The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3 / Books for Children

Produced by William Flis, Keren Vergon, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.
The present volume contains all the stories and verses for children which we know Charles and Mary Lamb to have written. The text is that of the first or second editions, as explained in the Notes. The Poetry for Children and Prince Dorus have been set up from the late Andrew W. Tuer's facsimiles. The large edition of this volume contains all the original pictures, together with the apochryphal Beauty and the Beast .
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.
PAGE Preface 1 The Tempest 3 A Midsummer Night's Dream 13 The Winter's Tale 23 Much Ado About Nothing 33 As You Like It 44 The Two Gentlemen of Verona 58 The Merchant of Venice 69 Cymbeline 81 King Lear 92 Macbeth 106 All's Well that Ends Well 115 The Taming of the Shrew 126 The Comedy of Errors 136 Measure for Measure 148 Twelfth Night; or, What You Will 161 Timon of Athens 173 Romeo and Juliet 184 Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 199 Othello 213 Pericles, Prince of Tyre 225
Preface 240 CHAPTER I. The Cicons—The fruit of the lotos tree—Polyphemus and the Cyclops—The kingdom of the winds, and god Æolus's fatal present—The Læstrygonian man-eaters 241 CHAPTER II. The House of Circe—Men changed into beasts—The voyage to hell—The banquet of the dead 250 CHAPTER III. The song of the Sirens—Scylla and Charybdis—The oxen of the Sun—The judgment—The crew killed by lightning 262 CHAPTER IV. The Island of Calypso—Immortality refused 269 CHAPTER V. The tempest—The sea-bird's gift—The escape by swimming—The sleep in the woods 273 CHAPTER VI. The Princess Nausicaa—The washing—The game with the ball—The Court of Phæacia and king Alcinous. 277 CHAPTER VII. The songs of Demodocus—The convoy home—The mariners transformed to stone—The young shepherd. 283 CHAPTER VIII. The change from a king to a beggar—Eumæus and the herdsmen—Telemachus 290 CHAPTER IX. The queen's suitors—The battle of the beggars—The armour taken down—The meeting with Penelope 301 CHAPTER X. The madness from above—The bow of Ulysses—The slaughter—The conclusion 308