1803. 1804. Such griefs with such men well agree, And whom I love, I love indeed. THE EXCHANGE' WE pledged our hearts, my love and I,- But, oh! I trembled like an aspen. We had exchanged our hearts indeed. AD VILMUM AXIOLOGUM 2 [TO WILLIAM WORDSWORTH] THIS be the meed, that thy song creates a thousand-fold echo! Sweet as the warble of woods, that awakes at the gale of the morning! 1 First published in the Courier, April 16, 1804 included in the Poetica Register for 1804 (1805); reprinted in Literary Souvenir for 1826, p. 408, and in Literary Remains, 1836, i. 59. First collected in 1844. 2 First published in P. W., 1893. These lines were found in one of Coleridge's Notebooks (No. 24). The first draft immediately follows the Between 48-51 With such let fiends make mockery But I-Oh, wherefore this on me? Frail is my soul, yea, strengthless wholly, Unequal, restless, melancholy. But free from Hate and sensual Folly. MS. Letter to Southey. 51 be] live MS. Letter to Southey. MS. Letter to Southey. After 52 And etc., etc., etc.. etc. 2 Me in 3 guess] tell Lit. Souvenir, Lit. Rem., 1844. 6 but] and Lit. The Exchange-Title] The Exchange of Hearts Courier, 1804. 5 Her father's leave Courier, 1804, P. R. 1804, 1893. her arms Courier, 1804. Souvenir, Lit. Rem., 1844. Ad Vilmum, &c.—1 foll. What is the meed of thy song? 'Tis the ceaseless the thousandfold echo, Which from the welcoming Hearts of the Pure repeats and prolongs it— Each with a different Tone, compleat or in musical fragmente. Or This be the meed, that thy Song awakes to a thousandfold echo List! the Hearts of the Pure, like caves in the ancient mountains Deep, deep in the Bosom, and from the Bosom resound it, Each with a different tone, complete or in musical fragments— 5 All have welcomed thy Voice, and receive and retain and prolong it! This is the word of the Lord! it is spoken, and Beings Eternal Live and are borne as an Infant; the Eternal begets the Immortal: Love is the Spirit of Life, and Music the Life of the Spirit! ? 1805. 1805. AN EXILE1 FRIEND, Lover, Husband, Sister, Brother! Our names, and but our names can meet. SONNET 2 [TRANSLATED FROM MARINI] LADY, to Death we're doom'd, our crime the same! The rays concentre to so hot a flame. transcription of a series of Dante's Canzoni begun at Malta in 1805. If the Hexameters were composed at the same time, it is possible that they were inspired by a perusal or re-perusal of a MS. copy of Wordsworth's unpublished poems which had been made for his use whilst he was abroad. As Mr. Campbell points out (P. W., p. 614), Wordsworth himself was responsible for the Latinization of his name. A Sonnet on seeing Miss Helen Maria Williams weeping at a tale of distress, which was published in the European Magazine for March, 1787, is signed 'Axiologus'. 1 First published, with title 'An Exile', in 1893. These lines, without title or heading, are inserted in one of Coleridge's Malta Notebooks. 2 First published in 1893. Lost! the Hearts of the Pure, like caves in the ancient mountains I, fascinated by an Adder's eye- I lov'd too much, too much didst thou disdain. In my heart thou wilt burn, I roast before thine eyes. ? 1805. 5 1805. ALL look and likeness caught from earth Had pass'd away. There was no trace A SUNSET 2 UPON the mountain's edge with light touch resting, 1 These lines, without title or heading, are quoted ('vide... my lines') in an entry in one of Coleridge's Malta Notebooks, dated Feb. 8, 1805, to illustrate the idea that the love-sense can be abstracted from the accidents of form or person (see Anima Poetae, 1895, p. 120). It follows that they were written before that date. Phantom was first published in 1834, immediately following (ii. 71) Phantom or Fact. A dialogue in Verse, which was first published in 1828, and was probably written about that time. Both poems are 'fragments from the life of dreams'; but it was the reality which lay behind both 'phantom' and 'fact' of which the poet dreamt, having his eyes open. With lines 4, 5 compare the following stanza of one of the MS. versions of the Dark Ladié : Against a grey stone rudely carv'd The statue of an armed knight, To watch ['d] the lingering Light. 2 First published in 1893. The title 'A Sunset' was prefixed by the Editor. These lines are inscribed in one of Coleridge's Malta Note A Sunset-1 with light touch] all lightly MS. And seems a creature of the earth; More changeful than the Moon, but soon 5 To wane fantastic his great orb submits, Abrupt, as Spirits vanish, he is sunk! 10 WHAT IS LIFE?1 RESEMBLES life what once was deem'd of light, Is very life by consciousness unbounded? And all the thoughts, pains, joys of mortal breath, 1805. 5 books. The following note or comment is attached :-These lines I wrote as nonsense verses merely to try a metre; but they are by no means contemptible; at least in reading them I am surprised at finding them so good. 16 Aug., 1805, Malta. Now will it be a more English music if the first and fourth are double rhymes and the 5th and 6th single? or all single, or the 2nd and 3rd double? Try.' They were afterwards sent to William Worship, Esq., Yarmouth, in a letter dated April 22, 1819, as an unpublished autograph. 1 First published in Literary Souvenir, 1829: included in Literary Remains, 1836, i. 60. First collected in 1844. These lines, written in the same manner, and for the same purpose, but of course with more conscious effort than the two stanzas on the preceding leaf,' are dated 16 August, 1805, the day of the Valetta Horse-racing-bells jangling, and stupefying music playing all day'. Afterwards, in 1819, Coleridge maintained that they were written 'between the age of 15 and 16'. 4 the] this MS. 7 lessens] lessened MS. muttered MS. 6 A distant Hiss of fire MS. alternative reading. 12 flutters] fluttered MS. 13 mutters] What is Life?-1 deem'd] held Lit. Souvenir, 1829. 2 ample] simple MS. (per se (in its own Nature) 6 Is Life itself MS. THE BLOSSOMING OF THE SOLITARY A LAMENT I SEEM to have an indistinct recollection of having read either in one of the ponderous tomes of George of Venice, or in some other compilation from the uninspired Hebrew writers, an apologue or Rabbinical tradition to the following purpose: While our first parents stood before their offended Maker, and the last 5 words of the sentence were yet sounding in Adam's ear, the guileful false serpent, a counterfeit and a usurper from the beginning, presumptuously took on himself the character of advocate or mediator, and pretending to intercede for Adam, exclaimed: Nay, Lord, in thy justice, not so! for the man was the least in fault. Rather let the Woman return at once to IO the dust, and let Adam remain in this thy Paradise.' And the word of the Most High answered Satan: The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Treacherous Fiend! if with guilt like thine, it had been possible for thee to have the heart of a Man, and to feel the yearning of a human soul for its counterpart, the sentence, which thou now counsellest, should have 15 been inflicted on thyself." The title of the following poem was suggested by a fact mentioned by Linnaeus, of a date-tree in a nobleman's garden which year after year had put forth a full show of blossoms, but never produced fruit, till a branch from another date-tree had been conveyed from a distance of 20 some hundred leagues. The first leaf of the MS. from which the poem has been transcribed, and which contained the two or three introductory stanzas, is wanting: and the author has in vain taxed his memory to repair the loss. But a rude draught of the poem contains the substance of the stanzas, and the reader is requested to receive it as the substitute. 25 It is not impossible, that some congenial spirit, whose years do not exceed those of the Author at the time the poem was written, may find a pleasure in restoring the Lament to its original integrity by a reduction of the thoughts to the requisite metre. S. T. C. 1 First published in 1828; included in 1829 and 1834. 5 stood] were yet standing 1828. 8 mediator] moderator 1828. 9 The words 'not so' are omitted in 1828. II remain here all the days of his now mortal life, and enjoy the respite thou mayest grant him, in this thy Paradise which thou gavest to him, and hast planted with every tree pleasant to the sight of man and of delicious fruitage. 1828. 13 foll. Treacherous Fiend! guilt deep as thine could not be, yet the love of kind not extinguished. But if having done what thou hast done, thou hadst yet the heart of man within thee, and the yearning of the soul for its answering image and completing counterpart, O spirit, desperately wicked! the sentence thou counsellest had been thy own! 1828 20 from a Date tree 1828, 1829. |