LETTER153

letter153

charleslambtowilliamwordsworth

[p.m.june26,1806.]

dearwordsworth—wegotthesixpoundssafeinyoursister'sletters—arepleased,youmaybesure,withthegoodnewsofmrs.w.—hopealliswelloverbythistime."afineboy!—haveyouanymore?onemoreandagirl—poorcopiesofme"videmr.h.afarcewhichtheproprietorshavedonemethehonor—butiwillsetdownmr.wroughton'sownwords.n.b.theensuingletterwassentinanswertoonewhichiwroteingtoknowifmypiecehadanychance,asimightmakealterations,&c.iwritingonthemonday,therecomesthisletteronthewednesday.attend.

(copyofaletterfrommr.r'd.wroughton)

sir,yourpieceofmr.h—iamdesiredtosay,isacceptedatdrurylanetheatre,bytheproprietors,and,ifagreeabletoyou,willbebroughtforwardswhentheproperopportunityserves—thepieceshallbesenttoyouforyouralterationsinthecourseofafewdays,asthesameisnotinmyhandsbutwiththeproprietors.

(dated)iamsir,66gowerst.,yourobedientser't.,wednesdayr'd.wroughton.june11,1806.

onthefollowingsundaymr.tobincomes.thescentofamanager'sletterbroughthim.hewouldhavegonefurtheranydayonsuchabusiness.ireadthelettertohim.hedeemsitauthenticandperemptory.ourconversationnaturallyfelluponpieces—differentsortsofpieces—whatisthebestwayofofferingapiece—howfarthecapriceofmanagersisanobstacleinthewayofapiece—howtojudgeofthemeritsofapiece—howlongapiecemayremaininthehandsofthemanagersbeforeitisacted—andmypiece—andyourpiece—andmypoorbrother'spiece—mypoorbrotherwasallhislifeendeavouringtogetapieceaccepted—

iamnotsurethatwhenmypoorbrotherbequeathedthecareofhispiecestomr.jamestobinhedidnotthereinconveyalegacywhichinsomemeasuremollifiedtheotherwisefirststupefactionsofgrief.itcan'tbeexpectedthatthepresentearlnelsonpassesallhistimeinwateringthelaurelsoftheadmiralwithrightreverendtears.certainlyhestealsafinedaynowandthentoplothowtolayoutthegroundsandmansionatburnhammostsuitablytothelateearl'staste,ifhehadlived,andhowtospendthehundredthousandpoundparliamenthasgivenhiminerectingsomelittleneatmonumenttohismemory.

mr.h.iwrotethatinmerewantonnessoftriumph.havenothingmoretosayaboutit.themanagersithankmystarshavedecideditsmeritsforever.theyarethebestjudgesofpieces,anditwouldbeinsensibleinmetoaffectafalsemodestyaftertheveryflatteringletterwhichihavereceivedandtheample—

ithinkthiswillbeasgoodapatternforordersasicanthinkon.alittlethinfloweryborderround,neatnotgaudy,andthedrurylaneapollowiththeharpatthetop.orshallihavenoapollo?—simplynothing?orperhapsthecomicmuse?

thesameform,onlyithinkwithouttheapollo,willserveforthepitandgalleries.ithinkitwillbebesttowritemynameatfulllength;butthenifigiveawayagreatmany,thatwillbetedious.perhapsch.lambwilldo.boxesnowithinkoniti'llhaveincapitals.therestinaneatitalianhand.orbetterperhaps,boxes,inoldenglishcharacter,likemadocorthalaba?

isupposeyouknowpoormountaguehaslosthiswife.thathasbeenthereasonformysendingoffallwehavegotofyoursseparately.ithoughtitabadtimetotroublehim.thetea25lb.in55lb.papers,twosheetstoeach,withthechocolatewhichwewereafraidmrs.w.wouldwant,comesinoneboxandthehatsinasmallone.ibookedthemofflastnightbythekendalon.therecomeswiththisletter(no,itcomesadayortwoearlier)aletterforyoufromthedoctoratmalta,aboutcoleridge,justreceived.nothingofcertainty,yousee,onlythatheisnotatmalta.wesuptwiththeclarksonsonenight—mrs.clarksonprettywell.mr.c.somewhatfidgety,butagoodman.thebabyhasbeenonavisittomrs.charlottesmith,novellistandmorals-trainer,butisreturned.[ashortpassageomittedhere.]

maryisjuststuckfastinall'swellthatendswell.shecomplainsofhavingtosetforthsomanyfemalecharactersinboy'sclothes.shebeginstothinkshakspearmusthavewantedimagination.itoencourageher,forsheoftenfaintsintheprosecutionofhergreatwork,flatterherwithtellingherhowwellsuchaplayandsuchaplayisdone.butsheisstuckfastandihavebeenobligedtopromisetoassisther.todothisitwillbenecessarytoleaveoffo.butihadsomethoughtsofdoingthatbefore,forisometimesthinkitdoesnotagreewithme.w.hazlittisintown.itookhimtoseeaveryprettygirlprofessedly,wherethereweretwoyounggirls—theveryheadandsumofthegirlerywastwoyounggirls—theyneitherlaughednorsneerednorlednorwhispered—buttheywereyounggirls—andhesatandfrownedblackerandblacker,indignantthatthereshouldbesuchathingasyouthandbeauty,tillhetoremeawaybeforesupperinperfectmiseryandownedhecouldnotbearyounggirls.theydrovehimmad.soitookhimhometomyoldnurse,whereherecover'dperfecttranquillity.independentofthis,andasiamnotayounggirlmyself,heisagreatacquisitiontous.heis,ratherimprudently,ithink,printingapoliticalpamphletonhisownaccount,andwillhavetopayforthepaper,&c.thefirstdutyofanauthor,itakeit,isnevertopayanything.butnoncuivisattigitadirecorinthum.themanagersithankmystarshavesettledthatquestionforme.

yourstruly,

c.lamb.

[wordsworth'sthirdchild,thomas,whodidnotgrowup,wasbornjune16,1806.

"afineboy!"the"ationisfrommr.h.'ssoliloquyafterthediscoveryofhisname:—"nosonofmineshallexist,tobearmyill-fatedname.nonursecomechuckling,totellmeitisaboy.nomidwife,leeringatmefromunderthelidsofprofessionalgravity.idreamedofcaudle.(singsinamelancholytone)lullaby,lullaby,—hush-a-by-baby—howlikeitspapaitis!—(makesmotionsasifhewasnursing).andthen,whengrownup,'isthisyourson,sir?''yes,sir,apoorcopyofme,—asadyoungdog!—justwhathisfatherwasathisage,—ihavefourmoreathome.'oh!oh!oh!"

tobinwasjamestobin,whomwehavealreadymet,brotherofthelatedramatist,johntobin.

poormountaguewouldbebasilmontagu,whosesecondwifehadjustdied.hemarriedafterwardsanneskepper,whomlambcametoknowwell,andofwhomhespeaksinhiseliaessay"oxfordinthevacation."

thedoctorwasdr.stoddart.coleridgehadleftmaltasomemonthsbefore,aswehaveseen.hehadalsoleftromeandwasinsomeforeigntownunknown,probablynotfarfromleghorn,whencehesailedforenglandinthefollowingmonth,reachingportsmouthinaugust.

thebabywasmrs.godwin,andcharlottesmithwasthepoetess(ofgreatfameinherday,butnowforgotten),whowasthenlivingattilford,nearfarnham,insurrey.shediedinthefollowingoctober.thepassagewhichihave,withextremereluctance,omitted,referstothephysicaldevelopmentofthetwoladies.lambwaswritingjustthenlessforwordsworththanantiquity.

hazlitt'spoliticalpamphletwashisfreethoughtsonpublicaffairs,1806.]