Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-02
CHARLES LAMB.

An essayist in Harpers' Magazine, writing of
the humOriSts says: ... .s-e
Perhaps the most delightful and popular of
this class is Charles Lamb-a man costly do
mesticated by the hearts freside Of his read
ers Such wit such humOr, such imagination,
such intelligence, such sentiment, such kindh
ness such heroism-all 30 quantity mixed and
mingled, and suffering out in 30 freakish
fashion, and all blending 30 finely in that ex-
quisite eccentric something which we call the
character Of Charles Lamb, make him the most
loysble Of writers and men. His essays-the
gossip Of created genius-are of a piece with the
records Of his life and conversation. Whether
saluting his copy Of Chapman's . Homer" with
kiss-or saying grace before reading Milton
or going to the theatre to see his own farce act
ed, and join in the Kisses of the pit when it
fails-Or sagely wondering if the Oges Of Som
erset were not descendants Of King Lear
telling Barry Cornwall not to invite a lugubri-
Gus gentleman TO dinner, because his face would
cause a damp over a funeral-Or giving
reason why he did not leave off smoking, the
difficulty Of finding an equivalent vice-or
striking into a hot controversy between Cole
ridge and Holcroft, as to whether man as he is,
or man as he is to be, is preferable, and settling
the dispute by saying, give me a man as he is
not to be''-or doing some deed Of kindness and
love, with tears in his eyes and a pun on his
lips-he is always the same dear, strange, de-
lightful companion and friend. He is never
the rogue-withOut scrap Of logic to astOund
common sense.
Z" Mr.. Lamb" ;" says the head clerk at the In
dis House, you come down very late in the
morning" "Yes, SIR" Mr. Lamb replies,
/" bat then, you know, go home very early in
the afternoon. And then with what humorous
eXtravagance he expresses his peeyishness at
being confined to such work, with curious inge-
nuity running his malediction on commerce
along all its lines Of influence. O. Confusion
blast all mercantile transactions, all traffic,
exchange of commodities, intercourse between
nations, all the consequent civilization, and
wealth and amity, and link Of society, and get
ting rid Of prejudices and knowledge of the
face Of the globe and rot all the frs of the for
est, that look 90 romantic alive, and die into
desks" 1t is impossible to cheat this frolic-
some humorist with any pretence, any exagge-
rated sentiment, any OF the do-me-goodisms Of
we'll meaning moral feebleness. A lady sends
him Cqlebs in search of Wife, for his pc
rusal and guidance. He returns it with his
quartrain written on the fly leaf, expressing
the slight disagreement between his views of
matrimony and those entertained by Miss Han
nah Moore -
80 II ever / marry wife,
III marry landlords daughter,
And sit in the bar all day,
And drink cold brandy and water"
II he thus slips out of controversy by max ing
the broadest absurdities the vehicles of the
finest insight his sense and enjoyment of ab-
surdities IN others rises to rupture. The non
senscsl ingenuity of the pamphlet in which
his friend Capel Loft took the ground that Ma
pOleOn, while in the hands Of the English,
might sue out a writ of habeas corpus, threw
him into ecstaeies. And not only has he quibs
and quirks and twisted words for all he sees
and feels, but he has the pleasantest art of ma
king his very maladies interesting by transmu-
ting them into jests Out of the darkest depths
of the " dismals' fly some Of the happiest con-
ceits- my bedfellows,' he writes to Woods
worth, ''sre cough and cramp. We sleep three
in bed" How is it. he says, " that can
not get rid Of this cold 1t can't be from
lack of care. / have studiOusly been out all
these rainy 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, and yeti won't depart'-
a sage decision, worthy Of that physician who
told his patient that if he had no serious draw
backs he would probably be worse in a week.
To crown all, and to make the character per-
feet in its winning contradictions, there beats
beneath the fantastic covering and incalcula-
Bile caprices Of the humOrist the best heart in
the world, capable of courtesy, of friendship, Of
love, Of heroic sef-devOtiOn and unOstentatiOus
self sacrifice.