DR W.—I forwarded the Letter which you sent to me, without opening it, to your Sister at Binfield. She has returned it to me, and begs me to tell you that she intends returning from B. on Monday or Tuesday next, when Priscilla leaves it, and that it was her earnest wish to spend another week with us in London, but she awaits another Letter from home to determine her. I can only say that she appeared so much pleased with London, and that she is so little likely to see it again for a long time, that if you can spare her, it will be almost a pity not. But doubtless she will have heard again from you, before I can get a reply to this Letter & what she next hears she says will be decisive. If wanted, she will set out immediately from London. Mary has been very ill which you have heard I suppose from the Montagues. She is very weak and low spirited now. I was much pleased with your continuation of the Essay on Epitaphs. It is the only sensible thing which has been written on that subject & it goes to the Bottom. In particular I was pleased with your Translation of that Turgid Epitaph into the plain feeling under it. It is perfectly a Test. But what is the reason we have so few good Epitaphs after all?
A very striking instance of your position might be found in
the Church yard of Ditton upon Thames, if you know such a place. Ditton upon
Thames has been blessed by the residence of a Poet, who for Love or Money, I do
not well know which, has dignified every grave stone for the last few years
with bran new verses, all different, and all ingenious, with the Author’s
name at the Bottom of each. The sweet Swan of Thames has artfully diversified
his strains & his rhymes, that the same thought never occurs twice. More
justly perhaps, as no thought ever occurs at all, there was a
| 418 | LETTERS OF C. AND M. LAMB | Oct. |
To do justice though, it must be owned that even the excellent Feeling which dictated this Dirge when new, must have suffered something in passing thro’ so many thousand applications, many of them no doubt quite misplaced, as I have seen in Islington Churchy’d (I think) an Epitaph to an Infant who died Ætatis 4 months, with this seasonable inscription appended, Honor thy Fathr. and Mothr. that thy days may be long in the Land &c.—Sincerely wishing your children better [words cut out with signature].
