DEAR Sir,—I have read your poetry with pleasure. The
tales are pretty and prettily told, the language often finely poetical. It is
only sometimes a little careless, I mean as to redundancy. I have marked
certain passages (in pencil only, which will easily obliterate) for your
consideration. Excuse this liberty. For the distinction you offer me of a
dedication, I feel the honor of it, but I do not think it would advantage the
publication. I am hardly on an eminence enough to warrant it. The Reviewers,
who are no friends of mine—the two big ones especially who make a
| 566 | LETTERS OF C. AND M. LAMB | May |
The “Specimens” would give a handle to it, which the poems might seem to want. But I submit it to yourself with the old recollection that “beggars should not be chusers” and remain with great respect and wishing success to both your publications
No hurry at all for Tourneur.
