LETTER179

letter179

charleslambtothomasmanning

28thmarch,1809.

dearmanning,—isentyoualongletterbytheshipswhichsailedthebeginningoflastmonth,accompaniedwithbooks,&c.sinceilastwrote,holcroftisdead.hediedonthursdaylastandisnotyetburied.hehasbeenopenedbycarlisleandhisheartwasfoundcompletelyossified.hehashadalongandsevereillness.heseemedverywillingtolive,andtothelastactedonhisfavoriteprincipleofthepowerofthewilltoovercomedisease.ibelievehisstrongfaithinthatpowerkepthimalivelongafteranotherpersonwouldhavegivenhimup,andthephysiciansallconcurredinpositivelysayinghewouldnotliveaweek,manyweeksbeforehedied.thefamilyareaswellascanbeexpected.itoldyousomethingaboutmrs.holcroft'splans.sinceherdeaththerehasbeenameetingofhisfriendsandasubscriptionhasbeenmentioned.ihavenodoubtthatshewillbesetagoing,andthatshewillbefullycompetenttotheschemewhichsheproposes.fannybearsitmuchbetterthanicouldhavesupposed.sothereisoneofyourfriendswhomyouwillneverseeagain!perhapsthenextfleetmaybringyoualetterfrommartinburney,tosaythathewritesbydesireofmisslamb,whoisnotwellenoughtowriteherself,toinformyouthatherbrotherdiedonthursdaylast,14thjune,&c.butihopenot.ishouldbesorrytogiveoccasiontoopenacorrespondencebetweenmartinandyou.thislettermustbeshort,forihavedrivenitofftotheverymomentofdoingupthepackets;andbesides,thatwhichirefertoaboveisaverylongone;andifyouhavereceivedmybooks,youwillhaveenoughtodotoreadthem.whileithinkonit,letmetellyouwearemoved.don'tcomeanymoretomitrecourtbuildings.weareat34,southamptonbuildings,chancerylane,andshallbeheretillabouttheendofmay:thenweremovetono.4,innertemplelane,whereimeantoliveanddie;forihavesuchhorrorofmoving,thatiwouldnottakeabeneficefromtheking,ifiwasnotindulgedwithnon-residence.whatadislocationofcomfortiscomprisedinthatwordmoving!suchaheapoflittlenastythings,afteryouthinkallisgotintothecart:olddredging-boxes,worn-outbrushes,gallipots,vials,thingsthatitisimpossiblethemostnecessitouspersoncaneverwant,butwhichthewomen,whopresideontheseoccasions,willnotleavebehindifitwastosaveyoursoul;they'dkeepthecarttenminutestostowindirtypipesandbrokenmatches,toshowtheireconomy.thenyoucanfindnothingyouwantformanydaysafteryougetintoyournewlodgings.youmustcombyourhairwithyourfingers,washyourhandswithoutsoap,goaboutindirtygaiters.wasidiogenes,iwouldnotmoveoutofakilderkinintoahogshead,thoughthefirsthadhadnothingbutsmallbeerinit,andthesecondreekedclaret.ourplaceoffinaldestination,—idon'tmeanthegrave,butno.2innertemplelane,—looksoutuponagloomychurchyard-likecourt,calledharecourt,withthreetreesandapumpinit.doyouknowit?iwasbornnearit,andusedtodrinkatthatpumpwheniwasarechabiteofsixyearsold.ifyouseenewspapersyouwillreadaboutmrs.clarke.thesensationinlondonaboutthisnonsensicalbusinessismarvellous.iremembernothinginmylifelikeit.thousandsofballads,caricatures,lives,ofmrs.clarke,ineveryblindalley.yetinthemidstofthisstir,asublimeabstracteddancing-master,whoattendsafamilyweknowinkensington,beingaskedaquestionabouttheprogressoftheexaminationinthehouse,inquiredwhomrs.clarkewas?hehadheardnothingofit.hehadevadedthisomnipresencebyutterinsignificancy!thedukeshouldmakethatmanhisconfidentialvalet.

iproposedlockinghimup,barringhimtheuseofhisfiddleandredpumps,untilhehadminutelyperusedandcommittedtomemorythewholebodyoftheexaminations,whichemployedthehouseofcommonsafortnight,toteachhimtobemoreattentivetowhatconcernsthepublic.ithinkitoldyouofgodwin'slittlebook,andofcoleridge'sprospectus,inmylast;ifididnot,remindmeofit,andiwillsendyouthem,oranaccountofthem,nextfleet.ihavenoconveniencyofdoingitbythis.mrs.——growseverydayindisfavourwithgodandman.iwillbeburiedwiththisinscriptionoverme:—"hereliesc.l.,thewoman-hater"—imeanthathatedonewoman:fortherest,godblessthem,andwhenhemakesanymore,make'emprettier.howdoyoulikethemandarinesses?areyouonsomelittlefootingwithanyofthem?thisiswednesday.onwednesdaysismylevee.thecaptain,martin,phillips,(notthesheriff,)rickman,andsomemore,areconstantattendants,besidesstrayvisitors.weplayatwhist,eatcoldmeatandhotpotatoes,andanygentlemanthatchoosessmokes.whydoyouneverdropin?you'llcomesomeday,won'tyou?

c.lamb,&c.

[thomasholcroftdiedonmarch23,1809,agedsixty-three.mitrecourtbuildings,southamptonbuildingsandinnertemplelane(lamb'shomes)haveallbeenrebuiltsincelamb'sday.

"thatword'moving.'"lamblaterelaboratedandcondensedthispassage,intheeliaessay"newyear'seve":"anyalteration,onthisearthofmine,indietorinlodging,puzzlesanddiscomposesme.myhousehold-godsplantaterriblefixedfoot,andarenotrootedupwithoutblood."

"mrs.clarke."maryanneclarke(1776-1852),mistressofthedukeofyork,commander-in-chief,whosereceptionofmoneyfromofficersasareturnforprocuringthemprefermentorpromisingto,byherinfluencewiththeduke,hadjustbeenexposedinparliament,andwascausingimmenseexcitement.

"godwin'slittlebook."probablytheessayonsepulchres.butgodwin'slivesofedwardandjohnphillips,milton'snephews,appearedalsoatthistime.

"mrs.——."mostprobablymrs.godwinoncemore.

"notthesheriff."alludingtosirrichardphillips,thepublisher,whowaselectedsheriffoflondonin1807,andwasknightedin1808.

onthesamedaylambandhissisterwroteaverycharmingjointlettertolouisamartin,whichhasnotyetbeenpublished.seetheprefacetothisvolume,p.viii.]