is to be sought in her drama.  How it grieves one that there is so little probability of those valuable authors being read except by the curious!  I questioned my friend Charles Lamb whether it would answer for some person of real taste to undertake abridging the plays that are not likely to be read as wholes, and telling such parts of the story in brief abstract as were ill managed in the drama.  He thought it would not.  I, however, am inclined to think it would.

[109] In the field to the S.W. below the garden at Rydal.

[110] Memoirs, ii. 224.

[111] Specimens of British Poetesses.  A.D.

The account of your indisposition gives me much concern.  It pleases me, however, to see that, though you may suffer, your industry does not relax; and I hope that your pursuits are rather friendly than injurious to your health.

You are quite correct in your notice of my obligation to Dr. Darwin.[112] In the first edition of the poem it was acknowledged in a note, which slipped out of its place in the last, along with some others.  In putting together that edition, I was obliged to cut up several copies; and, as several of the poems also changed their places, some confusion and omission, and, in one instance, a repetition, was the consequence.  Nothing, however, so bad as in the edition of 1820, where a long poem, ‘The Lament of Mary Queen of Scots,’ was by mistake altogether omitted.  Another unpleasantness arose from the same cause; for, in some instances, notwithstanding repeated charges to the printer, you have only two Spenserian stanzas in a page (I speak now of the last edition) instead of three; and there is the same irregularity in printing other forms of stanza.

You must indeed have been fond of that ponderous quarto, ’The Excursion,’ to lug it about as you did.[113] In the edition of 1827 it was diligently revised, and the sense in several instances got into less room; yet still it is a long poem for these feeble and fastidious times.  You would honour me much by accepting a copy of my poetical works; but I think it better to defer offering it to you till a new edition is called for, which will be ere long, as I understand the present is getting low.

[112] In Mr. W.’s lines ‘To Enterprise.’ A.D.

[113] I had mentioned to Mr. W. that, when I had a curacy in Cornwall, I used frequently to carry ‘The Excursion’ down to the sea-shore, and read it there. A.D.

A word or two about Collins.  You know what importance I attach to following strictly the last copy of the text of an author; and I do not blame you for printing in the ‘Ode to Evening’ ‘brawling’ spring; but surely the epithet is most unsuitable to the time, the very worst, I think, that could have been chosen.

I now come to Lady Winchelsea.  First, however, let me say a few words upon one or two other authoresses of your ‘Specimens.’  British poetesses make but a poor figure in the ’Poems by Eminent Ladies.’[114]