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LETTER 19（第1页）

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LETTER19

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[Datedoutside:Jan.2，1797.]

YoursuccessinthehigherspeciesoftheOdeissuch，asbespeaksyoubornforatchievementsofloftierenterprizethantolingerinthelowlytrainofsongstersandsonneteurs.SincerelyIthinkyourOdeoneofthefinestIhaveread.Theopeningisinthespiritofthesublimestallegory.Theideaofthe"skirtsofthedepartingyear，seenfaronwards，wavingonthewind"isoneofthosenobleHintsatwhichtheReadersimaginationisapttokindleintograndconceptions.Dothewords"impetuous"and"solemnize"harmonizewellinthesameline?Thinkandjudge.Inthe2dstrophe，thereseemstobetoomuchplayoffancytobeconsistentwiththatcontinuedelevationwearetaughttoexpectfromthestrainoftheforegoing.Theparenthizedline（bythewayIabominateparenthesesinthiskindofpoetry）atthebeginningof7thpage，andindeedallthatgradualdescriptionofthethroesandpangsofnatureinchildbirth，Idonotmuchlike，andthose4firstlines，—Imean"tombgloomanguishandlanguish"—risenotabovemediocrity.IntheEpode，yourmightygeniusesagain:"Imarkedambition"&c.ThrothewholeEpodindeedyoucarryalongoursoulsinafullspringtideoffeelingandimaginatn.Hereisthe"StormofMusic，"asCowperexpressesit.Woulditnotbemoreabrupt"WhydoesthenorthernConqueressstay"or"wheredoesthenorthernConqueressstay"?—thischangeofmeasure，ratherthanthefeebler"Ah!whither"，"Foulherlifeanddarkhertomb，mightyarmyofthedead，dancelikedeathflies"&c.:hereisgenius，hereispoetry，rapid，irresistible.Theconcludingline，isitnotapersonif:withoutuse?"Necdeusintersit"—exceptindeedforrhymesake.WouldthelawsofStropheandantistrophe，which，iftheyareasunchangeable，Isupposeareaboutaswise，[as]theMedeandPersianlaws，admitofexpungingthatlinealtogether，andchangingtheprecedingoneto"andhe，poormadman，deemditquenchdinendlessnight?"—fondmadmanorproudmadmanifyouwill，butpoorismorecontemptuous.IfIofferalterationsofmyowntoyourpoetry，andadmitnotyoursinmine，itisupontheprincipleofapresenttoarichmanbeinggraciouslyaccepted，andthesamepresenttoapoormanbeingconsideredasininsult.Toreturn—TheAntistrophethatfollowsisnotinferioringrandeurororiginal:butisIthinknotfaultless—e:g:HowisMemoryalone，whenalltheetherialmultitudearethere?Reflect.Again"storiedstthysadhours"isharsh，Ineednottellyou，butyouhavegainedyourpointinexpressingmuchmeaninginfewwords:"Purplelocksandsnowwhiteglories""mildArcadianseverblooming""seasofmilkandshipsofamber"thesearethingstheMusetalksaboutwhen，toborrowH.Walpoleswittyphrase，sheisnotfinely-phrenzied，onlyalittlelight-headed，thatsall."Purplelocks."Theymaymanagethingsdifferentlyinfairyland，butyour"goldentresses"aremoretomyfancy.ThespiritoftheEarthisamosthappyconceit，andthelastlineisoneoftheluckiestIeverheard—"andstoodupbeautifulbeforethecloudyseat."Icannotenoughadmireit.Tissomehowpicturesqueintheverysound.The2dAntistrophe（whatisthemeaningofthesethings?）isfineandfaultless（ortovarythealliterationandnotdiminishtheaffectation）beautifulandblameless.Ionlyexcepttothelastlineasmeaninglessafterthepreceding，anduselessentirely—besides，whydisjoin"natureandtheworld"here，whenyouhadconfoundedbothintheirpregnancy:"themonearthandnature，"recollect，alittlebefore—Andthereisadismalsuperfluityintheunmeaningvocable"unhurld"—theworse，asitissoevidentlyarhyme-fetch.—"Deathlikehedozes"isaprosaicconceit—indeedalltheEpodeasfaras"brotherscorse"Imostheartilymendtoannihilation.Theenthusiastofthelyreshouldnotbesofeebly，sotediously，delineativeofhisownfeelings;tisnotthewaytobee"Masterofouraffections.

"TheaddresstoAlbionisveryagreeable，andconcludesevenbeautifully:"speakssafetytohisislandchild"—"Sworded"—epithetIwouldchangefor"cruel."

Theimmediatelysucceedinglinesareprosaic:"madavarice"isanunhappybination;and"thecowarddistanceyetwithkindlingpride"isnotonlyreprehensiblefortheantitheticalturn，butasitisa"ation:"safedistance"and"cowarddistance"youhavemorethanoncehadrecoursetobefore—AndtheLyricMuse，inherenthusiasm，shouldtalkthelanguageofhercountry，somethingremovedfrommonuse，something"recent，"unborrowed.Thedreamsofdestruction"soothingherfiercesolitude，"arevastlygrandandterrific:stillyouweakentheeffectbythatsuperfluousandeasily-conceivedparenthesisthatfinishesthepage.Theforegoingimage，fewmindscouldhaveconceived，fewtonguescouldhavesocloathd;"muttringdestemperedtriumph"&c.isvastlyfine.Ihateimperfectbeginningsandendings.Nowyourconcludingstanzaisworthyofsofineanode.Thebeginningwasawakeningandstriking;theendingissoothingandsolemn—Areyouseriouswhenyouaskwhetheryoushalladmitthisode?itwouldbestrangeinfatuationtoleaveoutyourChatterton;mereinsanitytorejectthis.Unlessyouarefearfulthatthesplendidthingmaybeameansof"eclipsingmanyasoftersatellite"thattwinklesthrothevolume.NeitheromittheannexdlittlepoeFormypart，detestingalliterations，Ishouldmakethe1stline"Away，withthisfantasticprideofwoe."WellmayyourelishBowlessallegory.Ineedonlytellyou，Ihaveread，andwillonlyadd，thatIdislikeambitionsnamegildedonhishelmet-cap，andthatIthink，amongthemorestrikingpersonagesyounotice，youomittedthemoststriking，Remorse!"Hesawthetrees—thesun—thenhiedhimtohiscaveagain"!!!The2dstanzaofmaniaissuperfl:the1stwasneverexceeded.The2distoomethodic:forher.Withallitsloadofbeauties，Iammoreaffectedwiththe6firststanzasoftheElegiacpoemwrittenduringsickness.Tellmeyourfeelings.Ifthefraternalsentimentconveyedinthefollowinglineswillatoneforthetotalwantofanythinglikemeritorgeniusinit，Idesireyouwillprintitnextaftermyothersonnettomysister.

Friendofmyearliestyears，&childishdays，

Myjoys，mysorrows，thouwithmehastshared

Companiondear;&wealikehavefared

Poorpilgrimswe，throlifesunequalways

Itwereunwiselydone，shouldwerefuse

Tocheerourpath，asfeatlyaswemay，

Ourlonelypathtocheer，astravellersuse

Withmerrysong，quainttale，orroundelay.

Andwewillsometimestalkpasttroublesoer，

Ofmerciesshewn，&alloursicknessheald，

AndinhisjudgmentsGodremembringlove;

AndwewilllearntopraiseGodevermore

Forthose"Gladtidingsofgreatjoy"reveald

Bythatsoothmessenger，sentfromabove.

1797.

Ifyouthinktheepithet"sooth"quaint，substitute"blestmessenger."Ihopeyouareprintingmysonnets，asIdirectedyou—particularlythe2d."Methinks"&c.withmylastadded6linesatyeend:andallofemasIlastmadee

Thishasbeenasadlongletterofbusiness，withnoroominitforwhathonestBunyantermsheart-work.IhavejustroomlefttocongratulateyouonyourremovaltoStowey;towishsuccesstoallyourprojects;to"bidfairpeace"betothathouse;tosendmyloveandbestwishes，breathedwarmly，afteryourdearSara，andherlittleDavidHartley.IfLloydbewithyou，bidhimwritetome:IfeeltowhomIamobligedprimarilyfortwoveryfriendlylettersIhavereceivedalreadyfromhiAdaintysweetbookthat"ArtandNature"is.Iamatpresentre-re-readingPriestleysexaminatoftheScotchDrs:howtheRoguestringsemup!threetogether!Youhavenodoubtreadthatclear，strong，humorous，mostentertainingpieceofreasoning.Ifnot，procureit，andbeexquisitelyamused.IwishIcouldgetmoreofPriestleysworks.Canyouremendmetoanymorebooks，easyofaccess，suchascirculatingshopsafford?Godblessyouandyours.

PoorMaryisveryunwellwithasorethroatandaslightspeciesofscarletfever.Godblesshertoo.

MondayMorning，atOffice.

[ColeridgehadjustpublishedinquartohisOdeontheDepartingYear.InorderthatLambslettermaybeintelligibleitisnecessary，Ithink，togivethetextofthiseditioninfull.ItwillbefoundintheAppendixtothisvolume.Lambreturnstohiscriticisminthenextletter.

The"annexedlittlepoem"wasthat"AddressedtoaYoungManofFortune，"whichbegan，andstillbegins，"Hencethatfantasticwantonnessofwoe."

Bowiesallegorywasthepoem，"Hope，AnAllegoricalSketch，"recentlypublished.

Thepoemwasnotincludedinthe1797volume，butwasprintedintheMonthlyMagazine，October，1797.ColeridgehadmovedtohiscottageatNetherStoweyonthelastdayof1796.

PriestleysbookwouldbeAnExaminationofDr.ReidsInquiryintothe

HumanMindonthePrinciplesofCommonSense，Dr.BeattiesEssayonthe

NatureandImmutabilityofTruth，andDr.OswaldsAppealtoCommon

SenseinBehalfofReligion，1774.]

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