LETTER256

letter256

charleslambtodorothywordsworth

[p.m.25nov.,1819.]

dearmisswordsworth,youwillthinkmenegligent,butiwantedtoseemoreofwilly,beforeiventuredtoexpressaprediction.tillyesterdayihadbarelyseenhim—virgiliumtantumvidi—butyesterdayhegaveushissmallcompanytoabullock'sheart—andicanpronouncehimaladofpromise.heisnopedantnorbookworm,sofaricananswer.perhapshehashithertopaidtoolittleattentiontoothermen'sinventions,preferring,likelordfoppington,the"naturalsproutsofhisown."buthehasobservation,andseemsthoroughlyawake.iamillatrememberingotherpeople'sbonmots,butthefollowingareafew.beingtakenoverwaterloobridge,heremarkedthatifwehadnomountains,wehadafineriveratleast,whichwasatouchofthecomparative,butthenheadded,inastrainwhichauguredlessforhisfutureabilitiesasapoliticaleconomist,thathesupposedtheymusttakeatleastapoundaweektoll.likeacuriousnaturalistheinquiredifthetidedidnotcomeupalittlesalty.thisbeingsatisfactorilyanswered,heputanotherquestionastothefluxandreflux,whichbeingrathercunninglyevadedthanartfullysolvedbythatshe-aristotlemary,whomutteredsomethingaboutitsgettingupanhoursoonerandsoonereveryday,hesagelyreplied,"thenitmustcometothesamethingatlast"whichwasaspeechworthyofaninfanthalley!thelioninthe'changebynomeanscameuptohisidealstandard.soimpossibleitisfornatureinanyofherworkstocomeuptothestandardofachild'simagination.thewhelps(lionets)hewassorrytofindweredead,andonparticularenquiryhisoldfriendtheouranoutanghadgonethewayofallfleshalso.thegrandtigerwasalsosick,andexpectedinnoshorttimetoexchangethistransitoryworldforanother—ornone.butagain,therewasagoldeneagle(idonotmeanthatofcharing)whichdidmucharrideandconsolehim.william'sgenius,itakeit,leansalittletothefigurative,forbeingatplayattricktrack(akindofminorbilliard-tablewhichwekeepforsmallerwights,andsometimesrefreshourownmaturefatigueswithtakingahandat),notbeingabletohitaballhehaditerateaimedat,hecriedout,"icannothitthatbeast."nowtheballsareusuallycalledmen,buthefelicitouslyhituponamiddleterm,atermofapproximationandimaginativereconciliation,asomethingwherethetwoends,ofthebrutematter(ivory)andtheirhumanandratherviolentpersonificationintomen,mightmeet,asitakeit,illustrativeofthatexcellentremarkinacertainprefaceaboutimagination,explaining"likeasea-beastthathadcrawledforthtosunhimself."notthatiaccusewilliamminorofhereditaryplagiary,orconceivetheimagetohavecomeextraduce.ratherheseemethtokeepalooffromanysourceofimitation,andpurposelytoremainignorantofwhatmightypoetshavedoneinthiskindbeforehim.forbeingaskedifhisfatherhadeverbeenonwestminsterbridge,heanswer'dthathedidnotknow.

itishardtodiscerntheoakintheacorn,oratemplelikest.paul'sinthefirststonewhichislaid,norcaniquiteprefigurewhatdestinationthegeniusofwilliamminorhathtotake.somefewhintsihavesetdown,toguidemyfutureobservations.hehaththepowerofcalculationinnoordinarydegreeforachit.hecombinethfigures,afterthefirstle,rapidly.asinthetricktrackboard,wherethehitsarefigured,atfirsthedidnotperceivethat15and7made22,butbyalittleusehecouldcombine8with25—and33againwith16,whichapproachethsomethinginkind(farletmebefromflatteringhimbysayingindegree)tothatofthefamousamericanboy.iamsometimesinclinedtothinkiperceivethefuturesatiristinhim,forhehathasub-sardonicsmilewhichburstethoutuponoccasion,aswhenhewasaskediflondonwereasbigasambleside,andindeednootheranswerwasgiven,orpropertobegiven,tosoensnaringandprovokingaquestion.inthecontourofscullcertainlyidiscernsomethingpaternal.butwhetherinallrespectsthefuturemanshalltranscendhisfather'sfame,timethetrierofgeniusesmustdecide.beitpronouncedperemptorilyatpresent,thatwillyisawell-mannerdchild,andthoughnogreatstudent,hathyetalivelyeyeforthingsthatliebeforehim.giveninhastefrommydeskatleadenhall.your'sandyours'mostsincerely

c.lamb.

[thisletter,whichreferstoavisitpaidtothelambsingreatrussellstreetbywordsworth'sson,william,thennineyearsold,isremarkable,apartfromitscharmandhumour,forcontainingmoreoftheabsolutemethodofcertainoflamb'seliapassagesthananythinghehadyetwritten.

"lordfoppington"—invanbrugh's"relapse."lambusedthisspeechasthemottoofhiseliaessay"detachedthoughtsonbooksandreading."

"likeasea-beast."lamballudestotheprefacetotheeditionof1815ofwordsworth'spoems,wherehe"esillustrativelyfromhis"resolutionandindependence":—

likeasea-beastcrawledforth,thatonashelf

ofrockorsandreposeth,theretosunitself.

"ifhisfatherhadeverbeenonwestminsterbridge."anallusionto

wordsworth'ssonnet"composedonwestminsterbridge":—

earthhasnotanythingtoshowmorefair.

"theamericanboy."thiswaszerahcolburn,themathematicalprodigy,borninvermontstatein1804andexhibitedinamericaandeuropebyhisfather.]