The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb, Volume 2

The Works of Charles and Mary
Lamb, Volume 2

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Volume 2,
by Charles Lamb, et al, Edited by E. V. Lucas
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Title: The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb, Volume 2
Author: Charles Lamb
Release Date: November 30, 2003 [eBook #10343]
Language: English
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THE WORKS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB, VOLUME 2
ELIA; and THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA
BY
CHARLES LAMB
EDITED BY
E.V. LUCAS

[Illustration]

WITH A FRONTISPIECE

INTRODUCTION
This volume contains the work by which Charles Lamb is best known
and upon which his fame will rest--Elia and The Last Essays of Elia.
Although one essay is as early as 1811, and one is perhaps as late as
1832, the book represents the period between 1820 and 1826, when
Lamb was between forty-five and fifty-one. This was the richest period
of his literary life.
The text of the present volume is that of the first edition of each
book--Elia, 1823, and The Last Essays of Elia, 1833. The principal
differences between the essays as they were printed in the London
Magazine and elsewhere, and as they were revised for book form by
their author, are shown in the Notes, which, it should be pointed out,
are much fuller in my large edition. The three-part essay on "The Old
Actors" (London Magazine, February, April, and October, 1822), from
which Lamb prepared the three essays; "On Some of the Old Actors,"
"The Artificial Comedy of the Last Century," and "The Acting of
Munden," is printed in the Appendix as it first appeared. The absence
of the "Confessions of a Drunkard" from this volume is due to the fact
that Lamb did not include it in the first edition of The Last Essays of
Elia. It was inserted later, in place of "A Death-Bed," on account of
objections that were raised to that essay by the family of Randal Norris.
The story is told in the notes to "A Death-Bed." The "Confessions of a
Drunkard" will be found in Vol. I.
In Mr. Bedford's design for the cover of this edition certain Elian
symbolism will be found. The upper coat of arms is that of Christ's
Hospital, where Lamb was at school; the lower is that of the Inner
Temple, where he was born and spent many years. The figures at the
bells are those which once stood out from the façade of St. Dunstan's
Church in Fleet Street, and are now in Lord Londesborough's garden in
Regent's Park. Lamb shed tears when they were removed. The tricksy
sprite and the candles (brought by Betty) need no explanatory words of
mine.
E.V.L.

CONTENTS

APPENDIX TEXT NOTE PAGE PAGE
The South-Sea House 1 342 Oxford in the Vacation 8 345 Christ's
Hospital Five and Thirty Years Ago 14 350 The Two Races of Men 26
355 New Year's Eve 31 358 Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist 37 361 A
Chapter on
Ears 43 363 All Fools' Day 48 367 A Quaker's Meeting 51 367 The Old
and the New Schoolmaster 56 369 Valentine's Day 63 370 Imperfect
Sympathies 66 370 Witches, and other Night-Fears 74 372 My
Relations 80 373 Mackery End, in Hertfordshire 86 375 Modern
Gallantry 90 377 The Old Benchers of the Inner Temple 94 379 Grace
Before Meat 104 384 My First Play 110 385 Dream-Children; A
Reverie 115 388 Distant Correspondents 118 389 The Praise of
Chimney-Sweepers 124 390 A Complaint of the Decay of Beggars in
the Metropolis 130 392 A Dissertation upon Roast Pig 137 395 A
Bachelor's Complaint of the Behaviour of Married People 144 397 On
Some Old Actors 150 397 On the Artificial Comedy of the Last
Century 161 399 On the Acting of Munden 168 400
THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA TEXT NOTE PAGE PAGE
Preface, by a Friend of the late Elia 171 402 Blakesmoor in H----shire
174 405 Poor Relations 178 408 Stage Illusion 185 408 To the Shade
of Elliston 188 409 Ellistoniana 190 410 Detached Thoughts on Books
and Reading 195 411 The Old Margate Hoy 201 415 The Convalescent
208 416 Sanity of True Genius 212 416 Captain Jackson 215 416 The
Superannuated Man 219 417 The Genteel Style in Writing 226 420
Barbara S---- 230 421 The Tombs in the Abbey