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LETTER 50（第1页）

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LETTER50

CharlesLambtoThomasManning

[P.M.Feb.13，1800.]

DearManning，—Oliviaisagoodgirl，andifyouturntomyletter，youwillfindthatthisverypleayousetuptovindicateLloydIhadmadeuseofasareasonwhyheshouldneverhaveemployedOliviatomakeacopyofsuchaletter—aletterIcouldnothavesenttomyenemysb——h，ifshehadthoughtfittoseekmeinthewayofmarriage.Butyouseeitinoneview，Iinanother.Restyoumerryinyouropinion!Opinionisaspeciesofproperty;andthoughIamalwaysdesiroustosharewithmyfriendtoacertainextent，Ishalleverliketokeepsometenetsandsomepropertyproperlymyown.Someday，Manning，whenwemeet，substitutingCorydonandfairAmaryllis，forCharlesLloydandMaryHayes，wewilldiscusstogetherthisquestionofmoralfeeling，"Inwhatcasesandhowfarsincerityisavirtue?"IdonotmeanTruth—agoodOlivia-likecreature—Godblessher，who，meaningnooffence，isalwaysreadytogiveananswerwhensheisaskedwhyshedidsoandso;butacertainforward-talkinghalf-brotherofhers，Sincerity，thatamphibiousgentleman，whoissoreadytoperkuphisobnoxioussentimentsunaskedintoyournotice，asMidaswouldhisearsintoyourfaceuncalledfor.ButIdespairofdoinganythingbyaletterinthewayofexplainingoringtoexplanations.Agoodwish，orapun，orapieceofsecrethistory，maybewellenoughthatwayconveyed;nay，ithasbeenknownthatintelligenceofaturkeyhathbeenconveyedbythatmediumwithoutmuchambiguity.GodwinIamagooddealpleasedwith.Heisaverywell-behaved，decentman，nothingverybrilliantabouthim，orimposing，asyoumaysuppose;quiteanotherguesssortofgentlemanfromwhatyourAnti-JacobinChristiansimaginehiIwaswellpleasedtofindhehasneitherhornsnorclaws;quiteatamecreature，Iassureyou.Amiddle-sizedman，bothinstatureandinunderstanding;whereas，fromhisnoisyfame，youwouldexpecttofindaBriareusCentimanus，oraTityustallenoughtopullJupiterfromhisheavens.

IbegintothinkyouAtheistsnotquitesotallaspecies.Coleridgeinquiresafteryouprettyoften.IwishtobethePandartobringyoutogetheragainoncebeforeIdie.Whenwedie，youandImustpart;thesheep，youknow，taketherighthand，andthegoatstheleft.Strippedofitsallegory，youmustknow，thesheepareIandthetles，andtheMartyrs，andthePopes，andBishopTaylor，andBishopHorsley，andColeridge，&c.，&c.;thegoatsaretheAtheistsandtheAdulterers，anddumbdogs，andGodwinandM——-g，andthatThyestaeancrew—yaw!howmysaintshipsickensattheidea!

YoushallhavemyplayandtheFalstafflettersinadayortwo.IwillwritetoLloydbythisdayspost.

Pray，isitapartofyoursinceritytoshowmyletterstoLloyd?forreally，gentlemenoughttoexplaintheirvirtuesuponafirstacquaintance，topreventmistakes.

Godblessyou，Manning.Takemytriflingastrifling;andbelieveme，seriouslyanddeeply，

Yourwell-wisherandfriend，

C.L.

[MaryHayeswasafriendofMaryWollstonecraft，andalsoofSoutheyandColeridge.Shewroteanovel，MemoirsofEmmaCourtney，whichLloydsayscontainedherownloveletterstoGodwinandFrend，andalsoFemaleBiography，orMemoirsofIllustriousandCelebratedWomen.Lloydandshehadbeenveryintimate.ApassagefromaletterofColeridgetoSouthey，datedJanuary25，1800，bearsuponthepresentsituation:"MissHayesIhaveseen.CharlesLloydsconducthasbeenatrociousbeyondwhatyoustated.Lambhimselfconfessedtomethatduringthetimeinwhichhekeptuphisranting，sentimentalcorrespondencewithMissHayes，hefrequentlyreadherlettersinpany，asasubjectforlaughter，andthensatedownandansweredthemquiteàlaRousseau!PoorLloyd!Everyhournew-createshim;heishisownposterityinaperpetuallyflowingseries，andhisbodyunfortunatelyretaininganexternalidentity，theirmutualcontradictionsanddisagreeingsareunitedunderonename，andofcoursearecalledlies，treachery，andrascality!"

AnotherletterfromLambtoManningatthistimetellsthestoryoftheCharlesLloydandMaryHayesimbroglio.LloydhadwrittentoMissHayesaveryoddletterconcerningherGodwinitecreed，inwhichhereferstoherbeliefthatshewasinlovewithhimandrepeatsoldstoriesthatshehadbeeninlovebothwithGodwinandFrend.Hereisonesentence:"Intheconfoundingmedleyofordinaryconversation，Ihaveinterwovenmyabhorrenceofyourprincipleswithaglancedcontemptforyourpersonalcharacter."ThisletterLloydhadgiventohissisterOliviatocopy—"AnignorantQuakergirl，"saysLamb，"Imeanignorantinthebestsense，whooughtnottoknow，thatsuchathingwaspossibleorinrerumnaturaethatawomanshouldcourtaman."Later:"AslongasLloydorIhaveknownCol.[Coleridge]solonghaveweknownhiminthedailyandhourlyhabitofquizzingtheworldbylyes，mostunaccountableandmostdisinterestedfictions."Andhereisonemorepassage:"Tosumupmyinferencesfromtheabovefacts，IamdeterminedtoliveamerryLifeinthemidstofSinners.Itrytoconsiderallmenassuch，andtopitchanyexpectationsfromhumannatureaslowaspossible.Inthisview，allunexpectedVirtuesareGodsendsandbeautifulexceptions."

LambhadjustmetWilliamGodwin（1756-1836），probablyhavingbeenintroducedtohimbyColeridge.Godwin，knownchieflybyhisPoliticalJustice，1793;CalebWilliams，1794，andSt.Leon，1799，stoodatthattimeforeverythingthatwasadvancedinthoughtandconduct.Weshallmeetwithhimofteninthecorrespondenceofthenextfewyears.

BishopHorsley（thenofRochester，afterwardsSt.Asaphs）wasprobablyincludedironically，onaccountofhishostilitytoPriestley.]

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