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 . . . myself. . .' 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

1

John Keats

VII.

To GEORGE AND THOMAS KEATS.

My dear Brothers,

Tuesday Morn-[15 April 1817]. [Postmark, 16 April 1817.]

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 Lilly 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

I Original letter torn.

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 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-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 &c. have been pushing each other out of my Brain by turnsI have conned over every Head in Haydon's Pictureyou 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 allwhen 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 alland 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 content with this fac simile of the rough plan of Aunt Dinah's Counterpane.1

Your most affectionate Brother

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

1 The letter was "crossed," so as to resemble roughly a chessboard or a patch-work quilt.

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-from a little hill close by, the whole north 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 primroses, the 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