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LETTERS OF JOHN KEATS

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HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS

I. TO CHARLES COWDEN CLARKE.

[London, October 31, 1816.]

MY DAINTIE DAVIE-I will be as punctual as the Bee to the Clover. Very glad am I at the thoughts of seeing so soon this glorious Haydon and all his creation. I pray thee let me know when you go to Ollier's and where he resides—this I forgot to ask you-and tell me also when you will help me waste a sullen day-God 'ield you 1. J. K.

II. TO BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.

[London,] November 20, 1816.

My dear Sir-Last evening wrought me up, and I cannot forbear sending you the following

Yours unfeignedly,

Removed to 76 Cheapside.

JOHN KEATS.

1 The early letters of Keats are full of these Shakspearean tags and allusions: some of the less familiar I have thought it worth while to mark in the footnotes.

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Great spirits now on earth are sojourning;
He of the cloud, the cataract, the lake,
Who on Helvellyn's summit, wide awake,
Catches his freshness from Archangel's wing:
He of the rose, the violet, the spring,

The social smile, the chain for Freedom's sake:
And lo!-whose stedfastness would never take
A meaner sound than Raphael's whispering.
And other spirits there are standing apart
Upon the forehead of the age to come;
These, these will give the world another heart,
And other pulses. Hear ye not the hum
Of mighty workings in the human mart?
Listen awhile ye nations, and be dumb.1

1II. TO BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.

[London,] Thursday afternoon, November 20, 1816.

My dear Sir-Your letter has filled me with a proud pleasure, and shall be kept by me as a stimulus to exertion-I begin to fix my eye upon one horizon. My feelings entirely fall in with yours in regard to the Ellipsis, and I glory in it. The Idea of your sending it to Wordsworth put me out of breath-you know with what Reverence I would send my Well-wishes to him. Yours sincerely JOHN KEATS.

IV. TO CHARLES COWDEN CLARKE.

[London,] Tuesday [December 17, 1816]. My dear Charles-You may now look at Minerva's Ægis with impunity, seeing that my awful Visage 2 did not turn you into a John Doree. You have accordingly a legitimate title to a Copy-I will use my interest to procure it for you. I'll tell you what-I met Reynolds at Haydon's a few mornings since he promised to be with me this Evening and Yesterday I had the same

1 The references are of course to Wordsworth, Leigh Hunt, and Haydon. In the sonnet as printed in the Poems of 1817, and all later editions, the last line but one breaks off at "workings," the words "in the human mart" having been omitted by Haydon's advice. 2 Presumably as shown in some drawing or miniature.

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 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 MindMem. 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.

V. TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS.

[London,] Sunday Evening [March 2, 1817 ?].2

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 Sisters. Yours most sincerely JOHN KEATS.

1 Not the long poem published under that title in 1818, but the earlier attempt beginning, "I stood tiptoe upon a little hill," which was printed as a fragment in the Poems of 1817.

2 This letter, which is marked by Woodhouse in his copy "no date, sent by hand," I take to be an answer to the commendatory sonnet addressed by Reynolds to Keats on February 27, 1817: see Keats (Men of Letters Series), Appendix, p. 223.

VI. TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS.

[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 sofas-Banish Wine-Banish Music; but right Jack Health, honest Jack Health, true Jack Health- Banish health and banish all the world. I must . . . if I come this evening, I shall horribly commit myself elsewhere. So I will send my excuses to them and Mrs. Dilke by my brothers.

Your sincere friend

JOHN KEATS.

VII. TO GEORGE AND THOMAS KEATS.

[Southampton,] Tuesday Morn [April 15, 1817].

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 Pondsthen 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-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. Stonelopped 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."1 I went immediately after Breakfast to Southampton Water where I enquired for the Boat to the Isle of Wight as I intend seeing that place before I settle it will go at 3, so shall I after having taken a Chop.

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I know nothing of this place but that it is long tolerably broad-has bye streets two or three Churches—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-some 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 Picture—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

1 For Stephano's "Here's my comfort," twice in Tempest, II. ii.

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