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LETTER 22(第1页)

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LETTER22

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[BegunSunday,February5,1797.

Datedonaddressbymistake:January5,1797.]

SundayMorning.—YoucannotsurelymeantodegradetheJoanofArcintoapotgirl.Youarenotgoing,Ihope,toannextothatmostsplendidornamentofSoutheyspoemallthiscockandabullstoryofJoanthepublicansdaughterofNeufchatel,withthelamentableepisodeofawaggoner,hiswife,andsixchildren;thetexturewillbemostlamentablydisproportionate.Thefirstfortyorfiftylinesoftheseaddendaare,nodoubt,intheirway,admirable,too;butmanywouldprefertheJoanofSouthey.

"OnmightiestdeedstobroodOfshadowyvastness,suchasmademyheartThrobfast.AnonIpaused,andinastateOfhalfexpectancelistendtothewind;""Theywonderdatme,whohadknownmeonceAchearfulcarelessdamsel;""Theeye,ThatofthecirclingthrongandofthevisibleworldUnseeing,sawtheshapesofholyphantasy;"IseenothinginyourdescriptionoftheMaidequaltothese.Thereisafineoriginalitycertainlyinthoselines—"Forshehadlivedinthisbadworldasinaplaceoftombs,AndtouchdnotthepollutionsoftheDead"—butyour"fiercevivacity"isafaintcopyofthe"fierce&terriblebenevolence"ofSouthey.Addedtothis,thatitwilllooklikerivalshipinyou,&extortaparisonwithS,—Ithinktoyourdisadvantage.Andthelines,considerdinthemselvesasanadditiontowhatyouhadbeforewritten(strainsofafarhighermood),arebutsuchasMadameFancylovesinsomeofhermorefamiliarmoods,atsuchtimesasshehasmetNollGoldsmith,&walkdandtalkdwithhim,callinghimoldacquaintance.Southeycertainlyhasnopretensionstoviewithyouinthesublimeofpoetry;buthetellsaplaintalebetterthanyou.Iwillenumeratesomewoefulblemishes,someofemsaddeviationsfromthatsimplicitywhichwasyourai"Haildwhomightbenear"(thecanvas-coverturemoving,bytheby,islaughable);"awoman&sixchildren"(bytheway,—whynotninechildren,itwouldhavebeenjusthalfaspatheticagain):"statuesofsleeptheyseemd.""Frost-mangledwretch:""greenputridity:""haildhimimmortal"(ratherludicrousagain):"voicedasadandsimpletale"(abominable!):"unprovenderd:""suchhistale:""Ah!sufferingtotheheightofwhatwassufferd"(amostinsufferableline):"amazementsofaffright:""thehotsorebrainattributesitsownhuesofghastlinessandtorture"(whatshockingconfusionofideas!).Inthesedelineationsofmon&naturalfeelings,inthefamiliarwalksofpoetry,youseemtoresembleMontaubandancingwithRoubignestenants,"muchofhisnativeloftinessremainedintheexecution."IwasreadingyourReligiousMusingstheotherday,&sincerelyIthinkitthenoblestpoeminthelanguage,nextaftertheParadiselost;&eventhatwasnotmadethevehicleofsuchgrandtruths."Thereisonemind,"&c.,downto"AlmightysThrone,"arewithoutarivalinthewholepassofmypoeticalreading."Standsinthesun,&withnopartialgazeViewsallcreation"—IwishIcouldhavewrittenthoselines.IrejoycethatIamabletorelishtheTheloftierwalksofPindusareyourproperregion.Thereyouhavenopeerinmoderntimes.Leavethelowlands,unenvied,inpossessionofsuchmenasCowper&Southey.ThusamIpouringbalsamintothewoundsImayhavebeeninflictingonmypoorfriendsvanity.InyournoticeofSoutheysnewvolumeyouomittomentionthemostpleasingofall,theMiniature"TherewereWhoformdhighhopesandflatteringonesofthee,YoungRobert.SpiritofSpenser!—wasthewandererwrong?"FairfaxIhavebeeninquestofalongtime.JohnsoninhislifeofWallergivesamostdeliciousspecimenofhim,&adds,inthetruemannerofthatdelicatecritic,aswellasamiableman,"itmaybepresumedthatthisoldversionwillnotbemuchreadaftertheeleganttranslationofmyfriend,Mr.Hoole."Iendeavourd—IwishdtogainsomeideaofTassofromthisMr.Hoole,thegreatboastandornamentoftheIndiaHouse,butsoondesisted.Ifoundhimmorevapidthansmallestsmallbeersun-vinegared.Yourdream,downtothatexquisiteline—"Icanttellhalfhisadventures,"isamosthappyresemblanceofChaucer.Theremainderissoso.Thebestline,Ithink,is,"Hebelongd,Ibelieve,tothewitchMelancholy."Bytheway,whenwillourvolumeeout?DontdelayittillyouhavewrittenanewJoanofArc.Sendwhatlettersyoupleasebyme,&inanywayyouchoose,singleordouble.TheIndiaCo.

isbetteradaptedtoanswerthecostthanthegeneralityofmyfriendscorrespondents,—suchpoor&honestdogsasJohnThelwall,particularly.IcannotsayIknowColson,atleastintimately.Ioncesuppedwithhim&Allen.Ithinkhismannersverypleasing.IwillnottellyouwhatIthinkofLloyd,forhemaybychanceetoseethisletter,andthatthoughtputsarestraintonme.Icannotthinkwhatsubjectwouldsuityourepicgenius;somephilosophicalsubject,Iconjecture,inwhichshallbeblendedtheSublimeofPoetry&ofScience.YourproposedHymnswillbeafitpreparatorystudywherewith"todisciplineyouryoungnoviciatesoul."Igrowdull;Illgowalkmyselfoutofmydulness.

SundayNight.—You&Saraareverygoodtothinksokindly&sofavourablyofpoorMary.IwouldtoGodalldidsotoo.ButIverymuchfearshemustnotthinkofinghomeinmyfatherslifetime.Itisveryharduponher.Butourcircumstancesarepeculiar,&wemustsubmittotheGodbepraisedsheissowellassheis.Shebearshersituationasonewhohasnorighttoplain.Mypooroldaunt,whomyouhaveseen,thekindest,goodestcreaturetomewhenIwasatschool;whousedtotoddletheretobringmefag,whenI,school-boylike,onlydespisedherforit,&usedtobeashamedtoseehere&sitherselfdownontheoldcoalholestepsasyouwentintotheoldgrammarschool,&opendherapron&bringoutherbason,withsomenicethingshehadcausedtobesavedforme—thegoodoldcreatureisnowlyingonherdeathbed.Icannotbeartothinkonherdeplorablestate.Totheshockshereceivedonthatourevilday,fromwhichsheneverpletelyrecovered,Iimputeherillness.Shesays,poorthing,sheisgladsheisehometodiewithme.Iwasalwaysherfavourite:"NoafterfriendshipeercanraiseTheendearmentsofourearlydays,Noreertheheartsuchfondnessprove,Aswhenitfirstbegantolove."Lloydhaskindlyleftmeforakeep-sake,JohnWoolman.Youhavereadit,hesays,&likeit.Willyouexcuseoneshortextract?Ithinkitcouldnothaveescapedyou:—"Smalltreasuretoaresignedmindissufficient.Howhappyisittobecontentwithalittle,toliveinhumility,&feelthatinuswhichbreathesoutthislanguage—Abba!Father!"—Iamalmostashamedtopatchupaletterinthismiscellaneoussort;butIpleasemyselfinthethought,thatanythingfrommewillbeacceptabletoyou.Iamratherimpatient,childishlyso,toseeournamesaffixedtothesamemonvolume.Sendmetwo,whenitdoeseout;2willbeenough—orindeed1—but2better.Ihaveadimrecollectionthat,whenintown,youweretalkingoftheOriginofEvilasamostprolificsubjectforalongpoeWhynotadoptit,Coleridge?therewouldberoomforimagination.Orthedescription(fromaVisionorDream,suppose)ofanUtopiainoneoftheplanets(theMoon,forinstance).OraFiveDaysDream,whichshallillustrate,insensibleimagery,Hartleys5motivestoconduct:—sensation(1),imagination(2),ambition(3),sympathy(4),Theopathy(5).1stbanquets,music,etc.,effeminacy,—andtheirinsufficiency.2d"bedsofhyacinth&roses,whereyoungAdonisoftreposes;""fortunateIsles;""ThepaganElysium,"etc.,etc.;poeticalpictures;antiquityaspleasingtothefancy;—theiremptiness,madness,etc.3dwarriors,poets;somefamous,yetmoreforgotten,theirfameoroblivionnowalikeindifferent,pride,vanity,etc.4thallmannerofpitiablestories,inSpenser-likeverse—love—friendship,relationship,&c.5thHermits—Christandhistles—martyrs—heaven—&c.,etc.Animaginationlikeyours,fromthesescantyhints,mayexpandintoathousandgreatIdeas—ifindeedyouatallprehendmyscheme,whichIscarcedomyself.

MondayMorn.—"ALondonletter.9-12."Lookyou,masterpoet,Ihaveremorseaswellasanotherman,&mybowelscansounduponoccasion.ButImustputyoutothischarge,forIcannotkeepbackmyprotest,howeverineffectual,againsttheannexingyourlatterlinestothoseformer—thisputtingofnewwineintooldbottles.Thismydutydone,Iwillceasefromwritingtillyouinventsomemorereasonablemodeofconveyance.Wellmaythe"raggedfollowersofthenine"setupforflocci-nauci-what-do-you-call-em-ists!AndIdonotwonderthatintheirsplendidvisionsofUtopiasinAmericatheyprotestagainsttheadmissionofthoseyellow-plexioned,copper-colord,white-liverdGentlemen,whoneverprovedthemselvestheirfriends.DontyouthinkyourversesonaYoungAsstootrivialapanionfortheReligiousMusings?"Scoundrelmonarch,"alterthat;andtheManofRossisscarceadmissibleasitnowstandscurtailedofitsfairerhalf:reclaimitspropertyfromtheChatterton,whichitdoesbutencumber,&itwillbearichlittlepoeIhopeyouexpungegreatpartoftheoldnotesinthenewedition.That,inparticular,mostbarefacedunfoundedimpudentassertion,thatMr.RogersisindebtedforhisstorytoLochLomond,apoembyBruce!Ihavereadthelatter.Iscarcethinkyouhave.Scarceanythingismontothemboth.ThepoorauthorofthePleasuresofMemorywassorelyhurt,Dyersays,bytheaccusationofunoriginality.HeneversawthePoeIlongtoreadyourPoemonBurns;Iretainsoindistinctamemoryofit.Inwhatshapeandhowdoesiteintopublic?AsyouleaveoffwritingpoetrytillyoufinishyourHymns,Isupposeyouprintnowallyouhavegotbyyou.Youhavescarceenoughunprintedtomakea2dvolumewithLloyd.Tellmeallaboutit.WhatisbeeofCowper?Lloydtoldmeofsomeversesonhismother.Ifyouhavethembyyou,praysendemme.Idosolovehim!Nevermindtheirmerit.MaybeImaylikeem—asyourtasteandminedonotalwaysexactlyindentify.Yours,

LAMB.

[ColeridgeintendedtoprintinhisneweditionthelinesthathehadcontributedtoSoutheysJoanofArc,1796,withcertainadditions,underthetitle"TheProgressofLiberty;or,TheVisionsoftheMaidofOrleans."WritingtoCottleColeridgehadsaid:"ImuchwishtosendMyVisionsoftheMaidofArcandmycorrectionstoWordsworth…andtoLamb,whosetasteandjudgmentIseereasontothinkmorecorrectandphilosophicalthanmyown,whichyetIplaceprettyhigh."Lambscriticismsarecontainedinthisletter.Coleridgeabandonedhisideaofincludingthepoeminthe1797edition,andthelineswerenotseparatelypublisheduntil1817,inSibyllineLeaves,underthetitle"TheDestinyofNations."

"Montauban…Roubigné."AnillustrationfromHenryMackenziesnovelJuliadeRoubigné,1777,fromwhichLambtookhints,alittlelater,forthestructureofpartofhisstoryRosamundGray.

Thisisthepassagein"ReligiousMusings"thatLambparticularlypraises:—

ThereisoneMind,oneomnipresentMind,

Omnific.HismostholynameisLove.

Truthofsublimingimport!withthewhich

Whofeedsandsaturateshisconstantsoul,

Hefromhissmallparticularorbitflies

Withblestoutstarting!Fromhimselfheflies,

Standsinthesun,andwithnopartialgaze

Viewsallcreation;andhelovesitall,

Andblessesit,andcallsitverygood!

ThisisindeedtodwellwiththeMostHigh!

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