LETTER254

letter254

charleslambtojosephcottle

[datedatend:nov.5,1819.]

dearsir—itissolongsinceihaveseenorheardfromyou,thatifearthatyouwillconsiderarequestihavetomakeasimpertinent.aboutthreeyearssince,wheniwasonedayatbristol,imadeanefforttoseeyou,butyouwerefromhome.therequestihavetomakeis,thatyouwouldverymuchobligeme,ifyouhaveanysmallportraitofyourself,byallowingmetohaveitcopied,toaccompanyaselectionof"likenessesoflivingbards"whichamostparticularfriendofmineismaking.ifyouhavenoobjections,andcouldobligemebytransmittingsuchportraittomeatno.44russellstreet,coventgarden,iwillanswerfortakingthegreatestcareofit,andreturningitsafelytheinstantthecopierhasdonewithit.ihopeyouwillpardontheliberty

fromanoldfriend

andwell-wisher,

charleslamb.

london5thnov.1819.

[lamb'svisittobristolwasmadeprobablywhenhewasstayingatcalnewiththemorgansin1816.thepresentletterreferstoanextraillustratedcopyofbyron'senglishbardsandscotchreviewers,whichwasbeingmadebywilliamevans,ofthepamphleteer,andwhichisnowinthebritishmuseum.owingtocottle'shostilitytobyron,andbyron'sscornofcottle,lambcouldhardlyexplainthenatureofthebookmorefully.seenotetothefollowingletter.]