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Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne: Written in the years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and now given from the original manuscriptsKeats, John

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Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne: Written in the years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and now given from the original manuscripts

Name: Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne: Written in the years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and now given from the original manuscripts
Author: Keats, John

Keats, John

Brawne, Fanny, 1800-1865 -- Correspondence; Keats, John, 1795-1821 -- Correspondence; Poets, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence

This moment I have set myself to copy some verses out fair. I
    cannot proceed with any degree of content. I must write you a
    line or two and see if that will assist in dismissing you from
    my Mind for ever so short a time. Upon my Soul I can think of
    nothing else. The time is passed when I had power to advise
    and warn you against the unpromising morning of my Life. My
    love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you. I am
    forgetful of everything but seeing you again—my Life seems to
    stop there—I see no further. You have absorb’d me. I have a
    sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving—I
    should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing
    you. I should be afraid to separate myself far from you. My
    sweet Fanny, will your heart never change? My love, will it? I
    have no limit now to my love.... Your note came in just here. I
    cannot be happier away from you. ’Tis richer than an Argosy of
    Pearles. Do not threat me even in jest. I have been astonished
    that Men could die Martyrs for religion—I have shudder’d at it.
    I shudder no more—I could be martyr’d for my Religion—Love is
    my religion—I could die for that. I could die for you. My Creed
    is Love and you are its only tenet. You have ravish’d me away
    by a Power I cannot resist; and yet I could resist till I saw
    you; and even since I have seen you I have endeavoured often
    “to reason against the reasons of my Love.” I can do that no
    more—the pain would be too great. My love is selfish. I cannot
    breathe without you.

                          Yours for ever

                                                        JOHN KEATS.


IX.

                                  Great Smith Street, Tuesday Morn.

                    [_Postmark_, College Street, 19 October, 1819.]

    My sweet Fanny,

    On awakening from my three days dream (“I cry to dream
    again”) I find one and another astonish’d at my idleness and
    thoughtlessness. I was miserable last night—the morning is
    always restorative. I must be busy, or try to be so. I have
    several things to speak to you of tomorrow morning. Mrs.
    Dilke I should think will tell you that I purpose living at
    Hampstead. I must impose chains upon myself. I shall be able to
    do nothing. I should like to cast the die for Love or death. I
    have no Patience with any thing else—if you ever intend to be
    cruel to me as you say in jest now but perhaps may sometimes
    be in earnest, be so now—and I will—my mind is in a tremble, I
    cannot tell what I am writing.

                        Ever my love yours

                                                        JOHN KEATS.




X TO XXXII.

WENTWORTH PLACE.




X—XXXII.

WENTWORTH PLACE.


X.

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Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne: Written in the years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and now given from the original manuscripts

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