Chapter 298

CHARLES LAMB TO EDWARD MOXON

[P.M. Jan. 24, 1833.]

Dear Murray! _Moxon_ I mean.--I am not to be making you pay postage every day, but cannot let pass the congratulations of sister, brother, and "Silk Cloak," _all most cordial_ on your change of place. Rogers approving, who can demur? Tell me when you get into Dover St. and what the _No_. is--that I may change foolscap for gilt, and plain Mr. for Esqr. I shall _Mister_ you while you stay--

If you are not too great to attend to it, I wish us to do without the Sonnets of Sydney: 12 will take up as many pages, and be too palpable a fill up. Perhaps we may leave them out, retaining the article, but that is not worth saving. I hope you liked my Cervantes Article which I sent you yesterday.

Not an inapt quotation, for your fallen predecessor in Albemarle Street, to whom you must give the _coup du main_--

Murray, long enough his country's pride.

_Pope._

[_Then, written at the bottom of the page_] there's [_and written on the next page_] there's nothing over here.

[Moxon was moving from 64 New Bond Street to 33 Dover Street.

"Silk Cloak" would, I imagine, probably be a name for Emma Isola.

"The Sonnets of Sydney"--Lamb's _Elia_ essay on this subject. It was not omitted from the _Last Essay_, which Moxon was to publish, and eleven sonnets were quoted.

"Your fallen predecessor." It is hardly needful to say that Moxon made very little difference to Murray's business. The line is from Pope's Sixth Epistle of the First Book of Horace. To Mr. Murray, who afterwards was Earl of Mansfield.]