curiosity, the most remarkable production of the world; a Northern dialect accommodating itself to Greek and Latin inversions and intonations. The purest English, I think-or what ought to be the purest-is Chatterton's. The language had existed long enough to be entirely incorrupted of Chaucer's Gallicisms, and still the old words are used. Chatterton's language is entirely Northern. I prefer the native music of it to Milton's, cut by feet. I have but lately stood on my guard against Milton. Life to him would be death to me. Miltonic verse cannot be written, but is the verse of art. I wish to devote myself to another verse alone.

[24 September 1819.] I have been obliged to intermit your letter for two days (this being Friday now) from having had to attend to other correspondence. Brown, who was at Bedhampton, went thence to Chichester, and I still directing my letters to Bedhampton, there was a misunderstanding about them. I began to suspect my letters had been stopped from curiosity. However, yesterday Brown had four letters from me all in a dump, and the matter is cleared up. Brown complained very much in his letter to me yesterday of the great alteration the disposition of Dilke has undergone. He thinks of nothing but " Political justice" and his boy. Now, the first political duty a man ought to have a mind to is the happiness of his friends. I wrote Brown a comment on the subject, wherein I explained what I thought of Dilke's character, which resolved itself into this conclusion: That Dilke is a man who cannot feel he has a personal identity unless he has made up his mind about everything. The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts-not a select party. The genus is not scarce in population. All the

creature.

As I never

stubborn arguers you meet with are of the same brood. They never begin on a subject they have not preresolved on. They want to hammer their nail into you and if you turn the points still they think you wrong. Dilke will never come at a truth as long as he lives, because he is always trying it. He is a Godwin Methodist. I must not forget to mention that your mother showed me the lock of hair. 'Tis of a very dark color for so young a When it is two feet in length, I shall not stand a barleycorn higher. That's not fair; one ought to go on growing as well as others. At the end of this sheet I shall stop for the present and send it off. You may expect another letter immediately after it. know the day of the month except by chance, I put here that this is the 24th September. I would wish you here to stop your ears, for I have a word or two to say to your wife. My dear sister, in the first place I must quarrel with you for sending me such a shabby piece of paper, though that is in some degree made up for by the beautiful impression of the seal. You should like to know what I was doing the 1st of May. Let me see; I cannot recollect. I have all the Examiners ready to send. They will be a great treat to you when they reach you. I shall pack them up when my business with Abbey' has come to a good conclusion and the remittance is on the road to you. I have dealt round your best wishes to our friends like a pack of cards, but being

1

Opposite Lord Houghton's variation of this passage Mr. Dilke notes "The business for George mentioned P 19 [page 334 of Volume III] and this with Abbey, related I have no doubt to a settlement of Tom's property. To settle with Abbey was a difficult thing—and must have been particularly so while George was abroad. John I think got money for himself, as I have before mentioned, though only in part."

always given to cheat myself, I have turned up an ace. You see I am making game of you. I see you are not at all happy in that America. England, however, would not be over happy for us if you were here. Perhaps 'twould be better to be teased here than there. I must preach patience to you both. No step hasty or injurious to you must be taken. If I were your son I shouldn't mind you, though you rapped me with the scissors. But, law! I should be out of favor sin the little 'un be commed. You have made an uncle of me, you have, and I don't know what to make of myself. I suppose next there'll be a nevey. You say, in May last, write directly. I have not received your letter above ten days. The thought of your little girl puts me in mind of a thing I heard Mr. Lamb say. A child in arms was passing by his chair toward the mother in the nurse's arms. Lamb took hold of the long clothes, saying: "Where, God bless me, where does it leave off?"

[27 September 1819.] My dear George, this (Monday) morning, the 27th, I have received your last, dated July 12. You say you have not heard from England for three months. Then my letter from Shanklin, written, I think, at the end of June, has not yet reached you. You shall not have cause to think I neglect you. Do not fret yourself about the delay of money on account of my immediate opportunity being lost; for in a new country whoever has money must have opportunity of employing it in many ways. The report runs now more in favor of Kean stopping in England. If he should I have con

'This would seem to be a slip of Keats's, unless by last he means last to arrive, because at the beginning of this letter he mentions one from George dated the 24th of July, previously received. Probably the later letter was sent from the Settlement by speedier means than the earlier one.

fident hopes of our tragedy. If he invokes the hotblooded character of Ludolph-and he is the only actor that can do it-he will add to his own fame and improve my fortune. I will give you a half-dozen lines of it before I part as a specimen :

Not as a swordsman would I pardon crave,

But as a son the bronzed Centurion,

Long toiled in foreign wars, and whose high deeds
Are shaded in a forest of tall spears

Known only to his troop, hath greater plea

Of favor with my sire than I can have.

Believe me, my dear brother and sister, your affec

tionate and anxious brother,

John Keats.

CXIV.

To CHARLES WENTWORTh Dilke.

Winchester,

Friday Oct. 1st [1819].

My dear Dilke,

For sundry reasons, which I will explain to you when I come to Town, I have to request you will do me a great favour as I must call it knowing how great a Bore it is. That your imagination may not have time to take too great an alarm I state immediately that I want you to hire me a couple of rooms (a Sitting Room and

(CXIV) Lord Houghton, referring here to Keats and Brown, says"The friends returned to town together, and Keats took possession of his new abode. But he had miscalculated his own powers of endurance: the enforced absence from his friends was too much for him, and a still stronger impulse drew him back again to Hampstead."

bed room for myself alone) in Westminster. Quietness and cheapness are the essentials: but as I shall with Brown be returned by next Friday you cannot in that space have sufficient time to make any choice selection, and need not be very particular as I can when on the spot suit myself at leisure. Brown bids me remind you not to send the Examiners after the third. Tell Mrs. D. I am obliged to her for the late ones which I see are directed in her hand. Excuse this mere business letter for I assure you I have not a syllable at hand on any subject in the world.

Certainly I might but a few Months pass away before we are aware. I have a great aversion to letter writing, which grows more and more upon me; and a greater to summon up circumstances before me of an unpleasant nature. I was not willing to trouble you with them. Could I have dated from my Palace of Milan you would have heard from me. Not even now

(CXV) It will be observed that, while Keats's attitude towards the genius of Haydon shows no change in this letter, there is, when we compare it with former letters, a certain reserve of tone, quite corresponding with the altered personal attitude referred to in the letter to George Keats (page 21 of this volume).