much the greater part of his labour would only answer the purpose of reviving forgotten things and exploded opinions. Besides, there are in his notions things that were personally disagreeable-not to use a harsher term-to myself and those about me; and if such an objection did not lie against the publication, it is enough that the thing is superfluous. In the present state of this country in general, how could this kind-natured friend then be deceived into the thought that criticism and particulars so minute could attract attention even from a few? . . .

Hartley has positively asserted to my son and another gentleman that he considers his part of the work at an end. True, he said, I could go on for ever; but 60 pages-20 more than Jonson—are scarcely enough. I write this in consequence of your saying in your last: 'The introduction to Massinger is still unfinished.' Perhaps all is right by this time.

Murray used to say that advertising always paid. So it might with him, but with old books like mine, I should imagine that advertisements frequently repeated in the forthcoming of a new edition would not answer well; and therefore I am against it rather. I leave the decision to your friendly judgment.-Faithfully yours, WM. WORDSWORTH."

66 'February 24, 1840.

MY DEAR MR. MOXON,-Not being able to meet with H. C.* immediately on receipt of your letter, I wrote him a note a couple of days after, and told him its contents. I have since seen him, and done all I could. And now let me give you, in respect to him, a piece of advice, once for all, viz. that you never engage with him for any unperformed work, when either time or quantity is of importance. Poor fellow he has no resolve; in fact, nothing that can be called rational will or command of himself, as to what he will do or not do; of course,

VOL. III.

* Hartley Coleridge.

2 C

I mean, setting aside the fundamental obligations of morality. Yesterday I learnt that he had disappeared from his lodgings, and that he had been seen at eight o'clock entering the town of Kendal. He was at Ambleside the night before at eleven o'clock; so he must have been out the greater part of the night. I have lately begun to think that he has given himself up to his own notions, fancies, reveries, abstractions, etc. I admire his genius and talents far more than I could find words to express, especially for writing prose, which I am inclined to think (as far as I have seen) is more masterly than his verse. The workmanship of the latter seems to me not unfrequently too hasty, has indeed too much the air of an Italian's improvisatore production.

Mr. Powell, my friend, has some thought of preparing for publication some portions of Chaucer modernised, as far and no further than is done in my treatment of The Prioress' Tale. That would, in fact, be his model. He will have coadjutors: among whom, I believe, will be Mr. Leigh Hunt, a man as capable of doing the work well as any living writer. I have placed at my friend Mr. Powell's disposal, in addition to The Prioress' Tale, three other pieces, which I did long ago, but revised the other day. They are The Manciple's Tale, The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, and twenty-four stanzas of Troilus and Cressida. This I have done mainly out of my love and reverence for Chaucer, in hopes that whatever may be the merits of Mr. Powell's attempt, the attention of other writers may be drawn to the subject; and a work hereafter be produced by different persons, which will place the treasures of one of the greatest of poets within the reach of the multitude, which now they are not. I mention all this to you because, though I have not given Mr. Powell the least encouragement to do so, he may sound you as to your disposition to undertake the publication. I have myself nothing further to do with it than I have stated. Had the thing been sug

gested to me by any number of competent persons twenty years ago, I would have undertaken the editorship, and done much more myself, and endeavoured to improve the several contributions where they seemed to require it. But that is now out of the question.

I am glad to hear so favourable an account of the sale of this new edition. The penny postage has let in an inundation of complimentary letters upon me. Yesterday I had one that would amuse you by the language of awe, veneration, and gratitude, etc., in which it abounds; and two or three days ago I had one from a little boy of eight years old. . . .

In several of these letters there is one thing which gratified me, viz. the frequent mention of the consolation which my poems have afforded the writers under affliction, and the calmness and elevation of mind which they have produced.

My paper is quite full. I hope you will see my dear daughter from time to time. To-morrow she goes to 10 Chester Place, to her friends the Coleridges.

I am not inclined to go to London this spring. Visiting, talking, late dinners, etc., are too hard work for me."

"Rydal Mount, March 27, 1840. MY DEAR MR. MOXON,- The sonnets upon Capital Punishment which I send you (of which I sent you no more, I believe, than four) are now eleven, I should not be sorry to put them into circulation, on account of the importance of the subject, if I knew how. I cannot print them in a magazine, for reasons you are aware of. -Ever yours,

W. WORDSWORTH."

"December 17, 1840.

DEAR MR. MOXON,of print. What do you say to reprinting it, in double column, stereotyped all but the pages, so that the same plates might serve hereafter, the paging being altered for the concluding part of the volume, when the whole shall be published in one?

You told me The Excursion was out

I have two motives for this: the one a desire to make the book acceptable to mechanics and others, who have little money to spare, and next to show from as many instances, with which this would concur, that books are as likely to be sold as cheap as they can be afforded, should the term of copyright be extended; and that, in fact, they could in that case be sold cheaper, since there being no dread of competition—editions might be larger, and would, of course, be sold at less price. Let me hear from you on this point at your early conveni-Sincerely yours, W. WORDSWORTH."

ence.

"March 4, 1841.

I have intrusted the looking over the six volumes * to Mr. Carter, who is much more able than myself to detect errors. He will have his papers ready to send off in a couple of days, and then the printing may commence.

By way of secret, I must let you know that I have just been copying out about 2000 lines of miscellaneous poems from MSS., some of which date so far back as 1793, and others from that time, at various periods, to the present day. If I could muster 1000 lines more, there would be enough for another volume, to match pretty well in size with the rest; but, this not being the case, I am rather averse to publication. You will hear more of this hereafter.† -Ever faithfully yours,

W. WORDSWORTH."

"October 2, 1841.

To gratify Haydon, I wrote lately a sonnet on his picture of Wellington, etc., and placed it at his disposal, either to publish, when and where he liked, or to circulate in MS. It was published accordingly, but with so many gross typographical blunders, that I am resolved nothing of mine shall make its first appearance in that way again."

*Of the edition of 1842.

It became the volume of Poems, chiefly of Early and Late Years, first published in 1842.

"November 5, 1841.

MY DEAR MR. MOXON,-... Mr. Aubrey de Vere is very much interested in the publication of a selection from my poems, but materially different in the choice from Mr. Hine's. What do you say to that? Dare you venture upon it? He has furnished me with a list according to his own choice. -Ever faithfully yours, W. WORDSWORTH."

"Dec. 24, 1841.

MY DEAR MR. MOXON,-The few words I have to say must be an expression of indignation at hearing that you were charged the enormous sum of £83 for corrections in carrying the six volumes through the press. I know not what check publishers have upon printers, and what is the course of practice as to charging for alterations. But sure I am that, in common justice, things ought not to go on in the way you have been treated; for I affirm upon the strength of my own memory, and upon a much better authority, that of Mr. Carter's young clerk, through whose hands passed my sheets of the six volumes, excepting a very few of the first volume,— that of the alterations very much the greatest part were caused by the inattention of the printers, to directions precisely given, or to their own gross blunders. It was, I own, a case that required particular attention, because the whole volume of the Yarrow Revisited was interwoven with the poems previously collected, and the arrangement was, for good reasons, in several instances, altered; but the directions given by Mr. Carter and myself were precise and distinct; and it is the first duty of a printer to attend to such directions. I am sorry to say there was a like carelessness shown in carrying the volume of Sonnets through the press. . . . I will here add, by-the-by, that being prompted to take leave of Italy in verse, I wrote lately six sonnets upon that suggestion, and have added eleven others, that partly rose out of the farewell. I should like