Saturday.

Can you call at Mrs. Burney 26 James Street, and tell her, & that I can see no one here in this state.  If Martin return—­ if well enough, I will meet him some where, don’t let him come.

[Field was Henry Field, Barren Field’s brother.

Here should come a note from Lamb to Hone, dated September 30, 1825, in which Lamb describes the unhappy state of the house at Colebrooke Row, with himself and his sister both ill.

Here also should come a similar note to William Ayrton.  “All this summer almost I have been ill.  I have been laid up (the second nervous attack) now six weeks.”

On October 18 Lamb sends Hone the first “bit of writing” he has done “these many weeks.”]

LETTER 383

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM HONE

[P.M.  Oct. 24, 1825.]

I send a scrap.  Is it worth postage?  My friends are fairly surprised that you should set me down so unequivocally for an ass, as you have done, Page 1358.

HERE HE IS
what follows? 
THE ASS

Call you this friendship?

Mercy!  What a dose you have sent me of Burney!—­a perfect opening* draught.

A Pun here is intended.

[This is written on the back of the MS.  “In re Squirrels” for Hone’s Every-Day Book (see Vol.  I. of this edition).  Lamb’s previous contribution had been “The Ass” which Hone had introduced with a few words.]

LETTER 384

CHARLES LAMB TO THOMAS ALLSOP

[Dec. 5, 1825.]

Dear A.—­You will be glad to hear that we are at home to visitors; not too many or noisy.  Some fine day shortly Mary will surprise Mrs. Allsop.  The weather is not seasonable for formal engagements.

Yours most ever,

C. LAMB.

Satr’d.

[Here should come a note to Manning at Totteridge, signed Charles and Mary Lamb, and dated December 10, 1825.  It indicates that both are well again, and hoping to see Manning at Colebrooke.]

LETTER 385

CHARLES LAMB TO CHARLES OLLIER

[No date. ?  Dec., 1825.]

Dear O.—­I leave it entirely to Mr. Colburn; but if not too late, I think the Proverbs had better have L. signd to them and reserve Elia for Essays more Eliacal.  May I trouble you to send my Magazine, not to Norris, but H.C.  Robinson Esq.  King’s bench walks, instead.

Yours truly

C. LAMB.

My friend Hood, a prime genius and hearty fellow, brings this.

[Lamb’s “Popular Fallacies” began in the New Monthly Magazine in January, 1826.  Henry Colburn was the publisher of that magazine, which had now obtained Lamb’s regular services.  The nominal editor was Campbell, the poet, who was assisted by Cyrus Redding.  Ollier seems to have been a sub-editor.]