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LETTER 61（第1页）

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER61

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

Aug.6th，1800.

DearColeridge，—Ihavetakento-day，anddeliveredtoLongmanandCo.，Imprimis:yourbooks，viz.，threeponderousGermandictionaries，onevolume（Icanfindnomore）ofGermanandFrenchditto，sundryotherGermanbooksunbound，asyouleftthem，PercysAncientPoetry，andonevolumeofAndersonsPoets.Ispecifythem，thatyoumaynotloseany.Secundo:adressing-gown（value，fivepence），inwhichyouusedtositandlooklikeaconjuror，whenyouweretranslating"

Wallenstein."

Acaseoftworazorsandashaving-boxandstrap.Thisithascostmeaseverestruggletopartwith.Theyareinabrown-paperparcel，whichalsocontainssundrypapersandpoems，sermons，somefewEpicPoems，—oneaboutCainandAbel，whichcamefromPoole，&c.，&c.，andalsoyourtragedy;withoneortwosmallGermanbooks，andthatdramainwhichGotfaderperforms.Tertio:asmalloblongboxcontainingallyourletters，collectedfromallyourwastepapers，andwhichfillthesaidlittlebox.Allotherwastepapers，whichIjudgedworthsending，areinthepaperparcelaforesaid.Butyouwillfindallyourlettersintheboxbythemselves.ThushaveIdischargedmyconscienceandmylumber-roomofallyourproperty，saveandexceptafolioentitledTyrrellsBibliothecaPolitica，whichyouusedtolearnyourpoliticsoutofwhenyouwroteforthePost，mutatismutandis，i.e.，applyingpastinferencestomoderndata.Iretainthat，becauseIamsensibleIamverydeficientinthepoliticsmyself;andIhavetornup—dontbeangry，wastepaperhasrisenfortypercent.，andIcantaffordtobuyit—allBuonapartesLetters，ArthurYoungsTreatiseonCorn，andoneortwomorelight-armedinfantry，whichIthoughtbettersuitedtheflippancyofLondondiscussionthanthedignityofKeswickthinking.Marysaysyouwillbeinadamnedpassionaboutthemwhenyouetomissthem;butyoumuststudyphilosophy.ReadAlbertusMagnusdeChartisAmissisfivetimesoverafterphlebotomising，—tisBurtonsrecipe—andthenbeangrywithanabsentfriendifyoucan.IhavejustheardthatMrs.Lloydisdeliveredofafineboy，andmotherandboyaredoingwell.Fieonsluggards，whatisthySaradoing?Saraisobscure.AmItounderstandbyherletter，thatshesendsakisstoElizaBuckingham?Praytellyourwifethatanoteofinterrogationonthesuperscriptionofaletterishighlyungrammatical—sheproposeswritingmynameLamb?Lambeisquiteenough.IhavehadtheAnthology，andlikeonlyonethinginit，Lewti;butofthatthelaststanzaisdetestable，therestmostexquisite!—theepithetenviablewoulddashthefinestpoem.ForGodssake（Ineverwasmoreserious），dontmakemeridiculousanymorebytermingmegentle-heartedinprint，ordoitinbetterverses.ItdidwellenoughfiveyearsagowhenIcametoseeyou，andwasmoralcoxbenoughatthetimeyouwrotethelines，tofeeduponsuchepithets;but，besidesthat，themeaningofgentleisequivocalatbest，andalmostalwaysmeanspoor-spirited，theveryqualityofgentlenessisabhorrenttosuchviletrumpetings.Mysentimentislongsincevanished.Ihopemyvirtueshavedonesucking.Icanscarcethinkbutyoumeantitinjoke.Ihopeyoudid，forIshouldbeashamedtothinkthatyoucouldthinktogratifymebysuchpraise，fitonlytobeacordialtosomegreen-sicksonneteer.

IhavehitoffthefollowinginimitationofoldEnglishpoetry，which，Iimagine，Iamadabat.Themeasureisunmeasureable;butitmostresemblesthatbeautifulballadofthe"

OldandYoungCourtier;"

andinitsfeatureoftakingtheextremesoftwosituationsforjustparallel，itresemblestheoldpoetrycertainly.IfIcouldbutstretchoutthecircumstancestotwelvemoreverses，i.e.，ifIhadasmuchgeniusasthewriterofthatoldsong，Ithinkitwouldbeexcellent.ItwastofollowanimitationofBurtoninprose，whichyouhavenotseen.Butfate"

andwisestStewart"

sayNo.

Icansendyou200pensandsixquiresofpaperimmediately，iftheywillanswerthecarriagebycoach.Itwouldbefoolishtopackemupcummultislibrisetcaeteris，—theywouldallspoil.Ionlywaityourmandstocoachthem.Iwouldpayfive-and-fortythousandcarriagestoreadW.stragedy，ofwhichIhaveheardsomuchandseensolittle—onlywhatIsawatStowey.PraygivemeanorderinwritingonLongmanfor"

LyricalBallads."

Ihavethefirstvolume，and，truthtotell，sixshillingsisabroadshot.IcramallIcanin，tosaveamultiplyingofletters—thoseprettyetswithswingeingtails.

IlljustcrowdinGodblessyou!

C.LAMB.

Wednesdaynight.

[TheepicaboutCainandAbelwas"

TheWanderingsofCain，"

whichColeridgeprojectedbutneverfinished.ThedramainwhichGot-faderperformswouldbeperhaps"

Faust"

—"

DerHerr"

inthePrologue—orsomeoldmiracleplay.

"

TisBurtonsrecipe."

LambwasjustnowsteepedintheAnatomy;butthereisnoneedtoseeifBurtonsaysthis.

"

ElizaBuckingham."

SaraColeridgesmessagewasprobablyintendedfor

Eliza，aservantattheBuckinghamStreetlodgings.

LambewasTheAnti-JacobinsideaofLambsname;andindeedmanypersonsadheredtoittotheend.Mrs.Coleridge，whenwritingtoherhusbandundercareofLambattheIndiaHouse，added"

e"