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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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