[No date. April, 1833.]

D'r Sir, I read your note in a moment of great perturbation with my
Landlady and chuck'd it in the fire, as I should have done an epistle of
Paul, but as far as my Sister recalls the import of it, I reply. The
Sonnets (36 of them) have never been printed, much less published, till
the other day,* save that a few of 'em have come out in Annuals. Two
vols., of poetry of M.'s, have been publish'd, but they were not these.
The "Nightingale" has been in one of the those gewgaws, the Annuals;
whether the other I sent you has, or not, penitus ignoro. But for
heaven's sake do with 'em what you like.

Yours

C.L.

*The proof sheets only were in my hand about a fortnight ago.

[Moxon's sonnets were reviewed, probably by Lamb, in _The Athenaeum_ for
April 13, 1833. The sonnet to the nightingale (see above) was quoted.
This review will be found in Vol. I. of the present edition.]

LETTER 575

CHARLES LAMB TO MRS. WILLIAM AYRTON

[P.M. April (16), 1833.]

Dear Mrs. Ayrton, I do not know which to admire most, your kindness, or
your patience, in copying out that intolerable rabble of panegryc from
over the Atlantic. By the way, now your hand is in, I wish you would
copy out for me the l3th l7th and 24th of Barrow's sermons in folio, and
all of Tillotson's (folio also) except the first, which I have in
Manuscript, and which, you know, is Ayrton's favorite. Then--but I won't
trouble you any farther just now. Why does not A come and see me? Can't
he and Henry Crabbe concert it? 'Tis as easy as lying is to me. Mary's
kindest love to you both.

ELIA.

[The letter is accompanied by a note in the writing of William Scrope
Ayrton, the son of William Ayrton, copied from Mrs. Ayrton's Diary:--

"March 17, 1833.--Copied a critique upon Elia's works from the Mirror of
America a sort of news paper."]

LETTER 576

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[P.M. April 25, 1833.]

My dear Moxon, We perfectly agree in your arrangement. _It has quite set
my sister's mind at rest._ She will come with you on Sunday, and return
at eve, and I will make comfortable arrangem'ts with the Buffams. We
desire to have you here dining unWestwooded, and I will try and get you
a bottle of choice port. I have transferr'd the stock I told you to
Emma. The plan of the Buffams steers admirably between two niceties.
Tell Emma we thoroughly approve it. As our damnd Times is a day after
the fair, I am setting off to Enfield