THE
ATLANTIC MONTHLY.
A MAGAZINE OF LITERATURE, ART, AND POLITICS.
VOL. XII.—OCTOBER, 1863.—NO. LXXII.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by TICKNOR ANDFIELDS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District ofMassachusetts.
CONTENTS
CHARLES LAMB'S UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS.
MY PALACE.
THE DEACON'S HOLOCAUST.
THE UNITED STATES ARMORY.
THE PEWEE.
MRS. LEWIS.
THE CONQUEST OF CUBA.
EQUINOCTIAL.
THE LEGEND OF MONTE DEL DIABLO.
LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE.
BARBARA FRIETCHIE.
A LETTER TO THOMAS CARLYLE.
VOLUNTARIES.
OUR DOMESTIC RELATIONS;
REVIEWS AND LITERARY NOTICES.
CHARLES LAMB'S UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS.[1]
SECOND PAPER.
Readers of Lamb's "Life and Letters" remember that before "Mr. H." waswritten, before Kemble had rejected "John Woodvil," Godwin's tragedy of"Antonio" had been produced at Drury-Lane Theatre, and that Elia waspresent at the performance thereof. But perhaps they do not know (atleast, not many of them) that Elia's essay on "The Artificial Comedy ofthe Last Century," as originally published in the "London Magazine,"contained a full and circumstantial account of the cold and statelymanner in which John Kemble performed the part of Antonio in Godwin'sunfortunate play. For some reason or other, Lamb did not reprint thispart of the article. Admirers of Charles Lamb and admirers of the dramawill be pleased—for 'tis a very characteristic bit of writing—withwhat Elia says of
JOHN KEMBLE AND GODWIN'S TRAGEDY OF "ANTONIO."
"The story of his swallowing opium-pills to keep him lively upon thefirst night of a certain tragedy we may presume to be a piece ofretaliatory pleasantry on the part of the suffering author. But, indeed,John had the art of diffusing a complacent equable dulness (which youknew not where to quarrel with) over a piece which he did not like,beyond any of his contemporaries. John Kemble had made up his mind earlythat all the good tragedies which could be written had been written, andhe resented any new attempt. His shelves were full. The old standardswere scope enough for his ambition. He ranged in them absolute, and'fair in Otway, full in Shakspeare shone.' He succeeded to the oldlawful thrones, and did not care to adventure bottomry with a Sir EdwardMortimer, or any casual speculator that offered.
"I remember, too acutely for my peace, the deadly extinguisher which heput upon my friend G.'s 'Antonio' G., satiate with visions of politicaljustice, (possibly not to be realized in our time,) or willing