LETTER 93

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER93

CHARLESLAMBTOJOHNRICKMAN

To

JohnRickman，Esqr.，

DublinCastle.

[Nodate.?November，1801.]

AletterfromG.Dyerwillprobablyacpanythis.IwishIcouldconveytoyouanynotionofthewhimsicalscenesIhavebeenwitnesstointhisfortnightpast.TwasonTuesdayweekthepoorheathenscrambleduptomydooraboutbreakfasttime.Hecamethroaviolentrainwithnoneckclothon，andabeardthatmadehimaspectacletomenandangels，andtapdatthedoor.Maryopendit，andhestoodstarkstillandheldapaperinhishandimportingthathehadbeenillwithafever.Heeitherwouldntorcouldntspeakexceptbysigns.Whenyouwenttoforthimheputhishanduponhisheartandshookhisheadandtoldushisplaintlaywherenomedicinescouldreachit.IwasdispatchdforDr.Dale，Mr.PhillipsofSt.PaulsChurchyard，andMr.Frend，whoistobehisexecutor.GeorgesolemnlydeliveredintoMr.Frendshandsandmineanoldburntprefacethathadbeeninthefire，withinjunctionswhichwesolemnlyvowdtoobeythatitshouldbeprintedafterhisdeathwithhislastcorrections，andthatsomeaccountshouldbegiventotheworldwhyhehadnotfulfilldhisengagementwithsubscribers.Havingdonethisandborrowdtwoguineasofhisbookseller（towhomheimpartedinconfidencethatheshouldleaveagreatmanyloosepapersbehindhimwhichwouldonlywantmethodizingandarrangingtoproveverylucrativetoanybooksellerafterhisdeath），helaidhimselfdownonmybedinamoodofplacentresignation.Bytheaidofmeatanddrinkputintohim（forIallalongsuspectedavacuum）hewasenabledtositupintheevening，buthehadnotgotthebetterofhisintolerablefearofdying;heexpressedsuchphilosophicindifferenceinhisspeechandsuchfrightenedapprehensionsinhisphysiognomythatifhehadtrulybeendying，andIhadknownit，Icouldnothavekeptmycountenance.Inparticular，whenthedoctorcameandorderedhimtotakelittlewhitepowders（Isupposeofchalkoralum，tohumourhim），heeydhimwithasuspicionwhichIcouldnotaccountfor;hehassinceexplaindthathetookitforgrantedDr.Daleknewhissituationandhadorderedhimthesepowderstohastenhisdeparturethathemightsufferaslittlepainaspossible.Thinkwhatanaspecttheheathenputonwiththesefearsuponadirtyface.Torecountallhisfreaksfortwoorthreedayswhilehethoughthewasgoing，andhowthefitoperated，andsometimesthemangotuppermostandsometimestheauthor，andhehadthisexcellentpersontoserve，andhemustcorrectsomeproofsheetsforPhillips，andhecouldnotbeartoleavehissubscribersunsatisfyd，buthemustnotthinkofthesethingsnow，hewasgoingtoaplacewhereheshouldsatisfyallhisdebts—andwhenhegotalittlebetterhebegantodiscoursewhatahappythingitwouldbeiftherewasaplacewhereallthegoodmenandwomenintheworldmightmeet，meaningheavn，andIreallybelieveforatimehehaddoubtsabouthissoul，forhewasverynear，ifnotquite，light-headed.ThefactwashehadnothadagoodmealforsomedaysandhislittledirtyNiece（whomhesentforwithastilldirtierNephew，andhuggdhim，andbidthemfarewell）toldusthatunlesshedinesouthesubsistsonteaandgruels.Andhecorroboratedthistalebyeverandanonplainingofsensationsofgnawingwhichhefeltabouthisheart，whichhemistookhisstomachtobe，andsureenoughthesegnawingsweredissipatedafteramealortwo，andhesurelythinksthathehasbeenrescuedfromthejawsofdeathbyDr.Daleswhitepowders.Heisgotquitewellagainbynursing，andchirpsofodesandlyricpoetrythedaylong—heistogooutoftownonMonday，andwithhimgoesthedirtytrainofhispapersandbookswhichfollowdhimtoourhouse.Ishallnotbesorrywhenhetakeshisniptcarcaseoutofmybed，whichithasoccupied，andvanisheswithallhisLyriclumber，butIwillendeavourtobringhiminfutureintoamethodofdiningatleastonceaday.

Ihaveproposedtohimtodinewithme（andhehasnearlyeintoit）wheneverhedoesnotgoout;andpayme.Iwilltakehismoneybeforehandandheshalleatitout.IfIdontitwillgoallovertheworld.Someworthlessrelations，ofwhichthedirtylittledevilthatlooksafterhimandastillmoredirtynephewareponentparticles，Ihavereasontothinkdivideallhisgainswithsomelazyworthlessauthorsthatarehisconstantsatellites.TheLiteraryFundhasvotedhimseasonably￡20andifIcanhelpitheshallspenditonhisowncarcase.IhaveassistedhiminarrangingtheremainderofwhathecallsPoemsandhewillgetridofemIhopeinanother.[Herethreelinesaretornawayatthefootofthepage，whereinLambmakesthetransitionfromGeorgeDyertoanotherpoorauthor，GeorgeBurnett.]

IpromisedBurnettowritewhenhisparcelwent.HewantsmetocertifythatheismoreawakethanyouthinkhiIbelievehemaybebythistime，butheissofullofself-opinionthatIfearwhetherheandPhillipswilleverdotogether.WhatheistodoforPhillipshewhimsicallyseemstoconsidermoreasafavordonetoP.thanajobfromP.Hestillpersiststocallemploymentdependence，andpratesabouttheinsolenceofbooksellersandthetaxupongeniuses.Poordevil!heisnotlaunchedupontheoceanandissea-sickwithaforethought.Iwriteplainlyabouthim，andhewouldstareandfrownfinelyifhereadthistreacherousepistle，butIreallyamanxiousabouthim，andthat[?it]nettlesmetoseehimsoproudandsohelpless.Ifheisnotservdhewillneverservehimself.IreadhislonglettertoSouthey，whichIsupposeyouhaveseen.HehadbetterhavebeenfurnishingcopyforPhillipsthanluxuriatingintracingthecausesofhisimbecillity.Ibelieveheisalittlewronginnotascribingmoretothestructureofhisownmind.Hehadhisyawnsfromnature，hispridefromeducation.

IhopetoseeSoutheysoon，soIneedonlysendmyremembrancetohimnow.DoubtlessIneednottellhimthatBurnettisnottobefosterdinself-opinion.Hiseyeswantopening，toseehimselfamanofmiddlingstature.Iamnotoculistenoughtodothis.ThebooksellersmayonedayremovethefilIamallthistimeonthemostcordialsuppingtermsofamitywithG.Burnettandreallylovehimattimes:butImustspeakfreelyofpeoplebehindtheirbacksandnotthinkitback-biting.ItisbetterthanGodwinswayoftellingamanheisafooltohisface.

IthinkifyoucoulddoanythingforGeorgeinthewayofanoffice（Godknowswhetheryoucaninanyhaste[?case]，butyoudidtalkofit）itismyfirmbeliefthatitwouldbehisonlychanceofsettlement;hewillneverlivebyhisliteraryexertions，ashecallsthem—heistooproudtogotheusualwaytoworkandhehasnotalentstomakethatwayunnecessary.IknowhetalksbiginhislettertoSoutheythathismindisundergoinganalterationandthatthedieisnowcastingthatshallconsignhimtohonorordishonour，buttheseexpressionsaretheconvulsionsofafever，notthesoberworkingsofhealth.TranslatedintoplainEnglish，henowandthenperceiveshemustworkorstarve，andthenhethinkshellwork;butwhenhegoesaboutittheresalionintheway.HecamedawdlingtomeforanEncyclop?diayesterday.IremendedhimtoNorrislibraryandhesaidifhecouldnotgetitthere，Phillipswasboundtofurnishhimwithone;itwasPhillipsinteresttodoso，andallthat.Thiswastruewithsomerestrictions—butastoPhillipsintereststoobligeG.B.!Lordhelphissimplehead!P.couldbyawhistlecalltogetherahostofsuchauthorsasG.B.likeRobinHoodsmerrymeningreen.P.hasregularregimentsinpay.Poorwritersarehiscrab-liceandsuckathimfornutriment.Hisroundpuddingchopsaretheirideaofplentywhenintheiridlefanciestheyaspiretoberich.

WhatdoyouthinkofalifeofG.Dyer?Icanscarcelyconceiveamoreamusingnovel.Hehasbeenconnectedwithallsectsintheworldandhewillfaithfullytellallheknows.Everybodywillreadit;andifitisnotdoneaccordingtomyfancyIpromisetoputhiminanovelwhenhedies.Nothingshallescapeme.Ifyouthinkitfeasible，wheneveryouwriteyoumayencouragehiSincehehasbeensoclosewithmeIhaveperceivdtheworkingsofhisinordinatevanity，hisgiganticattentiontoparticlesandtopreventopenvowelsinhisodes，hissolicitudethatthepublicmaynotloseanytittleofhispoemsbyhisdeath，andallthewhilehisutterignorancethattheworlddontcareapinabouthisodesandhiscriticisms，afactwhicheverybodyknowsbuthimself—heisarumgenius.

C.L.

[Dr.DalewouldprobablybeThomasDaleofDevonshireSquare，Bishopsgate，whohadalargecitypracticeinthosedays.Hediedin1816.

"

Anoldburntpreface."

Seenoteonpage210.

GeorgeBurnettwehavealreadymet.Hewasbornprobablyin1776.HewenttoBalliol，metSoutheyandColeridgeandbecameaPantisocratist.SubsequentlyhebecameadissentingministeratYarmouth，andthenamedicalstudentatEdinburgh;andlaterhesucceededGeorgeDyerastutorinthefamilyofLordStanhope.HebecameoneofPhillipshacks，asLambslettertellsus.HisprincipalworkwastheSpecimensofEnglishProseWriters，1807，inthreevolumes，inwhichithasbeenstatedthatLambhadahand.Hediedinwantin1811.

ThereferencetoSoutheybeinginDublinisexplainedbythefactthat，throughRickman，hehadbeenappointedprivatesecretarytoMr.Corry，ChancelloroftheExchequerforIreland，atasalaryof￡400.Hedidnotlongretainthepost，asitwasvexatiousandthedutiesveryirregular.

LambsnextlettertoRickman，datedNovember24，1801，containsbetternewsofDyerandreturnstothesubjectofJohnWoodvil."

Dyerregularlydineswithmewhenhedoesnotgoavisiting，andbringshisshilling."

Also，saysLamb，hetalksofmarrying."

HehasnotforgivenmeforbetrayingtoyouhispurposeofwritinghisownLife.Hesays，thatifitoncespreads，somanypeoplewillexpectandwishtohaveaplaceinit，thatheissureheshalldisobligeallhisfriends."

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