LETTER186

letter186

charleslambtohenrycrabbrobinson

[datedbyh.c.r.feb.7,1810.]

drr.—mybrotherwhomyouhavemetatmyrooms(aplumpgoodlookingmanofsevenandforty!)haswrittenabookabouthumanity,whichitransmittoyouherewith.wilsonthepublisherhasputitinhisheadthatyoucangetitreviewedforhim.idaresayitisnotinthescopeofyourreview—butifyoucouldputitinanylikelytrain,hewouldrejoyce.foralas!ourboastedhumanitypartakesofvanity.asitis,heteazesmetodeathwithchusingtosupposethaticouldgetitintoallthereviewsatamoment'snotice—i!!whohavebeensetupasamarkforthemtothrowat,andwouldwillinglyconsignthemalltohellflamesandmegaera'ssnakylocks.

buthere'sthebook—anddon'tshewitmrs.collier,foriremembershemakesexcellenteelsoup,andtheleadingpointsofthebookaredirectedagainstthatveryprocess.

yourstrulyc.lamb.

athometo-night—wednesday[february7].

[addressedto"henryrobinson,esq.,56hattongarden,'withatreatiseoncrueltytoanimals.'"

lamb'sbrother,johnlamb,whowasbornin1763,wasnowaccountantofthesouth-seahouse.hischaracterisdescribedbylambintheeliaessay"myrelations,"wherehefiguresasjameselia.robinson'sdiarylaterfrequentlyexpressesrobinson'sdislikeofhisdogmaticways.

thepamphlethasbeenidentifiedbymr.l.s.livingstonasalettertotherighthon.williamwindham,onhisoppositiontolorderskine'sbillforthepreventionofcrueltytoanimals.itwaspublishedbymaxwell&wilsonat17skinnerstreetin1810.noauthor'snameisgiven.onecopyonlyisknown,andthatisinamerica,andtheownerdeclinestopermitittobereprinted.theparticularpassagereferringtoeelpierunsthus:—

"ifaneelhadthewisdomofsolomon,hecouldnothelphimselfintheill-usagethatbefallshim;butifhehad,andweretold,thatitwasnecessaryforoursubsistencethatheshouldbeeaten,thathemustbeskinnedfirst,andthenbroiled;ifignorantofman'susualpractice,hewouldconcludethatthecookwouldsofaruseherreasonastocutoffhisheadfirst,whichisnotfitforfood,asthenhemightbeskinnedandbroiledwithoutharm;forhowevertheotherpartsofhisbodymightbeconvulsedduringtheculinaryoperations,therecouldbenofeelingofconsciousnesstherein,thecommunicationwiththebrainbeingcutoff;butifthewomanwereimmediatelytostickaforkintohiseye,skinhimalive,coilhimupinaskewer,headandall,sothatintheextremestagonyhecouldnotmove,andforthwithbroilhimtodeath:thenwerethesamealmightypowerthatformedmanfromthedust,andbreathedintohisnostrilsthebreathoflife,tocalltheeelintoanewexistence,withaknowledgeofthetreatmenthehadundergone,andhefoundthattheinstinctivedispositionwhichmanhasincommonwithothercarnivorousanimals,whichinclineshimtocruelty,wasnotthesolecauseofhistorments;butthatmendidnotattendtoconsiderwhetherthesufferingsofsuchinsignificantcreaturescouldbelessened:thateelswerenottheonlysufferers;thatlobstersandothershellfishwereputintocoldwaterandboiledtodeathbyslowdegreesinmanypartsoftheseacoast;thatthese,andmanyothersuchwantonatrocities,weretheconsequenceofcarelessnessoccasionedbytheprideofmankinddespisingtheirlowestate,andofthegeneralopinionthatthereisnopunishablesinintheill-treatmentofanimalsdesignedforouruse;that,therefore,thewomandidnotbestowsomuchthoughtonhimastocuthisheadofffirst,andthatshewouldhavelaughedatanyconsideratepersonwhoshouldhavedesiredsuchathing;withwhatfearfulindignationmightheinveighagainsttheunfeelingmetaphysicianthat,likeacruelspiritalarmedattheappearanceofadawningofmercyuponanimals,couldnotrestsatisfiedwithopposingthecrueltypreventionbillbythepleaofpossibleinconveniencetomankind,highlymagnifiedandemblazoned,buthadsetforthtothevulgarandunthinkingofallranks,inthejargonofproudlearning,thatman'sobligationsofmoralitytowardsthecreaturessubjectedtohisuseareimperfectobligations!"

robinson'sreviewwas,iimagine,thelondonreview,foundedbyrichardcumberlandinfebruary,1809,which,however,nolongerexisted,havingrunitsbriefcoursebynovember,1809.

"megæra'ssnakylocks."fromparadiselost,x.,559:—

andupthetreesclimbing,satthickerthanthesnakylocksthatcurl'dmegæra.

hereshouldcomeanotherletterfromlambtocharleslloyd,senior,datedmarch10,1810.itreferstomr.lloyd'stranslationofthefirstsevenbooksoftheodysseyandisaccompaniedbyanumberofcriticisms.lambadvisesmr.lloydtocompletetheodyssey,addingthathewouldprizeitforitshomericplainnessandtruthsabovetheconfederatejumbleofpope,broomandfentonwhichgoesunderpope'snameandisfarinferiortohisiliad.amongthecriticismsisoneonmr.lloyd'suseoftheword"patriotic,"inwhichlambsaysthatitstrikeshisearsasbeingtoomodern;addingthatinenglishfewwordsofmorethanthreesyllableschimewellintoaverse.theword"sentiment"callsfromhimtheremarkthathewouldrootitoutofatranslationofhomer."itcameinwithsterne,andwasachildhehadbyaffectation."]