The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4POEMS AND PLAYSReading editionChapter navigation184 reading sectionsGo to chapterChoose a chapter…Front matterPOEMS AND PLAYSINTRODUCTIONIntroductory materialFRONTISPIECEDEDICATION (1818) TO S.T. COLERIDGE, ESQ.LAMB'S EARLIEST POEMPOEMS IN COLERIDGE'S POEMS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, 1796FROM CHARLES LLOYD'S POEMS ON THE DEATH OF PRISCILLA FARMER, 1796POEMS FROM COLERIDGE'S POEMS, 1797CHILDHOODTHE SABBATH BELLSFANCY EMPLOYED ON DIVINE SUBJECTSTO CHARLES LLOYDA VISION OF REPENTANCESONNETTO THE POET COWPERLINESSONNET TO A FRIENDLIVING WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLDPOEMS FROM BLANK VERSE, BY CHARLES LLOYD AND CHARLES LAMB, 1798WRITTEN ON THE DAY OF MY AUNT'S FUNERALWRITTEN A YEAR AFTER THE EVENTSWRITTEN SOON AFTER THE PRECEDING POEMWRITTEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1797THE OLD FAMILIAR FACESCOMPOSED AT MIDNIGHTHELENBALLADHYPOCHONDRIACUSA BALLAD:HESTERTO T.L.H.LINESLINESLINESON THE SAMESONNETSON THE SIGHT OF SWANS IN KENSINGTON GARDENTHE FAMILY NAMETO JOHN LAMB, ESQ.TO MARTIN CHARLES BURNEY, ESQ.ALBUM VERSESIN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF MRS. SERGEANT W———IN THE ALBUM OF LUCY BARTONIN THE ALBUM OF MISS ———IN THE ALBUM OF A VERY YOUNG LADYIN THE ALBUM OF A FRENCH TEACHER (? 1829)IN THE ALBUM OF MISS DAUBENYIN THE ALBUM OF MRS. JANE TOWERS (1828)IN MY OWN ALBUM (1827)MISCELLANEOUSTHE CHRISTENINGON AN INFANT DYING AS SOON AS BORNTO BERNARD BARTONTHE YOUNG CATECHIST[7]TO A YOUNG FRIENDTO THE SAMEWRITTEN AT CAMBRIDGETO A CELEBRATED FEMALE PERFORMER IN THE "BLIND BOY"WORKLEISURETO SAMUEL ROGERS, ESQ.THE GIPSY'S MALISONCOMMENDATORY VERSESTO R.[J.]S. KNOWLES, ESQ.TO THE EDITOR OF THE "EVERY-DAY BOOK"TO CECILIA CATHERINE LAWTONACROSTIC,ANOTHER,PINDARIC ODE TO THE TREAD MILLEPICEDIUMNEW POEMS IN LAMB'S POETICAL WORKS, 1836TO DORA W[ORDSWORTH],IN THE ALBUM OF ROTHA Q[UILLINAN]IN THE ALBUM OF CATHERINE ORKNEYTO T. STOTHARD, ESQ.TO A FRIEND ON HIS MARRIAGETHE SELF-ENCHANTEDTO LOUISA M[ARTIN], WHOM I USED TO CALL "MONKEY"CHEAP GIFTS: A SONNETFREE THOUGHTS ON SEVERAL EMINENT COMPOSERSDICK STRYPE; OR, THE FORCE OF HABITTWO EPITAPHS ON A YOUNG LADY WHO LIVED NEGLECTED AND DIED OBSCURETHE APECARLAGNULUS.SONNETTO MY FRIEND THE INDICATORON SEEING MRS. K—— B——, AGED UPWARDS OF EIGHTY, NURSE AN INFANTTO EMMA, LEARNING LATIN, AND DESPONDINGLINESLINESHERCULES PACIFICATUSTHE PARTING SPEECH OF THE CELESTIAL MESSENGER TO THE POETEXISTENCE, CONSIDERED IN ITSELF, NO BLESSINGTO SAMUEL ROGERS, ESQ.TO CLARA N[OVELLO]THE SISTERSLOVE WILL COMETO MARGARET W——THE FIRST LEAF OF SPRINGTO MRS. F[IELD]TO M[ARY] L[AETITIA] F[IELD]TO ESTHER FIELD[TO MRS. WILLIAMS]TO THE BOOKTO S[OPHIA] F[REND]TO R[OTHA] Q[UILLINAN]TO S[ARAH] L[OCKE]TO M[ARY] L[OCKE]AN ACROSTIC AGAINST ACROSTICSON BEING ASKED TO WRITE IN MISS WESTWOOD'S ALBUM[IN MISS WESTWOOD'S ALBUM]UN SOLITAIRETO S[ARAH] T[HOMAS]TO MRS. SARAH ROBINSONTO SARAH [APSEY]TO JOSEPH VALE ASBURYTO LOUISA MORGANTO SARAH JAMES OF BEGUILDYTO EMMA BUTTONWRITTEN UPON THE COVER OF A BLOTTING BOOKON A LATE EMPIRIC OF "BALMY" MEMORYSONNETTHE GODLIKETHE THREE GRAVESSONNET TO MATHEW WOOD, ESQ.ON A PROJECTED JOURNEYTHE UNBELOVEDON THE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND OF LORD BYRON'S REMAINSLINESFOR THE "TABLE BOOK"THE ROYAL WONDERS"BREVIS ESSE LABORO"SUUM CUIQUE[ON THE LITERARY GAZETTE]ON THE FAST-DAYNONSENSE VERSESFROM THE LATINSATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFEPART THE FIRSTPROLOGUES AND EPILOGUESPROLOGUE TO GODWIN'S TRAGEDY OF "FAULKENER"EPILOGUE TO HENRY SIDDONS' FARCE, "TIME'S A TELL-TALE"PROLOGUE TO COLERIDGE'S TRAGEDY OF "REMORSE"EPILOGUE TO KENNEY'S FARCE, "DEBTOR AND CREDITOR"EPILOGUE TO AN AMATEUR PERFORMANCE OF "RICHARD II."PROLOGUE TO SHERIDAN KNOWLES' COMEDY, "THE WIFE"EPILOGUE TO SHERIDAN KNOWLES' COMEDY, "THE WIFE"ACT THE SECONDSCENE.—Sherwood Forest.ACT THE FOURTHSCENE.—The Forest.SCENE.—Another Part of the Forest.SCENE.—Woodvil Hall.ACT THE FIFTHSCENE.—An inner Apartment.ACT ISCENE.—In the Street.SCENE.—An Apartment in MELESINDA'S House.SCENE.—A Room in the Inn. (Two Waiters disputing.)ACT IISCENE.—The Street. BELVIL and another Gentleman.SCENE.—MR. H——'S Apartment.SCENE.—Melesinda's Apartment.SCENE I.—An Apartment at Flint's house.SCENE II.—A Butcher's Shop.SCENE III.—A Street.ACT IISCENE.—The Apartment of Miss Flyn.SCENE.—Police-Office.SCENE.—Servants' Hall.SCENE.—Mrs. Selby's Chamber.SCENE.—An Apartment, contiguous to the last.SCENE.—The Library.SCENE.-Mrs. Selby's Chamber.NOTESNOTES (continued 2)NOTES (continued 3)Scene changes to another part of the forest.Scene changes to Woodvil Hall.Scene changes to a bed-room. John sitting alone: a lamp burning by him.INDEXINDEX OF FIRST LINESPrevious chapter ←Front matterNext chapter →INTRODUCTIONAll chapters and sections (184)Opening pagesFront matterOther sectionsPOEMS AND PLAYSINTRODUCTIONOpening pagesIntroductory materialOther sectionsFRONTISPIECEDEDICATION (1818) TO S.T. COLERIDGE, ESQ.LAMB'S EARLIEST POEMPOEMS IN COLERIDGE'S POEMS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, 1796FROM CHARLES LLOYD'S POEMS ON THE DEATH OF PRISCILLA FARMER, 1796POEMS FROM COLERIDGE'S POEMS, 1797CHILDHOODTHE SABBATH BELLSFANCY EMPLOYED ON DIVINE SUBJECTSTO CHARLES LLOYDA VISION OF REPENTANCESONNETTO THE POET COWPERLINESSONNET TO A FRIENDLIVING WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLDPOEMS FROM BLANK VERSE, BY CHARLES LLOYD AND CHARLES LAMB, 1798WRITTEN ON THE DAY OF MY AUNT'S FUNERALWRITTEN A YEAR AFTER THE EVENTSWRITTEN SOON AFTER THE PRECEDING POEMWRITTEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1797THE OLD FAMILIAR FACESCOMPOSED AT MIDNIGHTHELENBALLADHYPOCHONDRIACUSA BALLAD:HESTERTO T.L.H.LINESLINESLINESON THE SAMESONNETSON THE SIGHT OF SWANS IN KENSINGTON GARDENTHE FAMILY NAMETO JOHN LAMB, ESQ.TO MARTIN CHARLES BURNEY, ESQ.ALBUM VERSESIN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF MRS. SERGEANT W———IN THE ALBUM OF LUCY BARTONIN THE ALBUM OF MISS ———IN THE ALBUM OF A VERY YOUNG LADYIN THE ALBUM OF A FRENCH TEACHER (? 1829)IN THE ALBUM OF MISS DAUBENYIN THE ALBUM OF MRS. JANE TOWERS (1828)IN MY OWN ALBUM (1827)MISCELLANEOUSTHE CHRISTENINGON AN INFANT DYING AS SOON AS BORNTO BERNARD BARTONTHE YOUNG CATECHIST[7]TO A YOUNG FRIENDTO THE SAMEWRITTEN AT CAMBRIDGETO A CELEBRATED FEMALE PERFORMER IN THE "BLIND BOY"WORKLEISURETO SAMUEL ROGERS, ESQ.THE GIPSY'S MALISONCOMMENDATORY VERSESTO R.[J.]S. KNOWLES, ESQ.TO THE EDITOR OF THE "EVERY-DAY BOOK"TO CECILIA CATHERINE LAWTONACROSTIC,ANOTHER,PINDARIC ODE TO THE TREAD MILLEPICEDIUMNEW POEMS IN LAMB'S POETICAL WORKS, 1836TO DORA W[ORDSWORTH],IN THE ALBUM OF ROTHA Q[UILLINAN]IN THE ALBUM OF CATHERINE ORKNEYTO T. STOTHARD, ESQ.TO A FRIEND ON HIS MARRIAGETHE SELF-ENCHANTEDTO LOUISA M[ARTIN], WHOM I USED TO CALL "MONKEY"CHEAP GIFTS: A SONNETFREE THOUGHTS ON SEVERAL EMINENT COMPOSERSDICK STRYPE; OR, THE FORCE OF HABITTWO EPITAPHS ON A YOUNG LADY WHO LIVED NEGLECTED AND DIED OBSCURETHE APECARLAGNULUS.SONNETTO MY FRIEND THE INDICATORON SEEING MRS. K—— B——, AGED UPWARDS OF EIGHTY, NURSE AN INFANTTO EMMA, LEARNING LATIN, AND DESPONDINGLINESLINESHERCULES PACIFICATUSTHE PARTING SPEECH OF THE CELESTIAL MESSENGER TO THE POETEXISTENCE, CONSIDERED IN ITSELF, NO BLESSINGTO SAMUEL ROGERS, ESQ.TO CLARA N[OVELLO]THE SISTERSLOVE WILL COMETO MARGARET W——THE FIRST LEAF OF SPRINGTO MRS. F[IELD]TO M[ARY] L[AETITIA] F[IELD]TO ESTHER FIELD[TO MRS. WILLIAMS]TO THE BOOKTO S[OPHIA] F[REND]TO R[OTHA] Q[UILLINAN]TO S[ARAH] L[OCKE]TO M[ARY] L[OCKE]AN ACROSTIC AGAINST ACROSTICSON BEING ASKED TO WRITE IN MISS WESTWOOD'S ALBUM[IN MISS WESTWOOD'S ALBUM]UN SOLITAIRETO S[ARAH] T[HOMAS]TO MRS. SARAH ROBINSONTO SARAH [APSEY]TO JOSEPH VALE ASBURYTO LOUISA MORGANTO SARAH JAMES OF BEGUILDYTO EMMA BUTTONWRITTEN UPON THE COVER OF A BLOTTING BOOKON A LATE EMPIRIC OF "BALMY" MEMORYSONNETTHE GODLIKETHE THREE GRAVESSONNET TO MATHEW WOOD, ESQ.ON A PROJECTED JOURNEYTHE UNBELOVEDON THE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND OF LORD BYRON'S REMAINSLINESFOR THE "TABLE BOOK"THE ROYAL WONDERS"BREVIS ESSE LABORO"SUUM CUIQUE[ON THE LITERARY GAZETTE]ON THE FAST-DAYNONSENSE VERSESFROM THE LATINSATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFEPART THE FIRSTPROLOGUES AND EPILOGUESPROLOGUE TO GODWIN'S TRAGEDY OF "FAULKENER"EPILOGUE TO HENRY SIDDONS' FARCE, "TIME'S A TELL-TALE"PROLOGUE TO COLERIDGE'S TRAGEDY OF "REMORSE"EPILOGUE TO KENNEY'S FARCE, "DEBTOR AND CREDITOR"EPILOGUE TO AN AMATEUR PERFORMANCE OF "RICHARD II."PROLOGUE TO SHERIDAN KNOWLES' COMEDY, "THE WIFE"EPILOGUE TO SHERIDAN KNOWLES' COMEDY, "THE WIFE"ACT THE SECONDSCENE.—Sherwood Forest.ACT THE FOURTHSCENE.—The Forest.SCENE.—Another Part of the Forest.SCENE.—Woodvil Hall.ACT THE FIFTHSCENE.—An inner Apartment.Acts1Act 1 · Other sectionsSCENE.—In the Street.SCENE.—An Apartment in MELESINDA'S House.SCENE.—A Room in the Inn. (Two Waiters disputing.)Acts2Act 2 · Other sectionsSCENE.—The Street. BELVIL and another Gentleman.SCENE.—MR. H——'S Apartment.SCENE.—Melesinda's Apartment.Act 1 · Scenes123Act 2 · Acts2Act 2 · Other sectionsSCENE.—The Apartment of Miss Flyn.SCENE.—Police-Office.SCENE.—Servants' Hall.SCENE.—Mrs. Selby's Chamber.SCENE.—An Apartment, contiguous to the last.SCENE.—The Library.SCENE.-Mrs. Selby's Chamber.NOTESNOTES (continued 2)NOTES (continued 3)Scene changes to another part of the forest.Scene changes to Woodvil Hall.Scene changes to a bed-room. John sitting alone: a lamp burning by him.Volume 4 · Other sectionsINDEXINDEX OF FIRST LINESBYCHARLES AND MARY LAMB← Front matterINTRODUCTION →