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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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