“Having dispatched one letter, I now begin another. You have encouraged me to believe that some pleasure results to you, merely from thus obtaining the power of accompanying my motions, and that what would be uninteresting to another may, by this circumstance, be rendered agreeable to you. I am the less capable of altering my method, if it ought to be altered, as you have not dealt fairly by me this post I delivered a letter of mine to the messenger, but I received none from him in return. I am beginning a fourth letter, but of yours I have as yet only one.
“The theatre, which was at Stoke-upon-Trent, two miles
from Etruria, was inexpressibly miserable. The scene was new to me, and I
should have been sorry to have missed it; but it was extremely tedious. Our own
company, consisting of nine persons, contributed one-half of the audience,
exclusive of the galleries. The illusion, the fascination of the drama, was, as
you may well suppose, altogether out of the question. It was the counterpart of
a puppet-show at a country fair, except that, from the circumstance of these
persons having to deliver the sentiments of Sheridan and
| A PLAY IN THE PROVINCES. | 259 |
“Which is best, to pass one’s life in the natural vegetation state of the potters we saw in the morning, turning a wheel, or treading a lay: or to pass it like these players, in an occupation to which skill and approbation can alone give a zest, without a hope of rising to either?
“Saturday morning our amusement was to go to a place
called the Tunnel, a sort of underground navigation, about a mile and a half,
at a distance of three miles from Etruria. We went in a small boat, which was
drawn along by a horse. As we approached the Tunnel, we saw a smoke proceeding
from the mouth, which gave it no inadequate resemblance of what the ancients
feigned to be the entrance to the infernal regions. We proceeded to about the
middle of the subterranean, the light that marked the place of our entrance
gradually diminishing, till, when we had made two-thirds of our way, it wholly
disappeared. The enclosure of the Tunnel was by an arch of brick, which
distilled upon us, as we passed, drops of water impregnated with iron. We
discerned our
| 260 | WILLIAM GODWIN |
“The only ladies who accompanied us in this voyage was Mrs Josiah Wedgwood and Mrs Montagu elect. Here, and at the play, where I contrived to sit beside her, I contrived to see more of this latter than I had yet done. I am sorry to observe that she does not improve upon me.
“Another evening and no letter. This is scarcely kind. I reminded you in time that it would be impossible to write to me after Saturday, though it is not improbable you may not see me before the Saturday following. What am I to think? How many possible accidents will the anxiety of affection present to one’s thoughts! Not serious ones, I hope: in that case I trust I should have heard. But headaches; but sickness of the heart, a general loathing of life and of me. Do not give place to this worst of diseases! The least I can think is, that you recollect me with less tenderness and impatience than I reflect on you. There is a general sadness in the sky; the clouds are shutting around me, and seem depressed with moisture: everything turns the soul to melancholy. Guess what my feelings are, when the most soothing and consolatory thought that occurs, is a temporary remission and oblivion in your affections.
“I had scarcely finished the above when I received your letter, accompanying T. W.’s, which was delayed by an accident till after the regular arrival of the post. I am not sorry to have put down my feelings as they were.
“We propose leaving Etruria at four o’clock
to-morrow morning (Tuesday). Our journey cannot take less than three days,
viz., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We propose, however, a
| DR DARWIN. | 261 |
“Tell Fanny the green monkey has not come to Etruria. Bid her explain to Lucas the mug he is to receive. I hope it will not be broken on the journey.”
