LETTER35

letter35

charleslambtorobertsouthey

oct.18th,1798.

dearsouthey,—ihaveatlastbeensofortunateastopickupwither'semblemsforyou,that"oldbookandquaint,"asthebriefauthorof"rosamundgray"hathit;itisinamostdetestablestateofpreservation,andthecutsareofafainterimpressionthanihaveseen.somechild,thecurseofantiquariesandbaneofbibliopolicalrarities,hathbeendabblinginsomeofthemwithitspaintanddirtyfingers,andinparticularhathalittlesulliedtheauthor'sownportraiture,whichithinkvaluable,asthepoemthataccompaniesitisnocommonone;thislastexcepted,theemblemsarefarinferiortooldquarles.ioncetoldyouotherwise,butihadnotthenreadoldq.withattention.ihavepickedup,too,anothercopyofquarlesforninepence!!!otempora!olectores!—sothatifyouhavelostorpartedwithyourowncopy,sayso,andicanfurnishyou,foryouprizethesethingsmorethanido.youwillbeamused,ithink,withhonestwither's"supersedeastoallthemwhosecustomitis,withoutanydeserving,toimportuneauthorstogiveuntothemtheirbooks."iamsorry'tisimperfect,asthelotteryboardannexedtoitalsois.methinksyoumightmoderniseandelegantisethissupersedeas,andplaceitinfrontofyour"joanofarc,"asagentlehinttomessrs.park,&c.oneofthehappiestemblemsandcomicalestcutsistheowlandlittlechirpers,page63.

wishingyouallamusement,whichyourtrueemblem-fanciercanscarcefailtofindinevenbademblems,iremainyourcaterertocommand,

c.lamb.

loveandrespectstoedith.ihopesheiswell.howdoesyourcalendarprosper?

[thislettercontainslamb'sfirstreferencetorosamundgray,hisonlynovel,whichhadbeenpublishedalittleearlierintheyear."wither'semblems,an'oldbookandquaint,'"wasoneofthefewvolumesbelongingtooldmargaret,rosamund'sgrandmother(chapteri).seenextletterandnote.

wither'semblemswaspublishedin1635;quarles'inthesameyear.igivewither's"supersedeas"intheappendixtomylargeedition,vol.vii.,togetherwithareproductionoftheowlandlittlechirpersfromtheeditionof1635.]