LETTER68

letter68

charleslambtothomasmanning

[p.m.sept.22,1800.]

dearmanning,—youneedednotimagineanyapologynecessary.yourfinehareandfinebirds(whichjustnowaredanglingbyourkitchenblaze)discoursemosteloquentmusicinyourjustification.youjustnickedmypalate.for,withallduedecorumandleavemayitbespoken,myworshiphathtakenphysicforhisbodyto-day,andbeinglowandpuling,requirethtobepampered.foh!howbeautifulandstrongthosebutteredonionscometomynose!foryoumustknowweextractadivinespiritofgravyfromthosematerialswhich,dulycompoundedwithaconsistenceofbreadandcream(y'cleptbread-sauce),eachtoeachgivingdoublegrace,domutuallyillustrateandsetoff(asskilfulgoldfoilstorarejewels)yourpartridge,pheasant,woodcock,snipe,teal,widgeon,andtheotherlesserdaughtersoftheark.myfriendship,lingwithmycarnalandfleshlyprudence(whicheststhatabirdamanistheproperallotmentinsuchcases),yearnethsometimestohavetheeheretopickawingorso.iquestionifyournorfolksaucesmatchourlondonculinaric.

georgedyerhasintroducedmetothetableofanagreeableoldgentleman,dr.anderson,whogiveshotlegsofmuttonandgrapepiesathissylvanlodgeatisleworth,where,inthemiddleofastreet,hehasshotupawallmostpreposterouslybeforehissmalldwelling,which,withthecircumstanceofhistakingseveralpanesofglassoutofbedroomwindows(forair),causethhisneighbourstospeculatestrangelyonthestateofthegoodman'spericranicks.plainly,helivesunderthereputationofbeingderanged.georgedoesnotmindthiscircumstance;heratherlikeshimthebetterforit.thedoctor,inhispursuits,joinsagriculturaltopoeticalscience,andhassetgeorge'sbrainsmadabouttheoldscotchwriters,harbour,douglas'saeneid,blindharry,&c.wereturnedhomeinareturnpostchaise(havingdinedwiththedoctor),andgeorgekeptwonderingandwondering,foreightornineturnpikemiles,whatwasthename,andstrivingtorecollectthename,ofapoetanteriortobarbour.iedtoknowwhatwasremainingofhisworks."thereisnothingextantofhisworks,sir,butbyallaccountsheseemstohavebeenafinegenius!"thisfinegenius,withoutanythingtoshowforitoranytitlebeyondgeorge'scourtesy,withoutevenaname!andbarbour,anddouglas,andblindharry,nowarethepredominantsoundsingeorge'spiamater,andtheirbuzzingsexcludepolitics,criticism,andalgebra—thelatelordsofthatillustriouslumber-room.mark,hehasneverreadanyofthesebucks,butisimpatienttillhereadsthemallatthedoctor'sestion.poordyer!hisfriendsshouldbecarefulwhatsparkstheyletfallintosuchinflammablematter.

couldihavemywilloftheheathen,iwouldlockhimupfromallaccessofnewideas;iwouldexcludeallcriticsthatwouldnotswearmefirst(upontheirvirgil)thattheywouldfeedhimwithnothingbuttheold,safe,familiarnotionsandsounds(therightfulaboriginesofhisbrain)—gray,akensideandmason.inthesesounds,reiteratedasoftenaspossible,therecouldbenothingpainful,nothingdistracting.

godblessme,herearethebirds,smokinghot!

allthatisgrossandunspiritualinmerisesatthesight!

avauntfriendshipandallmemoryofabsentfriends!

c.lamb.

["divinespiritofgravy."thispassageisthefirstoflamb'soutburstsofgustatoryecstasy,afterwardstobecomefrequentinhiswritings.

hereshouldcomealetter,datedoctober9,1800,intherichestspiritofcomedy,describingtocoleridgeaneveningwithgeorgedyerandthecottlesafterthedeathoftheirbrotheramos;andhowlamb,bypraisingjosephcottle'spoem,drewawaythatgoodman'sthoughtsfromhisgrief."joseph,whotillnowhadsatwithhiskneescoweringinbythefireplace,wheeledabout,andwithgreatdifficultyofbodyshiftedthesameroundtothecornerofatablewhereiwassitting,andfirststationingonethighovertheother,whichishissedentarymood,andplacidlyfixinghisbenevolentfacerightagainstmine,waitedmyobservations.atthatmomentitcamestronglyintomymind,thatihadgotuncletobybeforeme,helookedsokindandsogood."theletter,printedinfullinothereditions,is,iamgiventounderstand,notavailableforthis.]