e shall be some time. Pray request
Mr. M[ontagu] to advance the guinea for me, which shall faithfully be
forthcoming; and pardon me that I don't see the proposal in quite the
light that he may. The kindness of his motives, and his power of
appreciating the noble passage, I thoroughly agree in.

With most kind regards to him, I conclude, Dear Madam,

Yours truly, C. LAMB.

From Mrs. Leishman's, Chase, Enfield.

*A capital book, by the bye, but not over saleable.

[The memorial to Thomas Clarkson stands on a hill above Wade Mill, on
the Buntingford Road, in Hertfordshire.

Forty Hill is close to Enfield.

Edward Irving's watch-chain. The explanation of Lamb's joke is to be
found in Carlyle's _Reminiscences_ (quoted also in Froude's _Life_, Vol.
I., page 326). Irving had put down as his contribution to some
subscription list, at a public meeting, "an actual gold watch, which he
said had just arrived to him from his beloved brother lately dead in
India." This rather theatrical action had evidently amused Lamb as it
had disgusted Carlyle.

The "first edition" of "Mr. -----" was, I suppose, Basil Montagu's work
on Bacon, which Macaulay reviewed.]

LETTER 422

MARY LAMB TO LADY STODDART

[August 9, 1827.]

My dear Lady-Friend,--My brother called at our empty cottage yesterday,
and found the cards of your son and his friend, Mr. Hine, under the
door; which has brought to my mind that I am in danger of losing this
post, as I did the last, being at that time in a confused state of
mind--for at that time we were talking of leaving, and persuading
ourselves that we were intending to leave town and all our friends, and
sit down for ever, solitary and forgotten, here. Here we are; and we
have locked up our house, and left it to take care of itself; but at
present we do not design to extend our rural life beyond Michaelmas.
Your kind letter was most welcome to me, though the good news contained
in it was already known to me. Accept my warmest congratulations, though
they come a little of the latest. In my next I may probably have to hail
you Grandmama; or to felicitate you on the nuptials of pretty Mary, who,
whatever the beaux of Malta may think of her, I can only remember her
round shining face, and her "O William!"--"dear William!" when we
visited her the other day at school. Present my love and best wishes--a
long and happy married life to dear Isabella--I love to