"1798.

"MY DEAR COTTLE,-I regret that aught should have disturbed our tranquillity; respecting Lloyd, I am willing to believe myself in part mistaken, and so let all things be as before. I have no wish respecting these poems, either for or against re-publication with mine. As to the third edition, if there be occasion for it immediately, it must be published with some alterations, but no additions or omissions. But if there be no occasion for the volume to go to press for ten weeks, at the expiration of that time I would make it a volume worthy of me, and omit utterly near one half of the present volume-a sacrifice to pitch black oblivion.

"Whichever be the case, I will repay you the money you have paid for me, in money, and in a few weeks; or if you should prefer the latter proposal, (i. e. the not sending me to the press for ten weeks,) I should insist on considering the additions, however large, as my payment to you for the omissions, which, indeed, would be but strict justice.

"I am requested by Wordsworth, to put to you the following questions. What could you conveniently and prudently, and what would you, give for-first, our two Tragedies, with small prefaces, containing an analysis of our principal characters ? Exclusive of the prefaces, the Tragedies are, together, five thousand lines; which, in printing, from the dialogue form, and directions respecting actors and scenery, are at least equal to six thousand. To be delivered to you within a week of the date of your answer to this letter; and the money which you offer, to be paid to us at the end of four months from the same date; none to be paid before, all to be paid then.

"Second. Wordsworth's 'Salisbury Plain,' and 'Tale of a Woman ;' which two poems, with a few others, which he will add, and the notes, will make a volume. This to be delivered to you within three weeks of the date of your answer, and the money to be paid as before, at the end of four months from the present date.

"Do not, my dearest Cottle! harass yourself about the imagined great merit of the compositions, or be reluctant to offer what you can prudently offer, from an idea that the poems are worth more. But calculate what you can do, with reference simply to yourself, and answer as speedily as you can; and believe me your sincere, grateful, and affectionate Friend and Brother,

'S. T. COLERIDGE.'

"I offered Mr. Coleridge and Mr. Wordsworth, thirty guineas each, as proposed, for their two Tragedies; but which, after some hesitation, was declined, from the hope of introducing one, or both, on the stage. The volume of Poems was left for some future arrangement."

"A visit to Mr. Coleridge at Stowey, (near Bristol) had been the means of my introduction to Mr. Wordsworth, who read me many of his Lyrical pieces, when I perceived in them a peculiar, but decided merit. I advised him to publish them, expressing a belief that they would be well received. I further said that he should be at no risk; that I would give him the same sum which I had given Mr. Coleridge and Mr. Southey, and that it would be a gratifying circumstance to me, to usher into the world, by becoming the publisher of the first volumes of three such poets as Southey, Coleridge, and Wordsworth; a distinction that might never again occur to a Provincial bookseller.

"To the idea of publishing he expressed a strong objection; and after several interviews, I left him, with an earnest wish that he would reconsider his determination.

"Soon after, Mr. Wordsworth sent me the following letter.

"Allfoxden, 12th April, 1798. "MY DEAR COTTLE,-* * You will be pleased to hear that I have gone on very rapidly adding to my stock of poetry. Do come and let me read it to you, under the old trees in the park. We have a little more than two months to stay in this place. Within these four days the season has advanced with greater rapidity than I ever remember, and the country becomes almost every hour more lovely. W. WORDSWORTH.'

"God bless you, your affectionate friend,

"A little time after, I received an invitation from Mr. Coleridge, to pay himself, and Mr. Wordsworth, another visit. At about the same time, I received the following corroborative invitation from Mr. Wordsworth.

66 6

“ĎEAR COTTLE,-We look for you with great impatience. We will never forgive you if you do not come. I say nothing of the Salisbury Plain' till I see you. I am determined to finish it, and equally so that you shall publish.

"I have lately been busy about another plan, which I do not wish to mention till I see you; let this be very very soon, and stay a week if possible; as much longer as you can. God bless you, dear Cottle, yours sincerely,

666

Allfoxden, 9th May, 1798.

'W. WORDSWORTH.'

"The following letter also on this subject, was received from Mr. Coleridge :"MY DEAR COTTLE,-Neither Wordsworth nor myself could have been otherwise than uncomfortable, if any but yourself had received from us the first offer of our Tragedies, and of the volume of Wordsworth's Poems. At the same time, we did not expect that you could with prudence and propriety advance such a sum as we should want at the time we specified. In short, we both regard the publication of our Tragedies as an evil. It is not impossible but that in happier times they may be brought on the stage and to throw away this chance for a mere trifle, would be to make the present moment act fraudulently and usuriously towards the future time.

"My Tragedy employed and strained all my thoughts and faculties for six or seven months; Wordsworth consumed far more time, and far more thought, and far more genius. We consider the publication of them an evil on any terms; but our thoughts were bent on a plan, for the accomplishment of which a certain sum of money was necessary, (the whole) at that particular time, and in order to this we resolved, although reluctantly, to part with our Tragedies: that is, if we could obtain thirty guineas for each, and at less than thirty guineas Wordsworth will not part with the copy-right of his volume of Poems. We shall offer the Tragedies to no one, for we have determined to procure the money some other way. If you choose the volume of Poems, at the price mentioned, to be paid at the time specified, i. e. thirty guineas, to be paid sometime in the last fortnight of July, you may have them; but remember, my dear fellow! I write to you now merely as a bookseller, and intreat you, in your answer to consider yourself only; as to us, although money is necessary to our plan, [that of visiting Germany] yet the plan is not necessary to our happiness; and if it were, W. would sell his Poems for that sum to some one else, or we could procure the money without selling the Poems. So I entreat you, again and again, in your answer, which must be immediate, consider yourself only.

"Wordsworth has been caballed against so long and so loudly, that he has found it impossible to prevail on the tenant of the Allfoxden estate, to let him the house, after their first agreement is expired, so he must quit it at Midsummer; whether we shall be able to procure him a house and furniture near Stowey, we know not, and yet we must for the hills, and the woods, and the streams, and the sea, and the shores would break forth into reproaches against us, if we did not strain every nerve to keep their Poet among them. Without joking, and in serious sadness, Poole and I cannot endure to think of losing him.

"At all events, come down, Cottle, as soon as you can, but before Midsummer, and we will procure a horse easy as thy own soul, and we will go on a roam to Linton and Limouth, which, if thou comest in May, will be in all their pride of woods and waterfalls, not to speak of its august cliffs, and the green ocean and the vast valley of stones, all which live disdainful of the seasons, or accept new honors only from the winter's snow. At all events, come down, and cease not to believe me much and affectionately your friend, 'S. T. COLERIDGE.'

"In consequence of these conjoint invitations, I spent a week with Mr. C. and Mr. W. at Allfoxden. At this interview it was determined, that the volume should be published under the title of ' Lyrical Ballads,' on the terms stipulated in a former letter that this volume should not contain the poem of Salisbury Plain,' but only an extract from it; that it should not contain the poem of Peter Bell," but consist rather of sundry shorter poems, and, for the most part, of pieces more recently written. I had recommended two volumes, but one was fixed on, and that to be published anonymously. It was to be begun immediately, and with the Ancient Mariner;' which poem I brought with me to Bristol."

"A visit to Mr. Coleridge, at Stowey, in the year 1797, had been the means of my introduction to Mr. Wordsworth. Soon after our acquaintance had commenced, Mr. Wordsworth happened to be in Bristol, and asked me to spend a day or two with him at Allfoxden. I consented, and drove him down in a gig. We called for Mr. Coleridge, Miss Wordsworth, and the servant, at Stowey, and they walked, while we rode on to Mr. Wordsworth's house (distant two or three miles), where we purposed to dine. A London Alderman would smile at our bill-of-fare. It consisted of philosophers' viands; namely, a bottle of brandy, a noble loaf, and a stout piece of cheese; and as there were plenty of lettuces in the garden, with all these comforts we calculated on doing very well.

"Our fond hopes, however, were somewhat damped, by finding that our 'stout piece of cheese' had vanished! A sturdy rat of a beggar, whom we had relieved on the road, with his olfactories all alive, no doubt, smelt our cheese, and while we were gazing at the magnificent clouds, contrived to abstract our treasure! Cruel tramp! An ill return for our pence! We both wished the rind might not choke him! The mournful fact was ascertained a little before we drove into the court

yard of the house. Mr. Coleridge bore the loss with great fortitude, observing, that we should never starve with a loaf of bread and a bottle of brandy. He now, with the dexterity of an adept (admired by his friends around) unbuckled the horse, and, putting down the shafts, with a jerk, as a triumphant conclusion of his work, lo the bottle of brandy, that had been placed most carefully behind us, ou the seat, from the inevitable law of gravity, suddenly rolled down, and, before we could arrest the spirituous avalanche, pitching right on the stones, was dashed to pieces! We all beheld the spectacle, silent and petrified! We might have collected the broken fragments of glass, but, the brandy! that was gone! clean gone!

"One little untoward thing often follows another, and while the rest stood musing, chained to the place, regaling themselves with the Cogniac effluvium, and all miserably chagrined, I led the horse to the stable, when a fresh perplexity arose. I removed the harness without difficulty, but after many strenuous attempts, I could not get off the collar. In despair, I called for assistance, when aid soon drew near. Mr. Wordworth first brought his ingenuity into exercise, but after several unsuccessful efforts, he relinquished the achievement, as altogether impracticable. Mr. Coleridge now tried his hand, but shewed no more grooming skill than his predecessors; for after twisting the poor horse's neck, almost to strangulation, and to the great danger of his eyes, he gave up the useless task, pronouncing that 'the horse's head must have grown (gout or dropsy !) since the collar was put on! for,' he said, 'it was a downright impossibility for such a huge Os Frontis to pass through so narrow a collar!' Just at this instant the servant girl came near, and understanding the cause of our consternation, La, master,' said she, you do not go about the work in the right way. You should do like this,' when turning the collar completely upside down, she slipped it off in a moment, to our great humiliation and wonderment; each satisfied, afresh, that there were heights of knowledge in the world to which he had not attained.

"We were now summoned to dinner, and a dinner it was, such as every blind and starving man in the three kingdoms would have rejoiced to behold. At the top of the table stood a superb brown loaf. The centre dish presented a pile of the true coss lettuces, and at the bottom appeared an empty plate, where the stout piece of cheese' ought to have stood! (cruel mendicant !) and though the brandy was clean gone, yet its place was well, if not better supplied by a super-abundance of fine sparkling Castalian Champagne! A happy thought at this time started into one of our minds, that some sauce would render the lettuces a little more acceptable, when an individual in the company recollected a question once propounded by the most patient of men, How can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt?' and asked for a little of that valuable culinary article. Indeed, Sir,' Betty replied, I quite forgot to buy salt.' A general laugh followed the announcement, in which our host heartily joined. This was nothing. We had plenty of other good things, and while crunching our succulents, and munching our crusts, we pitied the far worse condition of those, perchance as hungry as ourselves, who were forced to dine, alone, off æther. For our next meal, the mile-off village furnished all that could be desired, and these trifling incidents present the sum, and the result, of half the little passing disasters of life.

"The volume of the Lyrical Ballads' was published about Midsummer, 1798. In September of the same year, Mr. Coleridge and Mr. Wordsworth left England for Germany, and I for ever quitted the business of a bookseller."

"As a curious literary fact, I might mention, that the sale of the first edition of the Lyrical Ballads,' was so slow, and the severity of most of the Reviews so great, that its progress to oblivion seemed ordained to be as rapid as it was certain. I had given thirty guineas for the copy-right, as detailed in the preceding letters; but the heavy sale induced me to part with the largest proportion of the impression of Five hundred, at a loss, to Mr. Arch, a London bookseller. After this transaction had occurred, I received a letter from Mr. Wordsworth, written the day before he set sail for the Continent, requesting me to make over my interest in the Lyrical Ballads' to Mr. Johnson, of St. Paul's Church-yard. This I could not have done, had I been so disposed, as the engagement had been made with Mr. Arch.

"On Mr. Wordsworth's return to England, I addressed a letter to him, explaining the reasons why I could not comply with his request, to which he thus replied:

"MY DEAR COTTLE,-I perceive that it would have been impossible for you to comply with my request, respecting the Lyrical Ballads,' as you had entered into a treaty with Arch. How is the copy-right to be disposed of when you quit the bookselling business? We were much amused with the Anthology.' Your poem of the Killerop' we liked better than any; only we regretted that you did

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not save the poor little innocent's life, by some benevolent art or other. You might have managed a little pathetic incident, in which nature, appearing forcibly in the child, might have worked in some way or other upon its superstitious destroyer.

"We have spent our time pleasantly enough in Germany, but we are right glad to find ourselves in England, for we have learned to know its value. We left Coleridge well at Gottingen, a month ago.

"God bless you, my dear Cottle.

*

*

*

Your affectionate friend,

'W. WORDSWORTH.'”

"Soon after the receipt of the above, I received another letter from Mr. Wordsworth, kindly urging me to pay him a visit in the north, in which, as an inducement, he says:

66*

Write to me beforehand, and I will accompany you on a tour. You will come by Greta-bridge, which is about twenty miles from this place (Stockburn); and after we have seen all the curiosities of that neighbourhood, I will accompany you into Cumberland and Westmore'God bless you, dear Cottle.

land.

*

*

*

'W. W.'

"A short time after the receipt of this invitation, Mr. Coleridge arrived in Bristol from Germany, and as he was about to pay Mr. Wordsworth a visit, he pressed me to accompany him. In this interview with Mr. Wordsworth, the subject of the Lyrical Ballads' was mentioned but once, and that casually, and only to account for its failure! which Mr. W. ascribed to two causes; first, the 'Ancient Mariner,' which, he said, no one seemed to understand; and 2ndly, the unfavourable notice of most of the Reviews.

"On my reaching London, having an account to settle with Messrs. Longman and Rees, the booksellers, of Paternoster Row, I sold them all my copy-rights, which were valued as one lot, by a third party. On my next seeing Mr. Longman, he told me, that in estimating the value of the copy-rights, Fox's Achmed,'

and Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads,' were reckoned as nothing.' That being the case,' I replied, as both these authors are my personal friends, I should be obliged, if you would return me again these two copy-rights, that I may have the pleasure of presenting them to the respective writers.' Mr. Longman answered, with his accustomed liberality, You are welcome to them.' On my reaching Bristol, I gave Mr. Fox his receipt for twenty guineas; and on Mr. Coleridge's return from the north, I gave him Mr. Wordsworth's receipt for his thirty guineas; so that whatever advantage has arisen, subsequently, from the sale of this volume of the Lyrical Ballads, has pertained exclusively to Mr. W.

"I have been the more particular in these statements, as it furnishes, perhaps, the most remarkable instance on record, of a volume of Poems remaining for so long a time, almost totally neglected, and afterwards acquiring, and that almost rapidly, so much deserved popularity."

We now take leave of Wordsworth, to converse with Southey, whose regular, punctual habits contrast amusingly with the random temperament of Coleridge. We will string together the extracts, selecting those in which Southey is conspicuous.

"At the close of the year 1794, a clever young quaker, of the name of Robert Lovell, who had married a Miss Fricker, informed me that a few friends of his from Oxford and Cambridge, with himself, were about to sail to America, and on the banks of the Susquehannah to form a Social Colony ;' in which there was to be a community of property, and where all that was selfish was to be proscribed. None, he said, were to be admitted into their number, but tried and incorruptible characters; and he felt quite assured, that he and his friends would be able to realize a state of society, free from the evils and turmoils that then agitated the world, and present an example of the eminence to which men might arrive under the unrestrained influence of sound principles.

"Not too much to discourage the enthusiastic aspirant after happiness, I forbore all reference to the prolific accumulation of difficulties to be surmounted, and merely inquired who were to compose his company? He said that only four had, as yet, absolutely engaged in the enterprize; Samuel Taylor Coleridge, from Cambridge (in whom I understood the plan to have originated); Robert Southey, and George Burnet, from Oxford, and himself. Well,' I replied, when do you set sail ? He answered, Very shortly. I soon expect my friends from the Universities, when all the preliminaries will be adjusted, and we shall joyfully cross the blue waves of the Atlantic.' 'But,' said I, to freight a ship, and sail out in the high style of gentlemen agriculturists, will require funds. How do you manage

this ?' 'We all contribute what we can,' said he, and I shall introduce all my dear friends to you, immediately on their arrival in Bristol.'

"One morning, shortly after, Robert Lovell called on me, and introduced Robert Southey. Never will the impression be effaced, produced on me by this young man. Tall, dignified, possessing great suavity of manners; an eye, pierc ing, with a countenance full of genius, kindliness, and intelligence. I gave him at once the right hand of fellowship, and, to the present moment, it has never, on either side, been withdrawn."

"The solicitude I felt, lest these young and ardent geniuses should, in a disastrous hour and in their mistaken apprehensions, commit themselves in this their desperate undertaking, was happily dissipated, by Mr. Coleridge applying for the loan of a little cash, to pay the voyagers'-freight? 'or passage?'-No, Lodgings. They all lodged, at this time, at No. 48, College-Street. Never did I lend money with such unmingled pleasure, for now I ceased to be haunted day and night with the spectre of the ship! the ship! which was to effect such incalculable mischief."

"Meeting Mr. Southey, I said to him, I have engaged to give Mr. Coleridge thirty guineas for a volume of his Poems; you have Poems equal to a volume, and if you approve of it I will give you the same.' He cordially thanked me, and instantly acceded to my proposal.

"I then said to him, You have read me several books of your "Joan of Arc," which poem I perceive has great merit. If it meet with your concurrence I will give you fifty guineas for this work, and publish it in quarto, when I will give you, in addition, fifty copies to dispose of amongst your friends.' Without a moment's hesitation, to this proposal also he acceded.

"I could say much of Mr. Southey, at this time; of his constitutional cheerfulness; of the polish of his manners; of his dignified, and at the same time, of his unassuming deportment; as well as of the general respect, which his talents, conduct, and conversation excited."

"I had an opportunity of introducing Mr. Southey at this time, to the eldest Mrs. More, who invited him down to spend some whole day with her sister Hannah, at their then residence, Cowslip Green. On this occasion, as requested, I accompanied him. The day was full of converse. On my meeting one of the ladies, soon after, I was gratified to learn, that Mr. S. equally pleased all five of the sisters. She said he was brim full of Literature, and one of the most elegant and intellectual young men they had seen.""

"Mr. Coleridge and Mr. Southey now determined, by their best efforts, in other ways than those detailed, to raise money for their projected expedition. They resolved, therefore, to give the citizens of Bristol individual lectures, or series of lectures, on different subjects. Mr. Coleridge chose Political and Moral subjects; Mr. Southey chose History."

The lectures of Mr. Southey were numerously attended, and their composition was greatly admired; exhibiting, as they did, a succinct view of the various subjects commented upon, so as to chain the hearer's attention. They, at the same time, evinced great self-possession in the lecturer; a peculiar grace in the delivery; with reasoning so judicious and acute, as to excite astonishment in the auditory, that so young a man should concentrate so rich a fund of valuable matter in lectures, comparatively, so brief, and which clearly authorized the anticipation of his future eminence.

"No public lecturer could have received stronger proofs of approbation than Mr. Southey, from a polite and discriminating audience. Mr. Coleridge solicited permission of Mr. Southey, to deliver his fourth lecture, On the Rise, Progress, and Decline of the Roman Empire,' as a subject to which he had devoted much attention.' The request was immediately granted, and, at the end of the third lecture, it was formally announced to the audience, that the next lecture I would be delivered by Mr. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, of Jesus College, Cambridge.' At the usual hour the room was thronged. The moment of commencement arrived. No lecturer appeared! Patience was preserved for a quarter, extending to half an hour!-but still no lecturer! At length it was communicated to the impatient assemblage, that a circumstance, exceedingly to be regretted! would prevent Mr. Coleridge from giving his lecture that evening, as intended.' Some few present learned the truth, but the major part of the company retired, not very well pleased, and under the impression that Mr. C. had either broken his leg, or that some severe family affliction had occurred. Mr. C.'s rather habitual absence of mind, with the little importance he generally attached to engagements, renders it likely, that, at this very time he might have been found, at