ret In its volume form it was illustrated by George
Cruikshank. Lamb probably did not value his ballad very highly. Writing
to Moxon in 1833 he says, "I wish you would omit 'by the Author of Elia'
now, in advertising that damn'd 'Devil's Wedding.'"

There is a reference to the poem, in Lamb's letter to Moxon of
October 24, 1831, which needs explanation. Moxon's _Englishman's
Magazine_, after running under his control for three months,
was suddenly abandoned. Lamb, who seems to have been paid in
advance for his work, wrote to Moxon on the subject, approving him
for getting the weight off his mind and adding:--"I have one on
mine. The cash in hand which as ***** less truly says,
burns in my pocket. I feel queer at returning it (who does not?).
You feel awkward at re-taking it (who ought not?) is there no
middle way of adjusting this fine embarrassment. I think I
have hit upon a medium to skin the sore place over, if not quite
to heal it. You hinted that there might be something under L10
by and by accruing to me _Devil's Money_. You are sanguine--say
L7 10s.--that I entirely renounce and abjure all future interest
in, I insist upon it, and 'by Him I will not name' I won't touch a
penny of it. That will split your loss one half--and leave me
conscientious possessor of what I hold. Less than your assent to
this, no proposal will I accept of."

A few months later, writing again to Moxon, he says:--"I am heartily
sorry my Devil does not answer. We must try it a little longer; and,
after all, I think I must insist on taking a portion of its loss upon
myself. It is too much that you should lose by two adventures."

According to some reminiscences of Lamb by Mr. J. Fuller Russell,
printed in _Notes and Queries_, April 1, 1882, Lamb suppressed "Satan in
Search of a Wife," for the reason that the Vicar of Enfield, Dr.
Cresswell, also had married a tailor's daughter, and might be hurt by
the ballad. The correspondence quoted above does not, I think, bear out
Mr. Russell's statement. If the book were still being advertised in
1833, we can hardly believe that any consideration for the Vicar of
Enfield would cause its suppression. This gentleman had been at Enfield
for several years, and Lamb would have either suppressed the book
immediately or not at all; but possibly his wish to disassociate the
name of Elia from the work was inspired by the coincidence.

The ballad does not call for much annotation. The legend
mentioned in the