The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-25

| sentimental novel, and comic photographic
for the papers, q blank verse play, poetry,
and a farce; he had worked dry his inven-
ton for the nursery, and he had rediscov-
cred the old dramatists; but he had not yet
discovered his own true line. He did no
yet know that his right function was that
OF essayist. The time for self knowledge
was, however, drawing near; for Leigh
Hunt and bis brother John, a printer, had
projected a new quarterly to be called
the Rtfsctor, and to be written mainly by
old Christie Hospitallers of whom Lamb
was not the least important. The r, f,ct.r
gave Lamb his first encouragement to SPREAD
his wings with some Of the freedom that
IN essayist demands. He did not make
the fullest use of it, not beng yet ready
to be the chartered egotist that he after
ward became; d~ifidence, humility, distrust
stood In his way; but Mr.. Lucas deems it
safe to say that had Lamb Lac ke1 the rre-
liminary training which his Rtf tt1r exer-
cises gave him, his Fla essays would have
been the poorer. The Rtf ttJr ceased
abruptly with its fourth number, but it's
work, SO far as Lamb was concerned, was
done.
In tho month OF August, 1872, Charles
Lamb became a landed proprietor. His
godfather, Francis Flelde, had left a lit,
freehold property to his wife, who con-
veyed it to Charles Lamb by indentures
Of lease and release. 1t was a cottage
aud garden, three-quarters of an acre in
area, situated at West Hill Green in the
parish Of ~Buntingsford, in Hertfordshire,
about two and a half miles from Poteridge.
According to the present biographer, the
little place has changed hardly at all since
Francis Fielde's godson made a journey
to see his first and last freehold. Lamb
sold the property in 1915 for G50-Mr. Flelde
had given only go for it.
In 1918 Lamb seems to have published
only The Confessions Of a Drunkard, "
some ecraps of table talk for Leigh Hunts
Examiner, and his -Recollections Of Christ's
Hospital in the Genuemdn's Magazine.
He also wrote the prologue for Coleridge's
tragedy @Remorse,' which was produced
at Drny Lane in January OF the year named.
An entry in Rohinson's diary under date
OF April, 1915, runs as follows: Read
lately Lambs Confessions OF a Drunkard,'
a very striking composition, and cal
culated to do good generally, though it
will hardly be thought so neal a correct
representation of fact as it really Is. 1t
is sometimes painfully eloquent Mr..
Lucas quotes some long pass ges from
this essay. which had first appeared in the
Phildnhro pist, and subsequently was re-
printed in a more correct form in ths
London Magazine. AT the later date Lamb
evidently wished TO add a statement in
which he admitted that a portion Of his
own experiences might have passed into the
picture, but he insisted that they had been
heightened and exaggerated. Mr.. Lucas is
inclined to think that the truth lay be-
tween the Confessions OF 1918 and Elias
note Of 1922. That is to say, Lamb was
more in earnest in 1878 than he admitted in
1922. or he affected more lightheartedness
in 1922 thar he had really known in 1918,
The present ~biographer believes that he
was in no sense the slave that he depicts
in the Confessions, but that he had often,
in less buoyant moods, allowed himself to
speculate on the possibility of his passing
into such bondage, and invented as terrible
a realization of slavery to alcohol as his
fancy was able to attain. 1t is further
pointed out that Lamb was in a public
Office where drunkenness was severely
~runished. and to write himself down a
drunkard would ave been an act of folly.
we may 10 uulUt sure IidI IL tlc NOu-
fessions' had been literally founded upon
fact Lamb would never have retired from
the East India House with a pension Of
Gi5o'a year.
It was in 1920 that Lamb began to con-
tribute light prose essays to the London
Magazine. His first paper (Which he signed
Elie) was c7lled "Recollec' ions Of the Old
South Sea House" The series Of eseays
came TO an end, so far as the London
Maqa,,ae was concerned, in 1925. THE
fast Ess1ys Of Ella" were collected in a
second volume eight years later. 1t was
in 1926 that Lamb, whose health was fell
ing, was permitted to resign his post in
the India House, The pension granted
to him by the directors was two-thirds of
the salary he was then earning. Charles
Lamb and his sister, whose health was
/ ecominG gradually worse, now took lodg-
ings-and subsequently a house-at In
field. whence they removed to the neighbour
ing village of Edmonton. Here in a smpll
cottage they spent the last years of their
Joint lives. In December, 1884, Charles
Lamb died, his sister surviving him nearly
thirteen years.