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LETTER 20（第1页）

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LETTER20

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[P.M.Jan.10，1797.]

Saturday.

Iampletelyreconciledtothatsecondstrophe，andwa[i]veallobjection.InspiteoftheGrecianLyrists，Ipersiston[in]thinkingyourbriefpersonificationofMadnessuseless;reverenceforbidsmetosay，impertinent.Goldenlocksandsnowwhitegloriesareasincongruousasyourformer，andifthegreatItalianpainters，ofwhommyfriendknowsaboutasmuchasthemaninthemoon，ifthesegreatgentlemenbeonyourside，Iseenoharminretainingthepurple—thegloriesthatIhaveobservedtoencircletheheadsofsaintsandmadonnasinthoseoldpaintingshavebeenmostlyofadirtydrab-colordyellow—adullgambogiuKeepyouroldline:itwillexciteaconfusedkindofpleasurableideainthereadersmind，notclearenoughtobecalledaconception，norjustenough，Ithink，toreducetopainting.Itisarichline，yousay，andricheshideamanyfaults.Imaintain，thatinthe2dantist:youdodisjoinNatureandtheworld，andcontrarytoyourconductinthe2dstrophe."Naturejoinshergroans"—joinswithwhom，aGodsname，buttheworldorearthinlinepreceding?Butthisisbeingovercurious，Iacknowledge.NordidIcallthelastlineuseless，Ionlyobjectedto"unhurld."Icannotbemadetoliketheformerpartofthat2dEpode;Icannotbemadetofeelit，asIdotheparallelplacesinIsaiah，JeremyandDaniel.Whetheritisthatinthepresentcasetherhymeimpairstheefficacy;orthatthecircumstancesarefeigned，andweareconsciousofamadeuplyeinthecase，andthenarrativeistoolongwindedtopreservethesemblanceoftruth;orthatlines8.9.10.14inpartic:17and18aremeanandunenthusiastic;orthatlines5to8intheirchangeofrhymeshewlikeart—Idontknow，butitstrikesmeassomethingmeanttoaffect，andfailinginitspurpose.Remembermywaywardnessoffeelingissingle，andsinglystandsopposedtoallyourfriends，andwhatisoneamongmany!ThisIknow，thatyour"ationsfromtheprophetshaveneverescapedme，andneverfaildtoaffectmestrongly.Ihatethatsimile.IamgladyouhaveamendedthatparenthesisintheaccountofDestruction.Ilikeitwellnow.Onlyutter[?omit]thathistoryofchild-bearing，andallwilldowell.LettheobnoxiousEpoderemain，toterrifysuchofyourfriendsasarewillingtobeterrified.IthinkIwouldomittheNotes，notasnotgoodperse，butasuncongenialwiththedignityoftheOde.Ineednotrepeatmywishestohavemylittlesonnetsprintedverbatimmylastway.Inparticular，Ifearlestyoushouldpreferprintingmyfirstsonnet，asyouhavedonemorethanonce，"didthewandofMerlinwave"?ItlookssolikeMr.Merlin，theingenioussuccessoroftheimmortalMerlin，nowlivingingoodhealthandspirits，andnourishinginmagicalreputationinOxfordStreet;andonmylife，onehalfwhoreaditwouldunderstanditso.DoputemforthfinallyasIhave，invariousletters，settledit;forfirstamansselfistobepleased，andthenhisfriends，—and，ofcoursethegreaternumberofhisfriends，iftheydifferinterse.Thustastemaysafelybeputtothevote.Idolongtoseeournamestogether—notforvanityssake，andnaughtyprideofheartaltogether，fornotalivingsoul，Iknoworamintimatewith，willscarcereadthebook—soIshallgainnothingquoadfamam，—andyetthereisalittlevanitymixesinit，Icannothelpdenying.Iamawareoftheunpoeticalcastofthe6lastlinesofmylastsonnet，andthinkmyselfunwarrantedinsmugglingsotameathingintothebook;onlythesentimentsofthose6linesarethoroughlycongenialtomeinmystateofmind，andIwishtoaccumulateperpetuatingtokensofmyaffectiontopoorMary;thatithasnooriginalityinitscast，noranythinginthefeelings，butwhatismonandnaturaltothousands，noraughtproperlycalledpoetry，Isee;stillitwilltendtokeeppresenttomymindaviewofthingswhichIoughttoindulge.

These6lines，too，havenot，toareader，aconnectednesswiththeforegoing.Omitit，ifyoulike.—Whatatreasureitistomypoorindolentandunemployedmind，thustolayholdonasubjecttotalkabout，thotisbutasonnetandthatofthelowestorder.HowmournfullyinactiveIam!—Tisnight:good-night.

Mysister，IthankGod，isnighrecovered.Shewasseriouslyill.Do，inyournextletter，andthatrightsoon，givemesomesatisfactionrespectingyourpresentsituationatStowey.Isitafarmyouhavegot?andwhatdoesyourworshipknowaboutfarming?Coleridge，IwantyoutowriteanEpicpoeNothingshortofitcansatisfythevastcapacityoftruepoeticgenius.HavingonegreatEndtodirectallyourpoeticalfacultiesto，andonwhichtolayoutyourhopes，yourambition，willshewyoutowhatyouareequal.BythesacredenergiesofMilton，bythedaintysweetandsoothingphantasiesofhoneytonguedSpenser，IadjureyoutoattempttheEpic.Ordosomethingmoreamplethanwritinganoccasionalbriefodeorsonnet;something"tomakeyourselfforeverknown，—tomaketheagetoeyourown".ButIprate;doubtlessyoumeditatesomething.WhenyouareexaltedamongtheLordsofEpicfame，Ishallrecallwithpleasure，andexultingly，thedaysofyourhumility，whenyoudisdainednottoputforthinthesamevolumewithmine，yourreligiousmusings，andthatotherpoemfromtheJoanofArc，thosepromisingfirstfruitsofhighrenowntoe.Youhavelearning，youhavefancy，youhaveenthusiasm—youhavestrengthandamplitudeofwingenowforflightslikethoseIremend.Inthevastandunexploredregionsoffairyland，thereisgroundenoughunfoundanduncultivated;searchthere，andrealizeyourfavouriteSusquehanahscheme.Inallourparisonsoftaste，IdonotknowwhetherIhaveeverheardyouropinionofapoet，verydeartome，thenowoutoffashionCowley—favormewithyourjudgmentofhim，andtellmeifhisproseessays，inparticular，aswellasnoinconsiderablepartofhisverse，benotdelicious.Ipreferthegracefulramblingofhisessays，eventothecourtlyeleganceandeaseofAddison—abstractingfromthisthelattersexquisitehumour.WhyisnotyourpoemonBurnsintheMonthlyMagazine?Iwasmuchdisappointed.Ihaveapleasurablebutconfusedremembranceofit.

Whenthelittlevolumeisprinted，sendme3or4，atalleventsnotmorethan6copies，andtellmeifIputyoutoanyadditionalexpence，byprintingwithyou.Ihavenothoughtofthekind，andinthatcase，mustreimburseyou.Myepistleisamodelofunconnectedness，butIhavenopartic:subjecttowriteon，andmustproportionmyscribbleinsomedegreetotheincreaseofpostage.Itisnotquitefair，consideringhowburdensomeyourcorrespondencefromdifferentquartersmustbe，toaddtoitwithsolittleshewofreason.Iwillmakeanendforthisevening.SundayEven:—Farewell.

Priestly，whomIsininalmostadoring，speaksof"suchachoiceofpany，astendstokeepupthatrightbent，andfirmnessofmind，whichanecessaryintercoursewiththeworldwouldotherwisewarpandrelax.Suchfellowshipisthetruebalsamoflife，itscementisinfinitelymoredurablethanthatofthefriendshipsoftheworld，anditlooksforitsproperfruit，andpletegratification，tothelifebeyondtheGrave."Isthereapossiblechanceforsuchanoneasmetorealizeinthisworld，suchfriendships?WhereamItolookforem?WhattestimonialsshallIbringofmybeingworthyofsuchfriendship?Alas!thegreatandgoodgotogetherinseparateHerds，andleavesuchasmetolagfarfarbehindinallintellectual，andfarmoregrievoustosay，inallmoral，acplishments.Coleridge，Ihavenotonetrulyelevatedcharacteramongmyacquaintance:notoneChristian:notonebutundervaluesChristianity.SinglywhatamItodo?Wesley（haveyoureadhislife?washenotanelevatedcharacter?）Wesleyhassaid，"Religionisnotasolitarything."Alas!itnecessarilyissowithme，ornexttosolitary.Tistrue，youwritetome.Butcorrespondencebyletter，andpersonalintimacy，areverywidelydifferent.Do，dowritetome，anddosomegoodtomymind，alreadyhowmuch"warpedandrelaxed"bytheworld!—Tistheconclusionofanotherevening.Goodnight.Godhaveusallinhiskeeping.Ifyouaresufficientlyatleisure，obligemewithanaccountofyourplanoflifeatStowey—yourliteraryoccupationsandprospects—inshortmakemeacquaintedwitheverycircumstance，which，asrelatingtoyou，canbeinterestingtome.AreyouyetaBerkleyan?Makemeone.Irejoiceinbeing，speculatively，anecessarian.WouldtoGod，Iwerehabituallyapracticalone.Confirmmeinthefaithofthatgreatandgloriousdoctrine，andkeepmesteadyinthecontemplationofit.YousometimesinceexprestanintentionyouhadoffinishingsomeextensiveworkontheEvidencesofNaturalandRevealedReligion.Haveyouletthatintentiongo?Orareyoudoinganythingtowardsit?Maketoyourselfothertentalents.Myletterisfullofnothingness.Italkofnothing.ButImusttalk.Ilovetowritetoyou.Itakeaprideinit.Itmakesmethinklessmeanlyofmyself.ItmakesmethinkmyselfnottotallydisconnectedfromthebetterpartofMankind.Iknow，Iamtoodissatisfiedwiththebeingsaroundme，—butIcannothelpoccasionallyexclaiming"Woeisme，thatIamconstrainedtodwellwithMeshech，andtohavemyhabitationamongthetentsofKedar"—IknowIamnowaysbetterinpracticethanmyneighbours—butIhaveatasteforreligion，anoccasionalearnestaspirationafterperfection，whichtheyhavenot.Igainnothingbybeingwithsuchasmyself—weencourageoneanotherinmediocrity—Iamalwayslongingtobewithmenmoreexcellentthanmyself.Allthismustsoundoddtoyou;butthesearemypredominantfeelings，whenIsitdowntowritetoyou，andIshouldputforceuponmymind，wereItorejecttheYetIrejoyce，andfeelmyprivilegewithgratitude，whenIhavebeenreadingsomewisebook，suchasIhavejustbeenreading—PriestleyonPhilosophicalnecessity—inthethoughtthatIenjoyakindofmunion，akindoffriendshipeven，withthegreatandgood.Booksaretomeinsteadoffriends.Iwishtheydidnotresemblethelatterintheirscarceness.—AndhowdoeslittleDavidHartley?"Ecquidinantiquamvirtutem?"—doeshismightynameworkwondersyetuponhislittleframe，andopeningmind?Ididnotdistinctlyunderstandyou，—youdontmeantomakeanactualploughmanofhim?Mrs.C——isnodoubtwell，—givemykindestrespectstoher.IsLloydwithyouyet?—areyouintimatewithSouthey?Whatpoemsisheabouttopublish—hehathamostprolificbrain，andisindeedamostsweetpoet.ButhowcanyouanswerallthevariousmassofinterrogationIhaveputtoyouinthecourseofthissheet.

Writebackjustwhatyoulike，onlywritesomething，howeverbrief.Ihavenownighfinishedmypage，andgottotheendofanotherevening（Mondayevening）—andmyeyesareheavyandsleepy，andmybrainunsuggestive.IhavejustheartenoughawaketosayGoodnightoncemore，andGodloveyoumydearfriend，Godloveusall.Marybearsanaffectionateremembranceofyou.

CHARLESLAMB.

[ThecriticismscontainedinthefirstparagraphbearuponColeridges"OdeontheDepartingYear，"whichhadalreadyappearedtwice，intheCambridgeIntelligencerandinaquartoissuedbyCottle，andwasnowbeingrevisedforthesecondeditionofthePoems.

ThepersonificationofMadnesswascontainedintheline，afterwardsomitted:—

ForstilldoesMadnessroamonGuiltsblackdizzyheight.

Lambsobjectiontothisline，consideringhishomecircumstancesatthetime，wasverynatural.InAntistropheI.ColeridgeoriginallysaidoftheetherealmultitudeinHeaven—

WhosepurpleLockswithsnow-whiteGloriesshone.

Inthe1797Poemsthelineran—

WhosewreathedLockswithsnow-whiteGloriesshone;

andinthefinalversion—

Whoselockswithwreaths，whosewreathswithgloriesshone.

Coleridgemusthavesupportedhiscase，intheletterwhichLambisanswering，byareferencetotheItalianpainters.

Coleridgeinthe1797editionofhisPoemsmadenoalterationtomeetLambsstrictures.ThesimilethatLambhatedis，Iimagine，thatofthesoldieronthewarfield."Thehistoryofchild-bearing"referredtoisthepassageattheendofStropheII.TothequartoColeridgehadappendedvariousnotes.In1797hehadonlythree，andaddedanargument.

ThereferencetoMerlinwillbeexplainedbyaglanceattheparallelsonnetsabove.MerlinwasentirelyColeridgesidea.AconjurorofthatnamewasjustthenamongLondonsattractions.

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