Restoration melodramatist. George Lillo (1693-1739), the author among other plays of "George Barnwell-The London Merchant; or The History of George Barnwell," 1731 (mentioned a little later), which held the stage for a century. The story, the original of which is to be found in the Percy Reliques, tells how George, an apprentice, robs his master and kills his uncle at the instigation of Millwood, an adventurer. Lamb's footnote (page 102) refers to the custom, which was of long endurance, of playing "George Barnwell" in the Christmas and Easter holidays as an object-lesson to apprentices. Page 103, line 3. eludes research. 66 Sphere of humanity." This quotation still Page 104, line 3. "Like one of those harlotry players." He doth it as like one of these harlotry players as ever I see! Dame line 437. Page 104, lines 21 to 24. "The Gamester," etc. By Edward Moore (1712-1757). Mrs. Beverley is in this play; Belvidera in Otway's "Venice Preserved;" Calista in Rowe's "Fair Penitent;" Isabella in Southern's "Fatal Marriage; " Euphrasia in Murphy's "Grecian Daughter." Page 104, line 30. The Hills and the Murphys and the Browns. Dr. John Hill (1716-1775), the herbalist, controversialist, and miscellaneous writer, who quarrelled with Garrick. In The Reflector Lamb had written the Hooles. It was changed to Hills afterwards. Hoole would be John Hoole (1727-1803), translator of Tasso and the author of some turgid tragedies, who had been in his time an India House clerk. Arthur Murphy (1727-1805), actor and author, who wrote, in addition to many plays and books, a Life of Garrick (1801). The Rev. John Brown (1715-1766), the author of "Barbarossa" and "Athelstane," in both of which Garrick acted. Page 104, first quotation. "Oh! for my sake do you with Fortune chide." From Shakespeare's 111th sonnet. Page 104, second quotation. "Alas! 'tis true, I have gone here and there.' From Shakespeare's 110th sonnet. 66 Page 105, first quotation. Wishing me like to one more rich in hope.' From Shakespeare's 29th sonnet. Page 105, second quotation. "With their darkness durst affront his light." From Paradise Lost, I., line 391. Lamb applies it to the acting versions of plays of Shakespeare made by Nahum Tate and Colley Cibber. Of Tate's liberties as a reviser, Lamb wrote more fully many years later in a letter to The Spectator (see page 321 and note). Cibber's version of "Richard III.," 1700, is the one referred to a little later (see Act III., Scene 2). Page 105, line 33. Mr. C.'s exertions. See "G. F. Cooke as Richard III.," page 36, and note. Page 106, line 20. Glenalvon. In Home's "Douglas." Lamb wrote an early poem on this tragedy (see Vol. V., page 9), which seems to have so dominated his youthful imagination that when in 1795-1796 he was for a while in confinement he believed himself at times to be young Norval. Page 107, line 27. "They themselves are old." Lear. O heavens, If you do love old men, if your sweet sway Make it your cause; send down, and take my part. 4, lines 192-195. In Tate's version Lear does not die, but lives on in restored peace and authority (see note on page 521). It should per Page 109, line 25. A ghost by chandelier light haps be borne in mind that in 1811, and for many years after, the stage was still lighted by candles, so that the regulation of light, which can be effected with such nicety on the modern stage, was then impossible. This is especially to be remembered with regard to such details as the presentation of the Witches in "Macbeth." It would be simple enough, with our electric switch-board, to frighten a nervous child in that scene to-day. ... Page 109, line 30. As Tom Brown says of . Achilles. Tom Brown, of Shifnal, whom Lamb often quotes. The remark is among his "Observations on Virgil, Ovid and Homer." Page 109, line 34. Dryden... "The Tempest." It was Davenant rather than Dryden who was guilty, in "The Tempest; or, The Enchanted Island," 1676, of inventing Hippolyto, one that had never seen woman and heir to the Dukedom of Mantua, as a set-off to Miranda. Lamb probably refers to this character and his speech. Page 110, line 19. The Orrery Lecturer. Astronomical lectures were given at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in the winter. In 1822, several years later, the lecturer was Mr. Goodacre. Page 110, line 24. "Time would run back." See Milton's "Hymn on the Morning of Christ's Nativity," XIV. Page 111, line 5. Webb. 98 Chancery Lane. Webb was a theatrical robemaker at Page 111, last line but one. Distasteful. In The Reflector this was "obnoxious." Page 112. SPECIMENS FROM THE WRITINGS OF FULLER. The Reflector, No. IV., 1812. Works, 1818. In The Reflector the signature Y was appended to the introductory paragraphs, and line 15 "to the Readers of the Reflector," etc. ran, Thomas Fuller (1608-1661), the divine and historian. The passages, selected by Lamb, are here identified, the references being to The Holy State, 1642; The History of the Worthies of England, 1662; A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the Histories of the Old and New Testaments acted thereon, 1650; and The Church History of Britain from the Birth of Jesus Christ until the year MDCXLVIII., 1655. Lamb's transcriptions are not exact. Pyramids. Holy State, Book III., Chapter 14, "Of Tombes." VOL. I.-27 Virtue in à Short Person. Worthies, II., "Norfolk Writers." John Baconthorpe. Negroes. Ib., II., 20, 'The Good Sea-Captain." School Divinity. Ib., III., 11, Of Phancie." Mr. Perkins the Divine. Ib., II., 10, "The Life of Mr. Perkins." Infants. Pisgah Sight, "Dedication." Music. lb., III., section 10, Courts and Utensils of Solomon's Temple, p. 397. St. Monica. Holy State, I., 2, "The Life of Monica." Mortality. Ib., IV., 13. "The Court Lady." Virgin. Ib., I., 12, "The Constant Virgin." Elder Brother. Ib., I., 14. Bishop Fletcher. Worthies, II., " Kent Prelates since Reformation." Holy State, II., 14, "The Good Master of a Colledge." 1 The Good Yeoman. Ib., II., 18, "The Good Yeoman." Good Widow. Ib., I., 10, "The Good Widow." Horses. Worthies, III., "Yorkshire Natural Commodities." Martyrdom. Holy State, III., 19, Of Time-Serving." Text of St. Paul. Ib., III., 8, "Of Anger" (see Ephesians IV. 26).1 Death-Bed Temptations. Ib., II., 10, "The Life of Mr. Perkins." Conversation. Ib., III., 2, "Of Jesting." Wounded Soldier. Ib., III., 15, "Of Deformity." Wat Tyler. Worthies, III., "Suffolk: Writers," s.v. Richard Lanham. ་་ Antiquarian Diligence. Ib., II., 23, The Life of Mr. W. Cambden." Decayed Gentry. lb., I., 15, "Of Shire-reeves or Sheriffes." Tenderness of Conscience in a Tradesman. Ib., II., "London Benefactors to the Public." Burning of Wicliffe's Body. Church History, IV. XV. cent., § 51-53. 1The text here is: "As a little allay makes gold to work the better, so (perchance) some dulnesse in a man makes him fitter to manage secular affairs." It is not improbable that the exact passage occurs somewhere in Fuller. He frequently repeats himself. 2 The passage in Fuller reads, "enough to break them whom," etc. 3 The quotation should be divided into two between "apprentice" and "He." Fuller reads, "scope of revenge." Lamb misquotes here. It should be: " They [i.e., usurpers who unjustly entitle themselves to ancient Houses'] new mould their names." Fuller says that the good herald "curbs" such "usurpation." Page 112, line 8. "Lumen siccum." A term in Bacon's Novum Organum, Lib. I., 49, borrowed from the maxim of Heraclitus, "A dry soul is the wisest." Bacon says: "Intellectus humanus luminis sicci non est; sed recipit infusionem a voluntate et effectibus." "Human intelligence is not of dry light, but admits a suffusion from the will and the emotions." Again, Lib. II., 32: "ad recipiendum lumen siccum et purum notionum verarum," "for admitting the dry and pure light of true ideas." Page 113. Footnote. "The soul's dark cottage," etc. From Waller's last poem, "On the Foregoing Divine Poems," beginning :— When we for age could neither read nor write, The subject made us able to indite. |