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seem that, for all the expectations that Coleridge would dominate any discussion between the twomen, he seems to have found Wordsworth’s intellect worthy of an attentive ear. 31In 1797 Wordsworth, the well-mannered intellectual was as important to Coleridge asWordsworth the eloquent poet, or dramatist. Coleridge does not actually use the term ‘philosopher’ atthis time – he has yet to apply that term to himself – but the meaning can be inferred. When, in May1799, he is faced with the fact that Wordsworth will not be returning to Nether Stowey after the twomen’s excursion to Germany, Coleridge writes to Poole of the pain he feels as a consequence ofknowing he will not be living near ‘the only one whom in all things I feel my Superior - & you willbelieve me when I say, that I have few feelings more pleasurable than to find myself in intellectualfaculties an Inferior’ (CL I 491). Further praise of Wordsworth, following Coleridge’s return toEngland, tends to focus on his great poetic powers and on Coleridge’s own lack of them. As Coleridgeleaves poetry to Wordsworth and turns to philosophy as his consolation, he still continues to praiseWordsworth’s intellect, as he follows him to the Lake District and assists him in producing the secondedition of Lyrical Ballads. Differences between the two men emerge as Wordsworth exerciseseditorial control over the content of the second volume and Coleridge abandons poetry and turns hisattentions to a more critical approach to philosophy. 32 But even after noting the existence of the‘radical Difference’ over poetic theory in July 1802, Coleridge continued to idealise Wordsworth’sintellect and to refer to his philosophic mind, which he hoped would eventually produce the ‘first &finest great philosophic Poem’ – The Recluse.But a certain coolness was also developing in Coleridge’s attitude towards Wordsworth as hebegan to realise the extent to which his own contributions in discussion had failed to alterWordsworth’s mind. After the two men had returned from Germany, Coleridge had foundWordsworth as committed as ever to his own particular philosophical position, and unable toappreciate the more sophisticated, idealist, approach to philosophy that Coleridge was learning fromhis studies in Germany, which had led to a focus on the writings of Plato and Kant. 33 As Coleridgecomes to distinguish himself as a ‘philosopher’ rather than a poet, his attitude towards Wordsworth’sphilosophy turns from admiration to ambivalence and then to criticism, as he comes to recognise,more fully, the radical difference between his transcendental philosophy, and Wordsworth’s stoicalempiricism. In 1803, however, Coleridge was still prepared to flatter Wordsworth, and writes to himthat he had been in conversation with Sir George and Lady Beaumont who had been visiting31 Speaking of Wordsworth in his later life, J.S. Mill maintained that he, ‘seemed the best talker I ever heard (&I have heard several first-rate ones)’ The Earlier Letters of John Stuart Mill 1812-1848, ed. F.E. Mineka, p82.32 For two classic essays discussing the relationship between the two men and the issues that caused frictionbetween them at this time see Max F. Schultz, ‘Coleridge, Wordsworth and the 1800 Preface to LyricalBallads’. Studies in English Literature (1965): 619-39 & Marilyn Katz, ‘Early Dissent Between Wordsworthand Coleridge’. The Wordsworth Circle 9. 1 (1978): 50-57.33 After a period of ‘most intense study’ of philosophy, undertaken in order to write his philosophical letters tothe Josiah Wedgwood in February 1801, Coleridge announced to Poole that he had overthrown the doctrineof Association, as taught by Hartley. He also announced plans to write a preliminary philosophical workexposing the reputations of Locke, Hobbes, and Hume as unmerited, based on an extensive study ofphilosophy that he had made, from Aristotle to Kant. This he had discussed with Wordsworth, ‘entirely toWordsworth’s satisfaction’ (CL II 706-8).57