Chapter 31

'unperturb'd'. In the draft of April 24, four lines were added, and of these an alternative version was published in _P. W._, 1834, with the heading 'Desire' (vide _ante_, p. 485). For an earlier draft in S. T. C.'s handwriting vide Appendices of this edition.

LINENOTES:

[4] Where basking Dipsads[489:A] hiss and swell F. O. 1834.

[489:A] The Asps of the sand-desert, anciently named Dipsads.

[7] And now] Anon F. O. 1834.

[14] Flitting across the idle sense the while F. O. 1834.

[27] That woke enough F. O. 1834.

[29-32]

Idly we supplicate the Powers above: There is no resurrection for a Love That uneclips'd, unshadow'd, wanes away In the chill'd heart by inward self-decay. Poor mimic of the Past! the love is o'er That must _resolve_ to do what did itself of yore. Letter, April 27, 1824.

TO THE YOUNG ARTIST[490:1]

KAYSER OF KASERWERTH

Kayser! to whom, as to a second self, Nature, or Nature's next-of-kin, the Elf, Hight Genius, hath dispensed the happy skill To cheer or soothe the parting friend's 'Alas!' Turning the blank scroll to a magic glass, 5 That makes the absent present at our will; And to the shadowing of thy pencil gives Such seeming substance, that it almost lives.

Well hast thou given the thoughtful Poet's face! Yet hast thou on the tablet of his mind 10 A more delightful portrait left behind-- Even thy own youthful beauty, and artless grace, Thy natural gladness and eyes bright with glee! Kayser! farewell! Be wise! be happy! and forget not me.

1833.

FOOTNOTES:

[490:1] First published in 1834. The original of Kayser's portrait of S. T. C., a pencil-sketch, is in the possession of the Editor. In 1852 Kaserwerth is printed Kayserwerth. The modern spelling is Kaiserswerth.

MY BAPTISMAL BIRTH-DAY[490:2]

God's child in Christ adopted,--Christ my all,-- What that earth boasts were not lost cheaply, rather Than forfeit that blest name, by which I call The Holy One, the Almighty God, my Father?-- Father! in Christ we live, and Christ in Thee-- 5 Eternal Thou, and everlasting we. The heir of heaven, henceforth I fear not death: In Christ I live! in Christ I draw the breath Of the true life!--Let then earth, sea, and sky Make war against me! On my heart I show 10 Their mighty master's seal. In vain they try To end my life, that can but end its woe.-- Is that a death-bed where a Christian lies?-- Yes! but not his--'tis Death itself there dies.

1833.

FOOTNOTES:

[490:2] First published in _Friendship's Offering_ for 1834: included in _P. W._, 1834. Emerson heard Coleridge repeat an earlier version of these lines on Aug. 5, 1833.

LINENOTES:

Title] Lines composed on a sick-bed, under severe bodily suffering, on my spiritual birthday, October 28th. F. O.

[1] Born unto God in Christ--in Christ, my All! F. O.

[3] I] we F. O.

[4] my] our F. O.

[7] fear] dread F. O.

[9-10]

Let Sea, and Earth and Sky Wage war against me! On my front I show

F. O.

[11] they] _they_ F. O.

[12] that] who F. O.

[14] his . . . there] _his . . . there_ F. O.

EPITAPH[491:1]

Stop, Christian passer-by!--Stop, child of God, And read with gentle breast. Beneath this sod A poet lies, or that which once seem'd he. O, lift one thought in prayer for S. T. C.; That he who many a year with toil of breath 5 Found death in life, may here find life in death! Mercy for praise--to be forgiven for fame[492:1] He ask'd, and hoped, through Christ. Do thou the same!

_9th November_, 1833.

FOOTNOTES:

[491:1] First published in 1834. Six MS. versions are extant:--(_a_) in a letter to Mrs. Aders of 1833 (_Letters of S. T. C._, 1895, ii. 770); (_b_) in a letter to J. G. Lockhart; (_c_) in a letter to J. H. Green of October 29, 1833: (_d_ _e_) in a copy of Grew's _Cosmologia Sacra_, annotated by Coleridge in 1833; (_f_) in a copy of the _Todtentanz_, which belonged to Thomas Poole.

[492:1] N.B. 'for' in the sense of 'instead of'. ἔστη κεῖται ἀναστήσει--stetit: restat: resurget. ΕΣΤΗΣΕ. _Letter to J. G. Lockhart, 1833._

LINENOTES:

Title or Heading] (_a_) 'Epitaph on a Poet little known, yet better known by the Initials of his name than by the Name Itself.' S. T. C. Letter to Mrs. Aders: (_b_) 'Epitaph on a Writer better known by the Initials of his Name than by the name itself. Suppose an upright tombstone.' S. T. C. Letter to J. G. Lockhart: (_c_) 'On an author not wholly unknown; but better known by the initials of his name than by the name itself, which he partly Graecized, Hic jacet qui stetit, restat, resurget--on a Tombstone.' Letter to J. H. Green: (_d_) 'Epitaph in Hornsey Churchyard. Hic jacet S. T. C. Grew (1): (_e_) 'Etesi's (_sic_) Epitaph,' (and below (_e_)) 'Inscription on the Tombstone of one not unknown; yet more commonly known by the Initials of his Name than by the Name itself.' Grew (2): (_f_) 'Esteese's αυτοεπιταφιον.' Note in Poole's Todtentanz.

From the letter to Mrs. Aders it appears that Coleridge did not contemplate the epitaph being inscribed on his tombstone, but that he intended it to be printed 'in letters of a distinctly visible and legible size' on the outline of a tomb-stone to be engraved as a vignette to be published in a magazine, or to illustrate the last page of his 'Miscellaneous Poems' in the second volume of his Poetical Works. It would seem that the artist, Miss Denman, had included in her sketch of the vignette the figure of a Muse, and to this Coleridge objects:--'A rude old yew-tree, or a mountain ash, with a grave or two, or any other characteristic of a village church-yard,--such a hint of a landscape was all I meant; but if any figure rather that of an elderly man, thoughtful with quiet tears upon his cheek.' Letters of S. T. C., 1895, ii. 770.

For the versions inscribed in Grew's _Cosmologia Sacra_, and in Poole's copy of the _Todtentanz_, vide Appendices of this work.

[2] breast] heart MS. Letters to Mrs. Aders, J. G. Lockhart, J. H. Green.

[3] seem'd he] was he MS. Letter to J. H. Green.

[5] toil of] toilsome MS. Letter to Mrs. Aden.

[7] to be forgiven] _to be forgiven_ MS. Letters to Mrs. Aders and J. H. Green.

THE

COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS

OF

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

INCLUDING

POEMS AND VERSIONS OF POEMS NOW PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME

EDITED

WITH TEXTUAL AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

BY

ERNEST HARTLEY COLERIDGE M.A., HON. F.R.S.L.

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. II: DRAMATIC WORKS AND APPENDICES

OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1912

HENRY FROWDE, M.A. PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LONDON, EDINBURGH, NEW YORK TORONTO AND MELBOURNE

CONTENTS OF VOL. II

DRAMATIC WORKS

1794 PAGE THE FALL OF ROBESPIERRE. An Historic Drama 495

1797 OSORIO. A Tragedy 518

1800 THE PICCOLOMINI; or, THE FIRST PART OF WALLENSTEIN. A Drama translated from the German of Schiller. Preface to the First Edition 598 The Piccolomini 600 THE DEATH OF WALLENSTEIN. A Tragedy in Five Acts. Preface of the Translator to the First Edition 724 The Death of Wallenstein 726

1812 REMORSE. Preface 812 Prologue 816 Epilogue 817 Remorse. A Tragedy in Five Acts 819

1815 ZAPOLYA. A Christmas Tale in Two Parts. Advertisement 883