COLERIDGE, HENRY NELSON, the son of Colonel Coleridge, a brother of the poet [COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR], was born at the beginning of this century. He was educated on the foundation at Eton, and in due course was elected scholar, and subsequently fellow, of King's College, Cambridge. He took his degree of B.A. in 1823.
The scholars of King's having the somewhat questionable privilege of obtaining their degrees without examination, Mr. Coleridge's name ivnot found amongst the candidates for classical or mathematical honours; but he was well known in the university as ono of great talents and rich acquirements, and he gave public evidence of his taste and scholarship, iu 1820 and 1821, in the first of which years he obtained two out of the three of Sir W. Browne's medals, namely, that for the Greek ode and that for the Latin ode, and in the second year was again the successful candidate for the Greek ode. In 1823 he was a contributor, in conjunction with W. S. Walker, W. M. Praed, T. B. Macaulay, J. Moultrie, and others of his university, to ' Knight's Quarterly Magazine.' His papers, which bear the signature of 'Joseph Haller,' on ' The English Constitution,' The Long Parliament,' Mimbeau,' Sze., are distinguished for a soundness of opinion, and a liberal and comprehensive view of historical questions, which are evidence of the extent of his acquirements beyond the ordinary range of university reading. Having fallen into ill health, Mr. Cole ridge, in 1825, accompanied his uncle, the Bishop of Barba.doca, on his outward voyage. Upon his return to England in the same year, he published a most lively and amusing narrative of his tropical experiences, under the title of ' Six Months in the West Indies,' which had the unusual good fortune of quickly passing into a fourth edition.
His restored health opened to Mr. Coleridge a course of honourable action. He was called to the bar by the Society of the Middle Temple, on the 24th of November 1826, and, during the ensuing fourteen years, gradually advanced to a good practice in the Court of Chancery. During this period he assiduously cultivated his literary tastes, and more especially dedicated all his leisure to the society of his illustrious uncle, whose conversation was a perpetual store of the most varied knowledge. The accomplished daughter of the poet became the wife of Henry Coleridge soon after he was called to the bar. In 1830 Mr. Henry Coleridge published an Introduction to the Study of the Greek Classic Poets.' Until the death of S. T. Coleridge, in 1834, his nephew most assiduously devoted himself to the grateful task of noting down with all reverence the fragments of this extraordinary man's eloquent talk, or more properly declamation. In 1835 some of the results of
this labour of love were given to the world in 'Specimens of the Table Talk of the late Samuel Taylor Coleridge,' in two small volumes. It has been objected that these fragments, in which Cole ridge's opinions are arranged under particular subjects, give no just notion of the character of his talk. His nephew anticipates the objection: "I know better than any one can tell me, how inadequately these specimens represent the peculiar splendour and individuality of Mr. Coleridge's conversation. How should it be otherwise? 'Who could always follow to the turuing-point his long arrow-flights of thought ?" Yet the book must always possess a deep interest. Of its literal truth as a record of Coleridge's opinions, however it may fall short of giving an adequate notion of his mode of expressing them, no one can doubt. The Table Talk' was followed in 1836 by two octavo volumes of The Literary Remains of S. T. Coleridge,' also edited by his nephew; and a third volume of the same series was published in 1838. The care and judgment with which this difficult undertaking is executed, have given to these fragmentary materials—' Sibylline leaves,—notes of the lecturer, memoranda of the investigator, out pourings of the solitary and self-communing student,'—a permanent value. In 1837 Mr. Henry Coleridge republished The Friend'—his uncle's little-known periodical work—one of the most remarkable books in modern literature. In 1840 he also edited 'Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit,'—a series of letters on the inspiration of the Scriptures, left by Mr. Coleridge in manuscript at his death. In this mass of materials, which we owe In great part to the unwearie 1 industry of Mr. Henry Coleridge, amidst the short leisure of a laborious profession, will be found the best evidence of Coleridge's claims to a lasting reputation as a critic and a philosopher.
We have little to add to this imperfect notice. In 1842 Mr. H. Coleridge had a return of the painful maladies which had received a temporary relief in 1825. For many months be was prostrate ou bed of sickness, enduring pain with a most oxsmplary fortitude and eheerfuloesw, end supported by that strong religious feeling which formed a principal feature of Ms character. lie died on the 26th of January 1843, and was buried by the aide of his uncle, In Highgate old churchyard. His wife survived him till 1852. She is noticed further, with the poet's other children, under COLEIIIDGIL SAYCZL TAYLOR.