Works of Charles and Mary Lamb. VI-VII. Letters
Charles Lamb to John Howard Payne, [22 October 1822]
Thursday [Oct. 22], 1822.
“ALI
Pacha” will do. I sent my sister the first night, not having
been able to go myself, and her report of its effect was most favourable. I saw
it last night—the third night—and it was most satisfactorily received. I have
been sadly disappointed in Talfourd, who
does the critiques in the “Times,” and who promised his strenuous services; but by some
damn’d arrangement he was sent to the wrong house, and a most iniquitous
account of Ali substituted for his, which I am sure
would have been a kind one. The “Morning Herald” did it ample justice, without ap-![]()
| 1822 | PAYNE’S “ALI PACHA” | 579 |
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pearing to puff
it. It is an abominable misrepresentation of the “Times,” that Farren
played Ali like Lord Ogilby. He acted infirmity of body, but not of voice or
purpose. His manner was even grand. A grand old gentleman. His falling to the
earth when his son’s death was announced was fine as anything I ever saw.
It was as if he had been blasted. looked helpless and beautiful, and greatly helped the
piece. It is going on steadily, I am sure, for many
nights. Marry, I was a little disappointed with
Hassan, who tells us he subsists by cracking court
jests before Hali, but he made none. In all
the rest, scenery and machinery, it was faultless. I hope it will bring you
here. I should be most glad of that. I have a room for you, and you shall order
your own dinner three days in the week. I must retain my own authority for the
rest. As far as magazines go, I can answer for Talfourd in
the “New Monthly.” He
cannot be put out there. But it is established as a favourite, and can do
without these expletives. I long to talk over with you the Shakspeare Picture. My doubts of its being a
forgery mainly rest upon the goodness of the picture. The bellows might be
trumped up, but where did the painter spring from? Is Ireland a consummate artist—or any of
Ireland’s accomplices?—but we shall confer upon
it, I hope. The “New
Times,” I understand was favorable to “Ali,” but I have not seen it. I am sensible of the want of
method in this letter, but I have been deprived of the connecting organ, by a
practice I have fallen into since I left Paris, of taking too much strong
spirits of a night. I must return to the Hotel de l’Europe and Macon.
How is Kenney? Have
you seen my friend White? What is
Poole about, &c.? Do not write,
but come and answer me.
The weather is charming, and there is a mermaid to be seen
in London. You may not have the opportunity of inspecting such a Poisarde once again in ten centuries.
My sister joins me in the hope of seeing you.
William Farren the younger (1786-1861)
English comic actor at Covent Garden, the son of William Farren (1754-1795); later in
life he was manager of the Strand and Olympic theaters.
William Henry Ireland (1775-1835)
Miscellaneous writer whose youthful Shakespeare forgeries (1796) took in many who should
have known better.
James Kenney (1780-1849)
Irish playwright, author of
The World (1808); he was a friend of
Lamb, Hunt, Moore, and Rogers.
John Poole (1786-1872)
English comic writer and playwright; he contributed to the
London
Magazine and scored a great theatrical success with
Paul
Pry (1825). He spent his later years living impoverished in Paris.
Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854)
English judge, dramatist, and friend of Charles Lamb who contributed articles to the
London Magazine and
New Monthly
Magazine.
Edward White (1840 fl.)
A clerk at the East India House where he was a friend and colleague of Charles Lamb; he
was an amateur painter and connoisseur of art.
Morning Herald. (1780-1869). Sir Henry Bate Dudley (1745–1824) and Alexander Chalmers (1759–1834) were among the
original editors; Thomas Holcroft (1745–1809) was Paris correspondent.
New Monthly Magazine. (1814-1884). Founded in reaction to the radically-inclined
Monthly Magazine,
the
New Monthly was managed under the proprietorship of Henry
Colburn from 1814 to 1845. It was edited by Thomas Campbell and Cyrus Redding from
1821-1830.
The New Times. (1817-1828). Daily London newspaper established as a conservative alternative to the
Times; it was edited by Sir John Stoddart (1817-1826) and Eugenius Roche
(1827-1828).
The Times. (1785-). Founded by John Walter, The Times was edited by Thomas Barnes from 1817 to 1841. In the
romantic era it published much less literary material than its rival dailies, the
Morning Chronicle and the
Morning
Post.
