LETTER67

letter67

charleslambtothomasmanning

[p.m.august28,1800.]

georgedyerisanarchimedes,andanarchimagus,andatychobrahé,andacopernicus;andthouartthedarlingofthenine,andmidwifetotheirwanderingbabealso!wetaketeawiththatlearnedpoetandcriticontuesdaynight,athalf-pastfive,inhisneatlibrary;therepastwillbelightandattic,withcriticism.ifthoucouldstcontrivetowheelupthydearcarcaseonthemonday,andafterdiningwithusontripe,calves'kidneys,orwhateverelsethecornucopiaofst.claremaybewillingtopouroutontheoccasion,mightwenotadjourntogethertotheheathen's—thouwiththyblackbacksandiwithsomeinnocentvolumeofthebellletters—shenstone,orthelike?itwouldmakehimwashhisoldflannelgown(thathasnotbeenwashedtomyknowledgesinceithasbeenhis—ohthelongtime!)withtearsofjoy.thoushouldstsettlehisscruplesandunravelhiscobwebs,andspongeoffthesadstuffthatweighsuponhisdearwoundedpiamater;thoushouldstrestorelighttohiseyes,andhimtohisfriendsandthepublic;parnassusshouldshowerherciviccrownsupontheeforsavingthewitsofacitizen!ithoughtisawalucidintervalingeorgetheothernight—hebrokeinuponmystudiesjustattea-time,andbroughtwithhimdr.anderson,anoldgentlemanwhotieshisbreeches'kneeswithpackthread,andboaststhathehasbeendisappointedbyministers.thedoctorwantedtoseeme;for,ibeingapoet,hethoughtimightfurnishhimwithacopyofversestosuithis"agriculturalmagazine."thedoctor,inthecourseoftheconversation,mentionedapoemcalled"epigoniad"byonewilkie,anepicpoem,inwhichthereisnotonetolerablegoodlineallthrough,buteveryincidentandspeechborrowedfromhomer.georgehadbeensittinginattentiveseeminglytowhatwasgoingon—hatchingofnegativequantities—when,suddenly,thenameofhisoldfriendhomerstunghispericranicks,and,jumpingup,heedtoknowwherehecouldmeetwithwilkie'swork."itwasacuriousfactthatthereshouldbesuchanepicpoemandhenotknowofit;andhemustgetacopyofit,ashewasgoingtotouchprettydeeplyuponthesubjectoftheepic—andhewassuretheremustbesomethingsgoodinapoemof1400lines!"iwaspleasedwiththistransientreturnofhisreasonandrecurrencetohisoldwaysofthinking:itgavemegreathopesofarecovery,whichnothingbutyourbookcancompletelyinsure.praycomeonmondayifyoucan,andstayyourowntime.ihaveagoodlargeroom,withtwobedsinit,inthehandsomestofwhichthoushaltreposea-nights,anddreamofspheroides.ihopeyouwillunderstandbythenonsenseofthisletterthatiamnotmelancholyatthethoughtsofthycoming:ithoughtitnecessarytoaddthis,becauseyouloveprecision.takenoticethatourstayatdyer'swillnotexceedeighto'clock,afterwhichourpursuitswillbeourown.butindeedithinkalittlerecreationamongthebelllettersandpoetrywilldoyousomeserviceintheintervalofsevererstudies.ihopeweshallfullydiscusswithgeorgedyerwhatihaveneveryethearddonetomysatisfaction,thereasonofdr.johnson'smalevolentstricturesonthehigherspeciesoftheode.

["thyblackback"—manning'salgebra.

dr.andersonwasjamesanderson(1739-1808),theeditor,atthattime,ofrecreationsinagriculture,naturalhistory,arts,andmiscellaneoushistory,publishedinmonthlyparts.lambgavehimacopyofverses—threeextractsfromjohnwoodvilwhichwereprintedinthenumberfornovember,1800,asbeing"fromanunpublisheddramabyc.lamb."theywerethe"descriptionofaforestlife,""thegenerallover"("whatisityoulove?")and"fragmentordialogue,"betterknownas"thedyinglover."allhaveslightvariationsfromotherversions.themoststrikingistheepithet"lubbarbandsofsleep,"insteadof"lazybandsofsleep,"inthe"descriptionofaforestlife."

wilkiewaswilliamwilkie(1721-1772),the"scottishhomer,"whoseepigoniadinninebooks,basedonthefourthbookoftheiliad,waspublishedin1757.]