LETTER243

letter243

charleslambtocharlesandjamesollier

[p.m.june18,1818.]

dearsir(whicheveropensit)

iamgoingofftobirmingh'm.ifindmybooks,whateverfacultyofsellingtheymayhave(iwishtheyhadmorefor{your/my}sake),areadmirablyadaptedforgivingaway.youhavebeenbounteous.sixmoreandishallhavesatisfiedalljustclaims.amitakingtoogreatalibertyiningyoutosend4asfollows,andreserve2formewhenicomehome?thatwillmake31.thirty-onetimes12is372shillings,eighteenpoundstwelveshillings!!!—butherearemyfriends,towhom,ifyoucouldtransmitthem,asishallbeawayamonth,youwillgreatlyobligetheobliged

c.lamb.

mr.ayrton,jamesstreet,buckinghamgatemr.alsager,suffolkstreeteast,southwark,byhorsemongerlaneandinoneparceldirectedtor.southey,esq.,keswick,cumberlandoneforr.s.;andoneforw'm.wordsworth,esq'r.

ifyouwillbekindenoughsimplytowrite"fromtheauthor"inall4—youwillstillfurtheretc.—

eitherlongmanormurrayisinthefrequenthabitofsendingbookstosoutheyandwilltakechargeoftheparcel.itwillbeaswelltowriteinatthebeginningthus

r.southeyesq.fromtheauthor.

w.wordsworthesq.fromtheauthor.

then,ificanfindtheremaining2,leftformeatrussellstwhenireturn,ratherthanencroachanymoreontheheap,iwillengagetomakenomorenewfriendsadinfinitum,yourselvesbeingthelast.

yourstrulyc.l.

ithinksoutheywillgiveusaliftinthatdamn'dquarterly.imeditateanattackuponthatcoblergifford,whichshallappearimmediatelyafteranyfavourablementionwhichs.maymakeinthequarterly.itcan'tindecentgratitudeappearbefore.

[weknownothingoflamb'svisittobirmingham.heishardlylikelytohavestayedwithanyofthelloydfamily.theattackongiffordwasprobablythefollowingsonnet,printedintheexaminerforoctober3and4,1819:—

st.crispintomr.gifford

allunadvised,andinanevilhour,

luredbyaspiringthoughts,myson,youdaft

thelowlylaboursofthegentlecraft

forlearnedtoils,whichbloodandspiritssour.

allthings,dearpledge,arenotinallmen'spower;

thewisersortofshrubaffectstheground;

andsweetcontentofmindisoftenerfound

incobbler'sparlour,thanincritic'sbower.

thesorestworkiswhatdothcrossthegrain;

andbettertothishouryouhadbeenplying

theobsequiousawlwithwell-waxedfingerflying,

thanceaselessthustotillathanklessvein;

stillteazingmuses,whicharestilldenying;

makingastretching-leatherofyourbrain.]