_My Recollections.--Russell Street.--Personal Appearance.--Manner.--
Tendency of Mind.--Prejudices.--Alleged Excesses.--Mode of Life.--Love of
Smoking.--His Lodgings.--His Sister.--Costume.--Reading aloud.--Tastes and
Opinions.--London.--Love of Books.--Charity.--Wednesday Parties.--His
Companions.--Epitaph upon them._



In the year 1817 or 1818 I first became personally acquainted with Charles
Lamb.

This was about the time of his removal from the Temple. It was in the
course of the year 1818 that his works had been first collected and
published. They came upon the world by surprise; scarcely any one at that
time being aware that a fine genius and humorist existed, within the dull
shades of London, whose quality very few of the critics had assayed, and
none of them had commended. He was thus thrown (waif-like) amongst the
great body of the people; was at once estimated, and soon rose into
renown.

Persons who had been in the habit of traversing Covent Garden at that time
(seven and forty years ago) might, by extending their walk a few yards
into Russell Street, have noted a small, spare man, clothed in black, who
went out every morning and returned every afternoon, as regularly as the
hands of the clock moved towards certain hours. You could not mistake him.
He was somewhat stiff in his manner, and almost clerical in dress; which
indicated much wear. He had a long, melancholy face, with keen,
penetrating eyes; and he walked, with a short, resolute step, city-wards.
He looked no one in the face for more than a moment, yet contrived to see
everything as he went on. No one who ever studied the human features could