LETTERS78AND79 - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 5 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

LETTERS78AND79

letters78and79

charleslambtothomasmanning

[middledecember.]

isendyouallofcoleridge'sletterstome,whichihavepreserved:someofthemareuponthesubjectofmyplay.ialsosendyoukemble'stwoletters,andtheprompter'scourteousepistle,withacuriouscritiqueon"pride'scure,"byayoungphysicianfromedinbro,whomodestlyestsquiteanotherkindofaplot.thesearemonumentsofmydisappointmentwhichiliketopreserve.

incoleridge'slettersyouwillfindagooddealofamusement,toseegenuinetalentlingagainstapompousdisplayofit.ialsosendyoutheprofessor'slettertome(carefulprofessor!toconcealhisnameevenfromhiscorrespondent),ereyettheprofessor'spridewascured.ohmonstrousandalmostsatanicalpride!

youwillcarefullykeepall(exceptthescotchdoctor's,whichburninstatusquo),tillicometoclaimmineown.

c.lamb.

formistermanning,teacherofmathematicsandtheblackarts.thereisanotherletterintheinsidecoverofthebookoppositetheblankleafthatwas.

mindthisgoesforaletter.(acknowledgeitdirectly,ifonlyintenwords.)

dearmanning—(ishallwanttohearthiscomessafe.)ihavescratchedoutagooddeal,asyouwillsee.generally,whatihaverejectedwaseitherfalseinfeeling,oraviolationofcharacter—mostlyofthefirstsort.iwillherejustinstanceintheconcludingfewlinesofthe"dyinglover'sstory,"whichcompletelycontradictedhischaracterofsilentandunreproachful.ihesitatedagooddealwhatcopytosendyou,andatlastresolvedtosendtheworst,becauseyouarefamiliarwithit,andcanmakeitout;andastrangerwouldfindsomuchdifficultyindoingit,thatitwouldgivehimmorepainthanpleasure.

thisiscompoundedpreciselyofthetwopersons'handsyourequesteditshouldbe.—yourssincerely,

c.lamb.

[thesewerethelettersaccompanyingthecopyof"pride'scure"(or"johnwoodvil")whichcharlesandmarylambtogethermadeformanning,asrequestedinthenoteonpage197.

allthelettersmentionedbylambhavevanished;unlessbyanunlikelychancethebundlecontainedcoleridge'slettersonmrs.lamb'sdeathandonthequarrelwithlambandlloyd.

manning'sreply,dateddecember,1800,givesalittleinformationconcerningtheedinburghphysician'sletter—"thatgentlemanwhosefertilebraincan,atamoment'swarning,furnishyouwith10thousandmodelsofaplot—'thegreatestvarietyofrapes,murders,deathsheads,&c.,&c.,soldhere.'"manningthinksthatthescotchdoctorunderstandslamb'stragedybetterthancoleridgedoes.headds:"p.s.—myverdictuponthepoet'sepitaphis'genuine.'"thisprobablyappliestoaquestionaskedbylambconcerningwordsworth'spoemofthatname.]