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LETTER 8（第1页）

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LETTER8

CHARLESLAMBTOS.T.COLERIDGE

[P.M.September27，1796.]

Mydearestfriend—Whiteorsomeofmyfriendsorthepublicpapersbythistimemayhaveinformedyouoftheterriblecalamitiesthathavefallenonourfamily.Iwillonlygiveyoutheoutlines.Mypoordeardearestsisterinafitofinsanityhasbeenthedeathofherownmother.Iwasathandonlytimeenoughtosnatchtheknifeoutofhergrasp.Sheisatpresentinamadhouse，fromwhenceIfearshemustbemovedtoanhospital.Godhaspreservedtomemysenses，—Ieatanddrinkandsleep，andhavemyjudgmentIbelieveverysound.Mypoorfatherwasslightlywounded，andIamlefttotakecareofhimandmyaunt.Mr.NorrisoftheBluecoatschoolhasbeenveryverykindtous，andwehavenootherfriend，butthankGodIamverycalmandposed，andabletodothebestthatremainstodo.Write，—asreligiousaletteraspossible—butnomentionofwhatisgoneanddonewith.—Withme"theformerthingsarepassedaway，"andIhavesomethingmoretodothat[than]tofeel—

Godalmightyhaveusallinhiskeeping.—

C.LAMB.

Mentionnothingofpoetry.Ihavedestroyedeveryvestigeofpastvanitiesofthatkind.Doasyouplease，butifyoupublish，publishmine（Igivefreeleave）withoutnameorinitial，andneversendmeabook，Ichargeyou.

You[your]ownjudgmentwillconvinceyounottotakeanynoticeofthisyettoyourdearwife.—Youlookafteryourfamily，—Ihavemyreasonandstrengthlefttotakecareofmine.Ichargeyou，dontthinkofingtoseeme.Write.Iwillnotseeyouifyoue.Godalmightyloveyouandallofus—

[ThefollowingisthereportoftheinquestuponMrs.LambwhichappearedintheMorningChronicleforSeptember26，1796.ThetragedyhadoccurredonThursday，September22:—

OnFridayafternoontheCoronerandarespectableJurysatonthebodyofaLadyintheneighbourhoodofHolborn，whodiedinconsequenceofawoundfromherdaughtertheprecedingday.Itappearedbytheevidenceadduced，thatwhilethefamilywerepreparingfordinner，theyoungladyseizedacaseknifelayingonthetable，andinamenacingmannerpursuedalittlegirl，herapprentice，roundtheroom;ontheeagercallsofherhelplessinfirmmothertoforbear，sherenouncedherfirstobject，andwithloudshrieksapproachedherparent.

Thechildbyhercriesquicklybroughtupthelandlordofthehouse，buttoolate—thedreadfulscenepresentedtohimthemotherlifeless，piercedtotheheart，onachair，herdaughteryetwildlystandingoverherwiththefatalknife，andthevenerableoldman，herfather，weepingbyherside，himselfbleedingattheforeheadfromtheeffectsofasevereblowhereceivedfromoneoftheforksshehadbeenmadlyhurlingabouttheroo

Forafewdayspriortothisthefamilyhadobservedsomesymptomsofinsanityinher，whichhadsomuchincreasedontheWednesdayevening，thatherbrotherearlythenextmorningwentinquestofDr.Pitcairn—hadthatgentlemanbeenmetwith，thefatalcatastrophehad，inallprobability，beenprevented.

ItseemstheyoungLadyhadbeenoncebefore，inherearlieryears，deranged，fromtheharassingfatiguesoftoomuchbusiness.—Ashercarriagetowardshermotherwaseveraffectionateintheextreme，itisbelievedthattotheincreasedattentiveness，whichherparentsinfirmitiescalledforbydayandnight，istobeattributedthepresentinsanityofthisill-fatedyoungwoman.

IthasbeenstatedinsomeoftheMorningPapers，thatshehasaninsanebrotheralsoinconfinement—thisiswithoutfoundation.

TheJuryofcoursebroughtintheirVerdict，Lunacy.

IntheWhitehallEveningPostthefirstpartoftheaccountisthesame，buttheendisasfollows:—

TheaboveunfortunateyoungpersonisaMissLamb，amantua-maker，inLittleQueen-street，Lincolns-inn-fields.Shehasbeen，since，removedtoIslingtonmad-house.

Mr.NorrisoftheBlue-CoatSchoolhasbeenconfoundedwithRandalNorrisoftheInnerTemple，anotherfriendoftheLambs，butisnot，Ithink，thesame.

ThereferencetothepoetryandColeridgespublicationofitshowsthat

Lambhadalreadybeeninvitedtocontributetothesecondeditionof

ColeridgesPoems.Thewords"andnever"intheoriginalhavealine

throughthemwhichmightmeanerasure，but，Ithink，doesnot.

"Yourownjudgment…"Mrs.Coleridgehadjustbeeamother:David

HartleyColeridgewasbornonSeptember19.

ThiswasColeridgesreplytoLambsletter，asgiveninGillmansLifeofColeridge:—

"[September28，1796.]

"Yourletter，myfriend，struckmewithamightyhorror.Itrusheduponmeandstupifiedmyfeelings.Youbidmewriteyouareligiousletter;Iamnotamanwhowouldattempttoinsultthegreatnessofyouranguishbyanyotherconsolation.Heavenknowsthatintheeasiestfortunesthereismuchdissatisfactionandwearinessofspirit;muchthatcallsfortheexerciseofpatienceandresignation;butinstorms，likethese，thatshakethedwellingandmakethehearttremble，thereisnomiddlewaybetweendespairandtheyieldingupofthewholespirituntotheguidanceoffaith.Andsurelyitisamatterofjoy，thatyourfaithinJesushasbeenpreserved;theComforterthatshouldrelieveyouisnotfarfromyou.ButasyouareaChristian，inthenameofthatSaviour，whowasfilledwithbitternessandmadedrunkenwithwormwood，IconjureyoutohaverecourseinfrequentprayertohisGodandyourGod，theGodofmercies，andfatherofallfort.Yourpoorfatheris，Ihope，almostsenselessofthecalamity;theunconsciousinstrumentofDivineProvidenceknowsitnot，andyourmotherisinheaven.Itissweettoberousedfromafrightfuldreambythesongofbirds，andthegladsomeraysofthemorning.Ah，howinfinitelymoresweettobeawakenedfromtheblacknessandamazementofasuddenhorror，bythegloriesofGodmanifest，andthehallelujahsofangels.

"Astowhatregardsyourself，Iapprovealtogetherofyourabandoningwhatyoujustlycallvanities.Ilookuponyouasaman，calledbysorrowandanguishandastrangedesolationofhopesintoquietness，andasoulsetapartandmadepeculiartoGod;wecannotarriveatanyportionofheavenlyblisswithoutinsomemeasureimitatingChrist.Andtheyarriveatthelargestinheritancewhoimitatethemostdifficultpartsofhischaracter，andboweddownandcrushedunderfoot，cryinfulnessoffaith，Father，thywillbedone.

"Iwishabovemeasuretohaveyouforalittlewhilehere—novisitantsshallblowonthenakednessofyourfeelings—youshallbequiet，andyourspiritmaybehealed.Iseenopossibleobjection，unlessyourfathershelplessnesspreventyou，andunlessyouarenecessarytohiIfthisbenotthecase，Ichargeyouwritemethatyouwille.

"Ichargeyou，mydearestfriend，nottodaretoencouragegloomordespair—youareatemporarysharerinhumanmiseries，thatyoumaybeaneternalpartakeroftheDivinenature.Ichargeyou，ifbyanymeansitbepossible，etome.

"Iremain，youraffectionate，

"S.T.COLERIDGE."]

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