289. To Thomas Poole Address: Mr T. Poole | Nether Stowey | near | Bridgewater. MS. British Museum. Hitherto unpublished. Stamped: Exeter. Sept. 10 1799 My dearest Poole We arrived safely, & were received with all love & attention -Southey & his wife sojourned at Ottery a few Days & went to Exeter from whence & from whose Room I now write -- to morrow I set off for a little Tour of 3 or 4 days with Southey ---- I now write to you on the spur or rather the Sting of the moment -- for I have just received a letter from Wordsworth of Staple's Inn bothering me with an ungentlemanlike Importunacy about that damned old Shirt which I sent by Stutfield / & which he has not. received -- Now I entreat you, my dear Poole, do not delay to write immediately to Stutfield, telling him the same, that if by any accident it be lost, I may transmit = for =. As to Stutfield, I could almost wish that some Incubus would get into Bed with him, & blow with a bellows the Wind of cold colic against his Posteriors -& Wordsworth -- nay -- I will not dare to utter any thing vituperative even of the Brother of my GREAT Friend / -- Please Heaven in the course of three days I will write you a letter that shall in some measure pay postage / ----/ -- I am afraid that I shall hear nothing from Cruckshanks about Alfoxden -- I am very anxious to -526- have it -- but expect nothing. -- Poor Cruckshanks! it seems hardhearted for me to mingle any selfish Concern with his Distresses-I have heard from W. Wordsworth -- he is ill -- & seems not happy -Montague has played the fool, I suspect, with him in pecuniary affairs -- he renounces Alfoxden altogether / -- God bless you, my dear dear Poole! & now that you have come to the End of my letter take up pen & paper & begin Dear Stutfield My Friend, the Bard, alias, S. T. Coleridge, has just received a damn'd disagreeable dunning dirty dribbling Letter about a beggarly Shirt &c &c &c ---- Heaven bless you, my dear Poole! & S. T. Coleridge We are all well ---- Wordsworth is an attorney at Law in Staple's Inn ----