LETTER 256

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER256

CHARLESLAMBTODOROTHYWORDSWORTH

[P.M.25Nov.，1819.]

DearMissWordsworth，youwillthinkmenegligent，butIwantedtoseemoreofWilly，beforeIventuredtoexpressaprediction.TillyesterdayIhadbarelyseenhim—VirgiliumTantumVidi—butyesterdayhegaveushissmallpanytoabullocksheart—andIcanpronouncehimaladofpromise.Heisnopedantnorbookworm，sofarIcananswer.Perhapshehashithertopaidtoolittleattentiontoothermensinventions，preferring，likeLordFoppington，the"

naturalsproutsofhisown."

Buthehasobservation，andseemsthoroughlyawake.Iamillatrememberingotherpeoplesbonmots，butthefollowingareafew.BeingtakenoverWaterlooBridge，heremarkedthatifwehadnomountains，wehadafineriveratleast，whichwasaTouchoftheComparative，butthenheadded，inastrainwhichauguredlessforhisfutureabilitiesasaPoliticalEconomist，thathesupposedtheymusttakeatleastapoundaweekToll.Likeacuriousnaturalistheinquiredifthetidedidnoteupalittlesalty.Thisbeingsatisfactorilyanswered，heputanotherquestionastothefluxandreflux，whichbeingrathercunninglyevadedthanartfullysolvedbythatshe-AristotleMary，whomutteredsomethingaboutitsgettingupanhoursoonerandsoonereveryday，hesagelyreplied，"

Thenitmustetothesamethingatlast"

whichwasaspeechworthyofaninfantHalley!TheLionintheChangebynomeanscameuptohisidealstandard.SoimpossibleitisforNatureinanyofherworkstoeuptothestandardofachildsimagination.Thewhelps（Lionets）hewassorrytofindweredead，andonparticularenquiryhisoldfriendtheOuranOutanghadgonethewayofallfleshalso.ThegrandTigerwasalsosick，andexpectedinnoshorttimetoexchangethistransitoryworldforanother—ornone.Butagain，therewasaGoldenEagle（IdonotmeanthatofCharing）whichdidmuchARRIDEandconsolehiWilliamsgenius，Itakeit，leansalittletothefigurative，forbeingatplayatTricktrack（akindofminorBilliard-tablewhichwekeepforsmallerwights，andsometimesrefreshourownmaturefatigueswithtakingahandat），notbeingabletohitaballhehaditerateaimedat，hecriedout，"

Icannothitthatbeast."

Nowtheballsareusuallycalledmen，buthefelicitouslyhituponamiddleterm，atermofapproximationandimaginativereconciliation，asomethingwherethetwoends，ofthebrutematter（ivory）andtheirhumanandratherviolentpersonificationintomen，mightmeet，asItakeit，illustrativeofthatExcellentremarkinacertainPrefaceaboutImagination，explaining"

likeasea-beastthathadcrawledforthtosunhimself."

NotthatIaccuseWilliamMinorofhereditaryplagiary，orconceivetheimagetohaveeextraduce.Ratherheseemethtokeepalooffromanysourceofimitation，andpurposelytoremainignorantofwhatmightypoetshavedoneinthiskindbeforehiForbeingaskedifhisfatherhadeverbeenonWestminsterBridge，heanswerdthathedidnotknow.

ItishardtodiscerntheOakintheAcorn，oraTemplelikeSt.Paulsinthefirststonewhichislaid，norcanIquiteprefigurewhatdestinationthegeniusofWilliamMinorhathtotake.SomefewhintsIhavesetdown，toguidemyfutureobservations.Hehaththepowerofcalculationinnoordinarydegreeforachit.Hebinethfigures，afterthefirstboggle，rapidly.AsintheTricktrackboard，wherethehitsarefigured，atfirsthedidnotperceivethat15and7made22，butbyalittleusehecouldbine8with25—and33againwith16，whichapproachethsomethinginkind（farletmebefromflatteringhimbysayingindegree）tothatofthefamousAmericanboy.IamsometimesinclinedtothinkIperceivethefuturesatiristinhim，forhehathasub-sardonicsmilewhichburstethoutuponoccasion，aswhenhewasaskedifLondonwereasbigasAmbleside，andindeednootheranswerwasgiven，orpropertobegiven，tosoensnaringandprovokingaquestion.InthecontourofscullcertainlyIdiscernsomethingpaternal.Butwhetherinallrespectsthefuturemanshalltranscendhisfathersfame，Timethetrierofgeniusesmustdecide.Beitpronouncedperemptorilyatpresent，thatWillyisawell-mannerdchild，andthoughnogreatstudent，hathyetalivelyeyeforthingsthatliebeforehiGiveninhastefrommydeskatLeadenhall.Yoursandyoursmostsincerely

C.LAMB.

[Thisletter，whichreferstoavisitpaidtotheLambsinGreatRussellStreetbyWordsworthsson，William，thennineyearsold，isremarkable，apartfromitscharmandhumour，forcontainingmoreoftheabsolutemethodofcertainofLambsEliapassagesthananythinghehadyetwritten.

"

LordFoppington"

—inVanbrughs"

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