Lamb's P.S. concerning the "Beggar's Petition" was followed in the London Magazine by this N.B.:

"N.B. I am glad to see JANUS veering about to the old quarter. I feared he had been rust-bound.

"C. being asked why he did not like Gold's 'London' as well as ours-it was in poor S.'s time-replied

"Because there is no WEATHERCOCK

And that's the reason why."

The explanation of this note is that "Janus Weathercock ”. one of the pseudonyms of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright-after a long absence from its pages, had sent to the previous month's London Magazine, May, 1822, an amusing letter of criticism of that periodical, commenting on some of its regular contributors. Therein he said: " Clap Elia on the back for such a series of good behaviour."-Who C. is cannot be said; possibly Lamb, as a joke, intends Coleridge to be indicated; but poor S. would be John Scott, the first editor of the London Magazine, who was killed in a duel. C.'s reply consisted of the last lines of Wordsworth's "Anecdote for Fathers; or, Falsehood Corrected." Accurately they run:

At Kelve there was no weather-cock
And that's the reason why.

The hero of this poem was a son of Lamb's friend Basil Montagu. Gold's London Magazine was a contemporary of the better known London magazine of the same name. In Vol. III. appeared an article entitled "The Literary Ovation," describing an imaginary dinner-party given by Messrs. Baldwin, Cradock & Joy in February, 1821, at which Lamb was supposed to be present and to sing a song by Webster, one of his old dramatists. Mr. Bertram Dobell conjectures that Wainewright may have written this squib.

Page 137.

A DISSERTATION UPON ROAST PIG. London Magazine, September, 1822.

There has been some discussion as to the origin of the central idea of this essay. A resemblance is found in a passage in The Turkish Spy, where, after describing the annual burnt-offering of a bull by the Athenians, The Spy continues:

In process of time a certain priest, in the midst of his bloody sacrifice, taking up a piece of the broiled flesh which had fallen from the altar on the ground, and burning his fingers therewith, suddenly clapt them to his mouth to mitigate the pain. But, when he had once tasted the sweetness of the fat, not only longed for more of it, but gave a piece to his assistant; and he to others; who, all pleased with the new-found dainties, fell to eating of flesh greedily. And hence this species of gluttony was taught to other mortals.

"Este," a contributor to Notes and Queries, June 21, 1884,

wrote:

A quarto volume of forty-six pages, once in "Charles Lamb's library" (according to a pencilled note in the volume) is before me, entitled: Gli Elogi del Porco, Capitoli Berneschi di Tigrinto Bistonio P. A., E. Accademico Ducale de' Dissonanti di Modena. In Modena per gli Eredi di Bartolomeo Soliani Stampatori Ducali MDCCLXI. Con Licenza de' Superiori, [wherein] some former owner of the volume has copied out Lamb's prose with many exact verbal resemblances from the poem.

It has also been suggested that Porphyry's tract on Abstinence from Animal Food, translated by William Taylor, bears a likeness to the passage. Taylor's translation, however, was not published till 1823, some time after Lamb's essay.

These parallels merely go to show that the idea was a commonplace; at the same time it is not Lamb, but Manning, who told him the story, that must declare its origin. Not only in the essay, but in a letter to Barton in March, 1823, does Lamb express his indebtedness to his traveller friend. Allsop, indeed, in his Letters of Coleridge, claims to give the Chinese story which Manning lent to Lamb and which produced the "Dissertation." It runs thus:

A child, in the early ages, was left alone by its mother in a house in which was a pig. A fire took place; the child escaped, the pig was burned. The child scratched and pottered among the ashes for its pig, which at last it found. All the provisions being burnt, the child was very hungry, and not yet having any artificial aids, such as golden ewers and damask napkins, began to lick or suck its fingers to free them from the ashes. A piece of fat adhered to one of his thumbs, which, being very savoury alike in taste and odour, he rightly judged to belong to the pig. Liking it much, he took it to his mother, just then appearing, who also tasted it, and both agreed that it was better than fruit or vegetables.

They rebuilt the house, and the woman, after the fashion of good wives, who, says the chronicle, are now very scarce, put a pig into it, and was about to set it on fire, when an old man, one whom observation and reflection had made a philosopher, suggested that a pile of wood would do as well. (This must have been the father of economists.) next pig was killed before it was roasted, and thus

The

Manning, by the way, contributed articles on Chinese jests to the New Monthly Magazine in 1826.

A preliminary sketch of the second portion of this essay will be found in the letter to Coleridge dated March 9, 1822. See also the letters to Mr. and Mrs. Bruton, January 6, 1823, to Mrs. Collier, November 2, 1824, and to H. Dodwell, October 7, 1827, all in acknowledgment of pigs sent to Lamb probably from an impulse found in this essay.

Later, Lamb abandoned the extreme position here taken. In

the little essay entitled " Thoughts on Presents of Game," 1833 (see Vol. I.), he says: "Time was, when Elia . . . preferred to all a roasted pig. But he disclaims all such green-sickness appetites in future."

Page 141, verse. "Ere sin could blight..." From Coleridge's "Epitaph on an Infant."

Page 142, line 7 from foot. My good old aunt. Probably Aunt Hetty. See the essay on "Christ's Hospital," for another story of her. The phrase, "Over London Bridge," unless an invention, suggests that before this aunt went to live with the Lambs-probably not until they left the Temple in 1792—she was living on the Surrey side. But it was possibly an Elian mystification. Lamb had another aunt, but of her we know nothing.

Page 143, line 11 from foot. St. Omer's. The French Jesuit College. Lamb, it is unnecessary to say, was never there.

Page 144. A BACHELOR'S COMPLAINT OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF MARRIED PEOPLE.

It was

This is, by many years, the earliest of these essays. printed first in The Reflector, No. IV., in 1811 or 1812. When Lamb brought his Works together, in 1818, he omitted it. In September, 1822, it appeared in the London Magazine as one of the reprints of Lamb's earlier writings, of which the " Confessions of a Drunkard" (see Vol. I.) was the first. In that number also appeared the "Dissertation upon Roast Pig," thereby offering the reader an opportunity of comparing Lamb's style in 1811 with his riper and richer style of 1822. The germ of the essay must have been long in Lamb's mind, for we find him writing to Hazlitt in 1805 concerning Mrs. Rickman: "A good-natured woman though, which is as much as you can expect from a friend's wife, whom you got acquainted with as a bachelor."

"Love me, Page 147, line 6. love my dog." See " Popular Fallacies," page 302, for an expansion of this paragraph.

Page 150. ON SOME OF THE OLD ACTORS.

In February, 1822, Lamb began a series of three articles in the London Magazine on "The Old Actors." The second was printed in April and the third in October of the same year. Afterwards, in reprinting them in Elia, he rearranged them into the essays, "On Some of the Old Actors," "On the Artificial Comedy of the Last Century," and "On the Acting of Munden," omitting a considerable portion altogether. The essay in its original tripart form will be found in the Appendix to this volume.

In one of his theatrical notices in The Examiner (see Vol. I.) Lamb remarks, "Defunct merit comes out upon us strangely,' and certain critics believe that he praised some of the old actors beyond their deserts. But no one can regret any such excesses.

Page 150, beginning. Twelfth Night. When recalling early playgoing days in "Old China," Lamb refers again to this playViola in Illyria.

Page 150, foot. Whitfield, Packer, Benson, Burton, Phillimore and Barrymore. Whitfield, who made his London début as Trueman in "George Barnwell" about 1776, was a useful man at Covent Garden and Drury Lane.-John Hayman Packer (1730-1806), known in Lamb's time for his old men. He acted at Drury Lane until 1805.-Benson, who married a sister of Mrs. Stephen Kemble, wrote one or two plays, and was a good substitute in emergencies. He committed suicide during brain fever in 1796.-Burton was a creditable utility actor at Covent Garden and Drury Lane.-Phillimore filled small parts at Drury Lane.-Barrymore was of higher quality, a favourite character actor both at Drury Lane and the Haymarket.

Page 151, line 6. Mrs. Jordan. Mrs. Jordan, born in 1762, ceased to act in England in 1814 and died in 1816. Nell was her famous part, in Coffey's "The Devil to Pay." Miss Hoyden is in Vanbrugh's" Relapse." Lamb is referring to Viola in Act I., Scene 5, and Act II., Scene 4, of " Twelfth Night."

Page 151, line 8 from foot. Mrs. Powel. Mrs. Powel, previously known as Mrs. Farmer, and afterwards Mrs. Renaud, was at Drury Lane from 1788 to 1811. She ended her London career in 1816 and died in 1829.

Page 152, line 8. Of all the actors. The London Magazine article began at this point. Robert Bensley (1738?-1817 ?) was at Drury Lane from 1775 to 1796, when he retired (alternating it with the Haymarket). G. H. Boaden and George Colman both bear out Lamb's eulogy of Bensley as Malvolio; but otherwise he is not the subject of much praise.

Page 152, line 15. Venetian incendiary. Pierre in Otway's "Venice Preserved." Lamb appended the passage in a footnote in the London Magazine.

Page 153, line 12. Baddeley .. Parsons John Kemble. Robert Baddeley (1733-1794), the husband of Mrs. Baddeley, and the original Moses in the "School for Scandal." William Parsons (1736-1795), the original Crabtree in the "School for Scandal," and a favourite actor of Lamb's. John Philip Kemble (1757-1823), who managed Drury Lane from 1788 to 1801.

Page 153, line II from foot. Of birth and feeling. In the London Magazine a footnote came here (see page 316).

Page 153, line 6 from foot. Length of service. In the London Magazine a footnote came here (see page 316). Page 154, line 24. House of misrule. here in the London Magazine (see page 317).

A long passage came

Page 154, line 8 from foot. Hero of La Mancha. Compare a similar analysis of Don Quixote's character on page 264.

Page 155, line 23. Dodd. James William Dodd (1740 ?-1796).

Page 155, line 24. Lovegrove. William Lovegrove (1778-1816), famous in old comedy parts and as Peter Fidget in "The Boarding House."

Page 155, foot. The gardens of Gray's Inn. These gardens are said to have been laid out under the supervision of Bacon, who retained his chambers in the Inn until his death. As Dodd died in 1796 and Lamb wrote in 1822, it would be fully twenty-six years and perhaps more since Lamb met him.

Page 156, lines 26-29. Foppington, etc. Foppington in Vanbrugh's "Relapse," Tattle in Congreve's "Love for Love," Backbite in Sheridan's "School for Scandal," Acres in "The Rivals by the same author, and Fribble in Garrick's "Miss in her Teens."

Page 157, line 13. If few can remember. The praise of Suett that follows is interpolated here from the third part of Lamb's original essay (see page 332). Richard Suett, who had been a Westminster chorister (not St. Paul's), left the stage in June, 1805, and died in July.

Page 157, footnote. Jem White. See note above.

Page 158, line 22. His friend Mathews. Charles Mathews (1776-1835), whom Lamb knew.

Page 159, line 1.

the stage in 1815.

Jack Bannister. John Bannister retired from
He died in 1836.

Page 159, line 7. Children in the Wood. Morton's play, of which Lamb was so fond. It is mentioned again in "Barbara S" and "Old China.”

Page 159, line 19. The elder Palmer. The first part of the essay is here resumed again. The elder Palmer was John Palmer, who died on the stage, in 1798, when playing in "The Stranger." Lamb's remarks tend to confuse him with Gentleman Palmer, who died before Lamb was born. Robert Palmer, John's brother, died about 1805.

Page 159, line 22. Moody. John Moody (1727 ?-1812), famous as Teague in "The Committee."

Page 159, lines 31 to 36. The Duke's Servant, etc. The Duke's servant in Garrick's " High Life below Stairs," Captain Absolute in Sheridan's" Rivals," Dick Amlet in Vanbrugh's "Confederacy." Page 160, line 1. Young Wilding... Joseph Surface. In Foote's "Liar" and Sheridan's "School for Scandal."

Page 161. ON THE ARTIFICIAL COMEDY OF THE LAST CEN

TURY.

See note to the essay "On Some of the Old Actors."

See also "A Vision of Horns" (Vol. I.) for, as it seems to me, a whimsical extension to the point of absurdity of the theory expressed in this essay-a theory which Lord Macaulay, in his review of Leigh Hunt's edition of the Dramatic Works of Wycherley, Congreve, etc., in 1840, opposed with characteristic vigour.