ABSTRACT
The first of these Poems, or rather—the fragment of a poem which stands first in this collection, has had honourable testimony borne to its merits by Lord Byron, who lately acknowledged its beauties, in a note to his Siege of Corinth. The Author states the first part of ‘Christabel’ to have been written in 1797 at Stowey, in the county of Somerset, and the second in 1800, at Keswick, in Cumberland. Since the latter date, he says his poetic powers have been, till very lately, in a state of suspended animation, and he assigns his indolence as the cause of that long trance or syncope, which all who know his abilities will regret. Mr. Coleridge, however, raises hopes that he may so far rouse himself as to conclude the story of ‘Christabel’ in the course of the present year; but we fear it is from some lurking distrust of his best resolutions, that he has been tempted to mar the strong interest which his wild romantic tale would otherwise have excited, by thus communicating it in piecemeal. In such a case we ate effectually prevented from giving our readers any idea of the main incidents of the poem: Daughter, the Spanish Fleet thou can’st not see Because it is not yet in sight—
