iwillgetyouacopyofhishandbill.)Hehastriedhisveinineveryspeciesbesides—theSpenserian,Thomsonian,MasonicandAkensidishmoreespecially.Thesecondvolumeisallcriticism;whereinhedemonstratestotheentiresatisfactionoftheliteraryworld,inawaythatmustsilenceallreplyforever,thatthepastoralwasintroducedbyTheocritusandpolishedbyVirgilandPope—thatGrayandMason(whoalwayshuntincouplesinGeorgesbrain)haveagooddealofpoeticalfireandtruelyricgenius—thatCowleywasruinedbyexcessofwit(awarningtoallmoderns)—thatCharlesLloyd,CharlesLamb,andWilliamWordsworth,inlaterdays,havestruckthetruechordsofpoesy.O,George,George,withaheaduniformlywrongandaheartuniformlyright,thatIhadpowerandmightequaltomywishes!—thenIwouldcalltheGentryofthynativeIsland,andtheyshouldeintroops,flockingatthesoundofthyProspectusTrumpet,andcrowdingwhoshallbefirsttostandinthyListofSubscribers.Icanonlyputtwelveshillingsintothypocket(which,Iwillanswerforthem,willnotsticktherelong),outofapocketalmostasbareasthine.[Lambhereerasessixlines.]

Isitnotapitysomuchfinewritingshouldbeerased?But,totellthetruth,IbegantoscentthatIwasgettingintothatsortofstylewhichLonginusandDionysiusHalicarnassusaptlycall"theaffected."ButIamsufferingfromthebinedeffectoftwodaysdrunkenness,andatsuchtimesitisnotveryeasytothinkorexpressinanaturalseries.TheONLYusefulOBJECTofthisLetteristoapprizeyouthatonSaturdayIshalltransmitthePENSbythesamecoachIsenttheParcel.Soenquirethemout.YouhadbetterwritetoGodwinhere,directingyourlettertobeforwardedtohiIdontknowhisaddress.YouknowyourlettermustatanyrateetoLondonfirst.C.L.

["Yoursatireuponme"—"ThisLime-treeBowermyPrison"(seeabove).

"Thosenineotherwanderingmaids"—theMuses.ArecollectionofThe

Anti-JacobinsversesonLambandhisfriends(seeabove).

"Your141stpage.""ThisLime-treeBower"again.By"unintelligibleabstraction-fit"Lambreferstothepassage:—

Ah!slowlysink

Behindthewesternridge,thougloriousSun!

Shineintheslantbeamsofthesinkingorb,

Yepurpleheath-flowers!richlierburn,yeclouds!

Liveintheyellowlight,yedistantgroves!

Andkindle,thoublueOcean!Somyfriend

Struckwithdeepjoymaystand,asIhavestood,

Silentwithswimmingsense;yea,gazinground

Onthewidelandscape,gazetillalldothseem

Lessgrossthanbodily;andofsuchhues

AsveiltheAlmightySpirit,whenyetHemakes

SpiritsperceiveHispresence.

"Thatscandalouspieceofprivatehistory."AreferencetoColeridges

"OdetoGeorgiana,DuchessofDevonshire,"reprintedintheAnnual

AnthologyfromtheMorningPost.

"Blenheim"—Southeysballad,"Itwasasummersevening."

"Gualberto."Thepoem"St.Gualberto"bySouthey,intheAnnual

Anthology.

"TheRaven"wasreferredtoinLambsletterofFeb.5,1797.

GeorgeDyersPoems,intwovolumes,werepublishedin1800.SeenotetoLetter80.

Uponthephrase"thetopsofeveningbricks"inthisletter,editorshavebeendivided.ThelateDr.Garnett,whoannotatedtheBostonBibliophileedition,isconvincedthat"evening"istheword,andhesaysthatthebricksmeantwereprobablybriquettesofpressedcoaldust.]

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