LETTER130

letter130

charleslambtothomasmanning

16mitre-courtbuildings,

saturday,24th[i.e.23rd]feb.,1805.

dearmanning,—ihavebeenveryunwellsinceisawyou.asaddepressionofspirits,amostountablenervousness;fromwhichihavebeenpartiallyrelievedbyanoddaccident.youknewdickhopkins,theswearingscullionofcaius?thisfellow,byindustryandagility,hasthrusthimselfintotheimportantsituations(nosinecures,believeme)ofcooktotrinityhallandcaiuscollege:andthegenerouscreaturehascontrivedwiththegreatestdelicacyimaginable,tosendmeapresentofcambridgebrawn.whatmakesitthemoreextraordinaryis,thatthemanneversawmeinhislifethatiknowof.isupposehehasheardofme.ididnotimmediatelyrecognisethedonor;butoneofrichard'scards,whichhadaccidentallyfallenintothestraw,detectedhiminamoment.dick,youknow,wasalwaysremarkableforflourishing.hiscardimports,that"orders(towit,forbrawn),fromanypartofengland,scotland,orireland,willbedulyexecuted,"&c.atfirst,ithoughtofdecliningthepresent;butrichardknewmyblindsidewhenhepitcheduponbrawn.'tisofallmyhobbiesthesupremeintheeatingway.hemighthavesentsopsfromthepan,skimmings,crumplets,chips,hog'slard,thetenderbrownjudiciouslyscalpedfromafilletofveal(dexterouslyreplacedbyasalamander),thetopsofasparagus,fugitivelivers,runawaygizzardsoffowls,theeyesofmartyredpigs,tendereffusionsoflaxativewoodcocks,theredspawnoflobsters,leverets'ears,andsuchprettyfilchingscommontocooks;butthesehadbeenordinarypresents,theeverydaycourtesiesofdishwasherstotheirsweethearts.brawnwasanoblethought.itisnoteverycommongullet-fancierthatcanproperlyesteemit.itislikeapictureofoneofthechoiceolditalianmasters.itsgustoisofthathiddensort.aswordsworthsingsofamodestpoet,—"youmustlovehim,eretoyouhewillseemworthyofyourlove;"sobrawn,youmusttasteit,eretoyouitwillseemtohaveanytasteatall.but'tisnutstotheadept:thosethatwillsendouttheirtonguesandfeelerstofinditout.itwillbewooed,andnotunsoughtbewon.now,ham-essence,lobsters,turtle,suchpopularminions,absolutelycourtyou,laythemselvesouttostrikeyouatfirstsmack,likeoneofdavid'spictures(theycallhimdarveed),comparedwiththeplainrusset-coatedwealthofatitianoraio,asiillustratedabove.sucharetheobviousglaringheathenvirtuesofacorporationdinner,comparedwiththereservedcollegiateworthofbrawn.domethefavourtoleaveoffthebusinesswhichyoumaybeatpresentupon,andgoimmediatelytothekitchensoftrinityandcaius,andmakemymostrespectfulcomplimentstomr.richardhopkins,andassurehimthathisbrawnismostexcellent;andthatiammoreoverobligedtohimforhisinnuendoaboutsaltwaterandbran,whichishallnotfailtoimprove.ileaveittoyouwhetheryoushallchoosetopayhimthecivilityofaskinghimtodinnerwhileyoustayincambridge,orinwhateverotherwayyoumaybestliketoshowyourgratitudetomyfriend.richardhopkins,consideredinmanypointsofview,isaveryextraordinarycharacter.adieu:ihopetoseeyoutosupperinlondonsoon,wherewewilltasterichard'sbrawn,anddrinkhishealthinacheerfulbutmoderatecup.wehavenotmanysuchmeninanyrankoflifeasmr.r.hopkins.crispthebarber,ofst.mary's,wasjustsuchanother.iwonderheneversentmeanylittletoken,somechestnuts,orapufif,ortwopoundofhairjusttorememberhimby;giftsarelikenails.

praesensutabsens,thatis,yourpresentmakesamendsforyourabsence.

yours,

c.lamb.

[thisletteris,itakeit,ajoke:thatistosay,thebrawnwassenttolambbymanning,whoseemstohavereturnedtocambridgeforawhile,andlambaffectstobelievethathopkins,fromwhomitwasbought,wasthegiver.ithinkthisviewissupportedbythereferencetomr.crisp,attheend,—mr.crispbeingmanning'slatelandlord.

thefollowingadvertisementoccursinthecambridgechroniclefor

february8,1806.itissentmebydr.wharry:—

"cambridgebrawn.

"r.hopkins,cookoftrinityhallandcaiuscollege,begsleavetoinformthenobility,gentry,&c.thathehasnowreadyforsale,brawn,brawnheads&cheeks.

"allorderswillbethankfullyreceived,andforwardedtoanypartofthekingdom."

lambstayedat3st.mary'spassage,nowrebuiltandoccupiedbymessrs.

leach&son(1911).

thelettercontainslamb'ssecondexpressionofepicureanrapture:thefirstinpraiseofpig.

"aswordsworthsings"—inthe"poet'sepitaph":—

heisretiredasnoontidedew,

orfountaininanoon-daygrove;

andyoumustlovehim,eretoyou

hewillseemworthyofyourlove.

"praesensutabsens."lambenlargeduponthetopicofgiftsandgivingmanyyearslater,inthepopularfallacy"thatwemustnotlookagifthorseinthemouth,"1826,andinhis"thoughtsonpresentsofgame,"1833.]