The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-10-09
CharSes Lansb.

fix an epi,het" to designate him. should
especially devote to him, above all men
that ever lived, the term "quaini." He Is,
indeed, unlike every other writer. There
is a neatness, point and uncxpcctednesa
abou, his sentences inexpressibly charming.
lie INDUCES in no suPerfiuous word. His
thoughts are now sweet and touching Then
humorous, and he very often puts depth
Of philosophy In his pithy language which
reminds one Of Bacon's essays without
their manncrism and pedantry. In this 70.
spect he Is the completes, Of all our cssay.
lists. Ifhe inlulgcs 10 an affectation OF
concei,, he 90 humanizes it rs to make Il
reach the heart. What can DO more nd-
lnirable than his essay on April fools, where
he welcomes all the great heroes Of ancient
and modern times as guests to his banquet
How quantity he turns the famous sayings
Of these famous men into 80 many childish
ebulitions How splendidly hs converts
to his own use the world.fa'nous spectacle
of Alexander weeping for moro worlds to
conquer. when lie introduces him with,
"Ah, AIcck, my boy, crying!
Cry, Aiech, cry,
Tut his finger In his eye.
Shull have another world, round ns nm
orange, to play with, and squeeze all the
juice out oft, and then throw tho peel
AWAY"
Hero, In few simple words, tho humor'
ous Elm has turned the butcher Of his fel'
low.cren,,lrcs into blubbering lad. bel.
lowing fur broken toy.
And what inirni,nble fun there Is In his
wcll.known story Of "Roast Pig!" Like
"Don Quixote," there is always underly.
| ing his delicate fancies a hidden meaning
which is popularity called ",he moral" bu'
which makes It as relishing to tho Philoso'
pher as to the commonplace reader.
1 remember the old genialist, if mny
invent word TO fit dear oil Charles Lamb,
II think I see him now before mo. II
was at the Tigers Head tavern, on tho top
of Iligl,gntc Hill. Beside him sat the "oId
man eloquent" Samuel Taylor Cole'idgc'
drinking nothing, but discoursing with
only on occasional pause. On the table
before Lamb was bright pewter pot, near
ly drained ofits porter, which, let mo ex'
plain for the benefit Of the innocent Bosto
mans, Is beverage much quafed in Eng
land, aud very much the color Of moderate
ly black ink. Lamb said. ii do not like Il
have my old articles OF faith destroyed
Here's some coufbundcd fellow publisbet
new life Of Shakespeare, in which h
main tains that Cervantes and glorious viii
did not die on tho same day. Tho mans
a fool. ] say they did-or ought TO have
done so. if Providence understood It's bust.
ness can hear their discmbodied spiits
explaining to each other the madness oi
Hamlet and Don Quixote! These fellows
who 60 about stirring up unsavoy facts,
will want mo next 10 give up Jack the
Giant Killer; bot I'll $50 'em hanged
first"
Upon one occasion ho calmly and scri.
ously asked clergyman, who had been
boring his companions with long Grafton
on the advantages Of fgodliness, which none
could dispute. "Thcn, sir, do you mean to
maintain, in this company, that thief is
not good nan?' The bewildcrmcnt Of
the revenged proser wus very amusing.
Upon another occasion, when there were
scveml clcrgymen present, one OF whom
had expressed very harsh opinions on the
depravity Of the poor, concluding with,
"ln my opinion, the curse Of the day is the
surplus population" Lamb said. "ingreo
with you; but You don't pronounce the
word correctly. The cursc oftho day Is
the surplico population"
One of his hest retorts happened thus -
A ncighbor of his-allhough he had made
all his wealth in the cheese business s-hav.
ing retired with large fortune. shrunk
with holy horror from all ullusion to his
having been connected with trade, his wife
and daughter affecting nristoeracy. They
all, consequently, resented any, reference
TO their former occupation as Q personal al.
front. On one occasion he entered into a
discussion with Lamb on the rights Of The
poor; and, perceiving that his remarks
were very dis,nsteful to the kind hearted
poet, he said: "You see Mr.. Lamb, that I
have not in inc any Of what you poets call
the milk OF human Kindness NO.
said Lamb, 'you mado that into cheese
long ago." The retirc,l cheese. monger
was moro chary Ia future Of expressing his
opinion.
Lamb was once nsked by Sergeant Tai.
iourd to dinner party, where there was q
young nulhor who had just published q
volume Of poems. a copy Of his book.
very elegantly bound, was found by Lamb
on 1'alfounl's table. The oil humorist,
before dinner, lookcl over Il and saw that
II was collection Of conccit und common
place. Having pro,ligious memory, lie
repeated n, tho dinner table some Of the
verses, saying they were hls juvenile pro.
ductions. The young author writhed un.
der tho practical joke. but said nothing
When, however, Lamb openly rccised rs
his own Millions magnificent commence.
mcnl 10 the second book Of Psrad'so
LOST
.IIlsh On . royai thr,os, sAieh hr o.nhse'
rhe wealth q omus and 4 Ind, ,"As
tho young poet. who bad Des% s'','."' u0,s af ,bo
all tho evening, to tho .'.C".'' 'e%a .r.,ss,,d.
company. ro.o and said: r., "nf. .,h '"o :" .l.im