Carisbrooke April 17th
My dear Reynolds,
Ever since I wrote to my
Brothers from Southampton I have been in a taking, and at this moment I
am about to become settled, for I have unpacked my books, put them into
a snug corner - pinned up Haydon - Mary Queen [of] Scotts, and Milton with
his daughters in a row. In the passage I found a head of Shakspeare
which I had not before seen. It is most likely the same that George
spoke so well of; for I like it extremely. Well - this head I have hung
over my Books, just above the three in a row, having first discarded a french Ambassador
- now this alone is a good morning's work.
Yesterday I went to
Shanklin, which occasioned a great debate in my Mind whether I should
live there or at Carisbrooke. Shanklin is a most beautiful
place - sloping wood and meadow ground reaches round the Chine, which is
a cleft between the Cliffs of the depth of nearly 300 feet at least.
This cleft is filled with trees & bushes in the narrow parts; and as it
widens becomes bare, if it were not for primroses on one side, which
spread to the very verge of the Sea, and some fishermen's huts on the
other, perched midway in the Ballustrades of beautiful green Hedges
along their steps down to the sands. - But the sea, Jack, the sea - the
little waterfall - then the white cliff - then St. Catherine's Hill - "the
sheep in the meadows, the cows in the corn." - Then, why are you at Carisbrooke? say you-Because, in the first place, I shod be
at twice the Expense, and three times the inconvenience - next that from
here I can see your continent - from a little hill close by, the whole
north Angle of the - Isle of Wight, with the water between us. In the 3d
place, I see Carisbrooke Castle from my window, and have found several
delightful wood-alleys, and copses, and quick freshes. As for
Primroses-the Island ought to be called Primrose Island: that is, if the
nation of Cowslips agree thereto, of which there are diverse Clans just
beginning to lift up their heads and if an how the Rain holds whereby
that is Birds eyes abate - Another reason of my fixing is that I am more
in reach of the places around me - I intend to walk over the Island
east - West-North South - I have not seen many specimens of Ruins-I dont
think however I shall ever see one to surpass Carisbrooke Castle. The
trench is o'ergrown with the smoothest turf, and the Walls with ivy - The
Keep within side is one Bower of ivy - a Colony of Jackdaws have been
there many years. I dare say I have seen many a descendant of some old cawer who peeped through the Bars at Charles the first, when he was
there in Confinement. On the road from Cowes to Newport I saw some
extensive Barracks which disgusted me extremely with Government for
placing such a Nest of Debauchery in so beautiful a place - I asked a man
on the coach about this - and he said that the people had been
spoiled - In the room where I slept at Newport I found this on the Window
"O Isle spoilt by the Milatary!" I must in honesty however confess that
I did not feel very sorry at the idea of the Women being a little
profligate - The wind is in a sulky fit, and I feel that it would be no
bad thing to be the favorite of some Fairy, who would give one the power
of seeing how our Friends got on, at a Distance - I should like, of all
Loves, a sketch of you and Tom and George in ink which Haydon will do if
you tell him how I want them - From want of regular rest, I have been
rather narvus - and the passage in Lear - "Do you not hear the
sea?" - has haunted me intensely.
On the Sea.
It keeps eternal
Whisperings around Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell Gluts
twice ten thousand Caverns; till the spell Of Hecate
leaves them their old shadowy sound. Often 'tis in such gentle temper
found
That scarcely will the
very smallest shell
Be moved for days from whence it sometime fell
When last the winds of Heaven were unbound.
O ye who have your eyeballs vext and tir'd
Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea
O ye whose Ears are dinned with uproar rude
Or fed too much with cloying melody -
Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth and brood
Until ye start as if the Sea Nymphs quired -
April 18th
Will you have the goodness
to do this? Borrow a Botanical Dictionary - turn to the words Laurel and Prunus show the explanations to your sisters and Mrs Dilk[e] and without
more ado let them send me the Cups Basket and Books they trifled and put
off and off while I was in Town - ask them what they can say for
themselves - ask Mrs Dilk[e] wherefore she does so distress me - Let me
know how Jane has her health - the Weather is untell you what - on the
23rd was Shakespeare born - now if I should receive a Letter from you and
another from my Brothers on that day 'twould be a parlous good
thing-Whenever you write say a Word or two on some Passage in
Shakespeare that may have come rather new to you; which must be
continually happening, notwithstanding that we read the same Play forty
times - for instance, the following, from the Tempest, never struck me so
forcibly as at present,
"Urchins Shall, for
that vast of Night that they may work,
All exercise on thee - "
How can I help bringing
to your mind the Line-In the dark backward and abysm of time.
I find that I cannot exist
without poetry - without eternal poetry - half the day will not do - the
whole of it - I began with a little, but habit has made me a Leviathan - I
had become all in a Tremble from not having written any thing of
late - the Sonnet over leaf did me some good. I slept the better last
night for it - this Morning, however, I am nearly as bad again - Just
now I opened Spencer, and the first Lines I saw were these. -
"The noble Heart that
harbors virtuous thought,
And is with Child of glorious great intent,
Can never rest, until it forth have brought
Th' eternal Brood of Glory excellent - "
Let me know particularly
about Haydon; ask him to write to me about Hunt, if it be only ten
lines - I hope all is well - I shall forthwith begin my Endymion, which I
hope I shall have got some way into by the time you come, when we will
read our verses in a delightful place I have set my heart upon near the
Castle - Give my Love to your Sisters severally - To George and
Tom - Remember me to Rice Mr and Mrs Dilk[e] and all we know -
Your sincere Friend
John
Keats.
Direct J. Keats, Mrs Cook's
new Village, Carisbrooke