two parsons and grammarians were sitting together and settling the matter, Wm. Squibes interrupting said a very good thing, Gentlemen, says he, I have always. understood it to be a root and not a derivative . . . .

Bailey was there and seemed to enjoy the evening. Rice said he cared less about the hour than any one; and the proof is his dancing-he cares not for time, dancing as if he was deaf. Old Redhall not being used to give parties, had no idea of the quantity of wine that would be drank, and he actually put in readiness on the kitchen stairs eight dozen.

Every one inquires after you, and every one desires their remembrances to you. I have seen Fanny twice lately—she inquired particularly after you and wants a co-partnership letter from you. She has been unwell, but is improving-I think she will be quick well. Mrs. Abbey was saying that the Keatses were ever indolent, that they would ever be so, and that it is born in them. Well, whispered Fanny to me, if it is born with us, how can we help it. She seems very anxious for a letter. As I asked her what I should get for her, she said a "Medal of the Princess." I called on Haslam-we dined very well. You must get well, Tom, and then I shall feel whole and genial as the winter air. Give me as many letters as you like, and write to Sawrey soon. I received a short letter from Bailey about Cripps, and one from Haydon, ditto. Haydon thinks he improved very much. Mrs. Wells' desires particularly to Tom and her respects to George, and I desire no better than to be ever your most affectionate brother,

1

John.

P.S. I had not opened the "Champion" before. I found both my articles in it.

1 Princess Charlotte died on the 6th of November 1817.

My dear Taylor

XXVII.

To JOHN TAYLOR.

Saturday morning

[Postmark, 10 January 1818.]

Several things have kept me from you lately:first you had got into a little hell, which I was not anxious to reconnoitre-secondly, I have made a vow not to call again without my first book: so you may expect to see me in four days. Thirdly, I have been racketing too much, and do not feel over well. I have seen Wordsworth frequently-Dined with him last Monday-Reynolds, I suppose you have seen. Just scribble me thus many lines to let me know you are in the land of the living, and well. Remember me to the Fleet Street Household-and should you see any from Percy Street, give my kindest regards to them.

Your sincere friend John Keats

XXVIII.

To BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.

Saturday Morn.

My dear Haydon,

[Postmark, Hampstead 10 January 1818.]

I should have seen you ere this, but on account of my sister being in Town: so that when I have sometimes made ten paces towards you, Fanny has called me into the City; and the Christmas Holydays are your

only time to see Sisters, that is if they are so situated as mine. I will be with you early next week-to-night it should be, but we have a sort of a Club every Saturday evening-to-morrow, but I have on that day an insuperable engagement. Cripps has been down to me, and appears sensible that a binding to you. would be of the greatest advantage to him—if such a thing be done it cannot be before 150£ or 200£ are secured in subscriptions to him. I will write to Bailey about it, give a Copy of the Subscribers' names to every one I know who is likely to get a 5£ for him. I will leave a Copy at Taylor and Hessey's, Rodwell and Martin, and will ask Kingston and Co. to cash up.

Your friendship for me is now getting into its teensand I feel the past. Also every day older I get-the greater is my idea of your achievements in Art: and I am convinced that there are three things to rejoice at in this Age-The Excursion, Your Pictures, and Hazlitt's depth of Taste.

I am certain, I think, of having a letter to-morrow morning; for I expected one so much this morning, having been in town two days, at the end of which my expectations began to get up a little. I found two on the table, one from Bailey and one from Haydon. I am

quite perplexed in a world of doubts and fancies—there is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music -I don't mean to include Bailey in this and so I dismiss him from this with all the opprobrium he deserves-that is in so many words, he is one of the noblest men alive at the present day. In a note to Haydon about a week ago (which I wrote with a full sense of what he had done, and how he had never manifested any little mean drawback in his value of me) I said if there were three things superior in the modern world, they were "The Excursion," Haydon's Pictures, and Hazlitt's depth of Taste. So I do believe-not thus speaking with any poor vanity that works of genius are the first things in this world. No! for that sort of probity and disinterestedness which such men as Bailey possess, does hold and grasp the tip-top of any spiritual honors that can be paid to anything in this world. And moreover having this feeling at this present come over me in its full force, I sat down to write to you with a grateful heart, in that I had not a Brother who did not feel and credit me for a deeper feeling and devotion for his uprightness, than for any marks of genius however splendid. I was speaking about doubts and fancies-I mean there has been a quarrel of a severe nature between Haydon and Reynolds and another ("the Devil rides upon a fiddle stick") between Hunt and Haydon. The first grew from the Sunday on which Haydon invited some friends to meet Wordsworth. Reynolds never went, and never sent any Notice about it, this offended Haydon more than it ought to have done—he wrote a very sharp and high note to Reynolds and then another in palliation-but which Reynolds feels as an aggravation of the first. Considering all things, Haydon's frequent neglect of his appointments &c., his notes were bad enough to put Reynolds on the right side of the question—but then

F

Reynolds has no power of sufferance; no idea of having the thing against him; so he answered Haydon in one of the most cutting letters I ever read; exposing to himself all his own weaknesses and going on to an excess, which whether it is just or no, is what I would fain have unsaid, the fact is they are both in the right and both in the wrong.

The quarrel with Hunt I understand thus far. Mrs. H. was in the habit of borrowing silver of Haydon-the last time she did so, Haydon asked her to return it at a certain time-she did not-Haydon sent for it-Hunt went to expostulate on the indelicacy &c.—they got to words and parted for ever. All I hope is at some time to bring them all together again.-Lawk! Molly there's been such doings-Yesterday evening I made an appointment with Wells to go to a private theatre, and it being in the neighbourhood of Drury Lane, and thinking we might be fatigued with sitting the whole evening in one dirty hole, I got the Drury Lane ticket, and therewith we divided the evening with a spice of Richard III.—

Good Lord! I began this letter nearly a week ago, what have I been doing since I have been-I mean not been sending last Sunday's paper to you I believe because it was not near me-for I cannot find it and my conscience presses heavy on me for not sending it. You would have had one last Thursday, but I was called away, and have been about somewhere ever since. Where? What? Well I rejoice almost that I have not heard from you because no news is good news. I cannot for the world recollect why I was called away, all I know is that there has been a dance at Dilke's, and another at the London Coffee House; to both of which I went. But I must tell you in another letter the cir