I'll tell you what--on the 23d was Shakespeare born. Now if I should receive a letter from you, and another from my Brothers on that day 'twould be a parlous good thing. Whenever you write say a word or two on some Passage in Shakespeare that may have come rather new to you, which must be continually happening, notwithstanding that we read the same Play forty times--for instance, the following from the Tempest never struck me so forcibly as at present, Urchins _Shall, for the vast of night that they may work_, All exercise on thee-- How can I help bringing to your mind the line-- In the dark backward and abysm of time. I find I cannot exist without Poetry--without eternal Poetry--half the day will not do--the whole of it--I began with a little, but habit has made me a Leviathan I had become all in a Tremble from not having written anything of late--the Sonnet over-leaf did me good. I slept the better last night for it--this Morning, however, I am nearly as bad again. Just now I opened Spenser, and the first Lines I saw were these-- The noble heart that harbours virtuous thought, And is with child of glorious great intent, Can never rest until it forth have brought Th' eternal brood of glory excellent. 'I shall forthwith begin my _Endymion_,' he adds, and looks forward to reading some of it out, when his correspondent comes to visit him, in a nook near the castle which he has already marked for the purpose.