Yours truly, C. LAMB.

If the beds in the town are all engaged, in consequence of Mr. Mathews's
appearance, a hackney-coach will serve. Wednes'y. 2 May '21.

We shall neither of us come much before the time.

[Mrs. Mathews (who was half-sister of Fanny Kelly) described this
evening in her _Memoirs_ of her husband, 1839. Her account of Lamb is
interesting:--

Mr. Lamb's first approach was not prepossessing. His figure was
small and mean; and no man certainly was ever less beholden to his
tailor. His "bran" new _suit_ of black cloth (in which he affected
several times during the day to take great pride, and to cherish as
a novelty that he had long looked for and wanted) was drolly
contrasted with his very rusty silk stockings, shown from his knees,
and his much too large _thick_ shoes, without polish. His shirt
rejoiced in a wide ill-plaited frill, and his very small, tight,
white neckcloth was hemmed to a fine point at the ends that formed
part of the little bow. His hair was black and sleek, but not
formal, and his face the gravest I ever saw, but indicating great
intellect, and resembling very much the portraits of King Charles I.
Mr. Coleridge was very anxious about his _pet_ Lamb's first
impression upon my husband, which I believe his friend saw; and
guessing that he had been extolled, he mischievously resolved to
thwart his panegyrist, disappoint the strangers, and altogether to
upset the suspected plan of showing him off.

The Mathews' were then living at Ivy Cottage, only a short distance from
the Grove, Highgate, where the famous Mathews collection of pictures was
to be seen of which Lamb subsequently wrote in the _London Magazine_.

Here should come a note to Ayrton saying that Madame Noblet is the least
graceful dancer that Lamb ever "did not see."]

LETTER 274

CHARLES LAMB TO JOHN PAYNE COLLIER

May 16, 1821.

Dear J.P.C.,--Many thanks for the "Decameron:" I have not such a
gentleman's book in my collection: it was a great treat to me, and I got
it just as I was wanting something of the sort. I take less pleasure in
books than heretofore, but I like books about books. In the second
volume, in particular, are treasures--your discoveries about "Twelfth
Night," etc. What a Shakespearian essence that speech of Osrades for
food!--Shakespeare is coarse to it--beginning "Forbear and eat no more."
Osrades warms up to