to get on in Trade in this Country, in which a generous Man with a scanty resource must be ruined. I would sooner he should till the ground than bow to a customer. There is no choice with him: he could not bring himself to the latter. I would not consent to his going alone; -no-but that objection is done away with: he will marry before he sets sail a young lady' he has known for several years, of a nature liberal and high-spirited enough to follow him to the banks of the Mississippi. He will set off in a month or six weeks, and you will see how I should wish to pass that time with him.—And then I must set out on a journey of my own. Brown and I are going a pedestrian tour through the north of England and Scotland as far as John o'Grot's. I have this morning such a lethargy that I cannot write. The reason of my delaying is oftentimes from this feeling,— I wait for a proper temper. Now you ask for an immediate answer, I do not like to wait even till to-morrow. However, I am now so depressed that I have not an idea to put to paper-my hand feels like lead-and yet it is an unpleasant numbness; it does not take away the pain of Existence. I don't know what to write.

Monday [1 Fune].-You see how I have delayed; and even now I have but a confused idea of what I should be about. My intellect must be in a degenerating state -it must be for when I should be writing about-God knows what I am troubling you with moods of my own mind, or rather body, for mind there is none. I am in that temper that if I were under water I would scarcely kick to come up to the top-I know very well 'tis all nonsense. In a short time I hope I shall be in a temper to feel sensibly your mention of my book. In vain have I waited till Monday to have any Interest in that, or any

1 Georgiana Augusta Wylie.

thing else. I feel no spur at my Brother's going to America, and am almost stony-hearted about his wedding. All this will blow over. All I am sorry for is having to write to you in such a time-but I cannot force my letters in a hotbed. I could not feel comfortable in making sentences for you. I am your debtorI must ever remain so-nor do I wish to be clear of any Rational debt: there is a comfort in throwing oneself on the charity of one's friends-'tis like the albatross sleeping on its wings. I will be to you wine in the cellar, and the more modestly, or rather, indolently, I retire into the backward bin, the more Falerne will I be at the drinking. There is one thing I must mention-my Brother talks of sailing in a fortnight-if so I will most probably be with you a week before I set out for Scotland. The middle of your first page should be sufficient to rouse me. What I said is true, and I have dreamt of your mention of it, and my not answering it has weighed on me since. If I come, I will bring your letter, and hear more fully your sentiments on one or two points. I will call about the Lectures at Taylor's, and at Little Britain, to-morrow. Yesterday I dined with Hazlitt, Barnes, and Wilkie, at Haydon's. The topic was the Duke of Wellingtonvery amusingly pro-and-con'd. Reynolds has been getting much better; and Rice may begin to crow, for he got a little so-so at a party of his, and was none the worse for it the next morning. I hope I shall soon see you, for we must have many new thoughts and feelings to analyse, and to discover whether a little more knowledge has not made us more ignorant.

Yours affectionately

John Keats

LVI.

To MISSES M. AND S. JEFFREY.

My dear Girls,

Hampstead, June 4th [1818].

I will not pretend to string a list of excuses together for not having written before-but must at once confess the indolence of my disposition, which makes a letter more formidable to me than a Pilgrimage. I am a fool in delay for the idea of neglect is an everlasting Knapsack which even now I have scarce power to hoist off. By the bye talking of everlasting Knapsacks I intend to make my fortune by them in case of a War (which you must consequently pray for) by contracting with Government for said materials to the economy of one branch of the Revenue. At all events a Tax which is taken from the people and shoulder'd upon the Military ought not to be snubb'd at. I promised to send you all the news. Harkee! The whole city corporation, with a deputation from the Fire Offices are now engaged at the London Coffee house in secret conclave concerning Saint Paul's Cathedral its being washed clean. Many interesting speeches have been demosthenized in said Coffee house as to the Cause of the black appearance of the said Cathedral. One of the veal-thigh Aldermen actually brought up three Witnesses to depose how they beheld the ci-devant fair Marble turn black on the tolling of the great Bell for the amiable and tea-tablelamented Princess-adding moreover that this sort of sympathy in inanimate objects was by no means uncommon for said the Gentleman "As we were once debating in the Common Hall Mr. Waithman in illustra

tion of some case in point quoted Peter Pindar, at which the head of George the third although in hard marble squinted over the Mayor's seat at the honorable speaker so oddly that he was obliged to sit down." However I will not tire you about these Affairs for they must be in your Newspapers by this time. You see how badly I have written these last three lines so I will remain here and take a pinch of snuff every five Minutes until my head becomes fit and proper and legitimately inclined to scribble-Oh! there's nothing like a pinch of snuff except perhaps a few trifles almost beneath a philosopher's dignity, such as a ripe Peach or a Kiss that one takes on a lease of 91 moments-on a buildling lease. Talking of that is the Capt" married yet, or rather married Miss Mitchel is she stony hearted enough to hold out this season? Has the Doctor given Miss Perryman a little love powder?-tell him to do so. It really would not be unamusing to see her languish a little-Oh she must be quite melting this hot Weather. Are the little Robins weaned yet? Do they walk alone? You have had a christening a top o' the tiles and a Hawk has stood God father and taken the little Brood under the Shadows of its Wings much in the way of Mother Church-a Cat too has very tender bowels in such pathetic Cases. They say we are all (that is our set) mad at Hampstead. There's George took unto himself a Wife a Week ago and will in a little time sail for America-and I with a friend am preparing for a four Months Walk all over the North-and belike Tom will not stop here he has been getting much better-Lord what a Journey I had and what a relief at the end of it-I'm sure I could not have stood it many more days. Hampstead is now in fine order. I suppose Teignmouth and the contagious country is now quite remarkable-you might praise it I dare say in the manner of a grammatical exercise-The trees

are full-the den' is crowded-the boats are sailing-the musick is playing. I wish you were here a little while -but lauk we haven't got any female friend in the house. Tom is taken for a Madman and I being somewhat stunted am taken for nothing-We lounge on the Walk opposite as you might on the Den-I hope the fine season will keep up your Mother's Spirits-she was used to be too much down hearted. No Women ought to be born into the world for they may not touch the bottle for shame-now a Man may creep into a bung hole-However this is a tale of a tub-however I like to play upon a pipe sitting upon a puncheon and intend to be so drawn in the frontispiece to my next book of Pastorals-My Brothers' respects and mine to your Mother and all our Loves to you.

Yours very sincerely

John Keats

P.S. has many significations-here it signifies Post Script-on the corner of a Handkerchef Polly Saunders -Upon a Garter Pretty Secret-Upon a Band Box Pin k Sattin-At the Theatre Princes Side-on a Pulpit. Parson's Snuffle-and at a Country Ale House Pail Sider.

The large open space between the sea and the houses facing

it is still called the Den.