t all. The remark, "to see how
goodness thrived," may well have been John Lamb's, or possibly his
father's; and Lamb's own first impressions of church, probably
acquired at the Temple (which he mentions here by comparison), were,
it is easy to believe, identical with the imaginary narrator's. Church
bells seem always to have had an attraction for him: he has a pretty
reference to them in _John Woodvil_, and a little poem in _Blank
Verse_, 1798, entitled "The Sabbath Bells."

Page 384. X.--_Arabella Hardy_. "The Sea Voyage."

By Charles Lamb. Nothing else that Lamb wrote is quite so far from the
ordinary run of his thoughts; and nothing has, I think, more charm.

* * * * *

Page 389. The King and Queen of Hearts This is probably the first of
Charles Lamb's books for children. Of its history nothing is known:
the proof that Charles Lamb wrote it is to be found in a letter
from Lamb to Wordsworth, now in America, dated February 1, 1806,
the concluding portion of which, and the only portion that has been
printed--beginning "_Apropos_ of Spenser"--will be found in most
editions of the correspondence tacked on to the letter dated June,
1806. In the earlier part of this missive Lamb enumerates the books
which he has just despatched to Wordsworth by carrier from London.
Among these is an edition of Spenser, leading to the "_apropos_."
Also: "there comes W. Hazlitt's book about Human Action for Coleridge;
a little song book for Sarah Coleridge; a Box for Hartley ...; a
Paraphrase on _The King and Queen of Hearts_, of which I, being the
author, beg Mr. Johnny Wordsworth's acceptance and opinion. _Liberal
Criticism_, as G. Dyer declares, I am always ready to attend to."

As Charles Lamb is not known to have written children's books for any
one but the Godwins, who in 1806 were still publishing under cover of
Thomas Hodgkins' name, in Hanway Street, it is reasonable to assume
that if a paraphrase of _The King and Queen of Hearts_ nursery rhyme
could be found, bearing Hodgkins' or Godwin's name, and dated 1805 or
1806, Lamb would be its author. That such a work did exist was proved
by the advertisements at the end of other of Godwin's juvenile books.
In the first edition of _Mrs. Leicester's School_, 1809, is this
announcement:--

"Likewise, the following elegant and approved Publications,
containing each of them the Incidents of an agreeable Tale,
exhibited in a Series of Engravings