LETTER235

letter235

charleslambtowilliamayrtonepistletowill'm.ayrtonesq're.

temple,may12,1817.

mydearfriend,

beforeiend,—

haveyouany

moreordersfordongiovanni

togive

himthatdothlive

yourfaithfulzany?

withoutraillery

imeangallery

ones:

foriamapersonthatshuns

allostentation

andbeingatthetopofthefashion;

andseldomgotooperas

butinformâpauperis.

igototheplay

inaveryeconomicalsortofaway,

rathertosee

thanbeseen.

thoughi'mnoillsight

neither,

bycandle-light,

andinsomekindsofweather.

youmightpitme

forheight

againstkean;

butinagrandtragicscene

i'mnothing:—

itwouldcreateakindofloathing

toseemeacthamlet;

there'dbemanyadamnlet

fly

atmypresumption

ifishouldtry,

beingafellowofnogumption.

bytheway,tellmecandidlyhowyourelish

this,whichtheycall

thelapidarystyle?

opinionsvary.

thelatemr.mellish

couldneverabideit.

hethoughtitvile,

andcoxcombical.

myfriendthepoetlaureat,

whoisagreatlawyerat

anythingcomical,

wasthefirstwhotriedit;