Letter from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Keswick, to Dorothy Wordsworth, 1801 February 9 : autograph manuscript signed with initials.

Discussing logistics of his visit to Grasmere at the end of the week and relating amusing conversations with Hartley; saying "I had a very long conversation with Hartley about Life, Reality, Pictures, & Thinking, this evening. He sate on my knee for half an hour at least, & was exceedingly serious. I wish to God, you had been with us. Much as you would desire to believe me, I cannot expect that I could communicate to you all that Mrs. C. & I felt from his answers - they were so very sensible, accurate, & well worded. I am convinced, that we are under great obligations to Mr. Jackson, who, I have no doubt, takes every opportunity of making him observe the differences of Things : for he pointed out without difficulty that there might be five Hartleys, Real Hartley, Shadow Hartley, Picture Hartley, Looking Glass Hartley, and Echo Hartley / and as to the difference between his Shadow & the Reflection in the Looking Glass, he said, the Shadow was black, and he could not see his eyes in it. One thing, he said, was very curious - I asked him what he did when he thought of any thing - he answered - I look at it, and then go to sleep. To sleep? said I - you mean, that you shut your eyes. Yes, he replied - I shut my eyes, & put my hands so (covering his eyes) and go to sleep - then I wake again, and away I run. - That of shutting his eyes, & covering them was a Recipe I had given him some time ago / but the notion of that state of mind being Sleep is very striking, & he meant more, I suspect, than that People when asleep have their eyes shut - indeed I know it from the tone & leap up of Voice with which he uttered the word 'Wake.' To morrow I am to exert my genius in making a paper-balloon / the idea of carrying up a bit of lighted Candle into the clouds makes him almost insane with pleasure. As I have given you Hartley's metaphysics I will not give you a literal Translation of page 49 of the celebrated Fichte's Uber den Begriff der Wissenschaftslehre - if any of you, or if either your Host or hostess, have any propensity to Doubts, it will cure them for ever / for the object of the author is to attain absolute certainty. So read it aloud;" discussing, at length and in detail, "...that A in the proposition A = A stands not for the I, but for something or other different...;" sending his regards to Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson "...& give a kiss for me to dear little Tom - God love him! - I gave H. pictures, nuts & mince pie, all as a Present from Tommy. - Heaven bless you, my dear friends."