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LETTER 358（第1页）

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume6（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER358

CHARLESLAMBTOBERNARDBARTONANDLUCYBARTON

[P.M.December1，1824.]

DearB.B.—IfMr.Mitfordwillsendmeafullandcircumstantialdescriptionofhisdesiredvases，IwilltransmitthesametoaGentlemanresidentatCanton，whomIthinkIhaveinterestenoughintotakethepropercarefortheirexecution.ButMr.M.musthavepatience.Chinaisagreatwayoff，furtherperhapsthanhethinks;andhisnextyearsrosesmustbecontenttowitherinaWedgewoodpot.HewillpleasetosaywhetherheshouldlikehisArmsuponthem，&c.Isendherewithsomepatternswhichsuggestthemselvestomeatthefirstblushofthesubject，buthewillprobablyconsulthisowntasteafterall.

[Illustration:Handdrawnsketch]

Thelastpatternisobviouslyfittedforranunculusesonly.Thetwoformermayindifferentlyholddaisies，marjoram，sweetwilliams，andthatsort.MyfriendinCantonisInspectorofTeas，hisnameBall;andIcanthinkofnobettertunnel.IshallexpectMr.M.sdecision.

TaylorandHesseyfindingtheirmagazinegoesoffveryheavilyat2s.6d.areprudentlygoingtoraisetheirpriceanothershilling;andhavingalreadymoreauthorsthantheywant，intendtoincreasethenumberofthem.IftheysetupagainsttheNewMonthly，theymustchangetheirpresenthands.ItisnottyingthedeadcarcaseofaReviewtoahalf-deadMagazinewilldotheirbusiness.ItislikeG.D.multiplyinghisvolumestomakeemsellbetter.Whenhefindsonewillnotgooff，hepublishestwo;twostick，hetriesthree;threehangfire，heisconfidentthatfourwillhaveabetterchance.

Andnow，mydearSir，triflingapart，thegloomycatastropheofyesterdaymorningpromptsasaddervein.ThefateoftheunfortunateFauntleroymakesme，whetherIwillorno，tocastreflectingeyesaroundonsuchofmyfriendsasbyaparityofsituationareexposedtoasimilarityoftemptation.Myverystyle，seemstomyselftobeemoreimpressivethanusual，withthechangeoftheme.Whothatstandeth，knowethbuthemayyetfall?Yourhandsasyet，Iammostwillingtobelieve，haveneverdeviatedintoothersproperty.Youthinkitimpossiblethatyoucouldevermitsoheinousanoffence.ButsothoughtFauntleroyonce;sohavethoughtmanybesideshim，whoatlasthaveexpiated，ashehathdone.Youareasyetupright.ButyouareaBanker，atleastthenextthingtoit.Ifeelthedelicacyofthesubject;butcashmustpassthroyourhands，sometimestoagreatamount.Ifinanunguardedhour—butIwillhopebetter.Considerthescandalitwillbringuponthoseofyourpersuasion.ThousandswouldgotoseeaQuakerhanged，thatwouldbeindifferenttothefateofaPresbyterian，oranAnabaptist.Thinkoftheeffectitwouldhaveonthesaleofyourpoemsalone;nottomentionhigherconsiderations.Itremble，Iamsure，atmyself，whenIthinkthatsomanypoorvictimsoftheLawatonetimeoftheirlifemadeassureofneverbeinghangedasIinmypresumptionamtooreadytodomyself.Whatarewebetterthanthey?Doweeintotheworldwithdifferentnecks?Isthereanydistinctivemarkunderourleftears?Areweunstrangulable?Iaskyou.Thinkofthesethings.Iamshockedsometimesattheshapeofmyownfingers，notfortheirresemblancetotheapetribe（whichissomething）butfortheexquisiteadaptationofthemtothepurposesofpicking，fingering，&c.Noonethatissoframed，Imaintainit，butshouldtremble.

PostscriptforyourDaughterseyesonly.

DearMiss——Yourprettylittleletteretsmakemeashamedofmygreatstragglingcoarsehandwriting.Iwonderwhereyougetpenstowritesosmall.Suretheymustbethepinionsofasmallwren，orarobin.IfyouwritesoinyourAlbum，youmustgiveusglassestoreadby.IhaveseenaLadyssimilarbookallwritinfollowingfashion.Ithinkitprettyandfanciful.

"

OhowIloveinearlydawn

Tobendmystepsoerflowerydawn[lawn]，"

whichIthinkhasanagreeablevarietytotheeye.WhichIremendtoyournotice，withfriendEliasbestwishes.

[TheLondonMagazinebegananewseriesathalfacrownwiththenumberforJanuary，1825.Ithadbeguntodeclineverynoticeably.TheNewMonthlyMagazine，totheJanuarynumberofwhichLambcontributedhis"

IllustriousDefunct"

essay，wasitsmostseriousrival.LambreturnedtosomeofhisoldvivacityandcopiousnessintheLondonMagazineforJanuary，1825.Tothatnumberhecontributedhis"

BiographicalMemoirofMr.Liston"

andthe"

VisionofHorns"

;andtotheFebruarynumber"

LettertoanOldGentleman，"