even as he was immeasurable. It may be a forgery. They laugh at me and tell me Ireland is in Paris, and has been putting off a portrait of the Black Prince. How far old wood may be imitated I cannot say. Ireland was not found out by his parchments, but by his poetry. I am confident no painter on either side the Channel could have painted any thing near like the face I saw. Again, would such a painter and forger have taken £40 for a thing, if authentic, worth £4000? Talma is not in the secret, for he had not even found out the rhymes in the first inscription. He is coming over with it, and my life to Southey's Thalaba, it will gain universal faith.

"The letter is wanted, and I am wanted. Imagine the blank filled up with all kind things.

"Our joint hearty remembrances to both of you. Yours "C. LAMB."

as ever,

We now enter upon the correspondence with Howard Payne on dramatic matters :

:

TO JOHN HOWARD PAYNE.1

❝ 1822-Thursday.

"Ali Pacha' will do. I sent my sister the first night, not having been able to go myself, and her report of its effect was most favourable. I saw it last night—the third night-and it was most satisfactorily received. I have been sadly disappointed in Talfourd, who does the critiques in the Times,' and who promised his strenuous services; but by some damn'd arrangement he was sent to the wrong house, and a most iniquitous account of 'Ali' substi

1 ["Century Magazine," October, 1882, p. 928, where the six other letters to Payne were first printed with some account of the writer, by Mr. R. S. Chilton. In the "Athenæum" for 1835 appears the subjoined gratifying intimation:- "The acting dramas of John Howard Paine have made their way in England, where they were written, and we need not speak of them. Probably there are not nine people in England who know the author is an American. He is of the old school of dramatic writers, and has been very successful. He returned to America lately, after an absence of many years, and was received with public honours."]

6

tuted for his, which I a am sure would have been a kind one. The Morning Herald' did it ample justice, without appearing to puff it. It is an abominable misrepresentation of the Times,' that Farren played Ali like Lord Ogilby. He acted infirmity of body, but not of voice or purpose. His manner was even grand. A grand old gentleman. His falling to the earth when his son's death was announced was fine as anything I ever saw. It was as if he had been blasted. Miss Foote looked helpless and beautiful, and greatly helped the piece. It is going on steadily, I am sure, for many nights. Marry, I was a little disappointed with Hassan, who tells us he subsists by cracking court jests before Hali; but he made none. In all the rest, scenery and machinery, it was faultless. I hope it will bring you here. I should be most glad of that. I have a room for you, and you shall order your own dinner three days in the week. I must retain my own authority for the rest. As far as magazines go, I can answer for Talfourd in the 'New Monthly.' He cannot be put out there. But it is established as a favourite, and can do without these expletives. I long to talk over with you the Shakspeare Picture. My doubts of its being a forgery mainly rest. upon the goodness of the picture. The bellows might be trumped up, but where did the painter spring from? Is Ireland a consummate artist- -or any of Ireland's accomplices ?-but we shall confer upon it, I hope. The 'New Times,' I understand was favorable to Ali, but I have not seen it. I am sensible of the want of method in this letter, but I have been deprived of the connecting organ by a practice I have fallen into since I left Paris, of taking too much strong spirits of a night. I must return to the Hotel de l'Europe and Macon.

66

How is Kenney? Have you seen my friend White ? What is Poole about, &c.? Do not write, but come and

answer me.

"The weather is charming, and there is a mermaid to be seen in London. You may not have the opportunity of inspecting such a Poissarde once again in ten centuries. "My sister joins me in the hope of seeing you.

"Yours truly,

"C. LAMB."

6

TO THE SAME.

"Wednsd., 13 Nov., '22

"Dear P.-Owing to the inconvenience of having two lodgings, I did not get your letter quite so soon as I should. The India House is my proper address, where I am sure for the fore part of every day. The instant I got it, I addressed a letter, for Kemble to see, to my friend Henry Robertson, the Treasurer of Covent Garden Theatre. He had a conference with Kemble, and the result is, that Robertson, in the name of the management, recognized to me the full ratifying of your bargain: £250 for Ali, the Slaves,' and another piece which they had not received. He assures me the whole will be paid you, or the proportion for the two former, as soon as ever the Treasury will permit it. He offered to write the same to you, if I pleased. He thinks in a month or so they will be able to liquidate it. He is positive no trick could be meant you, as Mr. Planché's alterations, which were trifling, were not at all considered as affecting your bargain. With respect to the copy-right of Ali,' he was of opinion no money would be given for it, as 'Ali' is quite laid aside. This explanation being given, you would not think of printing the two copies together by way of recrimination. He told me the secret of the two Galley Slaves' at Drury Lane. Elliston, if he is informed right, engaged Poole to translate it, but before Poole's translation arrived, finding it coming out at Cov. Gar., he procured copies of two several translations of it in London. So you see here are four translations, reckoning yours. I fear no copy-right would be got for it, for anybody may print it and anybody has. Yours has run seven nights, and R. is of opinion it will not exceed in number of nights the nights of 'Ali'-about thirteen. But your full right to your bargain with the management is in the fullest manner recognized by him officially. He gave me every hope the money will be spared as soon as they can spare it. He said a month or two, but seemed to me to mean about a month. A new lady is coming out in Juliet, to whom they look very confidently for replenishing their treasury. Robertson is a very good fellow and I can

rely upon his statement. Should you have any more pieces, and want to get a copy-right for them, I am the worst person to negotiate with any bookseller, having been cheated by all I have had to do with (except Taylor and Hessey,but they do not publish theatrical pieces), and I know not how to go about it, or who to apply to. But if you had no better negotiator, I should know the minimum you expect, for I should not like to make a bargain out of my own head, being (after the Duke of Wellington) the worst of all negotiators. I find from Robertson you have written to Bishop on the subject. Have you named anything of the copy-right of the Slaves ? R. thinks no publisher would pay for it, and you would not risque it on your own account. This is a mere business letter, so I will just send my love to my little wife at Versailles, to her dear mother, etc.

“Believe me, yours truly,

"C. L."

CHAPTER III.

LETTERS TO BARTON CONTINUED CORRESPONDENCE WITH WILSON ON DEFOE-LETTERS TO HOWARD PAYNE-MISS KELLY.

[1822-3.]

ENCOURAGED by Lamb's kindness, Mr. Barton con

tinued the correspondence, which became the most frequent in which Lamb had engaged for many years. The following letter is in acknowledgment of a publication of Mr. Barton's chiefly directed to oppose the theories and tastes of Lord Byron and his friends :

TO BERNARD BARTON.

"East-India House, 9th Oct. 1822.

"Dear Sir, I am ashamed not sooner to have acknowledged your letter and poem. I think the latter very temperate, very serious, and very seasonable. I do not think it will convert the club at Pisa, neither do I think it will satisfy the bigots on our side the water. Something like a parody on the song of Ariel would please them better:

Full fathom five the Atheist lies,
Of his bones are hell-dice made.'

:

"I want time, or fancy, to fill up the rest. I sincerely sympathise with you on your doleful confinement. Of time, health, and riches, the first in order is not last in excellence. Riches are chiefly good, because they give us Time. What a weight of wearisome prison hours have I to look back and forward to, as quite cut out of life! and the sting of the thing is, that for six hours every day I have no business which I could not contract into two, if they would let me work task-work. I shall be glad to hear that your grievance is mitigated.