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LETTER 45（第1页）

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LETTER45

CHARLESLAMBTOROBERTSOUTHEY

March2Oth，1799.

Iamhugelypleasedwithyour"Spider，""youroldfreemason，"asyoucallhiThethreefirststanzasaredelicious;theyseemtomeapoundofBurnsandOldQuarles，thosekindofhome-strokes，wheremoreisfeltthanstrikestheear;aterseness，ajocularpathos，whichmakesonefeelinlaughter.Themeasure，too，isnovelandpleasing.IcouldalmostwonderRob.Burnsinhislifetimeneverstumbleduponit.Thefourthstanzaislessstriking，asbeinglessoriginal.Thefifthfallsoff.Ithasnofelicityofphrase，noold-fashionedphraseorfeeling.

"Younghopes，andlovesdelightfuldreams，"

savourneitherofBurnsnorQuarles;theyseemmorelikeshredsofmanyamodernsentimentalsonnet.Thelaststanzahathnothingstrikinginit，ifIexceptthetwoconcludinglines，whichareBurnsallover.Iwish，ifyouconcurwithme，thesethingscouldbelookedto.Iamsurethisisakindofwriting，whichestenfoldbetterremendedtotheheart，estheremorelikeaneighbourorfamiliar，thanthousandsofHamuelsandZillahsandMadelons.Ibegyouwillsendmethe"Holly-tree，"ifitatallresemblethis，foritmustpleaseme.Ihaveneverseenit.Ilovethissortofpoems，thatopenanewintercoursewiththemostdespisedoftheanimalandinsectrace.Ithinkthisveinmaybefurtheropened;PeterPindarhathveryprettilytrophisedafly;Burnshathhismouseandhislouse;Coleridge，lesssuccessfully，hathmadeoverturesofintimacytoajackass，thereinonlyfollowingatunresemblingdistanceSterneandgreaterCervantes.Besidesthese，Iknowofnootherexamplesofbreakingdownthepartitionbetweenusandour"poorearth-bornpanions."Itissometimesrevoltingtobeputinatrackoffeelingbyotherpeople，notonesownimmediatethoughts，elseIwouldpersuadeyou，ifIcould（Iaminearnest），tomenceaseriesoftheseanimalpoems，whichmighthaveatendencytorescuesomepoorcreaturesfromtheantipathyofmankind.Somethoughtseacrossme;—forinstance—toarat，toatoad，toacockchafer，toamole—Peoplebakemolesalivebyaslowoven-firetocureconsumption.Ratsare，indeed，themostdespisedandcontemptiblepartsofGodsearth.Ikilledarattheotherdaybypunchinghimtopieces，andfeelaweightofblooduponmetothishour.Toadsyouknowaremadetofly，andtumbledownandcrushalltopieces.Cockchafersareoldsport;thenagaintoaworm，withantrophetoanglers，thosepatienttyrants，meekinflictorsofpangsintolerable，cooldevils;toanowl;toallsnakes，withanapologyfortheirpoison;toacatinbootsorbladders.Yourownfancy，ifittakesafancytothesehints，willsuggestmanymore.Aseriesofsuchpoems，supposethemacpaniedwithplatesdescriptiveofanimaltorments，cooksroastinglobsters，fishmongerscrimpingskates，&c.，&c.，wouldtakeexcessively.Iwillwillinglyenterintoapartnershipintheplanwithyou:Ithinkmyheartandsoulwouldgowithittoo—atleast，giveitathought.Myplanisbutthisminuteeintomyhead;butitstrikesmeinstantaneouslyassomethingnew，goodanduseful，fullofpleasureandfullofmoral.IfoldQuarlesandWithercouldliveagain，wewouldinvitethemintoourfirBurnshathdonehispart.ItheotherdaythrewoffanextemporeepitaphonEnsignPeacockofthe3rdRegt.oftheRoyalEastIndiaVolunteers，wholikeotherboysinthisscarlettaintedagewasambitiousofplayingatsoldiers，butdyinginthefirstflashofhisvalourwasattheparticularinstanceofhisrelationsburiedwithmilitaryhonours!likeanyveteranscarrdorchoptfromBlenheimorRamilies.（Hewasburiedinsashandgorget.）

MARMORLOQUITUR

HeliesaVolunteersofine，

Whodiedofadecline，

AsyouorI，maydooneday;

Reader，thinkofthis，Ipray;

AndInumblyhopeyoulldropatear

FormypoorRoyalVolunteer.

Hewasasbraveasbravecouldbe，

Nobodywassobraveashe;

HewouldhavediedinHonorsbed，

Onlyhediedathomeinstead.

WellmaytheRoyalRegimentswear，

TheyneverhadsuchaVolunteer.

Butwhatsoevertheymaysay，

Deathisamanthatwillhavehisway:

Thohewasbutanensigninthisworldofpain;

Inthenextwehopehellbeacaptain.

Andwithoutmeaningtomakeanyreflectiononhismentals，

Hebeggdtobeburiedinregimentals.

Sedh?suntlamentabilisnug?—Buttisasgoodassomeepitaphsyouand

IhavereadtogetherinChrist-Church-yard.

PoorSaLeGrice!Iamafraidtheworld，andthecamp，andtheuniversity，havespoilthimamongtheTiscertainhehadatonetimeastrongcapacityofturningoutsomethingbetter.Iknewhim，andthatnotlongsince，whenhehadamostwarmheart.IamashamedoftheindifferenceIhavesometimesfelttowardshiIthinkthedevilisinonesheart.Iamunderobligationstothatmanforthewarmestfriendshipandheartiestsympathy，evenforanagonyofsympathyexprestbothbywordanddeed，andtearsforme，whenIwasinmygreatestdistress.ButIhaveforgotthat!as，Ifear，hehasnighforgottheawfulsceneswhichwerebeforehiseyeswhenheservedtheofficeofafortertome.NoservicewastoomeanortroublesomeforhimtoperforIcantthinkwhatbutthedevil，"thatoldspider，"couldhavesuckdmyheartsodryofitssenseofallgratitude.Ifhedoeseinyourway，Southey，failnottotellhimthatIretainamostaffectionateremembranceofhisoldfriendliness，andanearnestwishtoresumeourintercourse.InthisIamserious.Icannotremendhimtoyoursociety，becauseIamafraidwhetherhebequiteworthyofit.ButIhavenorighttodismisshimfrommyregard.Hewasatonetime，andintheworstoftimes，myownfamiliarfriend，andgreatforttomethen.Ihaveknownhimtoplayatcardswithmyfather，meal-timesexcepted，literallyalldaylong，inlongdaystoo，tosavemefrombeingteasedbytheoldman，whenIwasnotabletobearit.

Godblesshimforit，andGodblessyou，Southey.

C.L.

[PeterPindar（Dr.JohnWolcot）hasanode"ToaFly，takenoutofa

BowlofPunch."Healsowrote"TheLousiad."

"Poorearth-bornpanions."FromBurns"LinestoaMouse，"2nd

Stanza，line5.

"Toadsaremadetofly."Fillipingthetoadwasanoldpastime.Atoadwasplacedononeendofapieceofwood，laidcrosswiseoverastone.Theotherendwasstruckwithabeetle（i.e.，amallet），andthetoadflewintotheair.Falstaffsays:"Fillipmewithathree-manbeetle."Astowormsandfishermen，thelateMrs.Coe，whoasagirlhadknownLambatWidford，toldmethathecouldrarely，ifever，betemptedtojointheanglers.Affixingthewormwastoomuchforhi"Barbarous，barbarous，"heusedtosay.

Lambsprojectforaseriesofanimalpoemshastosomeextentbeencarriedoutbyalivingpoet，Mr.A.C.Benson.NeitherLambnorSoutheypursuedit.

WemetSamLeGriceintheletterofOctober3，1796.TowhatescapadeLambrefersIdonotknow，buthewasaddictedtofolly.ItwasSamLeGriceofwhomLeighHuntinhisAutobiographytellstheexcellenttalethatheexcusedhimselftohismasterfornothavingperformedatask，bytheremarkthathehadhada"lethargy."

InAprilofthisyeardiedJohnLamb，thefather.CharlesLambprobablyatoncemovedfrom45ChapelStreettoNo.36，whereMaryLambjoinedhi

BetweenthisandthenextlettershouldprobablyealetterfromLambtoRobertLloyd，notavailableforthisedition.ItseemstofollowuponRobertLloydsdeparturefromLambshouse，andremarksthatLambknowsbutonebeingthathecouldeverconsenttoliveperpetuallywith，andthatisRobert—butRobertmustgowhitherprudenceandpaternalregulationsdictate.LambalsoreferstoapoemofanintimatecharacterbyCharlesLloydintheAnnualAnthology（"LinestoaBrotherandSister"），remarkingthat，inhisopinion，thesedomesticaddressesshouldnotalwaysbemadepublic.ThereisalsoareferencetoCharlesLloydsnovel，whichLambsayshewantstoreadifhemaybepermittedasightofit.ThiswouldbeIsabel.]

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