Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-19
THE BOOK BORROWER
Plant Of the Poet Ooleridge on This
Topic.
He Got a shady Reputation ON That
Score and Was Refused q
Book He Wanted.

From the New York Tribune.
John Hookham Frere, British ambassa-
dor in Spain, under secretary of state in
the foreign office, and the translator Of
Aristophanes, was the friend of most of
the literary Britons of his day. To him
Byron appealed on the question Of pub
fishing Don juan" Canning consulted him
about his MSS. and Southey wanted his
help in writing 1.-THE History of the PENN
sular War" One of his correspondents
was Coleridge, and among Frere's papers
were lately discovered two letters of the
poet, which are reproduced in Temple Bar.
In one of them he unbosoms himself of
grfevence after fashion which is hard
ly convincing:
Now, my dear sir, will you pardon
me II l take the liberty of unbosoming
myself to you on circumstance, which
tho seeming trifie, has both wounded and
injured me. Many years ago Mr.. Sotheby
lent me the old folio edition of Petrarch's
Works. read it thro' and communicated
my remarks. Just on the eve of my leav-
ing england for Malta, I had the Book
put up. to be returned, but in the depres-
sion OF Disease and amid the hustle and
heart-sickness of leaving all loved with
little confidence of ever seeing them again
TINS was forgotten; and the Book remained
at keswick. 1t was not till long after INV
return that 1 discovered this-I then had
the book sent up to London and supposed
II TO have been returned-but by another
70 Mr.. Sotheby) among Morgan's Books to
Bishopgate Street-from which place II did
at length arrive at its true owner. Like
M Mase; some ten years ago poor Charles
Lamp TOOK 1t into his head that he had
lent me Volume of Dodsley's old PLAYS
thought him in joke at first: but. hearing
mat ne talked 1t of whenever he was tipsy
!an eHect which three glasses of wine will
- I hnc god ~ Ia
me nave the other volumes and I would
send him new set. This he refused with
oatns' that he would never speak to me
again II attempted it. At length however
1 was lucky enough to procure the odd vol,
uIne from Southey, and gave 1t to Lamb
HIS wild speeches (half Joke half dreaml
mao, II seems, been caughtup by Robinson,
who had talked (and o We Gods. how he
does talk) at the Westminster library and
elsewhere. Yesterday had an opportunity
OF cross-questioning him. Robinson, I
a sI borrowed more books from you than
from all my Acquaintance collectively. he
cause l could not procure German Books
ELSEWHERE. Have ever lost one ?,-"No."-
~ Rave ever retained your Books beyond
..e glve m time without obtaining your per-
tice to do your best to contradict the cal
umny, which your knowledge of poor
Charles Lambs Character ought to have
prevented you from helping to spread"
EAcepl tneSe two cases, and dare chal-
lenge all my acquaintance to mention n
single instance in which I have even fur
nlsned an occasion for this Charge, I have
t neen most grievously sinned against in
thls respect; yet for that very reason have
Deen cautious not to offend myself-yet on
the strength of this Islander Mr.. Rogers
u write without the least resentment) pre-
vented Mr.. Rose from lending me carl
Gozzfs Works. which he was previously
most ready to do. and which I had in vain
ehoeavored to procure from Leghorn From
the ines same cause ! doubt not, Mr.. Hare re-
FUSED to let me have the Reading Of such
works OF Giordano Bruno as had not had
an opportunity of seeing "a unique collec-
the Roxburgh Sale), tho / had in the
FRIEND announced my intention Of writing
the Life OF G. Bruno. with a critique on his
system and that of the Pantheists of the
same age (Behmer, etco. I could mentinn
other instances: and, as I never borrow a
BOOK but for some specific purpose. and
L snat' 100, OF Importance to me, this has
peen very severe injury to me even in a
pecuniary View.