ABSTRACT
When in company, Coleridge's vehemence of manner and wonderful flow of words and ideas, drew all eyes towards him, and gave him pre-eminence, despite his costume, which he affected to treat with great indifference. He even boasted of the facility with which he was able to overcome the disadvantage of negligent dress. Coleridge always spoke with disrespect of the celebrated Dr. Darwin, His excessive vanity, he said, betrayed itself on all occasions. It was in fact far from an easy matter for any unpractised person to keep pace with him in threading his metaphysical labyrinths. The impressions made upon the minds of his hearers often gave an abundant consciousness of new light. Coleridge was more or less a transcendentalist in the greater part of what he said or wrote; whereas the string which vibrated from Shakspeare’s heart was in unison with that of every human being.
