t it would have on the
sale of your poems alone; not to mention higher considerations. I
tremble, I am sure, at myself, when I think that so many poor victims of
the Law at one time of their life made as sure of never being hanged as
I in my presumption am too ready to do myself. What are we better than
they? Do we come into the world with different necks? Is there any
distinctive mark under our left ears? Are we unstrangulable? I ask you.
Think of these things. I am shocked sometimes at the shape of my own
fingers, not for their resemblance to the ape tribe (which is something)
but for the exquisite adaptation of them to the purposes of picking,
fingering, &c. No one that is so framed, I maintain it, but should
tremble.

Postscript for your Daughter's eyes only.

Dear Miss ---- Your pretty little letterets make me ashamed of my great
straggling coarse handwriting. I wonder where you get pens to write so
small. Sure they must be the pinions of a small wren, or a robin. If you
write so in your Album, you must give us glasses to read by. I have seen
a Lady's similar book all writ in following fashion. I think it pretty
and fanciful.

"O how I love in early dawn
To bend my steps o'er flowery dawn [lawn],"

which I think has an agreeable variety to the eye. Which I recommend to
your notice, with friend Elia's best wishes.

[The _London Magazine_ began a new series at half a crown with the
number for January, 1825. It had begun to decline very noticeably. The
_New Monthly Magazine_, to the January number of which Lamb contributed
his "Illustrious Defunct" essay, was its most serious rival. Lamb
returned to some of his old vivacity and copiousness in the _London
Magazine_ for January, 1825. To that number he contributed his
"Biographical Memoir of Mr. Liston" and the "Vision of Horns"; and to
the February number "Letter to an Old Gentleman," "Unitarian Protests"
and the "Autobiography of Mr. Munden."

"G.D."--George Dyer again.

"Fauntleroy." See note above. Fauntleroy's fate seems to have had great
fascination for Lamb. He returned to the subject, in the vein of this
letter, in "The Last Peach," a little essay printed in the _London
Magazine_ for April, 1825 (see Vol. I. of this edition); and in
_Memories of old Friends, being Extracts from the Journals and Letters
of Caroline Fox, ... from 1835 to 1871_, 1882, I find the following
entry:--

October 25 [l839].--G. Wightwick and others din