call her
Isabella; but in truth, having left your other letter in town, I
recollect no other name she has.

The same love and the same wishes--in futuro--to my friend Mary. Tell
her that her "dear William" grows taller, and improves in manly looks
and manlike behaviour every time I see him. What is Henry about? and
what should one wish for him? If he be in search of a wife, I will send
him out Emma Isola.

You remember Emma, that you were so kind as to invite to your ball? She
is now with us; and I am moving heaven and earth, that is to say, I am
pressing the matter upon all the very few friends I have that are likely
to assist me in such a case, to get her into a family as a governess;
and Charles and I do little else here than teach her something or other
all day long.

We are striving to put enough Latin into her to enable her to begin to
teach it to young learners. So much for Emma --for you are so fearfully
far away, that I fear it is useless to implore your patronage for her.

I have not heard from Mrs. Hazlitt a long time. I believe she is still
with Hazlitt's mother in Devonshire.

I expect a pacquet of manuscript from you: you promised me the office of
negotiating with booksellers, and so forth, for your next work. Is it in
good forwardness? or do you grow rich and indolent now? It is not
surprising that your Maltese story should find its way into Malta; but I
was highly pleased with the idea of your pleasant surprise at the sight
of it. I took a large sheet of paper, in order to leave Charles room to
add something more worth reading than my poor mite.

May we all meet again once more!

M. LAMB.

LETTER 423

CHARLES LAMB TO SIR JOHN STODDART

(_Same letter: Lamb's share_)

Dear Knight--Old Acquaintance--'Tis with a violence to the _pure
imagination_ (_vide_ the "Excursion" _passim_) that I can bring myself
to believe I am writing to Dr. Stoddart once again, at Malta. But the
deductions of severe reason warrant the proceeding. I write from
Enfield, where we are seriously weighing the advantages of dulness over
the over-excitement of too much company, but have not yet come to a
conclusion. What is the news? for we see no paper here; perhaps you can
send us an old one from Malta. Only, I heard a butcher in the
market-place whisper something about a change of ministry. I don't know
who's in or out, or care, only as it might affect _you_. For domestic
doings, I have only to tell, with extreme reg