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LETTER 40（第1页）

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LETTER40

CHARLESLAMBTOROBERTSOUTHEY

Nov.28th，1798.

Icanhavenoobjectiontoyourprinting"MysteryofGod"withmynameandalldueacknowledgmentsforthehonourandfavourofthemunication;indeed，tisapoemthatcandishonournoname.Now，thatisinthetruestrainofmodernmodesto-vanitas…Butforthesonnet，Iheartilywishit，asIthoughtitwas，deadandforgotten.IftheexactcircumstancesunderwhichIwrotecouldbeknownortold，itwouldbeaninterestingsonnet;buttoanindifferentandstrangerreaderitmustappearaverybaldthing，certainlyinadmissibleinapilation.Iwishyoucouldaffixadifferentnametothevolume;thereisacontemptiblebook，awretchedassortmentofvapidfeelings，entitled"PrattsGleanings，"whichhathdamnedandimpropriatedthetitleforever.Praythinkofsomeother.Thegentlemanisbetterknown（betterhadheremainedunknown）byanOdetoBenevolence，writtenandspokenforandattheannualdinneroftheHumaneSociety，whowalkinprocessiononcea-year，withalltheobjectsoftheircharitybeforethem，toreturnGodthanksforgivingthemsuchbenevolenthearts.

Ilike"BishopBruno;"butnotsoabundantlyasyour"WitchBallad，"whichisanexquisitethingofitskind.

Ishowedmy"Witch"and"DyingLover"toDyerlastnight;butGeorgecouldnotprehendhowthatcouldbepoetrywhichdidnotgoupontenfeet，asGeorgeandhispredecessorshadtaughtittodo;soGeorgereadmesomelecturesonthedistinguishingqualitiesoftheOde，theEpigram，andtheEpic，andwenthometoillustratehisdoctrinebycorrectingaproofsheetofhisownLyrics.Georgewritesodeswheretherhymes，likefashionablemanandwife，keepafortabledistanceofsixoreightlinesapart，andcallsthat"observingthelawsofverse."Georgetellsyou，beforeherecites，thatyoumustlistenwithgreatattention，oryoullmisstherhymes.Ididso，andfoundthemprettyexact.George，speakingofthedeadOssian，exclaimeth，"Darkarethepoetseyes."Ihumblyrepresentedtohimthathisowneyesweredark[?light]，andmanyalivingbardsbesides，andremended"Closdarethepoetseyes."Butthatwouldnotdo.Ifoundtherewasanantithesisbetweenthedarknessofhiseyesandthesplendourofhisgenius;andIacquiesced.

YourrecipeforaTurkspoisonisinvaluableandtrulyMarlowish….Lloydobjectsto"shutting-upthewombofhispurse"inmyCurse（whichforaChristianwitchinaChristiancountryisnottoomild，Ihope）;doyouobject?1thinkthereisastrangenessintheidea，aswellas"shakingthepoorlikesnakesfromhisdoor，"whichsuitsthespeaker.Witchesillustrate，asfineladiesdo，fromtheirownfamiliarobjects，andsnakesandtheshuttingupofwombsareintheirway.Idontknowthatthislastchargehasbeenbeforebroughtagainstem，noreitherthesourmilkorthemandrakebabe;butIaffirmthesebethingsawitchwoulddoifshecould.

MyTragedywillbeamedley（as[?and]Iintendittobeamedley）oflaughterandtears，proseandverse，andinsomeplacesrhyme，songs，wit，pathos，humour，and，ifpossible，sublimity;atleast，itisnotafaultinmyintention，ifitdoesnotprehendmostofthesediscordantcolours.Heavensendtheydancenotthe"DanceofDeath!"IhearthattheTwoNobleEnglishmenhavepartednosoonerthantheysetfootonGermanearth，butIhavenotheardthereason—possibly，togivenovelistsanhandletoexclaim，"Ahme!whatthingsareperfect?"IthinkIshalladoptyouremendationinthe"DyingLover，"thoughIdonotmyselffeeltheobjectionagainst"SilentPrayer."

Mytailorhasbroughtmehomeanewcoatlapelled，withavelvetcollar.Heassuresmeeverybodywearsvelvetcollarsnow.Somearebornfashionable，someachievefashion，andothers，likeyourhumbleservant，havefashionthrustupontheTheroguehasbeenmakinginroadshithertobymodestdegrees，foistinguponmeanadditionalbutton，remendinggaiters;buttoeuponmethusinafulltideofluxury，neitherbeeshimasatailornortheninthofaman.Mymeekgentlemanwasrobbedtheotherday，ingwithhiswifeandfamilyinaone-horseshayfromHampstead;thevillainsrifledhimoffourguineas，someshillingsandhalf-pence，andabundleofcustomersmeasures，whichtheysworewerebank-notes.Theydidnotshoothim，andwhentheyrodeoffheaddrestthemwithprofoundgratitude，makingacongee:"Gentlemen，Iwishyougoodnight，andweareverymuchobligedtoyouthatyouhavenotusedusill!"Andthisisthecuckoothathashadtheaudacitytofoistuponmetenbuttonsonasideandablackvelvetcollar—Adamndninthofascoundrel!

WhenyouwritetoLloyd，hewisheshisJacobincorrespondentstoaddresshimasMr.C.L.LoveandrespectstoEdith.Ihopesheiswell.

Yourssincerely，

C.LAMB.

[Thepoem"MysteryofGod"was，whenprintedintheAnnualAnthologyfor1799，entitled"LivingwithoutGodintheWorld."Lambneverreprintedit.ItisnotcleartowhatsonnetLambrefers，possiblythattohissister，printedonpage78，whichhehimselfneverreprinted.ItwasatthattimeintendedtocallSoutheyscollectionGleanings;LambreferstotheGleaningsofSamuelJacksonPratt（1749-1814），averybusymakerofbooks，publishedin1795-1799.HisTriumphofBenevolencewaspublishedin1786.

Southeyswitchballadwas"TheOldWomanofBerkeley."

GeorgeDyersprincipalworksinversearecontainedinhisPoems，1802，andPoetics，1812.Heretainedtheepithet"dark"forOssianseyes.

SoutheysrecipeforaTurkspoisonIdonotfind.Itmayhaveexistedonlyinaletter.

AreferencetothepoeminLetter39willexplaintheremarksaboutwitchescurses.

TheTwoNobleEnglishmen（asarcasticreferencedrawn，Iimaginefrom

PalamonandArcite）wereColeridgeandWordsworth，theninGermany.

Nothingdefiniteisknown，buttheyseemquiteamicablytohavedecided

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