The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Volume III Part 55

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 435. _The Orange_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 436. _The Young Letter-writer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 437. _The Three Friends_.

By Charles Lamb. Reprinted by him in his _Works_, 1818, with the text now given, which differs very slightly from that of 1809.

Page 442. _On the Lord's Prayer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 443. "_Suffer little Children_ ..."

(?) Mary Lamb. With this poem ended Vol. I. of the original edition of _Poetry for Children_. With the following poem Vol. II. began.

Page 445. _The Magpye's Nest, or a Lesson of Docility_.

(?) Mary Lamb. In this poem some trace of John Lamb senior's poetical manner may be seen. Fables drawn from bird life stand at the beginning of his _Poetical Pieces on Several Occasions_ (see Vol. II.).

Page 447. _The Boy and the Sky-lark_.

(?) Charles Lamb. The frontispiece to Vol. II. of _Poetry for Children_ took its subject from this poem.

Page 449. _The Men and Women, and the Monkeys_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 449. _Love, Death, and Reputation_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Mr. Swinburne contributed to _The Athenaeum_ of February 2, 1878, a note on this poem:--

At the 96th page of the new edition of Charles and Mary Lamb's '_Poetry for Children_' is a little poem of which the authors.h.i.+p can hardly be doubtful, done into rhyme from the blank verse of Webster; a translation by no means to its advantage. The original is to be found in the third act of the "d.u.c.h.ess of Malfi," in the magnificent scene where the privacy of the wedded lovers is invaded by Ferdinand; in whose mouth the apologue transferred or "conveyed" by Lamb into the quaint and delightful little book over the recovery of which all the hearts of his lovers are yet warm with rejoicing, has a tragic and terrible significance. It may be worth remark that the _Poetry for Children_ appeared the year after that--most fortunate of years for all students of the higher English drama--which was made n.o.bly memorable by the appearance of the matchless and priceless volume of '_Specimens of English Dramatic Poets who Lived about the Time of Shakespear_,' in which the fratricide's apologue is translated at length; so that while some part of Lamb's too rare leisure was given to the gentle "task work" of making rhymes for little children, the first strong savour of a fierce delight in his new intimacy with the third and most tragic of English tragic poets must have been fresh and hot upon him.

Page 450. _The Sparrow and the Hen_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Mrs. Gla.s.se would be Hannah Gla.s.se, of _The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy_, 1747.

Page 451. _Which is the Favourite?_

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 451. _The Beggar-Man_.

By John Lamb, Charles and Mary's brother; as we know from a letter from Charles Lamb to Robert Lloyd.

Page 452. _Choosing a Profession_.

By Mary Lamb, as we know on the evidence of Robert Lloyd.

Page 453. _Breakfast_.

This also, on Robert Lloyd's evidence, is by Mary Lamb.

Page 454. _Weeding_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 455. _Parental Recollections_.

(?) Charles Lamb. The first line was quoted by him in the _Elia_ essay "The Old and the New Schoolmaster." The poem may be considered as the poetical correlative of the beautiful _Elia_ essay "Dream-Children."

Page 455. _The Two Boys_.

By Mary Lamb. Quoted by Lamb, as by "a quaint poetess," in his _Elia_ essay "Detached Thoughts on Books and Reading."

Page 456. _The Offer_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 456. _The Sister's Expostulation on the Brother's Learning Latin_.

(?) Charles Lamb. Many years later Mary Lamb wrote a sonnet in _Blackwood_ on a kindred subject, addressed to Emma Isola. Mary Lamb taught Latin to Mary Cowden Clarke (when Mary Victoria Novello) and to William Hazlitt's son, also to Miss Kelly.

Page 457. _The Brother's Reply_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 459. _Nurse Green_.

(?) Mary Lamb.

Page 460. _Good Temper_.

(?) Charles Lamb.

Page 460. _Moderation in Diet_.

(?) Mary Lamb. The "splendid s.h.i.+lling" (borrowed from Phillips' parody of Milton) suggests a touch of Charles Lamb.

Page 462. _Incorrect Speaking_.

(?) Mary Lamb.