LETTER219

letter219

charleslambtorobertsouthey

aug.9th,1815.

dearsouthey,—robinsonisnotonthecircuit,asierroneouslystatedinalettertow.w.,whichtravelswiththis,butisgonetobrussels,ostend,ghent,etc.buthisfriendsthecolliers,whomiconsultedrespectingyourfriend'sfate,remembertohaveheardhimsay,thatfatherpardohadeffectedhisescape(thecunninggreasyrogue),andtothebestoftheirbeliefisatpresentinparis.tomythinking,itisasmallmatterwhethertherebeonefatfriarmoreorlessintheworld.ihaveratheratasteforclericalexecutions,imbibedfromearlyrecollectionsofthefateoftheexcellentdodd.ihearbuonapartehassuedhishabeascorpus,andthetwelvejudgesarenowsittinguponitattherolls.

yourboute-feu(bonfire)mustbeexcellentofitskind.poetsettlepresidedatthelastgreatthingofthekindinlondon,whenthepopewasburntinform.doyouprovideanyversesonthisoccasion?yourfearforhartley'sintellectualsisjustandrational.couldnotthechancellorbepetitionedtoremovehim?hislordshiptookmr.bettyfromunderthepaternalwing.ithinkatleastheshouldgothroughacourseofmatter-of-factwithsomesobermanafterthemysteries.couldnothespendaweekatpoole'sbeforehegoesbacktooxford?tobinisdead.butthereisamaninmyoffice,amr.hedges,whoprosesitawayfrommorningtonight,andnevergetsbeyondcorporalandmaterialverities.he'dgetthesecrack-brainmetaphysicsoutoftheyounggentleman'sheadassoonasanyoneiknow.whenican'tsleepo'nights,iimagineadialoguewithmr.h.uponanygivensubject,andgoprosingoninfancywithhim,tillieitherlaughorfallasleep.ihaveliterallyfounditanswer.iamgoingtostandgodfather;idon'tlikethebusiness;icannotmusterupdecorumfortheseoccasions;ishallcertainlydisgracethefont.iwasathazlitt'smarriage,andhadliketohavebeenturnedoutseveraltimesduringtheceremony.anythingawfulmakesmelaugh.imisbehavedonceatafuneral.yeticanreadabouttheseceremonieswithpiousandproperfeelings.therealitiesoflifeonlyseemthemockeries.ifearimustgetcuredalongwithhartley,ifnottooinveterate.don'tyouthinklouisthedesirableisinasortofquandary?

afterall,bonaparteisafinefellow,asmybarbersays,andishouldnotmindstandingbareheadedathistabletodohimserviceinhisfall.theyshouldhavegivenhimhamptoncourtorkensington,withatetherextendingfortymilesroundlondon.qu.wouldnotthepeoplehaveejectedthebrunswickssomedayinhisfavour?well,weshallsee.

c.lamb.

["fatherpardo."ihavenottracedthisfatfriar.

"theexcellentdodd."therev.williamdodd(1729-1777),compilerofthebeautiesofshakespeare,washangedforforgeryin1777,whenlambwastwoyearsold.thecasecausedimmensepublicinterest.

"buonaparte."waterloohadbeenfoughtonjune18.

"yourboute-feu."thebonfireinhonourofwaterlooflamedonskiddawon

august21.seesouthey'sdescriptioninhislettertohisbrother,

august23,1815(lifeandcorrespondence,vol.iv.,page120).

"poetsettle."elkanahsettle(1648-1724)waschieforganiseroftheprocessionontheanniversaryofqueenelizabeth'sbirthdayin1680,whenthepopewasburnedineffigy.

hartleycoleridge,nowalmostnineteen,afterhavingbeentoschoolatambleside,hadbeensenttooxfordthroughtheinstrumentalityofhisuncle,southey.atthetimeoflamb'sletterhewasstayingatcalnewithhisfather.mr.bettywastheyoungroscius,whomwehavealreadyseen,who,afterretiringfromthephenomenonstageofhiscareerin1808,hadsincebeentoschoolandtocambridgeuponhisearnings,andhadnowbecomeanadultactor.poolewasthomaspooleofnetherstowey,whomwehaveseen:coleridge'soldandverysensiblefriend.tobinwouldprobablybejameswebbetobin,thebrotherofthedramatist.hehaddiedin1814.

"iamgoingtostandgodfather."towhatchildidonotknow.

"louisthedesirable"—louisxviii.,styledbytheroyalists"le

desiré."]