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LETTER 66（第2页）

Instatelypride，bymybed-side，

High-bornHelensportraitshung;

Deaftomypraise;mymournfullays

Arenightlytotheportraitsung.

6

TothatIweep，noreversleep，

Complainingallnightlongtoher!

Helen，grownold，nolongercold，

Said，"YoutoallmenIprefer."

GodwinreturnedfromWicklowtheweekbeforelast，thohedidnotreachhometilltheSundayafter.Hemightmuchbetterhavespentthattimewithyou.—Butyouseeyourinvitationwouldhavebeentoolate.Hegreatlyregretstheoccasionhemistofvisitingyou，butheintendstorevisitIrelandinthenextsummer，andthenhewillcertainlytakeKeswickinhisway.IdinedwiththeHeathenonSunday.

By-the-by，Ihaveasortofrecollectionthatsomebody，Ithinkyou，promisedmeasightofWordsworthsTragedy.Ishouldbeverygladofitjustnow;forIhavegotManningwithme，andshouldliketoreaditwithhiButthis，Iconfess，isarefinement.Underanycircumstances，aloneinColdBathPrison，orinthedesertisland，justwhenProspero&hiscrewhadsetoff，withCalibaninacage，toMilan，itwouldbeatreattometoreadthatplay.Manninghasreadit，sohasLloyd，andallLloydsfamily;butIcouldnotgethimtobetrayhistrustbygivingmeasightofit.Lloydissadlydeficientinsomeofthosevirtuousvices.Ihavejustlituponamostbeautifulfictionofhellpunishments，bytheauthorof"Hurlothrumbo，"amadfarce.Theinventorimaginesthatinhellthereisagreatcaldronofhotwater，inwhichamancanscarceholdhisfinger，andanimmensesieveoverit，intowhichtheprobationarysoulsareput.

"Andallthelittlesouls

Popthroughtheriddleholes."

MaryslovetoMrs.Coleridge—minetoall.

N.B.—IpaysnoPostage.—

GeorgeDyeristheonlyliterarycharacterIamhappilyacquaintedwith.TheoftenerIseehim，themoredeeplyIadmirehiHeisgoodnessitself.IfIcouldbutcalculatetheprecisedateofhisdeath，IwouldwriteanovelonpurposetomakeGeorgethehero.Icouldhithimofftoahair.

GeorgebroughtaDr.Andersontoseeme.TheDoctorisaverypleasantoldman，agreatgeniusforagriculture，onethattieshisbreeches-kneeswithPackthread，&boastsofhavinghaddisappointmentsfromministers.TheDoctorhappenedtomentionanEpicPoembyoneWilkie，calledthe"Epigoniad，"inwhichheassuredusthereisnotonetolerablelinefrombeginningtoend，butallthecharacters，incidents，&c.，areverballycopiedfromHomer.George，whohadbeensittingquiteinattentivetotheDoctorscriticism，nosoonerheardthesoundofHomerstrikehispericraniks，thanuphegets，anddeclareshemustseethatpoemimmediately:wherewasittobehad?Anepicpoemof800[?8，000]lines，andhenothearofit!Theremustbesomethingsgoodinit，anditwasnecessaryheshouldseeit，forhehadtouchedprettydeeplyuponthatsubjectinhiscriticismsontheEpic.GeorgehastouchedprettydeeplyupontheLyric，Ifind;hehasalsopreparedadissertationontheDramaandtheparisonoftheEnglishandGermantheatres.AsIratherdoubtedhispetencytodothelatter，knowingthathispeculiarturnliesinthelyricspeciesofposition，IquestionedGeorgewhatEnglishplayshehadread.IfoundthathehadreadShakspere（whomhecallsanoriginal，butirregular，genius），butitwasagoodwhileago;andhehasdiptintoRoweandOtway，IsupposehavingfoundtheirnamesinJohnsonsLivesatfulllength;anduponthisslendergroundhehasundertakenthetask.HeneverseemdeventohaveheardofFletcher，Ford，Marlow，Massinger，andtheWorthiesofDodsleysCollection;butheistoreadallthese，topreparehimforbringingouthis"Parallel"inthewinter.IfindheisalsodeterminedtovindicatePoetryfromtheshackleswhichAristotle&someothershaveimposeduponit，whichisverygood-naturedofhim，andverynecessaryjustnow!NowIamtouchingsodeeplyuponpoetry，canIforgetthatIhavejustreceivedfromCottleamagnificentcopyofhisGuineaEpic.Four-and-twentyBookstoreadinthedog-days!IgotasfarastheMadMonkthefirstday，&fainted.Mr.CottlesgeniusstronglypointshimtothePastoral，buthisinclinationsdiverthimperpetuallyfromhiscalling.HeimitatesSouthey，asRowedidShakspeare，withhis"Goodmorrowtoye;goodmasterLieutt."Insteadofaman，awoman，adaughter，heconstantlywritesoneaman，oneawoman，onehisdaughter.Insteadoftheking，thehero，heconstantlywrites，hetheking，hethehero—twoflowersofrhetoricpalpablyfromthe"Joan."ButMr.Cottlesoarsahigherpitch:andwhenheisoriginal，itisinamostoriginalwayindeed.Histerrificscenesareindefatigable.Serpents，asps，spiders，ghosts，deadbodies，staircasesmadeofnothing，withadderstonguesforbannisters—MyGod!whatabrainhemusthave!HeputsasmanyplumsinhispuddingasmyGrandmotherusedtodo;andthenhisemergingfromHellshorrorsintoLight，andtreadingonpureflatsofthisearthfortwenty-threeBookstogether!

C.L.

[ThelittleepigramwasbyMaryLamb.ItwasprintedfirstintheJohn

Woodvilvolumein1802;andagain，inafootnotetoLambsessay

"BlakesmoorinH——shire，"1824.

GodwinsreturnwasfromhisvisittoCurran.ColeridgehadaskedhimtobreakhisjourneyatKeswick.

"WordsworthsTragedy"—"TheBorderers."

"Iwouldwriteanovel."LambreturnstothisideainLetter91.

OneofDyersprintedcriticismsofShakespeare，inhisPoetics，someyearslatermightbe"ed:"Shakespearehadtheinwardclothingofafinemind;theoutwardcoveringofsolidreading，ofcriticalobservation，andtherichesteloquence;andparedwiththese，whatarethetrappingsoftheschools?"

"CottlesGuineaEpic"wouldbeAlfred，anEpicPoem，byJoseph

Cottle，thepublisher.]

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