Works of Charles and Mary Lamb. VI-VII. Letters
Charles Lamb to Robert Southey, 7 November 1804
DEAR Southey,—You were the last person from whom we heard of Dyer, and if you know where to forward the news
I now send to him, I shall be obliged to you to lose no time. ![]()
| 1804 | A LETTER OF CONSOLATION | 299 |
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D.’s sister-in-law, who lives in St. Dunstan’s
Court, wrote to him about three weeks ago, to the Hope Inn, Cambridge, to
inform him that Squire Houlbert, or some such name, of
Denmark Hill, has died, and left her husband a thousand pounds, and two or
three hundred to Dyer. Her letter got no answer, and she
does not know where to direct to him; so she came to me, who am equally in the
dark. Her story is, that Dyer’s immediately coming
to town now, and signing some papers, will save him a considerable sum of
money—how, I don’t understand; but it is very right he should hear of
this. She has left me barely time for the post; so I conclude with all Love,
&c., to all at Keswick.
Dyer’s brother, who, by his wife’s account,
has got 1000l. left him, is father of the little dirty
girl, Dyer’s niece and factotum.
In haste,
Yours truly,
C. Lamb.
If you send George this, cut off the last paragraph.
D.’s laundress had a letter a few days
since; but George never dates.
George Dyer (1755-1841)
English poet, antiquary, and friend of Charles Lamb; author of
Poems
and Critical Essays (1802),
Poetics: or a Series of Poems and
Disquisitions on Poetry, 2 vols (1812),
History of the
University and Colleges of Cambridge, 2 vols (1814) and other works.
Robert Southey (1774-1843)
Poet laureate and man of letters whose contemporary reputation depended upon his prose
works, among them the
Life of Nelson, 2 vols (1813),
History of the Peninsular War, 3 vols (1823-32) and
The Doctor, 7 vols (1834-47).
