LETTER 520

CHARLES LAMB TO SARAH HAZLITT

June 3, 1830.

Dear Sarah,—­I named your thought about William to his father, who expressed such horror and aversion to the idea of his singing in public, that I cannot meddle in it directly or indirectly.  Ayrton is a kind fellow, and if you chuse to consult him by Letter, or otherwise, he will give you the best advice, I am sure, very readily. I have no doubt that M. Burney’s objection to interfering was the same—­with mine. With thanks for your pleasant long letter, which is not that of an Invalid, and sympathy for your sad sufferings, I remain, in haste,

Yours Truly,

Mary’s kindest Love.

[There was some talk of William Hazlitt Junr. becoming a pupil of Braham and taking up music seriously.  He did not do so.

Here should come a note from Lamb to Hone, dated Enfield, June 17, 1830, in which Lamb offers Hone L1 per quarter for yesterday’s Times, after the Coffee-House customers have done with it.  He ends with the wish, “Vivant Coffee, Coffee-potque!”]

LETTER 521

CHARLES LAMB TO BERNARD BARTON

[P.M.  June 28, 1830.]

DEAR B.B.—­Could you dream of my publishing without sending a copy to you?  You will find something new to you in the vol. particularly the Translations.  Moxon will send to you the moment it is out.  He is the young poet of Xmas, whom the Author of the Pleasures of Memory has set up in the bookvending business with a volunteer’d loan of L500—­such munificence is rare to an almost stranger.  But Rogers, I am told, has done many goodnatured things of this nature.  I need not say how glad to see A.K. and Lucy we should have been,—­and still shall be, if it be practicable.  Our direction is Mr. Westwood’s, Chase Side Enfield, but alas I know not theirs.  We can give them a bed.  Coaches come daily from the Bell, Holborn.

You will see that I am worn to the poetical dregs, condescending to Acrostics, which are nine fathom beneath Album verses—­but they were written at the request of the Lady where our Emma is, to whom I paid a visit in April to bring home Emma for a change of air after a severe illness, in which she had been treated like a daughter by the good Parson and his whole family.  She has since return’d to her occupation.  I thought on you in Suffolk, but was 40 miles from Woodbridge.  I heard of you the other day from Mr. Pulham of the India House.

Long live King William the 4th.

S.T.C. says, we have had wicked kings, foolish kings, wise kings, good kings (but few) but never till now have we had a Blackguard King—­

Charles 2d was profligate, but a Gentleman.

I have nineteen Letters to dispatch this leisure Sabbath for Moxon to send about with Copies-so you will forgive me short measure—­and believe me