The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Volume VI Part 44

LETTER 416

CHARLES LAMB TO HENRY CRABB ROBINSON

[P.M. June 26, 1827.]

Dear H.C. We are at Mrs. Leishman's, Chase, Enfield. Why not come down by the Green Lanes on Sunday? Picquet all day. Pa.s.s the Church, pa.s.s the "Rising Sun," turn sharp round the corner, and we are the 6th or 7th house on the Chase: tall Elms darken the door. If you set eyes on M.

Burney, bring him.

Yours truly C. LAMB.

[Mrs. Leishman's house, or its successor, is the seventh from the Rising Sun. It is now on Gentleman's Row, not on Chase Side proper. The house next it--still, as in Lamb's day, a girl's school--is called Elm House, but most of the elms which darkened both doors have vanished. It has been surmised that when later in the year Lamb took an Enfield house in his own name, he took Mrs. Leishman's; but, as we shall see, his own house was some little distance from hers.]

LETTER 417

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM HONE

[No date. Early July, 1827.]

Dear H., This is Hood's, done from the life, of Mary getting over a style here. Mary, out of a pleasant revenge, wants you to get it _engrav'd_ in Table Book to surprise H., who I know will be amus'd with you so doing.

Append some observations about the awkwardness of country styles about Edmonton, and the difficulty of elderly Ladies getting over 'em.----

That is to say, if you think the sketch good enough.

I take on myself the warranty.

Can you slip down here some day and go a Green-dragoning? C.L.

Enfield (Mrs. Leishman's, Chase).

If you do, send Hood the number, No. 2 Robert St., Adelphi, and keep the sketch for me.

["This" was the drawing by Hood. I take it from the _Table-Book_, where it represents Mrs. Gilpin resting on a stile:--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Lamb subsequently appended the observations himself. The text of his little article, changing Mary Lamb into Mrs. Gilpin, was in the late Mr.

Locker-Lampson's collection. The postmark is July 17. 1827.]

LETTER 418

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

Enfield. P.M. July 17, 182[7].

Dear M. Thanks for your attentions of every kind. Emma will not fail Mrs. Hood's kind invitation, but her Aunt is so queer a one, that we cannot let her go with a single gentleman singly to Vauxhall; she would withdraw her from us altogether in a fright; but if any of the Hood's family accompany you, then there can be small objection.

I have been writing letters till too dark to see the marks. I can just say we shall be happy to see you any Sunday _after the next_: say, the Sunday after, and perhaps the Hoods will come too and have a merry other day, before they go hence. But next Sunday we expect as many as we can well entertain.

With ours and Emma's acknowlgm's yours C.L.

[The earliest of a long series of letters to Edward Moxon, preserved at Rowfant by the late Mr. Locker-Lampson, but now in America. Emma Isola's aunt was Miss Humphreys.]

LETTER 419

CHARLES LAMB TO P.G. PATMORE

[Dated at end: July 19, 1827.]

Dear P.--I am so poorly! I have been to a funeral, where I made a pun, to the consternation of the rest of the mourners. And we had wine. I can't describe to you the howl which the widow set up at proper intervals. Dash could, for it was not unlike what he makes.

The letter I sent you was one directed to the care of E. White, India House, for Mrs. Hazlitt. _Which_ Mrs. Hazlitt I don't yet know, but A.

has taken it to France on speculation. Really it is embarra.s.sing. There is Mrs. present H., Mrs. late H., and Mrs. John H., and to which of the three Mrs. Wiggins's it appertains, I don't know. I wanted to open it, but it's transportation.

I am sorry you are plagued about your book. I would strongly recommend you to take for one story Ma.s.singer's "Old Law." It is exquisite. I can think of no other.

Dash is frightful this morning. He whines and stands up on his hind legs. He misses Beckey, who is gone to town. I took him to Barnet the other day, and he couldn't eat his victuals after it. Pray G.o.d his intellectuals be not slipping.

Mary is gone out for some soles. I suppose 'tis no use to ask you to come and partake of 'em; else there's a steam-vessel.

I am doing a tragi-comedy in two acts, and have got on tolerably; but it will be refused, or worse. I never had luck with anything my name was put to.

Oh, I am so poorly! I _waked_ it at my cousin's the bookbinder's, who is now with G.o.d; or, if he is not, it's no fault of mine.

We hope the Frank wines do not disagree with Mrs. Patmore. By the way, I like her.

Did you ever taste frogs? Get them, if you can. They are like little Lilliput rabbits, only a thought nicer.

Christ, how sick I am!--not of the world, but of the widow's shrub.

She's sworn under 6000, but I think she perjured herself. She howls in E _la_, and I comfort her in B flat. You understand music?...

"No shrimps!" (That's in answer to Mary's question about how the soles are to be done.)

I am uncertain where this _wandering_ letter may reach you. What you mean by Poste Restante, G.o.d knows. Do you mean I must pay the postage?

So I do to Dover.

We had a merry pa.s.sage with the widow at the Commons. She was howling--part howling and part giving directions to the proctor--when crash! down went my sister through a crazy chair, and made the clerks grin, and I grinned, and the widow t.i.ttered--_and then I knew that she was not inconsolable_. Mary was more frightened than hurt.