the bags; and all safe, except much friction among been made the father of a very fine boy.*-Mother magnesia, of which only two bottles came entire; and child doing very well indeed. By this time but it is all very well, and I am exceedingly obliged Hobhouse should be with you, and also certain packto you. ets, letters, &c., of mine, sent since his departure LETTER CCCLXVI. "The books I have read, or rather am reading. I am not at all well in health within this last eigh Pray, who may be the Sexagenarian, whose gossip days. My remembrances to Gifford and all friends. is very amusing? Many of his sketches I recognize, "Yours, &c., "B. particularly Gifford, Mackintosh, Drummond, Du-| tens, H. Walpole, Mrs. Inchbald, Obie, &c., with "P. S. In the course of a month or two, Hanson the Scotts, Loughborough, and most of the divines will have probably to send off a clerk with conveyand lawyers, besides a few shorter hints of authors, ances to sign, (Newstead being sold in November and a few lines about a certain noble author,' char- last for ninety-four thousand five hundred pounds,) acterized as malignant and sceptical, according to in which case I supplicate supplies of articles as the good old story, as it was in the beginning, is usual, for which, desire Mr. Kinnaird to settle from now, but not always shall be:' do you know such a funds in their bank, and deduct from my account person, Master Murray? eh?-And pray, of the with him. booksellers, which be you? the dry, the dirty, the "P. S. To-morrow night I am going to see honest, the opulent, the finical, the splendid, or the Otello,' an opera from our 'Othello,' and one of coxcomb bookseller? Stap my vitals, but the au- Rossini's best, it is said. It will be curious to see thor grows scurrilous in his grand climacteric. in Venice the Venetian story itself represented, remember to have seen Porson at Cambridge, besides to discover what they will make of Shak in the hall of our college, and in private parties, but speare in music. not frequently; and I never can recollect him except as drunk or brutal, and generally both: I mean in an evening, for in the hall, he dined at the Dean's table, and I at the Vicemaster's, so that I was not near him; and he then and there appeared sober in his demeanor, nor did I ever hear of excess or outrage on his part in public,-commons, college, or chapel; but I have seen him in a private party of undergraduates, many of them freshmen and "MY DEAR SIR, strangers, take up a poker to one of them, and "Our friend, il Conte M., threw me into a cold heard him use language as blackguard as his action. I have seen Sheridan drunk, too, with all the sweat last night, by telling me of a menaced verworld; but his intoxication was that of Bacchus, and sion of Manfred (in Venetian I hope, to complete Porson's that of Silenus. the thing), by some Italian, who had sent it to you Of all the disgusting for correction, which is the reason why I take the brutes, sulky, abusive, and intolerable, Porson was liberty of troubling you on the subject. If you the most bestial, as far as the few times that I saw him went, which were only at William Bankes's have any means of communication with the man, (the Nubian discoverer's) rooms. I saw him once you permit me to convey to him the offer of go away in a rage, because nobody knew the name any price he may obtain, or think to obtain, for his of the Cobbler of Messina,' insulting their igno- the fire, and promise not to undertake any other of project, provided he will throw his translation into rance with the most vulgar terms of reprobation. that or any other of my things: I will send him He was tolerated in this state among the young his money immediately on this condition. men for his talents, as the Turks think a madman inspired, and bear with him. He used to recite or Italians, nor of the Italians, (except in a poem not "As I did not write to the Italians, nor for the rather vomit pages of all languages, and could hiccup Greek like a Helot; and certainly Sparta never yet published, where I have said all the good I know shocked her children with a grosser exhibition than or do not know of them and none of the harm,) this man's intoxication. "I perceive, in the book you sent me, a long account of him, which is very savage. I cannot judge, as I never saw him sober, except in hall or combination-room; and then I was never near enough to hear, and hardly to see him. Of his drunken deportment, I can be sure, because I saw it. would TO MR. HOPPNER. "Venice, Feb. 28, 1818. confess I wish that they would let me alone, and not drag me into their arena as one of the gladiators, in a silly contest which I neither understand nor have ever interfered with, having kept clear of all their where.-I came into Italy to feel the climate and literary parties, both here and at Milan, and elsebe quiet if possible. Mossi's translation I would have prevented if I had known it, or could have "With the Reviews, I have been much enter this new gentleman, of whom I heard yesterday for done so; and I trust that I shall yet be in time to stop tained. It requires to be as far from England as I am to relish a periodical paper properly it is like the first time. He will only hurt himself, and do soda-water in an Italian summer. But what cruel no good to his party, for in party the whole thing work you make with Lady Morgan! You should originates. Our modes of thinking and writing are so recollect that she is a woman; though, to be sure, absurdity than attempting to make any approach unutterably different, that I can conceive no greater they are now and then very provoking; still as authoresses they can do no great harm; and I think between the English and Italian poetry of the presit is a pity so much good invective should have ent day. I like the people very much, and their been laid out upon her, when there is such a fine literature very much, but 1 am not the least ambifield of us, Jacobin gentlemen, for you to work tious of being the subject of their discussions literaupon. It is, perhaps, as bitter a critique as ever ry and personal, (which appear to be pretty much was written, and enough to make sad work for On the birth of this child, who was christened John William Rizzo, Dr. Morgan, both as husband and apothecary Lord Byron wrote the four following lines, which are in no other respect unless she should say, as Pope did of some attack remarkable than that they were thought worthy of being metrically translated upon him, 'That it is as good for her as a dose of into no less than ten different languages; namely, Greek, Latin, Italian, hartshorn.' (also in the Venetian dialect,) German, French, Spanish, Illyrian, Hecrew Armenian, and Samaritan :— "I heard from Moore lately, and was sorry to be made aware of his domestic loss. Thus it is'medio de fonte leporum '-in the acme of his fame. and his happiness comes a drawback as usual. "His father's sense, his mother's grace 1 he original lines, with the different versions above mentioned, were "Mr. Hoppner, whom I saw this morning, has printed in a small volume, in the Seminary of Padua.-Moore the same thing, as is the case in most countries ;) [oblige me more than by obtaining me the perusal I "BYRON. "P S. How is the son, and mamma? Well, I though I neither speak nor write it. Now Italian dare say." LETTER CCCLXVII. TO MR. ROGERS. "Venice, March 3, 1818. I can speak with some fluency, and write sufficient- "They say Francis is Junius;-I think it looks "I have not, as you say, 'taken to wife the Adri-| "I read my death in the papers, which was not atic. I heard of Moore's loss from himself in a true. I see they are marrying the remaining singleletter which was delayed upon the road three months. ness of the royal family. They have brought out I was sincerely sorry for it, but in such cases what are Fazio with great and deserved success at Covent words? Garden; that's a good sign. I tried, during the "The villa you speak of is one at Este, which directory, to have it done at Drury Lane, but was Mr. Hoppner (consul-general here), has transferred overruled. If you think of coming into this counto me. I have taken it for two years as a place of try, you will let me know perhaps beforehand. I Villeggiatura. The situation is very beautiful in- suppose Moore won't move. Rose is here. I saw deed, among the Euganean hills, and the house very him the other night at Madame Albrizzi's; he talks fair. The vines are luxuriant to a great degree, of returning in May. My love to the Hollands. and all the fruits of the earth abundant. It is close to the old castle of the Estes, or Guelphs, and within a few miles of Arqua, which I have visited twice, and hope to visit often. "Ever, &c. "P. S. They have been crucifying Othello into an opera, (Otello, by Rossini;) the music good, but lugubrious; but as for the words, all the real scenes "Last summer (except an excursion to Rome), I with Iago cut out, and the greatest nonsense inpassed upon the Brenta. In Venice I winter, stead; the handkerchief turned into a billet-dour, transporting my horses to the Lido, bordering the and the first singer would not black his face, for Adriatic, (where the fort is,) so that I get a gallop some exquisite reasons assigned in the preface. Singof some miles daily along the strip of beach which ing, dresses, and music, very good." reaches to Malamocco, when in health; but within these few weeks I have been unwell. At present I am getting better. The Carnival was short but a good one. I don't go out much, except during the time of masks; but there are one or two conversazioni, where I go regularly, just to keep up the system, as I had letters to their givers; and they are particular on such points; and now and then, though very rarely, to the Governor's. LETTER CCCLXVIII. TO MR. MOORE. "Venice, March 16, 1818. "MY DEAR TOM, "It is a very good place for women. I like the (a white kind of veil which the lower orders wear About seeing my children, I must take my chance. "They have singular expressions, like all the • A continuation of Vathek, by Mr. Beckford. • Rogers. mean massa, i. e. a great deal, a the interpretation I have given it. phrases I am sure. mass, instead of "Three o' th' clock-I must to bed, to bed, to bed,' as mother Siddons (that tragical friend of the mathematical wife) says, "Have you ever seen-I forget what or whomno matter. They tell me Lady Melbourne is very unwell. I shall be so sorry. She was my greatest friend, of the feminine gender:when I say "friend,' I mean not mistress, for that's the antipodes. Tell me all about you and every body-how Sam is-how you like your neighbors, the Marquis and Marchesa, &c., &c. "Ever, &c." "Along thy sprucest book-shelves shine "Tours, Travels, Essays, too, 1 wist, "And Heaven forbid 1 should conclude LETTER CCCLXIX. TO MR. MURRAY. "Venice, March 25, 1818. "I have your letter, with the account of 'Beppo,' for which I sent you four new stanzas a fortnight ago, in case you print or reprint. LETTER CCCLXXI. TO MR. MURRAY. "Venice, April 12, 1818. "This letter will be delivered by Signor Gioe. Bata. Missiaglia, proprietor of the Apollo library, and the principal publisher and bookseller now in Venice. He sets out for London with a view to business and correspondence with the English booksellers and it is in the hope that it may be for your mutual advantage that I furnish him with this let"Croker's is a good guess; but the style is not ter of introduction to you. If you can be of use to English-it is Italian ;-Berni is the original of all. him, either by recommendation to others, or by any Whistlecraft was my immediate model; Rose's personal attention on your own part, you will oblige 'Animali' I never saw till a few days ago, they are him, and gratify me. You may also perhaps both excellent. But (as I said above), Berni is the father be able to derive advantage, or establish some mode of that kind of writing, which I think suits our of literary communication, pleasing to the public, language, too, very well;-we shall see by the ex- and beneficial to one another. periment. If it does, I shall send you a volume in a year or two, for I know the Italian way of life well, and in time may know it yet better; and as for the verse and the passions, I have them still in tolerable vigor. "If you think that it will do you and the work, or works, any good, you may put my name to it; but first consult the knowing ones. It will, at any rate, show them that I can write cheerfully, and repel the charge of monotony and mannerism. "Yours, &c." LETTER CCCLXX. TO MR. MURRAY. "Venice, April 11, 1818. "At any rate, be civil to him for my sake, as well as for the honor and glory of publishers and authors now and to come for evermore. "With him I also consign a great number of MS. letters, written in English, French, and Italian, by various English established in Italy during the last century-the names of the writers, Lord Hervey, Lady M. W. Montague, (hers are but few-some billets-doux in French to Algarotti, and one letter in English, Italian, and all sorts of jargon, to the same,) Gray, the poet, (one letter,) Mason, (two or three,) Garrick, Lord Chatham, David Hume, and many of less note,-all addressed to Count Algarotti. Out of these, I think, with discretion, an amusing miscellaneous volume of letters might be extracted, provided some good editor were disposed to undertake the selection, and preface, and a few notes, &c. "The proprietor of these is a friend of mine, Dr. "Will you send me by letter, packet, or parcel, Aglietti, a great name in Italy, and if you are half a dozen of the colored prints from Holmes's disposed to publish, it will be for his benefit, and it miniature, (the latter done shortly before I left your is to and for him that you will name a price, if you country, and the prints about a year ago;) I shall take upon you the work. I would edit it myself, be obliged to you, as some people here have asked but am too far off, and too lazy to undertake it; but me for the like. It is a picture of my upright self, I wish that it could be done. The letters of Lord done for Scrope B. Davies, Esq. Hervey, in Mr. Rose's opinion and mine, are good; and the short French love-letters certainly are Lady "Why have you not sent me an answer, and lists M. W. Montague's-the French not good, but the of subscribers to the translation of the Armenian sentiments beautiful. Gray's letter good; and Eusebius? of which I sent you printed copies of the Mason's tolerable. The whole correspondence must prospectus (in French) two moons ago. Have you be well weeded; but this being done, a small and had the letter?-I shall send you another:-you pretty popular volume might be made of it. There must not neglect my Armenians. Tooth-powder, are many ministers' letters-Gray the ambassador magnesia, tincture of myrrh, tooth-brushes, diachy-at Naples, Horace Mann, and others of the same lon plaster, Peruvian bark, are my personal de- kind of animal. mands. "Strahan, Tonson, Lintot of the times, "To thee, with hope and terror dumb, "Upon thy table's baize so green "I thought of a preface, defending Lord Hervey against Pope's attack, but Pope-quoad Pope, the poet-against all the world, in the unjustifiable attempts begun by Warton, and carried on at this day by the new school of critics and scribblers, who think themselves poets because they do not write like Pope. I have no patience with such cursed humbug and bad taste; your whole generation are not worth a canto of the Rape of the Lock, or the Essay on Man, or the Dunciad, or any thing that is his.' But it is three in the matin, and I must go to bed. "Yours alway, &、" LETTER CCCLXXIV. TO MR. MOORE. "Your monthly reviewer has made a mistake: Cavaliere alone is well enough; Cavalier servente' has always the e mute in conversation, and omitted in writing; so that it is not for the sake of metre; and pray let Griffiths know this, with my compliments. I humbly conjecture that I know as much "Your letter is almost the only news, as yet, of of Italian society and language as any of his peo-canto fourth, and it has by no means settled its fate, ple; but to make assurance doubly sure, I asked, at "Palazzo Mocenigo, Canal Grande, "Venice, June 1, 1818. the Countess Benzona's, last night, the question of at least, does not tell me how the poeshie' has more than one person in the office; and of these been received by the public. But I suspect, no cavalieri serventi' (in the plural, recollect,) I found great things,-firstly, from Murray's horrid stillthat they all accorded in pronouncing for cavalier ness;' secondly: from what you say about the stanzas running into each other, which I take not to be servente' in the singular number. I wish Mr. * (or whoever Griffith's scribbler may be) would not Blues. The fact is, that the terza rima of the Italyours, but a notion you have binned with among the talk of what he don't understand. Such fellows are ians, which always runs on and in, may have led me not fit to be intrusted with Italian, even in a quota- into experiments, and carelessness into conceit-or "Did you receive two additional stanzas, to be conceit into carelessness-in either of which events inserted towards the close of canto fourth? Re-failure will be probable, and my fair woman, perne,' end in a fish; so that Childe Harold will be spond, that (if not) they may be sent. like the mermaid, my family crest, with the fourth canto for a tail thereunto. I won't quarrel with the right; and if I miss now, I may hit another time: public, however, for the Bulgars' are generally a and so the gods give us joy. tion. "Tell Mr. and Mr. Hanson, that they may as well expect Geneva to come to me, as that I should go to Geneva. The messenger may go or return, as he pleases; I won't stir: and I look upon it as piece of singular absurdity in those who know me, imagining that I should-not to say malice, in attempting unnecessary torture. If, on the occasion, my interests should suffer, it is their neglect that is to blame; and they may all be d―d together. "It is ten o'clock, and time to dress. LETTER CCCLXXIII. TO MR. MURRAY. Yours, &c." "April 23, 1818. have not had the Fudges yet, but live in hopes. 6 "Hunt's letter is probably the exact piece of vulgar coxcombry you might expect from his situation. He is a good man, with some poetical elements in his chaos; but spoiled by the Christ-Church Hospital and a Sunday newspaper,-to say nothing of the Surry jail, which conceited him into a martyr. But he is a good man. When I saw Rimini in MSS., I told him that I deemed it good poetry at bottom, disfigured only by a strange style. His "The time is past in which I could feel for the answer was, that his style was a system, or upon dead, or I should feel for the death of Lady Mel-system, or some such cant; and, when a man talks bourne, the best, and kindest, and ablest female I of system, his case is hopeless: so I said no more ever knew, old or young. But I have supped full to him, and very little to any one else. of horrors;' and events of this kind have only a "He believes his trash of vulgar phrases tortured kind of numbness worse than pain, like a violent into compound barbarisms to be old English; and blow on the elbow or the head. There is one link we may say of it as Aimwell says of Captain Gib less between England and myself. bet's regiment, when the captain calls it an old "Now to business. I presented you with Beppo, corps, the oldest in Europe, if I may judge by as part of the contract for canto fourth,-consider- your uniform.' He sent out his Foliage' by Percy ing the price you are to pay for the same, and in- Shelley, and, of all the ineffable centaurs that were tending to eke you out in case of public caprice or ever begotten by self-love upon a night-mare, I my own poetical failure. If you choose to suppress think this monstrous sagittary the most prodigious. it entirely, at Mr. ****'s suggestion, you may do He (Leigh H.) is an honest charlatan, who has per as you please. But recollect it is not to be pub-suaded himself into a belief of his own impostures, lished in a garbled or mutilated state. I reserve to and talks Punch in pure simplicity of heart. taking my friends and myself the right of correcting the himself (as poor Fitzgerald said of himself in the press-if the publication continue, it is to continue Morning Post) for Vates in both senses, or nonin its present form. senses, of the word. Did you look at the transtions of his own which he prefers to Pope and Cow"As Mr. says that he did nor write this letper, and says so-Did you read his skiableter, &c., I am ready to believe him; but for the skamble about being at the head of is own firmness of my former persuasion, I refer to Mr. profession in the eyes of those who followed it? I ***, who can inform you how sincerely I erred thought that poetry was an art, or an attribute, and on this point. He has also the note-or, at least, not a profession,-but be it one, is that had it, for I gave it to him with my verbal com ments thereupon. As to 'Beppo,' I will not alter • Mr. Moore had said, in his letter to him, that this practice of carrying or suppress a syllable for any man's pleasure but my one stanza into another was "something like taking on horses another sing at the head of your profession in your eyes? I'll others, think of us also?' I turned round and be cursed if he is of mine, or ever shall be. He is answered her-Cara, tu sei troppo bella e giovane the only one of us (but of us he is not) whose coro- per aver' bisogna del' soccorso mio.' She answered, nation I would oppose. Let them take Scott, If you saw my hut and my food, you would not Campbell, Crabbe, or you or me, or any of the liv- say so. All this passed half jestingly, and I saw ing, and throne him; - but not this new Jacob no more of her for some days. Behmen, this * "A few evenings after, we met with these two whose pride might have kept him true, even had girls again, and they addressed us more seriously, his principles turned as perverted as his soi-disant assuring us of the truth of their statement. They poetry. were cousins; Margarita married, the other single. "But Leigh Hunt is a good man, and a good As I doubted still of the circumstances, I took the father-see his odes to all the Masters Hunt; a business in a different light, and made an appointgood husband-see his sonnet to Mrs. Hunt;-a ment with them for the next evening. good friend-see his epistles to different people :and a great coxcomb, and a very vulgar person in every thing about him. But that's not his fault, but of circumstances. In short, in a few evenings we arranged our affairs, and for a long space of time she was the only one who preserved over me an ascendency which was often disputed, and never impaired. "The reasons for this were, firstly, her person;"I do not know any good model for a life of very dark, tall, the Venetian face, very fine black Sheridan but that of Savage. Recollect, however, eyes. She was two-and-twenty years old, that the life of such a man may be made far more She was besides a thorough Veneamusing than if he had been a Wilberforce;-and tian in her dialect, in her thoughts, in her countethis without offending the living or insulting the nance, in every thing, with all their naïvet and dead. The Whigs abuse him; however, he never pantaloon humor. Besides, she could neither read left them, and such blunderers deserve neither nor write, and could not plague me with letters, credit nor compassion. As for his creditors,-re--except twice that she paid sixpence to a public member, Sheridan never had a shilling, and was scribe, under the piazza, to make a letter for her, thrown, with great powers and passions, into the upon some occasion when I was ill and could not thick of the world, and placed upon the pinnacle see her. In other respects, she was somewhat of success, with no other external means to support fierce and prepotente,' that is overbearing, and him in his elevation. Did Fox*** pay his debts? used to walk in whenever it suited her, with no -or did Sheridan take a subscription? Was the very great regard to time, place, nor persons; and Duke of Norfolk's drunkenness more excusable if she found any women in her way, she knocked than his? Were his intrigues more notorious than them down. those of all his contemporaries? and is his memory "When I first knew her, I was in 'relazione' to be blasted, and theirs respected? Don't let (liaison) with la Signora **, who was silly enough yourself be led away by clamor, but compare him one evening at Dolo, accompained by some of her with the coalitioner Fox, and the pensioner Burke, female friends, to threaten her; for the gossips as a man of principle, and with ten hundred thou- of the Villeggiatura had already found out, by the sand in personal views, and with none in talent, neighing of my horse one evening, that I used to for he beat them all out and out. Without means, ride late in the night' to meet the Fornarina without connexion, without character (which might Margarita threw back her veil (fazziolo), and replied be false at first, and made him mad afterward from in very explicit Venetian: You are not his wife. desperation), he beat them all, in all he ever at- I am not his wife: you are his Donna, and I am tempted. But alas, poor human nature! Good his Donna: your husband is a becco, and mine is night-or, rather, morning. It is four, and the another. For the rest, what right have you to dawn gleams over the Grand Canal, and unshadows reproach me? If he prefers me to you, is it my the Rialto. I must to bed; up all night-but, as fault? If you wish to secure him, tie him to your George Philpot says, 'it's life, though, damme, it's petticoat-string. But do not think to speak to me life!' "Ever yours, "B." "Excuse errors-no time for revision. The post goes out at noon, and I shan't be up then. I will write again soon about your plan for a publication." LETTER CCCLXXV. TO "Since you desire the story of Margarita Cogni, you shall be told it, though it may be lengthy. without a reply, because you happen to be richer than I am.' 'Having delivered this pretty piece of eloquence (which I translate as it was translated to me by a bystander), she went on her way, leaving a numerous audience, with Madame to ponder at her leisure on the dialogue between them. "When I came to Venice for the winter she followed; and as she found herself out to be a favorite, she came to me pretty often. But she had inordinate self-love, and was not tolerant of other women. At the Cavalchina,' the masked ball on the last night of the Carnival, where all the world goes, she snatched off the mask of Madame Contarini, a lady noble by birth, and decent in conduct, for no other reason but because she happened to be leaning on my arm. You may suppose what a cursed noise this made; but this is only one of her "Her face is the fine Venetian cast of the old time; her figure, though perhaps too tall, is not less fine-and taken altogether in the national pranks. dress. "At last she quarrelled with her husband, and "In the summer of 1817, and myself one evening ran away to my house. I told her this were sauntering on horseback along the Brenta one would not do; she said she would lie in the street, evening, when, among a group of peasants, we re- but not go back to him; that he beat her, (the marked two girls as the prettiest we had seen for gentle tigress!) spent her money, and scandalously some time. About this period there had been great neglected her. As it was midnight, I let her stay, distress in the country, and I had a little relieved and next day there was no moving her at all. Her some of the people. Generosity makes a great husband came roaring and crying, and entreating figure at very little cost in Venetian livres, and her to come back-not she! He then applied to mine had probably been exaggerated as an English- the police, and they applied to me: I told them man's. Whether they remarked us looking at them and her husband to take her; I did not want her; or no, I know not; but one of them called out to she had come, and I could not fling her out of the me in Venetian, Why do not you, who relieve window; but they might conduct her through that |