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LETTER 236（第1页）

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LETTER236

CHARLESLAMBTOBARRONFIELD

Aug.31st，1817.

MydearBarren，—ThebearerofthislettersofaracrosstheseasisMr.Lawrey，whoesouttoyouasamissionary，andwhomIhavebeenstronglyimportunedtoremendtoyouasamostworthycreaturebyMr.Fenwick，averyold，honestfriendofmine，ofwhom，ifmymemorydoesnotdeceiveme，youhavehadsomeknowledgeheretoforeaseditorofthe"Statesman"—amanoftalent，andpatriotic.Ifyoucanshowhimanyfacilitiesinhisarduousundertaking，youwillobligeusmuch.Well，andhowdoesthelandofthievesuseyou?andhowdoyoupassyourtimeinyourextra-judicialintervals?Goingaboutthestreetswithalantern，likeDiogenes，lookingforanhonestman?Youmaylooklongenough，Ifancy.Dogivemesomenotionofthemannersoftheinhabitantswhereyouare.Theydontthievealldaylong，dothey?Nohumanpropertycouldstandsuchcontinuousbattery.Andwhatdotheydowhentheyantstealing?

Haveyougotatheatre?Whatpiecesareperformed?Shakespears，Isuppose—notsomuchforthepoetry，asforhishavingoncebeenindangerofleavinghiscountryonaccountofcertain"smalldeer."

Haveyoupoetsamongyou?Cursedplagiarists，Ifancy，ifyouhaveany.

Iwouldnottrustanideaorapocket-handkerchiefofmineamonge

YouarealmostpetenttoanswerLordBaconsproblem，whethera

nationofatheistscansubsisttogether.Youarepracticallyinone:—

"Sothievishtis，thattheeighthmandmentitself

Scarceseemeththeretobe."

Ouroldhonestworldgoesonwithlittleperceptiblevariation.OfcourseyouhaveheardofpoorMitchellsdeath，andthatG.DyerisoneofLordStanhopesresiduaries.Iamafraidhehasnottouchedmuchoftheresidueyet.HeispositivelyasleanasCassius.BarnesisgoingtoDemeraraorEssequibo，Iamnotquitecertainwhich.A[lsager]isturnedactor.HecameoutingenteeledyatCheltenhamthisseason，andhashopesofaLondonengagement.

Formyownhistory，Iamjustinthesamespot，doingthesamething（videlicet，littleornothing，）aswhenyouleftme;onlyIhavepositivehopesthatIshallbeabletoconquerthatinveteratehabitofsmokingwhichyoumayrememberIindulgedin.Ithinkofmakingabeginningthisevening，viz.，Sunday31stAugust，1817，notWednesday，2ndFeb.，1818，asitwillbeperhapswhenyoureadthisforthefirsttime.Thereisthedifficultyofwritingfromoneendoftheglobe（hemispheresIcallem）toanother!Why，halfthetruthsIhavesentyouinthisletterwillbeeliesbeforetheyreachyou，andsomeofthelies（whichIhavemixedforvarietyssake，andtoexerciseyourjudgmentinthefindingofthemout）maybeturnedintosadrealitiesbeforeyoushallbecalledupontodetecttheSucharethedefectsofgoingbydifferentchronologies.Yournowisnotmynow;andagain，yourthenisnotmythen;butmynowmaybeyourthen，andviceversá.Whoseheadispetenttothesethings?

HowdoesMrs.Fieldgetoninhergeography?Doessheknowwheresheisbythistime?Iamnotsuresometimesyouarenotinanotherplanet;butthenIdontliketoaskCapt.Burney，oranyofthosethatknowanythingaboutit，forfearofexposingmyignorance.

Ourkindestremembrances，however，toMrs.F.，ifshewillacceptofreminiscencesfromanotherplanet，oratleastanotherhemisphere.

C.L.

[ThisisLambsfirstletterthathasbeenpreservedtoBarronField.BarronField（1786-1846）wasalawyer，asonofHenryField，apothecarytoChristsHospital，andbrotherofafellow-clerkofLambsintheIndiaHouse.HehadalsobeenacontributortoLeighHuntsReflectorin1810-1812.FieldwasappointedJudgeoftheSupremeCourtofNewSouthWales，whitherhesailedin1816，reachingSydneyinFebruary，1817.HiswifewasaMissJaneCarncroft.

ThisletterformsthegroundworkofLambsEliaessayon"DistantCorrespondents"（seeVol.II.），whichmaybereadwithitasanexampleofthedifferenceinrichnessbetweenLambsepistolaryandfinishedliterarystyle.

"Sothievishtis…"AperversionofColeridgeslines，inThe

AncientMariner:—

Solonelytwas，thatGodhimself

Scarceseemedtheretobe.

"PoorMitchellsdeath."Thismayhavebeenoneoftheliesreferredtoalittlelower.Ifso，ThomasMitchell（1783-1845）wasprobablyintended，ashehadbeenatChristsHospital，andwasafriendofLeighHunts，andmightthushaveknownLambandField.HetranslatedAristophanes.TheonlyMitchellofanyimportancewhodiedin1817wasColonelMitchell，whomandedabrigadeatWaterloo;butLambwouldhardlyknowanythingofhi

GeorgeDyer，whohadbeentutorinthefamilyofthethirdEarlofStanhope（CitizenStanhope），wasoneofthetenexecutorstowhomthatpeersestatewasleft，afterpayingafewlegacies.AmongthemwasanotherofLambsacquaintances，JosephJekyll，mentionedintheEliaessayontheOldBenchers.Dyerrepudiatedtheoffice，buttheheirpersuadedhimtoacceptanannuity.

ThomasBarnes（1785-1841），anotheroldChristsHospitaller，andacontributortoTheReflector，becameeditorofTheTimesin1817.Hisprojectedjourneywasoneofthe"lies";nordidAlsager，anotherTimesman，whomwehavealreadymet，turnactor.]

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