LETTER184

letter184

marylambtosarahhazlitt

november7th,1809.

mydearsarah—thedear,quiet,lazy,deliciousmonthwespentwithyouisrememberedbymewithsuchregret,thatifeelquitediscontent&winterslow-sick.iassureyou,ineverpassedsuchapleasanttimeinthecountryinmylife,bothinthehouse&outofit,thecardplayingquarrels,andafewgaspingsforbreathafteryourswiftfootstepsupthehighhillsexcepted,andthosedrawbacksarenotunpleasantintherecollection.wehavegotsomesaltbuttertomakeourtoastseemlikeyours,andwehavetriedtoeatmeatsuppers,butthatwouldnotdo,forweleftourappetitesbehindus;andthedryloaf,whichoffendedyou,nowcomesinatnightompanied;but,sorryamitoadd,itissoonfollowedbythepipeandtheginbottle.wesmokedtheveryfirstnightofourarrival.

greatnews!ihavejustbeeninterruptedbymr.daw,whocomestotellmehewasyesterdayelectedaroyalacademician.hesaidnoneofhisownfriendsvotedforhim;hegotitbystrangers,whowerepleasedwithhispictureofmrs.white.charlessayshedoesnotbelievenorthcoteevervotedfortheadmissionofanyone.thoughaverycoldday,dawwasinaprodigioussweat,forjoyathisgoodfortune.

moregreatnews!mybeautifulgreencurtainswereputupyesterday,andallthedoorslistedwithgreenbaize,andfournewboardsputtothecoal-hole,andfasteninghaspsputtothewindow,andmydiedmanningsilkcutout.

yesterdaywasaneventfulday:foryesterdaytoomartinburneywastobeexaminedbylordeldon,previoustohisbeingadmittedasanattorney;buthehasnotyetbeenheretoannouncehisess.

icarriedthebaby-capstomrs.[john]hazlitt;shewasmuchpleased,andvastlythankful.mr.[john]h.gotfifty-fourguineasatrochester,andhasnowseveralpicturesinhand.

iamgoingtotellyouasecret,for——saysshewouldbesorrytohaveittalkedof.onenight——camehomefromtheale-house,bringingwithhimagreat,rough,ill-lookingfellow,whomheintroducedto——asmr.brown,agentlemanhehadhiredasamadkeeper,totakecareofhim,atfortypoundsayear,beingtenpoundsundertheusualpriceforkeepers,whichsummr.brownhadagreedtoremitoutofpurefriendship.itwaswithgreatdifficulty,andbythreateningtocallintheaidofwatchmenandconstables,that——couldprevailonmr.browntoleavethehouse.

wehadagoodchearfulmeetingonwednesday:muchtalkofwinterslow,itswoods&itsnicesunflowers.ididnotsomuchlikephillipsatwinterslow,asinowlikehimforhavingbeenwithusatwinterslow.weroastedthelastofhis'beach,ofoilynutprolific,'onfriday,atthecaptain's.nurseisnowestablishedinparadise,aliastheincurableward[ofwestminsterhospital].ihaveseenhersittinginmostsuperbstate,surroundedbyhersevenincurablecompanions.theycalleachotherladies.nurselooksasifshewouldbeconsideredasthefirstladyintheward:onlyoneseemedat[all]liketorivalherindignity.

amanintheindiahousehasresigned,bywhichcharleswillgettwentypoundsayear;andwhitehasprevailedonhimtowritesomemorelottery-puffs.ifthatendsinsmoke,thetwentypoundsisasurecard,andhasmadeusveryjoyful.

icontinueverywell,&returnyouverysincerethanksformygoodhealthandimprovedlooks,whichhavealmostmademrs.godwindiewithenvy;shelongstocometowinterslowasmuchasthespitefuleldersisterdidtogotothewellforagifttospitdiamonds—

janeandihaveagreedtoboilaroundofbeefforyoursuppers,whenyoucometotownagain.she,jane,broketwoofthehogarthglasseswhilewewereaway—whereatimadeagreatnoise.

farewel.lovetowilliam,andcharles'sloveandgoodwishesforthespeedyarrivalofthelifeofholcroft,&thebearerthereof.

yoursmostaffectionately,

m.lamb.

tuesday.

charlestoldmrs.godwin,hazlitthadfoundawellinhisgarden,which,waterbeingscarceinyourcountry,wouldbringhimintwohundredayear;andshecameingreathastethenextmorningtoaskmeifitweretrue.yourbrotherandhis&c.arequitewell.

[georgedawehadjustbeenelectednotroyalacademicianbutassociate.

hebecamefullr.a.in1814.

mrs.whitewasthewifeofanthonywhite,thesurgeon,whohadbeenapprenticedtosiranthonycarlisle.

northcotewasjamesnorthcote,r.a.,whoseconversationshazlittrecordedsomeyearslater.

martinburneynevermadeaessfullawyer.hislifewasdestinedtobeunhappyandunprofitable,asweshallseelater.

"iamgoingtotellyouasecret."intheabsenceoftheoriginaltheseblankscannotbefilledin,noraretheyimportant.

"lotterypuffs."seenoteonpage340.

"thespitefuleldersister."thisstoryisingrimm,ithink.

"thelifeofholcroft."thememoirsofthomasholcroft,begunbyholcroftandfinishedbyhazlitt,althoughcompletedin1810,wasnotpublisheduntil1816.

hereshouldcomealetterfromlambtorobertlloyd,datedjanuary1,1810,thankinghimforaturkey.lambmentionsthathis1809holidayhadbeenspentinwiltshire,wherehesawsalisburycathedralandstonehenge.headdsthatcoleridge'sfriendisoccasionallysublime.thiswasthelastletterofthecorrespondence.robertlloyddiedonoctober26,1811.lambwroteinthegentleman'smagazineamemoirofhim,whichwillbefoundinvol.i.ofthisedition.]