The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4: Poems and PlaysLamb, Charles
General
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4: Poems and Plays
Lamb, Charles
English drama; English poetry
have included; but it is well to dispense as much as possible with the
problematic. For example, I suspect Lamb of the authorship of several of
the epigrams quoted in _The Examiner_ in 1819 and 1820 from the _Morning
Chronicle_. He used to send verses to the _Morning Chronicle_ at that
time, and Leigh Hunt, the editor of _The Examiner_, would naturally be
pleased to give anything of his friend's an additional publicity.
The majority of the epigrams printed in this section might have remained
unidentified were it not that in 1822 John Thelwall, who owned and
edited _The Champion_ in 1818-1820, issued a little volume entitled _The
Poetical Recreations of "The Champion,"_ wherein Lamb's contributions
were signed R. et R. This signature being appended to certain poems of
which we know Lamb to have been the author--as "The Three Graves," which
he sent also to the _London Magazine_ (in 1825), and which he was in the
habit of reading or reciting to his friends--enables us to ascertain the
authorship of the others. A note placed by Thelwall above the index of
the book states, "it is much to be regretted that, by mere oversight, or
rather mistake, several of the printed epigrams of R. et R. have been
omitted;" but a search through the files of _The Champion_ has failed to
bring to light any others with Lamb's adopted signature.
The origin of the signature R. et R. is unknown. Mr. Percy Fitzgerald
suggests that it might stand for Romulus and Remus, but offers no
supporting theory. He might have added that so unfamiliar a countenance
is in these epigrams shown by their author, that the suggestion of a
wolf rather than a Lamb might have been intended. Lamb's principal
political epigrams were drawn from him by his intense contempt for the
character of George IV., then Prince of Wales. His treatment of Caroline
of Brunswick, as we see, moved Lamb to utterances of almost sulphurous
indignation not only for the prince himself, but for all who were on his
side, particularly Canning. Lamb, we must suppose, was wholly on the
side of the queen, thus differing from Coleridge, who when asked how his
sympathies were placed would admit only to being anti-Prince.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account