Vulgar words in The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 - Elia and The Last Essays of Elia (Page 1)
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~ ~ ~ Sentence 275 ~ ~ ~
This petty Nero actually branded a boy, who had offended him, with a red hot iron; and nearly starved forty of us, with exacting contributions, to the one half of our bread, to pamper a young ass, which, incredible as it may seem, with the connivance of the nurse's daughter (a young flame of his) he had contrived to smuggle in, and keep upon the leads of the _ward_, as they called our dormitories.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 458 ~ ~ ~
And, waiving for a while my theory as to the _great race_, I would put it to the most untheorising reader, who may at times have disposable coin in his pocket, whether it is not more repugnant to the kindliness of his nature to refuse such a one as I am describing, than to say _no_ to a poor petitionary rogue (your bastard borrower), who, by his mumping visnomy, tells you, that he expects nothing better; and, therefore, whose preconceived notions and expectations you do in reality so much less shock in the refusal.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 514 ~ ~ ~
I know him to be light, and vain, and humorsome; a notorious ***; addicted to ****: averse from counsel, neither taking it, nor offering it;--*** besides; a stammering buffoon; what you will; lay it on, and spare not; I subscribe to it all, and much more, than thou canst be willing to lay at his door--but for the child Elia--that "other me," there, in the back-ground--I must take leave to cherish the remembrance of that young master--with as little reference, I protest, to this stupid changeling of five-and-forty, as if it had been a child of some other house, and not of my parents.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 1,342 ~ ~ ~
An over-loaded ass is his client for ever.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 1,652 ~ ~ ~
so may future Hookers and Seldens illustrate your church and chambers!
~ ~ ~ Sentence 2,321 ~ ~ ~
His quality is at the best unlovely, but neither buffoon nor contemptible.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 2,382 ~ ~ ~
In these serious walks probably he was divesting himself of many scenic and some real vanities--weaning himself from the frivolities of the lesser and the greater theatre--doing gentle penance for a life of no very reprehensible fooleries,--taking off by degrees the buffoon mask which he might feel he had worn too long--and rehearsing for a more solemn cast of part.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 2,907 ~ ~ ~
All the unaccomplish'd works of Authors' hands, Abortive, monstrous, or unkindly mix'd, Damn'd upon earth, fleet thither-- Play, Opera, Farce, with all their trumpery-- There, by the neighbouring moon (by some not improperly supposed thy Regent Planet upon earth) mayst thou not still be acting thy managerial pranks, great disembodied Lessee?
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,853 ~ ~ ~
His quality is at the best unlovely, but neither buffoon nor contemptible.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,924 ~ ~ ~
In these serious walks probably he was divesting himself of many scenic and some real vanities--weaning himself from the frivolities of the lesser and the greater theatre--doing gentle penance for a life of no very reprehensible fooleries,--taking off by degrees the buffoon mask which he might feel he had worn too long--and rehearsing for a more solemn cast of part.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 4,962 ~ ~ ~
[Footnote 1: How lovelily the Adriatic whore Dress'd in her flames will shine--devouring flames-- Such as will burn her to her wat'ry bottom, And hiss in her foundation.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 5,163 ~ ~ ~
There was no offence against decorum in all this; nothing to condemn, to damn.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 5,737 ~ ~ ~
_A young ass_.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 5,922 ~ ~ ~
Writing to him in 1809 Lamb says, referring among other loans to the volume of Dodsley with Vittoria Corombona ("The White Devil," by John Webster) in it:--"While I think on it, Coleridge, I fetch'd away my books which you had at the _Courier_ Office, and found all but a third volume of the old plays, containing the 'White Devil, 'Green's 'Tu Quoque,' and the 'Honest Whore,' perhaps the most valuable volume of them all--_that_ I could not find.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 6,719 ~ ~ ~
_Hookers and Seldens_.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 7,329 ~ ~ ~
Patmore's testimony is also corroborative:-- To those who did not know him, or, knowing, did not or could not appreciate him, Lamb often passed for something between an imbecile, a brute, and a buffoon; and the first impression he made on ordinary people was always unfavourable--sometimes to a violent and repulsive degree.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 7,462 ~ ~ ~
In September, 1825, was an essay entitled "The Sorrows of ** ***" (an ass), which might, both from style and sympathy, be almost Lamb's; but was, I think, by another hand.