Alas! Wednesday shines no more to me now.
Miss Duncan played famously in the new comedy, which went off as famously. By the way, she put in a spiteful piece of wit, I verily believe of her own head; and methought she stared me full in the face. The words were "As silent as an author in company." Her hair and herself looked remarkably well.
[Angelica Catalani (1782-1849) was the great singer. I find no record of
Coleridge's meeting with her.
"Miss Duncan." Praise of this lady in Miss Hardcastle and other parts
will be found in Leigh Hunt's Critical Essays on the Performers of the
London Theatres, 1807. At this time she was playing with the Drury Lane
Company at the Lyceum. They produced several new plays.]
LETTER 199
(Fragment)
CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN MORGAN
[Dated at end: March 8, 1811.]
There—don't read any further, because the Letter is not intended for you but for Coleridge, who might perhaps not have opened it directed to him suo nomine. It is to invite C. to Lady Jerningham's on Sunday. Her address is to be found within. We come to Hammersmith notwithstanding on Sunday, and hope Mrs. M. will not think of getting us Green Peas or any such expensive luxuries. A plate of plain Turtle, another of Turbot, with good roast Beef in the rear, and, as Alderman Curtis says, whoever can't make a dinner of that ought to be damn'd. C. LAMB.
Friday night, 8 Mar., 1811.