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LETTER 12（第1页）

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LETTER12

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

Oct.28th，1796.

MydearFriend，IamnotignorantthattobeapartakeroftheDivineNatureisaphrasetobemetwithinScripture:Iamonlyapprehensive，lestweintheselatterdays，tinctured（someofusperhapsprettydeeply）withmysticalnotionsandtheprideofmetaphysics，mightbeapttoaffixtosuchphrasesameaning，whichtheprimitiveusersofthem，thesimplefishermenofGalileeforinstance，neverintendedtoconvey.WiththatotherpartofyourapologyIamnotquitesowellsatisfied.Youseemtometohavebeenstrainingyourparingfacultiestobringtogetherthingsinfinitelydistantandunlike;thefeeblenarrow-spheredoperationsofthehumanintellectandtheeverywherediffusedmindofDeity，thepeerlesswisdomofJehovah.Eventheexpressionappearstomeinaccurate—portionofomnipresence—omnipresenceisanattributewhoseveryessenceisunlimitedness.Howcanomnipresencebeaffirmedofanythinginpart?Butenoughofthisspiritofdisputatiousness.Letusattendtotheproperbusinessofhumanlife，andtalkalittletogetherrespectingourdomesticconcerns.Doyoucontinuetomakemeacquaintedwithwhatyouweredoing，andhowsoonyouarelikelytobesettledonceforall.

Ihavesatisfactioninbeingabletobidyourejoicewithmeinmysisterscontinuedreasonandposednessofmind.Letusbothbethankfulforit.Icontinuetovisitherveryfrequently，andthepeopleofthehousearevastlyindulgenttoher;sheislikelytobeasfortablysituatedinallrespectsasthosewhopaytwiceorthricethesuTheyloveher，andshelovesthem，andmakesherselfveryusefultotheBenevolencesetsoutonherjourneywithagoodheart，andputsagoodfaceonit，butisapttolimpandgrowfeeble，unlessshecallsintheaidofself-interestbywayofcrutch.InMaryscase，asfarasrespectsthosesheiswith，tiswellthattheseprinciplesaresolikelytoco-operate.Iamratheratalosssometimesforbooksforher，—ourreadingissomewhatconfined，andwehavenearlyexhaustedourLondonlibrary.Shehasherhandstoofullofworktoreadmuch，butalittleshemustread;forreadingwasherdailybread.HaveyouseenBowlessnewpoemon"Hope?"Whatcharacterdoesitbear?Hasheexhaustedhisstoresoftenderplaintiveness?orishethesameinthislastasinallhisformerpieces?Thedutiesofthedaycallmeofffromthispleasantintercoursewithmyfriend—soforthepresentadieu.

Nowforthetruantborrowingofafewminutesfrombusiness.Haveyoumetwithanewpoemcalledthe"PursuitsofLiterature?"Fromtheextractsinthe"BritishReview"Ijudgeittobeaveryhumorousthing;inparticularIrememberwhatIthoughtaveryhappycharacterofDr.Darwinspoetry.AmongallyourquaintreadingsdidyoueverlightuponWaltons"CompleteAngler"?Iaskedyouthequestiononcebefore;itbreathestheveryspiritofinnocence，purity，andsimplicityofheart;therearemanychoiceoldversesinterspersedinit;itwouldsweetenamanstemperatanytimetoreadit;itwouldChristianiseeverydiscordantangrypassion;praymakeyourselfacquaintedwithit.HaveyoumadeitupwithSoutheyyet?Surelyoneofyoutwomusthavebeenaverysillyfellow，andtheothernotmuchbetter，tofalloutlikeboarding-schoolmisses;kiss，shakehands，andmakeitup?

Whenwillhebedeliveredofhisnewepic?MadocIthink，istobethenameofit;thoughthatisanamenotfamiliartomyears.Whatprogressdoyoumakeinyourhymns?WhatReviewareyouconnectedwith?Ifwithany，whydoyoudelaytonoticeWhitesbook?Youarejustlyoffendedatitsprofaneness;butsurelyyouhaveundervalueditswit，oryouwouldhavebeenmoreloudinitspraises.DonotyouthinkthatinSlendersdeathandmadnessthereismostexquisitehumour，mingledwithtenderness，thatisirresistible，trulyShakspearian?Bemorefullinyourmentionofit.Poorfellow，hehas（veryundeservedly）lostbyit;nordoIseethatitislikelyevertoreimbursehimthechargeofprinting，etc.Giveitalift，ifyoucan.IsupposeyouknowthatAllenswifeisdead，andhe，justsituatedashewas，neverthebetter，astheworldlypeoplesay，forherdeath，hermoneywithherchildrenbeingtakenoffhishands.Iamjustnowwonderingwhetheryouwilleveretotownagain，Coleridge;tisamongthethingsIdarenothope，butcanthelpwishing.Formyself，Icanliveinthemidstoftownluxuryandsuperfluity，andnotlongforthem，andIcantseewhyyourchildrenmightnothereafterdothesame.Remember，youarenotinArcadiawhenyouareinthewestofEngland，andtheymaycatchinfectionfromtheworldwithoutvisitingthemetropolis.Butyouseemtohavesetyourheartuponthissamecottageplan;andGodprosperyouintheexperiment!Iamatalossformoretowriteabout;sotisaswellthatIamarrivedatthebottomofmypaper.

Godloveyou，Coleridge!—Ourbestlovesandtenderestwishesawaitonyou，yourSara，andyourlittleone.

C.L.

[Bowlesspoemwas"Hope，anallegoricalsketchonslowlyrecoveringfromsickness."Seenoteonpages78and79.

ThePursuitsofLiterature，wasaliterarysatireintheformofdialoguesinverse，garnishedwithveryoutspokennotes，byThomasJamesMathias（1754?-1835），whichappearedbetween1794and1797.

SoutheyhadreturnedfromPortugalinthesummer，whenthequarrelbetweenColeridgeandhimselfrevived;butaboutthetimeofHartleysbirthsomekindofareconciliationwaspatchedup.Madoc，asithappened，wasnotpublisheduntil1805，althoughinitsfirstformitwaspletedin1797.

WritingtoCharlesLloyd，sen.，inDecember，1796，ColeridgesaysthathegiveshiseveningstohisengagementswiththeCriticalReviewandNewMonthlyMagazine.

ThisisthepassageinFalstaffsLettersdescribingBlendersdeath:—

DAVYTOSHALLOW

MasterAbramisdead，gone，yourWorship—dead!MasterAbram!Oh!goodyourWorship，asgone.—Aneverthrove，sinceacamefromWindsor—twashisdeath.Icalldhimarebel，yourWorship—butawasallsubject—awassubjecttoanybabe，asmuchasaKing—aturnd，likeasitwerethelatterendofaloverslute—awasallpeaceandresignment—atookdelightinnothingbuthisbookofsongsandsonnets—awouldgototheStroudsideunderthelargebeechtree，andsing，tilltwasquitepityofourlivestomarkhim;forhischingrewaslongasamuscle—Oh!asunghissoulandbodyquiteaway—awaslankasanygreyhound，andhadsuchascent!Ihidhislove-songsamongyourWorshipslaw-books;forIthoughtifacouldnotgetatthem，itmightbetohisquiet;butasnuffdemoutinamoment.—GoodyourWorship，havethewisewomanofBrentfortsecured—MasterAbrammayhavebeenconjured—PeterSimplesays，aneverlookdup，afterasenttothewisewoman—Marry，awasalwaysgiventolookdownaforehiselders;amightdoit，awasgiventoit—yourWorshipknowsit;butthentwaspeakandpertwithhim—awasamanagain，marry，intheturnofhisheel.—Adied，yourWorship，justaboutone，atthecrowofthecock.—Ithoughthowitwaswithhim;foratalkdasquick，aye，marry，asglibasyourWorship;andasmiled，andlookdathisownnose，andcalld"SweetAnnPage."Iaskdhimifawouldeat—soabadusmendhimtohisCousinRobert（anevercalldyourWorshipsobefore）andbadeusgethotmeat，forawouldnotsaynaytoAnnagain.—Butaneverlivdtotouchit—abeganallinamomenttosing"Loversall，aMadrigal."TwastheonlysongMasterAbrameverlearntoutofbook，andcleanbyheart，yourWorship—andsoasung，andsmiled，andlookdaskewathisownnose，andsung，andsungon，tillhisbreathwaxedshorter，andshorter，andshorter，andafellintoastruggleanddied.IbeseechyourWorshiptothinkhewaswelltended—Ilookdtohim，yourWorship，lateandsoon，andcreptathisheelalldaylong，anithadbeenanyfallowdog—butIthoughtacouldneverlive，foradidsosing，andthenaneverdrankwithit—Iknewtwasabadsign—yea，asung，yourWorship，marry，withoutdrinkingadrop.

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