LETTER 227

一秒记住【xiaoyanwenxue】精彩无弹窗免费！

“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

！

LETTER227

CHARLESLAMBTOTHOMASMANNING

Dec.25th，1815.

Dearoldfriendandabsentee，—ThisisChristmas-day1815withus;whatitmaybewithyouIdontknow，the12thofJunenextyearperhaps;andifitshouldbetheconsecratedseasonwithyou，Idontseehowyoucankeepit.Youhavenoturkeys;youwouldnotdesecratethefestivalbyofferingupawitheredChinesebantam，insteadofthesavourygrandNorfolcianholocaust，thatsmokesallaroundmynostrilsatthismomentfromathousandfiresides.Thenwhatpuddingshaveyou?Wherewillyougethollytostickinyourchurches，orchurchestostickyourdriedtea-leaves（thatmustbethesubstitute）in?Whatmemorialsyoucanhaveoftheholytime，Iseenot.AchoppedmissionaryortwomaykeepupthethinideaofLentandthewilderness;butwhatstandingevidencehaveyouoftheNativity?—tisourrosy-cheeked，homestalleddivines，whosefacesshinetothetuneofuntousachild;facesfragrantwiththemince-piesofhalfacentury，thatalonecanauthenticatethecheerfulmystery—Ifeel.

Ifeelmybowelsrefreshedwiththeholytide—myzealisgreatagainsttheunedifiedheathen.DownwiththePagodas—downwiththeidols—Ching-chong-fo—andhisfoolishpriesthood!ComeoutofBabylon，Omyfriend!forhertimeise，andthechildthatisnative，andtheProselyteofhergates，shallkindleandsmoketogether!Andinsobersensewhatmakesyousolongfromamongus，Manning?YoumustnotexpecttoseethesameEnglandagainwhichyouleft.

Empireshavebeenoverturned，crownstroddenintodust，thefaceofthewesternworldquitechanged:yourfriendshaveallgotold—thoseyouleftblooming—myself（whoamoneofthefewthatrememberyou）thosegoldenhairswhichyourecollectmytakingapridein，turnedtosilveryandgrey.Maryhasbeendeadandburiedmanyyears—shedesiredtobeburiedinthesilkgownyousenther.Rickman，thatyourememberactiveandstrong，nowwalksoutsupportedbyaservant-maidandastick.MartinBurneyisaveryoldman.Theotherdayanagedwomanknockedatmydoor，andpretendedtomyacquaintance;itwaslongbeforeIhadthemostdistantcognitionofher;butatlasttogetherwemadeherouttobeLouisa，thedaughterofMrs.Topham，formerlyMrs.Morton，whohadbeenMrs.Reynolds，formerlyMrs.Kenney，whosefirsthusbandwasHolcroft，thedramaticwriterofthelastcentury.St.PaulsChurchisaheapofruins;theMonumentisnthalfsohighasyouknewit，diverspartsbeingsuccessivelytakendownwhichtheravagesoftimehadrendereddangerous;thehorseatCharingCrossisgone，nooneknowswhither，—andallthishastakenplacewhileyouhavebeensettlingwhetherHo-hing-tongshouldbespeltwitha——ora——.ForaughtIseeyouhadalmostaswellremainwhereyouare，andnotelikeaStruldbugintoaworldwherefewwerebornwhenyouwentaway.Scarcehereandthereonewillbeabletomakeoutyourface;allyouropinionswillbeoutofdate，yourjokesobsolete，yourpunsrejectedwithfastidiousnessaswitofthelastage.Yourwayofmathematicshasalreadygivenwaytoanewmethod，whichafterallisIbelievetheolddoctrineofMaclaurin，new-vampedupwithwhatheborrowedofthenegativequantityoffluxionsfromEuler.

PoorGodwin!IwaspassinghistombtheotherdayinCripplegatechurchyard.TherearesomeversesuponitwrittenbyMissHayes，whichifIthoughtgoodenoughIwouldsendyou.Hewasoneofthosewhowouldhavehailedyourreturn，notwithboisterousshoutsandclamours，butwiththeplacentgratulationsofaphilosopheranxioustopromoteknowledgeasleadingtohappiness—buthissystemsandhistheoriesaretenfeetdeepinCripplegatemould.Coleridgeisjustdead，havinglivedjustlongenoughtoclosetheeyesofWordsworth，whopaidthedebttonaturebutaweekortwobefore.PoorCol.，buttwodaysbeforehediedhewrotetoabooksellerproposinganepicpoemonthe"

WanderingsofCain，"

intwenty-fourbooks.Itissaidhehasleftbehindhimmorethanfortythousandtreatisesincriticismandmetaphysics，butfewoftheminastateofpletion.Theyarenowdestined，perhaps，towrapupspices.YouseewhatmutationsthebusyhandofTimehasproduced，whileyouhaveconsumedinfoolishvoluntaryexilethattimewhichmighthavegladdenedyourfriends—benefitedyourcountry;butreproachesareuseless.Gatherupthewretchedreliques，myfriend，asfastasyoucan，andetoyouroldhome.Iwillrubmyeyesandtrytorecogniseyou.Wewillshakewitheredhandstogether，andtalkofoldthings—ofSt.MarysChurchandthebarbersopposite，wheretheyoungstudentsinmathematicsusedtoassemble.PoorCrisp，thatkeptitafterwards，setupafruiterersshopinTrumpington-street，andforaughtIknow，residestherestill，forIsawthenameupinthelastjourneyItooktherewithmysisterjustbeforeshedied.IsupposeyouheardthatIhadlefttheIndiaHouse，andgoneintotheFishmongersAlmshousesoverthebridge.Ihavealittlecabinthere，smallandhomely;butyoushallbeweletoit.Youlikeoysters，andtoopenthemyourself;Illgetyousomeifyoueinoystertime.Marshall，Godwinsoldfriend，isstillalive，andtalksofthefacesyouusedtomake.

Comeassoonasyoucan.C.LAMB.

[SinceLambslastletterManninghadenteredLhassa，thesacredcityof

Thibet，beingthefirstEnglishmantodoso.Heremainedthereuntil

April，1812，whenhereturnedtoCalcutta.Thenhetookuphisabode

oncemoreinCanton，and，in1816，movedtoPekingasinterpreterto

LordAmherstsembassy，returningtoEnglandthefollowingyear.

"

Norfolcian."

ManningwasaNorfolkman.

"

Maclaurin."

HereLambsurprisesthereaderbyareasonableremark.

ColinMaclaurin，themathematician，wastheauthorofATreatiseof

Fluxions.

Coleridgeactuallyhadbegunmanyyearsbeforeanepiconthesubjectofthe"

WanderingsofCain."

]

本章未完，点击下一页继续阅读