The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-10-09
Charles Lamb.

4
Of the humorists, says:
ierhnps the most delightful and popular
OF this class is Charles Lamb-a man cosi
~ domest'cated by the hearts fircside Of
his readers. Such wit, such humor. smell,
imagination, such intelligence, such senti
ment, such kindliness, such hcroism-alI So
quantity mixed and mingled, and stutter.
ing out IN so freakish a fashion, and all
blending so finely in that exquisite cccen.
tr'c something which we call the charac-
ter OF Charles Lamb, make him the most
lovable OF writers and men. His essays
the gossip of created genius-arc of q piece
with the records Of his life and conver,a-
ton. Whether saluling his copy at Chap
mans Homer" with kiss--or savinu
grace before reading Mlton-or going to
the theatre to see his own farce acted, and
join in the Kisses Of the pit when it fails
or sagely wondering if the Oyles of Somcr-
set were not descendant Of King Lcar-or
telling Barry Cornwall not to invite IA lug
ubrlous gentleman TO dinner, because his
face would cause damp over a funeral
or giving as reason why he did not leave
OFT smoking, the difficulty of finding an
equivalent vice-or striking into hot con
trorersy between Colrilge and IIolcroft, rs
to whether man rs lie is, or man rs he is
to be, is preferable, and settling the dispute
hy saying. "givc me a man as Inc is not to
bc'-or doing some deed Of kindness and
love- with tears in his eyes and pun on his
ips-hc Is always the same dear, strange,
delightful companion and friend. IL. is
never-the rogue-without scrap of log
&c to astound common sense.
"Mr. Lamb" says the head clerk at the
India House, "you come down very late in
the morning y YES, sir" Mr.. Lamb re-
plies, "but then, you know, / 60 home very
early in the afternoon" And then with
what humorous extravaganza he expresses
his peeviSllness at being confinel at such
work, with curious ingenuity running his
ma!e'llrt'on on commerce along all it's lines
OF influence. "Contusion blast all mcr-
camille transactions, all traffic, exchange Of
commodities intercourse between nations
all the consequent civilization, and wealth
and amity, and link of society, and rettinp
rid ofprcjudices, and knowledge Of tile
lace OF the globe and rot all the frs of
the forest, that look so romantic alive, and
die into desks 1t is impossible to cheat
this frolicsomc humorist with any prctcncc
any exaggerated sentiment, any Of the do.
me-good'sm of well meaning moral feeble
ness. A lady sends him "Coclebs in
search ofa Wife," for his perusa and
guidance. He returns it with his quar-
train written on a fly leaf, expressing the
slight disagreement between his views Of
natrImony and those entertained by Miss
Hannah Moore -
II ever marry wife,
Ill marry q landlords daughter
And sit in the bar all dmv,
And drink cold brandy and water''
II he thus slips out Of controversy by
making the broadest absurdties the vebic.
les OF the finest sight, his sense and en-
Joyment OF absurdities in others rises 10
rupture. The nonsenscial ingenuity of the
pamphlet in which his friend CapeI Loft
took the ground that Napoleon, while in
the hands ofthe English, might sue out
writ OF l'abeas corpus, threw him into &C.
stacles. And not only has the quibs. and
qu,rks and twisted words for ali lie sees
and feels, but he has the plcasantest art of
making his very maladcs interesting by
transmitting them into jccts. Out of the
darkest depths Of the ''dsmals' fly some of
tie happiest conceits. my bedfcllows,"
he writes TO Wordsworth, "are cough and
cramp. We sleep three in bed" "IIow
is IT," he says, chat can not get rid of this
cold 1t can't be from lack ofcare. Il
have studiously been out all these rainv
nights until Twelve o'clock, have had my
feet wet constantly, drank copiously Of
brandy TO ally inflammation, and done every
thing else to cure it, aud &c: it won't de-.
part"-a sage decision, worthy of that physi-
c'an who told his patient that if he had no
serious drawbacks he would probably be
worse in week. To crown all, and to
make the character perfect in its winning
there beats beneath the fan,
tas'lc covering and incalculable caprices of
the humorist the best heart in the world.
capable OF courtesy, Of friendship, of love.
OF heroic self-devotion and unostentatious
self sacrifice.