SONNETS

sonnets

page58.harmonyinunlikeness.

thetwolovelydamselswereemmaisolaandherfriendmaria.

page59.writtenatcambridge.

thissonnetwasfirstprintedintheexaminer,august29and30,1819,andwasdatedaugust15.lamb,wenowknow,fromaletterrecentlydiscovered,wasincambridgeinaugust,1819,justafterbeingrefusedbymisskelly.hazlittinhisessay"ontheconversationofauthors"inthelondonmagazineforseptember,1820,referredtolamb'svisittohimsomeyearsbefore,andhiswantofeaseamongruralsurroundings,adding:"butwhenwecrossthecountrytooxford,thenhespokealittle.heandtheoldcollegerswerehail-fellow-well-met:andinthequadranglehe'walkedgowned.'"

page59.toacelebratedfemaleperformerinthe"blindboy."

firstprintedinthemorningchronicle,1819."theblindboy,""attributed,"saysgenest,"tohewetson,"wasproducedin1807.itwasrevivedfromtimetotime.misskellyusedtoplayedmond,thetitlerôle.

page59.work.

firstprintedintheexaminer,june20and21,1819,underthetitle

"sonnet."

manyyearsearlierweseethegermofthissonnetinlamb'smind,asindeedweseethegermofsomanyideasthatwerenotfullyexpressedtilllater,forhealwayskepthisthoughtsatcall.writingtowordsworthinseptember,1805,hesays:—"hangwork!iwishthatalltheyearwereholyday.iamsurethatindolenceindefeasibleindolenceisthetruestateofman,andbusinesstheinventionoftheoldteazerwhopersuadedadam'smastertogivehimanapronandsethima-houghing.penandinkandclerks,anddesks,weretherefinementsofthisoldtorturerathousandyearsafter…."

lambprobablywasasfondofthissonnetasofanythinghewroteinwhatmightbecalledhissecondpoeticalperiod.hecopieditintohisfirstlettertobernardbarton,inseptember,1822,andhedrewattentiontoitinhiseliaessay"thesuperannuatedman."

page60.leisure.

firstprintedinthelondonmagazineforapril,1821,probably,ithink,asaprotestagainsttheobjectiontakenbysomepersonstotheopinionsexpressedbylambinhisessayon"newyear'seve"inthatmagazineforjanuary(seevol.ii.,andnotes).lambhadthereinsaid,speakingofdeath:—"iamnotcontenttopassaway'likeaweaver'sshuttle.'thosemetaphorssolacemenot,norsweetentheunpalatabledraughtofmortality.icarenottobecarriedwiththetide,thatsmoothlybearshumanlifetoeternity;andreluctattheinevitablecourseofdestiny.iaminlovewiththisgreenearth;thefaceoftownandcountry;theunspeakableruralsolitudes,andthesweetsecurityofstreets.iwouldsetupmytabernaclehere.iamcontenttostandstillattheagetowhichiamarrived;i,andmyfriends.tobenoyounger,noricher,nohandsomer.idonotwanttobeweanedbyage;ordrop,likemellowfruit,astheysay,intothegrave."

suchsentimentsprobablycalledforthsomeprivateaswellaspublicprotests;anditwas,asiimagine,inawhimsicalwishtoemphasisethesincerityofhisregardforlifethatlambreiteratedthatdevotionintheemphaticwordsof"leisure"intheaprilnumber.thissonnetwasaspecialfavouritewithedwardfitzgerald.

itissadtothinkthatlamb,whenhisleisurecame,hadtoomuchofit.writingtobartononjuly25,1829,duringoneofhissister'sillnesses,hesays:"i'dformerlythaticouldnothavetoomuchtime.ihaveasurfeit….iamasanguinarymurdereroftime,thatwouldkillhiminchmealjustnow."

page60.tosamuelrogers,esq.

danielrogers,thepoet'selderbrother,diedin1829.inacknowledginglamb'ssonnet,samuelrogerswrotethefollowingletter,whichlambdescribedtobarton(july3,1829)astheprettiestheeverread.

many,manythanks.theversesarebeautiful.ineednotsaywith

whatfeelingstheywereread.prayacceptthegrateful

acknowledgements

ofusall,andbelievemewhenisaythatnothingcouldhavebeen

agreatercordialtousinourafflictionthansuchatestimonyfromsuch

aquarter.hewas—fornoneknewhimsowell—wewerebornwithina

yearortwoofeachother—amanofaveryhighmind,andwithless

disguisethanperhapsanythateverlived.whateverhewas,thatwe

saw.hestoodbeforehisfellowbeings(ifimaybeforgivenforsaying

so)almostasbeforehismaker:andgodgrantthatwemayallbear

assevereanexamination.hewasanadmirablescholar.hisdante

andhishomerwereasfamiliartohimashisalphabets:andhehad

thetenderestheart.whenaflockofturkieswasstolenfromhisfarm,

theindignationofthepoorfarandwidewasgreatandloud.tomehe

isthegreatestloss,forwewerenearlyofanage;andthereisnowno

humanbeingaliveinwhoseeyesihavealwaysbeenyoung.

yoursmostgratefully,

samuelrogers.

anothersonnettorogerswillbefoundonp.100.

page61.thegipsy'smalison.

firstprintedinblackwood'smagazine,january,1829.lambhadsentittothegem,but,ashetoldprocterinaletteronjanuary22,1829:"theeditorsdeclinedit,onthepleathatitwouldshockallmothers;sotheypublishedthe'widow'[hood'sparodyoflamb]instead.iambornoutoftime.ihavenoconectureaboutwhatthepresentworldcallsdelicacy.ithoughtrosamundgraywasaprettymodestthing.hesseyassuresmethattheworldwouldnotbearit.ihavelivedtogrowintoanindecentcharacter.whenmysonnetwasrejected,iexclaimed,'hangtheage,iwillwriteforantiquity!'"

inanotherlettertoprocter,lambtellsthesonnet'shistory:—

"january29,1829.

"whenmissouldcroft(whoisnowmrs.beddam[badams],andbed-dam'dtoher!)wasatenfield,whichshewasinsummer-time,andowedherhealthtoitssunsandgenialinfluences,shevisited(withyounglady-likeimpertinence)apoorman'scottagethathadaprettybaby(otheyearnling!),gaveitfinecapsandsweetmeats.onaday,brokeintotheparlourourtwomaidsuproarious.'oma'am,whodoyouthinkmissouldcroft(theypronounceitholcroft)hasbeenworkingacapfor?''achild,"answeredmary,intrueshandeanfemalesimplicity.''tistheman'schildaswastakenupforsheep-stealing.'missouldcroftwasered,andwouldhavecuttheconnection;butbymainforceimadehergoandtakeherleaveofherprotégée.ithought,ifshewentnomore,theabactorortheabactor'swife(videainsworth)wouldsupposeshehadheardsomething;andihavedelicacyforasheep-stealer.theoverseersactuallyoverhauledamutton-pieatthebaker's(hisfirst,last,andonlyhopeofmuttonpie),whichhenevercametoeat,andthenceinferredhisguilt.peroccasionemcujus,iframedthesonnet;observeitselaborateconstruction.iwasfourdaysaboutit.[herecamethesonnet.]barry,studythatsonnet.itiscuriouslyandperverselyelaborate.'tisachokingsubject,andthereforethereaderisdirectedtothestructureofit.seeyou?andwasthisafourteenertoberejectedbyatrumperyannual?forsooth,'twouldshockallmothers;andmayallmothers,whowouldsobeshocked,bedamned!asifmothersweresuchsortoflogiciansastoinferthefuturehangingoftheirchildfromthetheoreticalhangibility(orcapacityofbeinghanged,ifthejudgepleases)ofeveryinfantbornwithaneckon.ohb.c.!mywholeheartisfaint,andmywholeheadissick(howisit?)atthisdamnedcantingunmasculineage!"