be paid to anything in this world. And, moreover, having this feeling at this present come over me in its full force, I sat down to write to you with a grateful heart, in that I had not a brother who did not feel and credit me for a deeper feeling and devotion for his uprightness, than for any marks of genius however splendid. I have just finished the revision of my First Book, and shall take it to Taylor's to-morrow. Your most affectionate brother, John. My dear Taylor, XXV. To JOHN TAYLOR. 23 January 1818. I have spoke to Haydon about the drawing. He would do it with all his Art and Heart too, if so I will it; however, he has written this to me; but I must tell you, first, he intends painting a finished Picture from the Poem. Thus he writes-"When I do anything for your Poem it must be effectual-an honour to both of us to hurry up a sketch for the season won't do. I think an engraving from your head, from a chalk drawing of mine, done with all my might, to which I would put my name, would answer Taylor's idea better than the other. Indeed, I am sure of it." * What think you of this? Let me hear. I shall have my second Book in readiness forthwith. Yours most sincerely XXVI. To BENJAMIN BAILEY. My dear Bailey, 23 January 1818. Twelve days have pass'd since your last reached me. What has gone through the myriads of human minds since the 12th? We talk of the immense number of books, the volumes ranged thousands by thousands-but perhaps more goes through the human intelligence in twelve days than ever was written. How has that unfortunate family lived through the twelve? One saying of yours I shall never forget: you may not recollect it, it being, perhaps, said when you were looking on the surface and seeming of Humanity alone, without a thought of the past or the future, or the deeps of good and evil. You were at that moment estranged from speculation, and I think you have arguments ready for the man who would utter it to you. This is a formidable preface for a simple thing-merely you said, “Why should woman suffer?" Aye, why should she? "By heavens, I'd coin my very soul, and drop my blood for drachmas!" These things are, and he, who feels how incompetent the most skyey knight-errantry is to heal this bruised fairness, is like a sensitive leaf on the hot hand of thought. Your tearing, my dear friend, a spiritless and gloomy letter up, to re-write to me, is what I shall never forgetit was to me a real thing. Things have happened lately of great perplexity; you must have heard of them; Reynolds and Haydon retorting and recriminating, and parting for ever. The same thing has happened between Haydon and Hunt. It is unfortunate: men should bear with each other: there lives not the man who may not be cut up, aye, lashed to pieces, on his weakest side. The best of men have but a portion of good in them-a kind of spiritual yeast in their frames, which creates the ferment of existence-by which a man is propelled to act, and strive, and buffet with circumstance. The sure way, Bailey, is first to know a man's faults, and then be passive. If, after that, he insensibly draws you towards him, then you have no power to break the link. Before I felt interested in either Reynolds or Haydon, I was well read* in their faults; yet, knowing them, I have been cementing gradually with both. I have an affection for them both, for reasons almost opposite; and to both must I of necessity cling, supported always by the hope, that when a little time, a few years, shall have tried me more fully in their esteem, I may be able to bring them together. The time must come, because they have both hearts; and they will recollect the best parts of each other, when this gust is overblown. I had a message from you through a letter to Jane1 -I think, about Cripps. There can be no idea of binding until a sufficient sum is sure for him; and even then the thing should be maturely considered by all his helpers. I shall try my luck upon as many fat purses as I can meet with. Cripps is improving very fast: I have the greater hopes of him because he is so slow in development. A man of great executing powers at twenty, with a look and a speech almost stupid, is sure to do something. I have just looked through the second side of your letter. I feel a great content at it. 1 Jane Reynolds. I was at Hunt's the other day, and he surprised me with a real authenticated lock of Milton's Hair. I know you would like what I wrote thereon, so here it is—as they say of a Sheep in a Nursery Book.' This I did at Hunt's, at his request. Perhaps I should have done something better alone and at home. 2 I have sent my first Book to the press, and this afternoon shall begin preparing the second. My visit to you will be a great spur to quicken the proceeding. I have not had your sermon returned. I long to make it the 'subject of a letter to you. What do they say at Oxford ? I trust you and Gleig pass much fine time together. Remember me to him and Whitehead. My brother Tom is getting stronger, but his spitting of blood continues. I sat down to read "King Lear" yesterday, and felt the greatness of the thing up to the writing of a sonnet preparatory thereto : in my next you shall have it. There were some miserable reports of Rice's healthI went, and lo! Master Jemmy had been to the play the night before, and was out at the time. He always comes on his legs like a cat. 1 For the poem see Volume II, page 249. Lord Houghton remarks on this composition: "The assumption, in the above lines, of Beauty being' the kernel' of Milton's love, rather accords with the opinion of many of Keats's friends, that at this time he had not studied 'Paradise Lost,' as he did afterwards. His taste would naturally have rather attracted him to those poems which Milton had drawn out of the heart of old mythology,' Lycidas' and 'Comus ;' and those 'two exquisite jewels, hung, as it were, in the ears of antiquity,' the 'Penseroso' and 'Allegro,' had no doubt been well enjoyed; but his full appreciation of the great Poem was reserved for the period which produced 'Hyperion.'" 2 Of Endymion. I have seen a good deal of Wordsworth. Hazlitt is lecturing on Poetry at the Surrey Institution. I shall be I was thinking what hindered me from writing so long, for I have so many things to say to you, and know not where to begin. It shall be upon a thing most interesting to you, my Poem. Well! I have given the first Book to Taylor; he seemed more than satisfied with it, and, to my surprise, proposed publishing it in quarto, if Haydon could make a drawing of some event therein, for a frontispiece. I called on Haydon. He said he would do anything I liked, but said he would rather paint a finished picture from it, which he seems eager to do. This, in a year or two, will be a glorious thing for us; and it will be, for Haydon is struck with the first Book. I left Haydon, and the next day received a letter from him, proposing to make, as he says, with all his might, a finished chalk sketch of my head, to be engraved in the first style, and put at the head of my Poem, saying, at the same time, he had never done the thing for any human being, and that it must have considerable effect, as he will put his name to it. I begin to-day to copy my second Book: "thus far into the bowels of the land." You shall hear whether it will be quarto or nonquarto, picture or non-picture. Leigh Hunt I showed |