228. To Thomas Poole Address: Mr T. Poole | Stowey | near | Bridgewater, | Somerset MS. British Museum. Pub. E.L.G. i. 97. Stamped: Shrewsbury. Saturday Morning [ 27 January 1798] My dearest Poole I thank you, heart-wise, for the Joy you have in my joy --. I received a very affectionate letter from Thomas Wedgewood last ____________________ 1 In Letter 221 Coleridge said that Mr. Rowe 'will leave this place on the Wednesday of next week, [24 Jan.] for Bristol'. The address shows that Rowe was to deliver this letter to Cottle. -380- night -- & answered it immediately. He desires me to meet him at Cote House -- I shall therefore leave this place on Monday Morning -- & shall, God willing, breakfast with him on Tuesday Morning -- on which day I will write you -- The people here absolutely consume me -- the Clergymen of the Church are eminently courteous, & some of them come & hear me. If I had stayed, I have reason to think that I should have doubled the congregation almost immediately. -- With two sermons to meditate in each week, with many letters to write, with invitations for dinner, tea, & supper in each day, & people calling in, & I forced to return morning calls, every morning, you will not be surprized, tho' you will be vexed to hear, that I have written nothing for the Morning Post -- but I shall write immediately to the Editor. -- I long to be at home with you, & to settle & persevere in, some mode of repaying the Wedgewoods thro' the medium of Mankind -- / I wish to be at home with you indeed, indeed -- my Joy is only in the bud here -- I am like that Tree, which fronts me -- The Sun shines bright & warm, as if it were summer -- but it is not summer & so it shines on leafless boughs. The beings who know how to sympathize with me are my foliage -- My filial love to your dear Mother | & believe me, my best dear friend! | ever, ever most affectionately your's S. T. Coleridge P.S. My love to Ward, the Coryphaeus of Transcribers & Rescribers!! when the evil times come, I will use all my Interest to save him from the Proscribers. -- That joke is like the last drop of greasy water wrung out of an afternoon dishclout -- it came with difficulty & might as well have stayed behind.