The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 / Elia and The Last Essays of Elia
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ELIA; and THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA
This volume contains the work by which Charles Lamb is best known and upon which his fame will rest— Elia and The Last Essays of Elia . Although one essay is as early as 1811, and one is perhaps as late as 1832, the book represents the period between 1820 and 1826, when Lamb was between forty-five and fifty-one. This was the richest period of his literary life.
The text of the present volume is that of the first edition of each book— Elia , 1823, and The Last Essays of Elia , 1833. The principal differences between the essays as they were printed in the London Magazine and elsewhere, and as they were revised for book form by their author, are shown in the Notes, which, it should be pointed out, are much fuller in my large edition. The three-part essay on The Old Actors ( London Magazine , February, April, and October, 1822), from which Lamb prepared the three essays; On Some of the Old Actors, The Artificial Comedy of the Last Century, and The Acting of Munden, is printed in the Appendix as it first appeared. The absence of the Confessions of a Drunkard from this volume is due to the fact that Lamb did not include it in the first edition of The Last Essays of Elia . It was inserted later, in place of A Death-Bed, on account of objections that were raised to that essay by the family of Randal Norris. The story is told in the notes to A Death-Bed. The Confessions of a Drunkard will be found in Vol. I.
In Mr. Bedford's design for the cover of this edition certain Elian symbolism will be found. The upper coat of arms is that of Christ's Hospital, where Lamb was at school; the lower is that of the Inner Temple, where he was born and spent many years. The figures at the bells are those which once stood out from the façade of St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street, and are now in Lord Londesborough's garden in Regent's Park. Lamb shed tears when they were removed. The tricksy sprite and the candles (brought by Betty) need no explanatory words of mine.
Charles Lamb
Mary Lamb
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THE WORKS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB, VOLUME 2
WITH A FRONTISPIECE
INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
FRONTISPIECE
ELIA
ELIA
OXFORD IN THE VACATION
CHRIST'S HOSPITAL FIVE AND THIRTY YEARS AGO
THE TWO RACES OF MEN
NEW YEAR'S EVE
MRS. BATTLE'S OPINIONS ON WHIST
A CHAPTER ON EARS
ALL FOOLS' DAY
THE OLD AND THE NEW SCHOOLMASTER
VALENTINE'S DAY
IMPERFECT SYMPATHIES
WITCHES, AND OTHER NIGHT-FEARS
MY RELATIONS
MACKERY END, IN HERTFORDSHIRE
MODERN GALLANTRY
THE OLD BENCHERS OF THE INNER TEMPLE
GRACE BEFORE MEAT
MY FIRST PLAY
DREAM-CHILDREN
DISTANT CORRESPONDENTS
THE PRAISE OF CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS
A COMPLAINT OF THE DECAY OF BEGGARS IN THE METROPOLIS
A DISSERTATION UPON ROAST PIG
A BACHELOR'S COMPLAINT OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF MARRIED PEOPLE
ON SOME OF THE OLD ACTORS
ON THE ARTIFICIAL COMEDY OF THE LAST CENTURY
ON THE ACTING OF MUNDEN
THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA
PREFACE
BLAKESMOOR IN H——-SHIRE
POOR RELATIONS
STAGE ILLUSION
TO THE SHADE OF ELLISTON
ELLISTONIANA
DETACHED THOUGHTS ON BOOKS AND READING
THE OLD MARGATE HOY
THE CONVALESCENT
SANITY OF TRUE GENIUS
CAPTAIN JACKSON
THE SUPERANNUATED MAN
THE GENTEEL STYLE IN WRITING
BARBARA S——
THE TOMBS IN THE ABBEY
AMICUS REDIVIVUS
SOME SONNETS OF SIR PHILIP SYDNEY
I
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
NEWSPAPERS THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
BARRENNESS OF THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY IN THE PRODUCTIONS OF MODERN ART
REJOICINGS UPON THE NEW YEAR'S COMING OF AGE
THE WEDDING
THE CHILD ANGEL
A DEATH-BED
OLD CHINA
POPULAR FALLACIES
I.—THAT A BULLY IS ALWAYS A COWARD
II.—THAT ILL-GOTTEN GAIN NEVER PROSPERS
III.—THAT A MAN MUST NOT LAUGH AT HIS OWN JEST
IV.—THAT SUCH A ONE SHOWS HIS BREEDING.—THAT IT IS EASY TO PERCEIVE HE IS NO GENTLEMAN
V.—THAT THE POOR COPY THE VICES OF THE RICH
VI.—THAT ENOUGH IS AS GOOD AS A FEAST
VII.—OF TWO DISPUTANTS, THE WARMEST IS GENERALLY IN THE WRONG
VIII.—THAT VERBAL ALLUSIONS ARE NOT WIT, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BEAR A TRANSLATION
IX.—THAT THE WORST PUNS ARE THE BEST
X.—THAT HANDSOME IS THAT HANDSOME DOES
XI.—THAT WE MUST NOT LOOK A GIFT-HORSE IN THE MOUTH
XII.—THAT HOME IS HOME THOUGH IT IS NEVER SO HOMELY
XIII.—THAT YOU MUST LOVE ME, AND LOVE MY DOG
XIV.—THAT WE SHOULD RISE WITH THE LARK
XV.—THAT WE SHOULD LIE DOWN WITH THE LAMB
XVI.—THAT A SULKY TEMPER IS A MISFORTUNE
APPENDIX
ON SOME OF THE OLD ACTORS
THE OLD ACTORS
THE OLD ACTORS
MR. SUETT
MR. MUNDEN
NOTES
ELIA
GRACE BEFORE MEAT
THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA
APPENDIX
INDEX
A
C
D
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y