Some have died before they were conceived. 'How do you make that out, Master Vellum?' Does Mrs. S. cut bread and butter as neatly as ever? Tell her to procure some fatal scissors, and cut the thread of life of all to-be-disappointed poets. Does Mrs. Hunt tear linen as straight as ever? Tell her to tear from the book of life all blank leaves. Remember me to them all; to Miss Kent and the little ones all.

Your sincere Friend

JOHN KEATS alias JUNKETS. You shall hear where we move.

8. TO BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON

Margate, Saturday Eve [May 10, 1817]. MY DEAR HAYDON,

'Let Fame, that all pant after in their lives, Live register'd upon our brazen tombs, And so grace us in the disgrace of death: When spite of cormorant devouring Time The endeavour of this present breath may buy That Honour which shall bate his Scythe's keen edge

And make us heirs of all eternity.'

Love's Labour's Lost, I. i. 1—7.

To think that I have no right to couple myself with you in this speech would be death to me, so I have e'en written it, and I pray God that our brazen tombs' be nigh neighbours. It cannot be long first; the 'endeavour of this present breath' will soon be over, and yet it is as well to breathe freely during our sojourn - it is as well as if you have not been teased with that Money affair, that bill-pestilence. However, I must think that difficulties nerve the Spirit of a Man - they make our Prime Objects a Refuge as well as a Passion. The Trumpet of Fame is as a tower of Strength, the ambitious bloweth it and is safe. I suppose, by your telling me not to give way to forebodings, George has mentioned to you what I have lately said in my Letters to him - truth is I have been in such a state of Mind as to read over my Lines and hate

them. I am one that gathers Samphire, dreadful trade' the Cliff of Poesy towers above me- yet when Tom who meets with some of Pope's Homer in Plutarch's Lives reads some of those to me they seem like Mice to mine. I read and write about eight hours a day. There is an old saying 'well begun is half done' 't is a bad one. I would use instead, 'Not begun at all till half done;' so according to that I have not begun my Poem and consequently (à priori) can say nothing about it. Thank God! I do begin arduously where I leave off, notwithstanding occasional depressions; and I hope for the support of a High Power while I climb this little eminence, and especially in my Years of more momentous Labour. I remember your saying that you had notions of a good Genius presiding over you. I have of late had the same thought, for things which I do half at Random are afterwards confirmed by my judgment in a dozen features of Propriety. Is it too daring to fancy Shakspeare this Presider? When in the Isle of Wight I met with a Shakspeare in the Passage of the House at which I lodged - it comes nearer to my idea of him than any I have seen I was but there a Week, yet the old woman made me take it with me though I went off in a hurry. Do you not think this is ominous of good? I am glad you say every man of great views is at times tormented as I am.

Sunday after [May 11] This Morning I received a letter from George by which it appears that Money Troubles are to follow us up for some time to come - perhaps for always - these vexations are a great hindrance to one - they are not like Envy and detraction stimulants to further exertion as being immediately relative and reflected on at the same time with the prime object but rather like a nettle leaf or two in your bed. So now I revoke my Promise of finishing my Poem by the Autumn which I should have done had I gone on as I have done but I can

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not write while my spirit is fevered in a contrary direction and I am now sure of having plenty of it this Summer. At this moment I am in no enviable Situation I feel that I am not in a Mood to write any to-day; and it appears that the loss of it is the beginning of all sorts of irregularities. I am extremely glad that a time must come when everything will leave not a wrack behind. You tell me never to despair I wish it was as easy for me to observe the saying truth is I have a horrid Morbidity of Temperament which has shown itself at intervals - it is I have no doubt the greatest Enemy and stumblingblock I have to fear - I may even say that it is likely to be the cause of my disappointment. However every ill has its share of good-this very bane would at any time enable me to look with an obstinate eye on the Devil Himself aye to be as proud of being the lowest of the human race as Alfred could be in being of the highest. I feel confident I should have been a rebel angel had the opportunity been mine. I am very sure that you do love me as your very Brother I have seen it in your continual anxiety for me — and I assure you that your welfare and fame is and will be a chief pleasure to me all my Life. I know no one but you who can be fully sensible of the turmoil and anxiety, the sacrifice of all what is called comfort, the readiness to measure time by what is done and to die in six hours could plans be brought to conclusions - the looking upon the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, the Earth and its contents, as materials to form greater things — that is to say ethereal things but here I am talking like a Madman, greater things

Sin after the seven deadly than to flatter oneself into an idea of being a great Poet -or one of those beings who are privileged to wear out their Lives in the pursuit of Honor how comfortable a feel it is to feel that such a Crime must bring its heavy Penalty? That if one be a Self-deluder accounts must be balanced? I am glad you are hard at Work - 't will now soon be done I long to see Wordsworth's as well as to have mine in: 8 but I would rather not show my face in Town till the end of the Year-if that will be time enough—if not I shall be disappointed if you do not write for me even when you think best. I never quite despair and I read Shakspeare—indeed I shall I think never read any other Book much. Now this might lead me into a long Confab but I desist. I am very near agreeing with Hazlitt that Shakspeare is enough for us. By the by what a tremendous Southean article his last was — I wish he had left out ‘grey hairs.' It was very gratifying to meet your remarks on the manuscript - I was reading Anthony and Cleopatra when I got the Paper and there are several Passages applicable to the events you commentate. You say that he arrived by degrees and not by any single struggle to the height of his ambition and that his Life had been as common in particulars as other Men's. Shakspeare makes Enobarb say

Where's Antony?

He's walking in the garden, and

spurns

The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepidus!

Let determined things To destiny hold unbewailed their way.

'Tis good, too, that the Duke of Wellington has a good Word or so in the Examiner. A man ought to have the Fame he deserves - and I begin to think that detracting from him as well as from Wordsworth is the same thing. I wish he had a little more taste and did not in that respect 'deal in Lieutenantry.' You should have heard from me before this but in the first place I did not like to do so before I had got a little way in the First Book, and in the next as G. told me you were going to write I delayed till I had heard from you. Give my Respects the next time you write to the North and also to John Hunt. Remember me to Reynolds and tell him to write. Ay, and when you send Westward tell your Sister that I mentioned her in this. So now in the name of Shakspeare, Raphael and all our Saints, I commend you to the care of heaven!

Your everlasting Friend JOHN KEATS.

9. TO MESSRS. TAYLOR AND HESSEY

Margate, May 16, 1817. MY DEAR SIRS-I am extremely indebted to you for your liberality in the shape of manufactured rag, value £20, and shall immediately proceed to destroy some of the minor heads of that hydra the dun; to conquer which the knight need have no Sword

Shield Cuirass, Cuisses Herbadgeon Spear Casque Greaves Paldrons spurs Chevron or any other scaly commodity, but he need only take the Bank-note of Faith and Cash of Salvation, and set out against the monster, invoking the aid of no Archimago or Urganda, but finger me the paper, light as the Sibyl's leaves in Virgil, whereat the fiend skulks off with his tail between his legs. Touch him with this enchanted paper, and he whips you his head away as fast as a snail's horn - but then the horrid propensity he has to put it up again has discouraged many very valiant Knights. He is such a never-ending still-beginning sort of a body-like my landlady of the Bell. I should conjecture that the very spright that 'the green sour ringlets makes Whereof the ewe not bites' had manufactured it of the dew fallen on said sour ringlets. I think I could make a nice little allegorical poem, called 'The Dun,' where we would have the Castle of Carelessness, the drawbridge of credit, Sir Novelty Fashion's expedition against the City of Tailors, etc. etc. I went day by day at my poem for a Month at the end of which time the other day I found my Brain so over-wrought that I had neither rhyme nor reason in it — so was obliged to give up for a few days. I hope soon to be able to resume my workI have endeavoured to do so once or twice; but to no purpose. Instead of Poetry, I have a swimming in my head and feel all the effects of a Mental debauch, lowness of Spirits, anxiety to go on without the power to do so, which does not at all tend to my ultimate progression. However tomorrow I will begin my next month. This evening I go to Canterbury, having got tired of Margate. I was not right in my head when I came At Canterbury I hope the remembrance of Chaucer will set me forward like a Billiard Ball. I am glad to hear of Mr. T.'s health, and of the welfare of the 'Intown-stayers.' And think Reynolds will like his Trip - I have some idea of seeing the Continent some time this summer. In

repeating how sensible I am of your kindness, I remain

Y' obed' serv* and friend JOHN KEATS. I shall be happy to hear any little intelligence in the literary or friendly way when you have time to scribble.

10. TO THE SAME

[London] Tuesday Morn [July 8, 1817]. MY DEAR SIRS-I must endeavour to lose my maidenhead with respect to money Matters as soon as possible — And I will too So, here goes! A couple of Duns that I thought would be silent till the beginning, at least, of next month (when I am certain to be on my legs, for certain sure), have opened upon me with a cry most 'untuneable;' never did you hear such un-'gallant chiding.' Now you must know, I am not desolate, but have, thank God, 25 good notes in my fob. But then, yon know, I laid them by to write with and would stand at bay a fortnight ere they should grab me. In a month's time I must pay, but it would relieve my mind if I owed you, instead of these Pelican duns.

I am afraid you will say I have 'wound about with circumstance,' when I should have asked plainly - however as I said I am a little maidenish or so, and I feel my virginity come strong upon me, the while I request the loan of a £20 and a £10, which, if you would enclose to me, I would acknowledge and save myself a hot forehead. I am sure you are confident of my responsibility, and in the sense of squareness that is always in me. Your obliged friend

11.

JOHN KEATS.

TO MARIANE AND JANE REYNOLDS 10

Oxf[ord, September 5, 1817].

MY DEAR FRIENDS You are I am glad to hear comfortable at Hampton,11 where I hope you will receive the Biscuits we ate

here am I among Colleges, halls, Stalls, Plenty of Trees, thank God - Plenty of water, thank heaven Plenty of Books, thank the Muses - Plenty of Snuff, thank Sir Walter Raleigh - Plenty of segars, Ditto - Plenty of flat country, thank Tellus's rolling-pin. I'm on the sofa - Buonaparte is on the snuff-box-But you are by the seaside argal, you bathe - you walk you say 'how beautiful'. find out resemblances between waves and camels -rocks and dancing-masters - fireshovels and telescopes - Dolphins and Madonas which word, by the way, I must acquaint you was derived from the Syriac, and came down in a way which neither of you I am sorry to say are at all capable of comprehending. But as a time may come when by your occasional converse with me you may arrive at 'something like prophetic strain,' I will unbar the gates of my pride and let my condescension stalk forth like a ghost at the Circus. - The word Ma-don-a, my dear Ladies - -or the word Mad - Onaso I say! I am not mad - Howsumever when that aged Tamer Kewthon sold a certain camel called Peter to the overseer of the Babel Sky-works, he thus spake, adjusting his cravat round the tip of his chin-My dear Ten-story-up-in-air! this here Beast, though I say it as should n't say 't, not only has the power of subsisting 40 days and 40 nights without fire and candle but he can sing. Here I have in my Pocket a Certificate from Signor Nicolini of the King's Theatre; a Certificate to this effect I have had dinner since I left that effect upon you, and feel too heavy in mentibus to display all the Profundity of the Polygon so you had better each of you take a glass of cherry Brandy and drink to the health of Archimedes, who was

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of so benign a disposition that he never would leave Syracuse in his life - So kept himself out of all Knight-Errantry. This I know to be a fact; for it is written in the 45th book of Winkine's treatise on gardenrollers, that he trod on a fishwoman's toe in Liverpool, and never begged her pardon. Now the long and short is this - that is by comparison for a long day may be a short year A long Pole may be a very stupid fellow as a man. But let us refresh ourself from this depth of thinking, and turn to some innocent jocularity - the Bow cannot always be bent nor the gun always loaded, if you ever let it off — and the life of man is like a great Mountain - his breath is like a Shrewsbury cake he comes into the world like a shoeblack, and goes out of it like a cobbler he eats like a chimneysweeper, drinks like a gingerbread baker and breathes like Achilles - so it being that we are such sublunary creatures, let us endeavour to correct all our bad spelling all our most delightful abominations, and let us wish health to Mariane and Jane, whoever they be and wherever.

Yours truly

12.

JOHN KEATS.

TO FANNY KEATS

this transmitted to me every now and then will procure you full sheets of Writing from me pretty frequently. This I feel as a necessity for we ought to become intimately acquainted, in order that I may not only, as you grow up love you as my only Sister, but confide in you as my dearest friend. When I saw you last I told you of my intention of going to Oxford and 't is now a Week since I disembark'd from his Whipship's Coach the Defiance in this place. I am living in Magdalen Hall on a visit to a young Man with whom I have not been long acquainted, but whom I like very much we lead very industrious liveshe in general Studies and I in proceeding at a pretty good rate with a Poem which I hope you will see early in the next year.— Perhaps you might like to know what I am writing about. I will tell you. Many Years ago there was a young handsome Shepherd who fed his flocks on a Mountain's Side called Latmus- he was a very contemplative sort of Person and liyed solitary among the trees and Plains little thinking that such a beautiful Creature as the Moon was growing mad in Love with him. — However so it was; and when he was asleep on the Grass she used to come down from heaven and admire him excessively for a long time; and at last could not refrain from carrying him away in her arms to the top of that high Mountain Latmus while he was a dreaming- but I daresay you have read this and all the other beautiful Tales which have come down from the ancient times of that beautiful Greece. If you have not let me know and I will tell you more at large of others quite as delightful. This Oxford I have no doubt is the finest City in the world it is full of old Gothic buildings Spires towers Quadrangles - Cloisters-Groves, etc., and is surrounded with more clear streams than ever I saw together. I take a Walk by the Side of one of them every Evening and, thank God, we have not had a drop of rain these many days. I had a long and interesting Letter