The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb
Chapter 341 : Nothing like defining of Terms when we talk. What blunders might I have fallen into of

Nothing like defining of Terms when we talk. What blunders might I have fallen into of quite inapplicable Criticism, but for this timely explanation.

N.B. At the beginning of _Edm._ Spencer (to prevent mistakes) I have copied from my own copy, and primarily from a book of Chalmers on Shakspear, a Sonnet of Spenser's never printed among his poems. It is curious as being manly and rather Miltonic, and as a Sonnet of Spenser's with nothing in it about Love or Knighthood. I have no room for remembrances; but I hope our doing your commission will prove we do not quite forget you.

C. L.

1 Feb., 1806.

["Hazlitt's book about Human Action for Coleridge"--_An Essay on the Principles of Human Action_, 1805.

"A Paraphrase of the King and Queen of Hearts." This was a little book for children by Lamb, ill.u.s.trated by Mulready and published by T.

Hodgkins (for the G.o.dwins) in 1806. It was discovered through this pa.s.sage in this letter and is reprinted in facsimile in Vol. III. of my large edition. The t.i.tle ran _The King and Queen of Hearts, with the Rogueries of the Knave who stole away the Queen's Pies_.

Coleridge had left Malta on September 21, 1805. He went to Naples, and from there to Rome in January, 1806, where he stayed until May 18.

"A propos of Spencer." This portion of the letter, owing to a mistake of Talfourd's, is usually tacked on to one dated June, 1806. "Miss Evans."

See note to Letter 3.

"Poor Spencer." William Robert Spencer (1769-1834) was the author of _jeux d'esprit_ and poems. He is now known, if at all, by his ballad of "Bed Gellert." He married the widow of Count Spreti, and in 1804 published a book of elegies ent.i.tled "The Year of Sorrow." Spencer was among the translators of Burger's "Leonore," his version being ill.u.s.trated by Lady Diana Beauclerk (his great-aunt) in 1796. Lamb used this anecdote as a little article in the _Reflector_, No. II., 1811, ent.i.tled "On the Ambiguities arising from Proper Names" (see Vol. I. of this edition). Lamb, however, by always spelling the real poet with a "c," did nothing towards avoiding the ambiguity!

This is the sonnet which Lamb copied into Wordsworth's Spenser from George Chalmers' _Supplemental Apology for the Believers in the Shakespeare-Papers_ (1799), page 94:--

To the Right wors.h.i.+pful, my singular good _friend_, Mr. Gabriel Harvey, Doctor of the Laws:--

"Harvey, the happy above happiest men I read: that sitting like a looker on Of this world's stage, doest note with critique pen The sharp dislikes of each condition: And as one careless of suspition, Ne fawnest for the favour of the great: Ne fearest foolish reprehension Of faulty men, which danger to thee threat.

But freely doest, of what thee list, entreat, Like a great Lord of peerless liberty: Lifting the good up to high honours seat, And the Evil d.a.m.ning ever more to dy.

For life, _and_ death is [are] in thy doomful writing: So thy renowne lives ever by endighting."

Dublin: this xviij of July, 1586; Your devoted _friend_, during life, EDMUND SPENSER.]

LETTER 146

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM HAZLITT [Dated at end: Feb. 19, 1806.]

Dear H.--G.o.dwin has just been here in his way from Johnson's. Johnson has had a fire in his house; this happened about five weeks ago; it was in the daytime, so it did not burn the house down, but did so much damage that the house must come down, to be repaired: his nephew that we met on Hampstead Hill put it out: well, this fire has put him so back, that he craves one more month before he gives you an answer.

I will certainly goad G.o.dwin (if necessary) to go again this very day four weeks; but I am confident he will want no goading.

Three or four most capital auctions of Pictures advertised. In May, Welbore Ellis Agar's, the first private collection in England, so Holcroft says. In March, Sir George Young's in Stratford-place (where Cosway lives), and a Mr. Hulse's at Blackheath, both very capital collections, and have been announc'd for some months. Also the Marquis of Lansdowne's Pictures in March; and though inferior to mention, lastly, the Tructhsessian gallery. Don't your mouth water to be here?

T'other night Loftus called, whom we have not seen since you went before. We meditate a stroll next Wednesday, Fast-day. He happened to light upon Mr. Holcroft's Wife, and Daughter, their first visit at our house.

Your brother called last night. We keep up our intimacy. He is going to begin a large Madona and child from Mrs. H. and baby, I fear he goes astray after ignes fatui. He is a clever man. By the bye, I saw a miniature of his as far excelling any in his shew cupboard (that of your sister not excepted) as that shew cupboard excells the shew things you see in windows--an old woman--d.a.m.n her name--but most superlative; he has it to clean--I'll ask him the name--but the best miniature I ever saw, equal to Cooper and them fellows. But for oil pictures!--what has he [to] do with Madonas? if the Virgin Mary were alive and visitable, he would not hazard himself in a Covent-Garden-pit-door crowd to see her.

It ain't his style of beauty, is it?--But he will go on painting things he ought not to paint, and not painting things he ought to paint.

Manning is not gone to China, but talks of going this Spring. G.o.d forbid!

Coleridge not heard of.

I, going to leave off smoke. In mean time am so smoky with last night's 10 Pipes, that I must leave off.

Mary begs her kind remembrances.

Pray write to us--

This is no Letter, but I supposed you grew anxious about Johnson.

N.B.--Have taken a room at 3/- a week, to be in between 5 & 8 at night, to avoid my _nocturnal_ alias _knock-eternal_ visitors. The first-fruits of my retirement has been a farce which goes to manager tomorrow. _Wish my ticket luck._ G.o.d bless you, and do write,--Yours, _fumosissimus_,

C. LAMB.

Wednesday, 19 Feb., 1806.

[Johnson was the publisher whom we have already seen considering Hazlitt's abridgment of the _Light of Nature Revealed_.

Lamb was always interested in sales of pictures: the on-view days gave him some of his best opportunities of seeing good painting. The Truchsessian Picture Gallery was in New Road, opposite Portland Place.

Exhibitions were held annually, the pictures being for sale.

Loftus was Tom Loftus of Wisbech, a cousin of Hazlitt.

Holcroft's wife at that time, his fourth, was Louisa Mercier, who afterwards married Lamb's friend, James Kenney, the dramatist. The daughter referred to was probably f.a.n.n.y Holcroft, who subsequently wrote novels and translations.

Cooper, the miniature painter, was Samuel Cooper (1609-1672), a connection by marriage of Pope's mother, and the painter of Cromwell and other interesting men.

Lamb's _N.B._ contains his first mention of his farce "Mr. H." We are not told where the 3s. room was situated. Possibly in the Temple.]

LETTER 147

MARY LAMB TO SARAH STODDART

[? Feb. 20, 21 and 22, 1806.]

My dear Sarah,--I have heard that Coleridge was lately going through Sicily to Rome with a party, but that, being unwell, he returned back to Naples. We think there is some mistake in this account, and that his intended journey to Rome was in his former jaunt to Naples. If you know that at that time he had any such intention, will you write instantly?

for I do not know whether I ought to write to Mrs. Coleridge or not.

I am going to make a sort of promise to myself and to you, that I will write you kind of journal-like letters of the daily what-we-do matters, as they occur. This day seems to me a kind of new era in our time. It is not a birthday, nor a new-year's day, nor a leave-off-smoking day; but it is about an hour after the time of leaving you, our poor Phoenix, in the Salisbury Stage; and Charles has just left me for the first time to go to his lodgings; and I am holding a solitary consultation with myself as to the how I shall employ myself.

Writing plays, novels, poems, and all manner of such-like vapouring and vapourish schemes are floating in my head, which at the same time aches with the thought of parting from you, and is perplext at the idea of I-cannot-tell-what-about notion that I have not made you half so comfortable as I ought to have done, and a melancholy sense of the dull prospect you have before you on your return home. Then I think I will make my new gown; and now I consider the white petticoat will be better candle-light worth; and then I look at the fire, and think, if the irons was but down, I would iron my Gowns--you having put me out of conceit of mangling.

So much for an account of my own confused head; and now for yours.