New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-02-03
FROM LONDON.
A New hook About Charles Lamb and .
Suggestion for American Authors anA
Publishers.
LONDON, Jan. 10, 1896.
the remedy.
From Our Special Correspondents.

| Publishers.
| From Our Special Correspondents.
LONDON, Jan. 10, 1896.
| alluded in my last to a new book about
Charles Lamb-then just published and the object %
some expectation on imy part Interested as always
have been in all that the most exquisite mose
oyeable of gsb humoristshe unique of essayists-
the individual who" he almost wrote Of book, M
the species" Believing that not at all singular IN
this taste shall devote page or so TO the yolume-its
appearance aord!ng opportunity for few remarks
which WILL think. find apprecistiye room in The
Tribune. First about the book: "Charles Lamp;
His Friends; His Haunts and His Book" by Percy
Fitzgerald VI. a. +. g. A.. a gentleman who mas,
hear written a clever volume about Srerne and novel
or two This production Is luxurionsyprinted, wide.
margined high.priced Quarto OF go pages OF onlyD
ines each-a fancy" book generally, ornamented with
three portraits of Lamb, Of which more hereafter
Cley.rly written containing good deal Of citons ap.
precation ofis subject Though nothing new and nothing
that Las not beer at least, well said before on ss
hea and not at all preentiousy set forth II assumes
to be collection Of the many little details about Lamb
which since the death of his friend and bOgrapher.
Tafourd have found their way into print through va
ious sources or have been indusriousy gathered By
personal inquiry. capital idea, certainly ara
worthy Of cordial welcome from ali lovers Of Ella"
only Mr. Fitzgerald carries it out imperfectly and
his volume shows too much "bookmaking." One
would prefer TO accept Il with unqualified content and
gratitude, but IL isn't possible. take exception To
both what it contains and what 1t omits W the
former for instance. quotations from Lambs Essays
the best known OF them-sometnes over couple q
pages in length; from Leigh Hunt (ao involving aneS
dotes or illustrations of Lamb FROM Charles Dickens
and many others. OF the latter when much is made
OF comparatively Insignificant omissions in Ella -
published in the first collected edition why not reprin1
ct cetera-halfa dozen in namber-which Lamb left b
comparative obscurity in that periodical, not to
mention other really interesting and yals-
ADLER Here the names of the exscin6e1
London" articles The Gentle Giantess Guy
Faux Reflections in the Pilory: Vision Of
Horns; A Letter from Old Gentleman whose Eduoa-
ton has been Neglected; The ctitious) Biography Of
Liston companion to the latter in the shape of
nrum OF February s32. Indeed materials for Mr.
Fitzgerads delightful task Lying around loose" In
very many directions but truth 10 tell be has been In
excusaby careless about il. HIS volume is altogether
imperfect l myself could add great deal to il IRON
the accumulated scssorizations which enrich my Oh
two.volume edition OF Lamb published by the HarperS
in ls3S-eomprlsug Letters. anecdotes, and what not
all concerning Ella and his belongings. Furthermore
there and ignorances In the book Of which
no welread man ought 10 have been guilty. Thus
wel.known fancy and story OF Leigh Hunts lpages
% and 40 are seyeraly ascribed % Lamb and Sidney
Smith; the essay of Valentines Day is eroneously At
tributed to Elis see Wlliss Pencngs by tho Way for
that the Clmberbatch. Of whose borrowings from his
library Lamb SO humoronsy complains, and whom Mr..
Fitzgerald terms Skimpolehearted depredator !" Wa
no other than Coeridge. that being the name assumed
BY him during his enlistment private soldier. The
book too contains nothing about the history Of that
notable contributor TO the London magazne-and po.s-
oner-who wrote under the signature Of Janus Wealth
ercocs, the hero of Buwers "Lucretia, and DckeDss
Hunted Down. 1t might, perhaps, be too much y
expect Mr. Fitzgerald 70 look to america Tor material
magazine communicated by Ansop and several lettera
Then for Jokes little stories noteets, ID genus omns
he is so bare that can't find any eligible quotations.
Hence after mention of the portraits Shall dismiss the
volume for suggestion OF my own.
The frontIspiece is the fHllength sketch by Brook
Pnhau done in 1876 the caricature sold in the
shops which pretended to be lkeness"--ipropos Of
which Proctor went into the shop In passion and
asked the what he meant by putting forth such
libel" quote Leigh Hunts testimony-Mr Ftzger-
aid thinks that allowing small margin for
drawn grOesque. it seems 10 convey good notion Of
Fila The second affords US Lamb at and.tventy
"A good head, nnauthentcated. The third Is a half
length enlarged from the full given In Frdsrs Nag.
a:ias most fecitOus portrait, perhaps the best ex
tani but done imperfect justice to In the copy Where
is the original portrait of Lamb. painted by Cary.
short time prior to his decease which sold for 22 50
the sale Of the library, &C.. Of j. NJ. Clutch. Elias
friend and schOolfelow, in March. 1855
We rant entirely edition Of hs r,tin1s OF
Charles Lamb and ntr bioerepay-the first TO comprise
every essay poem letter noteet joke scrap jot and
title from his pen that the most loving industrious re-
search can got ogeher-inclnding even the sixpenny
daily jokes which be furnished 70 The London Morning
PO.t for long twelvemonth;" the latter TO exhaust
Taltourd, Hood, Haztt, Leigh Hum, Moxon. Patmore.
Dyer, Daniel--al Of them-the magaxneS criticisms.
incidental notices aud illusions that abound bore there
and everywhere. And pending the appearance Oh
the work upon which Mr. Proctor Is known TO DC en-
gagged" dhanks for thar news. Mr.. faxgeradp Wy
should not American author and puoisnef unasi-
take to supply the deficiency Writes MI rgsr
1T 10 said there Is almost better appreemtoa .,
Lamb in America than IN England MT. d.;
his damned farce oundis way 70 Ins ncw coun's any
has bceen acted In several American cities. ne
nor psyhap. kaorn too not Of Lambs books sndpa-
passed Or iso msriss some tune before M:
tail "a 20 MIN Of the ,dolatry with which Lambs mem.
cry and writings we're regarded III his country. and
persuaded the publisher that no greater homage cooa
10 ns,d In that memory than 70 allow those relics paSe
ntp sber or stody on which specous representatives
the hooks were actually sent and are now In some U
h,e.rv i'm America" Here, then, is material 10 oegm
With Wbere tha. library those books "snd 0a9"~