iam Ayrton. "All this summer
almost I have been ill. I have been laid up (the second nervous attack)
now six weeks."

On October 18 Lamb sends Hone the first "bit of writing" he has done
"these many weeks."]

LETTER 383

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM HONE

[P.M. Oct. 24, 1825.]

I send a scrap. Is it worth postage? My friends are fairly surprised
that you should set me down so unequivocally for an ass, as you have
done, Page 1358.

HERE HE IS
what follows?
THE ASS

Call you this friendship?

Mercy! What a dose you have sent me of Burney!--a perfect _opening_*
draught.

*A Pun here is intended.

[This is written on the back of the MS. "In _re_ Squirrels" for Hone's
_Every-Day Book_ (see Vol. I. of this edition). Lamb's previous
contribution had been "The Ass" which Hone had introduced with a few
words.]

LETTER 384

CHARLES LAMB TO THOMAS ALLSOP

[Dec. 5, 1825.]

Dear A.--You will be glad to hear that _we_ are at home to visitors; not
too many or noisy. Some fine day shortly Mary will surprise Mrs. Allsop.
The weather is not seasonable for formal engagements.

Yours _most ever_,

C. LAMB.

Satr'd.

[Here should come a note to Manning at Totteridge, signed Charles and
Mary Lamb, and dated December 10, 1825. It indicates that both are well
again, and hoping to see Manning at Colebrooke.]

LETTER 385

CHARLES LAMB TO CHARLES OLLIER

[No date. ? Dec., 1825.]

Dear O.--I leave it _entirely to Mr. Colburn_; but if not too late, I
think the Proverbs had better have L. signd to them and reserve _Elia_
for Essays _more Eliacal_. May I trouble you to send my Magazine, not to
Norris, but H.C. Robinson Esq. King's bench walks, instead.

Yours truly

C. LAMB.

My friend Hood, a prime genius and hearty fellow, brings this.

[Lamb's "Popular Fallacies" began in the _New Monthly Magazine_ in
January, 1826. Henry Colburn was the publisher of that magazine, which
had now obtained Lamb's regular services. The nominal editor was
Campbell, the poet, who was assisted by Cyrus Redding. Ollier seems to
have been a sub-editor.]

LETTER 386

CHARLES LAMB TO CHARLES OLLIER

Colebrook Cottage, Colebrook Row, Tuesday [early 1826].

Dear Ollier,--I send you two more proverbs, which will be the last of
this batch, unless I send you one more by the post on THURSDAY; none
will come after that day; so do not leave any open room in that case.
Hood sups with