not, Love will come.

II

Scornful Beauty may deny him--
He hath spells to charm disdain;
Homely Features may defy him--
Both at length must wear the chain.
Haughty Youth in Courts of Princes--
Hermit poor with age oercome--
His soft plea at last convinces;
Sooner, later, LOVE WILL COME--

His soft plea at length convinces;
Sooner, later, Love will come--Love,
Sooner, later, Love will come.

LETTER 601

CHARLES LAMB TO WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

Church S't, Edmonton,

22 feb. [1834].

Dear Wordsworth, I write from a house of mourning. The oldest and best
friends I have left, are in trouble. A branch of them (and they of the
best stock of God's creatures, I believe) is establishing a school at
Carlisle. Her name is Louisa Martin, her address 75 Castle Street,
Carlisle; her qualities (and her motives for this exertion) are the most
amiable, most upright. For thirty years she has been tried by me, and on
her behaviour I would stake my soul. O if you can recommend her, how
would I love you--if I could love you better. Pray, pray, recommend her.
She is as good a human creature,--next to my Sister, perhaps the most
exemplary female I ever knew. Moxon tells me, you would like a Letter
from me. You shall have one. _This_ I cannot mingle up with any nonsense
which you usually tolerate from, C. LAMB. Need he add loves to Wife,
Sister, and all? Poor Mary is ill again, after a short lucid interval of
4 or 5 months. In short, I may call her half dead to me.

Good you are to me. Yours with fervor of friendship; for ever

turn over

If you want references, the Bishop of Carlisle may be one. Louisa's
Sister, (as good as she, she cannot be better tho' she tries,) educated
the daughters of the late Earl of Carnarvon, and he settled a handsome
Annuity on her for life. In short all the family are a sound rock. The
present Lord Carnarvon married Howard of Graystock's Sister.

[Wordsworth has written on the wrapper, "Lamb's last letter."

We met the Martins in the early correspondence. It was Louisa whom, many
years, before, Lamb used to call "Monkey."

Here should come Lamb's last letter to Thomas Manning, dated May 10,
1834. Mary has, he says, been ill for nigh twenty weeks; "she is, I
hope, recovering." "I struggle to town rarely, and then to see London,
with little other motive--for what is left there hardly? Th