The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 6 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 705 pages of information about The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 6.

The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 6 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 705 pages of information about The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 6.

I say tripping tongue, for Charles Lamb stammered and spoke hurriedly.  He did not think it worth while to put on a fine new coat to come down and see me in, as poor Coleridge did, but met me as if I had been a friend of twenty years’ standing; indeed, he told me I had been so, and shewed me some things I had written much longer ago, and had utterly forgotten.  The world will never see again two such delightful volumes as “The Essays of Elia;” no man living is capable of writing the worst twenty pages of them.  The Continent has Zadig and Gil Bias, we have Elia and Sir Roger de Coverly.

Mrs. Fields, writing in the Atlantic Monthly for April, 1866, on Landor, says that Landor told her of his visit to Lamb and said that Lamb read to him some poetry and asked his opinion of it.  Landor said it was very good, whereupon Lamb laughed and called Landor the vainest of men, for it was his own.

In a letter to Southey the lines differed, ending thus: 

Few are the spirits of the glorified
I’d spring to earlier at the gate of Heaven.]

LETTER 550

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[Late 1832.]

A poor mad usher (and schoolfellow of mine) has been pestering me through you with poetry and petitions.  I have desired him to call upon you for a half sovereign, which place to my account.

I have buried Mrs. Reynolds at last, who has virtually at least bequeath’d me a legacy of L32 per Ann., to which add that my other pensioner is safe housed in the workhouse, which gets me L10.

Richer by both legacies L42 per Ann.

For a loss of a loss is as good as a gain of a gain.

But let this be between ourselves, specially keep it from A----- or I
shall speedily have candidates for the Pensions.

Mary is laid up with a cold.

Will you convey the inclosed by hand?

When you come, if you ever do, bring me one Devil’s Visit, I mean Southey’s; also the Hogarth which is complete, Noble’s I think.  Six more letters to do.  Bring my bill also.  C.L.

[I do not identify the usher.  Mrs. Reynolds, Lamb’s first schoolmistress, we have met.  The other pensioner I do not positively identify; presumably it was Morgan, Coleridge’s old friend, to whom Lamb and Southey had each given ten pounds annually from 1819.

A----- I cannot positively identify.  Perhaps the philanthropic Allsop.

Southey’s “Devil’s Visit” was a new edition of The Devil’s Walk illustrated by Thomas Landseer.

Noble’s “Hogarth.”  Noble was the engraver.]

LETTER 551

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[No date.  Winter, 1832.]

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The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 6 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.