New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-13

essays Poetry dies in hour the charter repre-
beth In the year 1900 and win endure forever" Mr.
Fields said when no last In London he made search
for the stately porcos the vast starcases the solemn
ommtee-rooms Of the East India House. ana they had
vanished into air But, he said the little volume, parity
composed no doubt In of those very precincts
of prosperity and grandeur is just full Of life and
vigor to-day The riches OF Borneo and snmara
are nowhere to be gathered up; but there Is agrah
little casket called the Essays Of Ella" which will sur
yive forever. Lamb wac "a poor mans SOMA poor
his toiling existence Mr. Fields described Lamb and
COleridge strong together as boys through tue cos
tiers OF Christ Hospital in which Institution they were
scholars. lie depicted Coleridge as reeitng Pndar IN
Greek. commenting In his sweet honatlons on t tn
world compelled to earn his own livelihood ana nep 10
support his old father aud mother and his delicate ser
at home They were then all living together ut No;
Little Queenst.. in Hoborn. In 1876 the kind Old
father Is rapidly sinking into dOtage he mother mas
LOST the use of her limbs. and Mary taking In needle
WORK 10 add TO their slender Their income
all told ia $3.50 a year. There ia a tendency TO
INSANITY in the family and they all know Il
and fear it, Suddenly at the age of 20 it breaks out
in poor Charles himself, and he goes INTO hauh9use
for six weeks Mary Lamb the sister was described as
humanity speaking, thoroughly devoid OF selfshness;
her tender devotion 20 mother her highest idea
OF earthly duty The family was preparing on inc ga
when the daughter seized with sudden NJ OF INSANITY,
rushed at her poor deienseess dozed old mother and
sabbed nor to thr heart Mr. Fields read letter from
Lamb Coleridge depicting the whole scene IN when
Lamb says write as religious letter as possible TO
me CooffdCp hut make no mention OF what is gone and
done with all former things have passed away; God
help met And in TINS wise Chares Lamb, the seas-
tive shy scholar and hardw orkns clerk enters on his
9st wear the common era Of hope aud anticipation In
Mt Fields then called up the corps Of writel3 who With
Lamb, contributed 20 The London Magazine carlyle,
DE Quincy Lander, Keats, john boWring barry corn
wall, aud Others and gave a graphic account OF Tue
young man who called himself Janus Weathereock Dut
whose real name was Thomas VINO SO9ea
The awful of this brilliant young Top VINO mao
al ed i'm among his betters. told at length
how he became murderer on large scale, accompany
ing his cruel posonlngs with forgery whenever thai
was MT. When he was al last sentenced
ran and lYnB III NbhBilt, DithtuH
went him with former Acquaintance ald described
10 Mr. Fields in what state OF mind they found this cul-
prit lie was undisturbed by rcmorse, and was vain
and selfish 10 the last degree. lie sau ne coulG
esysT Stay w 1GRS ower and felt lonely in an
apartment without the presence of ne cast OF the We
nus dc Medic Mr.. Fields then described at engtn COle
ridoe's Intimacy with Lamb Then Tom Hood Talfourd.
Hazlitt, SOuthey, De Quincy. ana WordsWolth. some
of Lambs companions seemed out OF character and IN
congrnOus with Lambs genius. OF one OF them Lamb
petnlany said one day, "that ne would east damper
6yer f11erai" ana OF another :" that his presence
even IL he said nothing diluted the conversation"
George Dyer must have been blaneess Out uhnterese
ing Martin Burney who ha1 mos. ~ ,sJv
first time, Lamb almost dozgd ana ssIu Oh MN. ne IS
on the stop scale Of my irlendsmp 1ouet, yn wnIn a
angel or two ia still climbing ana sOme, alas! de-
Iambs brotber John Mr. Fields hardly considered
of Charess companions, but he had nnbie wit OF his
one day John was observing group OF Lon 9oys
at play aud he unused over their earnest healthy
sport he said what pity It l. 10 think that these fne
Ingenious lads Will some day be changed INTO frivolous
members Of Parliament
that the whole female world should recognize and honor
him for Lamb revereDced and upheld womaDhood in
tbire to the sex that has been estimated 1t
should be. Lamb was nobodys supplement- or soDe,
episode and depression In letters lie gathered mama
in the unpromising wilderness ana the seeming
barren rock had moisture III IL for him. No writer Of
English prose was more gifted with the power OF
association. He dwelt among his own people. Byron
used 10 be called by his contemporaries the spoiled
child OF fortune :" Lamb might be denOnlnacd the un
spoiled child OF misfortune for poverty and disease were
ms constant companions. He was ever accompanying
Writing once to "A friend he says " have only cough
ana cramp upon now, and We sleep three In bed
prase Mr. FIELDS spoke OF the letters Of Gray and Cow
Der ana Burns being OF the highest quay. Or the
dsconred with earnest praise also of the Dramatic
Specimens of the English Poets, who lived near to
said il is without speck Dlemlsh, and 10 the juvenile
Poetry and Mrs Leicester's school, great praise was
given. There was no stony nutriment In any OF the
books They would sarye the heart and stun the
head. Lambs character was admirably set lorth IN
CAPTAIN always puts handsome face upon INDECENT cir
cuinstances, aud where, when he had no wine, the
hospitality were the magnets that drew Lamb Ottenest
ola books, old chairs, Old tables old china old com
panons no loved most lie used TO- Shakespeare
1.-The heavens themselves areOld."
MIR Fields quoted many OF Lambs best sayings, some
OF which got into print. One Of these Is
very drolI: Charles aud Mary mace visit Paris,
neither of them understanding WORD OF French, and
friends with their rnishops They were constantly max
iug mistakes ordering their food one day, intending
To- ask the waiter for egg, he called in his ignorance
for en- de re "fho mistake" he said, produced
most pleasant result
Lamb like Dickens, had real affection for actOrs and
he has written OF them IN bis very best manner lie
never forgot that Shakespeare himself player
and that 10 be good excellence hard To achieve.
In Lambs later years the sight old bill touched
aud thrilled him. lie read and reread every word In II
with delight He always writes OF Dickens. Suett, Jack
Bannister and Bobby Palmer as II he loved them Mr.,
Fields drew picture OF Charles and Mary sitting IN the
orchestra at Drury Lane tine night Munden took his fare
well of the stage when the line old actor was seen be-
tween parts handing up out of the lower door OF the
orchestra mighty pot OF porter for the refreshment
Of Charles and his sister.
MIR Fields concluded his lecture by saying that the
story OF Lambs lifelong devotion to his sister Is
appeal against baser prOmptngs. aud summons to
noble action IL celebrates the spirits trumphs
dark and gloomy destiny The name OF Charles Lamb
must always be u constant influence for good In the
world Mr.. Folds says IL Is now known that Lambs
affections mad been strongly drawn In early life toward
young girl every way worthy Of his attachment. But
he smothered the feeling IN his own breast and resolved
that no earthly tie should DO formed that might
become divided duty with him in the sole Of his
poor insane, sister Mary. He resolved, God
helpng him. TO devote his fo to her life, putting aside
every thought Of happiness ia marriage and living
solely for comfort OF that lonely stricken woman.
Mr. Fields described Charles Lloyd meeting Lamb and
slowly pacing together little ootpath in
the fields and both weeping bitterly. They We're taking
their solemn way the insane asylum Mary was to be
its inmate again. and they were TO endure another ter
ribe separation. Mr. Fields said know Of nothing
sadder in all history literature than this glimpse OF
the brother and sister parting at tho asylum door, she
TO be confined in strait wai5tcOat, which on >such
fearful they always packed in bundle and
carried along with them. Poor, weeping wanderers 10
the home for hurt minds /! They have long ago expe-
rienced the great truth Of Cbannngs immortal line,
- II my bark sink its ~ another sea-"