CHAPTER III.

_Jem White.--Coleridge.--Lamb's Inspiration.--Early Letters.--Poem
published.--Charles Lloyd.--Liking for Burns, &c.--Quakerism.--Robert
Southey.--Southey and Coleridge.--Antijacobin.--Rosamond Gray.-George
Dyer.-Manning.--Mary's Illnesses.--Migrations.--Hester Savory._



After the pain arising from the deaths of his parents had somewhat
subsided, and his sorrow, exhausting itself in the usual manner, had given
way to calm, the story of Lamb becomes mainly an account of his
intercourse with society. He was surrounded, during his somewhat
monotonous career, by affectionate and admiring friends, who helped to
bring out his rare qualities, who stimulated his genius, and who are in
fact interwoven with his own history.

One of the earliest of these was his schoolfellow James (familiarly Jem)
White. This youth, who at the beginning of this period was his most
frequent companion, had great cleverness and abundant animal spirits,
under the influence of which he had produced a small volume, entitled
"Original Letters of Sir John Falstaff and his Friends." These letters
were ingenious imitations of the style and tone of thought of the
celebrated Shakespearian knight and his familiars. Beyond this merit they
are, perhaps, not sufficiently full of that enduring matter which is
intended for posterity. Nevertheless they contain some good and a few
excellent things. The letter of Davy (Justice Shallow's servant) giving an
account to his master of the death of poor Abram Slender is very touching.
Slender dies from mere love of sweet Ann Page; "Master Abram is dead;
gone, your worship. A' sang his soul and body quite away. A' turned like