As a curious literary fact, I might mention that the sale of the first
edition of the "Lyrical Ballads," was so slow, and the severity of most
of the reviews so great, that their progress to oblivion, notwithstanding
the merit which I was quite sure they possessed, seemed ordained to be as
rapid as it was certain. I had given thirty guineas for the copyright, as
detailed in the preceding letters; but the heavy sale induced me at
length, to part with, at a loss, the largest proportion of the
impression of five hundred, to Mr. Arch, a London bookseller. After this
transaction had occurred, I received a letter from Mr. Wordsworth,
written the day before he set sail for the continent, requesting me to
make over my interest in the "Lyrical Ballads" to Mr. Johnson, of St
Paul's Churchyard. This I could not have done, had I been so disposed, as
the engagement had been made with Mr. Arch.
On Mr. W.'s return to England, I addressed a letter to him, explaining
the reasons why I could not comply with his request, to which he thus
replied:
"My dear Cottle,
I perceive that it would have been impossible for you to comply with my
request, respecting the 'Lyrical Ballads,' as you had entered into a
treaty with Arch. How is the copyright to be disposed of when you quit
the bookselling business? We were much amused with the 'Anthology,' Your
poem of the 'Killcrop' we liked better than any; only we regretted that
you did not save the poor little innocent's life, by some benevolent art
or other. You might have managed a little pathetic incident, in which
nature, appearing forcibly in the child, might have worked in some way or
other, upon its superstitious destroyer.
We have spent our time pleasantly enough in Germany, but we are right
glad to find ourselves in England, for we have learnt to know its value.
We left Coleridge well at Gottingen, a month ago....
God bless you, my dear Cottle,
Your affectionate friend,