The lines when printed would probably have on the preceding page the advertisement—
Epitaph on a Poet little known, yet better known by
the Initials of his Name than by the Name itself.
S. T. C.
Stop, Christian Passer-by! Stop, Child of God!
And read with gentle heart. Beneath this sod
A Poet lies: or that, which once seem’d He.
O lift one thought in prayer for S. T. C.
That He, who many a year with toilsome breath
Found Death in Life, may here find Life in Death.
Mercy for Praise—to be forgiven for Fame
He ask’d, and hoped thro’ Christ. DO THOU the Same.
CCLVIII. TO JOHN STERLING.[221]
Grove, Highgate, October 30, 1833.
My dear Sir,—I very much regret that I am not to see you again for so many months. Many a fond dream have I amused myself with, of your residing near me or in the same house, and of preparing, with your and Mr. Green’s assistance, my whole system for the press, as far as it exists in writing in any systematic form; that is, beginning with the Propyleum, On the power and use of Words, comprising Logic, as the canons of Conclusion, as the criterion of Premises, and lastly as the discipline and evolution of Ideas (and then the Methodus et Epochee, or the Disquisition on God, Nature, and Man), the two first grand divisions of which, from the Ens super Ens to the Fall, or from God to Hades, and then from Chaos to the commencement of living organization, containing the whole scheme of the Dynamic Philosophy, and the deduction of the Powers and Forces, are complete; as is likewise a third, composed for the greater part by Mr. Green, on the “Application of the Ideas, as the Transcendents of the Truths, Duties, Affections, etc., in the Human Mind.” If I could once publish these (but, alas! even these could not be compressed in less than three octavo volumes), I should then have no objection to print my MS. papers on “Positive Theology, from Adam to Abraham, to Moses, the Prophets, Christ and Christendom.” But this is a dream! I am, however, very seriously disposed to employ the next two months in preparing for the press a metrical translation (if I find it practicable) of the Apocalypse, with an introduction on the “Use and Interpretation of Scriptures.” I am encouraged to this by finding how much of original remains in my views after I have subtracted all I have in common with Eichhorn and Heinrichs. I write now to remind you, or to beg you to recall to my memory the name of the more recent work (Lobeck?) which you mentioned to me, and whether you can procure it for me, or rather the loan of it. Likewise, whether you know of any German translation and commentary on Daniel, that is thought highly of? I find Gesenius’ version exceedingly interesting, and look forward to the Commentaries with delight. You mentioned some works on the numerical Cabbala, the Gematria (I think) they call it. But I must not scribble away your patience, and after I have heard from you from Cambridge I will try to write to you more to the purpose (for I did not begin this scrawl till the hour had passed that ought to have found me in bed).
With sincere regard, your obliged friend,
S. T. Coleridge.
CCLIX. TO MISS ELIZA NIXON.[222]
July 9, 1834.