arelineswhichhavedonemuchmischief。Asregardsthegreatertruths,menoftenererrbyseekingthematthebottomthanatthetop;Truthliesinthehugeabysseswherewisdomissought-notinthepalpablepalaceswheresheisfound。Theancientswerenotalwaysrightinhiding-thegoddessinawell;witnessthelightwhichBaconhasthrownuponphilosophy;witnesstheprinciplesofourdivinefaith-thatmoralmechanismbywhichthesimplicityofachildmayoverbalancethewisdomofaman。
“WeseeaninstanceofColeridge’sliabilitytoerr,inhis’BiographiaLiteraria’professedlyhisliterarylifeandopinions,but,infact,atreatise_deomniscibilietquibusdamaliis。_Hegoeswrongbyreasonofhisveryprofundity,andofhiserrorwehaveanaturaltypeinthecontemplationofastar。Hewhoregardsitdirectlyandintenselysees,itistrue,thestar,butitisthestarwithoutaray-whilehewhosurveysitlessinquisitivelyisconsciousofallforwhichthestarisusefultousbelow-itsbrilliancyanditsbeauty。
“AstoWordsworth,Ihavenofaithinhim。ThathehadinyouththefeelingsofapoetIbelieve-forthereareglimpsesofextremedelicacyinhiswritings-anddelicacyisthepoet’sownkingdom-his_ElDorado-butthey_havetheappearanceofabetterdayrecollected;andglimpses,atbest,arelittleevidenceofpresentpoeticfire;weknowthatafewstragglingflowersspringupdailyinthecrevicesoftheglacier。
“Hewastoblameinwearingawayhisyouthincontemplationwiththeendofpoetizinginhismanhood。Withtheincreaseofhisjudgmentthelightwhichshouldmakeitapparenthasfadedaway。Hisjudgmentconsequentlyistoocorrect。Thismaynotbeunderstood-buttheoldGothsofGermanywouldhaveunderstoodit,whousedtodebatemattersofimportancetotheirStatetwice,oncewhendrunk,andoncewhensober-soberthattheymightnotbedeficientinformalitydrunklesttheyshouldbedestituteofvigor。
“Thelongwordydiscussionsbywhichhetriestoreasonusintoadmirationofhispoetry,speakverylittleinhisfavor:theyarefullofsuchassertionsasthisIhaveopenedoneofhisvolumesatrandom-“Ofgeniustheonlyproofistheactofdoingwellwhatisworthytobedone,andwhatwasneverdonebefore;’-indeed?thenitfollowsthatindoingwhatisunworthytobedone,orwhat_has_beendonebefore,nogeniuscanbeevinced;yetthepickingofpocketsisanunworthyact,pocketshavebeenpickedtimeimmemorial,andBarrington,thepickpocket,inpointofgenius,wouldhavethoughthardofacomparisonwithWilliamWordsworth,thepoet。
“Again,inestimatingthemeritofcertainpoems,whethertheybeOssian’sorMacpherson’scansurelybeoflittleconsequence,yet,inordertoprovetheirworthlessness,Mr。W。hasexpendedmanypagesinthecontroversy。_Tantaeneanimis?_Cangreatmindsdescendtosuchabsurdity?
Butworsestill:thathemaybeardowneveryargumentinfavorofthesepoems,hetriumphantlydragsforwardapassage,inhisabominationwithwhichheexpectsthereadertosympathize。Itisthebeginningoftheepicpoem’Temora。’’ThebluewavesofUllinrollinlight;thegreenhillsarecoveredwithday;treesshaketheirdustyheadsinthebreeze。’Andthisthisgorgeous,yetsimpleimagery,whereallisaliveandpantingwithimmortality-this,WilliamWordsworth,theauthorof’PeterBell,’has_selected_forhiscontempt。Weshallseewhatbetterhe,inhisownperson,hastooffer。Imprimis:
“’Andnowshe’satthepony’stail,Andnowshe’satthepony’shead,Onthatsidenow,andnowonthis;
And,almoststifledwithherbliss,AfewsadtearsdoesBettyshed……
Shepatsthepony,whereorwhenSheknowsnot……happyBettyFoy!
Oh,Johnny,nevermindthedoctor!’
Secondly:
“’Thedewwasfallingfast,the-starsbegantoblink;
Iheardavoice:itsaid-“Drink,prettycreature,drink!”
And,lookingo’erthehedge,be-foremeIespiedAsnow-whitemountainlamb,witha-maidenatitsside。
Noothersheepwasnear,thelambwasallalone,Andbyaslendercordwas-tether’dtoastone。’
“Now,wehavenodoubtthisisalltrue:wewillbelieveit,indeedwewill,Mr。W。Isitsympathyforthesheepyouwishtoexcite?Iloveasheepfromthebottomofmyheart。
“Butthereareoccasions,dearB-,thereareoccasionswhenevenWordsworthisreasonable。EvenStamboul,itissaid,shallhaveanend,andthemostunluckyblundersmustcometoaconclusion。Hereisanextractfromhispreface:-
“’Thosewhohavebeenaccustomedtothephraseologyofmodemwriters,iftheypersistinreadingthisbooktoaconclusion_impossible!will,_nodoubt,havetostrugglewithfeelingsofawkwardness;ha!ha!ha!theywilllookroundforpoetryha!ha!ha!ha!,andwillbeinducedtoinquirebywhatspeciesofcourtesytheseattemptshavebeenpermittedtoassumethattitle。’Ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!
“Yet,letnotMr。W。despair;hehasgivenimmortalitytoawagon,andthebeeSophocleshastransmittedtoeternityasoretoe,anddignifiedatragedywithachorusofturkeys。
“OfColeridge,Icannotspeakbutwithreverence。Histoweringintellect!
hisgiganticpower!Touseanauthorquotedbyhimself,_’Taitrouv?
souventquelaplupartdessectesontraisondansunebonnepartiedecequ’ellesavancent,maisnonpasencequ’ellesnient,’and_toemployhisownlanguage,hehasimprisonedhisownconceptionsbythebarrierhehaserectedagainstthoseofothers。Itislamentabletothinkthatsuchamindshouldbeburiedinmetaphysics,and,liketheNyctanthes,wasteitsperfumeuponthenightalone。Inreadingthatman’spoetry,Itremblelikeonewhostandsuponavolcano,consciousfromtheverydarknessburstingfromthecrater,ofthefireandthelightthatarewelteringbelow。
“Whatispoetry?-Poetry!thatProteus-likeidea,withasmanyappellationsasthenine-titledCorcyra!’Giveme,’Idemandedofascholarsometimeago,’givemeadefinitionofpoetry。’_’Tr鑣volontiers;’_andheproceededtohislibrary,broughtmeaDr。Johnson,andoverwhelmedmewithadefinition。ShadeoftheimmortalShakespeare!IimaginetomyselfthescowlofyourspiritualeyeupontheprofanityofthatscurrilousUrsaMajor。Thinkofpoetry,dearB-,thinkofpoetry,andthenthinkofDr。
SamuelJohnson!Thinkofallthatisairyandfairy-like,andthenofallthatishideousandunwieldy;thinkofhishugebulk,theElephant!andthen-andthenthinkofthe’Tempest’-the’Midsummer-Night’sDream’-
ProsperoOberon-andTitania!
“Apoem,inmyopinion,isopposedtoaworkofsciencebyhaving,forits_immediate_object,pleasure,nottruth;toromance,byhaving,foritsobject,an_indefinite_insteadofa_definite_pleasure,beingapoemonlysofarasthisobjectisattained;romancepresentingperceptibleimageswithdefinite,poetrywithindefinitesensations,towhichendmusicisan_essential,since_thecomprehensionofsweetsoundisourmostindefiniteconception。Music,whencombinedwithapleasurableidea,ispoetry;music,withouttheidea,issimplymusic;theidea,withoutthemusic,isprose,fromitsverydefinitiveness。
“Whatwasmeantbytheinvectiveagainsthimwhohadnomusicinhissoul?
“Tosumupthislongrigmarole,Ihave,dearB-,whatyou,nodoubt,perceive,forthemetaphysicalpoetsaspoets,themostsovereigncontempt。Thattheyhavefollowersprovesnothing-
“’NoIndianprincehastohispalaceMorefollowersthanathieftothegallows。
SCIENCE!truedaughterofOldTimethouart!
Whoalterestallthingswiththypeeringeyes。
Whypreyestthouthusuponthepoet’sheart,Vulture,whosewingsaredullrealities?
Howshouldhelovethee?orhowdeemtheewise,WhowouldstnotleavehiminhiswanderingToseekfortreasureinthejewelledskiesAlbeithesoaredwithanundauntedwing?
HastthounotdraggedDianafromhercar?
AnddriventheHamadryadfromthewoodToseekashelterinsomehappierstar?
HastthousnottorntheNaiadfromherflood,TheElfinfromthegreengrass,andfrommeThesummerdreambeneaththetamarindtree?
O!NOTHINGearthlysavetherayThrownbackfromflowersofBeauty’seye,AsinthosegardenswherethedaySpringsfromthegemsofCircassy-
O!nothingearthlysavethethrillOfmelodyinwoodlandrill-
Ormusicofthepassion-hearted
Joy’svoicesopeacefullydepartedThatlikethemurmurintheshell,Itsechodwellethandwilldwell-
Oh,nothingofthedrossofours-
Yetallthebeauty-alltheflowersThatlistourLove,anddeckourbowers-
Adornyonworldafar,afar-
Thewanderingstar。
’TwasasweettimeforNesace-forthereHerworldlaylollingonthegoldenair,Nearfourbrightsuns-atemporaryrest-
Anoasisindesertoftheblest。
*AstarwasdiscoveredbyTychoBrahewhichappearedsuddenlyintheheavens-attained,inafewdays,abrilliancysurpassingthatofJupiter-thenassuddenlydisappeared,andhasneverbeenseensince。
Away-away-’midseasofraysthatrollEmpyreansplendoro’erth’unchainedsoul-
Thesoulthatscarcethebillowsaresodense
Canstruggletoitsdestin’deminence-
Todistantspheres,fromtimetotime,sherode,Andlatetoours,thefavour’doneofGod-
But,now,therulerofananchor’drealm,Shethrowsasidethesceptre-leavesthehelm,And,amidincenseandhighspiritualhymns,Lavesinquadruplelightherangellimbs。
Nowhappiest,loveliestinyonlovelyEarth,Whencesprangthe“IdeaofBeauty“intobirth,Fallinginwreathsthro’manyastartledstar,Likewoman’shair’midpearls,until,afar,ItlitonhillsAchaian,andtheredwelt
Shelook’dintoInfinity-andknelt。
Richclouds,forcanopies,abouthercurled-
Fitemblemsofthemodelofherworld-
Seenbutinbeauty-notimpedingsightOfotherbeautyglitteringthro’thelight-
Awreaththattwinedeachstarryformaround,Andalltheopal’dairincolorbound。
AllhurriedlyshekneltuponabedOfflowers:ofliliessuchasrear’dthehead*OnthefairCapoDeucato,andsprangSoeagerlyaroundabouttohangUpontheflyingfootstepsofdeeppride-
哋fherwholov’damortal-andsodied。
TheSephalica,buddingwithyoungbees,Uprear’ditspurplestemaroundherknees:
*OnSantaMaura-olimDeucadia。?Sappho。
*Andgemmyflower,ofTrebizondmisnam’d-
Inmateofhigheststars,whereerstitsham’dAllotherloveliness:itshonieddewThefablednectarthattheheathenknew
Deliriouslysweet,wasdropp’dfromHeaven,AndfellongardensoftheunforgivenInTrebizond-andonasunnyflowerSolikeitsownabovethat,tothishour,Itstillremaineth,torturingthebeeWithmadness,andunwontedreverie:
InHeaven,andallitsenvirons,theleafAndblossomofthefairyplant,ingriefDisconsolatelinger-griefthathangsherhead,Repentingfolliesthatfulllonghavefled,Heavingherwhitebreasttothebalmyair,Likeguiltybeauty,chasten’d,andmorefair:
Nyctanthestoo,assacredasthelightShefearstoperfume,perfumingthenight:
咥ndClytiaponderingbetweenmanyasun,Whilepettishtearsadownherpetalsrun:
嘇ndthataspiringflowerthatsprangonEarth-
Anddied,erescarceexaltedintobirth,BurstingitsodorousheartinspirittowingItswaytoHeaven,fromgardenofaking:
*ThisflowerismuchnoticedbyLewenhoeckandTournefort。Thebee,feedinguponitsblossom,becomesintoxicated。?Clytia-TheChrysanthemumPeruvianum,or,toemployabetter-knownterm,theturnsol-whichcontinuallyturnstowardsthesun,coversitself,likePeru,thecountryfromwhichitcomes,withdewycloudswhichcoolandrefreshitsflowersduringthemostviolentheatoftheday-
_B。deSt。Pierre_。?Thereiscultivatedintheking’sgardenatParis,aspeciesofserpentinealoeswithoutprickles,whoselargeandbeautifulflowerexhalesastrongodourofthevanilla,duringthetimeofitsexpansion,whichisveryshort。ItdoesnotblowtilltowardsthemonthofJuly-youthenperceiveitgraduallyopenitspetals-expandthem-fadeanddie-
_St。Pierre_。
*AndValisnerianlotusthitherflownFromstrugglingwiththewatersoftheRhone:
咥ndthymostlovelypurpleperfume,Zante!
Isolad’oro!-FiordiLevante!
嘇ndtheNelumbobudthatfloatsforeverWithIndianCupiddowntheholyriver-
Fairflowers,andfairy!towhosecareisgiven?TobeartheGoddess’song,inodors,uptoHeaven:
“Spirit!thatdwellestwhere,Inthedeepsky,Theterribleandfair,Inbeautyvie!