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The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Volume 6LETTER 322（第1页）

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume6（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER322

CHARLESLAMBTOBERNARDBARTON

[P.M.10July，1823.]

DearSir—IshallbehappytoreadtheMS.andtoforwardit;butT.andH.mustjudgeforthemselvesofpublication.Ifitproveinteresting（asIdoubtnot）Ishallnotsparetosayso，youmaydependuponit.SupposeyoudirectittoAccots.Office，IndiaHouse.

Iamgladyouhavemetwithsomesweeteningcircumstancestoyourunpalatabledraught.IhavejustreturnedfromHastings，whereareexquisiteviewsandwalks，andwhereIhavegivenupmysoultowalking，andIamnowsufferingsedentarycontrasts.IamalongtimereconcilingtoTownafteroneoftheseexcursions.Homeisbeestrange，andwillremainsoyetawhile.HomeisthemostunforgivingoffriendsandalwaysresentsAbsence;Iknowitsoldcordiallookswillreturn，buttheyareslowinclearingup.Thatisoneofthefeaturesofthisourgalleyslavery，thatperegrinationendedmakesthingsworse.Ifeltoutofwater（withalltheseaaboutme）atHastings，andjustasIhadlearnedtodomiciliatethere，Imustebacktofindahomewhichisnohome.IabusedHastings，butlearneditsvalue.Therearespots，inlandbays，etc.，whichrealisethenotionsofJuanFernandez.

ThebestthingIlituponbyaccidentwasasmallcountrychurch（bywhomorwhenbuiltunknown）standingbareandsingleinthemidstofagrove，withnohouseorappearanceofhabitationwithinaquarterofamile，onlypassagesdivergingfromitthrobeautifulwoodstosomanyfarmhouses.Thereitstands，likethefirstideaofachurch，beforeparishionerswerethoughtof，nothingbutbirdsforitscongregation，orlikeaHermitsoratory（theHermitdead），oramausoleum，itseffectsingularlyimpressive，likeachurchfoundinadesertisletostartleCrusoewithahomeimage;youmustmakeoutavicarandacongregationfromfancy，forsurelynoneethere.Yetitwantsnotitspulpit，anditsfont，andalltheseemlyadditamentsofourworship.

SoutheyhasattackedEliaonthescoreofinfidelity，intheQuarterly，Article，"

ProgressofInfidels[Infidelity]."

Ihadnot，norhave，seentheMonthly.Hemighthavesparedanoldfriendsuchaconstructionofafewcarelessflights，thatmeantnoharmtoreligion.IfallhisUNGUARDEDexpressionsonthesubjectweretobecollected—

ButIloveandrespectSouthey—andwillnotretort.IHATEHISREVIEW，andhisbeingaReviewer.

Thehinthehasdroppedwillknockthesaleofthebookonthehead，whichwasalmostatastopbefore.

Letitstop.ThereiscorninEgypt，whilethereiscashatLeadenhall.YouandIaresomethingbesidesbeingWriters.ThankGod.

YourstrulyC.L.

[WhattheMS.wasIdonotknow.Lambrecursmorefullytothedescriptionofthelittlechurch—probablyHollingdonRural，aboutthreemilesnorth-westfromthetown—inlaterletters.

ThethoughtsinthesecondparagraphofthisletterwereamplifiedintheEliaessay"

TheOldMargateHoy，"

intheLondonMagazineforJuly，1823.

"

SoutheyhasattackedElia."

InanarticleintheQuarterlyforJanuary，1823，inareviewofaworkbyGrégoireonDeisminFrance，underthetitle"

TheProgressofInfidelity，"

SoutheyhadareferencetoEliainthefollowingterms:—

"

Unbelievershavenotalwaysbeenhonestenoughthustoexpresstheirrealfeelings;butthisweknowconcerningthem，thatwhentheyhaverenouncedtheirbirthrightofhope，theyhavenotbeenabletodivestthemselvesoffear.Fromthenatureofthehumanmindthismightbepresumed，andinfactitisso.Theymaydeadentheheartandstupifytheconscience，buttheycannotdestroytheimaginativefaculty.ThereisaremarkableproofofthisinEliasEssays，abookwhichwantsonlyasounderreligiousfeeling，tobeasdelightfulasitisoriginal."

AndthenSoutheywentontodrawattentiontothecaseofThorntonHunt，thelittlechildofLeighHunt，the（toSouthey）notoriousfree-thinker，who，asLambhadstatedintheessay"

WitchesandOtherNightFears，"

wouldwakeatnightinterrorofimagesoffear.

"

Iwillnotretort."

Lamb，asweshallsee，changedhismind.

"

Almostatastopbefore."

EliawasneverpopularuntillongafterLambsdeath.Itdidnotreachasecondeditionuntil1836.Therearenowseveralneweditionseveryyear.]