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LETTER 13（第1页）

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER13

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

Nov.8th，1796.

MyBrother，myFriend，—Iamdistrestforyou，believemeIam;notsomuchforyourpainful，troublesomeplaint，which，Itrust，isonlyforatime，asforthoseanxietieswhichbroughtiton，andperhapsevennowmaybenursingitsmalignity.Tellme，dearestofmyfriends，isyourmindatpeace，orhasanything，yetunknowntome，happenedtogiveyoufreshdisquiet，andstealfromyouallthepleasantdreamsoffuturerest?Areyoustill（Ifearyouare）farfrombeingfortablysettled?WouldtoGoditwereinmypowertocontributetowardsthebringingofyouintothehavenwhereyouwouldbe!Butyouaretoowellskilledinthephilosophyofconsolationtoneedmyhumbletributeofadvice;inpainandinsickness，andinallmannerofdisappointments，Itrustyouhavethatwithinyouwhichshallspeakpeacetoyourmind.Makeit，Ientreatyou，oneofyourpunyforts，thatIfeelforyou，andshareallyourgriefswithyou.IfeelasifIweretroublingyouaboutlittlethings;nowIamgoingtoresumethesubjectofourlasttwoletters，butitmaydivertusbothfromunpleasanterfeelingstomakesuchmatters，inamanner，ofimportance.Withoutfurtherapology，then，itwasnotthatIdidnotrelish，thatIdidnotinmyheartthankyoufor，thoselittlepicturesofyourfeelingswhichyoulatelysentme，ifIneglectedtomentionthem.Youmayrememberyouhadsaidmuchthesamethingsbeforetomeonthesamesubjectinaformerletter，andIconsideredthoselastversesasonlytheidenticalthoughtsbetterclothed;eitherway（inproseorverse）suchpoetrymustbeweletome.IlovethemasIlovetheConfessionsofRousseau，andforthesamereason:thesamefrankness，thesameopennessofheart，thesamedisclosureofallthemosthiddenanddelicateaffectionsofthemind:theymakemeproudtobethusesteemedworthyoftheplaceoffriend-confessor，brother-confessor，toamanlikeColeridge.Thislastis，Iacknowledge，languagetoohighforfriendship;butitisalso，Ideclare，toosincereforflattery.Now，toputonstilts，andtalkmagnificentlyabouttrifles—Icondescend，then，toyourcounsel，Coleridge，andallowmyfirstSonnet（sicktodeathamItomakementionofmysonnets，andIblushtobesotakenupwiththem，indeedIdo）—Iallowittorunthus，"

FairyLand"

&c.&c.，asI[?you]lastwroteit.

TheFragmentsInowsendyouIwantprintedtogetridofem;for，whiletheystickburr-liketomymemory，theytemptmetogoonwiththeidletradeofversifying，whichIlong—mostsincerelyIspeakit—Ilongtoleaveoff，foritisunprofitabletomysoul;Ifeelitis;andthesequestionsaboutwords，anddebatesaboutalterations，takemeoff，Iamconscious，fromthepropererbusinessofmylife.Takemysonnetsonceforall，anddonotproposeanyre-amendments，ormentionthemagaininanyshapetome，Ichargeyou.Iblushthatmymindcanconsiderthemasthingsofanyworth.Andprayadmitorrejectthesefragments，asyoulikeordislikethem，withoutceremony.CallemSketches，Fragments，orwhatyouwill，butdonotentitleanyofmythingsLoveSonnets，asItoldyoutocallem;twillonlymakemelooklittleinmyowneyes;foritisapassionofwhichIretainnothing;twasaweakness，concerningwhichImaysay，inthewordsofPetrarch（whoselifeisnowopenbeforeme），"

ifitdrewmeoutofsomevices，italsopreventedthegrowthofmanyvirtues，fillingmewiththeloveofthecreatureratherthantheCreator，whichisthedeathofthesoul."

ThankGod，thefollyhasleftmeforever;notevenareviewofmyloveversesrenewsonewaywardwishinme;andifIamatallsolicitoustotrimemoutintheirbestapparel，itisbecausetheyaretomaketheirappearanceingoodpany.Nowtomyfragments.LestyouhavelostmyGrandame，sheshallbeone.TisamongthefewversesIeverwrote（thattoMaryisanother）whichprofitmeintherecollection.Godloveher，—andmaywetwoneverloveeachotherless!

These，Coleridge，arethefewsketchesIhavethoughtworthpreserving;howwilltheyrelishthusdetached?Willyourejectalloranyofthem?Theyarethine:dowhatsoeverthoulistestwiththem.Myeyesachewithwritinglongandlate，andIwaxwondroussleepy;Godblessyouandyours，meandmine!Goodnight.

C.LAMB.

Iwillkeepmyeyesopenreluctantlyaminutelongertotellyou，thatIloveyouforthosesimple，tender，heart-flowinglineswithwhichyouconcludeyourlast，andinmyeyesbest，sonnet（soyoucallem），

"

So，forthemotherssake，thechildwasdear，

Anddearerwasthemotherforthechild."

Cultivatesimplicity，Coleridge，orrather，Ishouldsay，banishelaborateness;forsimplicityspringsspontaneousfromtheheart，andcarriesintodaylightitsownmodestbudsandgenuine，sweet，andclearflowersofexpression.Iallownohot-bedsinthegardensofParnassus.Iamunwillingtogotobed，andleavemysheetunfilled（agoodpieceofnight-workforanidlebodylikeme），sowillfinishwithbeggingyoutosendmetheearliestaccountofyourplaint，itsprogress，or（asIhopetoGodyouwillbeabletosendme）thetaleofyourrecovery，oratleastamendment.MytenderestremembrancestoyourSara.—

Oncemoregoodnight.

[Coleridge，onNovember2，hadbeguntosufferfromhislifelongenemy，neuralgia，theresultlargelyofworryconcerninghisfuture，somanyofhisprojectshavingbrokendown.Hewassubduingitwithlaudanum—thebeginningofthatfatalhabit.

WedonotknowwhatweretheverseswhichColeridgehadsentLamb，possiblythethreesonnetsonthebirthofHartley，thethirdofwhichisreferredtobelow.

LambsdecisioninSeptembertosayorhearnomoreofhisownpoetryherebreaksdown.ThereferencetotheFairyLandsonnetisonlypartiallyexplainedbytheparallelversionwhichIprintedonpage25;for"

FairyLand"

wasColeridgesversion.EitherLambhadmadeanewversion，substituting"

FairyLand"

for"

Faery，"

orhewrote，"

Iallowittorunthus:FairyLand，&c.，&c.，asyoulastwroteit."

Whenreprinted，however，itranasLamboriginallywished.TheotherfragmentswerethoseafterwardsincludedinColeridgesPoems，secondedition，1797.

"

LoveSonnets."

Lambchangedhismindagainonthissubject，andyetagain.

ColeridgeslastofthethreesonnetsonthebirthofHartleywasentitled"

SonnettoaFriend[CharlesLloyd]whoaskedhowIfeltwhentheNursefirstpresentedmyInfanttome."

ItclosedwiththelineswhichLambcopies.]