Harness, the earliest and dearest I ever had from the third form at Harrow to this hour. I can promise you good wine, and, if you like shooting, a manor of 4000 acres, fires, books, your own free will, and my own very indifferent company. Balnea, vina . .

Hodgson will plague you, I fear, with verse ;-for my own part I will conclude, with Martial, nil recitabo tibi; and surely the last inducement is not the least. Ponder on my proposition, and believe me, my dear Moore, yours ever, BYRON.

cxxiv

TO MR. HODGSON

8 St. James's Street, Dec. 12, 1811. Why, Hodgson! I fear you have left off wine and me at the same time,-I have written and written and written, and no answer! My dear Sir Edgar, water disagrees with you,-drink sack and write. Bland did not come to his appointment, being unwell, but Moore supplied all other vacancies most delectably. I have hopes of his joining us at Newstead. I am sure you would like him more and more as he develops, at least I do.

How Miller and Bland go on, I don't know. Cawthorn talks of being in treaty for a novel of Madame D'Arblay's, and if he obtains it (at 1500 guineas!!) wishes me to see the MS. This I should read with pleasure, not that I should ever dare to venture a criticism on her whose writings Dr. Johnson once revised, but for the pleasure of the thing. If my worthy publisher wanted a sound opinion, I

should send the MS. to Rogers and Moore, as men most alive to true taste. I have had frequent letters from Wm. Harness, and you are silent; certes, you are not a schoolboy. However, I have the consolation of knowing that you are better employed, viz. reviewing. You don't deserve that I should add another syllable, and I won't.-Yours, etc.

P.S.-I only wait for your answer to fix our meeting.

TO MR. HARNESS

8 St. James's Street, Dec. 15, 1811.

I wrote you an answer to your last, which, on cxxv reflection, pleases me as little as it probably has pleased yourself. I will not wait for your rejoinder; but proceed to tell you, that I had just then been greeted with an epistle of 's, full of his petty grievances, and this at the moment when (from circumstances it is not necessary to enter upon) I was bearing up against recollections to which his imaginary sufferings are as a scratch to a cancer. These things combined put me out of humour with him and all mankind. The latter part of my life has been a perpetual struggle against affections which embittered the earliest portion; and though I flatter myself I have in a great measure conquered them, yet there are moments (and this was one) when I am as foolish as formerly. I never said so much before, nor had I said this now, if I did not suspect myself of having been rather savage in my letter, and wish

to inform you thus much of the cause. You know I am not one of your dolorous gentlemen; so now let us laugh again.

Yesterday I went with Moore to Sydenham to visit Campbell. He was not visible, so we jogged homeward merrily enough. To-morrow I dine with Rogers, and am to hear Coleridge, who is a kind of rage at present. Last night I saw Kemble in Coriolanus; he was glorious, and exerted himself wonderfully. By good luck I got an excellent place in the best part of the house, which was more than overflowing. Clare and Delawarr, who were there on the same speculation, were less fortunate. I saw them by accident, we were not together. I wished for you, to gratify your love of Shakspeare and of fine acting to its fullest extent. Last week I saw an exhibition of a different kind in a Mr. Coates, at the Haymarket, who performed Lothario in a damned and damnable

manner.

I told you the fate of B. and H. in my last. So much for these sentimentalists, who console themselves for the loss-the never to be recovered loss-the despair of the refined attachment of a couple of drabs! You censure my life, Harness,— when I compare myself with these men, my elders and my betters, I really begin to conceive myself a monument of prudence-a walking statue-without feeling or failing; and yet the world in general hath given me a proud pre-eminence over them in profligacy. Yet I like the men, and, God knows, ought not to condemn their aberrations. But I own I feel provoked when they dignify all this by the name of

love-romantic attachments for things marketable for a dollar!

H

Next to
But you

was to

Dec. 16th.-I have just received your letter;-I feel your kindness very deeply. The foregoing part of my letter, written yesterday, will, I hope, account for the tone of the former, though it cannot excuse it. I do like to hear from you-more than like. seeing you, I have no greater satisfaction. have other duties, and greater pleasures, and I should regret to take a moment from either. call to-day, but I have not seen him. The circumstance you mention at the close of your letter is another proof in favour of my opinion of mankind. Such you will always find them-selfish and distrustful. I except none. The cause of this is the state of society. In the world, every one is to stir for himself-it is useless, perhaps selfish, to expect anything from his neighbour. But I do not think we are born of this disposition; for you find friendship as a schoolboy, and love enough before twenty.

I went to see ; he keeps me in town, where I don't wish to be at present. He is a good man, but totally without conduct. And now, my dearest William, I must wish you good morrow, and remain ever most sincerely and affectionately yours, etc.

TO ROBERT RUSHTON

8 St. James's Street, Jan. 21, 1812.

Though I have no objection to your refusal to cxxvi carry letters to Mealey's, you will take care that the letters are taken by Spero at the proper time. have also to observe, that Susan is to be treated

I

with civility, and not insulted by any person over whom I have the smallest control, or, indeed, by any one whatever, while I have the power to protect her. I am truly sorry to have any subject of complaint against you; I have too good an opinion of you to think I shall have occasion to repeat it, after the care I have taken of you, and my favourable intentions in your behalf. I see no occasion for any communication whatever between you and the women, and wish you to occupy yourself in preparing for the situation in which you will be placed. If a common sense of decency cannot prevent you from conducting yourself towards them with rudeness, I should at least hope that your own interest, and regard for a master who has never treated you with unkindness, will have some weight.-Yours, etc., BYRON.

P.S.-I wish you to attend to your arithmetic, to occupy yourself in surveying, measuring, and making yourself acquainted with every particular relative to the land of Newstead, and you will write to me one letter every week, that I may know how you go on.

cxxvii

TO ROBERT RUSHTON

8 St. James's Street, January 25, 1812. Your refusal to carry the letter was not a subject of remonstrance: it was not a part of your business; but the language you used to the girl was (as she stated it) highly improper.

You say that you also have something to complain of; then state it to me immediately: it would