not.

"Godwin told my Sister that the Baby chose the subjects: a fact in
taste."

This letter not only tells us how the preface was written--the first
part, I take it, by William Godwin--but what Lamb himself thought of
the pictures; which I reproduce in the large edition. It is customary
to attribute the designs to Mulready and the engraving to William
Blake.

I have set up the _Tales_ from the second edition, 1809, because it
embodies certain corrections and was probably the last edition in
which the Lambs took any interest. The changes of word are few. I note
the more important; Page 5, line 1, "recollection" was "remembrance"
in the first edition; page 10, line 27, "voracious" was "ugly" in the
first edition; page 15, line 21, "vessel" was "churn"; page 42, line
30, "continued" was in the first edition "remained"; page 108, foot,
"But she being a woman" had run in the first edition, "But she being
a bad ambitious woman." I leave other minute differences to the
Bibliographer.

The second edition was issued in two forms: one similar to the first
edition and one with only frontispiece, a portrait of Shakespear, and
the following foreword from the pen, I imagine, of Mr. Godwin:--

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION

The Proprietors of this work willingly pay obedience to the voice
of the public. It has been the general sentiment, that the style
in which these Tales are written, is not so precisely adapted for
the amusement of mere children, as for an acceptable and improving
present to young ladies advancing to the state of womanhood.
They therefore now offer to the public an edition prepared with
suitable elegance. In the former impression they gave twenty
prints, illustrative of the twenty tales which compose these
volumes, for they knew that it was a grievous thing and a
disappointment to a child, to find some tales without the
recommendation of a print, which the others possessed. The prints
were therefore made from spirited designs, but did not pretend to
high finishing in the execution. To this edition they have annexed
merely a beautiful head of our immortal Dramatist, from a much
admired painting by Zoust.--They are satisfied that every reader
of taste will thank them for not suppressing the former Preface,
though not exactly applicable on the present occasion.

N.B.--A few copies have been worked off on the plan of th