LETTER220
letter220
charleslambtowilliamwordsworth
[p.m.august9,1815.]9thaug.1815.
dearwordsworth,weacknowlegewithpridethereceitofbothyourhandwritings,anddesiretobeeverhadinkindlyremembrancebyyoubothandbydorothy.misshutchinsonhasjusttransmittedusalettercontaining,amongotherchearfulmatter,theannunciationofachildborn.nothingofconsequencehasturnedupinourpartssinceyourdeparture.maryandifeltquitequeerafteryourtakingleave(youw.w.)ofusinst.giles's.wewishdwehadseenmoreofyou,butfeltwehadscarcebeensufficientlyacknowlegingforthesharewehadenjoyedofyourcompany.wefeltasifwehadbeennotenoughexpressiveofourpleasure.butourmannersbotharealittletoomuchonthissideoftoo-much-cordiality.wewantpresenceofmindandpresenceofheart.whatwefeelcomestoolate,likeanafterthoughtimpromptu.butperhapsyouobservednothingofthatwhichwehavebeenpainfullyconsciousof,andare,everyday,inourintercoursewiththosewestandaffectedtothroughallthedegreesoflove.robinsonisonthecircuit.ourpanegyristithoughthadforgottenoneoftheobjectsofhisyouthfuladmiration,butiwasagreeablyremovedfromthatscruplebythelaundressknockingatmydoorthismorningalmostbeforeiwasup,withapresentoffruitfrommyyoungfriend,&c.—thereissomethinginexpressiblypleasanttomeinthesepresents.beitfruit,orfowl,orbrawn,orwhatnot.booksarealegitimatecauseofacceptance.ifpresentsbenotthesouloffriendship,undoubtedlytheyarethemostspiritualpartofthebodyofthatintercourse.thereistoomuchnarrownessofthinkinginthispoint.thepunctilioofacceptancemethinksistooconfinedandstraitlaced.icouldbecontenttoreceivemoney,orclothes,orajointofmeatfromafriend;whyshouldhenotsendmeadinneraswellasadessert?iwouldtastehiminthebeastsofthefield,andthro'allcreation.thereforedidthebasketoffruitofthejuveniletalfourdnotdispleaseme.notthatihaveanythoughtsofbarteringorreciprocatingthesethings.tosendhimanythinginreturnwouldbetoreflectsuspicionofmercenarinessuponwhatiknowhemeantafreewilloffering.lethimovercomemeinbounty.inthisstrifeagenerousnaturelovestobeovercome.alsager(whomyoucallalsinger—andindeedheisrathersingerthansager,noreflectionuponhisnaturalsneither)iswellandinharmonywithhimselfandtheworld.idon'tknowhowheandthoseofhisconstitutionkeeptheirnervessonicelybalancedastheydo.orhavetheyany?oraretheymadeofpackthread?heisproofagainstweather,ingratitude,meatunderdone,everyweaponoffate.ihavejustnowaedendofatoothprickingagainstmytongue,whichmeetsithalfwayinawantonnessofprovocation,andtheretheygoatit,thetongueprickingitselfliketheviperagainstthefile,andthetoothgallingalltheguminsideandouttotorture,tongueandtooth,toothandtongue,hardatit,anditopaythereckoning,tillallmymouthisashotasbrimstone,andi'dventuretheroofofmymouththatatthismoment,atwhichiconjecturemyfull-happinessedfriendispickinghiscrackers,notoneofthedoublerowsofivoryinhisprivilegedmouthhasasmuchasaflawinit,butallperformtheirfunctions,andhavingperformedit,expecttobepicked(luxurioussteeds!)andrubbeddown.idon'tthinkhecouldberobbed,orcouldhavehishousesetonfire,oreverwantmoney.ihaveheardhimexpressasimilaropinionofhisownimpassibility.ikeepactinghereheautontimorumenos.m.burneyhasbeentocalaisandhascomehomeatravelldmonsieur.hespeaksnothingbutthegallicidiom.fieldisoncircuit.sonowibelieveihavegivenaccountofmostthatyousawatourcabin.haveyouseenacuriousletterinmorn.chron.,byc.ll.,thegeniusofabsurdity,respectingbonaparte'ssuingouthishabeascorpus.thatmanishisownmoon.
hehasnoneedofascendingintothatgentleplanetformildinfluences.youwishmesomeofyourleisure.ihaveaglimmeringaspect,achink-lightoflibertybeforeme,whichipraygodmayprovenotfallacious.myremonstranceshavestirredupotherstoremonstrate,andaltogether,thereisaplanforseparatingcertainpartsofbusinessfromourdepartment,whichifittakeplacewillproducememoretime,i.e.myeveningsfree.itmaybeameansofplacingmeinamoreconspicuoussituationwhichwillknockatmynervesanotherway,butiwaittheissueinsubmission.ificanbutbeginmyowndayat4oclockintheafternoon,ishallthinkmyselftohaveedendaysofpeaceandlibertytowhatihavehad.asyousay,howamancanfill3volumesupwithanessayonthedramaiswonderful.iamsureaveryfewsheetswouldholdallihadtosayonthesubject,andyetidaresay——asvonslagel.didyoueverreadcharrononwisdom?orpatrick'spilgrim?ifneither,youhavetwogreatpleasurestocome.imeansomedaytoattackcarylonjob,sixfolios.whatanymancanwrite,surelyimayread.ifidobutgetridofauditingwarehousekeepersacc'ts.andgetnoworse-harassingtaskintheplaceofit,whatalordoflibertyishallbe.ishalldanceandskipandmakemouthsattheinvisibleevent,andpickthethornsoutofmypillowandthrow'ematrichmen'snightcaps,andtalkblankverse,hoitytoity,andsing"aclerkiwasinlondongay,"ban,ban,cacaliban,liketheemancipatedmonster,andgowhereilike,upthisstreetordownthatally.adieu,andpraythatitmaybemyluck.goodbetoyouall.
c.lamb.
["achildborn."thiswasgeorgehutchinson,mrs.wordsworth'snephew.
"ourpanegyrist"—thomasnoontalfourd.thisislamb'sfirstmentionofhisfuturebiographer.talfourdwasthenjusttwenty,hadpublishedsomepoems,andwasreadinglawwithchitty,thespecialpleader.hehadmetlambatthebeginningof1815throughwilliamevans,ownerofthepamphleteer,hadscouredlondonforacopyofrosamundgray,andhadwrittenoflambinthepamphleteerasoneofthechiefoflivingpoets.hethenbecameanardentsupporterofwordsworth,hisprincipalcriticismofwhomwaswrittenlaterforthenewmonthlymagazine.
"ifpresentsbenotthesouloffriendship."lamb's"thoughtsonpresentsofgame,"writtenmanyyearslaterfortheathenaeum,carriesonthistheme(seevol.i.).
"alsager."thomasmassaalsager,afriendofcrabbrobinson,andthroughhimoflamb,wasastrangeblendofthefinancialandthemusicalcritic.hecontrolledthedepartmentsofmoneyandmusicforthetimesformanyyears.
"field"—barronfield(seenotelater).
"c.ll."—capelllofft(seenoteonpage475).hewrotetothemorningchronicleforaugust2and3,1815,aslambsays.thegistofhisargumentwasinthissentence:—
[7thpara.]bonapartewiththeconcurrenceoftheadmiralty,iswithinthelimitsofbritishlocalallegiance.heisatemporary,consideredasprivate,thoughnotanaturalbornsubject,andassuchwithinthelimitsof31car.ii.thehabeascorpusact,[etc.].
onaugust10hewroteagain,"ingthelinesfrom"thetempest":—
thenobleractionis,
invirtuethaninvengeance:—hebeinghere
thesoledriftofourpurpose,wrathhereends;
notafrownfurther.
"anessayonthedrama."thiscrypticpassagerefers,iimagine,toa
translationbyjohnblack,afterwardstheeditorofthemorning
chronicle,ofaugustvonschlegel'slecturesondramaticartand
literature,2vols.,1815.doeslambmean
"andyet,idaresay,iknowasmuchasvonslageldid"?
"charrononwisdom"and"patrick'spilgrim."pierrecharron'sdelasagesse,andbishoppatrick'sparableofthepilgrim,1664,acuriousindependentanticipationofbunyan.lambhadwrittenofboththesebooksinalittleessaycontributedin1813totheexaminer,entitled"bookswithoneideainthem"(seevol.i.).
"aclerkiwasinlondongay."asongsungincolman's"inkleand
yarico,"whichlambactuallydiduseasamottoforhiseliaessay
"thesuperannuatedman,"dealingwithhisemancipation,tenyears
later.]