ed with us. He talked
agreeably about capital punishments, greatly doubting their having any
effect in preventing crime. Soon after Fauntleroy was hanged, an
advertisement appeared, "To all good Christians! Pray for the soul of
Fauntleroy." This created a good deal of speculation as to whether he
was a Catholic, and at one of Coleridge's soirees it was discussed for a
considerable time; at length Coleridge, turning to Lamb, asked, "Do you
know anything about this affair?" "I should think I d-d-d-did," said
Elia, "for I paid s-s-s-seven and sixpence for it!"

Lamb's postscript is written in extremely small characters, and --the
letters of the two lines of verse are in alternate red and black inks.
It was this letter which, Edward FitzGerald tells us, Thackeray pressed
to his forehead, with the remark "Saint Charles!" Hitherto, the
postscript not having been thought worthy of print by previous editors,
it was a little difficult to understand why this particular letter had
been selected for Thackeray's epithet. But when one thinks of the
patience with which, after making gentle fun of her father, Lamb sat
down to amuse Lucy Barton, and, as Thackeray did, thinks also of his
whole life, it becomes more clear.

Here should come a letter to Alaric A. Watts dated Dec. 28, 1824, in
reply to a request for a contribution to one of this inveterate
album-maker's albums. Lamb acquiesces. Later he came to curse the
things. Given in the Boston Bibliophile edition.]

LETTER 359

CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN BATES DIBDIN

[P.M. January II, 1825.]

My Dear Sir--Pray return my best thanks to your father for his little
volume. It is like all of his I have seen, spirited, good humoured, and
redolent of the wit and humour of a century ago. He should have lived
with Gay and his set. The Chessiad is so clever that I relish'd it in
spite of my total ignorance of the game. I have it not before me, but I
remember a capital simile of the Charwoman letting in her Watchman
husband, which is better than Butler's Lobster turned to Red. Hazard is
a grand Character, Jove in his Chair. When you are disposed to leave
your one room for my six, Colebrooke is where it was, and my sister begs
me to add that as she is disappointed of meeting your sister _your way_,
we shall be most happy to see her _our way_, when you have an even'g to
spare. Do not stand on ceremonies and introductions, but come at once. I
need not say that if you can induce your father to