Letters of John Keats to His Family and Friends
cheap Lodging and they have been very kind in letting me know all I
wanted. They have described a pleasant place which I think I shall
eventually retire to. How came you on with my young Master Yorkshire Man?
Did not Mrs. A. sport her Carriage and one? They really surprised me with
super civility--how did Mrs. A. manage it? How is the old tadpole gardener
and little Master next door? it is to be hop'd they will both die some of
these days. Not having been to Town I have not heard whether Mr. A.
purposes to retire from business. Do let me know if you have heard
anything more about it. If he should not I shall be very disappointed. If
any one deserves to be put to his shifts it is that Hodgkinson--as for the
other he would live a long time upon his fat and be none the worse for a
good long lent. How came miledi to give one Lisbon wine--had she drained
the Gooseberry? Truly I cannot delay making another visit--asked to take
Lunch, whether I will have ale, wine, take sugar,--objection to
green--like cream--thin bread and butter--another cup--agreeable--enough
sugar--little more cream--too weak--12 shillin etc. etc. etc.--Lord I must
come again. We are just going to Dinner I must must[101] with this to the
Post----
Your affectionate Brother
JOHN ----.
CIII.--TO JAMES ELMES.
Wentworth Place, Hampstead [June 12, 1819].
Sir--I did not see your Note till this Saturday evening, or I should have
answered it sooner--However as it happens I have but just received the
Book which contains the only copy of the verses in question.[102] I have
asked for it repeatedly ever since I promised Mr. Haydon and could not
help the delay; which I regret. The verses can be struck out in no time,
and will I hope be quite in time. If you think it at all necessary a proof
may be forwarded; but as I shall transcribe it fairly perhaps there may be
no need.
I am, Sir, your obed{t} Serv{t}
JOHN KEATS.
CIV.--TO FANNY KEATS.
Wentworth Place, [June 14, 1819].
My dear Fanny--I cannot be with you to-day for two reasons--1{ly} I have
my sore-throat coming again to prevent my walking. 2{ly} I do not happen
just at present to be flush of silver so that I might ride. To-morrow I am
engaged--but the day after you shall see me. Mr. Brown is waiting for me
as we are going to Town together, so good-bye.
Your affectionate Brother
JOHN.
CV.--TO FANNY KEATS.
Wentworth Place [June 16, 1819].
My dear Fanny--Still I cannot afford to spend money by Coachhire and still
my throat is not well enough to warrant my walking. I went yesterday to
ask Mr. Abbey for some money; but I could not on account of a Letter he
showed me from my Aunt's solicitor. You do not understand the business. I
trust it will not in the end be detrimental to you. I am going to try the
Press once more, and to that end shall retire to live cheaply in the
country and compose myself and verses as well as I can. I have very good
friends ready to help me--and I am the more bound to be careful of the
money they lend me. It will all be well in the course of a year I hope. I
am confident of it, so do not let it trouble you at all. Mr. Abbey showed
me a Letter he had received from George containing the news of the birth
of a Niece for us--and all doing well--he said he would take it to you--so
I suppose to-day you will see it. I was preparing to enquire for a
situation with an apothecary, but Mr. Brown persuades me to try the press
once more; so I will with all my industry and ability. Mr. Rice a friend
of mine in ill health has proposed retiring to the back of the Isle of
Wight--which I hope will be cheap in the summer--I am sure it will in the
winter. Thence you shall frequently hear from me and in the Letters I will
copy those lines I may write which will be most pleasing to you in the
confidence you will show them to no one. I have not run quite aground yet
I hope, having written this morning to several people to whom I have lent
money requesting repayment. I shall henceforth shake off my indolent fits,
and among other reformation be more diligent in writing to you, and mind
you always answer me. I shall be obliged to go out of town on Saturday and
shall have no money till to-morrow, so I am very sorry to think I shall
not be able to come to Walthamstow. The Head Mr. Severn did of me is now
too dear, but here inclosed is a very capital Profile done by Mr. Brown. I
will write again on Monday or Tuesday--Mr. and Mrs. Dilke are well.
Your affectionate Brother
JOHN ----.
CVI.--TO BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.
Wentworth Place.
Thursday Morning [June 17, 1819].
My dear Haydon--I know you will not be prepared for this, because your
Pocket must needs be very low having been at ebb tide so long: but what
can I do? mine is lower. I was the day before yesterday much in want of
Money: but some news I had yesterday has driven me into necessity. I went
to Abbey's for some Cash, and he put into my hand a letter from my Aunt's
Solicitor containing the pleasant information that she was about to file a
Bill in Chancery against us. Now in case of a defeat Abbey will be very
undeservedly in the wrong box; so I could not ask him for any more money,
nor can I till the affair is decided; and if it goes against him I must in
conscience make over to him what little he may have remaining. My purpose
is now to make one more attempt in the Press--if that fail, "ye hear no
more of me" as Chaucer says. Brown has lent me some money for the present.
Do borrow or beg somehow what you can for me. Do not suppose I am at all
uncomfortable about the matter in any other way than as it forces me to
apply to the needy. I could not send you those lines, for I could not get
the only copy of them before last Saturday evening. I sent them Mr. Elmes
on Monday. I saw Monkhouse on Sunday--he told me you were getting on with
the Picture. I would have come over to you to-day, but I am fully
employed.
Yours ever sincerely
JOHN KEATS.
CVII.--TO FANNY KEATS.
Shanklin, Isle of Wight, Tuesday, July 6.
My dear Fanny--I have just received another Letter from George--full of as
good news as we can expect. I cannot inclose it to you as I could wish
because it contains matters of Business to which I must for a Week to come
have an immediate reference. I think I told you the purpose for which I
retired to this place--to try the fortune of my Pen once more, and indeed
I have some confidence in my success: but in every event, believe me my
dear sister, I shall be sufficiently comfortable, as, if I cannot lead
that life of competence and society I should wish, I have enough knowledge
of my gallipots to ensure me an employment and maintenance. The Place I am
in now I visited once before and a very pretty place it is were it not for
the bad weather. Our window looks over house-tops and Cliffs onto the Sea,
so that when the Ships sail past the Cottage chimneys you may take them
for weathercocks. We have Hill and Dale, forest and Mead, and plenty of
Lobsters. I was on the Portsmouth Coach the Sunday before last in that
heavy shower--and I may say I went to Portsmouth by water--I got a little
cold, and as it always flies to my throat I am a little out of sorts that
way. There were on the Coach with me some common French people but very
well behaved--there was a woman amongst them to whom the poor Men in
ragged coats were more gallant than ever I saw gentleman to Lady at a
Ball. When we got down to walk up hill--one of them pick'd a rose, and on
remounting gave it to the woman with "Ma'mselle voila une belle rose!" I
am so hard at work that perhaps I should not have written to you for a day
or two if George's Letter had not diverted my attention to the interests
and pleasure of those I love--and ever believe that when I do not behave
punctually it is from a very necessary occupation, and that my silence is
no proof of my not thinking of you, or that I want more than a gentle
fillip to bring your image with every claim before me. You have never seen
mountains, or I might tell you that the hill at Steephill is I think
almost of as much consequence as Mount Rydal on Lake Winander. Bonchurch
too is a very delightful Place--as I can see by the Cottages, all
romantic--covered with creepers and honeysuckles, with roses and
eglantines peeping in at the windows. Fit abodes for the People I guess
live in them, romantic old maids fond of novels, or soldiers' widows with
a pretty jointure--or any body's widows or aunts or anythings given to
Poetry and a Piano-forte--as far as in 'em lies--as people say. If I could
play upon the Guitar I might make my fortune with an old song--and get two
blessings at once--a Lady's heart and the Rheumatism. But I am almost
afraid to peep at those little windows--for a pretty window should show a
pretty face, and as the world goes chances are against me. I am living
with a very good fellow indeed, a Mr. Rice.--He is unfortunately labouring
under a complaint which has for some years been a burthen to him. This is
a pain to me. He has a greater tact in speaking to people of the village
than I have, and in those matters is a great amusement as well as good
friend to me. He bought a ham the other day for says he "Keats, I don't
think a Ham is a wrong thing to have in a house." Write to me, Shanklin,
Isle of Wight, as soon as you can; for a Letter is a great treat to me
here--believing me ever,
Your affectionate Brother
JOHN ----.
CVIII.--TO JOHN HAMILTON REYNOLDS.
_Extract from a letter dated_ Shanklin, n{r} Ryde, Isle of Wight,
Sunday, 12th [for 11th] July, 1819.
* * * * *
You will be glad to hear, under my own hand (though Rice says we are like
Sauntering Jack and Idle Joe), how diligent I have been, and am being. I
have finished the Act, and in the interval of beginning the 2{d} have
proceeded pretty well with Lamia, finishing the 1{st} part which consists
of about 400 lines. I have great hopes of success, because I make use of
my Judgment more deliberately than I have yet done; but in case of failure
with the world, I shall find my content. And here (as I know you have my
good at heart as much as a Brother), I can only repeat to you what I have
said to George--that however I should like to enjoy what the competencies
of life procure, I am in no wise dashed at a different prospect. I have
spent too many thoughtful days and moralised through too many nights for
that, and fruitless would they be indeed, if they did not by degrees make
me look upon the affairs of the world with a healthy deliberation. I have
of late been moulting: not for fresh feathers and wings: they are gone,
and in their stead I hope to have a pair of patient sublunary legs. I have
altered, not from a Chrysalis into a butterfly, but the contrary; having
two little loopholes, whence I may look out into the stage of the world:
and that world on our coming here I almost forgot. The first time I sat
down to write, I could scarcely believe in the necessity for so doing. It
struck me as a great oddity--Yet the very corn which is now so beautiful,
as if it had only took to ripening yesterday, is for the market; so, why
should I be delicate?
* * * * *
CIX.--TO CHARLES WENTWORTH DILKE.
Shanklin, Saturday Evening [July 31, 1819].
My dear Dilke--I will not make my diligence an excuse for not writing to
you sooner--because I consider idleness a much better plea. A Man in the
hurry of business of any sort is expected and ought to be expected to look
to everything--his mind is in a whirl, and what matters it what whirl? But
to require a Letter of a Man lost in idleness is the utmost cruelty; you
cut the thread of his existence, you beat, you pummel him, you sell his