was no better
than she should be. Which reminds us of a parallel misadventure to a
German, whose colloquial English had been equally neglected. Having
obtained an interview with an English lady, he opened his business
(whatever it might be) thus--"High-born madam, since your husband have
kicked de bucket"---- "Sir!" interrupted the lady, astonished and
displeased. "Oh, pardon!--nine, ten tousand pardon! Now, I make new
beginning--quite oder beginning. Madam, since your husband have cut
his stick"---- It may be supposed that this did not mend matters; and,
reading that in the lady's countenance, the German drew out an octavo
dictionary, and said, perspiring with shame at having a second time
missed fire,--"Madam, since your husband have gone to kingdom
come"---- This he said beseechingly; but the lady was past
propitiation by this time, and rapidly moved towards the door. Things
had now reached a crisis; and, if something were not done quickly, the
game was up. Now, therefore, taking a last hurried look at his
dictionary, the German flew after the lady, crying out in a voice of
despair--"Madam, since your husband, your most respected husband, have
hopped de twig"---- This was his sheet-anchor; and, as this also _came
home_, of course the poor man was totally wrecked. It turned out that
the dictionary he had used (Arnold's, we think,)--a work of a hundred
years back, and, from mere ignorance, giving slang translations from
Tom Brown, L'Estrange, and other jocular writers--had put down the
verb _sterben_ (_to die_) with the following worshipful series of
equivalents--1. To kick the bucket; 2. To cut one's stick; 3. To go to
kingdom come; 4. To hop the twig.

But, though Coleridge did not pretend to any fluent command of
conversational German, he read it with great ease. His knowledge of
German literature was, indeed, too much limited by his rare
opportunities for commanding any thing like a well-mounted library.
And particularly it surprised us that Coleridge knew little or nothing
of John Paul (Richter.) But his acquaintance with the German
philosophic masters was extensive. And his valuation of many
individual German words or phrases was delicate and sometimes
profound.

As a Grecian, Coleridge must be estimated with a reference to the
state and standard of Greek literature at that time and in this
country. Porson had not yet raised our ideal. The earliest laurels of
Coleridge were gathered, however, in that field. Y