Could we have fun with Dorothy's journals?

ie...20th July 1801

Coleridge came in wild eyed from the garden saying he'd seen a dodo in the rhubarb patch. I told him it was probably the cat next door. Tis well known that cats do not besmirch their own patches.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2011 12:24PM by old boiler.

23rd July 1801

It being a fine evening William, Coleridge and I went for a walk over Slack Nannygoat Fell. Coleridge took a small bottle of physic as usual. We watched the moon rise over Much Moor and Coleridge insisted it was blue but when I looked the moon was only gold. Home again and my big strong handsome brother put Coleridge to bed as usual.

25th July 1801. My brother has started talking to an invisible woman called Polly. Have told Coleridge that he is not to share his pipe with William again.

It being fine we walked by the lake .William became agitated shouting ever and anon "Polly gone, Polly gone" but Coleridge said the only shapes he could see were diamonds in the sky.


July 26 1801



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2011 12:26PM by old boiler.

August 8th 1801.
There was a roaring in the wind all night the rain came heavily and fell in floods There was no chance of walking by the lake. Dear William fretted about his mysterious friend Polly. An old gypsy woman knocked on the door seeking shelter and offered to tell our fortunes. Coleridge was first but he became very excited and accused the woman of being a man in disguise. "Ozzy man, Ozzy man " he kept shouting. William had to lock him in his bedroom. I being next did tell the old hag of my fears for William and his invisible friend. "Thursday next will see an end to that malarkey" she cackled. When dear William sat down to have his fortune told he burst out laughing and did seize the old witch in a bear hug. I did think that he had been tasting Coleridge's medicine again. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes William introduced me to his old friend and noted disguise merchant, Mr Edward Rochester.Suddenly there was a loud cry from upstairs and a shattering of glass as Coleridge leapt from his bedroom window. He was last seen naked on Fell Fell howling at the moon.

September 7th 1979

Received most bizarre letter from Mr Coleridge. He claims to have been disturbed in writing his latest work by a man whose name I cannot bring myself to write, a Mr Jack [I cannot even share the surname with you dear diary.] This man, if indeed he was not a figment of poor Samuel's imagination, demanded that Mr Coleridge helped him destroy a day of the week. He apparently managed to enter the house because Mr Coleridge had weak bolts on the door, and the poor lock yielded to a shoulder charge.

Have suggested that if Mr Coleridge wished to refer to this, he does not use the appalling name, and instead uses some other element of the anecdote to refer to the intruder.