Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey . k, that in this interview with , the subject of the Lyrical Ballads wasmentioned but once, and that casually, and only toaccount for its failure! which Mr. W. ascribed to twocauses; first the Ancient Mariner, which, he said,no one seemed to understand; and secondly, the un-favorable notice of most of the reviews. On my reaching London, having an account to settlewith Messrs. Longman and Eees, the booksellers ofPaternoster Row, I sold them all my copyrights, whichwere valued as one lot, by a tliird party. On my nextseein
Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey . k, that in this interview with , the subject of the Lyrical Ballads wasmentioned but once, and that casually, and only toaccount for its failure! which Mr. W. ascribed to twocauses; first the Ancient Mariner, which, he said,no one seemed to understand; and secondly, the un-favorable notice of most of the reviews. On my reaching London, having an account to settlewith Messrs. Longman and Eees, the booksellers ofPaternoster Row, I sold them all my copyrights, whichwere valued as one lot, by a tliird party. On my nextseeing Mr. Longman, he told me, thai in estimatingt1ie value of the copyrights, Eoxs Achmed, andWordsworths Lyrical Ballads, were reckoned asifiothhujy That being the case, I repHed, as boththese authors are my personal friends, I should beobliged, if you would return me again these two copy-rights, that 1 may have the pleasure of presenting themto the respective writers. Mr. Longman answered,with his accustomed liberahty, You are welcome to 260 REMINISCENCES OF. ^>»^, ^J tliem. On my reaching Bristol, I gave Mr. Fox hisreceipt for twenty guineas; and on Mr. Coleridgesreturn from the north, I gave him Mr. Wordsworthsreceipt for his thirty guineas; so that whatever advantagehas arisen, subsequently, from the sale of this volume ofthe Lyrical Ballads,^ I am happy to say, has pertainedexclusively to Mr. W. I have been the more particular in these statements,as it furnishes, perhaps, the most remarkable instanceon record, of a volume of Poems remaining for solong a time, almost totally neglected, and afterwardsacquiring, and that in a rapid degree, so much deservedpopularity.^ A month or two_j,fter Coleridge had left Bristolfor Gfermany, Dr. Beddoes told me of a letter hehadjust^remyed from his friend, Davies Giddy, (after-ward with the altered name of Gilbert, President of theRoyal Society) recommending a very ingenious youngchemist, of Penzance, in Cornwall, to assist him i
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