LEAVES THEY HAVE TOUCHED. 483 



*' My dear Sir," he writes, " I almost fear this may be too late — but 

 I have made it so short, that I hope you may be able to find a corner 

 for it. I want sadly to have a little political chit-chat with you. I 

 hope I shall see you on Thiirsday, for I feel confident that you will 

 be more than usually pleased with the Lecture. Your obliged, S. T. 

 Coleridge. P. S. — O, pray do what you can and may, in behalf of 

 the poor Cotton Factory children. 1 have just written a little article 

 and am preparing a brief popular statement." As a pendant to the 

 Coleridge relic, I note a small volume which I have, once the 

 property of a friend of his — Basil Montagu, showing his autograph, 

 Basil Montagu, with the addition in another hand of " from whom 

 to W. E.." Coleridge was domiciled with Basil Montagu for some 

 time in London, and possibly has handled the little book, which was 

 rather in his way, bemg- Ludovicus Vivos' Introductio ad Veram 

 Sapientiam. 



In shewing a MS. memorial of Henry Taylor, author of Philip 

 Van Artevelde, a Dramatic Romance, I do not wholly leave the 

 cii'cle of the poets last named. Taylor dedicated the first edition of 

 Philip Yan Artevelde to Southey, in the following sonnet, which 

 gives us a happy picture of Southey and his life, wholly devoted to 

 letters, at Greta Hall. 



' ' This Book, though it should travel far and wide, 

 As ever unripe Author's quick conceit 

 Could feign his page dispersed, should nowhere meet 

 A friendlier censor than by Greta's side, 

 A warmer welcome than at Skiddaw's feet. 

 Unhappily, infrequent in the land 

 Is now the sage seclusion, the retreat 

 Sacred to letters ; but let this command 

 Fitting acknowledgment — that time and tide 

 Saw never yet, embellished with more grace 

 Outward and inward, with more charms allied, 

 With honours more attended, man or place, 

 Than where, by Greta's silver current sweet, 

 Learning still keeps one calm, sequestered seat." 



My autograph relic of the author of Philip Yan Artevelde, who 

 is still living, and is now Sir Henry Taylor, consists of the foUoAving 



words: "The Boost, Bournemouth, 23 July, 1873. Dear : When 



you say the men at Trinity, Oxford, were second-class, do you refer 

 to social position or to the honours they aim at ? Many thanks for 

 your letter : very useful, li^'ours afiectionately, Henry Taylor." It 



