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In: Essays, Letters & Speeches·British Literature
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #10343.
The volume gathers the first‑edition texts of Charles Lamb’s essays published under his pen name Elia, comprising the original 1823 collection Elia and the later 1833 compilation The Last Essays of Elia. The opening pages explain that the book presents the author’s revised versions, with extensive notes that compare the magazine prints to the printed book forms. An appendix reproduces the three‑part “Old Actors” essay as it first appeared in the London Magazine, while the “Confessions of a Drunkard” is omitted because it was added only in later editions. The front matter also describes the symbolic design of the cover, linking Lamb’s school at Christ’s Hospital and his birthplace in the Inner Temple, and notes the personal significance of the St Dunstan’s bell figures that once adorned the façade of a nearby church.
Lamb’s prose is a blend of gentle satire, nostalgic observation, and conversational wit, characteristic of early‑19th‑century English essayists. His voice, often self‑deprecating and richly descriptive, invites readers into the world of London’s commercial houses, theatrical reminiscences, and domestic quirks. Those who appreciate literary sketches that combine humor with a keen eye for social detail, especially fans of period essays, scholars of Romantic‑era writing, or readers drawn to reflective, character‑driven commentary, will find this collection rewarding.
The opening · free to read
The text of the present volume is that of the first edition of each book--_Elia_, 1823, and The Last Essays of Elia, 1833. The principal differences between the essays as they were printed in the London Magazine and elsewhere, and as they were revised for book form by their author, are shown in the Notes, which, it should be pointed out, are much fuller in my large edition. The three-part essay on "The Old Actors" (London Magazine, February, April, and October, 1822), from which Lamb prepared the three essays; "On Some of the Old Actors," "The Artificial Comedy of the Last Century," and "The Acting of Munden," is printed in the Appendix as it first appeared. The absence of the "Confessions of a Drunkard" from this volume is due to the fact that Lamb did not include it in the first edition of The Last Essays of Elia. It was inserted later, in place of "A Death-Bed," on account of objections that were raised to that essay by the family of Randal Norris. The story is told in the notes to "A Death-Bed." The "Confessions of a Drunkard" will be found in Vol. I.
In Mr. Bedford's design for the cover of this edition certain Elian symbolism will be found. The upper coat of arms is that of Christ's Hospital, where Lamb was at school; the lower is that of the Inner Temple, where he was born and spent many years. The figures at the bells are those which once stood out from the façade of St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street, and are now in Lord Londesborough's garden in Regent's Park. Lamb shed tears when they were removed. The tricksy sprite and the candles (brought by Betty) need no explanatory words of mine.
E.V.L.
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