part of this missive Lamb enumerates the books which he has just despatched to Wordsworth by carrier from London.  Among these is an edition of Spenser, leading to the “apropos.”  Also:  “there comes W. Hazlitt’s book about Human Action for Coleridge; a little song book for Sarah Coleridge; a Box for Hartley ...; a Paraphrase on The King and Queen of Hearts, of which I, being the author, beg Mr. Johnny Wordsworth’s acceptance and opinion. Liberal Criticism, as G. Dyer declares, I am always ready to attend to.”

As Charles Lamb is not known to have written children’s books for any one but the Godwins, who in 1806 were still publishing under cover of Thomas Hodgkins’ name, in Hanway Street, it is reasonable to assume that if a paraphrase of The King and Queen of Hearts nursery rhyme could be found, bearing Hodgkins’ or Godwin’s name, and dated 1805 or 1806, Lamb would be its author.  That such a work did exist was proved by the advertisements at the end of other of Godwin’s juvenile books.  In the first edition of Mrs. Leicester’s School, 1809, is this announcement:—­

“Likewise, the following elegant and approved Publications, containing each of them the Incidents of an agreeable Tale, exhibited in a Series of Engravings, Price 1s. plain, or 1s. 6d. coloured.

    “1. The King and Queen of Hearts:  showing how notably the Queen
    made her Tarts, and how Scurvily the Knave stole them away. &c.”

This series was called the Copperplate Series.  In due course a copy of No. 1, The King and Queen of Hearts, was found in the library of Miss Edith Pollock, bought by her at the sale of the late Mr. Andrew W. Tuer, an authority upon old children’s literature and the publisher to whose enterprise we owe the facsimile editions of Prince Dorus and Poetry for Children.  Mr. Tuer, however, had not suspected Lamb’s authorship.  The cover of Miss Pollock’s copy bears the date 1809, which means that the little book was re-bound as required with the date of the current year upon it.  Copies of the first edition have since been discovered and sold for enormous sums.  The date is 1806.

In a copy of The Looking Glass, another of Godwin’s books, The King and Queen of Hearts is thus advertised, with a new quatrain, probably also from Lamb’s pen:—­

    “Price 1s.  Plain; or 15. 6ed.  Coloured,
      The King and Queen of Hearts,
          With the
  Rogueries of the Knave who stole away the Queen’s Pies. 
      Illustrated in Fifteen elegant Engravings: 
  Agreeably to the famous Historical Ballad on the Subject.

    “I write of Tarts; how sweet a tale! 
    You’ll lick your lips to hear it told: 
  I show you mighty Kings and Queens,
    Robes of scarlet, Crowns of gold.”