LETTER88

letter88

charleslambtothomasmanning

[august,]1801.

dearmanning,—ihaveforbornewritingsolong(andsohaveyou,forthematterofthat),untiliamalmostashamedeithertowriteortoforbearanylonger.butasyoursilencemayproceedfromsomeworsecausethanneglect—fromillness,orsomemishapwhichmayhavebefallenyou—ibegintobeanxious.youmayhavebeenburntout,oryoumayhavemarried,oryoumayhavebrokenalimb,orturnedcountryparson;anyofthesewouldbeexcusesufficientfornotcomingtomysupper.iamnotsounforgivingasthenoblemanin"saintmark."forme,nothingnewhashappenedtome,unlessthatthepoor"albion"diedlastsaturdayoftheworld'sneglect,andwithitthefountainofmypunsischokedupforever.

allthelloydswonderthatyoudonotwritetothem.theyapplytomeforthecause.relievemefromthisweightofignorance,andenablemetogiveatrulyoracularresponse.

ihavebeenconfinedsomedayswithswelledcheekandrheumatism—theydivideandgovernmewithaviceroy-headacheinthemiddle.icanneitherwritenorreadwithoutgreatpain.itmustbesomethinglikeobstinacythatichoosethistimetowritetoyouinaftermanymonthsinterruption.

iwillclosemyletterofsimpleinquirywithanepigramonmackintosh,the"vindiciaegallicae"-man—whohasgotaplaceatlast—oneofthelastididforthe"albion";—

"thoughthou'rtlikejudas,an'tateblack,

intheresemblanceonethingthoudostlack;

whenhehadgottenhisill-purchas'dpelf,

hewentaway,andwiselyhangedhimself:

thisthoumaydoatlast,yetmuchidoubt,

ifthouhastanybowelstogushout!"

yours,asever,

c.lamb.

[thealbionwasatthetimeofitsdeceaseownedandeditedbyjohnfenwick,afriendoflamb'swhomweshallmeetagain.lambtoldthestoryintheeliaessayon"newspapers"inthefollowingpassage:—

"fromtheofficeofthemorningpost(forwemayaswellexhaustournewspaperreminiscencesatonce)bychangeofpropertyinthepaper,weweretransferred,mortifyingexchangedtotheofficeofthealbionnewspaper,laterackstrow'smuseum,infleetstreet.whatatransition—fromahandsomeapartment,fromrose-wooddesks,andsilverinkstands,toanoffice—nooffice,butadenrather,butjustredeemedfromtheoccupationofdeadmonsters,ofwhichitseemedredolent—fromthecentreofloyaltyandfashion,toafocusofvulgarityandsedition!hereinmurkycloset,inadequatefromitssquarecontentstothereceiptofthetwobodiesofeditor,andhumbleparagraph-maker,togetheratonetime,satinthedischargeofhisneweditorialfunctions(the'bigod'ofelia)theredoubtedjohnfenwick.

"f.,withoutaguineainhispocket,andhavingleftnotmanyinthepocketsofhisfriendswhomhemightcommand,hadpurchased(ontickdoubtless)thewholeandsoleeditorship,proprietorship,withalltherightsandtitles(suchastheywereworth)ofthealbion,fromonelovell;ofwhomweknownothing,savethathehadstoodinthepilloryforalibelontheprinceofwales.withthishopelessconcern—forithadbeensinkingeversinceitscommencement,andcouldnowreckonuponnotmorethanahundredsubscribers—f.resolutelydetermineduponpullingdownthegovernmentinthefirstinstance,andmakingbothourfortunesbywayofcorollary.forsevenweeksandmoredidthisinfatuateddemocratgoaboutborrowingsevenshillingpieces,andlessercoin,tomeetthedailydemandsofthestampoffice,whichallowednocredittopublicationsofthatsideinpolitics.anoutcastfrompoliterbread,weattachedoursmalltalentstotheforlornfortunesofourfriend.ouroccupationnowwastowritetreason.

"recollectionsoffeelings—whichwereallthatnowremainedfromourfirstboyishheatskindledbythefrenchrevolution,whenifweweremisled,weerredinthecompanyofsome,whoareaccountedverygoodmennow—ratherthananytendencyatthistimetorepublicandoctrines—assistedusinassumingastyleofwriting,whilethepaperlasted,consonantinnoveryunder-tonetotherightearnestfanaticismoff.ourcuewasnowtoinsinuate,ratherthanrecommend,possibleabdications.blocks,axes,whitehalltribunals,werecoveredwithflowersofsocunningaperiphrasis—asmr.bayessays,nevernamingthethingdirectly—thatthekeeneyeofanattorney-generalwasinsufficienttodetectthelurkingsnakeamongthem.thereweretimes,indeed,whenwesignedforourmoregentleman-likeoccupationunderstuart.butwithchangeofmastersitiseverchangeofservice.alreadyoneparagraph,andanother,aswelearnedafterwardsfromagentlemanatthetreasury,hadbeguntobemarkedatthatoffice,withaviewofitsbeingsubmittedatleasttotheattentionoftheproperlawofficers—whenanunlucky,orratherluckyepigramfromourpen,aimedatsirj——sm——h,whowasontheeveofdepartingforindiatoreapthefruitsofhis'tacy,asf.pronouncedit,(itishardlyworthparticularising),happeningtooffendthenicesenseoflord,or,ashethendelightedtobecalled,citizenstanhope,deprivedf.atonceofthelasthopesofaguineafromthelastpatronthathadstuckbyus;andbreakingupourestablishment,leftustothesafe,butsomewhatmortifying,neglectofthecrownlawyers."

thereare,however,inlamb'saccount,writtenthirtyyearsafterwards,someerrors.hepassedratherfromthealbiontothepostthanfromtheposttothealbion(seethenotesinvol.ii.).sirjamesmackintoshwasnotin1801ontheeveofdepartingforindia:hedidnotgetthepostofrecordershipofbombayuntiltwoyearslater.theepigramprobablyreferredtoanearlierrumourofapostforhim.his'tasyconsistedinrecantingin1800fromtheopinionssetforthinhisvindiciaegallicae,1791,abooksupportingthefrenchrevolutionists,andinbecomingaclosefriendofhisoldenemyburke.ihavenoteededinfindingafileofthealbion,nor,ibelieve,hasanyoneelse.

"thenoblemanin'st.mark.'"lambwasthinkingoflukexiv.16-24.]