LETTER201
letter201
charleslambtowilliamhazlitt
(addedtosameletter)
dearhazlitt,
icannothelpaccompanyingmysister'scongratulationstosarahwithsomeofmyowntoyouonthishappyoccasionofamanchildbeingborn—
delightedfancyalreadyseeshimsomefuturerichaldermanoropulentmerchant;paintingperhapsalittleinhisleisurehoursforamusementlikethelateh.bunbury,esq.
pray,arethewinterslowestatesentailed?iamafraidlesttheyoungdogwhenhegrowsupshouldcutdownthewoods,andleavenogrovesforwidowstotaketheirlonesomesolacein.thewemestateofcoursecanonlydevolveonhim,incaseofyourbrotherleavingnomaleissue.
well,myblessingandheaven'sbeuponhim,andmakehimlikehisfather,withsomethingabettertemperandasmootherheadofhair,andthenallthemenandwomenmustlovehim.
martinandthecard-boysjoinincongratulations.lovetosarah.sorrywearenotwithincaudle-shot.c.lamb.
ifthewidowbeassistantonthisnotableoccasion,giveourduerespectsandkindremembrancestoher.
[williamhazlitt'sson,williamhazlitt,afterwardstheregistrar,wasbornonseptember26,1811,hehadbeenprecededbyanotherboy,in1809,wholived,however,onlyafewmonths.
"h.bunbury."henrywilliambunbury,thecaricaturistandpainter,andthehusbandofgoldsmith'sfriend,catherinehorneck,the"jessamybride."hediedin1811.
thecard-boyswouldbelamb'swednesdayvisitors.
hereshouldcomealetterfromlambtocharleslloyd,senior,dated
september8,1812.itisprintedincharleslambandthelloyds:a
letterofcriticismofmr.lloyd'stranslationoftheepistlesof
horace.
aletterfromlambtocharleslloyd,junior,belongingtothisperiod,isnownomore,incommonwithallbuttwoofhisletters,theremainderofwhichweredestroyedbylloyd'sson,charlesgrosvenorlloyd.writingtodanielstuartonoctober13,1812,wordsworthsays."lambwritestolloydthatc.'splay[coleridge's"remorse"]isaccepted."
wenowcometoaperiodofthreeyearsinlamb'slifewhichisrepresentedinthecorrespondencebyonlytwoorthreeletters.notuntilaugust9,1814,doeshereturntohisoldmanner.duringthistimelambisknowntohavewrittenhisfirstessayonchrist'shospital,his"confessionsofadrunkard,"thelittlebutexcellentseriesoftable-talkintheexaminerandsomeversesinthesamepaper.possiblyhewrotemanyletterstoo,buttheyhavedisappeared.weknowfromcrabbrobinson'sdiarythatitwasasocialperiodwiththelambs;theindiahouseworkalsobecomingmoreexactingthanbefore.]