Authors, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence; Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834 -- Correspondence
My best room commands a court, in which there are trees and a pump, the
water of which is excellent,--cold with brandy, and not very insipid
without. Here I hope to set up my rest, and not quit till Mr. Powell,
the undertaker, gives me notice that I may have possession of my last
lodging. He lets lodgings for single gentlemen. I sent you a parcel of
books by my last, to give you some idea of the state of European
literature. There comes with this two volumes, done up as letters, of
minor poetry, a sequel to "Mrs. Leicester;" the best you may suppose
mine, the next best are my coadjutor's. You may amuse yourself in
guessing them out; but I must tell you mine are but one third in
quantity of the whole. So much for a very delicate subject. It is hard
to speak of one's self, etc. Holcroft had finished his life when I wrote
to you, and Hazlitt has since finished his life,--I do not mean his own
life, but he has finished a life of Holcroft, which is going to press.
Tuthill is Dr. Tuthill. I continue Mr. Lamb. I have published a little
book for children on titles of honor; and to give them some idea of the
difference of rank and gradual rising, I have made a little scale,
supposing myself to receive the following various accessions of dignity
from the king, who is the fountain of honor,--as at first, 1, Mr. C.
Lamb; 2, C. Lamb, Esq.; 3, Sir C. Lamb, Bart.; 4, Baron Lamb, of
Stamford; 5, Viscount Lamb; 6, Earl Lamb; 7, Marquis Lamb; 8, Duke Lamb.
It would look like quibbling to carry it on farther, and especially as
it is not necessary for children to go beyond the ordinary titles of
sub-regal dignity in our own country, otherwise I have sometimes in my
dreams imagined myself still advancing, as 9th, King Lamb; 10th, Emperor
Lamb; 11th, Pope Innocent,--higher than which is nothing. Puns I have
not made many (nor punch much) since the date of my last; one I cannot
help relating. A constable in Salisbury Cathedral was telling me that
eight people dined at the top of the spire of the cathedral; upon which
I remarked that they must be very sharp-set. But in general I cultivate
the reasoning part of my mind more than the imaginative. I am stuffed
out so with eating turkey for dinner, and another turkey for supper
yesterday (turkey in Europe and turkey in Asia), that I can't jog on. It
is New Year here. That is, it was New Year half a year back, when I was
writing this. Nothing puzzles me more than time and space, and yet
nothing puzzles me less, for I never think about them. The Persian
ambassador is the principal thing talked of now. I sent some people to
see him worship the sun on Primrose Hill at half-past six in the
morning, 28th November; but he did not come,--which makes me think the
old fire-worshippers are a sect almost extinct in Persia. The Persian
ambassador's name is Shaw Ali Mirza. The common people call him Shaw
Nonsense. While I think of it, I have put three letters besides my own
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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