LETTERS OF JOHN KEATS 1. TO CHARLES COWDEN CLARKE few mornings since he promised to be with me this Evening and Yesterday I had the same promise from Severn and I must put you in mind that on last All hallowmas' day you gave me your word that you would spend this Evening with me - so no putting off. I have done little to Endymion lately 2-I hope to finish it in one more attack. I believe you I went to Richards's it was so whoreson a Night that I stopped there all the next day. His Remembrances to you. (Ext. from the common place Book of my Mind Mem. - Wednesday Hampstead call in Warner Street a sketch of Mr. Hunt.) -I will ever consider you my sincere and affectionate friend you will not doubt that I am yours. God bless you — JOHN KEATS. 3. TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS [London,] Sunday Evening [March 2, 1817 ?]. MY DEAR REYNOLDS – Your kindness & affects me so sensibly that I can merely put down a few mono-sentences. Your Criticism only makes me extremely anxious that I should not deceive you. It's the finest thing by God as Hazlitt would say. However I hope I may not deceive you. There are some acquaintances of mine who will scratch their Beards and although I have, I hope, some Charity, I wish their Nails may be long. I will be ready at the time you mention in all Happiness. There is a report that a young Lady of 16 has written the new Tragedy, God bless her I will know her by Hook or by Crook in less than a week. My Brothers' and my Remembrances to your kind Sis ters. Yours most sincerely JOHN KEATS. 4. TO THE SAME [London, March 17, 1817.] MY DEAR REYNOLDS My Brothers are anxious that I should go by myself into the country - they have always been extremely fond of me, and now that Haydon has pointed out how necessary it is that I should be alone to improve myself, they give up the temporary pleasure of living with me continually for a great good which I hope will follow. So I shall soon be out of Town. You must soon bring all your present troubles to a close, and so must I, but we must, like the Fox, prepare for a fresh swarm of flies. Banish money - Banish [Southampton,] Tuesday Morn MY DEAR BROTHERS-I am safe at Southampton-after having ridden three stages outside and the rest in for it began to be very cold. I did not know the Names of any of the Towns I passed through all I can tell you is that sometimes I saw dusty Hedges sometimes Ponds - then nothing then a little Wood with trees look you like Launce's Sister as white as a Lily and as small as a Wand'. then came houses which died away into a few straggling Barns Picture then came hedge trees aforesaid again. As the Lamplight crept along the following things were discovered 'long heath broom furze' Hurdles here and there half a Mile Park palings when the Windows of a House were always discovered by reflection One Nymph of Fountain - N. B. Stone lopped Trees Cow ruminating - ditto Donkey Man and Woman going gingerly along-William seeing his Sisters over the Heath- John waiting with a Lanthorn for his Mistress - Barber's Pole - Doctor's Shop - However after having had my fill of these I popped my Head out just as it began to Dawn-N. B. this Tuesday Morn saw the Sun rise of which I shall say nothing at present. I felt rather lonely this Morning at Breakfast so I went and unbox'd a Shakspeare 'There's my Comfort.' I went immediately after Breakfast to Southampton Water where I - - some a very respectable old Gate with two Lions to guard it. The Men and Women do not materially differ from those I have been in the Habit of seeing. I forgot to say that from dawn till half-past six I went through a most delightful Country open Down but for the most part thickly wooded. What surprised me most was an immense quantity of blooming Furze on each side the road cutting a most rural dash. The Southampton water when I saw it just now was no better than a low water Water which did no more than answer my expectations it will have mended its Manners by 3. From the Wharf are seen the shores on each side stretching to the Isle of Wight. You, Haydon, Reynolds, etc. have been pushing each other out of my Brain by turns. I have conned over every Head in Haydon's - you must warn them not to be afraid should my Ghost visit them on Wednesday tell Haydon to Kiss his Hand at Betty over the Way for me yea and to spy at her for me. I hope one of you will be competent to take part in a Trio while I am away- you need only aggravate your voices a little and mind not to speak Cues and all when you have said Rum-ti-ti you must not be rum any more or else another will take up the ti-ti alone and then he might be taken God shield us for little better than a Titmouse. By the by talking of Titmouse Remember me particularly to all my Friends - give my Love to the Miss Reynoldses and to Fanny who I hope you will soon see. Write to me soon about them all- and you George particularly how you get on with Wilkinson's plan. What could I have done without my Plaid? I don't feel inclined to write any more at present for I feel rather muzzy - you must be con - tent with this fac simile of the rough plan from a little hill close by the whole north of Aunt Dinah's Counterpane.* Your most affectionate Brother JOHN KEATS. Reynolds shall hear from me soon. 6. TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS Carisbrooke, April 17th [1817]. MY DEAR REYNOLDS Ever since I wrote to my Brothers from Southampton I have been in a taking - and at this moment I am about to become settled for I have unpacked my books, put them into a snug corner, pinned up Haydon, Mary Queen of Scots, and Milton with his daughters in a row. In the passage I found a head of Shakspeare which I had not before seen. It is most likely the same that George spoke so well of, for I like it extremely. Well - this head I have hung over my Books, just above the three in a row, having first discarded a French Ambassador now this alone is a good morning's work. Yesterday I went to Shanklin, which occasioned a great debate in my mind whether I should live there or at Carisbrooke. Shanklin is a most beautiful place - Sloping wood and meadow ground reach round the Chine, which is a cleft between the Cliffs of the depth of nearly 300 feet at least. This cleft is filled with trees and bushes in the narrow part, and as it widens becomes bare, if it were not for primroses on one side, which spread to the very verge of the Sea, and some fishermen's huts on the other, perched midway in the Balustrades of beautiful green Hedges along their steps down to the sands. But the sea, Jack, the sea the little waterfall -- then the white cliff-then St. Catherine's Hill - 'the sheep in the meadows, the cows in the corn.' Then, why are you at Carisbrooke? say you. Because, in the first place, I should be at twice the Expense, and three times the inconvenience - next that from here I can see your continent roses Angle of the Isle of Wight, with the water between us. In the 3rd place, I see Carisbrooke Castle from my window, and have found several delightful wood-alleys, and copses, and quick freshes. As for primthe Island ought to be called Primrose Island that is, if the nation of Cowslips agree thereto, of which there are divers Clans just beginning to lift up their heads. Another reason of my fixing is, that I am more in reach of the places around me. I intend to walk over the Island east - West - North South. I have not seen many specimens of Ruins - I don't think however I shall ever see one to surpass Carisbrooke Castle. The trench is overgrown with the smoothest turf, and the Walls with ivy. The Keep within side is one Bower of ivy-a colony of Jackdaws have been there for many years. I dare say I have seen many a descendant of some old cawer who peeped through the Bars at Charles the first, when he was there in Confinement. On the road from Cowes to Newport I saw some extensive Barracks, which disgusted me extremely with the Government for placing such a Nest of Debauchery in so beautiful a place. I asked a man on the Coach about this and he said that the people had been spoiled. In the room where I slept at Newport, I found this on the Window-'O Isle spoilt by the milatary! . . .' The wind is in a sulky fit, and I feel that it would be no bad thing to be the favourite of some Fairy, who would give one the power of seeing how our Friends got on at a Distance. I should like, of all Loves, a sketch of you and Tom and George in ink which Haydon will do if you tell him how I want them. From want of regular rest I have been rather narvus and the passage in Lear-Do you not hear the sea?'. has haunted me intensely. [Here follows the sonnet 'On the Sea,' p. 37.] April 18th. Will you have the goodness to do this? Borrow a Botanical Dictionary-turn to the words Laurel and Prunus, show the explanations to your sisters and Mrs. Dilke and without more ado let them send me the Cups Basket and Books they trifled and put off and off while I was in town. Ask them what they can say for themselves ask Mrs. Dilke wherefore she does so distress me let me know how Jane has her health the Weather is unfavourable for her. Tell George and Tom to write. I'll tell what you on the 23d was Shakspeare born. Now if I should receive a letter from you and another from my Brothers on that day 't would be a parlous good thing. Whenever you write say a word or two on some Passage in Shakspeare 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 only ten lines-1 hope all is well — I shall forthwith begin my Endymion, which I hope I shall have got some way with by the time you come, when we will read our verses in a delightful place I have set my heart upon, near the Castle. Give my Love to your Sisters severally—to George and Tom. Remember me to Rice, Mr. and Mrs. Dilke and all we know. Your sincere Friend JOHN KEATS. Direct J. Keats, Mrs. Cook's, New Village, Carisbrooke. 7. TO LEIGH HUNT Margate, May 10, 1817. MY DEAR HUNT- The little gentleman that sometimes lurks in a gossip's bowl, ought to have come in the very likeness of a roasted crab, and choaked me outright for not answering your letter ere this: however, you must not suppose that I was in town to receive it: no, it followed me to the Isle of Wight, and I got it just as I was going to pack up for Margate, for reasons which you anon shall hear. On arriving at this treeless affair, I wrote to my brother How can I help bringing to your mind the George to request C. C. C. to do the thing 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 overleaf 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 you wot of respecting Rimini; and George tells me he has undertaken it with great pleasure; so I hope there has been an understanding between you for many proofs: C. C. C. is well acquainted with Bensley. Now why did you not send the key of your cupboard, which, I know, was full of papers? We would have locked them all in a trunk, together with those you told me to destroy, which indeed I did not do, for fear of demolishing receipts, there not being a more unpleasant thing in the world (saving a thousand and one others) than to pay a bill twice. Mind you, old Wood 's a' very varmint,' shrouded in covetousness: :- and now I am upon a horrid subject - what a horrid one you were upon last Sunday, and well you handled it. The last Examiner was a battering-ram against Christianity, blasphemy, Tertullian, Erasmus, Sir Philip |