CONTENTS:

CHAPTER I.

Testimonies to Coleridge's greatness; he is born October

21, 1772, at Ottery St. Mary, where his father is vicar and

schoolmaster; his mother's character; leaves Ottery on his
father's death, and is admitted to Christ's Hospital July,
1782; not happy at school; has thoughts of becoming a
shoemaker, and then of entering the medical profession; is
a solitary lad; reads poetry and metaphysics; is flogged for
infidelity; greatly influenced by Bowles' poetry; begins to
write himself; leaves Christ's Hospital in the autumn of
1790; Charles Lamb, his schoolfellow, describes him as
he then was •

PAGR

II
•

CHAPTER II.

Coleridge goes to Cambridge, February, 1791; talks much and

is a democrat ; falls into debt; runs away from Cambridge

and enlists in Dragoons, December, 1793; is discharged,

April, 1794; relations with his family much strained

CHAPTER III.

Coleridge returns to Cambridge; greatly impressed with Words-
worth's first book; visits Oxford, and makes friends with
Southey; visits Bristol (1794) and falls in love with Sara

• 27

Fricker, to whose sister Southey is engaged; literary

society of Bristol; Coleridge, Southey, and Allen project

new social system, to be known as "Pantisocrasy," and

determine to go to America and establish it there; mean-

while Coleridge stays in London in society of Lamb, and

frequents Salutation and Cat"; is married October 4,

1795; Pantisocrasy abandoned

CHAPTER IV.

PAGE

34

Married life at Clevedon; Coleridge writes for the press; pro-

jects Watchman; first number appears March 1, 1796;

his first volume of poems appears in April; thinks of

becoming a Unitarian minister; Lamb's home sorrows;

Coleridge writes to him in his dark hour.

CHAPTER V.

Coleridge meets Wordsworth; sketch of latter's early career;

description of Coleridge by Dorothy Wordsworth; Cole-

ridge and Wordsworth discuss poetry, and write “Lyrical

Ballads"; origin of "Ancient Mariner," autumn 1797;

Coleridge writes "Ancient Mariner,'

""Dark Ladie," first

part of "Christabel,'

"""Osorio,'

,""Three Graves,"" Fears

in Solitude," "France, an Ode"; how "Kubla Khan

came to be written; "Lyrical Ballads " published in 1798,

and proves a failure; temporary quarrel with Lamb

CHAPTER VI.

Material position not prosperous in 1798; Coleridge thinks

again of Unitarian pulpit; makes acquaintance of Hazlitt

at Shrewsbury; Hazlitt describes him; eloquence as a

speaker; the brothers Wedgewood give Coleridge £150

a year, and he goes to Germany with Wordsworth in

summer of 1798 to learn German; returns to England in

June, 1799, and translates "Wallenstein"; writes for

Morning Post; is offered share in Post and Courier, but

declines; goes in summer of 1800 to live at Greta Hall,

near Keswick .

47

59

• 70

CHAPTER VII.

Situation of Greta Hall; second part of “Christabel"; Cole-

ridge lives in content; visited by Lamb and his sister;

repartee, animal spirits, and exercise; goes to Scotland, in

summer of 1803, with Wordsworth and his sister; returns

home alone in bad health and spirits

CHAPTER VIII.

Coleridge physics himself, and unconsciously takes to opium;

goes to Malta (April, 1804) chiefly for his health; appointed

secretary to the governor; visits Rome; leaves Rome for

England August, 1806; a bad correspondent while away,

and on bad terms with Southey and his own family on his

return; opium the cause; returns to Keswick; misunder-

standings with his wife; takes refuge with Wordsworth;

note on

noticeable man with large grey eyes"

CHAPTER IX.

De Quincey; his relations with the Coleridges; takes Mrs.

Coleridge and children to Keswick; where they lodge with

Southey; want of sympathy between Southey and Cole-

ridge; in winter 1806 Coleridge comes to London and

resumes journalism; lectures at Royal Institution; goes

to live with Wordsworth at Grasmere in summer 1808;

position of Edinburgh Review towards Lake poets; early in

1809 Coleridge starts the Friend; mismanaged and not a

success; more misunderstandings with his wife; leaves her

finally October, 1810; comes to London penniless; writes

for Courier and lives miserably; lectures again on Shake-

speare and Milton; "Remorse" brought out at Drury Lane

1813; lectures at Bristol; more than ever a slave to opium;

writes "Biographia Literaria "; places himself under care

of Dr. Gillman at Highgate early in 1816

CHAPTER X.

PAGE

80

92

105

Means taken for his cure; "Christabel" published, and un-

favourably received;

'Biographia Literaria" published,

and also unfavourably received; "Zapolya"; "Sibylline

Leaves"; poem of "The Three Graves"; poems again

unfavourably received; Coleridge deeply injured; growing

spirituality of his character

CHAPTER XI.

Coleridge lectures again in 1818 on Shakespeare and literature;

again in pecuniary difficulties; always a worker; does hack

work; feels that his power is going from him; tide of ad-

versity turns somewhat; in 1825 publishes "Aids to Re-

flection," which is well received; and obtains a pension

from George IV.; the house of the Gillmans a place of

literary resort through presence of Coleridge; names of men

who gathered about him; Thomas Allsop; Coleridge's

power as a talker; Talfourd's description of him; Carlyle's

famous description; works on in failing health; writes his

own epitaph; writes to the Lambs from his death-bed; dies

July 25, 1834; is buried at Highgate

PAGE

. 127

. 138