C. LAMB.
[James Kenney and his wife were now living at St. Valery. Marshall was
Godwin's old friend, whom we have already seen, and Fanny was Fanny
Holcroft.
Lamb's friend Fanny Kelly is first mentioned by Lamb in this letter. Frances Maria Kelly (1790-1882), to give her her full name, was then playing at the Lyceum. We shall soon see much of her.
"We've left the Temple pro tempore"—referring to the Dalston lodgings.
"What lady I mean." Mrs. Godwin lived in Skinner Street.
Manning, on his return from China, was wrecked near Sunda on February 17, 1817. The passengers were taken to St. Helena, and he did not reach England until the summer. This must give us the date of the present letter, previously attributed to October, 1816.
George Dawe was not knighted. Probably it was rumoured that he was to be. His portrait of Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg (who died in 1817 so soon after her marriage) was very popular.
Louisa would be Louisa Holcroft. In Tom Holcroft, Lamb later took some interest.]
LETTER 238
MARY LAMB TO DOROTHY WORDSWORTH
[P.M. November 21, 1817.]