74. Elia. " Essays Which Have Appeared Under That Signature " In The " London Magazine. " London: " Printed For Taylor And Hessey, " Fleet-Street. " 1823.

"Poor Elia," says Lamb in a letter to the publisher, Taylor, under date of July 30, 1821, "Poor Elia, the real (for I am but a counterfeit), is dead. The fact is, a person of that name, an Italian, was a fellow-clerk of mine at the South Sea House thirty (not forty) years ago, when the characters I described there existed, but had left it like myself many years; and I, having a brother now there, and doubting how he might relish certain descriptions in it, I clapt down the name of Elia to it, which passed off pretty well, for Elia himself added the function of an author to that of a scrivener, like myself.

"I went the other day (not having seen him for a year) to laugh over with him at my usurpation of his name, and found him, alas! no more than a name, for he died of consumption eleven months ago, and I knew not of it.

"So the name has fairly devolved to me, I think, and 'tis all he has left me."

In this way our author himself accounts for the pseudonym, which, by the way, he says should be pronounced "Ellia."

The London Magazine, London: Printed for Baldwin, Cradock, And Joy, was established in January, 1820; but Taylor and Hessey did not become its proprietors until July of the following year, when Taylor, who was something of a writer himself, especially on monetary subjects, acted as editor, with Thomas Hood as sub-editor. John Scott, whom Byron described as "a man of very considerable talents and of great acquirements," had been called to the editorship when Lamb began his essays, and William Hazlitt was on the staff.

The first of the series appeared in the August number, 1820, and the papers continued until October, 1822, when, twenty-seven having been issued, they, with one other called Valentine's Day, which had appeared in the Indicator for February, 1821, were collected to form this volume.

When the book was in press Lamb thought to use a dedication, which he wrote and sent to Taylor with the following note, dated December 7, 1822:

"Dear Sir—I should like the enclosed Dedication to be printed, unless you dislike it. I like it. It is in the olden style. But if you object to it, put forth the book as it is; only pray don't let the printer mistake the word curt for curst.

C. L.

"On better consideration, pray omit that Dedication. The Essays want no Preface: they are all Preface. A Preface is nothing but a talk with the reader; and they do nothing else. Pray omit it.

"There will be a sort of Preface in the next Magazine, which may act as an advertisement, but not proper for the volume.

"Let Elia come forth bare as he was born."

The label on the paper-covered boards gives the price of the volume as 9s. 6d., a fairish price for the neat, but in no way remarkable piece of book-making which Thomas Davison executed for the publishers.

Some copies of the first edition show a variation in the imprint: Messrs. Taylor and Hessey having opened a new shop at 13, Waterloo Place, this address was printed in a line below the old one. Occasion was also taken, at this time, to furnish the book with a half-title.

Octavo.

Collation: iv, 341 pp.