plained, is one of the reasons why I have left that arrangement as it was in Moxon's edition.

The two Note-Books into which Lamb copied the results of his reading in the Garrick Plays are now preserved in the British Museum, the gift of Edward Moxon in 1835. Such passages as were therein copied by Lamb, but were not transferred to Hone, I have printed in the Appendix to this volume. They are for the most part quaintnesses rather than beauties. One omission has been made: the halfdozen unconsciously comic extracts from Nahum Tate's version of "Macbeth" are not given here, because they all were incorporated by Lamb in the letter entitled "Shakspeare's Improvers," which he sent to The Spectator in 1827, and which will be found on page 321 of Vol. I. of this edition.

After filling his Note-Books Lamb set to work to make from them articles for Hone's Table Book, which he sent to Hone from time to time throughout the year 1827. The original manuscript of this copy for Hone is now preserved by Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson at Rowfant. Examination of it has revealed several interesting passages of criticism, suppressed by Lamb apparently at the last minute, possibly on account of their adding too much to the length of the instalment, but which may well be printed now. They relate to "The Antipodes,' to "Edward the Third," and to "Woman's a Weathercock," and will be found on pages 619 and 620.

"

Page 397. Lamb's Letter to Hone. A view of the old Montagu House, where Lamb culled at will the flowers in this volume, is given opposite page 614. It served as the national treasure-house for many years, and was first opened to the public in 1759. Gradual rebuilding set in in 1821, but the final demolition of Montagu House did not occur until 1845. The present portico was finished in 1847. In 1859 the present British Museum was opened to the public. The present reading-room was opened in 1857. The principal librarians in Lamb's day were Joseph Planta, who held office from 1799 to 1827, when he died aged eighty-three, and Sir Henry Ellis, who held office from 1827 until 1856. Sir Anthony Panizzi became Assistant Librarian in 1831. Lamb's friend, Henry Francis Cary, the translator of Dante, was appointed Assistant Keeper of the Printed Books in 1826, and probably saw that Lamb was comfortable on his visits to the reading-room. Page 398. "King John and Matilda." This extract led to a long letter to the Table Book some months later, signed "The Veiled Spirit," in which it was contended that Matilda, or Maud Fitzwater, is falsely called a virgin in the play, since, after living with Robert, Earl of Huntington, when he roved as Robin Hood, she became his wife on his restoration to his honours by King Richard. Also that there was no other authority than Davenport, author of the play, for the statement that Matilda was poisoned by King John's orders. The theory that there were two Matilda Fitzwaters he declined to consider. Lamb's reply, following selections from "The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntington" (see page 478), ran thus:—

"MAID MARIAN

"To the Editor

"Sir-A correspondent in your last Number rather hastily asserts that there is no other authority than Davenport's Tragedy for the poisoning of Matilda by King John. It oddly enough happens, that in the same number appears an extract from a play of Heywood's,1 of an older date, in two parts, in which Play the fact of such poisoning, as well as her identity with Maid Marian, are equally established. Michael Drayton, also, hath a Legend, confirmatory (so far as poetical authority can go) of the violent manner of her death. But neither he, nor Davenport, confounds her with Robin's Mistress. Besides the named authorities, old Fuller (I think) somewhere relates, as matter of Chronicle History, that old Fitzwalter (he is called Fitzwater both in Heywood and in Davenport) being banished after his daughter's murder,-some years subsequently-King John, at a Tournament in France, being delighted with the valiant bearing of a combatant in the lists, and enquiring his name, was told it was his old servant, the banished Fitzwalter, who desired nothing more heartily than to be reconciled to his Liege,—and an affecting reconciliation followed. In the common collection, called Robin Hood's Garland (I have not seen Ritson's), no mention is made, if I remember, of the nobility of Marian. Is she not the daughter of plain Squire Gamwell, of old Gamwell Hall?-Sorry that I cannot gratify the curiosity of your 'disembodied spirit,' (who, as such, is methinks sufficiently 'veiled' from our notice) with more authentic testimonies, I rest,

"Your humble Abstracter,

C. L."

The whole question is discussed by Mr. H. L. D. Ward in the Catalogue of Romances in the British Museum, with reference to the French romance of Fulk Fitz-Warrin.

Page 398. Lamb's footnote. Wither's line is in the lines "To His loving Friend and Cousin-German, Mr. William Wither."

Lamb had not seen a copy

Page 401. Lamb's note. The character of Richard III. was subjected to searching analysis by Lamb in the Morning Post in 1800 (see Vol. I., page 36). Lamb's notes on pages 34 and 55 on the good man's knowledge of evil are interesting taken in connection with his remarks here on the bad man's capacity for good. Page 401. "The Parliament of Bees." dated 1607: he merely repeated an ordinary impression as to the date. The earliest known copy is 1641. Mr. Swinburne has (in addition to that on page 628) the following charming sonnet on Day and his play, which stands, in Tristram of Lyonesse, as companion to the sonnet to Lamb, which will be found on the threshold of the present volume :

So many a year had borne its own bright bees
And slain them since thy honey-bees were hived,
John Day, in cells of flower-sweet verse contrived
So well with craft of moulding melodies,

The play is by Munday and Chettle.

Page 403.

Thy soul perchance in amaranth fields at ease
Thought not to hear the sound on earth revived
Of summer music from the spring derived,
When thy song sucked the flower of flowering trees.
But thine was not the chance of every day:
Time, after many a darkling hour, grew sunny,
And light between the clouds ere sunset swam,
Laughing, and kissed their darkness all away,

When, touched and tasted and approved, thy honey
Took subtler sweetness from the lips of Lamb.

"Rewards of Virtue." After the line, "His laurel sprung, for ever dwells unknown," page 404, come the following lines in Lamb's Note-Book :

All that I say is what I've thought upon,

Some hours of sweet retirement, when I've sat,
And view'd the feeling state of poor mankind,
A thing too giddy to be understood.

This instalment of the Extracts, No. IV., led to the following communication to the Table Book from John Payne Collier, some months later :

In Chapman's "All Fools," 1605 (as quoted by Charles Lamb, in Table Book, Vol. I., 192), is the following passage, under the title of " Love's Panegyric" :

"'Tis nature's second Sun,

Causing a spring of Virtues where he shines;
And as without the Sun, the world's Great Eye,
All colours, beauties, both of art and nature,

Are given in vain to man; so without Love

All beauties bred in women are in vain,

All virtues born in men lie buried;

For Love informs them as the sun doth colours; " &c.

Chapman might be acquainted with Italian poets, but at all events the coincidence between the above and the following canzon, by Andrew Navagero, is remarkable. Navagero was the friend of Boscan, the Spanish poet: they became acquainted at Grenada while Navagero was there ambassador from Venice. Boscan died before 1544; and, as he himself confesses, he learnt the sonnet and other Italian forms of poetry from Navagero.

LOVE THE MIND'S SUN

"Sweet ladies, to whose lovely faces
Nature gives charms, indeed,

If those ye would exceed

And are desirous, too, of inward graces;

"Ye first must ope your heart's enclosure,
And give Love entrance there,

Or ye must all despair

Of what ye wish, and bear it with composure.

"For as the night than day is duller,
And what is hid by night

Glitters with morning light

In all the rich variety of colour;

So they, whose dark insensate bosoms

Love lights not, ne'er can know

The virtues thence that grow,

Wanting his beams to open virtue's blossoms."

Our version is made from the original in Dolce's Collection of Rime Diverse, I., 98. It ought to be mentioned that Boscan's admission of his obligations to Navagero is to be found in the Introduction to the second book of his works.

Dec., 1827.

J. P. C.