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LETTER 18（第1页）

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LETTER18

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

Dec.10th，1796.

Ihadputmyletterintothepostratherhastily，notexpectingtohavetoacknowledgeanotherfromyousosoon.Thismorningspresenthasmademealiveagain:mylastnightsepistlewaschildishlyquerulous;butyouhaveputalittlelifeintome，andIwillthankyouforyourremembranceofme，whilemysenseofitisyetwarm;forifIlingeradayortwoImayusethesamephraseofacknowledgment，orsimilar;butthefeelingthatdictatesitnowwillbegone.Ishallsendyouacaputmortuum，notacorvivens.ThyWatchmans，thybellmans，verses，Idoretortuponthee，thoulibellousvarlet，—why，youcriedthehoursyourself，andwhomadeyousoproud?ButIsubmit，toshowmyhumility，mostimplicitlytoyourdogmas.Irejectentirelythecopyofversesyoureject.Withregardtomyleavingoffversifying，youhavesaidsomanyprettythings，somanyfinepliments，ingeniouslydeckedoutinthegarbofsincerity，andundoubtedlyspringingfromapresentfeelingsomewhatlikesincerity，thatyoumightmeltthemostun-muse-icalsoul，—didyounot（nowforaRowlandplimentforyourprofusionofOlivers）—didyounotinyourveryepistle，bythemanyprettyfanciesandprofusionofheartdisplayedinit，dissuadeanddiscouragemefromattemptinganythingafteryou.AtpresentIhavenotleisuretomakeverses，noranythingapproachingtoafondnessfortheexercise.Intheignorantpresenttime，whocananswerforthefutureman?"AtloversperjuriesJovelaughs"—andpoetshavesometimesadisingenuouswayofforswearingtheiroccupation.Thisthoughisnotmycase.Thetendercastofsoul，sombredwithmelancholyandsubsidingrecollections，isfavourabletotheSonnetortheElegy;butfrom

"Thesaintedgrowingwoof，

Theteasingtroubleskeepaloof."

Themusicofpoesymaycharmforawhiletheimportunateteasingcaresoflife;buttheteasedandtroubledmanisnotinadispositiontomakethatmusic.

YousentmesomeverysweetlinesrelativetoBurns，butitwasatatimewhen，inmyhighlyagitatedandperhapsdistortedstateofmind，IthoughtitadutytoreademhastilyandburneIburnedallmyownverses，allmybookofextractsfromBeaumontandFletcherandathousandsources:IburnedalittlejournalofmyfoolishpassionwhichIhadalongtimekept—

"Notingeretheypastaway

Thelittlelinesofyesterday."

Ialmostburnedallyourletters，—Ididasbad，Ilentemtoafriendtokeepoutofmybrotherssight，shouldheeandmakeinquisitionintoourpapers，for，muchashedweltuponyourconversationwhileyouwereamongus，anddelightedtobewithyou，ithasbeenhisfashioneversincetodepreciateandcryyoudown，—youwerethecauseofmymadness—youandyourdamnedfoolishsensibilityandmelancholy—andhelamentedwithatruebrotherlyfeelingthatweevermet，evenasthesobercitizen，whenhissonwentastrayuponthemountainsofParnassus，issaidtohave"cursedwitandPoetryandPope."I"ewrong，butnomatter.TheselettersIlenttoafriendtobeoutofthewayforaseason;butIhaveclaimedtheminvain，andshallnotceasetoregrettheirloss.Yourpackets，posteriortothedateofmymisfortunes，mencingwiththatvaluableconsolatoryepistle，areeverydayaccumulating—theyaresacredthingswithme.

PublishyourBurnswhenandhowyoulike，itwillbenewtome，—mymemoryofitisveryconfused，andtaintedwithunpleasantassociations.Burnswasthegodofmyidolatry，asBowlesofyours.IamjealousofyourfraternisingwithBowles，whenIthinkyourelishhimmorethanBurnsormyoldfavourite，Cowper.Butyouconciliatematterswhenyoutalkofthe"divinechit-chat"ofthelatter:bytheexpressionIseeyouthoroughlyrelishhiIloveMrs.Coleridgeforherexcusesanhundredfoldmoredearlythanifsheheaped"lineuponline，"out-Hannah-ingHannahMore，andhadratherhearyousing"Didaverylittlebaby"byyourfamilyfire-side，thanlistentoyouwhenyouwererepeatingoneofBowlesssweetestsonnetsinyoursweetmanner，whilewetwowereindulgingsympathy，asolitaryluxury，bythefiresideattheSalutation.YethaveInohigherideasofheaven.Yourpanywasone"cordialinthismelancholyvale"—theremembranceofitisablessingpartly，andpartlyacurse.

WhenIcanabstractmyselffromthingspresent，Icanenjoyitwithafreshnessofrelish;butitmoreconstantlyoperatestoanunfavourableparisonwiththeuninteresting;converseIalwaysandonlycanpartakein.NotasoullovesBowleshere;scarceonehasheardofBurns;fewbutlaughatmeforreadingmyTestament—theytalkalanguageIunderstandnot:IconcealsentimentsthatwouldbeapuzzletotheIcanonlyconversewithyoubyletterandwiththedeadintheirbooks.Mysister，indeed，isallIcanwishinapanion;butourspiritsarealikepoorly，ourreadingandknowledgefromtheself-samesources，ourmunicationwiththescenesoftheworldalikenarrow:neverhavingkeptseparatepany，orany"pany""together"—neverhavingreadseparatebooks，andfewbookstogether—whatknowledgehavewetoconveytoeachother?Inourlittlerangeofdutiesandconnexions，howfewsentimentscantakeplace，withoutfriends，withfewbooks，withatasteforreligionratherthanastrongreligioushabit!Weneedsomesupport，someleading-stringstocheeranddirectus.Youtalkverywisely，andbenotsparingofyouradvice.Continuetorememberus，andtoshowusyoudorememberus:wewilltakeaslivelyaninterestinwhatconcernsyouandyours.AllIcanaddtoyourhappiness，willbesympathy.Youcanaddtominemore;youcanteachmewisdoIamindeedanunreasonablecorrespondent;butIwasunwillingtoletmylastnightslettergooffwithoutthisqualifier:youwillperceivebythismymindiseasier，andyouwillrejoice.Idonotexpectorwishyoutowrite，tillyouaremoved;andofcourseshallnot，tillyouannouncetomethatevent，thinkofwritingmyself.LovetoMrs.ColeridgeandDavidHartley，andmykindremembrancetoLloyd，ifheiswithyou.

C.LAMB.

Iwillget"NatureandArt，"—havenotseenityet—noranyofJeremy

Taylorsworks.

[Thereferencetothebellmansverses（thebellman，orwatchman，usedtoleaveversesatthehousesonhisbeatatEasterasareminderofhisdeserts）isnotquiteclear.LambevidentlyhadsubmittedforthenewvolumesomelineswhichColeridgewouldnotpass—possiblythepoeminLetterNo.16.

ColeridgesometimebeforehadsenttoLambtheverysweetlinesrelativetoBurns，underthetitle，"ToaFriendwhohadDeclaredHisIntentionofWritingnomorePoetry."

"Didaverylittlebaby."IntheAppendixtoVol.I.ofthe1847editionoftheBiog.Lit.，SaraColeridgewrites，concerningchildrenanddomesticevenings，"Didaverylittlebabbymakeaverygreatnoise?isthefirstlineofanurserysong，inwhichMr.Coleridgerecordedsomeofhisexperienceonthisreconditesubject."Thesonghasdisappeared.

NatureandArtwasMrs.Inchbaldsstory，publishedin1796.LamblaterbecameanenthusiastforJeremyTaylor.]

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