wish to avoid publishing-I admire Human Nature but I do not like Men. I should like to compose things honourable to Man-but not fingerable over by Men. So I am anxious to exist with[out] troubling the printer's devil or drawing upon Men's or Women's admirationin which great solitude I hope God will give me strength to rejoice. Try the long purses-but do not sell your drawing[s] or I shall consider it a breach of friendship. I am sorry I was not at home when Salmon' called. Do write and let me know all your present whys and wherefores. My dear Taylor To JOHN TAYLOR. Wentworth Place [24 Dec. 1818.] Can you lend me £30 for a short time? Ten I want for myself—and twenty for a friend—which will be repaid me by the middle of next month. I shall go to Chichester on Wednesday and perhaps stay a fortnight —I am afraid I shall not be able to dine with you before I return. Remember me to Woodhouse. My dear Fanny, LXXXVII. To FANNY KEATS. Wentworth Place, Wednesday. [Postmark, 31 December 1818.] I am confined at Hampstead with a sore throat; but I do not expect it will keep me above two or three days. I intended to have been in Town yesterday but feel obliged to be careful a little while. I am in general so careless of these trifles, that they teaze me for Months, when a few days care is all that is necessary. I shall not neglect any chance of an endeavour to let you return to School-nor to procure you a Visit to Mrs. Dilke's which I have great fears about. Write me if you can find time—and also get a few lines ready for George as the Post sails next Wednesday. Your affectionate Brother John LXXXVIII. To BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON. My dear Haydon, Wentworth Place. [2 January 1819?] I had an engagement to-day-and it is so fine a morning that I cannot put it off-I will be with you to-morrow-when we will thank the Gods, though you have bad eyes and I am idle. I regret more than anything the not being able to dine with you to-day. I have had several movements that way-but then I should disappoint one who has been my true friend. I will be with you to-morrow God bless you J. Keats LXXXIX. To GEORGE AND GEORGIANA KEATS. My dear Brother and Sister, [1818-19.'] You will have been prepared before this reaches you for the worst news you could have, nay, if Haslam's letter arrives in proper time, I have a consolation in thinking that the first shock will be past before you receive this. The last days of poor Tom were of the most distressing nature; but his last moments were not so painful, and his very last was without a pang.. I will not enter into any parsonic comments on death—yet the common observations of the commonest people on death V mortality of some nature or other-neither had Tom. are true as their proverbs. I have scarce a doubt of imMy friends have been exceedingly kind to me every one of them-Brown detained me at his House. I suppose no one could have had their time made smoother than mine has been. During poor Tom's illness I was not able to write and since his death the task of beginning has been a hindrance to me. have been everywhere-and I will tell you as nearly as possible how all go on. With Dilke and Brown I am quite thick-with Brown indeed I am going to domesticate, that is, we shall keep house together. I shall have Within this last Week I This letter must have been begun early in the latter half of December 1818, and finished on the 4th of January 1819. the front parlour and he the back one, by which I shall avoid the noise of Bentley's Children—and be the better able to go on with my studies-which have been greatly interrupted lately, so that I have not the shadow of an idea of a book in my head, and my pen seems to have grown too gouty for verse. How are you going on now? The goings on of the world makes me dizzy. There you are with Birkbeck-here I am with Brown-sometimes I fancy an immense separation, and sometimes as at present, a direct communication of Spirit with you. That will be one of the grandeurs of immortality. There will be no space, and consequently the only commerce between spirits will be by their intelligence of each other-when they will completely understand each other, while we in this world merely comprehend each other in different degrees the higher the degree of good so higher is our Love and Friendship. I have been so little used to writing lately that I am afraid you will not smoke my meaning so I will give an example. Suppose Brown or Haslam or any one whom I understand in the next degree to what I do you, were in America, they would be so much the farther from me in proportion as their identity was less impressed upon me. Now the reason why I do not feel at the present moment so far from you is that I remember your Ways and Manners and actions; I know your manner of thinking, your manner of feeling; I know what shape your joy or your sorrow would take; I know the manner of you walking, standing, sauntering, sitting down, laughing, punning, and every action so truly that you seem near to me. You will remember me in the same manner—and the more when I tell you that I shall read a passage of Shakespeare every Sunday at ten o'clock-you read one at the same time, and we shall be as near each other as blind bodies can be in the same room. I saw your Mother the day before yesterday, and intend now frequently to pass half a day with her-she seem'd tolerably well. I called in Henrietta Street and so was speaking with your Mother about Miss Millar-we had a chat about Heiresses-she told me I think of 7 or eight dying Swains. Charles was not at home. I think I have heard a little more talk about Miss Keasle—all I know of her is she had a new sort of shoe on of bright leather like our Knapsacks. Miss Millar gave me one of her confounded pinches. N. B. did not like it. Mrs. Dilke went with me to see Fanny last week, and Haslam went with me last Sunday. She was well-she gets a little plumper and had a little Colour. On Sunday I brought from her a present of facescreens and a work bag for Mrs. D.-they were really very pretty. From Walthamstow we walked to Bethnal green-where I felt so tired from my long walk that I was obliged to go to Bed at ten. Mr. and Mrs. Keasle were there. Haslam has been excessively kind, and his anxiety about you is great; I never meet him but we have some chat thereon. He is always doing me some good turn-he gave me this thin paper for the purpose of writing to you. I have been passing an hour this morning with Mr. Lewis-he wants news of you very much. Haydon was here yesterday-he amused us much by speaking of young Hoppner who went with Capt" Ross on a voyage of discovery to the Poles. The Ship was sometimes entirely surrounded with vast mountains and crags of ice, and in a few Minutes not a particle was to be seen all round the Horizon. Once they met with so vast a Mass that they gave themselves over for lost; their last recourse was in meeting it with the Bowsprit, which they did, and split it asunder and glided through it as it parted, for a great distance— one Mile and more. Their eyes were so fatigued with the eternal dazzle and whiteness that they lay down on |