LETTER228

letter228

charleslambtothomasmanning

dec.26th,1815.

dearmanning,—followingyourbrother'sexample,ihavejustventuredonelettertocanton,andamnowhazardinganother(notexactlyaduplicate)tost.helena.thefirstwasfullofunprobableromanticfictions,fittingtheremotenessofthemissionitgoesupon;inthepresentimeantoconfinemyselfnearertotruthasyoucomenearerhome.acorrespondencewiththeuttermostpartsoftheearthnecessarilyinvolvesinitsomeheatoffancy;itsetsthebrainagoing;buticanthinkonthehalf-wayhousetranquilly.yourfriends,then,arenotalldeadorgrownforgetfulofyouthrougholdage,asthatlyingletterasserted,anticipatingratherwhatmusthappenifyoukepttarryingonforeverontheskirtsofcreation,asthereseemedadangerofyourdoing—buttheyarealltolerablywellandinfullandperfectcomprehensionofwhatismeantbymanning'scominghomeagain.mrs.kenney(ci-devantholcroft)neverlethertonguerunriotmorethaninremembrancesofyou.fannyexpendsherselfinphrasesthatcanonlybejustifiedbyherromanticnature.maryreservesaportionofyoursilk,nottobeburiedin(asthefalsenuncioasserts),buttomakeupspickandspanintoanewbrangowntowearwhenyoucome.iamthesameaswhenyouknewme,almosttoasurfeitingidentity.thisverynightiamgoingtoleaveoffo!surelytheremustbesomeotherworldinwhichthisunconquerablepurposeshallberealised.thesoulhathnothergenerousaspiringsimplantedinherinvain.onethatyouknew,andithinktheonlyoneofthosefriendsweknewmuchofincommon,hasdiedinearnest.poorpriscilla,wifeofkitwordsworth!herbrotherrobertisalsodead,andseveralofthegrown-upbrothersandsisters,inthecompassofaveryfewyears.deathhasnototherwisemeddledmuchinfamiliesthatiknow.notbuthehashisdamn'deyeuponus,andisw[h]ettinghisinfernalfeathereddarteveryinstant,asyouseehimtrulypicturedinthatimpressivemoralpicture,"thegoodmanatthehourofdeath."ihaveintrusttoputinthepostfourlettersfromdiss,andonefromlynn,tost.helena,whichihopewillaccompanythissafe,andonefromlynn,andtheonebeforespokenoffromme,tocanton.butweallhopethattheselattermaybewastepaper.idon'tknowwhyihaveforbornewritingsolong.butitissuchaforlornhopetosendascrapofpaperlingoverwideoceans.andyetiknowwhenyoucomehome,ishallhaveyousittingbeforemeatourfiresidejustasifyouhadneverbeenaway.insuchaninstantdoesthereturnofapersondissipatealltheweightofimaginaryperplexityfromdistanceoftimeandspace!i'llpromiseyougoodoysters.coryisdead,thatkepttheshopoppositest.dunstan's,butthetoughermaterialsoftheshopsurvivetheperishingframeofitskeeper.oysterscontinuetoflourishthereunderasgoodauspices.poorcory!butifyouwillabsentyourselftwentyyearstogether,youmustnotexpectnumericallythesamepopulationtocongratulateyourreturnwhichwettedthesea-beachwiththeirtearswhenyouwentaway.haveyourecoveredthebreathlessstone-staringastonishmentintowhichyoumusthavebeenthrownuponlearningatlandingthatanemperoroffrancewaslivinginst.helena?whataneventinthesolitudeoftheseas!likefindingafish'sboneatthetopofplinlimmon;butthesethingsarenothinginourwesternworld.noveltiesceasetoaffect.comeandtrywhatyourpresencecan.

godblessyou.—youroldfriend,c.lamb.

[robertlloydhaddiedin1811,andwithinafewdaysoneofhisbrothersandoneofhissisters.

"thegoodmanatthehourofdeath."ihavenotfoundthepicturetowhichlambrefers.probablyapopularprintoftheday,orhemayhavebeenincorrectlyrememberingblake's"deathofthegoodoldman"inblair'sgrave.

manning,bychanginghisplans,didnotreachst.helenawhenheexpectedto;not,indeed,untiljuly,1817,whenhemetnapoleon.]