Lamb's Friend the Census-Taker |
|
Author:
| Williams, Orlo |
ISBN: | 978-0-217-01025-2 |
Publication Date: | Aug 2009 |
Publisher: | General Books LLC
|
Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $20.21 |
Book Description:
|
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II Rickman in London?George Dyer?The Magazine?Lamb's ' pleasant hand '?Southey's Thalaba?Dyer's preface?The first Population Act ?Rickman and the census. In April 1800, before Southey had left Falmouth, Rickman had settled in London. It is not possible to determine precisely what his prospects of...
More DescriptionPurchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II Rickman in London?George Dyer?The Magazine?Lamb's ' pleasant hand '?Southey's Thalaba?Dyer's preface?The first Population Act ?Rickman and the census. In April 1800, before Southey had left Falmouth, Rickman had settled in London. It is not possible to determine precisely what his prospects of literary employment were, but from hints in his letters it is evident that Southey had recommended him to the editor of the Critical Review, that he might succeed to the place of reviewer of poetry vacated by Southey, and that he had given him a letter of introduction to George Dyer, Lamb's immortal G. D.,1 who was at this time pursuing a literary career in Clifford's Inn. Dyer, whom Hazlitt called ' one of God Almighty's gentlemen, ' in spite of his slovenliness, absent-mindedness, and his execrable taste in poetry, was a most constant and warmhearted friend to men of letters. Southey could have recommended Rickman to no better person, and it is pleasant to notice that Dyer and Rickman became firm friends. This friendship has preserved to us three of Dyer's private letters?no others are known?and has furnished a few more facts in the life of the genial G. D. Rickman's first letter to Southey from London mentions their meeting: ? 'london, Apr. 13th, 1800. ' My Dear Sib, ?Having called on Mr. Dyer on Thursday he appointed this morning (Saturday) for the proposedinspection of your books. Here follow details of the books.] G. Dyer is a great curiosity; his room more so; and I was witness to the regular apologies he makes to every visitor on its unusual disorder. Their answers are as regular, that they never saw it otherwise. He is very busy printing some poetry. He read me some from the manuscript: whence he seems no unhappy forger of the Spenserian style. He received me...