Letters of John Keats to His Family and Friends Part 30

Did not Mrs. A. sport her Carriage and one? They really surprised me with super civility--how did Mrs. A. manage it? How is the old tadpole gardener and little Master next door? it is to be hop'd they will both die some of these days. Not having been to Town I have not heard whether Mr. A.

purposes to retire from business. Do let me know if you have heard anything more about it. If he should not I shall be very disappointed. If any one deserves to be put to his s.h.i.+fts it is that Hodgkinson--as for the other he would live a long time upon his fat and be none the worse for a good long lent. How came miledi to give one Lisbon wine--had she drained the Gooseberry? Truly I cannot delay making another visit--asked to take Lunch, whether I will have ale, wine, take sugar,--objection to green--like cream--thin bread and b.u.t.ter--another cup--agreeable--enough sugar--little more cream--too weak--12 s.h.i.+llin etc. etc. etc.--Lord I must come again. We are just going to Dinner I must must[101] with this to the Post----

Your affectionate Brother

JOHN ----.

CIII.--TO JAMES ELMES.

Wentworth Place, Hampstead [June 12, 1819].

Sir--I did not see your Note till this Sat.u.r.day evening, or I should have answered it sooner--However as it happens I have but just received the Book which contains the only copy of the verses in question.[102] I have asked for it repeatedly ever since I promised Mr. Haydon and could not help the delay; which I regret. The verses can be struck out in no time, and will I hope be quite in time. If you think it at all necessary a proof may be forwarded; but as I shall transcribe it fairly perhaps there may be no need.

I am, Sir, your obed{t} Serv{t}

JOHN KEATS.

CIV.--TO f.a.n.n.y KEATS.

Wentworth Place, [June 14, 1819].

My dear f.a.n.n.y--I cannot be with you to-day for two reasons--1{ly} I have my sore-throat coming again to prevent my walking. 2{ly} I do not happen just at present to be flush of silver so that I might ride. To-morrow I am engaged--but the day after you shall see me. Mr. Brown is waiting for me as we are going to Town together, so good-bye.

Your affectionate Brother

JOHN.

CV.--TO f.a.n.n.y KEATS.

Wentworth Place [June 16, 1819].

My dear f.a.n.n.y--Still I cannot afford to spend money by Coachhire and still my throat is not well enough to warrant my walking. I went yesterday to ask Mr. Abbey for some money; but I could not on account of a Letter he showed me from my Aunt's solicitor. You do not understand the business. I trust it will not in the end be detrimental to you. I am going to try the Press once more, and to that end shall retire to live cheaply in the country and compose myself and verses as well as I can. I have very good friends ready to help me--and I am the more bound to be careful of the money they lend me. It will all be well in the course of a year I hope. I am confident of it, so do not let it trouble you at all. Mr. Abbey showed me a Letter he had received from George containing the news of the birth of a Niece for us--and all doing well--he said he would take it to you--so I suppose to-day you will see it. I was preparing to enquire for a situation with an apothecary, but Mr. Brown persuades me to try the press once more; so I will with all my industry and ability. Mr. Rice a friend of mine in ill health has proposed retiring to the back of the Isle of Wight--which I hope will be cheap in the summer--I am sure it will in the winter. Thence you shall frequently hear from me and in the Letters I will copy those lines I may write which will be most pleasing to you in the confidence you will show them to no one. I have not run quite aground yet I hope, having written this morning to several people to whom I have lent money requesting repayment. I shall henceforth shake off my indolent fits, and among other reformation be more diligent in writing to you, and mind you always answer me. I shall be obliged to go out of town on Sat.u.r.day and shall have no money till to-morrow, so I am very sorry to think I shall not be able to come to Walthamstow. The Head Mr. Severn did of me is now too dear, but here inclosed is a very capital Profile done by Mr. Brown. I will write again on Monday or Tuesday--Mr. and Mrs. Dilke are well.

Your affectionate Brother

JOHN ----.

CVI.--TO BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.

Wentworth Place.

Thursday Morning [June 17, 1819].

My dear Haydon--I know you will not be prepared for this, because your Pocket must needs be very low having been at ebb tide so long: but what can I do? mine is lower. I was the day before yesterday much in want of Money: but some news I had yesterday has driven me into necessity. I went to Abbey's for some Cash, and he put into my hand a letter from my Aunt's Solicitor containing the pleasant information that she was about to file a Bill in Chancery against us. Now in case of a defeat Abbey will be very undeservedly in the wrong box; so I could not ask him for any more money, nor can I till the affair is decided; and if it goes against him I must in conscience make over to him what little he may have remaining. My purpose is now to make one more attempt in the Press--if that fail, "ye hear no more of me" as Chaucer says. Brown has lent me some money for the present.

Do borrow or beg somehow what you can for me. Do not suppose I am at all uncomfortable about the matter in any other way than as it forces me to apply to the needy. I could not send you those lines, for I could not get the only copy of them before last Sat.u.r.day evening. I sent them Mr. Elmes on Monday. I saw Monkhouse on Sunday--he told me you were getting on with the Picture. I would have come over to you to-day, but I am fully employed.

Yours ever sincerely

JOHN KEATS.

CVII.--TO f.a.n.n.y KEATS.

Shanklin, Isle of Wight, Tuesday, July 6.

My dear f.a.n.n.y--I have just received another Letter from George--full of as good news as we can expect. I cannot inclose it to you as I could wish because it contains matters of Business to which I must for a Week to come have an immediate reference. I think I told you the purpose for which I retired to this place--to try the fortune of my Pen once more, and indeed I have some confidence in my success: but in every event, believe me my dear sister, I shall be sufficiently comfortable, as, if I cannot lead that life of competence and society I should wish, I have enough knowledge of my gallipots to ensure me an employment and maintenance. The Place I am in now I visited once before and a very pretty place it is were it not for the bad weather. Our window looks over house-tops and Cliffs onto the Sea, so that when the s.h.i.+ps sail past the Cottage chimneys you may take them for weatherc.o.c.ks. We have Hill and Dale, forest and Mead, and plenty of Lobsters. I was on the Portsmouth Coach the Sunday before last in that heavy shower--and I may say I went to Portsmouth by water--I got a little cold, and as it always flies to my throat I am a little out of sorts that way. There were on the Coach with me some common French people but very well behaved--there was a woman amongst them to whom the poor Men in ragged coats were more gallant than ever I saw gentleman to Lady at a Ball. When we got down to walk up hill--one of them pick'd a rose, and on remounting gave it to the woman with "Ma'mselle voila une belle rose!" I am so hard at work that perhaps I should not have written to you for a day or two if George's Letter had not diverted my attention to the interests and pleasure of those I love--and ever believe that when I do not behave punctually it is from a very necessary occupation, and that my silence is no proof of my not thinking of you, or that I want more than a gentle fillip to bring your image with every claim before me. You have never seen mountains, or I might tell you that the hill at Steephill is I think almost of as much consequence as Mount Rydal on Lake Winander. Bonchurch too is a very delightful Place--as I can see by the Cottages, all romantic--covered with creepers and honeysuckles, with roses and eglantines peeping in at the windows. Fit abodes for the People I guess live in them, romantic old maids fond of novels, or soldiers' widows with a pretty jointure--or any body's widows or aunts or anythings given to Poetry and a Piano-forte--as far as in 'em lies--as people say. If I could play upon the Guitar I might make my fortune with an old song--and get two blessings at once--a Lady's heart and the Rheumatism. But I am almost afraid to peep at those little windows--for a pretty window should show a pretty face, and as the world goes chances are against me. I am living with a very good fellow indeed, a Mr. Rice.--He is unfortunately labouring under a complaint which has for some years been a burthen to him. This is a pain to me. He has a greater tact in speaking to people of the village than I have, and in those matters is a great amus.e.m.e.nt as well as good friend to me. He bought a ham the other day for says he "Keats, I don't think a Ham is a wrong thing to have in a house." Write to me, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, as soon as you can; for a Letter is a great treat to me here--believing me ever,

Your affectionate Brother

JOHN ----.

CVIII.--TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS.

_Extract from a letter dated_ Shanklin, n{r} Ryde, Isle of Wight,

Sunday, 12th [for 11th] July, 1819.

You will be glad to hear, under my own hand (though Rice says we are like Sauntering Jack and Idle Joe), how diligent I have been, and am being. I have finished the Act, and in the interval of beginning the 2{d} have proceeded pretty well with Lamia, finis.h.i.+ng the 1{st} part which consists of about 400 lines. I have great hopes of success, because I make use of my Judgment more deliberately than I have yet done; but in case of failure with the world, I shall find my content. And here (as I know you have my good at heart as much as a Brother), I can only repeat to you what I have said to George--that however I should like to enjoy what the competencies of life procure, I am in no wise dashed at a different prospect. I have spent too many thoughtful days and moralised through too many nights for that, and fruitless would they be indeed, if they did not by degrees make me look upon the affairs of the world with a healthy deliberation. I have of late been moulting: not for fresh feathers and wings: they are gone, and in their stead I hope to have a pair of patient sublunary legs. I have altered, not from a Chrysalis into a b.u.t.terfly, but the contrary; having two little loopholes, whence I may look out into the stage of the world: and that world on our coming here I almost forgot. The first time I sat down to write, I could scarcely believe in the necessity for so doing. It struck me as a great oddity--Yet the very corn which is now so beautiful, as if it had only took to ripening yesterday, is for the market; so, why should I be delicate?

CIX.--TO CHARLES WENTWORTH DILKE.