work (a collection of poetry) Mr Wordsworth intends to publish. However, I hope before that time arrives, he will be able to borrow the books of some good old collector of those hidden treasures, and thus they can be copied at home and much of Charles' labour and time saved. The Museum is only open during his office hours. I am much pleased with your friend Henry Robinson. He has been truly kind and friendly about the farce.

That disappointment is wearing out of our heads very fast. My brother means to keep at home very much this winter, and work very hard. When he is at work, he is always happier and in better health.

I am glad Miss Smith is with you, because Coleridge has told me she is the best good girl in the world.

I am pleased to hear again the name of your old neighbour Mr Smith. I well remember him the first season of the School for Scandal; he was ("I being a young thing then ") a prodigious favourite with me. I cannot for the life of me conceive of him as an old man. O what actors there were then! but as I said before, disappointed authors must not complain of actors (you shall see the piece when I can spare time to write a copy, or can spare the only one we have. No matter for the brains of your good townspeople. Go amongst them as much as you can, I am sure company is a certain cure for your malady.

I am glad to hear of my friend Tom's improvement; never mind his learning, that will come in due time. Indeed I have reasons for wishing him a little backward in that respect, for I have a little book I mean to send him and the printer has been so long bringing it out I began to fear Tom would attain so much knowledge as to outgrow the use thereof, and Tom's approbation of my first production was one of the things I built upon. I suppose I may send a parcel by the Bury stage? That is a foolish question to ask, for no doubt I may.

I rejoice to hear Mr Clarkson has begun his history of the Abolition-May we not expect to see him now in a few days-How I wish he would bring you too.

We are to stay at home and work, as I forget it is Christmas, but we sincerely wish you a merry happy Christmas and many many happy healthy new

years.

Charles' kindest respects to you and Mr Clarkson and young Tom and Miss Buck; Is she not at Bury? I remain your affectionate friend,

No news of Coleridge lately.

M. LAMB.

I shall rejoice to hear from you, whenever you feel writing quite pleasant to you. Did you ever see scrawl as mine?

such a queer

[Endorsed]

Mrs Clarkson,

Bury St Edmonds,
Suffolk.

CXLVI.

TO WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

Thursday, 29th Jan. 1807.

Dear Wordsworth -We have book'd off from Swan and Two Necks, Lad Lane, this day (per Coach) the Tales from Shakespear. You will forgive the plates, when I tell you they were left to the direction of Godwin, who left the choice of subjects to the bad baby, who from mischief (I suppose) has chosen one from damn'd beastly vulgarity (vide Merch. Venice) where no atom of authority was in the tale to justify it; to another has given a name which exists not in the tale, Nic Bottom, and which she thought would be funny, though in this I suspect his hand, for I guess her reading does not reach far enough to know Bottom's christian name; and one of Hamlet and grave digging, a scene which is not hinted at in the

story, and you might as well have put King Canute the Great reproving his courtiers. The rest are giants and giantesses. Suffice it, to save our taste and damn our folly, that we left it all to a friend. W. G., who in the first place cheated me into putting a name to them, which I did not mean, but do not repent, and then wrote a puff about their simplicity, &c. to go with the advertisement as in my name! Enough of this egregious dupery. I will try to abstract the load of teazing circumstances from the stories and tell you that I am answerable for Lear, Macbeth, Timon, Romeo, Hamlet, Othello, for occasionally a tail-piece or correction of grammar, for none of the cuts and all of the spelling. The rest is my Sister's.

-We think Pericles of hers the best, and Othello of mine; but I hope all have some good. As you like It, we like least. So much, only begging you to tear out the cuts and give them to Johnny, as Godwin's fancy "!!

"Mrs

C. L.

Our love to all.

I had almost forgot, My part of the Preface begins in the middle of a sentence, in last but one page, after a colon, thus—

-which if they be happily so done, &c.

the former part hath a more feminine turn and does hold me up something as an instructor to young ladies but upon my modesty's honour, I wrote it

not.

:

Godwin told my Sister that the Baby chose the subjects a fact in taste.