see I saunter on as usual. How do you call your new project? I have preachment in it upon any opinions. She merely sent to Murray a new tragedy, yeleped Sardanap- says that she is dying, and that as I had contribualus,' writ according to Aristotle, save the ted so highly to her existing pleasure, she thought chorus-I could not reconcile me to that. I have that she might say so, begging me to burn her letter begun another, and am in the second act;-so you-whch, by-the-way, I can not do, as I look upon such a letter, in such circumstances, as better than "Bowles's answers have reached me but I a diploma from Gottingen. I once had a letter can't go on disputing for ever.-particularly in a from Drontheim, in Norway, (but not from a dying polite manner. I suppose he will take g silent woman,) in verse, on the same score of gratulation. for silenced. He has been so civil tha An't find These are the things which make one at times it in my liver to be facetious with him, believe one's self a poet. But if I must believe savage joke or two at his service. and such fellows, are poets also, it is better to be out of the corps. I had a that *** "I can't send you the little journal, because it is "I am now in the fifth act of Foscari,' being the in boards, and I can't trust it per post. Don't third tragedy in twelve months, besides proses; so suppose it is any thing particular; but it will you perceive that I am not at all idle. And are you, show the intentions of the natives at that time-too, busy? I doubt that your life at Paris draws and one or two other things, chiefly personal, like too much upon your time, which is a pity. Can't the former one. you divide your day, so as to combine both? I "So, Longman don't bite.-It was my wish to have had plenty of all sorts of worldly business on have made that work of use. Could you not raise a my hands last year, and yet it is not so difficult to sum upon it, (however small,) reserving the power give a few hours to the Muses. This sentence is so of redeeming it on payment? [like****that Ever, &c. "Are you in Paris, or a villaging? If you are "If we were together, I should publish both my in the city, you will never resist the Anglo-invasion plays (periodically) in our joint journal. It should you speak of. I do not see an Englishman in half be our plan to publish all our best things in that a year; and when I do, I turn my horse's head the way." other way. The fact, which you will find in the last note to the Doge, has given me a good excuse for quite dropping the least connexion with travel lers. "I do not recollect the speech you speak of, but suspect it is not the Doge's, but one of Israel Bertuccio to Calendaro. I hope you think that Elliston behaved shamefully-it is my only consolation. I made the Milanese fellows contradict their lie,. which they did with the grace of people used to it "Yours, &c., LETTER DIV. TO MR. MOORE. "B." "Ravenna, July 5, 1821. LETTER DV. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, July, 21. "In agreement with a wish expressed by Mr. Hobhouse, it is my determination to omit the stanza upon the horse of Semiramis in the fifth canto of Don Juan. I mention this, in case you are, or intend to be, the publisher of the remaining cantos. "At the particular request of the Contessa G., I have promised not to continue Don Juan. You will therefore look upon these three cantos as the last of the poem. She had read the first two in the French translation, and never ceased beseeching me to write no more of it. The reason of this is not at first obvious to a superficial observer of FORHow could you suppose that I ever would allow EIGN manners; but it arises from the wish of all any thing that could be said on your account to women to exalt the sentiment of the passions, and weigh with me? I only regret that Bowles had not to keep up the illusion which is their empire. said that you were the writer of that note until Now Don Juan strips off this illusion, and laughs afterward, when out he comes with it in a private at that and most other things. I never knew a letter to Murray, which Murray sends to me. D-n woman who did not protect Rousseau, nor one who the controversy! did not dislike De Grammont, Gil Blas, and all the comedy of the passions, when brought out naturally. But kings' blood must keep word,' as Serjeant Bothwell says." "D-n Twizzle, D-n the bell, And d-n the fool who rung it-Well! From all such plagues I'll quickly be delivered. LETTER DVI. TO MR. MURRAY. "July 14, 1821. "I have had a friend of your Mr. Irving's-a very pretty lad-a Mr. Coolidge, of Boston-only somewhat too full of poesy and 'entusymusy.' I was very civil to him during his few hours' stay, and talked with him much of Irving, whose writings are my delight. But I suspect that he did not take quite so much to me, from his having expected to "I trust that Sardanapalus will not be mistaken meet a misanthropical gentleman, in wolf-skin for a political play, which was so far from my intenbreeches, and answering in fierce monasyllables, tion, that I thought of nothing but Asiatic history. instead of a man of this world. I can never get The Venetian play, too, is rigidly historical. My people to understand that poetry is the expression object has been to dramatize, like the Greek, (a of excited passion, and that there is no such thing modest phrase,) striking passages of history, as they as a life of passion any more than a continuous did of history and mythology. You will find all earthquake, or an eternal fever. Besides, who this very unlike Shakspeare; and so much the betwould ever shave themselves in such a state. ter in one sense, for I look upon him to be the "I have had a curious letter to-day from a girl worst of models, though the most extraordinary of in England, (I never saw her,) who says she is given writers. It has been my object to be as simple and over of a decline, but could not go out of the world severe as Alfieri, and I have broken down the poetry without thanking me for the delight which my as nearly as I could to common language. The poesy for several years, &c., &c., &c. It is signed hardship is, that in these times one can neither simply N. N. A., and has not a word of 'cant' or LETTER DVIIL TO MR. HOPPNER. speak of kings or queens without suspicion of poli-| tics or personalities. I intended neither. "I am not very well, and I write in the midst of unpleasant scenes here: they have, without trial or process, banished several of the first inhabitants of the cities-here and all around the Roman Statesamong them many of my personal friends-so that every thing is in confusion and grief: it is a kind of thing which cannot be described without an equal pain as in beholding it. "You are very niggardly in your letters. LETTER DVII. TO MR. MURRAY. "B." "Ravenna, July 22, 1821. "The printer has done wonders;-he has read what I cannot-my own handwriting. "I oppose the delay till winter;' I am particularly anxious to print while the winter theatres are closed, to gain time, in case they try their former piece of politeness. Any loss shall be considered in our contract, whether occasioned by the season or other causes; but print away and publish. "Ravenna, July 23, 1821. and all my friends exiled or arrested-the whole "This country being in a state of proscription, family of Gamba obliged to go to Florence for the present-the father and son for politics-(and the Guiccioli because menaced with a concent, as her father is not here,) I have determined to remove to Switzerland, and they also Indeed my life here is not supposed to be particularly safe-but that has been the case for this twelvemonth past and is therefore not the primary consideration. "I have written by this post to Mr. Hentsch, junior, the banker of Geneva, to provide (if passible) a house for me, another for Gamba's family, (the father, son, and daughter,) on the Jura side of the lake of Geneva, furnished, and with stabling (for me at least) for eight horses. I shall bring Allegra with me. Could you assist me or Hentsch in his researches? The Gambas are at Florence, but have authorized me to treat for them. You know, or do not know, that they are great patriots and both-but the son in particular-very fe fellows. This I know, for I have seen them t in very awkward situations-not pecuniary, but per "I think they must own that I have more styles ing nor retracting. sonal and they behaved like heroes, neither yieldthan one. Sardanapalus' is, however, almost a "You have no idea what a state of oppression comic character: but for that matter, so is Richard this country is in-they arrested above a thousand the Third. Mind the unities, which are my great of high and low throughout Romagna-baristed object of research. I am glad that Gifford likes it: as for the million,' you see I have carefully con- even accusation!! Every body says they would some and confined others, without trial, process, ot sulted any thing but the taste of the day for extrav-have done the same by me if they dared proced agant coups de threatre.' Any probable loss, as I openly. My motive, however, for remaining, is be said before, will be allowed for in our accompts. The reviews (except one or two, Blackwood's, for cause every one of my acquaintance, to the amount of hundreds almost, have been exiled. instance) are cold enough; but never mind those fellows: I shall send them to the right about, if I couple of houses furnished, and conferring with "Will you do what you can in looking out for 1 take it into my head. I always found the English Hentsch for us? We care nothing about society, baser in some things than any other nation. You and are only anxious for a temporary and tranqui stare, but it's true as to gratitude,--perhaps, because they are prouder, and proud people hate obli- asylum and individual freedom. gations. "Believe me, &c. LETTER DIX. TO MR. MURRAY. "The tyranny of the government here is break- "P. S. Can you give me an idea of the compar ing out. They have exiled about a thousand people ative expenses of Switzerland and Italy? which I of the best families all over the Roman States. As have forgotten. I speak merely of those of deceat many of my friends are among them, I think of living, horses, &c., and not of luxuries or high r moving too, but not till I have had your answers. ing. Do not, however, decide any thing positively Continue your address to me here, as usual, and till I have your answer, as I can then know how to quickly. What you will not be sorry to hear is, think upon these topics of transmigration, &c., that the poor of the place, hearing that I meant to &c., &c.' go, got together a petition to the Cardinal to request that he would request me to remain. I only heard of it a day or two ago, and it is no dishonor to them nor to me; but it will have displeased the higher powers, who look upon me as a chief of the coal-heavers. They arrested a servant of mine for a street-quarrel with an officer, (they drew upon one another knives and pistols,) but as the officer was out of uniform, and in the wrong besides, on my "Ravenna, July 30, 1991. protesting stoutly, he was released. I was not "Enclosed is the best account of the Doge Falipresent at the affray, which happened by night near ero, which was only sent to me from an old MS. the my stables. My man, (an Italian,) a very stout other day. Get it translated, and append it as a and not over-patient personage, would have taken a note to the next edition. You will perhaps be fatal revenge afterwards, if I had not prevented pleased to see that my conceptions of his character him. As it was, he drew his stiletto, and, but for were correct, though T regret not having met with passengers, would have carbonadoed the captain, this extract before. You will perceive that he him who, I understand, made but a poor figure in the self said exactly what he is made to say about the quarrel, except by beginning it. He applied to me, Bishop of Treviso. You will see also that he spoke and I offered him any satisfaction, either by turning very little, and those only words of rage and dis away the man, or otherwise, because he had drawn dain,' after his arrest, which is the case in the play, a knife. He answered that a reproof would be except when he breaks out at the close of act fifth. sufficient. I reproved him; and yet, after this, the But his speech to the conspirators is better in the shabby dog complained to the government,-after MS. than in the play. I wish that I had met with being quite satisfied, as he said." This roused me, it in time. Do not forget this note, with a transla and I gave them a remonstrance, which had some tion. effect. The captain has been reprimanded, the ser- "In a former note to the Juans, speaking of Vol vant released, and the business at present rests there." Itaire, I have quoted his famous 'Zaire, tu pleures,' 1 * which is an error; it should be 'Zaire, vous pleurez.'|which gives, I think, three or four stanzas, sent Recollect this. "P. S. Please to append the letter about the Hellespont as a note to your next opportunity of the verses on Leander, &c., &c., &c., in Childe Harold. Don't forget it amid your multitudinous avocations, which I think of celebrating in a Dithyrambic Ode to Albemarle street. them (they say) for the nonce by a correspondentperhaps himself. The fact is easily proved; for I don't understand German, and there was, I believe, no translation-at least, it was the first time that Í ever heard of, or saw, either translation or original. "I remember having some talk with Schlegel about Alfieri, whose merit he denies. He was also wroth about the Edinburgh Review of Goethe, which was sharp enough, to be sure. He went about saying, too, of the French-'I meditate a terrible vengeance against the French-I will prove that Moliere is no poet.' * * * "I don't see why you should talk of declining.' When I saw you, you looked thinner, and yet "Are you aware that Shelley has written an Ele- younger, than you did when we parted several years gy on Keats, and accuses the Quarterly of killing before. You may rely upon this as fact. If it were him? Who kill'd John Kents?" Who shot the arrow?' The poet-priest Milman, not, I should say nothing, for I would rather not say unpleasant personal things to any one-but, as it was the pleasant truth, I tell it you. If you had led my life, indeed, changing climates and connexions -thinning yourself with fasting and purgativesbesides the wear and tear of the vulture passions, and a very bad temper, besides, you might talk in this way-but you! I know no man who looks so well for his years, or who deserves to look better and to be better, in all respects. You are a ***, and, what is perhaps better for your friends, a good fellow. So, don't talk of decay, but put in for eighty, as you well may. "I am, "You know very well that I did not approve of Keats's poetry, or principles of poetry, or of his abuse of Pope; but, as he is dead, omit all that is said about him in MSS. of mine, or publication. His Hyperion is a fine monument, and will keep these unhappy proscriptions and exiles, which have at present, occupied principally about his name. I do not envy the man who wrote the taken place here on account of politics. It has article; you Review-people have no more right to been a miserable sight to see the general desolation kill than any other foot-pads. However, he who in families. I am doing what I can for them, high would die of an article in a Review would probably and low, by such interest and means as I possess or have died of something else equally trivial. The can bring to bear. There have been thousands of same thing nearly happened to Kirke White, who these proscriptions within the last month in the died afterward of a consumption Exarchate, or (to speak modernly) the Legations. Yesterday, too, a man got his back broken, in extricating a dog of mine from under a mill-wheel. The dog was killed, and the man is in the greatest danger. I was not present-it happened before I was up, owing to a stupid boy taking the dog to bathe in a dangerous spot. I must, of course, provide for the poor fellow while he lives, and his family, if he dies. would gladly have given a much greater sum than that will come to that he had never been hurt. Pray, let me hear from you, and excuse haste and hot weather. "Yours, &c. LETTER DX. TO MR. MOORE. "Ravenna, August 2, 1821. "I had certainly answered your last letter, though but briefly, to the part to which you refer, merely saying, damn the controversy;' and quoting some "You may have probably seen all sorts of attacks verses of George Colman's, not as allusive to you, upon me in some gazettes in England some months but to the disputants. Did you receive this letter?) ago. I only saw them, by Murray's bounty, the It imports me to know that our letters are not inter-other day. They call me Plagiary,' and what not. cepted or mislaid. I think I now, in my time, have been accused of every thing. "Your Berlin dramat is an honor, unknown since the days of Elkanah Settle, whose 'Emperor of "I have not given you details of little events Morocco' was represented by the court ladies, which here; but they have been trying to make me out to was, as Johnson says, the last blast of inflamma- be chief of a conspiracy, and nothing but their tion' to poor Dryden, who could not bear it, and want of proofs for an English investigation has fell foul of Settle without mercy or moderation, on stopped them. Had it been a poor native, the susaccount of that and a frontispiece, which he dared picion were enough, as it has been for hundreds. to put before his play. "Was not your showing the Memoranda to ** somewhat perilous? Is there not a facetious allusion or two which might as well be reserved for posterity? "Why don't you write on Napoleon? I have no spirits, nor estro' to do so. His overthrow, from the beginning, was a blow on the head to me. Since that period, we have been the slaves of fools. Excuse this long letter. Ecco a translation literal of a French epigram. "Egle, beauty and poet, has two little crimes, She makes her own face, and does not make her rhymes. "I know Schlegel well-that is so say, I have met him occasionally at Copet. Is he not also touched lightly in the Memoranda? In a review of Childe] Harold, canto fourth, three years ago, in Blackwood's Magazine, they quote some stanzas of an elegy of Schlegel's on Rome, from which they say that I might have taken some ideas. I give you my honor that I never saw it except in that criticism, the ultra-politicians. See Letter ccccxc. This note was omitted. ride in a particular part of the forest, on account of "I am going to ride, having been warned not to "Is there no chance of your return to England, and of our journal? I would have published the two plays in it-two or three scenes per numberape tacle founded on the poem of Lalla Rookh, in which the present Emperor and, indeed, all of mine in it. If you went to Eng. There had been, a short time before, performed at the Court of Berlin, a of Russia personated Feramorz, and the Empress Lalla Rookh. land, I would do so still." LETTER DXI. TO MY MURRAY. "Ravenna, August 10, 1821. LETTER DXIII. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, August 22, 1981. "Your conduct to Mr. Moore is certainly very "Enclosed are the two acts corrected. With rehandsome; and I would not say so if I could help gard to the charges about the shipwreck, I think it, for you are not at present by any means in my that I told both you and Mr. Hobhouse, years ago, good graces. that there was not a single circumstance of it not "With regard to additions, &c., there is a jour-taken from fact; not, indeed, from any single ship nal which I kept in 1814, which you may ask him wreck, but all from actual facts of different wrecks for; also a journal which you must get from Mrs. Almost all Don Juan is real life, either of my own, Leigh, of my journey in the Alps, which contains or from people I knew. By-the-way, much of the all the germs of Manfred. I have also kept a small description of the furniture, in canto third, is takes diary here for a few months last winter, which I from Tully's Tripoli, (pray note this,) and the rest would send you, and any continuation. You would from my own observation. Remember, I never find easy access to all my papers and letters, and do meant to conceal this at all, and have only not not neglect this (in case of accidents), on account of stated it, because Don Juan had no preface not the mass of confusion in which they are; for out of name to it. If you think it worth while to make this that chaos of papers you will find some curious ones statement, do so in your own way. I laugh at such of mine and others, if not lost or destroyed. If charges, convinced that no writer ever borrowed circumstances, however, (which is almost impos-less, or made his materials more his own. Much sible,) made me ever consent to a publication in my is coincidence: for instance, Lady Morgan (in a lifetime, you would, in that case, I suppose, make really excellent book, I assure you on Italy,) calls Moore some advance, in proportion to the likelihood Venice an ocean Rome: I have the very same expres or non-likelihood of success. You are both sure to sion in Foscari, and yet you know that the play was survive me, however. written months ago, and sent to England: the "You must also have from Mr. Moore the cor-Italy' I received only on the 16th inst. respondence between me and Lady Byron, to whom "Your friend, like the public, is not aware, that I offered the sight of all which regards herself in my dramatic simplicity is studiously Greek, and these papers. This is important. He has her I must continue so; no reform ever succeeded at letter, and a copy of my answer. I would rather first. I admire the old English dramatists; bet Moore edited me than another. this is quite another field, and has nothing to de "I sent you Valpy's letter to decide for yourself, with theirs. I want to make a regular English and Stockdale's to amuse you. I am always loyal drama, no matter whether for the stage or not with you, as I was in Galignani's affair, and you which is not my object,-but a mental theatre. with me-now and then. "Yours. "P. S. Can't accept your courteous offer. "I return you Moore's letter, which is t very creditable to him, and you, and me. Yours, ever." LETTER DXII. TO MR. MURRAY. ་་ "I wait the proofs of the MSS. with proper impatience. "So you have published, or mean to publish, the new Juans? Arn't you afraid of the Constitutional Assassination of Bridge street? When first I saw the name of Murray I thought it had been yours; but was solaced by seeing that your synonyme is an attorney, and that you are not one of that atrocious crew. "For Orford and for Waldegrave You gave much more than the you gave My Murray "Because if a live dog, 'tis said, A live lord must be worth two desi, "And if, as the opinion goes, "But now this sheet is nearly cramm'd, "These matters must be arranged with Mr. Douglas Kinnaird. He is my trustee, and a man of honor. To him you can state all your mercantile "I am in a great discomfort about the probable reasons, which you might not like to state to me war, and with my trustees not getting me out of the personally, such as, heavy season'-'flat public' funds. If the funds break, it is my intention to go don't go off'-lordship writes too much wort upon the highway. All the other English profes- take advice-declining popularity'-'deduction sions are at present so ungentlemanly by the con- for the trade'-'make very little generally lose duct of those who follow them, that open robbing is by him-pirated edition-foreign edition-se the only fair resource left to a man of any princi- vere criticisms,' &c., with other hints and howls ples; it is even honest, in comparison, by being un- for an oration, which I leave Douglas, who is an disguised. "I wrote to you by last post, to say that you had orator, to answer. "You can also state them more freely to a third done the handsome thing by Moore and the Memoperson, as between you and me they could only preranda. You are very good as times go, and would duce some smart postscripts, which would not probably be still better but for the march of adorn our mutual archives. events,' (as Napoleon called it,) which won't permit any body to be better than they should be. "Love to Gifford. Believe me, &c. "P S. I restore Smith's letter, whom thank for his good opinion. Is the bust by Thorwaldsen arrived? "I am sorry for the Queen, and that's more than you are." • Some critics had accused him of plagiarism. ་ LETTER DXIV TO MR. MOORE. "Ravenna, August 24, 1821. Yours of the 5th only yesterday, while I had letters of the 8th from London. Doth the post the note on Bacon and Voltaire? and one of the concluding stanzas sent as an addition ?-because it ended, I suppose, with "And do not link two virtuous souls for life Into that moral centaur, man and wife? the "Now, I must say, once for all, that I will not dabble into our letters? Whatever agreement you permit any human being to take such liberties with make with Murray, if satisfactory to you, must be my writings because I am absent. I desire the so to me. There need be no scruple, because, omission to be replaced (except the stanza on though I used sometimes to buffoon to myself, Semiramis),-particularly the stanza upon loving a quibble as well as the barbarian himself, Turkish marriages; and I request that the whole (Shakspeare, to wit) that, like a Spartan, I would be carefully gone over with the MS. sell my life as dearly as possible'-it never was my "I never saw such stuff as is printed;-Gulleyaz intention to turn it to personal, pecuniary account, instead of Gulbeyaz, &c. Are you aware that but to bequeath it to a friend-yourself-in the Gulbeyaz is a real name and the other nonsense? event of survivorship. I anticipated that period, I copied the cantos out carefully, so that there is no because we happened to meet, and I urged you to excuse, as the printer read, or at least prints, the make what was possible now by it, for reasons MS. of the plays without error. which are obvious. It has been no possible privation to me, and therefore does not require the acknowledgments you mention. So, for God's sake, don't consider it like * * "If you have no feeling for your own reputation, pray have some little for mine. I have read over the poem carefully, and I tell you, it is poetry, Your little envious knot of parson-poets may say what they please: time will show that I am not in this instance mistaken. "By-the-way-, when you write to Lady Morgan, will you thank her for her handsome speeches in in her book about my books? I do not know her address. Her work is fearless and excellent on the subject of Italy-pray tell her so-and I know the country. I wish she had fallen in with me, I could have told her a thing or two that would have con- inal. firmed her positions. "Desire my friend Hobhouse to correct the press, especially of the last canto, from the manuscript as it is. It is enough to drive one out of one's reason to see the infernal torture of words from the origFor instance, the line "And pair their rhymes as Venus yokes her doves—* "I am glad that you are satisfied with Murray, who seems to value dead lords more than live ones. is printedI have just sent him the following answer to a proposition of his :— "For Orford and for Waldegrave, &c. "And praise their rhymes, &c. Also 'precarious' for 'precocious;' and this line, stanza 133, "And this strong extreme effect to tire no longer. The argument of the above is, that he wanted to 'stint me of my sizings,' as Lear says-that is to say, not to propose an extravagant price for an ex- Now do turn to the manuscript, and see if I ever travagant poem, as is becoming. Pray take his gui-wrote such a line; it is not verse. neas by all means-I taught him that. He made "No wonder the poem should fail, (which, howme a filthy offer of pounds once, but I told him that, ever, it won't, you will see,) with such things allowed like physicians, poets must be dealt with in guineas, to creep about it. Replace what is omitted, and coras being the only advantage poets could have in the rect what is so shamefully misprinted, and let the association with them, as votaries of Apollo. I poem have fair play; and I fear nothing. write to you in a hurry and bustle, which I will expound in my next. "Yours, ever, &c. "P. S. You mention something, of an attorney on his way to me on legal business. I have had no warning of such an apparition. What can the fellow want? I have some lawsuits and business, but have not heard of any thing to put me to the expense of a travelling lawyer. They do enough, in that way at home. "Ah, poor Queen! but perhaps it is for the best, if Herodotus's anecdote is to be believed "I see in the last two numbers of the Quarterly a strong itching to assail me, (see the review of The Etonian;') let it, and see if they shan't have enough of it. I do not allude to Gifford, who has always been my friend, and whom I do not consider as responsible for the articles written by others. "You will publish the plays when ready. I am in such a humor about this printing of Don Juan so inaccurately that I must close this. "Yours. "P. S. I presume that you have not lost the stanza to which I allude? It was sent afterward: "Remember me to any friendly Angles of our mutual acquaintance. What are you doing? Here look over my letters and find it." I have had my hands full of tyrants and their victims. There never was such oppression, even in Ireland, scarcely!" LETTER DXV. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, August 31, 1821. LETTER DXVI.† TO MR. MURRAY. "The enclosed letter is written in bad humor, but not without provocation. However, let it (that is, "I have received the Juans, which are printed so the bad humor) go for little; but I must request carelessly, especially the fifth canto, as to be dis- your serious attention to the abuses of the printer, graceful to me, and not creditable to you. It really which ought never to have been permitted. You must be gone over again with the manuscript, the forget that all the fools in London (the chief purerrors are so gross;--words added-changed-so as chasers of your publications) will condemn in me to make cacophony and nonsense. You have been the stupidity of your printer. For instance, in the careless of this poem because some of your squad notes to canto fifth, the Adriatic shore of the Bos don't approve of it; but I tell you that it will be long before you see any thing half so good as poetry or writing. Upon what principle have you omitted • Corrected in this edition. ↑ Written in the envelops of the preceding letter. |