LETTER242

letter242

charleslambtomrs.williamwordsworth18feb.1818.eastindiahouse.

(maryshallsendyouallthenews,whichifindihaveleftout.)

mydearmrs.wordsworth,ihaverepeatedlytakenpeninhandtoansweryourkindletter.mysistershouldmoreproperlyhavedoneit,butshehavingfailed,iconsidermyselfanswerableforherdebts.iamnowtryingtodoitinthemidstofcommercialnoises,andwithaquillwhichseemsmorereadytoglideintoarithmeticalfiguresandnamesofgoods,cassia,cardemoms,aloes,ginger,tea,thanintokindlyresponsesandfriendlyrecollections.

thereasonwhyicannotwritelettersathomeis,thatiamneveralone.plato's(iwritetow.w.now)plato'sdoubleanimalpartedneverlonged[?more]tobereciprocallyreunitedinthesystemofitsfirstcreation,thanisometimesdotobebutforamomentsingleandseparate.exceptmymorning'swalktotheoffice,whichisliketreadingonsandsofgoldforthatreason,iamneverso.icannotwalkhomefromofficebutsomeofficiousfriendoffershisdamn'dunwelcomecourtesiestoaccompanyme.allthemorningiampestered.icouldsitandgravelycastupsumsingreatbooks,orcomparesumwithsum,andwritepaidagainstthisandunp'dagainstt'other,andyetreserveinsome"cornerofmymind"somedarlingthoughtsallmyown—faintmemoryofsomepassageinabook—orthetoneofanabsentfriend'svoice—asnatchofmissburrell'ssinging—agleamoffannykelly'sdivineplainface—thetwooperationsmightbegoingonatthesametimewithoutthwarting,asthesun'stwomotions(earth'simean),orasisometimesturnroundtilliamgiddy,inmybackparlour,whilemysisteriswalkinglongitudinallyinthefront—orastheshoulderofvealtwistsroundwiththespit,whilethesmokewreathesupthechimney—butthereareasetofamateursofthebellelettres—thegayscience—whocometomeasasortofrendezvous,puttingquestionsofcriticism,ofbritishinstitutions,lallarooks&c.,whatcoleridgesaidatthelecturelastnight—whohavetheformofreadingmen,but,foranypossibleusereadingcanbetothembuttotalkof,mightaswellhavebeenante-cadmeansborn,orhavelainsuckingoutthesenseofanegypt'n.hieroglyphaslongasthepyramidswilllastbeforetheyshouldfindit.thesepestsworritmeatbusinessandinallitsintervals,perplexingmyaccounts,poisoningmylittlesalutarywarming-timeatthefire,puzzlingmyparagraphsifitakeanewspaper,cramminginbetweenmyownfreethoughtsandacolumnoffigureswhichhadcometoanamicablecompromisebutforthem.theirnoiseended,oneofthem,asisaid,accompanysmehomelestishouldbesolitaryforamoment;heatlengthtakeshiswelcomeleaveatthedoor,upigo,muttonontable,hungryashunter,hopetoforgetmycaresandburythemintheagreeableabstractionofmastication,knockatthedoor,incomesmrs.hazlitt,orm.burney,ormorgan,ordemogorgon,ormybrother,orsomebody,topreventmyeatingalone,aprocessabsolutelynecessarytomypoorwretcheddigestion.othepleasureofeatingalone!—eatingmydinneralone!letmethinkofit.butintheycome,andmakeitabsolutelynecessarythatishouldopenabottleoforange—formymeatturnsintostonewhenanyonedineswithme,ifihavenotwine—winecanmollifystones.thenthatwineturnsintoacidity,acerbity,misanthropy,ahatredofmyinterrupters(godbless'em!ilovesomeof'emdearly),andwiththehatredastillgreateraversiontotheirgoingaway.badisthedeadseatheybringuponme,choakinganddeath-doing,butworseisthedeaderdrysandtheyleavemeoniftheygobeforebedtime.comenever,iwouldsaytothesespoilersofmydinner,butifyoucome,nevergo.thefactis,thisinterruptiondoesnothappenveryoften,buteverytimeitcomesbysurprisethatpresentbaneofmylife,orangewine,withallitsdrearystiflingconsequences,follows.eveningcompanyishouldalwayslikehadianymornings,butiamsaturatedwithhumanfaces(divineforsooth)andvoicesallthegoldenmorning,andfiveeveningsinaweekwouldbeasmuchasishouldcovettobeincompany,butiassureyouthatisawonderfulweekinwhichicangettwo,orone,tomyself.iamneverc.l.butalwaysc.l.andco.

he,whothoughtitnotgoodformantobealone,preservemefromthemoreprodigiousmonstrosityofbeingneverbymyself.iforgetbedtime,buteventherethesesociablefrogsclamberuptoannoyme.onceaweek,generallysomesingulareveningthat,beingalone,igotobedatthehourioughtalwaystobeabed,justclosetomybedroomwindow,istheclubroomofapublichouse,whereasetofsingers,itakethemtobechorus-singersofthetwotheatres(itmustbebothofthem),begintheirorgies.theyareasetoffellows(asiconceive)whobeinglimitedbytheirtalentstotheburthenofthesongattheplayhouses,inrevengehavegotthecommonpopularairsbybishoporsomecheapcomposerarrangedforchoruses,thatis,tobesungallinchorus.atleastinevercancatchanyofthetextoftheplainsong,nothingbutthebabylonishchoralhowlatthetailon't."thatfurybeingquenchd"—thehowlimean—acursederburdeneeds,ofshoutsandclappingandknockingofthetable.atlengthovertaskednaturedropsunderitandescapesforafewhoursintothesocietyofthesweetsilentcreaturesofdreams,whichgoawaywithmocksandmowsatcockcrow.andthenithinkofthewordschristobel'sfatherused(blessme,ihavediptinthewrongink)tosayeverymorningbywayofvarietywhenheawoke—"everyknell,thebaronsaith,wakesusuptoaworldofdeath,"orsomethinglikeit.allimeanbythissenselessinterruptedtaleis,thatbymycentralsituationiamalittleovercompanied.notthatihaveanyanimosityagainstthegoodcreaturesthataresoanxioustodriveawaytheharpysolitudefromme.ilike'em,andcards,andachearfulglass,butimeanmerelytogiveyouanideabetweenofficeconfinementandafterofficesociety,howlittletimeicancallmyown.imeanonlytodrawapicture,nottomakeaninference.iwouldnotthatiknowofhaveitotherwise.ionlywishsometimesicouldexchangesomeofmyfacesandvoicesforthefacesandvoiceswhichalatevisitationbroughtmostwelcomeandcarriedawayleavingregret,butmorepleasure,evenakindofgratitude,atbeingsooftenfavoredwiththatkindnorthernvisitation.mylondonfacesandnoisesdon'thearme—imeannodisrespect—orishouldexplainmyselfthatinsteadoftheirreturn220timesayearandthereturnofw.w.&c.7timesin104weeks,somemoreequaldistributionmightbefound.ihavescarceroomtoputinmary'skindloveandmypoorname.

ch.lamb.

thistobereadlast.

w.h.goesonlecturingagainstw.w.andmakingcopioususeof"ationsfromsaidw.w.togiveazesttosaidlectures.s.t.c.islecturingwithess.ihavenotheardeitherhimorh.butidinedwiths.t.c.atgilman'sasundayor2sinceandhewaswellandingoodspirits.imeantohearsomeofthecourse,butlecturesarenotmuchtomytaste,whateverthelecturermaybe.ifread,theyaredismalflat,andyoucan'tthinkwhyyouarebroughttogethertohearamanreadhisworkswhichyoucouldreadsomuchbetteratleisureyourself;ifdeliveredextempore,iamalwaysinpainlestthegiftofutteranceshouldsuddenlyfailtheoratorinthemiddle,asitdidmeatthedinnergiveninhonorofmeatthelondontavern."gentlemen"saidi,andthereistoppt,—therestmyfeelingswereunderthenecessityofsupplying.mrs.wordsworthwillgoon,kindlyhauntinguswithvisionsofseeingthelakesoncemorewhichnevercanberealized.betweenusthereisagreatgulf—notofinexplicablemoralantipathiesanddistances,ihope(asthereseemdtobebetweenmeandthatgentlemanconcern'dinthestampofficethatisostrangelycoiledupfromathaydons).ithinkihadaninstinctthathewastheheadofanoffice.ihateallsuchpeople—accountants,deputyaccountants.thedearabstractnotionoftheeastindiacompany,aslongassheisunseen,ispretty,ratherpoetical;butasshemakesherselfmanifestbythepersonsofsuchbeasts,iloatheanddetestherasthescarletwhat-do-you-call-herofbabylon.ithought,afterabridgingusofallourredletterdays,theyhaddonetheirworst,butiwasdeceivedinthelengthtowhichheadsofoffices,thosetruelibertyhaters,cango.theyarethetyrants,notferdinand,nornero—byadecreepastthisweek,theyhaveabridgedusoftheimmemoriallyobservedcustomofgoingatoneo'clockofasaturday,thelittleshadowofaholidayleftus.blastthem.ispeakitsoberly.dearw.w.,bethankfulforyourliberty.

wehavespenttwoverypleasanteveningslatelywithmr.monkhouse.

[marylamb'sletterofnewseitherwasnotwrittenorhasnotbeenpreserved.

lambreturnedtothesubjectofthisessayforhispopularfallacy"thathomeishome"in1826(seevol.ii.ofthisedition).alittlepreviouslytothatessayhehadwrittenanarticleinthenewtimesonunwelcomecallers(seevol.i.).

"missburrell"—fannyburrell,afterwardsmrs.gould.lambwroteinpraiseofherperformancein"dongiovanniinlondon"(seevol.i.ofthisedition).

"fannykelly'sdivineplainface."onlyseventeenmonthslaterlambproposedtomisskelly.

"whatcoleridgesaid."coleridgewasstilllecturingonshakespeareandpoetryinflower-de-lucecourt.

"thetwotheatres"—drurylaneandcoventgarden.

"bishop"—sirhenryrowleybishop(1786-1855),composerof"home,sweet

home."

"christabel'sfather."

eachmatinbell,thebaronsaith,

knellsusbacktoaworldofdeath.

partii.,lines1and2.

"w.h.goesonlecturing."hazlittwasdeliveringacourseoflecturesontheenglishpoetsatthesurreyinstitution.

"'gentleman'saidi."onanotheroccasionlamb,askedtogiveatoast,gavethebestheknew—woodcockontoast.seealsohistoastsathaydon'sdinner.idonotknowwhenorwhythedinnerwasgiventohim;perhapsafterthefailureof"mr.h."

"gentlemanconcern'dinthestampoffice."seenotetotheprecedingletter.

"ourredletterdays."lambrepeatsthecomplaintinhiseliaessay

"oxfordinthevacation."in1820,iseefromthedirectory,the

accountant'soffice,wherelambhadhisdesk,keptsacredonlyfive

red-letterdays,where,tenyearsearlier,ithadobservedmany.

"mr.monkhouse,"thomasmonkhouse,afriendofthewordsworthsandof

lamb.hewasathaydon'sdinner.

hereshouldcomeanotefromlambtocharlesandjamesollier,datedmay28,1818,whichapparentlyaccompaniedfinalproofsoflamb'sworks.lambremarks,"thereisasonnettocomeinbywayofdedication."thiswouldbethattomartinburneyatthebeginningofvol.ii.theworkswerepublishedintwovolumeswithabeautifuldedicationtocoleridge(seevol.iv.ofthepresentedition).charlesollier(1788-1859)wasafriendofleighhunt's,forwhomhepublished,aswellasforshelley.healsobroughtoutkeats'firstvolume.theolliers'addresswasthelibrary,verestreet,oxfordstreet.]