182
KOTES AND QUERIES. t ii s. v. MA*. 9. 1912.
No ; as I believe and have faith in the doctrine,
it is not the truth in Jesus Christ ; but God forbid
that I should doubt that you and many other
Unitarians, as you call yourselves, are, in a prac-
tical sense, very good Christians."
Mr. Thomas Ashe observes that " Cole- ridge often dwells on this distinction, which Mrs. Barbauld told him she could not under- stand."
Mrs. Barbauld was not afraid of breaking a lance with Coleridge on philosophical as well as on literary or theological subjects. In a letter to Allsop in 1 822 Coleridge, refer- ring to Sir Richard Phillips, says :
" Once, when in an abstruse argument with Mrs. Barbauld on the Berkleian controversy, she exclaimed, ' Mr. Coleridge ! Mr. Coleridge ! ' the Knight was present. No sooner did he hear my name mentioned than he came up to my chair, and, after making several obsequious obeisances, expressed his regret that he should have been half-an-hour in the company of so great a man without being aware of his good fortune, adding shortly afterwards, ' I would have given nine guineas a sheet for his conversation during the last hour and a half.' This, too, at a time when I had not been publicly known more than a month."
It was surely no discredit to Sir Richard that he should thus early express his admir- ation.
Mrs. Barbauld had a woman's keen in- sight into character. As early as 1797 she addressed some verses to Coleridge which show that her admiration and it was great for his talents did not blind her to his dangers. Here is her address to the poet, at once an appreciation and an admoni- tion :
To MR. S. T. COLERIDGE, 1797. Midway the hill of science, after steep And rugged paths that tire the unpractised feet, A grove extends ; in tangled mazes wrought, And filled with strange enchantment : dubious
shapes
Flit through dim glades, and lure the eager foot Of youthful ardoxir to eternal chase. Dreams hang on every leaf : unearthly forms Glide through the gloom ; and mystic visions swim Before the cheated sense. Athwart the mists, Far into vacant space, huge shadows stretch, And seem realities ; while things of life, Obvious to sight and touch, all glowing round, Fade to the hue of shadows. Scruples here. With filmy net, most like the autumnal webs Of floating gossamer, arrest the foot Of generous enterprise ; and palsy hope And fair ambition with the chilling touch Of sickly hesitation and blank fear. Nor seldom Indolence these lawns among Fixes her turf -built seat ; and wears the garb Of deep Philosophy, and museful sits, In dreamy twilight of the vacant mind, Soothed by the whispering shade ; for soothing
soft The shades ; and vistas lengthening into air,
With moonbeam rainbows tinted. Here eachi
mind
Of finer mould, acute and delicate, In its high progress to eternal truth Hests for a space, in fairy bowers entranced : And loves the softened light and tender gloom ; And, pampered with most unsubstantial food, Looks down indignant on the grosser world, And matter's cumbrous shapings. Youth be- loved
Of science of the Muse beloved not here, Not in the maze of metaphysic lore, Build thou thy place of resting ! lightly tread The dangerous ground, on noble aims intent ; And be this Circe of the studious cell Enjoyed, but still subservient. Active scenes Shall soon with healthful spirits brace thy mind ; And fair exertion, for bright fame sustained, For friends, for country, chase each spleen-fed fog: That blots the wide creation. Now Heaven conduct thee with a parent's love !
Would that Coleridge had taken this;; advice to heart !
WILLIAM E. A. AXON. Manchester.
CHARLES DICKENS.
FEBRUARY 7TH, 1812 JUNE 9TH, 1870.
(See ante, pp. 81, IOI r 121, 141, 161.)
IN the autumn of 1848 Dickens's sister Fanny died. He had fondly loved her, and her death took his thoughts back to his early days when he would call for her on Sunday mornings to accompany him to the- Marshalsea. She was his elder by two years ; all through her life he had been to her & most devoted brother. Her character was a most beautiful one, and Claudius Clear, in The British Weekly for December 21st and 28th of last year; has done good service in drawing attention to the refer- ences made to her in a book by a Congre- gational minister greatly beloved, the Rev- James Griffin, ' Memories of the Past, r published in 1883 by Hamilton, Adams & Co. Fanny Dickens married that Henry Burnett who in childhood had such a fine voice that when a mere boy he was stood on a table- in the Pavilion at Brighton to sing a solo before George IV., who was wheeled into the room covered with flannels and bandages* from head to foot, suffering from the gout. Burnett became a pupil at the Royal Academy of Music, where he met Fanny Dickens. On quitting it he soon obtained engagements at Covent Garden and Drury Lane ; and so famous did he become that Braham would say, " If I can't come, send' for Burnett ; he will do as well." On Sundays his wife and himself were engaged as professional singers- at the ChapeL of the-
