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LETTER 263AXiNShUHaiGe CoM（第1页）

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER263A

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[Nodate.?Autumn，1820.]

DearC.，—Whywillyoumakeyourvisits，whichshouldgivepleasure，matterofregrettoyourfriends?Youneverebutyoutakeawaysomefoliothatispartofmyexistence.WithagreatdealofdifficultyIwasmadetoprehendtheextentofmyloss.MymaidBeckybroughtmeadirtybitofpaper，whichcontainedherdescriptionofsomebookwhichMr.Coleridgehadtakenaway.Itwas"

LustersTables，"

which，forsometime，Icouldnotmakeout."

What!hashecarriedawayanyofthetables，Becky?"

"

No，itwasntanytables，butitwasabookthathecalledLustersTables."

Iwasobligedtosearchpersonallyamongmyshelves，andahugefissuresuddenlydisclosedtomethetruenatureofthedamageIhadsustained.Thatbook，C.，youshouldnothavetakenaway，foritisnotmine;itisthepropertyofafriend，whodoesnotknowitsvalue，norindeedhaveIbeenverysedulousinexplainingtohimtheestimateofit;butwasrathercontentedingivingasortofcorroborationtoahintthatheletfall，astoitsbeingsuspectedtobenotgenuine，sothatinallprobabilityitwouldhavefallentomeasadeodand;notbutIamassureitisLuthersasIamsurethatJackBunyanwrotethe"

PilgrimsProgress;"

butitwasnotformetopronounceuponthevalidityoftestimonythathadbeendisputedbylearnederclerksthanI.SoIquietlyletitoccupytheplaceithadusurpeduponmyshelves，andshouldneverhavethoughtofissuinganejectmentagainstit;forwhyshouldIbesobigotedastoallowritesofhospitalitytononebutmyownbooks，children，&c.?—aspeciesofegotismIabhorfrommyheart.No;letemallsnugtogether，HebrewsandProselytesofthegate;noselfishpartialityofmineshallmakedistinctionbetweenthem;Ichargenowarehouse-roomformyfriendsmodities;theyareweletoeandstayaslongastheylike，withoutpayingrent.IhaveseveralsuchstrangersthatItreatwithmorethanArabiancourtesy;theresacopyofMoresfinepoem，whichisnoneofmine;butIcherishitasmyown;Iamnoneofthosechurlishlandlordsthatadvertisethegoodstobetakenawayintendaystime，orthentobesoldtopayexpenses.SoyouseeIhadnorighttolendyouthatbook;Imaylendyoumyownbooks，becauseitisatmyownhazard，butitisnothonesttohazardafriendsproperty;Ialwaysmakethatdistinction.Ihopeyouwillbringitwithyou，orsenditbyHartley;orhecanbringthat，andyouthe"

PolemicalDiscourses，"

andeandeatsomeatoningmuttonwithusoneofthesedaysshortly.WeareengagedtwoorthreeSundaysdeep，butalwaysdineathomeonweek-daysathalf-pastfour.Soeallfour—menandbooksImean—mythirdshelf（northernpartment）fromthetophastwodevilishgaps，whereyouhaveknockedoutitstwoeye-teeth.

Yourwrongedfriend，

C.LAMB.

[Thisletterisusuallydated1824，butIthinkitwaswrittenearlier.Foronereason，HartleyColeridgewasnotinLondoninthatyear，andforanother，thereareseveralphrasesintheEliaessay"

TwoRacesofMen"

（printedintheLondonMagazine，December，1820）thataresosimilartosomeinthisletterthatIimaginethelettertohavesuggestedthesubjectoftheessay，thepositionofwhichimmediatelyfollowedit.Thus，intheessayweread:—

"

Thatfoulgapinthebottomshelffacingyou，likeagreateye-toothknockedout—（youarenowwithmeinmylittlebackstudyinBloomsbury，reader!）—withthehugeSwitzer-liketomesoneachside（liketheGuildhallgiants，intheirreformedposture，guardantofnothing）onceheldthetallestofmyfolios，OperaBonaventurae，choiceandmassydivinity，towhichitstwosupporters（schooldivinityalso，butofalessercalibre，—Bellarmine，andHolyThomas），showedbutasdwarfs，—itselfanAscapart!—thatComberbatchabstracteduponthefaithofatheoryheholds，whichismoreeasy，Iconfess，formetosurferbythantorefute，namely，thatthetitletopropertyinabook（myBonaventure，forinstance）isinexactratiototheclaimantspowersofunderstandingandappreciatingthesame.Shouldhegoonactinguponthistheory，whichofourshelvesissafe?"

"

LustersTables"

—LuthersTableTalk.

"

Moresfinepoem."

ThePsychozoiaPlatonica，1642，ofHenryMore，thePlatonist.Lambseemstohavereturnedthebook，foritwasnotamonghisbooksthatheleft.LuthersTableTalkseemsalsotohavebeengivenup.]