The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 5最新章节_LETTER 216第1页_The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb

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LETTER 216（第1页）

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LETTER216

CHARLESLAMBTOWILLIAMWORDSWORTH

[P.M.partlyillegible.April7，1815.]

Theconclusionofthisepistlegettinggloomy，IhavechosenthisparttodesireourkindestLovestoMrs.WordsworthandtoDorothea.WillnoneofyoueverbeinLondonagain?

DearWordswth，youhavemademeveryproudwithyoursuccessivebookpresents.Ihavebeencarefullythroughthetwovolumestoseethatnothingwasomittedwhichusedtobethere.IthinkImissnothingbutaCharacterinAntithet.mannerwhichIdonotknowwhyyouleftout;themoraltotheboysbuildingthegiant，theomissionwhereofleavesitinmymindlessplete;andoneadmirablelinegone（orsomethingeinsteadofit）"thestone-chatandtheglancingsand-piper，"whichwasalinequitealive.Idemandtheseatyourhand.Iamgladthatyouhavenotsacrificedaversetothosescoundrels.IwouldnothavehadyouofferupthepoorestragthatlingereduponthestriptshouldersoflittleAliceFell，tohaveatonedalltheirmalice.Iwouldnothavegivenemaredcloaktosavetheirsouls.Iamafraidlestthatsubstitutionofashell（aflatfalsificationofthehistory）forthehouseholdimplementasitstoodatfirst，wasakindoftubthrownouttothebeast，orratherthrownoutforhiThetubwasagoodhonesttubinitsplace，andnothingcouldfairlybesaidagainstit.Yousayyoumadethealterationforthe"friendlyreader，"butthemaliciouswilltakeittohimself.Damnem;ifyougiveemaninch&c.Theprefaceisnobleandsuchasyoushouldwrite:IwishIcouldsetmynametoit—Imprimatur—butyouhavesetitthereyourself，andIthankyou.Ihadratherbeadoor-keeperinyourmargin，thanhavetheirproudesttextswellingwithmyeulogies.ThepoemsinthevolumeswhicharenewtomearesomuchintheoldtonethatIhardlyreceivedthemasnovelties.Ofthose，ofwhichIhadnopreviousknowlege，thefouryewtreesandthemysteriouspanywhichyouhaveassembledthere，moststruckme—"DeaththeSkeletonandTimetheShadow—"Itisasightnotforeveryyouthfulpoettodreamof—itisoneofthelastresultshemusthavegonethinking-onforyearsfor.Laodamiaisaveryoriginalpoem;Imeanoriginalwithreferencetoyourownmanner.Youhavenothinglikeit.Ishouldhaveseenitinastrangeplace，andgreatlyadmiredit，butnotsuspecteditsderivation.Letmeinthisplace，forIhavewrityouseveralletterswithoutnamingit，mentionthatmybrother，whoisapicturecollector，haspickedupanundoubtablepictureofMilton.Hegaveafewshillingsforit，andcouldgetnohistorywithit，butthatsomeoldladyhadhaditforagreatmanyyears.Itsageisascertainablefromthestateofthecanvas，andyouneedonlyseeittobesurethatitistheoriginaloftheheadsintheTonsonEditions，withwhichweareallsowellfamiliar.SinceIsawyouIhavehadatreatinthereadingwaywhichesnoteveryday.TheLatinPoemsofV.Bourne，whichwerequitenewtome.Whataheartthatmanhad，alllaidoutupontownscenes，apropercounterpoisetosomepeoplesruralextravaganzas.WhyImentionhimisthatyourPowerofMusicremindedmeofhispoemofthebaladsingerintheSevenDials.DoyourememberhisepigramontheoldwomanwhotaughtNewtontheA.B.C.，whichafterall，hesays，hehesitatesnottocallNewtonsPrincipia.IwaslatelyfatiguingmyselfwithgoingthroavolumeoffinewordsbyLd.Thurlow—excellentwords，andiftheheartcouldlivebywordsalone，itcoulddesirenobetterregale—butwhatanachingvacuumofmatter;Idontstickatthemadnessofit，forthatisonlyaconsequenceofshuttinghiseyesandthinkingheisintheageoftheoldElisabethpoets;fromthenceIturnedtoV.Bourne—whatasweetunpretendingpretty-manneredmatter-fulcreature，suckingfromeveryflower，makingaflowerofeverything，hisdictionallLatinandhisthoughtsallEnglish.Blesshim，Latinwasntgoodenoughforhim，whywasnthecontentwiththelanguagewhichGayandPriorwrotein.

IamalmostsorrythatyouprintedExtractsfromthosefirstPoems，orthatyoudidnotprintthematlength.Theydonotreadtomeastheydoalltogether.Besidestheyhavediminishedthevalueoftheoriginal（whichIpossess）asacuriosity.Ihavehithertokeptthemdistinctinmymindasreferringtoaparticularperiodofyourlife.Alltherestofyourpoemsaresomuchofapiece，theymighthavebeenwritteninthesameweek—thesedecidedlyspeakofanearlierperiod.Theytellmoreofwhatyouhadbeenreading.

Weweregladtoseethepoemsbyafemalefriend.Theoneofthewindismasterly，butnotnewtous.Beingonlythree，perhapsyoumighthaveclaptaD.atthecornerandletithavepastasaprintersmarktotheuninitiated，asadelightfulhinttothebetter-instructed.Asitis，ExpectaformalcriticismonthePoemsofyourfemalefriend，andshemustexpectit.

Ishouldhavewrittenbefore，butIamcruellyengagedandliketobe.OnFridayIwasatofficefrom10inthemorning（twohoursdinnerexcept）to11atnight，lastnighttill9.Mybusinessandofficebusinessingeneralhasincreasedso.IdontmeanIamthereeverynight，butImustexpectagreatdealofit.Ineverleavetill4—anddonotkeepaholydaynowonceintentimes，whereIusedtokeepallredletterdays，andsomefinedaysbesideswhichIusedtodubNaturesholydays.Ihavehadmyday.Ihadformerlylittletodo.SoofthelittlethatisleftoflifeImayreckontwothirdsasdead，forTimethatamanmaycallhisownishisLife，andhardworkandthinkingaboutittaintseventheleisurehours，stainsSundaywithworkdaycontemplations—thisisSunday，andtheheadacheIhaveispartlatehoursatworkthe2precedingnightsandpartlaterhoursoveraconsolingpipeafterwds.ButIfindstupidacquiescenceingoverme.Ibendtotheyoke，anditisalmostwithmeandmyhouseholdaswiththemanandhisconsort—

Tothemeacheveninghaditsglitteringstar

AndeverySabbathdayitsgoldensun—

TosuchstraitsamIdrivenfortheLifeoflife，Time—OthatfromthatsuperfluityofHolydayleisuremyyouthwasted"Agemightbuttakesomehoursyouthwantednot.—"N.B.Ihaveleftoffspirituousliquorsfor4ormoremonths，withamoralcertaintyofitslasting.Farewell，dearWordsworth.

[Wordsworthhadjustbroughtout，withLongmans，hisPoems…includingLyricalBalladsandtheMiscellaneousPiecesoftheAuthor，1815，intwovolumes.The"CharacterintheAntitheticalManner"wasomittedfromalleditionsofWordsworthspoemsbetween1800and1836.Inthe1800versionof"RuralArchitecture"therehadbeentheselastlines，expungedintheeditionsof1805and1815，butrestoredwithaslightalterationinlatereditions:—

—SomelittleIveseenofblindboisterousworks

InParisandLondon，mongChristiansorTurks，

Spiritsbusytodoandundo:

Atremembrancewhereofmybloodsometimeswillflag，

—Then，light-heartedBoys，tothetopoftheCrag;

AndIllbuildupaGiantwithyou.

Intheoriginalformofthe"LinesLeftuponaSeatinaYewTree"therehadbeentheselines:—

Hisonlyvisitantsastragglingsheep，

Thestone-chat，ortheglancingsand-piper.

Wordsworthhadalteredthemto:—

Hisonlyvisitantsastragglingsheep，

Thestone-chat，orthesand-lark，restlessBird，