lia.]

LETTER 415

CHARLES LAMB TO BERNARD BARTON

Enfield, and for some weeks to come, "_June 11, 1827_."

Dear B.B.--One word more of the picture verses, and that for good and
all; pray, with a neat pen alter one line

His learning seems to lay small stress on

to

His learning lays no mighty stress on

to avoid the unseemly recurrence (ungrammatical also) of "seems" in the
next line, besides the nonsence of "but" there, as it now stands. And I
request you, as a personal favor to me, to erase the last line of all,
which I should never have written from myself. The fact is, it was a
silly joke of Hood's, who gave me the frame, (you judg'd rightly it was
not its own) with the remark that you would like it, because it was b--d
b--d,--and I lugg'd it in: but I shall be quite hurt if it stands,
because tho' you and yours have too good sense to object to it, I would
not have a sentence of mine seen, that to any foolish ear might sound
unrespectful to thee. Let it end at appalling; the joke is coarse and
useless, and hurts the tone of the rest. Take your best "ivory-handled"
and scrape it forth.

Your specimen of what you might have written is hardly fair. Had it been
a present to me, I should have taken a more sentimental tone; but of a
trifle from me it was my cue to speak in an underish tone of
commendation. Prudent _givers_ (what a word for such a nothing)
disparage their gifts; 'tis an art we have. So you see you wouldn't have
been so wrong, taking a higher tone. But enough of nothing.

By the bye, I suspected M. of being the disparager of the frame; hence a
_certain line_.

For the frame,'tis as the room is, where it hangs. It hung up fronting
my old cobwebby folios and batter'd furniture (the fruit piece has
resum'd its place) and was much better than a spick and span one. But if
your room be very neat and your _other pictures_ bright with gilt, it
should be so too. I can't judge, not having seen: but my dingy study it
suited.

Martin's Belshazzar (the picture) I have seen. Its architectural effect
is stupendous; but the human figures, the squalling contorted little
antics that are playing at being frightend, like children at a sham
ghost who half know it to be a mask, are detestable. Then the _letters_
are nothing more than a transparency lighted up, such as a Lord might
order to be lit up, on a sudden at a Xmas Gambol, to scare the ladies.
The _type_ is as plain as Baskervil's--th