The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb, vol 5 | Page 2

of manuscript letters were, after the
writer's death, entitled to the copyright in them when published, were
careful to make it clear that they did not intend to overrule the authority
of those cases where a deceased man's representatives have been held
entitled to restrain the publication of his private letters by the recipients
or persons claiming through them. The Court expressly affirmed the

common law right of the writer and his representatives in unpublished
letters. It did not follow that because the copyright, if there was
publication, would be in the person who, being proprietor of the
author's manuscript, first published, that that person would be entitled
to publish. The common law right would be available to enable the
legal personal representatives, under proper circumstances, to restrain
publication." That is how the copyright law as regards letters stands
to-day (1912).
The present edition has been revised throughout and in it will be found
much new material. I have retained from the large edition only such
notes as bear upon the Lambs and the place of the letters in their life,
together with such explanatory references as seemed indispensable. For
the sources of quotations and so forth the reader must consult the old
edition.
For permission to include certain new letters I have to thank the Master
of Magdalene, Mr. Ernest Betham, Major Butterworth, Mr. Bertram
Dobell, Mr. G. Dunlop, and Mr. E. D. North of New York.
As an example of other difficulties of editing, at any given time, the
correspondence of Charles and Mary Lamb, I may say that while these
volumes were going through the press, Messrs. Sotheby offered for sale
new letters by both hands, the existence of which was unknown equally
to English editors and to Boston Bibliophiles. The most remarkable of
them is a joint letter from sister and brother to Louisa Martin, their
child-friend (to whom Lamb wrote the verses "The Ape"), dated March
28, 1809. Mary begins, and Charles then takes the pen and becomes
mischievous. Thus, "Hazlitt's child died of swallowing a bag of white
paint, which the poor little innocent thing mistook for sugar candy. It
told its mother just before it died, that it did not like soft sugar candy,
and so it came out, which was not before suspected. When it was
opened several other things were found in it, particularly a small hearth
brush, two golden pippins, and a letter which I had written to Hazlitt
from Bath. The letter had nothing remarkable in it." ... The others are
from brother and sister to Miss Kelly, the actress, whom Lamb, in 1819,
wished to marry. The first, March 27, 1820, is from Mary Lamb saying
that she has taken to French as a recreation and has been reading
Racine. The second is from Lamb, dated July 6, 1825, thanking Miss
Kelly for tickets at Arnold's theatre, the Lyceum, and predicting the

success of his farce "The Pawnbroker's Daughter." How many more
new letters are still to come to light, who shall say?
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 OF VOLUME V
LETTERS BY NUMBER
1796.
1 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge May 27 From the original in the
possession of Mrs. Alfred Morrison.
2 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge End of May? From the original
(Morrison Collection).
3 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge June 10 From the original (Morrison
Collection).
4 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge June 13 Mr. Hazlitt's text (Bohn's
edition).
5 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge July 1 From the original (Morrison
Collection).
6 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge July 5 From the facsimile of the
original (Mr. E. H. Coleridge).
7 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge July 6 From the original (Morrison
Collection).
8 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Sept. 27 From the original
(Morrison Collection).
9 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Oct. 3 From the original (Morrison
Collection).
10 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Oct. 17 From the original
(Morrison Collection).
11 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Oct. 24 Mr. Hazlitt's text (Bohn).

12 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Oct. 28 Mr. Hazlitt's text (Bohn).
13 Charles Lamb to S. T. Coleridge Nov. 8