Hebrew with a German named Schwartzburg. He extended his knowledge of German and English literature. He never took a degree. The reasons alleged are rather confused, but according to the most authentic statement made by him in 1821 to R. Woodhouse (notes of conversation in Garnett's edition of the ‘Opium Eater,’ 1885), he professed, like many clever young men, to despise the university system. He thought that the examiners laid traps instead of thoroughly investigating the merits of the students, and was annoyed by the abandonment of a new plan for allowing candidates to answer in Greek upon Greek subjects. After distinguishing himself in Latin, he therefore disappeared before the Greek examination. It is also suggested that he shrank nervously from the vivâ voce, or thought that his merits were not of the kind to win full recognition. At any rate his career, like that of Southey, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Landor, and others, was not of the kind most pleasing to the authorities. During his Oxford residence he first began opium-eating. He suffered during a visit to London from a violent attack of toothache and rheumatism in the head, and by the advice of a college friend bought some laudanum at a druggist's ‘near the Pantheon.’
De Quincey's mother was now residing in Somersetshire. She had a passion for building. After leaving the priory, she built a house at Westhay, Somersetshire, and finally settled at Weston Lea, near Bath. De Quincey was often at Bristol and took long rambles amongst the Quantocks and Mendips. He had been profoundly impressed by the ‘Lyrical Ballads,’ and had already made inquiries after Coleridge. In 1807, Coleridge had just returned from Malta, and De Quincey went to Nether Stowey to seek his personal acquaintance. They finally met at Bridgewater [see Coleridge, Samuel Taylor]. De Quincey became an ardent admirer of his new friend and gave substantial proofs of affection. He escorted Mrs. Coleridge and her children to Grasmere, where he first saw Wordsworth, with whom he had already corresponded, and he visited Southey at Greta Hall. He returned to Bristol in the autumn and made a munificent offer of 500l. to Coleridge through Cottle. By Cottle's advice, the sum actually given—without revealing the giver's name—was reduced to 300l. He was again at Oxford in the early part of 1808, and then stayed in London with a college friend, seeing Coleridge frequently and meeting Sir H. Davy, Lamb, and others. He was keeping terms at the Middle Temple, though he does not appear to have seriously contemplated practice at the bar. At the end of the year he returned to Grasmere and stayed with Wordsworth till February 1809. He took a lease of the cottage which had been vacated by Wordsworth. Miss Wordsworth superintended the furnishing, while De Quincey went to London, saw Wordsworth's pamphlet upon the ‘Convention of Cintra’ through the press, adding an appendix, done, according to Wordsworth, in the ‘most masterly manner,’ and returned to Westmoreland in November 1809. Here he settled in his picturesque cottage at Townend, previously occupied by Wordsworth and afterwards by Hartley Coleridge. De Quincey filled it with so many books that Coleridge (who was now domiciled for a time with Wordsworth) had sometimes five hundred volumes from it at once, which he scrupulously returned. De Quincey was thus intimate with the so-called ‘Lake School.’ He was on friendly terms with Wordsworth, though, after a year or two, their friendship seems to have cooled. He was strongly attached to the children, and deeply affected by the deaths of Catherine and Thomas Wordsworth in 1812. His love of children was always a marked feature of his childlike character. Charles Lloyd was another friend, but his closest ally was Professor Wilson, who had been his contemporary, though unknown to him, at Oxford. De Quincey and Wilson took long nocturnal rambles, for De Quincey, though not possessed of Wilson's athletic prowess, was a good walker through life. In the winters of 1814–15 and 1815–16 he accompanied Wilson on visits to Edinburgh, and they had talked of a tour to the East. He also paid occasional visits to London (see ‘Walking Stewart,’ in Works, vii. 6) and Somersetshire.
De Quincey read German metaphysics and took opium at first in moderation. The practice, however, became more habitual during 1813, in consequence of an irritation of the stomach, probably produced by the hardships endured in Wales and London. He was taking 340 grains of opium daily. He made an effort to conquer the habit, reducing the 340 to forty grains. An attachment formed at Grasmere gave a motive for reform. Finding himself greatly benefited by his reduced consumption, he was married at the end of 1816 to Margaret Simpson, daughter of a ‘statesman’ living near him at the ‘Nab.’ His wife attended him till her death with admirable affection and judgment, which he has gratefully recorded. The habit, however, soon mastered him again, and he suffered from profound depression. He gave up a contemplated philosophical
