uildings.

"I passed by the walls of Balclutha." From Ossian. Lamb uses this
quotation in his _Elia_ essay on the South-Sea House.

"Highmore." I cannot explain this reference.

Not long before Mrs. Procter's death a letter from Charles Lamb to Mrs.
Basil Montagu was sold, in which Lamb apologised for having become
intoxicated while visiting her the night before. Some one mentioned the
letter in Mrs. Procter's presence. "Ah," she said, "but they haven't
seen the second letter, which I have upstairs, written next day, in
which he said that my mother might ask him again with safety as he never
got drunk twice in the same house." Unhappily, a large number of Lamb's
and other letters were burned by Mrs. Procter.]

LETTER 611

CHARLES LAMB TO H.F. CARY

[Oct. 18, 1834.]

Dear Sir,--The unbounded range of munificence presented to my choice
staggers me. What can twenty votes do for one hundred and two widows? I
cast my eyes hopeless among the viduage. N.B.--Southey might be ashamed
of himself to let his aged mother stand at the top of the list, with his
L100 a year and butt of sack. Sometimes I sigh over No. 12, Mrs.
Carve-ill, some poor relation of mine, no doubt. No. 15 has my wishes;
but then she is a Welsh one. I have Ruth upon No. 21. I'd tug hard for
No. 24. No. 25 is an anomaly: there can be no Mrs. Hogg. No. 34 ensnares
me. No. 73 should not have met so foolish a person. No. 92 may bob it as
she likes; but she catches no cherry of me. So I have even fixed at
hap-hazard, as you'll see.

Yours, every third Wednesday,

C.L.

[Talfourd states that the note is in answer to a letter enclosing a list
of candidates for a Widow's Fund Society, for which he was entitled to
vote. A Mrs. Southey headed the list.

Here, according to Mr. Hazlitt's dating, should come a note from Lamb to
Mrs. Randal Norris, belonging to November, in which Lamb says that he
found Mary on his return no worse and she is now no better. He sends all
his nonsense that he can scrape together and hopes the young ladies will
like "Amwell" (_Mrs. Leicester's School_).]

LETTER 612

CHARLES LAMB TO MR. CHILDS

Monday. Church Street, EDMONTON (not Enfield, as you erroneously direct
yours). [? Dec., 1834.]

Dear Sir,--The volume which you seem to want, is not to be had for love
or money. I with difficulty procured a copy for myself. Yours is gone to
enlighten the tawny Hindoos. What a supreme felicity to the author (only
he is no tr