Mr. C. had written from London in the year 1814, to a friend in Bristol,
to announce that he was coming down to give a course of Lectures on
Shakspeare, such as he had delivered at the Royal Institution, London,
and expressing a hope that his friends would obtain for him as many
subscribers as they could. Great efforts were made to obtain these
subscribers, and the lectures were accordingly advertised, to commence at
the time appointed by the lecturer, and the place specified with the day
and hour; of the whole of which arrangement Mr. C. had received due
notice, and expressed his approval.
On the morning on which the lectures were to begin, a brother of Mr.
George Cumberland, (a gentleman well known in the literary world,
residing in Bristol,) arrived in this city from London, on a visit to his
brother, and casually said to him, "I came as far as Bath with one of the
most amusing men I ever met with. At the White Horse, Piccadilly, he
entered the coach, when a jew boy came up with pencils to sell. This
amusing gentleman asked the boy a few questions, when his answers being
what he thought unusually acute, the gentleman said, 'that boy is not
where he ought to be. He has talent, and if I had not an important
engagement at Bristol to-morrow, I would not mind the loss of my fare,
but would stay a day or two in London to provide some better condition
for him.' He then called the waiter; wrote to a gentleman in the
neighbourhood, with a pencil, urging him to patronize the bearer; gave
the boy five shillings, and sent him, with the waiter, according to the
address of the note."
This same gentleman, he said, talked incessantly for thirty miles out of
London, in the most entertaining way, and afterwards, with little
intermission, till they arrived about Marlborough, when he discovered
that the lady who was in the coach with them, was the sister of a
particular friend of his. "On our arrival at Bath," said the brother,
"this entertaining gentleman observed to me, 'I must here quit you, as I
am determined not to leave this lady, who is going into North Wales, till
I have seen her safe at her brother's door;' so here the amusing
gentleman left us."
"Why" said Mr. Cumberland, "I should not be surprised if that were
Coleridge, and yet that cannot be, for he has an appointment this day in
Bristol." "That is the very name," said his brother. Mr. G. C. remarked,
"This Mr. Coleridge is coming to Bristol, to give us a course of lectures
on Shakspeare, and this evening he has appointed for his first lecture,
at the Great Boom, White Lion." "Whatever the engagement may be," replied
the brother, "rely upon it you will have no lecture this evening. Mr. C.
at the present moment is posting hard towards North Wales!" The great
business now was for those who had interested themselves in the sale of
tickets for the course, to hasten round to the purchasers, to announce
that Mr. C. would be prevented from giving the lectures till further
notice.
In two or three days, Mr. Coleridge presented himself in Bristol, after a
right true journey into North Wales; and then, another day was appointed
to begin the course. The day arrived. His friends met in the afternoon,
full of anxiety, lest a second disappointment should take place. Not one
of them had seen Mr. C. in the course of that day, and they could not
tell where he had dined. They then set off, to find out this intricate
point, and having discovered him, after some difficulty, hurried him from
the bottle, and the argument, to fulfil his less important, or at least,
his less pleasing engagement.
He arrived at the lecture-room, just one hour after all the company had
impatiently awaited him. Apologizing for an unavoidable interruption! Mr.
C. commenced his lecture on Hamlet. The intention is not entertained of
pursuing this subject, except to remark, that no other important delay
arose, and that the lectures gave great satisfaction. I forbear to make
further remarks, because these lectures will form part of the London
narrative.
After this course had been terminated, and one or more friends had given
him five pounds for his ticket, so rich a mine was not to be abandoned.
Another printed proposal was sent round for a course of six lectures,
which was well attended. After this, a proposal came for four lectures,
which were but indifferently attended. Not discouraged, Mr. C. now issued
proposals on a new subject, which he hoped would attract the many; but
alas, although the subject of the lectures was on no less a theme than
that of Homer, only a few of his old staunch friends attended; the public
were wearied out, and the plan of lecturing now ceased, for these latter
lectures scarcely paid the expenses.
I should here mention, that Mr. Coleridge's lectures bore but a small
resemblance to the polished compositions of Sir James Mackintosh. They
were all of a conversational character, and were little other than the
earnest harangues, with which on all possible occasions, he indulged his
friends, so that there was little of the toil of preparation with him,
and if the demand had been equal to the supply, he might have lectured
continuously. But if there was little of formal and finished composition
in Mr. C.'s lectures, there were always racy and felicitous passages,
indicating deep thought, and indicative of the man of genius; so that if
polish was not always attained, as one mark of excellence, the attention
of his hearers never flagged, and his large dark eyes, and his
countenance, in an excited state, glowing with intellect, predisposed his
audience in his favor.
It may here be mentioned, that in the year 1814, when Buonaparte was
captured and sent to Elba, the public, expression of joy burst forth in a
general illumination; when Mr. Josiah Wade, wishing to display a large
transparency, applied to his friend Mr. Coleridge, then residing with
him, for a subject, as a guide to his ingenious painter, of which the
following is a copy, from Mr. C.'s original.
The four lines were chosen, of which the two last have something of a
prophetic aspect.
"On the right side of the transparency, a rock with the word Elba on
it: chained to this by one leg, put a vulture with the head of
Napoleon Buonaparte; then a female genius, representing BRITANNIA, in
a bending posture, with one hand holding out one wing of the vulture,
and with the other clipping it with a large pair of shears; on the
one half of which appears either the word 'WELLINGTON,' or the word
'ARMY,' and on the other, either 'NELSON,' or else 'NAVY;' I should
prefer WELLINGTON and NELSON, but that I fear Wellington may be a
word of too many letters. Behind Britannia, and occupying the right
side of the transparency, a slender gilded column, with 'TRADE' on
its base, and the cap of liberty on its top; and on one side, leaning
against it, a trident laurelled, and on the other a laurelled sword.
At the top of the transparency, and quite central, a dove, with an
olive branch, may be hovering over the bending figure of Britannia.
N. B.--The trident to be placed with the points upwards, the sword
with its hilt upwards.
We've conquer'd us a PEACE, like lads true metall'd:
And bankrupt NAP.'S accompts seem all now settled.