Coleridge, Sara (1802-1852). - Letter, from Greta Hall, to Elizabeth Crumpe, at Allan Bank, dated 27 February 1819. WLMS A / Coleridge, Sara / 2

Gretahall

February 27th 1819.

My dear Miss Elizabeth,

A double motive induces me to address you; first to express my regret for your sister's illness which we learnt from Miss Wordsworth, and the consideration of which compelled me to defer answering her kind letter, the second to inform you more fully of what you may have heard accidentally mentioned, I mean the arrival of a little stranger, the safe delivery of my Aunt, though accompanied with more than usual suffering, and the present favourable appearance of both the mother and child: as you may easily guess the latter, from a burden is become a plaything, and indeed, since it's entrance, the whole house has exchanged anxiety for mirth, very little of the former feeling remaining in regard to the mother, none in regard to the child, whose amazing size and weight have already obtained him the name of little Og, or young Goliah, which titles I believe he will continue to enjoy, till he is christened, when his father though not quite determined, thinks of having him called Cuthbert.

We eagerly watched for a long time, in hopes of seeing him open his little eyelids, in order to ascertain, what we thought an affair of

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great importance, namely the colour of his eyes; but the little provoking creature allowed us but a very few glympses, thus leaving us in great fear that they would prove a dark grey, for dark we saw that they were, last evening however he relieved us of this terrible anxiety by opening them as wide as his fat will allow him, and discovering them to be decidedly hazel.

Yesterday I performed the pleasant task of answering a letter from my- dear Derwent, in which amongst other things he gave an account of the private theatricals at Summer-hill; Douglas was the piece they acted; my brother played Glenalvon, Miss OHerne Lord Randolph, and Miss Byng, who according to him performed excellently in all respects, took the part of Lady Randolph: this reminds me of Miss Barker's Comedy, which no doubt you have heard of; if so, you will be interested in it's fate; the gentleman to whom she sent the manuscript, and intrusted with the charge of getting it on the stage, after some delay, which kept her in dreadful suspense, returned for answer that he had been consulting with some of his friends, whom he reckoned better judges than himself, and they gave it as their opinion in which he intirely coincided, that however pleasant it might be in the reading, the piece was by no means fit for representation, chiefly on account of the want of "story, strong story, without which it can by no means succeed, there being a comparative languor in elegant dialogue unstoried." these are not I believe exactly the words, as I do but in part remember them and have not the letter to refer to; however they convey his meaning, though mangled in the expression:

Perhaps you may have heard at Rydal-

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Mount that Hartley has taken his batcherlur's Bachelor's degree, and that he has five pupils.

Give my love to Sophia, and tell her I hope she derives the improvement from she anticipated, from Miss Dowling's instruction; Mary Calvert says she has adopted Dr: Bell's system as far as possible. Sophia told me she intended learning Italian, when you answer this to acquaint me with the state of Miss Louisa's health be so good as to mention what book she is reading. I hope you too will continue to study that language, which will enable you to receive much amusement from the writings of Boccace and Ariosto and still more unalloyed pleasure from the less exceptionable works of Farro, Metastario, and other chaster authors.[]

I must now conclude as I commenced this letter, with expressing [my] sorrow for Miss Louisa's illness, and my sincere wishes for her recovery, as also for the continued health of all the rest of your family, to whom present my best love and respects, and believe me your ever affectionate friend

Sara Coleridge.

I hope I may make use of the term continued health in regard to Miss Mary; when you write, are so kind as to write, which I hope will soon be soon, please to make particular mention of her. give my love to Miss Crumpe, and say I am learning the Tyrolese air, with those cruel variations, and should much like to hear her play it, for I am not quite sure in regard to the time. Your sister thanked me for remembering to add a letter to her name: I may thank her for remembering to drop one in mine: once more believe me truly yours Sara no h.

Miss Elizabeth Crumpe

Allan bank.

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Object summary: WLMS A / Coleridge, Sara / 2