In consequence of a note received from Mr. Coleridge, I called at the
Bristol Library, where I found Mr. George Catcott, the Sub-Librarian,
much excited. "See," said he, immediately I entered the room, "here is a
letter I have just received from Mr. Coleridge. Pray look at it." I read
it. "Do you mean to give the letter to me, with its ponderous contents?"
I said. "O yes, take it," he replied. This gift enables me to lay the
letter in question before the reader. Mr. George Catcott though of
singular manners, was a person of worth. He was the patron of Chatterton,
and chiefly through his efforts, the Poems of "Rowley" were preserved.
"Stowey, May, 1797.
My dear Cottle,
I have sent a curious letter to George Catcott. He has altogether made me
pay five shillings! for postage, by his letters sent all the way to
Stowey, requiring me to return books to the Bristol Library....
"Mr. Catcott,
I beg your acceptance of all the enclosed letters. You must not think
lightly of the present, as they cost me, who am a very poor man, five
shillings.
With respect to the 'Bruck. Hist. Crit,' although by accident they were
registered on the 23d of March, yet they were not removed from the
Library for a fortnight after; and when I received your first letter, I
had had the books just three weeks. Our learned and ingenious Committee
may read through two quartos, that is, one thousand and four hundred
pages of close printed Latin and Greek, in three weeks, for aught I know
to the contrary. I pretend to no such intenseness of application, or
rapidity of genius.
I must beg you to inform me, by Mr. Cottle, what length of time is
allowed by the rules and customs of our institution for each book.
Whether their contents, as well as their size, are consulted, in
apportioning the time; or whether, customarily, any time at all is
apportioned, except when the Committee, in individual cases, choose to
deem it proper. I subscribe to your library, Mr. Catcott, not to read
novels, or books of quick reading and easy digestion, but to get books
which I cannot get elsewhere,--books of massy knowledge; and as I have
few books of my own, I read with a common-place book, so that if I be not
allowed a longer period of time for the perusal of such books, I must
contrive to get rid of my subscription, which would be a thing perfectly
useless, except so far as it gives me an opportunity of reading your
little expensive notes and letters.
Yours in Christian fellowship,