Memoirs of William Hazlitt
Ch. XVIII 1829-30
Charles Lamb to Sarah Stoddart Hazlitt, 3 June 1830
[June 3, 1830.]
“Dear Sarah,
“I named your thought about William to his father, who expressed such horror and aversion to the idea of
his singing in public, that I cannot meddle in it directly or indirectly.
Ayrton is a kind fellow, and if you
choose to consult him, by letter or otherwise, he will give you the best
advice, I am sure, very readily. I have no doubt
that Mr.
Burney’s objection to
interfering was the same with mine. With thanks for your pleasant long
letter, which is not that of an invalid, and sympathy for your sad sufferings,*
I remain,
“In haste,
“Yours truly,
[Charles Lamb.]
“Mary’s kindest love.
“Mrs. Hazlitt,
“At Mr. Broomhead’s,
“St. Anne’s Square, Buxton.”
William Ayrton (1777-1858)
A founding member of the Philharmonic Society and manager of the Italian opera at the
King's Theatre; he wrote for the
Morning Chronicle and the
Examiner.
Martin Charles Burney (1788-1852)
The son of Admiral James Burney and nephew of Fanny Burney; he was a lawyer on the
western circuit, and a friend of Leigh Hunt, the Lambs, and Hazlitts.
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
English essayist and literary critic; author of
Characters of
Shakespeare's Plays (1817),
Lectures on the English Poets
(1818), and
The Spirit of the Age (1825).
William Hazlitt Jr. (1811-1893)
The son of the critic and father of the bibliographer William Carew Hazlitt; he was
registrar of the London court of bankruptcy and editor of his father's works.
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.
