s dog, and afterwards was Lamb's; while at one time
Moxon seems to have had the care of it. Patmore possibly was taking Dash
while the Lambs were at Mrs. Leishman's. One of the children who might
be amused by the dog's mad ways was Coventry Patmore, afterwards the
poet, then nearly four years old.]

LETTER 427

CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN BATES DIBDIN

[P.M. September 5, 1827.]

Dear Dib,--Emma Isola, who is with us, has opened an ALBUM: bring some
verses with you for it on Sat'y evening. Any _fun_ will do. I am
teaching her Latin; you may make something of that. Don't be modest. For
in it you shall appear, if I rummage out some of your old pleasant
letters for rhymes. But an original is better.

Has your pa[1] any scrap? C.L.

We shall be MOST glad to see your sister or sisters with you. Can't you
contrive it? Write in that case.

[Footnote 1: the infantile word for father.]

[On the blank pages inside the letter Dibdin seems to have jotted down
ideas for his contribution to the album. Unfortunately, as I have said,
the album is not forthcoming.]

LETTER 428

CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN BATES DIBDIN

[P.M. September 13, 1827.]

Dear _John_--Your verses are very pleasant, and have been adopted into
the splendid Emmatic constellation, where they are not of the least
magnitude. She is delighted with their merit and readiness. They are
just the thing. The 14th line is found. We advertised it. Hell is
cooling for want of company. We shall make it up along with our kitchen
fire to roast you into our new House, where I hope you will find us in a
few Sundays. We have actually taken it, and a compact thing it will be.

Kemble does not return till the month's end. My heart sometimes is good,
sometimes bad, about it, as the day turns out wet or walky.

Emma has just died, choak'd with a Gerund in dum. On opening her we
found a Participle in rus in the pericordium. The king never dies, which
may be the reason that it always REIGNS here.

We join in loves. C.L. his orthograph.

what a pen!

the Umberella is cum bak.

LETTER 429

CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN BATES DIBDIN

[P.M. September 18, 1827.]

My dear, and now more so, JOHN--

How that name smacks! what an honest, full, English,
and yet withal holy and apostolic sound it bears, above the
methodistical priggish Bishoppy name of Timothy, under
which I had obscured your merits!

What I think of the paternal verses, you shall rea