378 THE WEDGWOODS. 



and fearing that a pastoral charge might operate unfavourably on 

 his literary pursuits, interfered, as will appear by the following 

 letter of Mr. Coleridge to Mr. Wade : 



" ' Stowey. My very dear friend, This last fortnight has been 

 eventful. I received one hundred pounds from Josiah "Wedgwood, in 

 order to prevent the necessity of my going into the ministry. I have 

 received an invitation from Shrewsbury to be the minister there ; 

 and after fluctuations of mind, which have for nights together 

 robbed me of sleep, and I am afraid of health, I have at length 

 returned the order to Mr. "Wedgwood, with a long letter, explana- 

 tory of my conduct, and accepted the Shrewsbury invitation.' . . . 



" The two Messrs. "Wedgwoods, still adhering to their first 

 opinion, that Mr. Coleridge, by accepting the proposed engagement, 

 would seriously obstruct his literary efforts, and having duly weighed 

 the 'explanatory letter' sent them by Mr. C., addressed him a con- 

 joint letter, announcing that it was their determination to allow 

 him for his life one hundred and fifty pounds per year. This decided 

 Mr. Coleridge to reject the Shrewsbury invitation. Mr. C. was 

 oppressed with grateful emotions to these his liberal benefactors. 

 He always spoke in particular of the late Mr. Thomas Wedgwood 

 as being one of the best talkers, and possessing one of the acutest 

 minds, of any man he had known. While the affair was in sus- 

 pense, a report was current in Bristol that Mr. Coleridge had 

 rejected the Messrs. Wedgwood's offer, which the Socinians in both 

 towns ardently desired. Entertaining a contrary wish, I addressed 

 a letter to Mr. Coleridge, stating the report, and expressing a hope 

 that it had no foundation. The following satisfactory answer was 

 immediately returned : 



" ' My very dear Cottle, The moment I received Mr. Wedg- 

 wood's letter I accepted his offer. How a contrary report could 



arise I cannot guess I hope to see you at the close of next 



week. I have been respectfully and kindly treated at Shrewsbury. 

 I am well, and now and ever your grateful and affectionate 

 friend, S. T. COLEKIBGE.' " 



Other allusions to this truly generous action on the part 

 of the brothers Josiah and Thomas Wedgwood occur in 

 the same work, and Coleridge himself, in his " Biographia 

 Literaria," says : " While my mind was thus perplexed, 

 by a gracious Providence, for which I can never be suffi- 

 ciently grateful, the generous and munificent patronage of 



