Biographia Epistolaris, Volume 2: being The Biographical Supplement of Coleridge's Biographia LiterariaColeridge, Samuel Taylor
General
Biographia Epistolaris, Volume 2: being The Biographical Supplement of Coleridge's Biographia Literaria
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772-1834 -- Correspondence
Coleridge was deeply stung that Wordsworth should have said such a thing
to Montagu. Professor Knight in his _Life of Wordsworth_ gives a pretty
full narrative of the event, and believes that Wordsworth, though he
said he had no hope of Coleridge, did not utter the more offensive
assertion about Coleridge being a nuisance in his family. Henry Crabb
Robinson effected a formal reconciliation between the two poets, in
which both figure to some disadvantage. Wordsworth's proposal to
confront Coleridge, his best and closest friend, with Montagu, a
comparative stranger to both of them, for cross-examination, and thus
sift out the actual expression used by the latter to the former, seems
like very hard dealing; and Coleridge's vehemence of protestation to
believe whatever Wordsworth asserted to be the true version, in
contradistinction to anything that Montagu might say, savours of
unreality. Wordsworth's taking offence at Coleridge not going to
Grasmere on the death of his child at a juncture when it was impossible
for him to leave London while _Remorse_ was being put on the stage, does
not redound to the credit of the Bard of Rydal; and Coleridge's failure
to call on his old friend while in the Lake District for the last time
is equally against the poet of Stowey. The estrangement died down rather
than was reconciled; but the irritation against Wordsworth remained long
in Coleridge's heart, and it is more than probable that after the
excitement of the reconciliation made by Crabb Robinson was over,
Coleridge believed Montagu's rather than Wordsworth's version of what
had occurred. This is endorsed by the fact that Montagu was again taken
into favour, and he and his wife were regular guests at the Highgate
Thursdays in after times.[26]
During 1811, while in London, Coleridge again met Godwin, to whom he
softened in his opinion. The following two letters indicate that he did
not occupy the same attitude to the author of _Political Justice_ as he
did when he wrote _The Watchman_.
LETTER 147. TO GODWIN
Tuesday, March 26, 1811.
Dear Godwin,
Mr. Grattan did me the honour of calling on me, and leaving his card, on
Sunday afternoon, unfortunately a few minutes after I had gone out--and
I am so unwell, that I fear I shall not be able to return the call
to-day, as I had intended, though it is a grief even for a brace of days
to appear insensible of so much kindness and condescension. But what
need has Grattan of pride?
Ha d'uopo solo
Mendicar dall' orgoglio onore e stima,
Chi senza lui di vilipendio é degno.
CHIABRERA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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