LETTER 98

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER98

CHARLESLAMBTOTHOMASMANNING

24thSept.，1802，London.

MydearManning，—Sincethedateofmylastletter，Ihavebeenatraveller.Astrongdesireseizedmeofvisitingremoteregions.MyfirstimpulsewastogoandseeParis.Itwasatrivialobjectiontomyaspiringmind，thatIdidnotunderstandawordofthelanguage，sinceIcertainlyintendsometimeinmylifetoseeParis，andequallycertainlyneverintendtolearnthelanguage;thereforethatcouldbenoobjection.However，IamverygladIdidnotgo，becauseyouhadleftParis（Isee）beforeIcouldhavesetout.Ibelieve，Stoddartpromisingtogowithmeanotheryearpreventedthatplan.Mynextscheme，（fortomyrestless，ambitiousmindLondonwasbeeabedofthorns）wastovisitthefar-famedPeakinDerbyshire，wheretheDevilsits，theysay，withoutbreeches.Thismypurermindrejectedasindelicate.AndmyfinalresolvewasatourtotheLakes.IsetoutwithMarytoKeswick，withoutgivingColeridgeanynotice;formytimebeingpreciousdidnotadmitofit.Hereceiveduswithallthehospitalityintheworld，andgaveuphistimetoshowusallthewondersofthecountry.HedwellsuponasmallhillbythesideofKeswick，inafortablehouse，quiteenvelopedonallsidesbyanetofmountains:greatflounderingbearsandmonsterstheyseemed，allcouchantandasleep.Wegotinintheevening，travellinginapost-chaisefromPenrith，inthemidstofagorgeoussunshine，whichtransmutedallthemountainsintocolours，purple，&c.&c.Wethoughtwehadgotintofairyland.Butthatwentoff（asitnevercameagain—whilewestayedwehadnomorefinesunsets）;andweenteredColeridgesfortablestudyjustinthedusk，whenthemountainswerealldarkwithcloudsupontheirheads.SuchanimpressionIneverreceivedfromobjectsofsightbefore，nordoIsuppose1caneveragain.

Gloriouscreatures，fineoldfellows，Skiddaw，&c.Inevershallforgetye，howyelayaboutthatnight，likeanintrenchment;gonetobed，asitseemedforthenight，butpromisingthatyeweretobeseeninthemorning.Coleridgehadgotablazingfireinhisstudy;whichisalarge，antique，ill-shapedroom，withanold-fashionedorgan，neverplayedupon，bigenoughforachurch，shelvesofscatteredfolios，an?olianharp，andanoldsofa，half-bed，&c.AndalllookingoutuponthelastfadingviewofSkiddawandhisbroad-breastedbrethren:whatanight!Herewestayedthreefullweeks，inwhichtimeIvisitedWordsworthscottage，wherewestayedadayortwowiththeClarksons（goodpeopleandmosthospitable，atwhosehousewetarriedonedayandnight），andsawLloyd.TheWordsworthsweregonetoCalais.TheyhavesincebeeninLondonandpastmuchtimewithus:heisnowgoneintoYorkshiretobemarriedtoagirlofsmallfortune，butheisinexpectationofaugmentinghisowninconsequenceofthedeathofLordLonsdale，whokepthimoutofhisowninconformitywithaplanmylordhadtakenupinearlylifeofmakingeverybodyunhappy.SowehaveseenKeswick，Grasmere，Ambleside，Ulswater（wheretheClarksonslive），andaplaceattheotherendofUlswater—Iforgetthename—towhichwetravelledonaverysultryday，overthemiddleofHelvellyn.WehaveclambereduptothetopofSkiddaw，andIhavewadedupthebedofLodore.Infine，Ihavesatisfiedmyself，thatthereissuchathingasthatwhichtouristscallromantic，whichIverymuchsuspectedbefore:theymakesuchasplutteringaboutit，andtosstheirsplendidepithetsaroundthem，tilltheygiveasdimalightasatfouroclocknextmorningthelampsdoafteranillumination.Marywasexcessivelytired，whenshegotabouthalf-wayupSkiddaw，butwecametoacoldrill（thanwhichnothingcanbeimaginedmorecold，runningovercoldstones），andwiththereinforcementofadraughtofcoldwatershesurmounteditmostmanfully.Oh，itsfineblackhead，andthebleakairatopofit，withaprospectofmountainsallabout，andabout，makingyougiddy;andthenScotlandafaroff，andthebordercountriessofamousinsongandballad!Itwasadaythatwillstandout，likeamountain，Iamsure，inmylife.ButIamreturned（Ihavenowbeenehomenearthreeweeks—Iwasamonthout），andyoucannotconceivethedegradationIfeltatfirst，frombeingaccustomedtowanderfreeasairamongmountains，andbatheinriverswithoutbeingcontrolledbyanyone，toehomeandwork.Ifeltverylittle.IhadbeendreamingIwasaverygreatman.Butthatisgoingoff，andIfindIshallconformintimetothatstateoflifetowhichithaspleasedGodtocallme.Besides，afterall，Fleet-StreetandtheStrandarebetterplacestoliveinforgoodandallthanamongSkiddaw.Still，IturnbacktothosegreatplaceswhereIwanderedabout，participatingintheirgreatness.Afterall，IcouldnotliveinSkiddaw.Icouldspendayear—two，threeyears—amongthem，butImusthaveaprospectofseeingFleet-Streetattheendofthattime，orIshouldmopeandpineaway，Iknow.Still，Skiddawisafinecreature.Myhabitsarechanging，Ithink:i.e.fromdrunktosober.WhetherIshallbehappierornotremainstobeproved.Ishallcertainlybemorehappyinamorning;butwhetherIshallnotsacrificethefat，andthemarrow，andthekidneys，i.e.thenight，thegloriouscare-drowningnight，thathealsallourwrongs，pourswineintoourmortifications，changesthescenefromindifferentandflattobrightandbrilliant!—OManning，ifIshouldhaveformedadiabolicalresolution，bythetimeyouetoEngland，ofnotadmittinganyspirituousliquorsintomyhouse，willyoubemyguestonsuchshameworthyterms?Islife，withsuchlimitations，worthtrying?Thetruthis，thatmyliquorsbringanestoffriendlyharpiesaboutmyhouse，whoconsumeme.

ThisisapitifultaletobereadatSt.Gothard;butitisjustnownearestmyheart.Fenwickisaruinedman.Heishidinghimselffromhiscreditors，andhassenthiswifeandchildrenintothecountry.Fell，myotherdrunkenpanion（thathasbeen:namhiccaestusartemquerepono），isturnededitorofa"

NavalChronicle."

Godwin（withapitifulartificialwife）continuesasteadyfriend，thoughthesamefacilitydoesnotremainofvisitinghimoften.ThatBitchhasdetachedMarshallfromhishouse，Marshallthemanwhowenttosleepwhenthe"

AncientMariner"

wasreading:theold，steady，unalterablefriendoftheProfessor.Holcroftisnotyetetotown.Iexpecttoseehim，andwilldeliveryourmessage.HowIhatethispartofaletter.Thingsecrowdingintosay，andnoroomforeSomethingsaretoolittletobetold，i.e.tohaveapreference;somearetoobigandcircumstantial.Thanksforyours，whichwasmostdelicious.WouldIhadbeenwithyou，benighted&c.Ifearmyheadisturnedwithwandering.Ishallneverbethesameacquiescentbeing.Farewell;writeagainquickly，forIshallnotliketohazardaletter，notknowingwherethefateshavecarriedyou.Farewell，mydearfellow.

C.LAMB.

[LambsuggestsinLetter54thatheknewsomeFrench.MarshallwemetintheletterstoGodwinofDecember14，1800，andtoManning，December16，1800.

"

Holcroft"

—ThomasHolcroft（1745-1809），amiscellaneouswriter，whoisbestknownbyhisplay"

TheRoadtoRuin."

Lambsaysofhiminhis"

LettertoSouthey"

（seeVol.I.ofthisedition）thathewas"

oneofthemostcandid，mostupright，andsingle-meaningmen"

thathehadevermet.]

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