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LETTER 165（第1页）

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LETTER165

MARYLAMBTOSARAHSTODDART

Dec.21，1807.

MydearSarah，—Ihavedeferredansweringyourlastletter，inhopesofbeingabletogiveyousomeintelligencethatmightbeusefultoyou;forIeverydayexpectedthatHazlittoryouwouldmunicatetheaffairtoyourbrother;but，astheDoctorissilentuponthesubject，Iconcludeheyetknowsnothingofthematter.Youdesiremyadvice;andthereforeItellyouIthinkyououghttotellyourbrotherassoonaspossible;for，atpresent，heisonveryfriendlyvisitingtermswithHazlitt，and，ifheisnotoffendedbyatoolongconcealment，willdoeverythinginhispowertoserveyou.IfyouchusethatIshouldtellhim，Iwill;butIthinkitwouldebetterfromyou.IfyoucanpersuadeHazlitttomentionit，thatwouldbestillbetter;forIknowyourbrotherwouldbeunwillingtogivecredittoyou，becauseyoudeceivedyourselfinregardtoCorydon.Hazlitt，Iknow，isshyofspeakingfirst;butIthinkitofsuchgreatimportancetoyoutohaveyourbrotherfriendlyinthebusiness，that，ifyoucanoverehisreluctance，itwouldbeagreatpointgained.Foryoumustbegintheworldwithreadymoney—atleastanhundredpound;for，ifyouoncegointofurnishedlodgings，youwillneverbeabletolaybymoneytobuyfurniture.

Ifyouobtainyourbrothersapprobation，hemightassistyou，eitherbylendingorotherwise.Ihaveagreatopinionofhisgenerosity，wherehethinksitwouldbeuseful.

Hazlittsbrotherismightilypleasedwiththematch;buthesaysyoumusthavefurniture，andbeclearintheworldatfirstsettingout，oryouwillbealwaysbehindhand.Healsosaidhewouldgiveyouwhatfurniturehecouldspare.Iamafraidyoucanbringbutfewthingsawayfromyourhouse.Whatapitythatyouhavelaidoutsomuchmoneyonyourcottage!—thatmoneywouldhavejustdone.Imostheartilycongratulateyouonhavingsowellgotoveryourfirstdifficulties;and，nowthatitisquitesettled，letushavenomorefears.Inowmeannotonlytohopeandwish，buttopersuademyself，thatyouwillbeveryhappytogether.

Endeavourtokeepyourmindaseasyasyoucan.Yououghttobegintheworldwithagoodstockofhealthandspirits:itisquiteasnecessaryasreadymoneyatfirstsettingout.Donotteizeyourselfaboutingtotown.Whenyourbrotherlearnshowthingsaregoingon，weshallconsulthimaboutmeetingsandsoforth;but，atpresent，anyhastystepofthatkindwouldnotanswer，Iknow.IfHazlittweretogodowntoSalisbury，oryouweretoeuphere，withoutconsultingyourbrother，youknowitwouldneverdo.

Charlesisjusteintodinner;hedesireshisloveandbestwishes.

Yoursaffectionately，

M.LAMB.

Mondaymorning.

[OurnextlettershowsthatwhenDr.Stoddartwasatlengthtoldoftheengagementheresentedit.

WenowetotwocuriouslettersfromCharlesLambtoJosephHume，notavailableforthisedition，whichareprintedbyMr.W.C.HazlittinLambandHazlitt.Thefirst，datedDecember29，1807，containsthebeginningofanelaboratehoaxmaintainedbyLambandHume（whowasJosephHume，aclerkintheVictuallingOfficeatSomersetHouse，andtheauthorofatranslationofTasso），inwhichHazlitt，althoughthevictim，playedhispart.LambassertsthatHazlitthascuthisthroat.HealsoincidentallyregretsthathecannotacceptaninvitationtodinewithHume:"Coldbonesofmuttonandleather-roastedpotatoesatPimlicoattenmustcarryitawayfromacertainTurkeyandcontingentplumb-puddingatMontpelieratfour（Ialwaysspellplumb-puddingwithab，p-l-u-m-b—）Ithinkitreadsfatterandmoresuetty."

InreplytothislettercameonefromHume，datedJanuary11，1808，referringtoahumblepetitionandremonstrancebyHazlitt，datedJanuary10，1808，showingthatheisnotdead.ThepetitionwillbefoundinfullinLambandHazlitt.Itendsthus:—

"Withallthesincerityofamandoubtfulbetweenlifeanddeath，thepetitionerdeclaresthathelooksuponthesaidCharlesLambasthering-leaderinthisunjustconspiracyagainsthim，andasthesolecauseandauthorofthejeopardyheisin:butthataslosershaveleavetospeak，hemustsay，that，ifitwerenotforapoemhewroteonTobaccoabouttwoyearsago，afarcecalledMr.H——-hebroughtoutlastwinterwithmorewitthandiscretioninit，someprologuesandepilogueshehassincewrittenwithgoodsuccess，andsomelivelynotesheisatpresentwritingondeadauthors，heseesnoreasonwhyheshouldnotbeconsideredasmuchadeadmanashimself，andtheundertakerspokentoaccordingly."

Thenextletter，datedJanuary12，1808，carryingonthejoke，consistsofspeculationsastoHazlittsreappearance.Lambremarksthatthemonestreasonforthereturnofthespiritsofthedeadisthedesiretorevealhiddentreasureswhichtheyhadhoardedintheirlifetime.HedestroysthistheoryinthecaseofHazlittinthefollowingpassage:—

"Iformypartalwayslookeduponourdearfriendasamanrichratherinthegiftsofhismindthaninearthlytreasures.Hehadfewrentsoringsin，thatIwaseverawareof，small（ifany）landedproperty，andbyallthatIcouldwitnesshesubsistedmoreuponthewell-timedcontributionsofafewchosenfriendswhoknewhisworth，thanuponanyEstatewhichcouldproperlybecalledhisown.Imyselfhavecontributedmypart.Godknows，Ispeaknotthisinreproach.Ihavenevertaken，norindeeddidtheDeceasedoffer，anywrittenacknowledgmentsofthevarioussumswhichhehashadofme，bywhichIcouldmakethefactmanifesttothelegaleyeofanExecutororAdministrator.HewasnotaMantoaffectthesenicetiesinhistransactionswithhisfriends.Hewouldoftensay，Moneywasnothingbetweenintimateacquaintances，thatGoldenStreamshadnoEbb，thataPursemouthneverregorged，thatGodlovedachearfulgiverbuttheDevilhatedafreetaker，thatapaidLoanmakesangelsgroan，withmanysuchlikesayings:hehadalwaysfreeandgenerousnotionsaboutmoney.Hisnearestfriendsknowthisbest."

ContinuingthesubjectofthereturnofSpirits，Lambdecidesthatitmustbewiththewishtoestablishsomespeculativepointinreligion."Butwhateverthecauseofthisre-appearancemayprovetobe，wemaynowwithtruthassertthatourdeceasedfriendhasattainedtooneobjectofhispursuits，onehoursseparateexistencegivesadeadmanclearernotionsofmetaphysicsthanallthetreatiseswhichinhisstateofcasualentanglementtheleastimmersedspiritcanout-spin.ItisgoodtoleavesuchsubjectstothatperiodwhenweshallhavenoHeadstoache，nobrainstodistort，nofacestolengthen，noclothestoneglect."]

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