Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

by Coleridge, but the greater part of them life. I never before or since produced so much Wordsworth's, was published by Cottle in poetry in the same space of time. The smaller the summer of 1798; and in the autumn pieces were communicated by letter to Charles Coleridge and Wordsworth set out together for Germany.

sions. I was then also in habits of the most freLamb, and had the advantage of his animadverquent and intimate intercourse with Davy, then in the flower and freshness of his youth. We were "Have you seen," (writes Southey to Wm. within an easy walk of each other, over some of Taylor, Sept. 1798), "a volume of Lyrical Bal- the most beautiful ground in that beautiful part of lads, &c. They are by Coleridge and Words- England. When I went to the Pneumatic Instiworth, though their names are not affixed. Cole-tution, he had to tell me of some new experiment ridge's ballad of the Ancient Mariner' is the clumsiest attempt at German sublimity I ever saw. Many of the others are very fine; and some 1 shall read upon the same principle that led me through Trissino, whenever I am afraid of writing like a child or an old woman."

Such a criticism on the "Lyrical Ballads" by one of the "Lake Poets" will probably take many of our readers by surprise. But a variance in their tastes, so deeply ground ed, ought to prepare us for the converse of this proposition, and for at least an equal indifference on the part of Wordsworth to the poetry of Southey. They do not appear to have yet fallen in one another's way. Their friendship did not begin till some years later, after Southey had settled at Keswick.

[ocr errors]

or discovery, and of the views which it opened for him; and when he came to Westbury, there was a fresh portion of Madoc' for his hearing."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Coleridge, on rejoining Southey, after so long a separation, would have much to report of his fellow-traveller, Wordsworth; late of his friend Davy. He is a miracuin return, Southey would have much to relous young man,' Southey wrote to William Taylor, whose talents I can only wonder Annual Anthology;' and Davy was supat.' Southey was at this time editing an plying him with poetry for it. Coleridge and Southey projected, while they were together, a joint poem in hexameters, on Mahomet: the memory of which survives, we suppose, in that striking fragment, beginning,

"Utter the song, O my soul, the flight and return of Mohammed," &c.,

[ocr errors]

From the time Southey had gone over to the law, he seems to have seen or heard little of Coleridge. But they are together again for a few weeks in Devonshire in the autumn of 1799, immediately after Cole- one of the few readable attempts of the ridge's return from Germany. The latter kind (being only fourteen lines) in the had worked hard there; and was now full English language. When they next partof a projected" Life of Lessing," for which ed, Coleridge went from Devonshire to he had made a large collection of materials, London to write leading articles for the but which (we might almost say, of course), Morning Post;' and Southey to a house was never written. In the mean time that he had taken in the village of Burton, Southey, who had previously spent two near Christchurch, in Hampshire. legal years in London, had been living for Coleridge spent the next six months in the last twelve months at Westbury near London, engaged in writing for the MornBristol. We make no doubt but that he ing Post,' and in translating Wallenstein.' went up regularly enough to London to eat He seems never to have worked so hard as his Gray's Inn dinners; the evidence that during his residence in Germany, and for he was prosecuting his poetical studies with several months afterwards. In considera keener sense of his true calling, is more ation of his tendency to describe as done substantial. He had already finished "Madoc" and commenced" Thalaba!" During his residence at Westbury he acquired an intimate friend in Davy, who had lately come to Bristol as assistant to Dr. Beddoes at the Pneumatic Institution, and was laying there the foundation of future emi- to exert my industry, and many other good ends nence. Southey has commemorated this are answered at the same time. Likewise, by happy year in one of those pleasant auto-being obliged to write without much elaboration, I biographical prefaces, which give such interest to the collected edition of his poems.

"This was one of the happiest portions of my

that which was only intended, some deduction, perhaps, is to be made from the report he rendered to Mr. Thomas Wedgewood of his present labors :—

"I shall remain in London till April. The expenses of my last year made it necessary for me

shall greatly improve myself in naturalness and facility of style, and the particular subjects on which I write for money are nearly connected with my future schemes. My mornings I give to

[ocr errors]

compilations, which I am sure cannot be wholly useless; and for which, by the beginning of April, I shall have earned nearly 150l. My evenings to the theatres, as I am to conduct a sort of drama terye, or series of essays on the drama, both its general principles and likewise in reference to the present state of the English theatres. This I shall publish in the Morning Post.' My attendance on the theatres costs me nothing; and Stuart, the editor, covers my expenses in London. Two mornings and one whole day, I dedicate to these essays on the possible progressiveness of man, and on the principles of population. In April 1 retire to my greater work, The Life of Lessing."(Cottle, p. 430.)

In another letter from London he gives us the impression made upon him by a visit to the gallery of the House of Commons:

"Pitt and Fox completely answered my preformed ideas of them. The elegance and high finish of Pitt's periods, even in the most sudden replies, is curious; but that is all. He argues but so so, and does not reason at all. Nothing is rememberable of what he says. Fox possesses all the full and overflowing eloquence of a man of clear head, clear heart, and impetuous feelings He is to my mind a great orator; all the rest that spoke were mere creatures. I could make a better speech myself than any that I heard, except Pitt and Fox. I reported that part of Pitt's speech which I have enclosed in brackets; not that I report ex officio, but my curiosity having led me there, I did Stuart a service by taking a few notes. I work from morning to night, but in a few weeks I shall have completed my purpose, and then adieu to London for ever. We newspaper scribes are true galley slaves. When the high winds of events blow loud and frequent, then the sails are hoisted, or the ship drives on of itself. When all is calm and sunshine, then to our oars."

In the spring Coleridge went to Stowey, and after a short time removed to Keswick, within reach of Wordsworth, who by this time had made out his way to Grasmere. Coleridge was now settled at the Lakes for some years. He continued to write from Keswick for the Morning Post,' but Mr. Stuart will be believed when he says, very irregularly. We will extract from a letter to Mr. Josiah Wedgewood (Nov. 1, 1800), his own view of his new residence at Keswick, the house which afterwards became Southey's home for life :

have entered into my mind, with a suddenness as if I had been snatched out of Cheapside and placed for the first time in the spot where I stood, and that is a delightful feeling,-these fits and trances of novelty received from a long known object. The river of Greta flows behind our house, roaring like an untamed son of the hills, then winds round and glides away in the front, so that we live in a peninsula. But besides this ethereal eye feeding, we have very substantial conveniences. Our garden is part of a large nursery garden, which is the same to us and as private as if the whole had been our own, and then too we have delightful walks without passing our garden gates. My landlord, who lives in the sister house, for the two houses are built so as to look like one great one, is a modest and kind man, of a singular character. By the severest economy he has raised himself from a carrier into the possession of a comfortable independence. He was always very fond of reading, and has collected nearly 500 volumes, of our most esteemed modern writers, such as Gibbon, Hume, Johnson, &c. His habits of economy and simplicity remain with him, and yet so very disinterested a man I scarcely ever knew. Lately, when I wished to settle with him about the rent of our house, he appeared much affected, told me that my living near him, and the having so much of Hartley's company were great comforts to him and his housekeeper; that he had no children to provide for, and did not mean to marry, and, in short, that he did not want any rent from me. This of course I laughed him out of; but he absolutely refused to receive any rent for the first half year, under the pretext that the house was not completely furnished. Hartley quite lives at the house; and it is, as you may suppose, no small joy to my wife to have a good, affectionate, motherly woman divided from her only by a wall."

Southey's health had, in the mean time, labors; and in the spring of 1800, he given way under his various and incessant sailed, with his wife, for Lisbon, with the intention of spending a year in Portugal. Medical advisers had recommended change to a warmer climate. If an Englishman at that time had had greater choice, Southey nevertheless would probably have chosen Lisbon, for his uncle was still chaplain there; and the thought of writing a History of Portugal had already crossed his mind. A southern climate speedily revived him, and he was soon at work as hard as ever, collecting materials for a Portuguese his"The room in which I write commands six dis- tory, and finishing Thalaba,' which he tinct landscapes; the two lakes, the vale, the river sent home, to be published before his reand mountains, and mists, and clouds, and sun-turn. Davy, and an old school-friend, shine, make endless combinations, as if heaven Danvers, corrected the press for him. Of and earth were for ever talking to each other.

Often when in a deep study, I have walked to the his historical researches, he sent an interwindow and remained there looking without see-esting account to W. Taylor:

ing; all at once the lake of Keswick and the fan

tastic mountains of Borrowdale at the head of it "I am up to the ears in chronicles, a pleasant

[ocr errors]

day's amusement; but battles and folios, and I mean time he was to be with his brother-inheroes and monarchs teaze me terribly in my law. "I am going to Keswick, to pass the dream. I have just obtained access to the public autumn with Coleridge-to work like a manuscripts, and the records of the Inquisition tempt me-five folios-the whole black catalogue; yet I am somewhat shy of laying heretical hands upon these bloody annals. The holy office is not dead, but sleepeth. There, however, it is that I must find materials for the history of the Reformation here and its ineffectual efforts. I obtain access through one of the censors of books here, an ex-German divine, who enlisted in the Catholic service, professing the one faith with the same sincerity that he preached the other; a strongheaded, learned, and laborious man, curious enough to preserve his authoritative revisions of all that is permitted to be printed or sold in Portugal. These revisions I have seen, and by this means become acquainted with what is not brought to light. The public library here is magnificently established; the books well-arranged, with ample catalogues, a librarian to every department, and free access to all-without a cloak. The Museum is also shut to all in this the common dress, a good trait of national honesty. The ruin of the priests gave rise to this foundation. Their libraries were all brought to Lisbon, and the books remained as shovelled out of the carts for many years. They are not yet wholly arranged. English writers are very few, scarcely any. But for what regards the Peninsula, for church and monastic history, and the laborious and valuable compilations of the two last centuries, a more complete collection does not probably exist. I regret my approaching return to England, and earnestly wish I could remain six or seven years in a country whose climate so well suits me, and where I could find ample and important occupation. Once more I must return, when my history shall be so far completed as is possible at home, to give it its last corrections here."

[ocr errors]

All

negro, and to arrange his future plans with my own. He is miserably ill, and must quit England for a warmer climate, or perish. I found letters announcing his determination to ship himself and family for the Azores : this I have stopped; and the probability is that he will accompany me abroad." But Dublin, and not Palermo, became Southey's destination. As early as November, he was appointed private secretary to Mr. Corry, the Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer, for one year. He was a stranger to Mr. Corry, but had been recommended to him by Mr. Rickman, afterwards Clerk of the House of Commons,-at that time private secretary to Abbott, secretary for Ireland. Southey had made Rickman's friendship at Burton, while relaxing from his law studies, in the long vacation of 1796. The appointment was limited to a year, that the master and secretary might see how they suited each other before they were further bound. At the end of the year, Southey ceased to be secretary: "losing," he writes, a foolish office and a good salary. The salary I might have kept, if I would have accepted a more troublesome situation, that of tutor to his son. this was transacted with ministerial secrecy and hints; but with respectful civility,-so much for that." He had valued the appointment only as giving him a salary, which would place him above the necessity of writing for daily bread, and would leave. Southey returned to England in July, him time for the careful composition of the 1801, with restored health, and a large col- works which were to bring him fame. His lection of historical materials. He had heart had been all the while in his literary had thoughts while in Lisbon, from his ex-pursuits. Within ten days of his installaperience of the benefits of a warm climate, tion as private secretary, he wrote to W. of going out to the Indian bar, but these Taylor, projecting a new Review. During were soon dismissed; it would have pre- his year of office, half of which was spent vented him from writing the History of in London, and the other half in Dublin, Portugal, and this was to be his great work, he made some progress with the Curse of and passport to posterity. On his return Kehama,' and worked steadily at his Histo England, prospects of official prefer-tory. When he lost his private secretaryment, compatible with his literary plans, ship, he found consolation for the loss of dawned upon him. "I have the hope and income in the sense of freedom. He was prospect," he announces to W. Taylor, "of now at liberty to bury himself in the counvisiting Italy in a provident way-as secre- try, and pursue his studies in quiet. His tary to some legation there-an office of lit- first thought was to settle in Wales, and a tle trouble; with the prospect of advance-treaty for a house in the Vale of Neath ment. My destination will probably be Palermo; if peace comes, as likely to any of the other states, and as willingly. Ultimately, I look to Lisbon, and certainly to a long absence from England." In the

was all but concluded. Disappointed of this, he took up his quarters for some months at Bristol, where he was always, as it were, at home, and house-hunted in all directions, but without success. The loss

of his first and then only child drove him of England," "Kirke White's Remains," away in August, 1803; he joined Coleridge the "History of Brazil," (a part, and, in at Keswick, and did not again move. Greta proper order, the last part, of his "HistoHall, Keswick, continued their joint resi-ry of Portugal," but to be brought out first dence till the spring of 1807, when Southey took the house for himself.

on account of the interest then felt in South America), and a translation of the "Cid." He had just brought "Espriella's Letters," and three volumes of "Specimens of English Poets," through the press, to the eve of publication. Besides all this, there was magazine writing. We quote again from the same letter:

The letter, in which he conveyed to his friend W. Taylor the intelligence of his planting himself for a permanency at the Lakes, contained other important news. On the break-up of the administration of "All the Talents," Lord Grenville had procured him a pension of £200 a year. In the following passage, as it is printed in "About a fourth part of the first volume of the W. Taylor's Life, a blank is left for the History (of Brazil) is done, and I shall, perhaps, name of Wynn; but the blank has been print it volume by volume. Two quartos are the filled up by Mr. De Quincey, in his sketch probable extent. I might, doubtless, obtain five hundred guineas for the copyright; but I will not sell of Southey, in "Tait's Magazine." And the chance of greater eventual profit. This work it was right to do so; for the fact is equal- will supply a chasm in history. This is not all: ly to the honor of both parties. Mr. I cannot do one thing at a time; so sure as I attempt Charles Wynn and Southey had been it my health suffers. The business of the day schoolfellows and college companions; and haunts me in the night; and though a sound it was the happy privilege of the wealthier sleeper otherwise, my dreams partake so much of friend to help our aspiring student in his it as to harass and disturb me. I must always, therefore, have one train of thoughts for the mornearly struggles, and place him above want, ing, another for the evening, and a book, not relatbefore he had attained an independence ing to either, for half an hour after supper; and by his own indefatigable labors. thus neutralizing one set of associations by another, and having (God be thanked) a heart at "When the late ministry saw that out they ease, I contrive to keep in order a set of nerves as must go, Wynn thought of saving something for much disposed to be out of order as any man's can me out of the fire; he could only get an offer of a be. The Cid' is therefore my other work in place in the island of St. Lucia, worth about 6001. hand; I want only an importation of books from a year. There was no time to receive my an- Lisbon to send this to the press, and shall have swer, but he divined it rightly, and refused. In- full time to complete the introduction and notes, stead, one of Lord G.'s last acts was to give me a while the body of the work is printing. It will pension of 2001., to which the King graciously supply the place of preliminaries to the History assented.' You cannot be more amused at find- of Portugal, and exhibit a complete view of the ing me a pensioner, than I am at finding myself heroic age of Spain. I had almost forgotten to So. I am not, however, a richer man than be- say that the reason why you have not received a fore. Hitherto Wynn has given me an annuity of copy of my Specimens is that it is delayed for 1607., which I felt no pain in accepting from the some cancels. Lastly, I have to tell you that beoldest friend I have in the world, with whom my fore the change of ministry took away all my exintimacy was formed before we were either of us pectations, I was weary of them; and as some arold enough to think of difference of rank and for-rangements of Coleridge's made it necessary that tune. But Wynn is not a rich man for his rank; and of course I shall receive this no longer from him, now that it is no longer necessary. Of 2001. the taxes have the modesty to deduct 361., and the Exchequer pays irregularly; he is in luck who has only one quarter in arrear, so Bedford tells me, who has an office there. I therefore lose 167. per year, during the war, and gain 201. whenever the income tax is repealed, having the discomfort always of uncertain remittances. It is but wearing a few more grey goose-quills to the stump in the course of the year, and in the course of one year I have better hopes than I ever yet had of getting a-head, as you will presently see. The last of MS. for Espriella's Letters' sets off this night on its way to Richard Taylor."

[ocr errors]

copy

[ocr errors]

I should either decide upon removing hence at a fixed time, or remaining with the house, I have chosen the latter alternative. Here, then, I am settled-am planting currant trees, purchasing a little furniture, making the place decent, as far as scanty means will go, and sending for my books by sea, perfectly well contented with my lot, and thankful that it has fallen in so goodly a land."

Meanwhile Coleridge had gone to Malta in the spring of 1804, in search of health, leaving his wife and family at Keswick. The office of chief secretary becoming vacant while he was there, Sir Alexander Ball, the governor, appointed him to act until a new secretary came from England. He acted for The letter goes on to describe the work about eighteen months: the office of treahe had on hand-an edition of "Palmerinsurer, then associated with the secretary

ship, he declined to undertake, losing much so, that Lord Byron, who was a great thereby the half of 1000l. a year, the sal- admirer of his genius-placing him and ary of the two offices. He returned to Crabbe at the head of their contemporary England in 1806, by way of Sicily and poets-was most urgent with him to set Italy. His health had not improved; nor, about another tragedy, instead of which, though he might have deluded himself as he kept writing a great deal for the newsto the cause of his sufferings, could any one papers, chiefly for the "Courier." It was else, who knew the fatal habit he had con- in 1814 that he returned to Bristol, to lectracted, expect improvement from change ture; here Mr Cottle becomes again comof climate. He had become an opium- municative; and this is the sad part of eater before he went to Malta, and he re- Mr. Cottle's book. Coleridge was now turned an opium-eater still. the slave of opium; whatever money he None of the various accounts of Cole- made, went at once in the purchase of ridge which have yet been published enter that destructive poison, to the ruin of his into any detail concerning the next seven health, his principles, and character. Door eight years of his life. Mr. Cottle saw mestic disagreement is a weak word for the nothing of him between his lecturing at inevitable consequences of such habits: he Bristol in 1807, and his coming back to became, in poetic language, a voluntary exlecture there in 1814; and he tells us only ile from his family, a wanderer on the face what he knows himself. Mr. Gilman's un- of the earth. We are not of opinion that finished biography, a very meagre perform- the private life of every eminent person ance, gives us no information for this peri- becomes public property immediately on od. Keswick remained Coleridge's nomi- his death, even though higher objects than nal residence till 1810; but his absences amusement only, may be attained by pubbecame frequent, and his returns, as South-lication-for instance, what is familiarly ey says, more difficult to be calculated than called a moral lesson. But, after the those of a comet. He was often with Words- course Mr. Cottle has taken, there is an worth, at Grasmerc. He was occasionally end to any question of the kind in the case in London, lecturing. The "Friend" of Coleridge. There is no longer a possioccupied him at Keswick and Grasmere bility of concealment; and under the cirduring the year 1809, and part of 1810. cumstances, we are satisfied that his memHe had not in the interval become better ory will derive far more honor from such a adapted for the conduct of a periodical than letter as the following, than from any atwhen he failed with the "Watchman," in tempts to deny or to distort the published, 1796; it was brought out very irregularly, truth. The letter was written in 1814, by managed expensively, and not written so Coleridge, to one of his oldest and most as to please generally. It lingered on attached friends, Mr. Wade of Bristol. through twenty-seven numbers, though Southey had predicted a much earlier de"Dear Sir, for I am unworthy to call any good mise. Southey writes (September 1809), man friend-much less you, whose hospitality and Coleridge has sent out a fourth number love I have abused: accept, however, my ento-day. I have always expected every your forgiveness, and for your players. Conceive a poor, miserable wretch, who for number to be the last; he may, however, many years has been attempting to beat off pain possibly go on in this intermitting way till by a constant recurrence to the vice that reprodusubscribers enough withdraw their names ces it. Conceive a spirit in hell, employed in trac(partly in anger at its irregularity, more ing out for others the road to that heaven from because they find it in heathen Greek) to which his crimes exclude him! In short, congive him an ostensible reason for stopping hopeless, and you will form as tolerable a notion ceive whatever is most wretched, helpless, and short." In 1810 Coleridge went to Lon-of my state, as it is possible for a good man to don, and lived for a short time with Mr. have. Basil Montagu; from him he passed on to "I used to think the text in St. James, that an old Bristol friend, Mr. Morgan, then he who offended in one point offends in all,' residing at Hammersmith. Mr. Morgan very harsh: but I now feel the awful, the treremoved afterwards to Calne, and Cole-mendous truth of it. For the one crime of OPIUM, ridge removed with him; where for some three or four years Mr. Morgan's house continued to be his home. In 1813, his play of Remorse "" was brought out at Drury Lane, with very great success; so

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

treaties for

66

what crime have I not made myself guilty of! gratitude to my Maker! and to my benefactors! dren! self-contempt for my repeated promiseinjustice and unnatural cruelty to my poor chilbreach, nay, too often actual falsehood!

66

'After my death I earnestly entreat that a full

« ZurückWeiter »