BorninLondoninapoorclerk‘familyin1775ServedasaclerkintheSouthSeaHouseandthentheEastIndiaHouseuntilltheretirementDiedin1834CharlesLambwasanEnglishessayist,bestknownforhisEssaysofEliaandforthechildren'sbookTalesfromShakespeare,whichheproducedwithhissister,MaryLamb.Lawyers,Isuppose,werechildrenonce.—featuresintheprefaceofToKillaMockingbird.Manisagaminganimal.Hemustalwaysbetryingtogetthebetterinsomethingorother.—featuresintheEssaysofElia,1823HavinggoodfriendshipswithColeridge,Wordworth,Godwin,HazlitandHuntPortraitofCharlesLambbyWilliamHazlittCharlesandhissisterMarybothsufferedperiodsofmentalillness.CharlesandMaryIn1796,aterribleeventoccurred:Mary,wentbadsudenlyandstabbedhermothertotheheartwithatableknife.“Ihadamother,butshedied,andleftme,Diedprematurelyinadayofhorrors-All,allaregone,theoldfamiliarfaces.”Lamb,becauseoffamilycommitments,Lamb,hadnevermarried.Althoughheoncefellinlovewithanactress,FannyKelly,andproposedmarriage,butSherefusedhim,andhediedabachelor.Charlesdiedin1834andMarydied14yearslaterCharlesandMary’sgraveLiangyuchun,called”theeliaofChina”,didsometransitionofLamb