“Whither ah whither art Thou fled,
      To hide thy meek contented head.

“Cowley’s exquisite Elegy on the death of his friend Harvey suggested the phrase of ‘we two’

      “Was there a tree [about] that did not know
      The love betwixt us two?—­”

When Coleridge printed the sonnet in the pamphlet described on page 310, he appended to the eleventh line the following note:—­

Innocence, which, while we possess it, is playful as a babe, becomes AWFUL when it has departed from us.  This is the sentiment of the line —­a fine sentiment and nobly expressed.

Lamb printed this sonnet twice—­in 1797 and 1818.

Page 9. Childhood.

See note to “The Grandame,” page 312.  The “turf-clad slope” in line 4 was probably at Blakesware.  It is difficult to re-create the scene, for the new house stands a quarter of a mile west of the old one, the site of which is hidden by grass and trees.  Where once were gardens is now meadow land.

Lamb printed this poem twice—­in 1797 and 1818.

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Page 10. The Sabbath Bells.

Lamb printed this poem twice—­in 1797 and 1818.  Church bells seem always to have had charms for him (see the reference in John Woodvil, page 197, and in Susan Yates’ story in Mrs. Leicester’s School in Vol.  III.).  See note to “The Grandame.”

Page 10. Fancy Employed on Divine Subjects.

In the letter of December 5, 1796, quoted below, Lamb remarks concerning this poem:  “I beg you to alter the words ‘pain and want,’ to ’pain and grief’ (line 10), this last being a more familiar and ear-satisfying combination.  Do it, I beg of you.”  But the alteration either was not made, or was cancelled later.  The reference in lines 6, 7 and 8 is to Revelation xxii. 1, 2.  See note to “The Grandame.”  Lamb printed this poem twice—­in 1797 and 1818.

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Page 11. The Tomb of Douglas.

The play on which this poem was founded was the tragedy of “Douglas” by John Home (1722-1808), produced in 1756.  Young Norval, or Douglas, the hero, after killing the false Glenalvon, is slain by his stepfather, Lord Randolph, unknowing who he is.  On hearing of Norval’s death his mother, Lady Randolph, throws herself from a precipice.  In the letter to Coleridge of December 5, 1796, quoted above, Lamb also copied out “The Tomb of Douglas,” prefixing these remarks:—­“I would also wish to retain the following if only to perpetuate the memory of so exquisite a pleasure as I have often received at the performance of the tragedy of Douglas, when Mrs. Siddons has been the Lady Randolph....  To understand the following, if you are not acquainted with the play, you should know that on the death of Douglas his mother threw herself down a rock; and that at that time Scotland was busy in repelling the Danes.”