LETTER 600

CHARLES LAMB TO Miss FRYER

[No date.]

My dear Miss Fryer, By desire of Emma I have attempted new words to the old nonsense of Tartar Drum; but with the nonsense the sound and spirit of the tune are unaccountably gone, and we have agreed to discard the new version altogether.  As you may be more fastidious in singing mere silliness, and a string of well-sounding images without sense or coherence—­Drums of Tartars, who use none, and Tulip trees ten foot high, not to mention Spirits in Sunbeams &c,—­than we are, so you are at liberty to sacrifice an enspiriting movement to a little sense, tho’ I like LITTLE-SENSE less than his vagarying younger sister NO-SENSE—­so I send them——­

The 4th line of 1st stanza is from an old Ballad.

Emma is looking weller and handsomer (as you say) than ever.  Really, if she goes on thus improving, by the time she is nine and thirty she will be a tolerable comely person.  But I may not live to see it.—­I take Beauty to be catching—­ a Cholera sort of thing—­Now, whether the constant presence of a handsome object—­for there’s only two of us—­may not have the effect------but the subject is delicate, and as my old great Ant* used to say—­“Andsome is as andsome duzz”—­that was my great Ant’s way of spelling——­

Most and best kind things say to yourself and dear Mother for all your kindnesses to our Em., tho’ in truth I am a little tired with her everlasting repetition of ’em.  Yours very Truly,

CHS LAMB.

* Emma’s way of spelling Miss Umfris, as I spell her Aunt.

LOVE WILL COME

          Tune:  “The Tartar Drum"

        I

        Guard thy feelings, pretty Vestal,
          From the smooth Intruder free;
        Cage thine heart in bars of chrystal,
          Lock it with a golden key;
        Thro’ the bars demurely stealing—­
          Noiseless footstep, accent dumb,
        His approach to none revealing—­
          Watch, or watch not, LOVE WILL COME. 
        His approach to none revealing—­
          Watch, or watch not, Love will come—­Love,
          Watch, or watch not, Love will come.

        II

        Scornful Beauty may deny him—­
          He hath spells to charm disdain;
        Homely Features may defy him—­
          Both at length must wear the chain. 
        Haughty Youth in Courts of Princes—­
          Hermit poor with age oercome—­
        His soft plea at last convinces;
          Sooner, later, LOVE WILL COME—­

        His soft plea at length convinces;
          Sooner, later, Love will come—­Love,
          Sooner, later, Love will come.

LETTER 601

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM WORDSWORTH