LETTER187 - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 5 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

LETTER187

letter187

charleslambtojohnmathewgutch

[april9th,1810.]

deargutch,—ididnotseeyourbrother,whobroughtmewither;butheunderstood,hesaid,youweredailyexpectingtocometotown:thishaspreventedmywriting.thebookshavepleasedmeexcessively:ishouldthinkyoucouldnothavemadeabetterselection.ineversaw"philaretè"before—judgeofmypleasure.icouldnotforbearscribblingcertaincritiquesinpencilontheblankleaves.shallisendthem,ormayiexpecttoseeyouintown?someofthemareremarksonthecharacterofwitherandofhiswritings.doyoumeantohaveanythingofthatkind?whatihavesaidon"philaretè"ispoor,butithinksomeoftherestnotsobad:perhapsihaveexceededmycommissioninscrawlingoverthecopies;butmydelightthereinmustexcuseme,andpencil-markswillrubout.whereisthelife?write,foriamquiteinthedark.yours,withmanythanks,

c.lamb.

perhapsicoulddigestthefewcritiquesprefixedtothesatires,shepherdshunting,&c.,intoashortabstractofwither'scharacterandworks,attheendofhislife.but,maybe,youdon'twantanything,andhavesaidallyouwishinthelife.

[johnmathewgutch(1776-1861),whomwehavemetbefore,wasatthistimelivingatbristol,whereheowned,editedandprintedfelixfarley'sbristoljournal.hehadbeenprintingforhisownpleasureaneditionofgeorgewither'spoems,whichhehadsenttolambforhisopinion,intendingultimatelytoeditwitherfully.lambreturnedthevolumeswithanumberofcomments,manyofwhichheafterwardsincorporatedinhisessay"onthepoetryofgeorgewither,"printedinhisworksin1818.gutchsubsequentlyhandedthevolumestohisfrienddr.johnnottofthehotwells,bristol,whohadviewsofhisownuponwither,andwhocommentedinhisturnonthepoetandonlamb'scriticismofthepoet.incourseoftimethevolumesfellintolamb'shandsagain,whennott'scommentsonwitherandonlambreceivedtreatment.theywereultimatelygivenbylambtohisfriendbrookpulhamoftheindiahouse(whomadethecaricatureetchingof"Ælia")andarenowinthepossessionofmr.a.c.swinburne,whotoldthestoryofthebookinthenineteenthcenturyforjanuary,1885,reprintedinhismiscellanies,1886.somepassagesfromthatarticlewillbefoundinthenotestolamb'sessayonwitherinvol.i.ofthepresentedition.thelastwordwaswithnott,forwhengutchprintedathree-orfour-volumeeditionofwitherin1820,undernott'seditorship,manyoflamb'sbestthingswereincludedasnott's.]