Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey

J >> Joseph Cottle >> Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey

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[39] Mrs. Newton, Chatterton's sister, had complained to me of the
dishonorable conduct of a gentleman, who, some years prior, had called on
her, expressing an enthusiastic admiration of her brother's genius, and
requesting the melancholy pleasure of seeing all the letters, then in her
and her mother's possession. The gentleman appeared quite affected when
he saw her brother's writings, and begged to be allowed to take them to
his inn, that he might read them at leisure; the voice of sympathy
disarmed suspicion, and the timely present of a guinea and a half induced
them to trust him with the MSS., under the promise of their being
returned in half an hour. They were never restored, and some months
afterwards the whole were incorporated and published in a pamphlet,
entitled "Love and Madness," by Mr. Herbert Croft. Mrs. Chatterton felt
the grievous wrong that had been done her by this publication for the
benefit of another, as she often received presents from strangers who
called to see her son's writings; she remonstrated with Mr. Croft on the
subject, and received L10 with expressions of his regard.

Here the affair rested, till 1796, when Mrs. Newton was advised to write
to Mr. Croft, for further remuneration. To this letter, no answer was
returned. Mrs. N. then wrote again, intimating that, acting by the advice
of some respectable friends, if no attention was paid to this letter,
some public notice would he taken of the manner in which he had obtained
her brother's papers. Upon this he replied, "The sort of threatening
letter which Mrs. Newton's is, will never succeed with me ... but if the
clergyman of the parish will do me the favour to write me word, through
Mrs. Newton, what Chatterton's relations consist of, and, _what
characters they bear!_ I will try by everything in my power, to serve
them; yet certainly not, if any of them pretend to have the smallest
_claim_ upon me."

During Mr. Southey's residence in Bristol, I informed him of this
discreditable affair, and accompanied him to Mrs. Newton, who confirmed
the whole of the preceding statement. We inquired if she still possessed
any writings of her brother's? Her reply was, "Nothing. Mr. Croft had
them all," with the exception of one precious relic of no value as a
publication, which she meant to retain till death.--The identical pocket
book, which Chatterton took with him to London, and in which he had
entered his cash account while there, with a list of his political
letters to the Lord Mayor, and the first personages in the laud. I now
wrote to Mr. Croft, pointing out Mrs. Newton's reasonable chums, and
urging him, by a timely concession, to prevent that publicity which,
otherwise, would follow. I received no answer. Mr. Southey then
determined to print by subscription, all Chatterton's works, including
those ascribed to Rowley, for the benefit of Mrs. Newton and her
daughter. He sent "Proposals" to the Monthly Magazine, in which he
detailed the whole case between Mrs. Newton and Mr. Croft, and published
their respective letters. The public sympathized rightly on the occasion,
for a handsome subscription followed. Mr. Croft, at that time resided at
Copenhagen, when having heard of Mr. S.'s exposure, he published a
pamphlet, with the following title.

"Chatterton, and Love and Madness. A Letter from Denmark, respecting an
unprovoked attack made upon the writer, during his absence from England,
&c." By the Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, Bart. In this he says:--

"I cannot be expected, by any man of honour! or feeling, to descend to
answer a scurrilous person, signing himself Robert Southey.

"I have ever reverenced the little finger of Chatterton, more than Mr.
Southey knows how to respect the poor boy's whole body.

"I learn so much of Mr. Southey's justice from his abuse, that I should
be ashamed of myself, were this person ever to disgrace me by his praise;
which might happen, did he wish to gain money, or fame! by becoming the
officious editor of MY WORKS!

"Innocence would less often fall a prey to villany, if it boldly met the
whole of a nefarious accusation!

"The great Mr. Southey writes prose somewhat like bad poetry, and poetry
somewhat like bad prose.

"Chatterton was the glory of that Bristol which I hope Mr. S. will not
farther disgrace.

"Mr. Southey, not content with trying to 'filch from me my good name,' in
order to enrich himself, (conduct agreeable enough to what I have heard
of BRISTOL Pantisocracy,) but condescends to steal from me my humble
prose!" &c. &c.

This edition of Chatterton's works was published in three volumes, 8vo.
during a ten months' residence of mine, in London, in the year 1802. Mr.
Southey allowed me to make what observations I thought proper in the
course of the work, provided that I affixed to them my initials; and,
with the generosity which was natural to him, thus wrote in the preface:
"The editors (for so much of the business has devolved on Mr. Cottle,
that the plural term is necessary) have to acknowledge," &c. &c. "They
have felt peculiar pleasure, as natives of the same city, in performing
this act of justice to Chatterton's fame, and to the interests of his
family."

The result of our labours was, that Mrs. Newton, received more than three
hundred pounds, as the produce of her brother's works. This money
rendered comfortable the last days of herself and daughter, and Mr
Southey and myself derived no common satisfaction in having contributed
to so desirable an end.

In this edition Mr. Southey arranged all the old materials, and the
consideration of the authenticity of Rowley, I regret to say, devolved
exclusively on me. Mr. S. would doubtless have been more successful in
his investigations at the Bristol Museum and Herald's College than
myself. I however did not spare my best efforts, and was greatly assisted
by the late Mr. Haslewood, who had collected one copy of every work that
had been published in the Controversy. And as I had obtained much new
documentary evidence since that period, besides knowing many of
Chatterton's personal friends, I condensed the arguments in his favor
into four essays, distinguished by the initials, "J. C."

In the year 1829, having received still an accession of fresh matter, I
enlarged these Essays, and printed them in the fourth edition of "Malvern
Hills, Poems, and Essays." I thought the subject worthy a full
discussion, and final settlement; and to this point I believe it now to
be brought.

Higher authority than that of Mr. Wordsworth could hardly be adduced, who
on being presented by me with a copy of the above work thus replied,

"My dear sir,

I received yesterday, through the hands of Mr. Southey, a very agreeable
mark of your regard, in a present of two volumes of your miscellaneous
works, for which accept my sincere thanks. I have read a good deal of
your volumes with much pleasure, and, in particular, the 'Malvern Hills,'
which I found greatly improved. I have also read the 'Monody on
Henderson,' both favorites of mine. And I have renewed my acquaintance
with your observations on Chatterton, which I always thought very highly
of, _as being conclusive on the subject of the forgery_....

With many thanks, I remain, my dear Mr. Cottle,

Your old and affectionate friend,

William Wordsworth.

Patterdale, August 2nd, 1829."

[40] War, a Fragment.

[41] John the Baptist, a Poem.

[42] Monody on John Henderson.

[43] Miss Sarah Fricker, afterwards, Mrs. Coleridge.

[44] Relating to these Sonnets, chiefly satirising himself, Mr. C. has
said, in his "Biographia;" "So general at that time, and so decided was
the opinion concerning the characteristic vices of my style, that a
celebrated physician, (Dr. Beddoes) speaking of me, in other respects,
with his usual kindness, to a gentleman who was about to meet me at a
dinner party, could not however resist giving him a hint not to mention,
in my presence, 'The House that Jack Built' for that I was as sore as a
boil about that sonnet, he not knowing that I myself was the author of
it."

Mr. Coleridge had a singular taste for satirising himself. He has spoken
of another ludicrous consequence arising out of this indulgence.

"An amateur performer in verse, expressed to a common friend, a strong
desire to be introduced to me, but hesitated in accepting my friend's
immediate offer, on the score that 'he was, he must acknowledge, the
author of a confounded severe epigram on Mr. C.'s 'Ancient Mariner,'
which had given him great pain.' I assured my friend, that if the epigram
was a good one, it would only increase my desire to become acquainted
with the author, and begged to hear it recited; when, to my no less
surprise than amusement, it proved to be one which I had myself, sometime
before, written and inserted in the Morning Post."

TO THE AUTHOR OF THE ANCIENT MARINER.

Your Poem must eternal be,
Dear Sir, it cannot fail,
For 'tis incomprehensible,
And without head or tail."

[45] The motto was the following:

Duplex nobis vinculum, et amicitae et similium junctarumque Camoenarum;
quod utinam neque mors solvat, neque temporis longinquitas!--_Groscoll.
Epist. ad Car. Utenhov. et Ptol. Lux. Tast._

[46] Eminent writers, particularly poets, should ever remember, they
wield a mighty engine for evil or for good. An author, like Mr.
Coleridge, may confidently talk of consigning to "pitch black oblivion,"
writings which he deems immoral, or calculated to disparage his genius;
but on works once given to the world, the public lay too tenacious a
hold, to consult even the wishes of writers themselves. Improve they may,
but withdraw they cannot! So much the more is circumspection required.

[47] Chemical Lectures, by Dr. Beddoes, delivered at the Red Lodge.

[48] A portrait of Mr. Wordsworth, correctly and beautifully executed, by
an artist then at Stowey; now in my possession.

[49]Joan of Arc, 4to. first edition, had twenty lines in a page.

[50] Did the report of the "still," in the former page, originate in this
broken bottle of brandy?

[51] "Robert Southey and Edith Pricker were married, in St. Mary
Redcliffe Church, in the City of Bristol, the 14th day of November, 1795,
as appears by the Register of the Parish.

George Campbell, Curate.

Witnesses--Joseph Cottle, Sarah Cottle."

[52] At the instant Mr. Southey was about to set off on his travels, I
observed he had no stick, and lent him a stout holly of my own. In the
next year, on his return to Bristol, "Here" said Mr. S. "Here is the
holly you were kind enough to lend me!"--I have since then looked with
additional respect on my old igneous traveller, and remitted a portion of
his accustomed labour. It was a source of some amusement, when, in
November of 1836, Mr. Southey, in his journey to the West, to my great
gratification, spent a few days with me, and in talking of Spain and
Portugal, I showed him his companion, the Old Holly! Though somewhat bent
with age, the servant (after an interval of forty years) was immediately
recognised by his master, and with an additional interest, as this stick,
he thought, on one occasion, had been the means of saving his purse, if
not his life, from the sight of so efficient an instrument of defence
having intimidated a Spanish robber.

[53] See page 32 [Paragraph starting with "The deepest sorrow often
admits...." Transcriber.].

[54] During the French war, Spanish dollars received the impression of
the King's head, and then passed as the current coin at 4s 6d.

[55] Dr. Hunter, translated St. Pierre.

[56] Dr. Gregory's life was prefixed entire the collection of
Chatterton's works, 8 vols. 8vo. Mr. Southey never fulfilled his
intention of writing a life Shatterton. The able review of this week, in
the Edinburgh was written by Sir Walter Scott.

[57] It was not true, but a vain fancy; causelessly entertained, by, at
least, four other ladies, under the same delusion as Miss. W.

[58] On visiting Mr. Southey, at Christ-Church, he introduced to me this
Mr. Rickman, whom I found sensible enough, and blunt enough, and
seditions enough; that is, simply anti-ministerial. The celebrated Sir G.
Rose, had his seat in the vicinity. Sir George was a sort of King of the
district. He was also Colonel of a regiment of volunteers. Mr. Rickman
told me that the great man had recently made a feast for the officers of
his regiment, about a dozen of them, the substantial yeomen of the
neighbourhood. After the usual bumper had uproariously been offered to
the "King and Constitution; and confusion to all Jacobins," the Colonel,
Sir G. called on the Lieutenant-Colonel, after the glasses were duly
charged, for a lady-toast. "I'll give you," he replied, "Lady Rose." This
being received with all honours, the Major was now applied to for his
lady-toast "I can't mend it," he replied, "I'll give Lady Rose." A
Captain was now called on; said he, "I am sure I can't mend it, Lady
Rose." So that the whole of these military heroes, concurred in drinking
good Lady Rose's health.

One of the officers, it appeared, was a bit of a poet, and had composed a
choice song for this festive occasion, and which was sung in grand
chorus, the Right Honourable Colonel himself, heartily joining. The whole
ditty was supremely ludicrous. I remember only the last verse.

"Sir George Rose is our Commander,
He's as great as Alexander;
He'll never flinch, nor stir back an inch,
He loves fire like a Salamander.

CHORUS--He loves fire like a Salamander."

[59] Walter Savage Landor.

[60] The character of Exeter has been completely changed since the period
when this letter was written; and from a town, the least attractive, for
improvements of every description it may now vie with any town in
England.

[61] Mr. Southey paid this second visit to Lisbon, accompanied by Mrs.
Southey.

[62] By comparing Mr. Cattcott's copy with the original, it appeared that
Mr. C. had very generally altered the orthography so as to give the
appearance of greater antiquity, as 'lette' or 'let,' and 'onne' for
'on,' &c.

[63] The home of an 'Ap (son of) Griffiths, ap Jones, ap Owen, ap
Thomas.' Some of the old Welsh families carry their Apping pedigrees down
to Noah, when the progress is easy to Adam. Mr. Coleridge noticed how
little diversity there was in the Welsh names. Thus in the list of
subscribers to 'Owen's Welsh Dictionary,' to which none but Welshmen
would subscribe, he found of

The letter D, of 31 names, 21 were Davis or Davies
E, 30 16 ... ... Evans
G, 30 two-thirds ... ... Griffiths
H, all Hughes and Howell
I, 66 all ... ... Jones
L, all Lloyds, except 4 Lewises, and 1 Llewellyn
M, four-fiths ... ... Morgans
O, all ... ... Owen
R, all Roberts, or Richards
T, all ... ... Thomases
V, all ... ... Vaughans
W, 64 56 ... ... Williams

Mr. Southey felt great satisfaction when he had found a house in Wales
that exactly suited him. It was half way up one of the Glamorganshire
mountains; well wooded; the immediate scenery fine; the prospect
magnificent. The rent was approved, the time of entrance arranged, when,
before the final settlement, Mr. S. thought, on a second survey, that a
small additional kitchen was essential to the comfort of the house, and
required it of the proprietor, preparatory to his taking a lease. To so
reasonable a request the honest Welshman stoutly objected; and on this
slight occurrence, depended whether the Laurent should take up, perhaps,
his permanent residence in the Principality, or wend his way northward,
and spend the last thirty years of his life in sight of Skiddaw.

[64] Wm. Churchey was a very honest worthy lawyer, of Brecon, who
unfortunately adopted the notion that he was a poet, and to substantiate
his claim published the most remarkable book the world ever saw! It was a
poem called 'Joseph,' with other poems, in 4to, and of a magnitude really
awful! a mountain among the puny race of modern books. The only copy I
ever saw was af an old book stall, and I have regretted that I did not
purchase it, and get some stout porter to carry it home. Wm. Churchey was
a friend of John Wesley. His prodigious 4to was published by
subscription, and given away at the paltry sum of one guinea. I have an
autograph letter of John Wesley, to his friend Churchey, in which he
says,

"My dear brother,

... I have procured one hundred guineas, and hope to procure fifty more.

John Wesley."

Mr. Churchey's pamphlet is thus entitled, "An Apology, by Wm. Churchey,
for his public appearance as a Poet. Printed at Trevecca, Breconshire, by
Hughes and Co., 1805; and sold by the author, at Brecon, price 6d."

The first paragraph in the 'Apology,' begins thus, the italics the
author's own.

"The author has been ostracised from Parnassus by some tribe of the
critics on his former work of _Weight_, if not _Merit_, one set of whom
--the most ancient, the wisest of them all--condemned it in the _lump_. A
whole volume of ten thousand lines, in _one_ paragraph of their _Monthly
Catalogue_, for which they were _paid--nothing!_ without quoting _one_
line! Whereas a _score (!)_ out of some idle _sonnet_, or some
_wire-drawn_ Cibberian ode, shall be _held up_ out of the _mud_ with a
placid grin of applause. The author _has_ forgiven them, and keeps,
therefore, the _name_ of their pamphlet in the back ground, in the
_charitable_ hope of their having fifteen years ago, _repented_ of that
_injustice_' This ponderous work however, to which the author alludes,
was his 'Poems and Imitations of the British Poets, in one _large_ vol.
in 4to, price only L1 1s. on _excellent_ paper and print! The same price
as even 'Jeffrey Gambado's _Gambol of Horsemanship_' went off as current,
at the same time. He _out-jockied_ me; I always was a bad Horseman." &c.,
&c.

As illustrating one of the extreme points of human nature, I may casually
mention that, after Mr. Churchey's death, which soon succeeded the
issuing of his 'Apology,' from understanding that his widow was in
straitened circumstances, and meeting with a gentleman who was going to
Brecon, I requested the favour of him to convey to her a guinea, as a
small present. A week after, I received a letter from the widow, thanking
me for my kind remembrance, but she said that she was not benefited by
it, as Mr. ---- said to her, 'This is a guinea, sent to you from Mr.
Cottle, of Bristol, but as your husband owed me money, I shall carry it
to the credit of his account'; when, buttoning his pocket, he walked
away.' I immediately sent another guinea, and requested her not to name
so disreputable an action, in one, from whom I had hoped better conduct.
This gentleman, till the period of his death, twenty years after, always
shunned me! At the time the abstraction took place, he was a wealthy man,
and kept his carriage; but from that time he declined in prosperity, and
died in indigence.

[65] In a better sent to me by Mr. Foster, dated June 22, 1843, he thus
explains the mysterious circumstances, relating to the publication of
"Wat Tyler."

"My dear sir,

... I wonder if Mr. Southey ever did get at the secret history of that
affair. The story as I heard it was, that Southey visited Winterbottom in
prison, and just as a token of kindness, gave him the M.S. of 'Wat
Tyler.' It was no fault of Winterbottom that it was published. On a visit
to some friends at Worcester, he had the piece with him; meaning I
suppose, to afford them a little amusement, at Southey's expense, he
being held in great reproach, even contempt, as a turn-coat. At the
house where Winterbottom was visiting, two persons, keeping the piece in
their reach at bed-time, sat up all night transcribing it, of course
giving him no hint of the manoeuvre. This information I had from one of
the two operators....

[66] Poor John Morgan was the only child of a retired spirit merchant of
Bristol, who left him a handsome independence. He was a worthy
kind-hearted man, possessed of more than an average of reading and good
sense; generally respected, and of unpresuming manners. He was a great
friend and admirer of Mr. Coleridge; deploring his habits, and labouring
to correct them. Except Mr. Gillman, there was no individual, with whom
Mr. Coleridge lived gratuitously so much, during Mr. M's. residence in
London, extending to a domestication of several years. When Mr. Morgan
removed to Calne, in Wiltshire, for a long time, he gave Mr. C. an
asylum, and till his affairs, through the treachery of others, became
involved, Mr. Coleridge, through him, never wanted a home. That so
worthy, and generous a minded man should have been thus reduced, or
rather ruined in his circumstances, was much deplored by all who knew
him, and marked the instability of human possessions and prospects, often
little expected by industrious parents.

[67] A large collection of animal bones, many of them in fossil state,
consisting of the jaws and other bones, of tigers, hyenas, wolves, foxes,
the horse, the bos, &c., the whole obtained by me, in the year 1822, from
the Oreston caves, near Plymouth. The number of bones amounted to nearly
two thousand. Many of the specimens were lent to Professor Buckland, to
get engraved, for a new geological work of his. The major part of the
collection I presented to the Bristol Philosophical Institution.

[68] The decrease of the remarkable young lady, Sarah Saunders, my niece,
to whom the later Mr. Foster addressed a series of letters, during her
illness. These letters are printed in Mr. F's. "Life and Correspondence."

[69] LIST OF ARTICLES WRITTEN BY ROBERT SOUTHEY IN THE QUARTERLY REVIEW,
TO APRIL, 1825.

No.

1 Baptist Mission in India

2 Portuguese Literature

3 South Sea Missions

-- Lord Valentia's Travels

4 American Annals

5 Life of Nelson

6 Season at Tongataboo

-- Graham's Georgics

7 Observador Portuguez

8 Feroe Islands

-- On the Evangelical Sects

11 Bell and Lancaster

12 The Inquisition

-- Montgomery's Poems

13 Iceland

14 French Revolutionists

15 Count Julian

-- Calamities of Authors

16 Manufacturing system and the Poor

19 Bogue and Bennett's History of the Dissenters

21 Nicobar Islands

-- Montgomery's World before the Flood

22 23 British Poets

23 Oriental Memoirs

24 Lewis and Clark's Travels

-- Barre Roberts

25 Miot's Expedition to Egypt

25 Life of Wellington

26 do. do.

28 Alfieri

29 Me. La Roche Jacqueline

-- The Poor

30 Ali Bey's Travels

-- Foreign Travellers in England

31 Parliamentary Reform

32 Porter's Travels

-- Rise and Progress of Disaffection

33 Tonga Islands

35 Lope de Vega

37 Evelyn on the means of Improving the People

41 Copy-Right Act

42 Cemeteries

43 Monastic Institutions

45 Life of Marlborough

46 New Churches

48 Life of Wm. Huntington, S.S.

50 Life of Cromwell

52 Dobrizhoffer

53 Camoens

55 Gregorie's Religious Sects

56 Infidelity

57 Burnett's Own Times

59 Dwight's Travels

62 Hayley

-- Mrs. Baillie's Lisbon

Mr. Southey expressed an intention of sending me a list of all his
remaining papers, in the "Quarterly," which intention was not fulfilled.
Presuming on the accuracy of the present list, from Mr. S. himself, there
must be some mistakes in the account of Mr. Southey's contributions, as
stated in that old and valuable periodical, the "Gentleman's Magazine,"
for 1844 and 1845.

[70] Every effort was made by me both by advertising and inquiry, but no
tidings of the first edition of Bunyan could be obtained in these parts.
Very recently I learnt that the first edition had been discovered, and
that the particulars might be learned of E. B. Underhill, Esq., Newmarket
House, near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. Upon my writing to this
gentleman he politely favoured me with the following gratifying reply.

"Feb. 27, 1847.

Dear Sir,

In answer to your inquiry, the first edition of the first part of the
Pilgrim's Progress is the property of J. S. Holford, Esq., a gentleman of
large possessions in this county. It was first made known I believe, by
the Art Union, that this unique volume was in existence. Some time last
summer I applied to Mr. H. for liberty to inspect it, and if agreeable to
him, to reprint it. This he at once most liberally granted, and at the
request of the council of the Hanserd Knollys' Society, George Offer,
Esq., one of our members undertook the task of editor. The book is in a
high state of preservation; both the paper and binding being as fresh as
they left the hands of the binder. Mr. Offer has most laboriously
collated it with subsequent editions, and has found many curious and
singular discrepancies.

I remain, yours most truly,

Edwd. B. Underhill.

Jos. Cottle."

In this publication will be found all the desired information on this
interesting subject.

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