Chapter X (8)

Chapman's _Homer_ was the folio which Leigh Hunt tells us he once saw Lamb kiss.

Writing to Coleridge on October 23, 1802, Lamb says:--

"I have just finished Chapman's Homer. Did you ever read it?--it
has most the continuous power of interesting you all along, like a
rapid original, of any; and in the uncommon excellence of the more
finished parts goes beyond Fairfax or any of 'em. The metre is
fourteen syllables, and capable of all sweetness and grandeur.
Cowper's ponderous blank verse detains you every step with some
heavy Miltonism; Chapman gallops off with you his own free
pace....

"I will tell you more about Chapman and his peculiarities in my
next. I am much interested in him."

A brief correspondence which passed between Godwin and Lamb just before the publication of _The Adventures of Ulysses_ may be given here.

WILLIAM GODWIN TO CHARLES LAMB

Skinner Street, _March_ 10, 1808.

Dear Lamb,--I address you with all humility, because I know you to
be _tenax propositi_. Hear me, I entreat you, with patience.

It is strange with what different feelings an author and
a bookseller looks at the same manuscript. I know this by
experience: I was an author, I am a bookseller. The author thinks
what will conduce to his honour: the bookseller what will cause
his commodities to sell.

You, or some other wise man, I have heard to say, It is children
that read children's books, when they are read, but it is parents
that choose them. The critical thought of the tradesman put itself
therefore into the place of the parent, and what the parent will
condemn.

We live in squeamish days. Amid the beauties of your manuscript,
of which no man can think more highly than I do, what will the
squeamish say to such expressions as these,--'devoured their
limbs, yet warm and trembling, lapping the blood,' page 10. Or
to the giant's vomit, page 14; or to the minute and shocking
description of the extinguishing the giant's eye in the page
following. You, I daresay, have no formed plan of excluding the
female sex from among your readers, and I, as a bookseller, must
consider that if you have you exclude one half of the human
species.

Nothing is more easy than to modify these things if you please,
and nothing, I think, is more indispensable.

Give me, as soon as possible, your thoughts on the matter.

I should also like a preface. Half our customers know not Homer,
or know him only as you or I know the lost authors of antiquity.
What can be more proper than to mention one or two of those
obvious recommendations of his works, which must lead every human
creature to desire a nearer acquaintance.--Believe me, ever
faithfully yours,

W. GODWIN.

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM GODWIN

_March_ 11, 1808.

Dear Godwin,--The giant's vomit was perfectly nauseous, and I am
glad you pointed it out. I have removed the objection. To the
other passages I can find no other objection but what you may
bring to numberless passages besides, such as of Scylla snatching
up the six men, etc.,--that is to say, they are lively images of
_shocking_ things. If you want a book, which is not occasionally
to _shock_, you should not have thought of a tale which was so
full of anthropophagi and wonders. I cannot alter these things
without enervating the Book, and I will not alter them if the
penalty should be that you and all the London booksellers should
refuse it. But speaking as author to author, I must say that I
think _the terrible_ in those two passages seems to me so much to
preponderate over the nauseous, as to make them rather fine than
disgusting. Who is to read them, I don't know: who is it that
reads Tales of Terror and Mysteries of Udolpho? Such things sell.
I only say that I will not consent to alter such passages, which
I know to be some of the best in the book. As an author I say to
you, an author, Touch not my work. As to a bookseller I say, Take
the work such as it is, or refuse it. You are as free to refuse it
as when we first talked of it. As to a friend I say, Don't plague
yourself and me with nonsensical objections. I assure you I will
not alter one more word.

As the reader will see, Lamb made only the one alteration; nor did he add a preface recommending the works of Homer.

I have set up _The Adventures of Ulysses_ from the second edition, 1819, because it probably contains Lamb's final revision of the text. The punctuation differs considerably from that of the first edition, but there are, I think, only four changes of words. On page 251, line 34, "and" was inserted before "snout"; on page 257, line g, "does" was substituted for "do"; on page 266, line 7 from foot, "over" was substituted for "above"; and on page 276, line 5 from foot, "it" was inserted after "keep."

The suggestion has been made that, since Lamb states in the preface that this work was designed as a supplement to _The Adventures of Telemachus_, he was also the author of one of the versions of Fénélon's popular tale. But this, I think, has no foundation in fact. We know from Lamb's letter to Godwin that the impulse to write _The Adventures of Ulysses_ came from Godwin, and it was natural that he, a bookseller, should wish to associate this new venture with a volume so well known and so acceptable as the _Telemachus_. Now and then in the story Lamb deliberately refers to Fénélon's work, as when in the fourth chapter he says:--

"It were useless to describe over again what has been so well told already; or to relate those soft arts of courtship which the goddess used to detain Ulysses; the same in kind which she afterwards practised upon his less wary son, whom Minerva, in the shape of Mentor, hardly preserved from her snares when they came to the Delightful Island together in search of the scarce departed Ulysses."

This is drawn not from Chapman or Homer, but from the Archbishop of Cambrai. Lamb introduced it in accordance with the first sentence of his preface.

Lamb adapted Chapman very freely. For the material in Chapter I. we must go to Chapman, Books IX. and X.; for Chapter II., to Books X. and XL; for Chapter III., to Book XII.; for Chapter IV., to the early books; for Chapters V., VI. and VII., to Chapman, Books V.-IX. and XIII.; for Chapter VIII., to Books XIII. and XIV.; and for Chapter IX. to the end, to Chapman, Book XVI. and onwards. It must be agreed that Lamb performed a difficult task with great skill and success, especially when we consider his want of interest, frequently admitted, in stories. But the pleasure of adding dignity and sweetness to the character of Ulysses seems to have been very considerable as he worked (or so I imagine), and he made practically a new thing, a very persuasive blend of ancient and modern. The book has not been so popular as the _Tales from Shakespear_, but it has, I think, finer literary merits and may perhaps be read by older intellects with more satisfaction.

* * * * *

Page 316. MRS. LEICESTER'S SCHOOL.

This charming little book was published by Mrs. Godwin at the end of 1808, dated 1809, with no author's name attached. Besides, however, ample internal evidence as to its authorship, there are many references to it in Lamb's letters. Why it was issued anonymously we cannot now learn; probably, as I have suggested, from Mary Lamb's unwillingness to have her name in print. The _Tales from Shakespear_, it will be remembered, were described always as being by Charles Lamb, although Mary did far more than half, and it was at the outset her book. Her share of _Mrs. Leicester's School_ was equally great, and a sentence in one of her letters to Sarah Stoddart suggests that it was hers in inception also: "I have been busy making waistcoats, and plotting new work to succeed the _Tales_." Possibly it was because his share in the book was so small that Lamb refused to sign _Mrs. Leicester's School_ as he had the _Tales from Shakespear_; possibly he had other reasons, the title-page of his _Dramatic Specimens_ being one of them. When, a little while afterwards, the _Poetry for Children_ was published, it was stated to be "by the author of _Mrs. Leicester's School_," while several of the poems when reprinted by Mylius (see notes below) were signed Mrs. Leicester. Thus, Mary Lamb's last chance of seeing her name on a title-page vanished. But we may feel confident that her own wishes were consulted in the matter.

Lamb's share in _Mrs. Leicester's School_ we know from a letter to Bernard Barton (January 23, 1824): "My Sister's part in the Leicester School (about two thirds) was purely her own; as it was (to the same quantity) in the Shakspeare Tales which bear my name. I wrote only the Witch Aunt, the first going to Church, and the final Story, about a little Indian girl in a ship."

The little book was well received, and was quietly popular for some years, running into eight editions by 1823. I imagine, however, that it was little known between 1830 and the end of the century. Latterly there has been a revival in interest. One or two critics have touched rapturous heights in their praise. Landor wrote to Crabb Robinson in April, 1831:--

It is now several days since I read the book you recommended to
me, "Mrs. Leicester's School;" and I feel as if I owed you a debt
in deferring to thank you for many hours of exquisite delight.
Never have I read anything in prose so many times over within so
short a space of time as "The Father's Wedding-day." Most people,
I understand, prefer the first tale--in truth a very admirable
one--but others could have written it. Show me the man or woman,
modern or ancient, who could have written this one sentence: "When
I was dressed in my new frock, I wished poor mamma was alive,
to see how fine I was on papa's wedding day; and I ran to my
favourite station at her bedroom door." How natural, in a little
girl, is this incongruity--this impossibility! Richardson would
have given his "Clarissa," and Rousseau his "Heloïse" to have
imagined it. A fresh source of the pathetic bursts out before
us, and not a bitter one. If your Germans can show us anything
comparable to what I have transcribed, I would almost undergo a
year's gargle of their language for it. The story is admirable
throughout--incomparable, inimitable....

Landor wrote to Lady Blessington to the same effect. Praise of this book is so pleasant to read that I quote his second letter too:--

One of her tales is, with the sole exception of the _Bride of
Lammermoor_, the most beautiful tale in prose composition in any
language, ancient or modern. A young girl has lost her mother, the
father marries again, and marries a friend of his former wife. The
child is ill reconciled to it, but being dressed in new clothes
for the marriage, she runs up to her mother's chamber, filled with
the idea how happy that dear mother would be at seeing her in all
her glory--not reflecting, poor soul! that it was only by her
mother's death that she appeared in it. How natural, how novel is
all this! Did you ever imagine that a fresh source of the pathetic
would burst forth before us in this trodden and hardened world? I
never did, and when I found myself upon it, I pressed my temples
with both hands, and tears ran down to my elbows.

And Coleridge remarked to Allsop:--

It at once soothes and amuses me to think--nay, to know--that
the time will come when this little volume of my dear and
well-nigh oldest friend, Mary Lamb, will be not only enjoyed but
acknowledged as a rich jewel in the treasury of our permanent
English literature; and I cannot help running over in my mind the
long list of celebrated writers, astonishing geniuses, Novels,
Romances, Poems, Histories and dense Political Economy quartos
which, compared with _Mrs. Leicester's School_, will be remembered
as often and prized as highly as Wilkie's and Glover's _Epics_ and
Lord Bolingbroke's _Philosophies_ compared with _Robinson Crusoe_.

I have set up the book from the second edition, 1809, because the Lambs' final text is probably to be found there. Although certain additional minor differences were made in the eighth and ninth editions, 1821 and 1825, I think it very unlikely that they were made by Mary or Charles Lamb. The principal alteration between the second and first editions is page 317, line 6, "your eyes were red with weeping," for "The traces of tears might still be seen on your cheeks." The other differences are very slight, mostly being in punctuation, but there are also a few changes of word. I leave these, however, to the Bibliographer.

The eighth edition was furnished with the following preface; which, though it is signed "The Author," is not, I think, from either Mary or Charles Lamb's pen. I rather suspect Mrs. Godwin.

"Tell me a story, Mamma," was almost the first request my own
child made me when she understood the meaning of a story, and
I soon discovered I had no easier method of managing a very
difficult temper than by adapting my stories to the errors she
committed, or the good qualities she announced; but as I found it
a very difficult and troublesome task to repeat the same story
precisely the same each time, and as a sensible child, even at
so early a period as three years of age, will remember where the
narrator forgets, and never fail to detect the mistakes of the
second repetition, I came to the resolution to print a small
collection of stories for very young children, composed merely of
circumstances incidental to their age.

The great error of many juvenile books is their deviation from truth; and as so much is absolutely necessary to be taught, why add to the labour by impressing false ideas on the mind of an infant, and thus lose the opportunity of making amusement the vehicle to convey instruction? A Mother only is, perhaps, capable of adapting stories to the capacities of very young Children; for a Mother only watches the unfolding of their ideas, and the bent of their dispositions. If one good Mother finds these tales of service to her in her arduous but pleasing task, my purpose will be answered.

It is stated that a French version of _Mrs. Leicester's School_, under the title _Les Jeunes Pensionnaires_, was published. I have seen, however, only _Petits Conies à l'usage de la Feunesse traduits de l'Anglais par M'me M. D'Avot_, 1823, which contains "Elisabeth Villiers, ou l'Oncle marin," "Charlotte Wilmot," "Marguerite Green, ou la jeune Mahométane," and "Arabella Hardy, ou la Traversée."

_Mrs. Leicester's School_ calls for little annotation, except for the purpose of relating the stories to the lives of their writers; for it contains some very valuable autobiographical matter. But there are a few minor points too.

Page 316. _Dedication_.

In the choice of Amwell School as the name of Mrs. Leicester's establishment Mary (or Charles) returned after an inveterate Lamb habit to the old Hertfordshire days. Amwell, where the New River rises, is only a few miles from Widford and Blakesware. The signature to the dedication, "M.B.," may have been a little joke for the amusement of Martin Burney, who had taken such interest in the progress of the _Tales from Shakespear_ and was in those days a special favourite with Mary Lamb.

Page 319. I.--_Elizabeth Villiers_. "The Sailor Uncle."

By Mary Lamb. The story of the little girl learning her letters from her mother's grave may have belonged to Widford churchyard; otherwise there seems to be no personal memory here.

Page 328. II.--_Louisa Manners_. "The Farm House."

By Mary Lamb. Much of the description of the farm and country is probably from memory of the old days at Mackery End, where we know Mary Lamb to have gone with her little brother Charles some time about 1780, and perhaps herself earlier. It is, however, possible that Blakesware is meant, since Mary Lamb speaks of the grandmother: Mrs. Bruton of Mackery End was her great aunt. One feels that the grandmother's sorrow at not being remembered (on page 329) is from life; and also the episode with Will Tasker (on the same page), and the description (and probably the name) of Old Spot, the shepherd, on page 333.

Page 334. III.--_Ann Withers_. "The Changeling."

By Mary Lamb. In one of the later editions of this story certain small changes were made, not, I fancy, by Mary Lamb. For example, on page 349, line 19, the sentence was made to read: "Neither dancing, nor any foolish lectures, could do much for Miss Lesley, she remained _for some time_ wanting in gracefulness of carriage; but all that is usually attributed to dancing music _finally effected_." The italics indicate the additions of the nice editorial hand.

Page 350. IV.--_Elinor Forester_. "The Father's Wedding Day."

By Mary Lamb. It is this story which Landor so much admired (see above). The pretty song, "Balow, my babe," was probably "Ann Bothwell's Lament," beginning "Balow, my boy."

Page 354. V.--_Margaret Green_. "The Young Mahometan."

By Mary Lamb, and perhaps her most perfect work. Here we have a description of Blakesware, the home of the Plumers, which for many years was uninhabited by the family, and left from 1778 to 1792 in the sole charge of Mrs. Field, Charles and Mary's maternal grandmother. Charles, since he was born in 1775, would on his visits have known no power superior to his grandmother; but Mary, who was born in 1764, would have occasionally encountered Mrs. Plumer, just as Margaret Green met Mrs. Beresford. Probably Mrs. Plumer and Mrs. Beresford were very like. Probably also Mrs. Field maintained silence with her grandchild, for we know that neither she nor her daughter rightly understood Mary Lamb. Mrs. Field used to speak of her "poor moythered brains." Mary's description of the old house should be compared with Charles's in the _Elia_ essays "Blakesmoor in H----shire" and "Dream-Children." In one point they are at variance; for Mary says that the twelve Cæsars "hung" round the hall, and her brother that they were life-size busts. I have the authority of a gentleman who remembers them at Gilston, whither they were removed, for saying that Charles Lamb's memory was the more accurate. The picture of the little girl with a lamb seems to have made an equal impression on both their minds; and both mention the shuttlecocks on the table.

Page 360. VI.--_Emily Barton_. "Visit to the Cousins."

By Mary Lamb. Possibly autobiographical in the matter of the first play. Charles Lamb's first play was the opera "Artaxerxes;" Mary's may quite well have been Congreve's "Mourning Bride." The book-shop at the corner of St. Paul's Churchyard would be Harris's (late Newbery's); that in Skinner Street (No. 41) was, of course, Godwin's, where _Mrs. Leicester's School_ was published and sold. This pleasant art of advertising one's wares in one's own children's books was brought to perfection by Newbery, and by Harris, his successor, whose tiny histories are full of reminders of the merits of the corner of St. Paul's Churchyard. By making Mr. Barton hesitate between the two shops and then go to Mrs. Godwin's, Lamb (for here it was probably he and not his sister) carried the joke a step farther than Newbery.

The following account of the figures on old St. Dunstan's Church (the children of to-day are taken to Cheapside to see Bennett's clock) is given in Hughson's _London_ (1805):--

On the outside of the church, within a niche and pediment at the
south-west end, over the clock, are two figures of savages or wild
men, carved in wood, and painted natural colour, as big as the
life, standing erect, with each a knotty club in his hand, with
which they alternately strike the quarters, not only their arms,
but even their heads, moving at every blow.

Moxon tells us that when the old church was pulled down and the figures were removed, Lamb shed tears. The figures I am told still exist in the garden of the villa in Regent's Park--"St. Dunstan's"--that once belonged to the Marquis of Hertford and is now the Earl of Londesborough's London House.

Miss Pearson kept a toy-shop at No. 7 Fleet Street. The Lambs knew her through Charles's old schoolmistress, Mrs. Reynolds.

Page 368. VII.--_Maria Howe_. "The Witch Aunt."

By Charles Lamb. This story is peculiarly interesting to students of Lamb's life, for it describes, probably with absolute fidelity, his Aunt Hetty, and elaborates the passage concerning Stackhouse's _New History of the Bible_, which is to be found in the _Elia_ essay "Witches and other Night Fears." Aunt Hetty is described elsewhere by Lamb in his _Elia_ essays, "Christ's Hospital" and "My Relations;" and in the poem "Written on the Day of my Aunt's Funeral." In Mary Lamb's letter to Sarah Stoddart on September 21, 1803, is a short passage corroborative of Lamb's account of the relations subsisting between his aunt and his parents:--

My father had a sister lived with us--of course, lived with my
Mother, her sister-in-law; they were, in their different ways, the
best creatures in the world--but they set out wrong at first. They
made each other miserable for full twenty years of their lives--my
Mother was a perfect gentlewoman, my Aunty as unlike a gentlewoman
as you can possibly imagine a good old woman to be; so that my
dear Mother (who, though you do not know it, is always in my poor
head and heart) used to distress and weary her with incessant and
unceasing attention and politeness, to gain her affection. The old
woman could not return this in kind, and did not know what to make
of it--thought it all deceit, and used to hate my Mother with a
bitter hatred; which, of course, was soon returned with interest.

Lamb told Coleridge, in a letter upon his aunt's death, "she was to me the 'cherisher of infancy.'"

In the _Elia_ essay on "Witches" no mention is made of Glanvil; but there is a passage in the unpublished version of _John Woodvil_ which mentions both it and Stackhouse:--

I can remember when a child the maids
Would place me on their lap, as they undrest me,
As silly women use, and tell me stories
Of Witches--Make me read "Glanvil on Witchcraft,"
And in conclusion show me in the Bible,
The old Family-Bible, with the pictures in it,
The 'graving of the Witch raising up Samuel,
Which so possest my fancy, being a child,
That nightly in my dreams an old Hag came
And sat upon my pillow.

That was written some eight or nine years earlier than "Maria Howe;" the essay on "Witches" some fifteen years later. Joseph Glanvill (1636-1680) issued his _Philosophical Considerations touching Witches and Witchcraft_, in 1666.

Page 375. VIII.--_Charlotte Wilmot_. "The Merchant's Daughter."

By Mary Lamb.

Page 378. IX.--_Susan Yates_. "First Going to Church."

By Charles Lamb. John Lamb, the father, came from Lincolnshire, but Charles did not know that county at all. The remark, "to see how goodness thrived," may well have been John Lamb's, or possibly his father's; and Lamb's own first impressions of church, probably acquired at the Temple (which he mentions here by comparison), were, it is easy to believe, identical with the imaginary narrator's. Church bells seem always to have had an attraction for him: he has a pretty reference to them in _John Woodvil_, and a little poem in _Blank Verse_, 1798, entitled "The Sabbath Bells."

Page 384. X.--_Arabella Hardy_. "The Sea Voyage."

By Charles Lamb. Nothing else that Lamb wrote is quite so far from the ordinary run of his thoughts; and nothing has, I think, more charm.

* * * * *

Page 389. The King and Queen of Hearts This is probably the first of Charles Lamb's books for children. Of its history nothing is known: the proof that Charles Lamb wrote it is to be found in a letter from Lamb to Wordsworth, now in America, dated February 1, 1806, the concluding portion of which, and the only portion that has been printed--beginning "_Apropos_ of Spenser"--will be found in most editions of the correspondence tacked on to the letter dated June, 1806. In the earlier part of this missive Lamb enumerates the books which he has just despatched to Wordsworth by carrier from London. Among these is an edition of Spenser, leading to the "_apropos_." Also: "there comes W. Hazlitt's book about Human Action for Coleridge; a little song book for Sarah Coleridge; a Box for Hartley ...; a Paraphrase on _The King and Queen of Hearts_, of which I, being the author, beg Mr. Johnny Wordsworth's acceptance and opinion. _Liberal Criticism_, as G. Dyer declares, I am always ready to attend to."

As Charles Lamb is not known to have written children's books for any one but the Godwins, who in 1806 were still publishing under cover of Thomas Hodgkins' name, in Hanway Street, it is reasonable to assume that if a paraphrase of _The King and Queen of Hearts_ nursery rhyme could be found, bearing Hodgkins' or Godwin's name, and dated 1805 or 1806, Lamb would be its author. That such a work did exist was proved by the advertisements at the end of other of Godwin's juvenile books. In the first edition of _Mrs. Leicester's School_, 1809, is this announcement:--

"Likewise, the following elegant and approved Publications,
containing each of them the Incidents of an agreeable Tale,
exhibited in a Series of Engravings, Price 1s. plain, or 1s. 6d.
coloured.

"1. _The King and Queen of Hearts: showing how notably the Queen
made her Tarts, and how Scurvily the Knave stole them away._ &c."

This series was called the Copperplate Series. In due course a copy of No. 1, _The King and Queen of Hearts_, was found in the library of Miss Edith Pollock, bought by her at the sale of the late Mr. Andrew W. Tuer, an authority upon old children's literature and the publisher to whose enterprise we owe the facsimile editions of _Prince Dorus_ and _Poetry for Children_. Mr. Tuer, however, had not suspected Lamb's authorship. The cover of Miss Pollock's copy bears the date 1809, which means that the little book was re-bound as required with the date of the current year upon it. Copies of the first edition have since been discovered and sold for enormous sums. The date is 1806.

In a copy of _The Looking Glass_, another of Godwin's books, _The King and Queen of Hearts_ is thus advertised, with a new quatrain, probably also from Lamb's pen:--

"Price 1s. Plain; or 15. 6ed. Coloured,
The King and Queen of Hearts,
With the
Rogueries of the Knave who stole away the Queen's Pies.
Illustrated in Fifteen elegant Engravings:
Agreeably to the famous Historical Ballad on the Subject.

"I write of Tarts; how sweet a tale!
You'll lick your lips to hear it told:
I show you mighty Kings and Queens,
Robes of scarlet, Crowns of gold."

This little book, _The Looking Glass_, which relates the early life of William Mulready (1786-1863), was issued in facsimile by Mr. F.G. Stephens in 1885, with an interesting account of its history. Therein Mr. Stephens wrote: "Mr. Linnell told me that the cuts to the once well-known _Nongtong Paw_ [Vol. 6 of "The Copperplate Series;" see above], _The Sullen Woman and the Pedlar_ [Vol. 2 of the same series], _Think before you speak_, and _The King and Queen of Hearts_, were designed by Mulready." We thus discover who was the illustrator. My own feeling is that the plates came first and Lamb's verses later.

_The King and Queen of Hearts_ cannot be said to add anything characteristic to the body of Lamb's writings. But its discovery is historically valuable in establishing--by the date 1805 on the engraved title-page--the fact that before the _Tales from Shakespear_, which are usually thought to be the brother and sister's first experiment in writing for children, Charles at any rate had tried his hand at that pastime. _The King and Queen of Hearts_ thus becomes his first juvenile work.

* * * * *

Page 404. POETRY FOR CHILDREN.

This little book, attributed on the title-page merely to the author of _Mrs. Leicester's School_, was published in two minute volumes at three shillings by Mrs. Godwin in 1809.

Robert Lloyd, writing from London to his wife in April, 1809, says of Charles and Mary Lamb: "If we may use the expression, their Union of affection is what we conceive of marriage in Heaven. They are the World _one_ to the _other_. They are writing a Book of Poetry for children together." Later: "It is _task_ work to them, they are writing for money, and a Book of Poetry for Children being likely to sell has induced them to compose one." Writing to Coleridge of the _Poetry for Children_, in June, 1809, Lamb says: "Our little poems are but humble, but they have no name. You must read them, remembering they were task-work; and perhaps you will admire the number of subjects, all of children, picked out by an old Bachelor and an old Maid. Many parents would not have found so many." Charles Lamb, by the way, was then thirty-four, and Mary Lamb forty-four. In sending the book to Manning, Lamb said that his own share of the poems was only one-third.

The little book seems to have been quickly allowed by its publisher to pass into the void. Possibly the two-volume form was found to be impracticable: at any rate _Poetry for Children_ disappeared, many of its pieces at various times reappearing with the signature Mrs. Leicester in _The Junior Class-Book_ (two pieces), in _The First Book of Poetry_ (twenty-two pieces) and _The Poetical Class Book_ (three pieces), all compiled by William Frederic Mylius, a Christ's Hospital master, and published by Mrs. Godwin. Hence the extreme rarity of _Poetry for Children_, which seemed to be completely lost until, in 1877, a copy was found in Australia. Two or three other copies of the English edition have since come to light. Mylius used also the frontispieces to the two volumes. As I have not seen all the editions of these compilations, it is possible that my figures may not be complete.

An American edition of _Poetry for Children_ was published in 1812 at Boston. The poems "Clock Striking," "Why not do it, Sir, To-day?" and "Home Delights," were omitted.

I have placed against the poems, in the notes that follow, the authorship--brother or sister's--which seems to me the more probable. But I hope it will be understood that I do this at a venture, and, except in a few cases, with no exact knowledge.

Page 404. _Envy_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 404. _The Reaper's Child_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 405. _The Ride_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 406. _The Butterfly_.

(?) Mary Lamb. The poet referred to was William Roscoe, author of _The Butterfly's Ball_, 1807.

Page 407. _The Peach_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 408. _Chusing a Name_.

By Charles Lamb; as we know from a letter from Lamb to Robert Lloyd.

Page 408. _Crumbs to the Birds_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 409. _The Rook and the Sparrows_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 410. _Discontent and Quarrelling_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 411. _Repentance and Reconciliation_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 412. _Neatness in Apparel_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 412. _The New-born Infant_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 413. _Motes in the Sun-beams_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 413. _The Boy and Snake_.

(?) Mary Lamb. This poem was the subject of the frontispiece to Vol. I. of the original edition. According to a letter from Jean D. Montgomery printed in _The County Gentleman_ in August, 1907, there is extant in Kirkcudbrightshire a legend on which this poem is probably based. She writes thus:--

"At the farm of Newlaw, in the parish of Rerrick, in
Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, some people named Crosbie lived
about the year 1782--at least, they had a son, Douglas, who was
born there in that year. When the child grew old enough to trot
about by himself his mother was in the habit of giving him his
plate of porridge and milk to take outside the farm and eat every
morning. He had probably done so for long enough, when one day,
his mother, happening to go out, saw him seated on the ground
eating his porridge in company with an adder, who, however,
instead of hurting the child, merely supped up the milk. When the
reptile edged a little nearer to the boy than was quite equal,
Douglas slapped the adder on his head with his horn spoon, saying,
"Keep yer ain side o' the plate, Grey Bairdie."

The mother was, of course, terrified, but waited until the boy had finished his meal, when she called in the neighbours and killed the adder.

Curiously enough a precisely similar story turned up in Hungary in 1907 and was telegraphed to the London press from Budapest.

Page 415. _The First Tooth_.

Mary Lamb. The last line was quoted by Lamb in his Popular Fallacy "That Home is Home": "It has been prettily said, that 'a babe is fed with milk and praise.'"

Page 416. _To a River in which a Child was Drowned_.

By Charles Lamb. It was reprinted by him in the _Works_, 1818, the text of which is here given. I imagine Lamb to have found the metre and manner of the poem in the ballad "Gentle River, Gentle River" (translated from the Spanish "Rio Verde, Rio Verde"), which is printed in the _Percy Reliques_. Reprinted by Mylius in _The Junior Class-Book_.

Page 416. _The First of April_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 417. _Cleanliness_.

(?) Charles Lamb. In the little essay "Saturday Night," written in 1829, Lamb disputes the truth of the adage "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

Page 418. _The Lame Brother_.

(?) Mary Lamb. John Lamb, Charles's elder brother, was lamed when a young man (much older than the brother in the verses) by a falling stone. In "Dream-Children" Lamb states that he himself was once lame-footed too, and had to be carried by John. Somewhere between the two brothers the historical truth of this poem probably resides.

Page 419. _Going into Breeches_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 420. _Nursing_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 421. _The Text_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 422. _The End of May_.

Mary Lamb. Talfourd writes, apparently with reference to this poem: "One verse, which she did not print--the conclusion of a little poem supposed to be expressed in a letter by the son of a family who, when expecting the return of its father from sea, received news of his death,--recited by her to Mr. Martin Burney, and retained in his fond recollection, may afford a concluding example of the healthful wisdom of her lessons:--

'I can no longer feign to be
A thoughtless child in infancy;
I tried to write like young Marie,
But I am James her brother;
And I can feel--but she's too young--
Yet blessings on her prattling tongue,
She sweetly soothes my mother.'"

Page 424. _Feigned Courage_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 425. _The Broken Doll_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 426. _The Duty of a Brother_.

(?) Mary Lamb, amended by Charles Lamb.

Page 427. _Wasps in a Garden_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 428. _What is Fancy?_

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 429. _Anger_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 429. _Blindness_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 430. _The Mimic Harlequin_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 430. _Written in the First Leaf of a Child's Memorandum Book_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 431. _Memory_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 432. _The Reproof_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 432. _The Two Bees_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 434. _The Journey from School and to School_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 435. _The Orange_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 436. _The Young Letter-writer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 437. _The Three Friends_.

By Charles Lamb. Reprinted by him in his _Works_, 1818, with the text now given, which differs very slightly from that of 1809.

Page 442. _On the Lord's Prayer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 443. "_Suffer little Children_ ..."

(?) Mary Lamb. With this poem ended Vol. I. of the original edition of _Poetry for Children_. With the following poem Vol. II. began.

Page 445. _The Magpye's Nest, or a Lesson of Docility_.

(?) Mary Lamb. In this poem some trace of John Lamb senior's poetical manner may be seen. Fables drawn from bird life stand at the beginning of his _Poetical Pieces on Several Occasions_ (see Vol. II.).

Page 447. _The Boy and the Sky-lark_.

(?) Charles Lamb. The frontispiece to Vol. II. of _Poetry for Children_ took its subject from this poem.

Page 449. _The Men and Women, and the Monkeys_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 449. _Love, Death, and Reputation_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Mr. Swinburne contributed to _The Athenæum_ of February 2, 1878, a note on this poem:--

At the 96th page of the new edition of Charles and Mary Lamb's '_Poetry for Children_' is a little poem of which the authorship can hardly be doubtful, done into rhyme from the blank verse of Webster; a translation by no means to its advantage. The original is to be found in the third act of the "Duchess of Malfi," in the magnificent scene where the privacy of the wedded lovers is invaded by Ferdinand; in whose mouth the apologue transferred or "conveyed" by Lamb into the quaint and delightful little book over the recovery of which all the hearts of his lovers are yet warm with rejoicing, has a tragic and terrible significance. It may be worth remark that the _Poetry for Children_ appeared the year after that--most fortunate of years for all students of the higher English drama--which was made nobly memorable by the appearance of the matchless and priceless volume of '_Specimens of English Dramatic Poets who Lived about the Time of Shakespear_,' in which the fratricide's apologue is translated at length; so that while some part of Lamb's too rare leisure was given to the gentle "task work" of making rhymes for little children, the first strong savour of a fierce delight in his new intimacy with the third and most tragic of English tragic poets must have been fresh and hot upon him.

Page 450. _The Sparrow and the Hen_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Mrs. Glasse would be Hannah Glasse, of _The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy_, 1747.

Page 451. _Which is the Favourite?_

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 451. _The Beggar-Man_.

By John Lamb, Charles and Mary's brother; as we know from a letter from Charles Lamb to Robert Lloyd.

Page 452. _Choosing a Profession_.

By Mary Lamb, as we know on the evidence of Robert Lloyd.

Page 453. _Breakfast_.

This also, on Robert Lloyd's evidence, is by Mary Lamb.

Page 454. _Weeding_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 455. _Parental Recollections_.

(?) Charles Lamb. The first line was quoted by him in the _Elia_ essay "The Old and the New Schoolmaster." The poem may be considered as the poetical correlative of the beautiful _Elia_ essay "Dream-Children."

Page 455. _The Two Boys_.

By Mary Lamb. Quoted by Lamb, as by "a quaint poetess," in his _Elia_ essay "Detached Thoughts on Books and Reading."

Page 456. _The Offer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 456. _The Sister's Expostulation on the Brother's Learning Latin_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Many years later Mary Lamb wrote a sonnet in _Blackwood_ on a kindred subject, addressed to Emma Isola. Mary Lamb taught Latin to Mary Cowden Clarke (when Mary Victoria Novello) and to William Hazlitt's son, also to Miss Kelly.

Page 457. _The Brother's Reply_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 459. _Nurse Green_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 460. _Good Temper_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 460. _Moderation in Diet_.

(?) Mary Lamb. The "splendid shilling" (borrowed from Phillips' parody of Milton) suggests a touch of Charles Lamb.

Page 462. _Incorrect Speaking_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 462. _Charity_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 463. _My Birth-day_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 464. _The Beasts in the Tower_.

(?) Charles Lamb. There is a hint of Blake's "Tiger, tiger burning bright" (which Lamb so greatly admired) in--

That cat-like beast that to and fro
Restless as fire doth ever go.

Page 466. _The Confidant_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 466. _Thoughtless Cruelty_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 467. _Eyes_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 468. _Penny Pieces_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 469. _The Rainbow_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 470. _The Force of Habit_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 470. _Clock Striking_.

(?) Charles Lamb. The late R.H. Shepherd, in his edition of Lamb, remarks upon the resemblance between lines 10 and 11 and the couplet in "Hester"--

if 'twas not pride
It was a joy to that allied--

as proving Charles Lamb to be the author.

Page 471. _Why not do it, Sir, To-day?_

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 471. _Home Delights_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 472. _The Coffee Slips_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 473. _The Dessert_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 474. _To a Young Lady, on being too fond of Music_.

(?) Mary Lamb. Melesinda also was the name of the heroine in "Mr. H."

Page 475. _Time spent in Dress_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 476. _The Fairy_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 476. _Conquest of Prejudice_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 478. _The Great Grandfather_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 479. _The Spartan Boy_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 480. _Queen Oriana's Dream_.

By Charles Lamb. Reprinted by him in his _Works_, 1818, the text of which is here given.

Page 481. _On a Picture of the Finding of Moses, etc_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 483. _David_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 486. _David in the Cave of Adullam_.

Reprinted by Lamb, with Mary Lamb's name to it, in the _Works_, 1818, the text of which is here given. This was the last poem in _Poetry for Children_.

* * * * *

Page 488, _Summer Friends_.

By Mary Lamb. This poem was sent by Robert Lloyd to his wife in April, 1809, as being one of the poems which Mary Lamb was writing for _Poetry for Children_. It was not, however, included in that collection.

Page 488. _A Birth-day Thought_.

This poem is printed by Mylius in his _First Book of Poetry_. In the edition of 1811 the initials M.L. are appended; in later editions, C.L. Hence it is included here. But we have no proof that M.L. stands for Mary Lamb, or C.L. for Charles Lamb; although the coincidence would be very striking if they did not.

Page 489. _The Boy, the Mother, and the Butterfly_.

These verses, which have not before been collected with Lamb's writings, exist in an album which belonged probably to Thomas Westwood, son of the Lambs' providers at Enfield. They are signed Charles Lamb and dated October 9, 1827, at Enfield Chase.

* * * * *

Page 490. PRINCE DORUS, OR FLATTERY PUT OUT OF COUNTENANCE.

Apart from the internal evidence, which is very strong, I think, the only reason for attributing this tale to Charles Lamb is an entry in Crabb Robinson's diary for May 15, 1811: "A very pleasant call on Charles and Mary Lamb. Read his version of _Prince Dorus, the Long-Nosed King_." In his reminiscences of Lamb and others (in MS.) Robinson said, under 1811: "C. Lamb wrote this year for children a version of the Nursery Tale of Prince Dorus. I mention this, because it is not in his collected works and like two vols. of Poems for Children likely to be lost. I this year tried to persuade him to make a new version of the old Tale of Reynard the Fox. He said he was sure it would not succeed--sense for humour, said L., is extinct." What particular version of the story was used by Lamb we cannot tell, but in a little book called _Adventures of Musul; or, The Three Gifts_, printed for Vernor & Hood and E. Newbery in 1800, "The Prince that had a Long Nose" is one of the tales. Lamb's version does not call for annotation.

INDEX

A

"Adventures of Ulysses," 240, 505. "All's Well that Ends Well," 115. Allsop, Thomas, and Coleridge, 509. Amwell and the Lambs, 510. "Anger," 429, 518. "Ann Withers," 334, 511. _Anti-Jacobin and Review, The_, 499. "Arabella Hardy," 384, 513. "As You Like It," 44.

B

Baldwin, Edward (Godwin's pseudonym), 500. Barbauld, Mrs., Lamb on, 500. Barton, Bernard, Lamb's letters to, 505, 508. "Beasts in the Tower, The," 464, 520. "Beggar Man, The," 451, 520. Bells and Lamb, 513. "Birthday Thought, A," 488, 522. Blake, William, 503, 520. Blakesware and the Lambs, 511. "Blindness," 429, 518. "Boy and the Sky-lark, The," 447, 519. "Boy and the Snake, The," 413, 516. "Boy, Mother, and Butterfly, The," 489, 522. "Breakfast," 453, 520. "Broken Doll, The," 425, 518. "Brother's Reply, The," 457, 520. Burney, Martin, and the Lambs, 502, 510, 518. "Butterfly, The," 406, 516.

C

"Changeling, The," 334, 511. Chapman, George, his _Homer_, 505, 507. "Charity," 462, 520. "Charlotte Wilmot," 375, 513. "Choosing a Profession," 452, 520. "Chusing a Name," 408, 516. Clairmont, Mrs. (afterwards Mrs. Godwin), 499. "Cleanliness," 417, 517. "Clock Striking," 470, 521. "Coffee Slips, The," 472, 521. Coleridge, S.T., Lamb's letters to, 500, 505, 515. ---- on _Mrs. Leicester's School_, 509. "Comedy of Errors," 136. "Confidant, The," 466, 521. "Conquest of Prejudice," 476, 521. "Crumbs to the Birds," 408, 516. "Cymbeline," 81.

D

"David," 483, 521. "---- in the Cave of Adullam," 486, 522. "Dessert, The," 473, 521. "Discontent and Quarrelling," 410, 516. "DORUS, PRINCE," 490, 522. "Duchess of Malfi," Lamb's paraphrase from, 449, 519. "Duty of a Brother, The," 426, 518.

E

_Elia_ in translation, 504. "Elinor Forester," 350, 511. "Elizabeth Villiers," 319, 510. "Emily Barton," 360, 511. "End of May, The," 422, 518. "Envy," 404, 516. "Eyes," 467, 521.

F

"Fairy, The," 476, 521. "Farmhouse, The," 328, 310. "Father's Wedding Day, The," 350, 511. "Feigned Courage," 424, 518. Fénélon, his _Telemachus_, 507. Field, Mary, the Lambs' grandmother, 511. "First Going to Church," 378, 513. "---- of April, The," 416, 517. "---- Tooth, The," 415, 517. "Force of Habit, The," 470, 521.

G

Gillray, James, his caricature of Lamb, 499. Glanvill, Joseph, on witchcraft, 513. Godwin, Mrs., Lamb's hostility to, 500. ---- her choice in pictures, 502. ---- her preface to _Mrs. Leicester's School_ (?), 509. -- William, his meeting with Lamb, 499. ---- becomes a publisher, 500. ---- his influence on Lamb's career, 500. ---- his preface to _Tales from Shakespear_, 503. ---- his criticism of _The Adventures of Ulysses_, 506. ---- Lamb's reply to him, 506. "Going into Breeches," 419, 517. "Good Temper," 460, 520. "Great Grandfather, The," 478, 521.

H

"Hamlet," 199. Hazlitt, Sarah. _See_ Sarah Stoddart. Hazlitt, William, 500, 501. Hodgkins, Thomas, Godwin's manager, 500. "Home Delights," 471, 521. Homer, in Chapman's translation, 505, 507.

I

"Incorrect Speaking," 462, 520.

J

"JOHN WOODVIL" quoted, 513. "Journey from School and to School, The," 434, 518. Juvenile literature, Lamb on, 500.

K

"King Lear," 92. "KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS," 389, 513.

L

Lamb, Charles, and books for children, 499. ---- and William Godwin, 499, 505. ---- and Mrs. Godwin, 500, 502. ---- on Mrs. Barbauld and Mrs. Trimmer, 500, 501. ---- and _Tales from Shakespear_, 501. ---- and the Godwins' illustrator, 502. ---- and _The Adventures of Ulysses_, 505. ---- kisses Chapman's _Homer_, 505. ---- commends it to Coleridge, 505. ---- on publishers and authors, 506. ---- and Mrs. _Leicester's School_, 508. ---- his affection for St. Dunstan's giants, 512. ---- and Stackhouse's picture of the witch, 513. ---- his father and Lincolnshire, 513. Lamb, Charles, and church bells, 513. ---- his first children's book, 513. ---- and _The King and Queen of Hearts_, 513. ---- and _Poetry for Children_, 515. ---- his union with his sister, 515. ---- and _Prince Dorus_, 522. -- Elizabeth, the Lambs' mother, 512. -- John, the Lambs' father, 513. ---- the Lambs' brother, his poem, 451, 520. ---- his lameness, 517. -- Mary, and _Tales from Shakespear_, 501. ---- her difficulty with "All's Well that Ends Well," 502. ---- her anonymity, 504. ---- and _Mrs. Leicester's School_, 508. ---- her "new source of the pathetic," 509. ---- a preface in her name, 509. ---- her memory of Mackery End (?), 510. ---- her recollections of Blakesware, 511. ---- her relations with her grandmother, 511. ---- her first play, 511. ---- on her aunt Hetty and her mother, 512. ---- and _Poetry for Children_, 515. ---- her union with her brother, 515. "Lame Brother, The," 418, 517. Landor, Walter Savage, on _Mrs. Leicester's School_, 508. "LEICESTER, MRS., HER SCHOOL," 316, 508. Lloyd, Robert, and the Lambs, 515. _Looking Glass, The_, 514. "Louisa Manners," 328, 510. "Love, Death, and Reputation," 449, 519.

M

"Macbeth," 106. Mackery End and the Lambs, 510. "Magpye's Nest, The," 445, 519. Manning, Thomas, Lamb's letters to, 501, 505. "Margaret Green," 354, 511. "Maria Howe," 368, 512. "Measure for Measure," 148. "Memory," 431, 518. "Men and Women, and the Monkeys, The," 449, 519. "Merchant of Venice, The," 69. "Merchant's Daughter, The," 375, 513. "Midsummer Night's Dream," 13. "Mimic Harlequin, The," 430, 518. "Moderation in Diet," 460, 520. "Motes in the Sunbeams," 413, 516. "MRS. LEICESTER'S SCHOOL," 316, 508. ---- in translation, 510. "Much Ado About Nothing," 33. Mulready, William, 500, 503, 515. "My Birthday," 463, 520. Mylius, W.F., his gleanings from Lamb, 516.

N

"Neatness in Apparel," 412, 516. Newbery's art of advertisement, 512. "New-born Infant, The," 412, 516. "Nurse Green," 459, 520. "Nursing," 420, 518.

O

_Odyssey, The_. _See_ Chapman. "Offer, The," 456, 520. "On a Picture of the Finding of Moses," 481, 521. "On the Lord's Prayer," 442, 519. "Orange, The," 435, 518. "Othello," 213.

P

"Parental Recollections," 455, 520. "Peach, The," 407, 516. Pearson, Miss, 512. "Penny Pieces," 468, 521. "Pericles," 225. Plumer, Mrs., and Mary Lamb, 511. "POETRY FOR CHILDREN," 404, 515. "PRINCE DORUS," 490, 522.

Q

"Queen Oriana's Dream," 480, 521.

R

"Rainbow, The," 469, 521. "Reaper's Child, The," 404, 516. "Repentance and Reconciliation," 411, 516. "Reproof, The," 432, 518. "Ride, The," 405, 516. Robinson, Crabb, and Lamb, 522. ---- and Landor, 508. "Romeo and Juliet," 184. "Rook and the Sparrows, The," 409, 516.

S

"Sailor Uncle, The," 319, 510. St. Dunstan's giants, 512. "Sea-Voyage, The," 384, 513. "SHAKESPEAR, TALES FROM," 1, 501. Shakespeare, William, and the Lambs, 1, 501. "Sister's Expostulation on the Brother's Learning Latin, The," 456, 520. "Sparrow and the Hen, The," 450, 519. "Spartan Boy, The," 479, 521. Stoddart, Sarah, Mary Lamb's letters to, 501, 502, 508, 512. "Suffer Little Children...," 443, 519. "Summer Friends," 488, 522. "Susan Yates," 378, 513. Swinburne, Mr. A.C., on Lamb, 519.

T

"TALES FROM SHAKESPEAR," 1. ---- how written, 501. ---- how illustrated, 502. ---- Godwin's preface, 503. ---- translation, 504. "Taming of the Shrew," 126. _Telemachus, The Adventures of_, 507. "Tempest, The," 3. "Text, The," 421, 518. "Thoughtless Cruelty," 466, 521. "Three Friends, The," 437, 519. "Time Spent in Dress," 475, 521. "Timon of Athens," 173. "To a River in which a Child was Drowned," 416, 517. "To a Young Lady, on being Too Fond of Music," 474, 521. Translations of Lamb's work, 504, 510. Trimmer, Mrs., Lamb on, 501. "Twelfth Night," 161. "Two Bees, The," 432, 518. "---- Boys, The," 455, 520. "---- Gentlemen of Verona," 58.

U

"ULYSSES, ADVENTURES OF," 240, 505.

V

"Visit to the Cousins," 360, 511.

W

"Wasps in a Garden," 427, 518. Webster, Thomas, and Lamb, 519. "Weeding," 454, 520. "What is Fancy?" 428, 518. "Which is the Favourite?" 451, 519. "Why not do it, Sir, To-day?" 471, 521. "Winter's Tale, The," 23. "Witch Aunt, The," 368, 512. Wollstonecraft, Mary, 499. "WOODVIL, JOHN," quoted, 513. Wordsworth, William, Lamb's letters to, 502, 514. "Written in the First Leaf of a Child's Memorandum-Book," 430, 518.

Y

"Young Letter-Writer, The," 436, 519. "---- Mahometan," 354, 511.

INDEX OF FIRST LINES