SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. 177 



human shape, that hy no possibility can lift itself up to religion or 

 poetry V When, lo ! two French officers of distinction and rank 

 entered the church ! ** Mar/c yow," whispered the Prussian, " the 

 first thing, which those scoundrels — will notice (for they will begin 

 by instantly noticing the statue in parts, without one monienfs 

 pause of admiration impressed by the whole) will he the horns and 

 the beard. And the associations, which they will immediately 

 connect with them, will be those of a he-goat and a cuckold." 

 Never did man guess more luckily. Had he inherited a portion 

 of the great legislator's prophetic powers, whose statue we had 

 been contemplating, he could scarcely have uttered words more 

 coincident with the result : for even as he had said, so it came to 

 pass." 



During the latter years of his life, Coleridge resided with 

 Mr. Gillman, at Highgate ; where he wrote very little, but was 

 celebrated for his extraordinary conversational powers : at the 

 house of this kind friend he died. Some particulars concerning 

 his death were given in the last number of the Quarterly Review, 

 and have been copied into most of the newspapers. 



The following extracts are from a recently published work, the 

 author of which was acquainted with Coleridge during some 

 of the last days of his life. 



" Saturday, April 27th, 1832.— Walked to Highgate, to call on 

 Mr. Coleridge. I was ushered into the parlour, while the girl 

 carried up my letter to his room. She presently returned, and 

 observed that her master was very poorly, but would be happy 

 to see me if I would walk up to his room, which I gladly did. 

 He is short in stature, and appeared to be careless of his dress. 

 I was impressed with the strength of his expression, his venerable 

 locks of white, and his trembling frame. He remarked that he 

 had for some time past suffered much bodily anguish. For many 

 months, (thirteen) seventeen hours each day, had he walked up 

 and down his chamber : I inquired whether his mental powers 

 were affected by such intense suffering ; ' Not at all,' said he, 

 *■ my body and head appear to hold no connection ; the pain of my 

 body, blessed be God, never reaches my mind.' " 



" Of the mind of the celebrated Puffendorf, he said, ' his mind 

 is like some mighty volcano, red with flame, and dark with tossing 

 clouds of smoke, through which the lightnings play and glare 

 most awfully.' Speaking of the state of the different classes of 

 England, he remarked ' we are in a dreadful state ; Care, like a 

 foul hag, sits on us all ; one class presses with iron foot upon the 

 wounded heads beneath, and all struggle for a worthless supre- 

 macy, and all to rise to it move shackled by their expences ; 

 happy, happy are you to hold your birth-right in a country where 

 things are different ; you, at least at present, are in a transition 

 state ; God grant it may ever be so ! Sir, things, things have come 



VOL. IV. — 1834. Y 



