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LETTER 81(第1页)

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LETTER81

CHARLESLAMBTOWILLIAMWORDSWORTH

[P.M.January30,1801.]

ThanksforyourLetterandPresent.Ihadalreadyborrowedyoursecondvolume.Whatmostpleasemeare,theSongofLucy….SimonssicklydaughterintheSextonmademecry.NexttothesearethedescriptionofthecontinuousEchoesinthestoryofJoannaslaugh,wherethemountainsandallthesceneryabsolutelyseemalive—andthatfineShakesperiancharacteroftheHappyMan,intheBrothers,

—thatcreepsaboutthefields,

Followinghisfanciesbythehour,tobring

Tearsdownhischeek,orsolitarysmiles

Intohisface,untiltheSettingSun

WriteFooluponhisforehead.

Iwillmentiononemore:thedelicateandcuriousfeelinginthewishfortheCumberlandBeggar,thathemayhaveabouthimthemelodyofBirds,althohehearthemnot.Herethemindknowinglypassesafictionuponherself,firstsubstitutingherownfeelingsfortheBeggars,and,inthesamebreathdetectingthefallacy,willnotpartwiththewish.—ThePoetsEpitaphisdisfigured,tomytastebythevulgarsatireuponparsonsandlawyersinthebeginning,andthecoarseepithetofpinpointinthe6thstanza.Alltherestiseminentlygood,andyourown.IwilljustaddthatitappearstomeafaultintheBeggar,thattheinstructionsconveyedinitaretoodirectandlikealecture:theydontslideintothemindofthereader,whileheisimaginingnosuchmatter.Anintelligentreaderfindsasortofinsultinbeingtold,Iwillteachyouhowtothinkuponthissubject.Thisfault,ifIamright,isinaten-thousandthworsedegreetobefoundinSterneandmanymanynovelists&modernpoets,whocontinuallyputasignpostuptoshewwhereyouaretofeel.Theysetoutwithassumingtheirreaderstobestupid.VerydifferentfromRobinsonCrusoe,theVicarofWakefield,RoderickRandom,andotherbeautifulbarenarratives.ThereisimpliedanunwrittenpactbetweenAuthorandreader;Iwilltellyouastory,andIsupposeyouwillunderstandit.Modernnovels"St.Leons"andthelikearefullofsuchflowersasthese"Letnotmyreadersuppose,""Imagine,ifyoucan"—modest!—&c.—Iwillherehavedonewithpraiseandblame.Ihavewrittensomuch,onlythatyoumaynotthinkIhavepassedoveryourbookwithoutobservation,—IamsorrythatColeridgehaschristenedhisAncientMarinere"apoetsReverie"—itisasbadasBottomtheWeaversdeclarationthatheisnotaLionbutonlythescenicalrepresentationofaLion.WhatnewideaisgainedbythisTitle,butonesubversiveofallcredit,whichthetaleshouldforceuponus,ofitstruth?Forme,IwasneversoaffectedwithanyhumanTale.Afterfirstreadingit,Iwastotallypossessedwithitformanydays—Idislikeallthemiraculouspartofit,butthefeelingsofthemanundertheoperationofsuchscenerydraggedmealonglikeTomPipersmagicwhistle.ItotallydifferfromyourideathattheMarinereshouldhavehadacharacterandprofession.ThisisaBeautyinGulliversTravels,wherethemindiskeptinaplacidstateoflittlewonderments;buttheAncientMarinereundergoessuchTrials,asoverwhelmandburyallindividualityormemoryofwhathewas,likethestateofamaninaBaddream,oneterriblepeculiarityofwhichis:thatallconsciousnessofpersonalityisgone.YourotherobservationisIthinkaswellalittleunfounded:theMarinerefrombeingconversantinsupernaturaleventshasacquiredasupernaturalandstrangecastofphrase,eye,appearance,&c.whichfrightentheweddingguest.Youwillexcusemyremarks,becauseIamhurtandvexedthatyoushouldthinkitnecessary,withaproseapology,toopentheeyesofdeadmenthatcannotsee.Tosumupageneralopinionofthesecondvol.—IdonotfeelanyonepoeminitsoforciblyastheAncientMarinere,theMadMother,andtheLinesatTinternAbbeyinthefirst.—Icould,too,havewishedtheCriticalprefacehadappearedinaseparatetreatise.Allitsdogmasaretrueandjust,andmostofthemnew,ascriticisButtheyassociateadiminishingideawiththePoemswhichfollow,ashavingbeenwrittenforExperimentonthepublictaste,morethanhavingsprung(astheymusthavedone)fromlivinganddailycircumstances.—Iamprolix,becauseIamgratifyedintheopportunityofwritingtoyou,andIdontwellknowwhentoleaveoff.IoughtbeforethistohavereplydtoyourverykindinvitationintoCumberland.WithyouandyourSisterIcouldganganywhere.ButIamafraidwhetherIshalleverbeabletoaffordsodesperateaJourney.

Separatefromthepleasureofyourpany,IdontmuchcareifIneverseeamountaininmylife.IhavepassedallmydaysinLondon,untilIhaveformedasmanyandintenselocalattachments,asanyofyoumountaineerscanhavedonewithdeadnature.TheLightedshopsoftheStrandandFleetStreet,theinnumerabletrades,tradesmenandcustomers,coaches,waggons,playhouses,allthebustleandwickednessroundaboutCoventGarden,theverywomenoftheTown,theWatchmen,drunkenscenes,rattles,—lifeawake,ifyouawake,atallhoursofthenight,theimpossibilityofbeingdullinFleetStreet,thecrowds,theverydirt&mud,theSunshininguponhousesandpavements,theprintshops,theoldbookstalls,parsonscheapningbooks,coffeehouses,steamsofsoupsfromkitchens,thepantomimes,Londonitselfapantomimeandamasquerade,—allthesethingsworkthemselvesintomymindandfeedme,withoutapowerofsatiatingme.Thewonderofthesesightsimpellsmeintonight-walksabouthercrowdedstreets,andIoftenshedtearsinthemotleyStrandfromfulnessofjoyatsomuchLife.—Alltheseemotionsmustbestrangetoyou.Soareyourruralemotionstome.Butconsider,whatmustIhavebeendoingallmylife,nottohavelentgreatportionsofmyheartwithusurytosuchscenes?—

Myattachmentsarealllocal,purelylocal.Ihavenopassion(orhavehadnonesinceIwasinlove,andthenitwasthespuriousengenderingofpoetry&books)togrovesandvallies.TheroomswhereIwasborn,thefurniturewhichhasbeenbeforemyeyesallmylife,abookcasewhichhasfollowedmeabout(likeafaithfuldog,onlyexceedinghiminknowledge)whereverIhavemoved—oldchairs,oldtables,streets,squares,whereIhavesunnedmyself,myoldschool,—thesearemymistresses.HaveInotenough,withoutyourmountains?Idonotenvyyou.Ishouldpityyou,didInotknow,thattheMindwillmakefriendsofanything.Yoursun&moonandskysandhills&lakesaffectmenomore,orscarcelyetomeinmorevenerablecharacters,thanasagildedroomwithtapestryandtapers,whereImightlivewithhandsomevisibleobjects.Iconsiderthecloudsabovemebutasaroof,beautifullypaintedbutunabletosatisfythemind,andatlast,likethepicturesoftheapartmentofaconnoisseur,unabletoaffordhimanylongerapleasure.Sofadinguponme,fromdisuse,havebeentheBeautiesofNature,astheyhavebeenconfinedlycalled;soeverfresh&greenandwarmarealltheinventionsofmenandassembliesofmeninthisgreatcity.IshouldcertainlyhavelaughedwithdearJoanna.

Givemykindestlove,andmysisters,toD.&your_self_andakissfrommetolittleBarbaraLewthwaite.

C.LAMB.

ThankyouforLikingmyPlay!!

[Thisisthefirst—andperhapsthefinest—letterfromLambtoWordsworththathasbeenpreserved.Wordsworth,thenlivingwithhissisterDorothyatDoveCottage,Grasmere,wasnearlythirty-oneyearsofage;Lambwasnearlytwenty-six.TheworkcriticisedisthesecondeditionoftheLyricalBallads.Thesecondandsixthstanzasofthe"PoetsEpitaph"ranthus:—

ALawyerartthou?—drawnotnigh;

Go,carrytosomeotherplace

Thehardnessofthycowardeye,

Thefalshoodofthysallowface.

Wrappdcloselyinthysensualfleece

Oturnaside,andtake,Ipray,

Thathebelowmayrestinpeace,

Thypin-pointofasoulaway!

St.LeonwasbyGodwin.

Of"TheAncientMariner,aPoetsReverie,"WordsworthhadsaidinanotetothefirstvolumeofLyricalBallads:—

"ThePoemofmyFriendhasindeedgreatdefects;first,thattheprincipalpersonhasnodistinctcharacter,eitherinhisprofessionofMariner,orasahumanbeingwhohavingbeenlongunderthecontroulofsupernaturalimpressionsmightbesupposedhimselftopartakeofsomethingsupernatural;secondly,thathedoesnotact,butiscontinuallyactedupon;thirdly,thattheeventshavingnonecessaryconnectiondonotproduceeachother;andlastly,thattheimageryissomewhattoolaboriouslyaccumulated."

"TheMadMother."Thepoembeginning,"Hereyesarewild,herheadisbare."

"Icould,too,havewished."Thepassagefromthesewordsto"dontwell

knowwhentoleaveoff,"usedtobeomittedintheeditionsofLambs

Letters.WhenWordsworthsentthecorrespondencetoMoxon,for

Talfourdsuse,in1835,hewrote:—

"Thereare,however,inthemsomepartswhichhadbetterbekeptback….Ihavealsothoughtitpropertosuppresseverywordofcriticism[Wordsworthmeantadversecriticism]uponmyownpoems….Thoserelatingtomyworksarewithheld,partlybecauseIshrinkfromthethoughtofassistinginanywaytospreadmyownpraises,andstillmoreIbeingconvincedthattheopinionsorjudgmentsoffriendsgiveninthiswayareoflittlevalue."

"Joanna."Joannaofthelaugh."BarbaraLewthwaite."SeeWordsworths

"PetLamb."

"ThankyouforLikingmyPlay!!"WemustsupposethispostscripttocontainatouchofsarcasLambhadsent"JohnWoodvil"toGrasmereandKeswick.Wordsworthapparentlyhadbeenbutpolitelyinterestedinit.ColeridgehadwrittentoGodwin:"Talkingoftragedies,ateveryperusalmyloveandadmirationofhis[Lambs]playrisesapeg."

HereshouldealetterfromLambtoRobertLloyd,datedatendFebruary7,1801,notavailableforthisedition.ItisoneofthebestletterswrittenbyLambtoRobertLloyd,ortoanyone.LambfirstpraisesIzaakWalton,whoseCompleatAnglerhelovedfortworeasons:foritselfandforitsconnectionwithhisownHertfordshirecountry,Hoddesdon,Broxbourne,AmwellandtheWareneighbourhood.TheletterpassestoathirdeulogyofLondon.LambclosesbyremarkingthatManningis"adaintychiel,andamanofgreatpower,anenchanteralmost."]

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