Your truest friend

C. LAMB.

LETTER 574

CHARLES LAMB TO C.W. DILKE

[No date. April, 1833.]

D'r Sir, I read your note in a moment of great perturbation with my Landlady and chuck'd it in the fire, as I should have done an epistle of Paul, but as far as my Sister recalls the import of it, I reply. The Sonnets (36 of them) have never been printed, much less published, till the other day,* save that a few of 'em have come out in Annuals. Two vols., of poetry of M.'s, have been publish'd, but they were not these.

The "Nightingale" has been in one of the those gewgaws, the Annuals; whether the other I sent you has, or not, penitus ignoro. But for heaven's sake do with 'em what you like.

Yours

C.L.

*The proof sheets only were in my hand about a fortnight ago.

[Moxon's sonnets were reviewed, probably by Lamb, in _The Athenaeum_ for April 13, 1833. The sonnet to the nightingale (see above) was quoted.

This review will be found in Vol. I. of the present edition.]

LETTER 575

CHARLES LAMB TO MRS. WILLIAM AYRTON

[P.M. April (16), 1833.]

Dear Mrs. Ayrton, I do not know which to admire most, your kindness, or your patience, in copying out that intolerable rabble of panegryc from over the Atlantic. By the way, now your hand is in, I wish you would copy out for me the l3th l7th and 24th of Barrow's sermons in folio, and all of Tillotson's (folio also) except the first, which I have in Ma.n.u.script, and which, you know, is Ayrton's favorite. Then--but I won't trouble you any farther just now. Why does not A come and see me? Can't he and Henry Crabbe concert it? 'Tis as easy as lying is to me. Mary's kindest love to you both.

ELIA.

[The letter is accompanied by a note in the writing of William Scrope Ayrton, the son of William Ayrton, copied from Mrs. Ayrton's Diary:--

"March 17, 1833.--Copied a critique upon Elia's works from the Mirror of America a sort of news paper."]

LETTER 576

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[P.M. April 25, 1833.]

My dear Moxon, We perfectly agree in your arrangement. _It has quite set my sister's mind at rest._ She will come with you on Sunday, and return at eve, and I will make comfortable arrangem'ts with the Buffams. We desire to have you here dining unWestwooded, and I will try and get you a bottle of choice port. I have transferr'd the stock I told you to Emma. The plan of the Buffams steers admirably between two niceties.

Tell Emma we thoroughly approve it. As our d.a.m.nd Times is a day after the fair, I am setting off to Enfield Highway to see in a morning paper (alas! the Publican's) how the play ran. Pray, bring 4 orders for Mr.

Asbury--undated.

In haste (not for neglect)

Yours ever

C. LAMB.

Thursday.

[Lamb evidently refers to Moxon's engagement to Miss Isola being now settled.

The play was Sheridan Knowles' "The Wife," produced on April 24.

The Buffams were the landladies of the house in Southampton Buildings, where Lamb lodged in town.]

LETTER 577

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[P.M. April 27, 1833.]

Dear M. Mary and I are very poorly. Asbury says tis nothing but influenza. Mr. W. appears all but dying, he is delirious. Mrs. W. was taken so last night, that Mary was obliged at midnight to knock up Mrs.

Waller to come and sit up with her. We have had a sick child, who sleeping, or not sleeping, next me with a pasteboard part.i.tion between, killed my sleep. The little b.a.s.t.a.r.d is gone. My bedfellows are Cough and cramp, we sleep 3 in a bed. Domestic arrangem'ts (Blue Butcher and all) devolve on Mary. Don't come yet to this house of pest and age. We propose when E. and you agree on the time, to come up and meet her at the Buffams', say a week hence, but do you make the appointm't. The Lachlans send her their love.

I do sadly want those 2 last Hogarths--and an't I to have the Play?

Mind our spirits are good and we are happy in your happiness_es_.

C.L.

Our old and ever loves to dear Em.

["Mr. W." was Mr. Westwood.--I know nothing of the Lachlans.--The Play would be "The Wife" probably.--Miss Isola was, I imagine, staying with the Moxons.]

LETTER 578

CHARLES LAMB TO THE REV. JAMES GILLMAN

May 7, 1833.