Works of Charles and Mary Lamb. VI-VII. Letters
Charles Lamb to Edward Moxon, 12 November 1830
DEAR Moxon,—I
have brought my sister to Enfield, being
sure that she had no hope of recovery in London. Her state of mind is
deplorable beyond any example. I almost fear whether she has strength at her
time of life ever to get out of it. Here she must be nursed, and neither see
nor hear of anything in the world out of her sick chamber. The mere hearing
that Southey had called at our lodgings
totally upset her. Pray see him, or hear of him at Mr. Rickman’s, and excuse my not writing to him. I dare
not write or receive a letter in her presence; every little task so agitates
her. Westwood will receive any letter
for me, and give it me privately.
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LETTERS OF C. AND M. LAMB |
Nov. |
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Pray assure Southey
of my kindliest feelings towards him; and, if you do not see him, send this to
him.
Kindest remembrances to your sister, and believe me ever
yours,
Remember me kindly to the Allsops.
Thomas Massa Alsager (1779-1846)
Journalist and music critic for the
Times; he was the friend of
Leigh Hunt and Thomas Barnes; John Keats was reading Alsager's copy of Chapman's poems when
he wrote the famous sonnet.
Mary Anne Lamb (1764-1847)
Sister of Charles Lamb with whom she wrote Tales from Shakespeare (1807). She lived with
her brother, having killed their mother in a temporary fit of insanity.
Edward Moxon (1801-1858)
Poet and bookseller; after employment at Longman and Company he set up in 1830 with
financial assistance from Samuel Rogers and became the leading publisher of literary
poetry.
John Rickman (1771-1840)
Educated at Magdalen Hall and Lincoln College, Oxford, he was statistician and clerk to
the House of Commons and an early friend of Charles Lamb and Robert Southey.
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).
Thomas Westwood senior (1833 fl.)
A retired haberdasher, he was the miserly agent for the Phoenix Insurance Company with
whom Charles and Mary Lamb lodged at Enfield from 1829-33.
