LETTER188

letter188

charleslambtobasilmontagu

mr.hazlitt's:winterslow,nearsarum,12thjuly,1810.

dear[montagu],—ihaveturnedandtwistedthemss.inmyhead,andcanmakenothingofthem.iknewwhenitookthemthaticouldnot;butidonotliketodoanactofungraciousnecessityatonce;soiamevercommittingmyselfbyhalfengagementsandtotalfailures.icannotmakeanybodyunderstandwhyican'tdosuchthings.itisadefectinmyocciput.icannotputotherpeople'sthoughtstogether;iforgeteveryparagraphasfastasireadit;andmyheadhasreceivedsuchashockbyanall-nightjourneyonthetopofthecoach,thatishallhaveenoughtodotonurseitintoitsnaturalpacebeforeigohome.imustdevotemyselftoimbecility.imustbegloriouslyuselesswhileistayhere.howismrs.[m.]?willshepardonmyinefficiency?thecityofsalisburyisfullofweepingandwailing.thebankhasstoptpayment;andeverybodyinthetownkeptmoneyatit,orhasgotsomeofitsnotes.somehavelostalltheyhadintheworld.itisthenextthingtoseeingacitywithaplaguewithinitswalls.thewiltonpeopleareallundone.allthemanufacturerstherekeptcashatthesalisburybank;andidosupposeittobetheunhappiestcountyinenglandthis,whereiammakingholiday.

wepurposesettingoutforoxfordtuesdayfortnight,andcomingtherebyhome.butnomorenighttravelling.myheadissore(understanditoftheinside)withthatdeductionofmynaturalrestwhichisufferedcomingdown.neithermarynoricanspareamorselofourrest.itisincumbentonustobemisersofit.travellingisnotgoodforus—wetravelsoseldom.ifthesunbehell,itisnotforthefire,butforthesempiternalmotionofthatmiserablebodyoflight.howmuchmoredignifiedleisurehathamusselgluedtohisunpassablerockylimit,twoinchsquare!hehearsthetiderolloverhim,backwardsandforwardstwicea-day(asthed——dsalisburylongcoachgoesandreturnsineightandfortyhours),butknowsbetterthantotakeanoutsidenight-placeatopon't.heistheowlofthesea.minerva'sfish.thefishofwisdom.

ourkindestremembrancestomrs.[m.].

yourstruly,c.lamb.

[ifthedateiscorrectwemustsupposethatthelambshadmadeasecondvisittothehazlittsandwereintendingtoreturnbywayofoxford(seenextletter).

basilmontaguwasabarristerandhumanitarian,afriendofwordsworthandcoleridge,andafterwardsstep-father-in-lawofprocter.hewasbornin1770andliveduntil1851.lambprobablyaddressedtohimmanyotherletters,alsotohisthirdwife,carlyle's"noblelady."butthecorrespondencewasdestroyedbymrs.procter.

themss.referredtocannotnowbeidentified.]