TO JAMES WEDDERBURN WEBSTER VENICE, May 31st 1818. DEAR WEBSTER, -I am truly sorry to hear of your domestic misfortune, and, as I know the inefficacy of words, shall turn from the subject. I am not even aware of your return to France, where I presume that you are a resident. For my own part after going down to Florence and Rome last year, I returned to Venice, where I have since remained and may probably continue to remain for some years-being partial to the people, the language, and the habits of life; there are few English here, and those mostly birds of passage, excepting one or two who are domesticated like myself. I have the Palazzo Mocenigo on the Canal' Grande for three years to come, and a pretty Villa in the Euganean hills for the Summer for nearly the same term. While I remain in the city itself, I keep my horses on an Island with a good beach, about half a mile from the town, so that I get a gallop of some miles along the shore of the Adriatic daily; the Stables belong to the Fortress, but are let on fair terms. I was always very partial to Venice, and it has not hitherto disappointed me; but I am not sure that the English in general would like it. I am sure that I should not, if they did; but, by the benevolence of God, they prefer Florence and Naples, and do not infest us greatly here. In other respects it is very agreeable for Gentlemen of desultory habits — women — wine-and wassail being all extremely fair and reasonable theatres, etc., good — - and Society (after a time) as pleasant as any where else (at least to my mind), if you will live with them in their which is different, of course, from the Ultra own way montane in some degree. The Climate is Italian and that's enough, and the Gondolas, etc., etc., and habits of the place make it like a romance, for it is by no means even now the most regular and correct moral city in the universe. Young and old pretty and ugly high and low—are employed in the laudable practice of Lovemaking—and though most Beauty is found amongst the middling and lower classes this of course only renders their amatory habits more universally diffused. I shall be very glad to hear from or of you when you are so disposed-and with my best regards to Lady Frances believe me, P. S. Very truly yours, way, B. -If ever you come this let me have a letter beforehand, in case I can be of use. TO JOHN MURRAY VENICE, February 1, 1819. DEAR SIR, After one of the concluding stanzas of the first Canto of Don Juan, which ends with (I forget the number) To have. when the original is dust, A book, a damned bad picture, and worse bust, insert the following stanza What are the hopes of man? Old Egypt's King And largest, thinking it was just the thing To keep his Memory whole, and Mummy hid, Let not a Monument give you or me hopes, I have written to you several letters, some with additions, and some upon the subject of the poem itself, which my cursed puritanical committee 2 have protested against publishing; but we will circumvent them on that point in the end. I have not yet begun to copy out the second Canto, which is finished, from natural laziness, and the discouragement of the milk and water they have thrown upon the first. I say all this to them as to you; that is, for you to say to them, for I will have nothing underhand. If they had told me the poetry was bad, I would have acquiesced; but they say the contrary, and then talk to me about morality—the first time I ever heard the word from any body who was not a rascal that used it for a purpose. I maintain that it is the most moral of poems; but if people won't discover the moral, that is their fault, not 1 "Don Juan," Canto I, stanza ccxix. 2 Byron's friends, Hobhouse, Kinnaird, Scrope Davies, Moore, and Frere, to whom the first Canto of "Don Juan" had been submitted, decided unanimously against its publication. The first two Cantos, however, were published on July 15, 1819, but without the name of either author or publisher. mine. I have already written to beg that in any case you will print fifty for private distribution. I will send you the list of persons to whom it is to be sent afterwards. Within this last fortnight I have been rather indisposed with a rebellion of Stomach, which would retain nothing (liver, I suppose), and an inability, or phantasy, not to be able to eat of any thing with relish but a kind of Adriatic fish called Scampi, which happens to be the most indigestible of marine viands. However, within these last two days, I am better, and Very truly yours, BYRON. TO JOHN MURRAY VENICE, April 6, 1819. DEAR SIR, The second Canto of Don Juan was sent on Saturday last, by post, in four packets, two of four and two of three sheets each, containing in all two hundred and seventeen stanzas, octave measure. But I will permit no curtailments, except those mentioned about Castlereagh and the two Bobs in the Introduction. You sha'n't make Canticles of my Cantos. The poem will please, if it is lively; if it is stupid, it will fail; but I will have none of your damned cutting and slashing. If you please, you may publish anonymously; it will perhaps be better; but I will battle my way against them all, like a Porcupine. So you and Mr. Foscolo,2 etc., want me to undertake 1 Part of which was finally retained. 2 Ugo, originally Niccolo, Foscolo (1778-1827), a native of Zante, patriot, poet, dramatist, and critic. |