The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume I Part 121

[17] sunny] suns.h.i.+ne 1801.

[32] in] by 1801.

[38] on] now 1801.

[57] Now to the maniac while he raves 1801.

ALCAEUS TO SAPPHO[353:1]

How sweet, when crimson colours dart Across a breast of snow, To see that you are in the heart That beats and throbs below.

All Heaven is in a maiden's blush, 5 In which the soul doth speak, That it was you who sent the flush Into the maiden's cheek.

Large steadfast eyes! eyes gently rolled In shades of changing blue, 10 How sweet are they, if they behold No dearer sight than you.

And, can a lip more richly glow, Or be more fair than this?

The world will surely answer, No! 15 I, SAPPHO, answer, Yes!

Then grant one smile, tho' it should mean A thing of doubtful birth; That I may say these eyes have seen The fairest face on earth! 20

1800.

FOOTNOTES:

[353:1] First published in the _Morning Post_, November 24, 1800: reprinted in _Letters from the Lake Poets_, 1889, p. 16. It is probable that these lines, sent in a letter to Daniel Stuart (Editor of the _Morning Post_), dated October 7, 1800, were addressed to Mrs. Robinson, who was a frequent contributor of verses signed 'Sappho'. A sequence of Sonnets ent.i.tled 'Sappho to Phaon' is included in the collected edition of her _Poems_, 1806, iii. 63-107.

THE TWO ROUND s.p.a.cES ON THE TOMBSTONE[353:2]

The Devil believes that the Lord will come, Stealing a march without beat of drum, About the same time that he came last, On an Old Christmas-day in a snowy blast: Till he bids the trump sound neither body nor soul stirs, 5 For the dead men's heads have slipt under their bolsters.

Oh! ho! brother Bard, in our churchyard, Both beds and bolsters are soft and green; Save one alone, and that's of stone, And under it lies a Counsellor keen. 10 'Twould be a square tomb, if it were not too long; And 'tis fenced round with irons sharp, spear-like, and strong.

This fellow from Aberdeen hither did skip With a waxy face and a blubber lip, And a black tooth in front, to show in part 15 What was the colour of his whole heart.

This Counsellor sweet, This Scotchman complete, (The Devil scotch him for a snake!) I trust he lies in his grave awake. 20 On the sixth of January, When all around is white with snow, As a Ches.h.i.+re yeoman's dairy, Brother Bard, ho! ho! believe it, or no, On that stone tomb to you I'll show 25 Two round s.p.a.ces void of snow.

I swear by our Knight, and his forefathers' souls, That in size and shape they are just like the holes In the house of privity Of that ancient family. 30 On those two places void of snow, There have sat in the night for an hour or so, Before sunrise, and after c.o.c.k-crow, He kicking his heels, she cursing her corns, All to the tune of the wind in their horns, 35 The Devil and his Grannam, With a snow-blast to fan 'em; Expecting and hoping the trumpet to blow, For they are c.o.c.k-sure of the fellow below!

1800.

FOOTNOTES:

[353:2] First published in the _Morning Post_, December 4, 1800: reprinted in _Fraser's Magazine_ both in February and in May, 1833, and in Payne Collier's _Old Man's Diary_, i. 35. First collected in _P. W._, 1834, with the following Prefatory Note:--'See the apology for the "Fire, Famine, and Slaughter", in first volume. This is the first time the author ever published these lines. He would have been glad, had they perished; but they have now been printed repeatedly in magazines, and he is told that the verses will not perish. Here, therefore, they are owned, with a hope that they will be taken--as a.s.suredly they were composed--in mere sport.' These lines, which were directed against Sir James Mackintosh, were included in a letter to [Sir] Humphry Davy, dated October 9, 1800. There is a MS. version in the British Museum in the handwriting of R. Heber, presented by him to J. Mitford. Mr. Campbell questions the accuracy of Coleridge's statement with regard to his never having published the poem on his own account. But it is possible that Davy may have sent the lines to the Press without Coleridge's authority.

Daniel Stuart, the Editor of the _Morning Post_, in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for May, 1838, says that 'Coleridge sent one [poem] attacking Mackintosh, too obviously for me not to understand it, and of course it was not published. Mackintosh had had one of his front teeth broken and the stump was black'. Stuart remembered that the lines attacking his brother-in-law had been suppressed, but forgot that he had inserted the rest of the poem. The poem as printed in 1893, despite the heading, does not follow the text of the _Morning Post_.

LINENOTES:

t.i.tle] Skeltoniad (To be read in the Recitative Lilt) MS. Letter: The Two Round s.p.a.ces; A Skeltoniad M. P.

[1] The Devil believes the Fraser (1).

[3] time] hour MS. Letter, M. P., Fraser (1), Collier. At the same hour MS. H.

[4] an Old] a cold Fraser (1): On Old MS. H.

[5] neither] nor MS. Letter, M. P.: Till he bids the trump blow nor Fraser (2): Till the trump then shall sound no Collier: Until that time not a body or MS. H.

[6] their] the Collier.

[7] Oh! ho!] Ho! Ho! M. P., MS. H.: Oho Fraser (1). Brother Collier.

our] _our_ MS. Letter.

[8] Both bed and bolster Fraser (2). The graves and bolsters MS. H.

[9] Except one alone MS. H.

[10] under] in Fraser (2).

[11] This tomb would be square M. P.: 'Twould be a square stone if it were not so long Fraser (1). It would be square MS. H. tomb] grave Collier.

[12] And 'tis railed round with iron tall M. P.: And 'tis edg'd round with iron Fraser (1): 'Tis fenc'd round with irons tall Fraser (2): And 'tis fenc'd round with iron tall Collier. 'tis] its MS. H.

[13-20] om. M. P.

[13] From Aberdeen hither this fellow MS. Letter. hither] here Fraser (2).

[14] blubber] blabber MS. Letter, Fraser (1), (2), MS. H.

[15] in front] before MS. H.

[17] Counsellor] lawyer so MS. H.

[19] The Devil] Apollyon MS. Letter. scotch] _scotch_ Collier.

[20] trust] hope Collier.] (A humane wish) Note in MS. Letter.

[21] sixth] seventh M. P., Collier: fifth MS. H.

[22] When all is white both high and low MS. Letter, M. P., Fraser (2), Collier, MS. H.: When the ground All around Is as white as snow Fraser (1).