LETTER233

letter233

marylambtosarahhutchinson

[nodate.middleofnovember,1816.]

innertemple.

mydearfriend,ihaveprocuredafrankforthisday,andhavingbeenhinderedallthemorninghavenotimelefttoframeexcusesformylongandinexcusablesilence,andcanonlythankyoufortheverykindwayinwhichyouoverlookit.ishouldcertainlyhavewrittenonthereceiptofyoursbutihadnotafrank,andalsoiwishedtodatemyletterfrommyownhomewhereyouexpressedsocordialawishtohearwehadarrived.wehavepassedten,imaycallthemverygoodweeks,atdalston,fortheycompletelyansweredthepurposeforwhichwewent.reckoningourhappymonthatcalne,wehavehadquitearuralsummer,andhaveobtainedaveryclearideaofthegreatbenefitofquiet—ofearlyhoursandtimeintirelyatone'sowndisposal,andnosmalladvantagesthesethingsare;butthereturntooldfriends—thesightofoldfamiliarfacesroundmehasalmostreconciledmetooccasionalheadachsandfitsofpeevishweariness—evenlondonstreets,whichisometimesusedtothinkithardtobeeternallydoomedtowalkthroughbeforeicouldseeagreenfield,seemquitedelightful.

charlessmokedbutonepipewhilewewereatdalstonandhehasnottransgressedmuchsincehisreturn.ihopehewillonlysmokenowwithhisfellow-smokers,whichwillgivehimfiveorsixcleardaysintheweek.shameonme,ididnotevenwritetothankyouforthebacon,uponwhich,andsomeexcellenteggsyoursisteraddedtoherkindpresent,wehadsomanynicefeasts.ihaveseenhenryrobinson,whospeaksinrapturesofthedayshepassedwithyou.hesaysheneversawamansohappyinthreewivesasmr.wordsworthis.ilongtojoinyouandmakeafourth,andwecannothelptalkingofthepossibilityinsomefuturefortunatesummerofventuringtocomesofar,butwegenerallyendinthinkingthepossibilityimpossible,foridarenotcomebutbypostchaises,andtheexpencewouldbeenormous,yetitwasverypleasingtoreadmrs.wordsworth'skindinvitationandtofeelakindoflatenthopeofwhatmightonedayhappen.

youaskhowcoleridgemaintainshimself.iknownomorethanyoudo.strangetosay,ihaveseenhimbutoncesincehehasbeenathighgate,andthenimethiminthestreet.ihavejustbeenreadingyourkindletteroveragainandfindyouhadsomedoubtwhetherwehadleftthetempleentirely.itwasmerelyalodgingwetooktorecruitourhealthandspirits.fromthetimeweleftcalnecharlesdroopedsadly,companybecamequiteirksome,andhisanxiousdesiretoleaveoffsmoking,andhisutterinabilitytoperformhisdailyresolutionsagainstit,becamequiteatormenttohim,soiprevailedwithhimtotrytheexperimentofchangeofscene,andsetoutinoneoftheshortstagecoachesfrombishopsgatestreet,missbrentandi,andwelookedoverallthelittleplaceswithinthreemilesandfixedononequitecountrifiedandnottwomilesfromshoreditchchurch,andentereduponitthenextday.ithoughtifwestayedbutaweekitwouldbealittlerestandrespitefromourtroubles,andwemadeatenweeksstay,andverycomfortablewewere,somuchsothatifevercharlesissuperannuatedonasmallpension,whichisthegreatobjectofhisambition,andwefeltourincomestraitened,idothinkicouldliveinthecountryentirely—atleastithoughtsowhileiwastherebutsinceihavebeenathomeiwishtoliveanddieinthetemplewhereiwasborn.weleftthetreessogreenitlookedlikeearlyautumn,andcanseebutoneleaf"thelastofitsclan"onourpooroldharecourttrees.whatarainysummer!—andyetihavebeensomuchoutoftownandhavemadesomuchuseofeveryfinedaythaticanhardlyhelpthinkingithasbeenafinesummer.wecalculatedwewalkedthreehundredandfiftymileswhilewewereinourcountrylodging.onethingimusttellyou,charlescameroundeverymorningtoashopnearthetempletogetshaved.lastsundaywehadsuchapleasantday,imusttellyouofit.wewenttokewandsawtheoldpalacewherethekingwasbroughtup,itwasthepleasantestsightieversaw,icanscarcelytellyouwhy,butacharmingoldwomanshewedittous.shehadlivedtwentysixyearsthereandspokewithsuchaheartyloveofourgoodoldking,whomalltheworldseemstohaveforgotten,thatitdidmegoodtohearher.shewasasproudinpointingouttheplainfurniture(andiamsureyouarenowsittinginalargerandbetterfurnishedroom)ofasmallroominwhichthekingalwaysdined,naymoreproudofthesimplicityofherroyalmaster'staste,thananyshowerofcarltonhousecanbeinshowingthefinethingsthere,andsoshewaswhenshemadeusremarkthesmallnessofoneoftheprincesses'bedrooms,andsaidshesleptandalsodressedinthatlittleroom.thereareagreatmanygoodpicturesbutiwasmostpleasedwithoneofthekingwhenhewasabouttwoyearsold,suchaprettylittlewhite-headedboy.

icannotexpresshowmuchpleasurealetterfromyougivesus.ificouldpromisemyselfishouldbealwaysaswellasiamnow,iwouldsayiwillbeabettercorrespondentinfuture.ifcharleshastimetoaddalineishallbelessashamedtosendthishastyscrawl.lovetoallandeveryone.howmuchishouldlikeoncemoretoseemisswordsworth'shandwriting,ifshewouldbutwriteapostscripttoyournext,whichilooktoreceiveinafewdays.

yoursaffectionately

m.lamb.

[charleslambaddsatthehead:—]

maryhasbarelyleftmeroomtosayhowd'ye.ihavereceivedbackthe

examinercontainingthedelicateenquiryintocertaininfirmpartsofs.

t.c.'scharacter.whatisthegeneralopinionofit?farewell.mylove

toall.

c.lamb.

["missbrent."mrs.morgan'ssister.

crabbrobinsonhadbeeninthelakecountryinseptemberandoctober.

"toashopnearthetemple."possiblytomr.a——offlower-de-lucecourt,mentionedbylambinthefootnotetohisessay"onthemelancholyoftailors"(seevol.i.).

"ourgoodoldking"—georgeiii.,theninretirement.carltonhousewasthehomeoftheregent,whomlamb(andprobablyhissister)detested—ashis"triumphofthewhale"andothersquibs(seevol.iv.)show.

hereshouldcomealettertorickman,dateddecember30,1816.thechiefnewsinitisthatgeorgedyerhasbeenmadeoneoflordstanhope'stenresiduarylegatees.this,sayslamb,willsettledyer'sfate:hewillhavetothrowhisdirtygloveatsomeoneandmarry.]