The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Volume 5LETTER 90

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“TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5（.shg.tw）”

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LETTER90

CHARLESLAMBTOWILLIAMGODWIN

Sept.9，1801.

DearSir，—NothingrunsinmyheadwhenIthinkofyourstory，butthatyoushouldmakeitaslikethelifeofSavageaspossible.Thatisaknownandfamiliartale，anditseffectonthepublicmindhasbeenverygreat.Manyoftheincidentsinthetruehistoryarereadilymadedramatical.Forinstance，Savageusedtowalkbackwardsandforwardsonightstohismotherswindow，tocatchaglimpseofher，asshepassedwithacandle.Withsomesuchsituationtheplaymighthappilyopen.IwouldplungemyHero，exactlylikeSavage，intodifficultiesandembarrassments，theconsequencesofanunsettledmind:outofwhichhemaybeextricatedbytheunknowninterferenceofhismother.Heshouldbeattendedfromthebeginningbyafriend，whoshouldstandinmuchthesamerelationtowardshimasHoratiotoAltamontintheplayoftheFairPenitent.Acharacterofthissortseemsindispensable.Thisfriendmightgaininterviewswiththemother，whenthesonwasrefusedsightofher.LikeHoratiowithCalista，hemightwringhis[her?]soul.LikeHoratio，hemightlearnthesecretfirst.Hemightbeexactlyinthesameperplexingsituation，whenhehadlearnedit，whethertotellitorconcealitfromtheSon（IhavestillSavageinmyhead）mightkillaman（ashedid）inanaffray—heshouldreceiveapardon，asSavagedid—andthemothermightinterferetohavehimbanished.ThisshouldprovoketheFriendtodemandaninterviewwithherhusband，anddisclosethewholesecret.Thehusband，refusingtobelieveanythingtoherdishonour，shouldfightwithhiThehusbandrepentsbeforehedies.Themotherexplainsandconfesseseverythinginhispresence.Thesonisadmittedtoaninterviewwithhisnowacknowledgedmother.Insteadofembraces，sheresolvestoabstractherselffromallpleasure，evenfromhissight，involuntarypenanceallherdaysafter.Thisiscrudeindeed!!butIamtotallyunabletosuggestabetter.Iamtheworsthandintheworldataplot.ButIunderstandenoughofpassiontopredictthatyourstory，withsomeofSavages，whichhasnorepugnance，butanaturalalliancewithit，cannotfail.Themysteryofthesuspectedrelationship—thesuspicion，generatedfromslightandforgottencircumstances，ingatlasttoactasInstinct，andsotobemistakenforInstinct—thesonsunceasingpursuitandthrowingofhimselfinhismothersway，somethinglikeFalklandseternalpersecutionofWilliams—thehighandintricatepassioninthemother，thebeingobligedtoshunandkeepatadistancethethingnearesttoherheart—tobecruel，whereherheartyearnstobekind，withoutapossibilityofexplanation.Youhavethepoweroflifeanddeathandtheheartsofyourauditorsinyourhands;stillHarriswillwantaskeleton，andhemusthaveit.Icanonlyputinsomesorryhints.Thediscoverytothesonsfriendmaytakeplacenotbeforethe3dact—insomesuchwayasthis.Themothermaycrossthestreet—hemaypointherouttosomegaypanionofhisastheBeautyofLeghorn—thepatternforwives，&c.&c.Hispanion，whoisanEnglishman，laughsathismistake，andknowshertohavebeenthefamousNancyDawson，oranyoneelse，whocaptivatedtheEnglishking.Somesuchwayseemsdramatic，andspeakstotheEye.TheaudiencewillenterintotheFriendssurprise，andintotheperplexityofhissituation.TheseOcularScenesaresomanygreatlandmarks，rememberableheadlandsandlighthousesinthevoyage.Macbethswitchhasagoodadvicetoamagic[?tragic]writer，whattodowithhisspectator.

"

Showhiseyes，andgrievehisheart."

Themostdifficultthingseemstobe，Whattodowiththehusband?Youwillnotmakehimjealousofhisownson?thatisastaleandanunpleasanttrickinDouglas，etc.Cantyoukeephimoutofthewaytillyouwanthim，asthehusbandofIsabellaisconvenientlysentofftillhiscuees?Therewillbestoryenoughwithouthim，andhewillonlypuzzleall.Catastrophesareworstofall.Mineismoststupid.Ionlyproposeittofulfilmyengagement，notinhopestoconvertyou.

Itisalwaysdifficulttogetridofawomanattheendofatragedy.Menmayfightanddie.Awomanmusteithertakepoison，whichisanastytrick，orgomad，whichisnotfittobeshown，orretire，whichispoor，onlyretiringismostreputable.

IamsorryIcanfurnishyounobetter:butIfinditextremelydifficulttosettlemythoughtsuponanythingbutthescenebeforeme，whenIamfromhome，IamfromhomesoseldoIfany，theleasthintcrossesme，Iwillwriteagain，andIverymuchwishtoreadyourplan，ifyoucouldabridgeandsendit.Inthislittlescrawlyoumusttakethewillforthedeed，forImostsincerelywishsuccesstoyourplay.—Farewell，

C.L.

[ThisandtheletterthatfollowsitcontainLambssuggestionsforGodwinsplay"

Faulkener，"

uponwhichhewasnowmeditating，butwhichwasnotperformeduntil1807.Lambwrotetheprologue，apoeminpraiseofDefoe，sinceitwasinRoxana，oratleastinoneeditionofit，thatthecounterpartto，orportionof，Godwinsplotisfound.There，however，thecentralfigureisadaughter，notason.SeetheletterstoWalterWilson.

Mr.Swinburne，inthelittlearticletowhichIhavealreadyalluded，saysofthisandthefollowingletter:"

SeveralofLambssuggestions，inspiteofhisownmodestdisclaimer（Iamtheworsthandintheworldataplot），seemtome，especiallyasingfromtheauthorofatragedymemorablealikeforsweetnessofmoralemotionandemptinessoftheatricalsubject，worthyofnotefortheinstinctiveintuitionofhighdramaticeffectimpliedintheirroughandrapidoutlines."

RichardSavage，thepoet，whoselifeJohnsonwrote，claimedtobetheillegitimatesonofLadyMacclesfieldbyLordRivers.SavagekilledSinclairinatavernquarrelin1727，andwascondemnedtodeath.HispardonwasobtainedbytheCountessofHertford.

"

TheFairPenitent"

isbyNicholasRowe.

FalklandandWilliamsareinGodwinsnovelCalebWilliams，dramatisedbyColmanas"

TheIronChest."

"

Harriswillwantaskeleton."

ThomasHarris，stagemanagerofCovent

GardenTheatre.

NancyDawson（1730?-1767），thefamousdancerandbonaroba.

"

Douglas"

—Homestragedy.

"

ThehusbandofIsabella."

InSoutherns"

FatalMarriage."

]

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