"Ravenna, 8bre 17°, 1820. Enclosed is the Dedication of Marino Faliero to Goethe. Query,-is his title Baron or pot? I think yes. Let me know your opinion, and so forth. you regard our critics, who are at bottom good-natured fellows, considering their two professions-taking up the law in court, and laying it down out of it. No one can more lament their hasty and unfair judgment, in your particular, than I do; and I so expressed myself to your friend Schlegel, in 1816, at Copet. "In behalf of my "ten thousand" living brethren, and of myself, I have thus far taken notice of an opinion expressed with regard to " English poetry" in general, and which merited notice, because it was YOURS. "My principal object in addressing you was to testify my sincere respect and admiration of a man, who, for half a century, has led the literature of a great nation, and will go down to posterity as the first literary character of his age. which have illustrated your name, but in the name itself, "You have been fortunate, sir, not only in the writings as being sufficiently musical for the articulation of posterity. In this you have the advantage of some of your "P. S. Let me know what Mr. Hobhouse and have decided about the two prose letters and their publi- countrymen, whose names would perhaps be immortal also-if any body could pronounce them. cation. "I enclose you an Italian abstract of the German trans"It may, perhaps, be supposed, by this apparent tone lator of Manfred's Appendix, in which of levity, that I am wanting in intentional respect towards will perceive you quoted what Goethe says of the whole body of English you; but this will be a mistake: I am always flippant in poetry, (and not of me in particular). On this the Dedi-prose. Considering you, as I really and warmly do, ir cation is founded, as you will perceive, though I had common with all your own, and with most other nations, thought of it before, for I look upon him as a great man." to be by far the first literary character which has existed "Dedication to Baron Goethe, &c. &c. &c. in Europe since the death of Voltaire, I felt, and feel, desirous to inscribe to you the following work,-not as SIR, upon its pretensions to be either one or the other, or both, or neither,) but as a mark of esteem and admiration from a foreigner to the man who has been hailed in Germany 'THE GREAT GOËTHE." "In the Appendix to an English work lately trans-being either a tragedy or a poem, (for I cannot pronounce lated into German and published at Leipsic, a judgment of yours upon English poetry is quoted as follows: "That in English poetry, great genius, universal power, a feeling of profundity, with sufficient tenderness and force, are to be found; but that altogether these do not constitute poets," &c. &c. "I regret to see a great man falling into a great mistake. This opinion of yours only proves that the "Dictimury of ten thousand living English authors" has not been translated into German. You will have read, in your friend Schlegel's version, the dialogue in Macbeth Macbeth. Arnoer. "There are ten thousand! 66 "I have the honour to be, "Ravenna, 8bre 14°, 1820. "P.S. I perceive that in Germany, as well as in Italy, there is a great struggle about what they call Classical and Romantic,-terms which were not subjects of clasNow, of these " ten thousand authors,” there are actually years ago. Some of the English scribblers, it is true, sification in England, at least when I left it four or five nineteen hundred and eighty-seven poets, all alive at this abused Pope and Swift, but the reason was that they moment, whatever their works may be, as their booksellers themselves did not know how to write either prose or well know; and among these there are several who pos-verse; but nobody thought them worth making a sect of, sess a far greater reputation than mine, although consi-Perhaps there may be something of the kind sprung up derably less than yours. It is owing to this neglect on lately, but I have not heard much about it, and it would the part of your German translators that you are not be such bad taste that I shall be very sorry to believe it.” aware of the works of ་་ * There is also another, named * "I mention these poets by way of sample to enlighten "Ravenna, October 17th, 1820. you. They form but two bricks of our Babel, (WINDSOR "You owo me two letters-pay them. I want to bricks, by-the-way,) but may serve for a specimen of the know what you are about. The summer is over, and you building. will be back to Paris. Apropos of Paris, it was not "Have you gone on with your poem? I have received the French of mine. Only think of being traduced into a foreign language in such an abominable travesty! It is useless to rail, but one can't help it. "It is, moreover, asserted that "the predominant cha-Sophia Gail, but Sophia Gay-the English word Gayracter of the whole body of the present English poetry is who was my correspondent. Can you tell who she is, as a disgust and contempt for life." But I rather suspect you did of the defunct **? that, by one single work of prose, you yourself have excited a greater contempt for life than all the English volumes of poesy that ever were written. Madame de Stae says, that " Werther has occasioned more suicides than the most beautiful woman ;" and I really believe that "Have you got my Memoir copied? I have begun a he has put more individuals out of this world than Napo- confinuation. Shall I send it you, as far as it is gone? leon himself,-except in the way of his profession. Per- "I can't say any thing to you about Italy, for the Gohaps, illustrious sir, the acrimonious judgment passed by a celebrated northern journal upon you in particular, and the Germans in general, has rather indisposed you towards English poetry as well as criticism. But you must not vernment here look upon me with a suspicious eye, as I am well informed. Pretty fellows!-as if I, a solitary stranger, could do any mischief. It is because I am fond of rifle and pistol shooting, I believe; for they took the In thanking you for the Abbot, I made four grand mistakes. Sir John Gordon was not of Gight, but of Bogagicht, and a son of Huntley's. He suffered not for his loyalty, but in an insurrection. He had nothing to do with Loch Leven, having been dead some time at the period of the Queen's confinement: and, fourthly, I am not sure that he was the Queen's paramour or no, for Robertson does not allude to this, though Walter Scott does, in the list he gives of her admirers (as unfortunate) at the close of the Abbot.' "I must have made all these mistakes in recollecting my mother's account of the matter, although she was more accurate than I am, being precise upon points of genealogy, like all the aristocratical Scotch. She had a long list of ancestors, like Sir Lucius O'Trigger's, most of whom are to be found in the old Scotch Chronicles, Spalding, &c. in arms and doing mischief. I remember well passing Loch Leven, as well as the Queen's Ferry: we were on our way to England in 1798, "Yours. "You had better not publish Blackwood and the Roberts' prose, except what regards Pope;-you have et the time slip by." LETTER CCCCLXI. TO MR. MURRAY "Ravenna, 9bre 4, 1820. in his statement about English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. They support Pope, I see, in the Quarterly; let them continue to do so: it is a sin, and a shame, and a damnation to think that Pope!! should require it—but he does. Those miserable mountebanks of the day, the poets, disgrace themselves and deny God in running down Pope, the most faultless of poets, and almost of men." LETTER CCCCLXII. TO MR. MOORE. "Ravenna, Nov. 5, 1820. "Thanks for your letter, which hath come somewhat costively, but better late than never. Of it anon. Mr. Galignani, of the Press, hath, it seems, been supplanted and sub-pirated by another Parisian publisher, who has audaciously printed an edition of L. B.'s Works, at the ultra-liberal price of 10 francs, and (as Galignani piteously observes) 8 francs only for booksellers! 'horresco referens.' Think of a man's whole works producing sc little! "Galignani sends me, post haste, a permission for him, from me, to publish, &c. &c., which permit I have signed and sent to Mr. Murray, of Albemarle-street. Will you explain to G. that I have no right to dispose of Murray's works without his leave? and therefore I must refer him to M. to get the permit out of his claws-no easy matter I suspect. I have written to G. to say as much; but a word of mouth from a 'great brother author' would convince him that I could not honestly have complied with his wish, though I might legally. What I could do 1 have done, viz. signed the warrant and sent it to Murray. Let the dogs divide the carcass, if it is killed to their liking. "I am glad of your epigram. It is odd that we should both let our wits run away with our sentiments; for I am sure that we are both Queen's men at bottom. But there is no resisting a clinch-it is so clever! Apropos of that -we have 'a dipthong' also in this part of the world-not a Greck, but a Spanish one do you understand me?— which is about to blow up the whole alphabet. It was first pronounced at Naples, and is spreading;-but we are nearer the Barbarians; who are in great force on the Po, and will pass it, with the first legitimate pretext. "There will be the devil to pay, and there is no saying who will or who will not be set down in his bill. If 'honour should come unlooked for' to any of your acquaintance, make a Melody of it, that his ghost, like poor Yorick's, may have the satisfaction of being plaintively breathe not his name.' In case you should not think him "When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home, "I have received from Mr. Galignani the enclosed let-pitied-or still more nobly commemorated, like 'Oh ters, duplicates, and receipts, which will explain themselves. As the poems are your property by purchase, right, and justice, all matters of publication, &c. &c. are for you to decide upon. I know not how far my compliance with Mr. Galignani's request might be legal, and I doubt that it would not be honest. In case you choose to arrange with him, I enclose the permits to you, and in so doing I wash my hands of the business altogether. I sign then tuerely to enable you to exert the power you justly possess more properly. I will have nothing to do with it farther, except, in my answer to Mr. Galignani, to state that the letters, &c. &c. are sent to you, and the causes thereof. "To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan, And is always as nobly requited; Then battle for freedom wherever you can, And, if not shot or hang'd, you'll get knighted. "So you have gotten the letter of 'Epigrams-1 am glad of it.* You will not be So, for I shall send you more. Here is one I wrote for the endorsement of 'the Deed of Separation' in 1816; but the lawyers objected to it, as superfluous. It was written as we were getting up the signing and sealing.✶✶ has the original. "Endorsement to the Deed of Separation, in the April of 1816. "A year ago you awore, fond she! To love, to honour,' and so forth: ⚫ Letter 413 "For the anniversary of January 2, 1821, I have a small grateful anticipation, which, in case of accident, I add "To Penelope, January 2, 1821. "This day, of all our days, has done The worst for me and you : "T is just six years since we were one, And Ace since we were two. "Last week I sent you a correspondence with Galig. nani, and some documents on your property. You have "Pray, excuse all this nonsense; for I must talk non-now, I think, an opportunity of checking, or at least limit sense just now, for fear of wandering to more serious ing, those French republications. You may let all your topics, which, in the present state of things, is not safe by authors publish what they please against me and mine a foreign post. A publisher is not, and cannot be, responsible for all the works that issue from his printer's. "I told you, in my last, that I had been going on with the 'Memoirs,' and have got as far as twelve more sheets. "The 'White Lady of Avenel,' is not quite so good as But I suspect they will be interrupted. In that case I a real well authenticated ('Donna Bianca') White Lady will send them on by post, though I feel remorse at mak-of Colalto, or spectre in the Marca Trivigiana, who has ing a friend pay so much for postage, for we can't frank here beyond the frontier. been repeatedly seen. There is a man (a huntsman) now alive who saw her also. Hoppner could tell you all "I shall be glad to hear of the event of the Queen's about her, and so can Rose, perhaps. I myself have no concern. As to the ultimate effect, the most inevitable doubt of the fact, historical and spectral. She always one to you and me (if they and we live so long) will be appeared on particular occasions, before the deaths of the that the Miss Moores and Miss Byrons will present us family, &c. &c. I heard Madame Benzoni say, that she with a great variety of grandchildren by different fathers. knew a gentleman who had seen her cross his room at "Pray, where did you get hold of Goethe's Florentine Colalto Castle. Hoppner saw and spoke with the huntshusband-killing story? upon such matters, in general, I man, who met her at the chase, and never hunted afterinay say, with Beau Clincher, in reply to Errand's wife-ward. She was a girl attendant, who, one day dressing "Oh the villain, he hath murdered my poor Timothy! the hair of a Countess Colalto, was seen by her mistress Clincher. Damn your Timothy!-I tell to smile upon her husband in the glass. The Countess you, woman, your husband has murdered me he has carried away my had her shut up in the wall of the castle, like Constance fine jubilee clothes.' de Beverly. Ever after, she haunted them and all the Colaltos. She is described as very beautiful and fair. It is well authenticated. "So Bowles has been telling a story, too, ('t is in the Quarterly,) about the woods of 'Madeira,' and so forth. I shall be at Bowles again, if he is not quiet. He misstates, or mistakes, in a point or two. The paper is finished, and so is the letter. "Yours, &c." LETTER CCCCLXIII. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, 9bre 9, 1820. The talent you approve of is an amiable one, and might prove a 'national service,' but unfortunately I must be angry with a man before I draw his real portrait; and I can't deal in 'generals, so that I trust never to have provocation enough to make a Gallery. If the parson' had not by many little dirty sneaking traits provoked it, I should have been silent, though I had observed him. Here follows an alteration: put "Devil, with such delight in damning, That if at the resurrection Unto him the free election Of his future could be given, "T would be rather Hell than Heaven; that is to say, if these two new lines do not too much lengthen out and weaken the amiability of the original thought and expression. You have a discretionary power about showing. I should think that Croker would not disrelish a sight of these light httle humorous things, and may be indulged now and then. LETTER CCCCLXIV. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, 9bre 18, 1820. "The death of Waite* is a shock to the-teeth, as well as to the feelings of all who knew him. Good God, he and Blaket both gone! I left them both in the most ro bust health, and little thought of the national loss in so short a time as five years. They were both as much superior to Wellington in rational greatness, as he who preserves the hair and the teeth is preferable to the bloody blustering warrior' who gains a name by breaking heads and knocking out grinders. Who succeeds him? Where is tooth-powder, mild, and yet efficacious-where is tincture-where are clearing-roots and brushes now to be obtained? Pray obtain what information you can these Tusculan questions.' My jaws ache to think upon on't. Poor fellows! I anticipated seeing both again; and yet they are gone to that place where both teeth and hair last longer than they do in this life. I have seen a thousand graves opened, and always perceived, that whatever was gone, the teeth and hair remain with those who had died with them. Is not this odd? They go the very first things in youth, and yet last the longest in the dust, if people will but die to preserve them! It is a queer life, and a queer death, that of mortals. "Why, I do like one or two vices, to be sure; but I can "I knew that Waite had married, but little thought that back a horse and fire a pistol 'without thinking or blink-the other decease was so soon to overtake him. Then ing like Major Sturgeon; I have fed at times for two he was such a delight, such a coxcomb, such a jewel of a months together on sheer biscuit and water, (without me-man! There is a tailor at Bologna so like him! and taphor;) I can get over seventy or eighty miles a day also at the top of his profession. Do not neglect this riding post, and swim five at a stretch, as at Venice, in commission. Who or what can replace him? What 1818, or at least I could do, and have done it ONCE. says the public? "I know Henry Matthews; he is the image, to the "I remand you the Preface. Don't forget that the very voice, of his brother Charles, only darker his cough Italian extract from the Chronicle must be translated. his in particular. The first time I ever met him was in With regard to what you say of retouching the Juars and Scrope Davies's rooms after his brother's death, and I the Hints, it is all very well; but I can't furbish. I am nearly dropped, thinking that it was his ghost. I have like the tiger, (in poesy,) if I miss the first spring I go aiso dined with him in his rooms at King's College. Hobhouse once purposed a similar Memoir; but I am His Dentist. + Arelebrated hair-dresser. growling back to my jungle. There is no second: I can't "P.S. Of the praises of that little *** Keats, I shall observe, as Johnson did when Sheridan the actor got a pension, What! has he got a pension? Then it is ume that I should give up mine! Nobody could be prouder of the praise of the Edinburgh than I was, or more alive to their censure, as I showed in English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. At present, all the men they have ever praised are degraded by that insane article. Why don't they review and praise Solomon's Guide to Health? it is better sense and as much poetry as Johnny Keats. away from Cambridge, to which I had returned again to resule for my degree, that I became one of Matthews's familiars, by means of Hobhouse, who, after hating me for two years, because I 'wore a white hat and a gray coat and rode a gray horse,' (as he says himself,) took me into his good graces because I had written some poetry. 1 had always lived a good deal, and got drunk occasionally, in their company; but now we became really friends in a morning. Matthews, however, was not at this period resident in college. I met him chiefly in London, and at uncertain periods at Cambridge. Hobhouse, in the mean time, did great things: he founded the Cambridge Whig Club,' (which he seems to have forgotten,) and the Amcable Society,' which was dissolved in consequence of the members constantly quarrelling, and made himself very popular with us youth,' and no less formidable to all tutors, professors, and heads of colleges. William Bankes was gone; while he stayed, he ruled the roast, or rather the roasting, and was father of all mischiefs. "Matthews and I, meeting in London, and elsewhere, became great cronies. He was not good-tempered—nor am I-but with a little tact his temper was manageable, and I thought him so superior a man, that I was willing to "Bowles must be boiled down. "T is a sad match at sacrifice something to his humours, which were often, at cricket if he can get any notches at Pope's expense. If the same time, amusing and provoking. What became of he once get into 'Lord's ground,' (to continue the pun, be- his papers, (and he certainly had many,) at the time of his cause it is foolish,) I think I could beat him in one inn- death, was never known. I mention this by the way fearings. You did not know, perhaps, that I was once (noting to skip it over, and as he wrote remarkably well, both metaphorically, but really) a good cricketer, particularly in in Latin and English. We went down to Newstead tobutting, and I played in the Harrow match against the gether, where I had got a famous cellar, and monks Etonians in 1805, gaining more notches (as one of our dresses from a masquerade warehouse. We were a comchosen eleven) than any, except Lord Ipswich and Brook-pany of some seven or eight, with an occasional neighbour man, on our side." LETTER CCCCLXV. TO MR. MURRAY. or so for visiters, and used to sit up late in our friars' dresses, drinking Burgundy, claret, champagne, and what not, out of the skull-cup, and all sorts of glasses, and buffooning all round the house, in our conventual garments. Matthews always denominated me the Abbot,' and never called me by any other name in his good humours, to the "Ravenna, 9bre 12, 1820. day of his death. The harmony of these our symposia What you said of the late Charles Skinner Matthews was somewhat interrupted, a few days after our assembling, has set me to my recollections; but I have not been able by Matthews's threatening to throw 'bold Webster,' (as he to turn up any thing which would do for the purposed Me-was called, from winning a foot-match, and a horse-match, moir of his brother, even if he had previously done enough the first from Ipswich to London, and the second from during his life to sanction the introduction of anec- Brighthelmstone,) by threatening to throw bold Webdotes so merely personal. He was, however, a very ex-ster' out of a window, in consequence of I know not what traordinary man, and would have been a great one. No commerce of jokes ending in this epigram. Webster came one ever succeeded in a more surpassing degree than he to me and said, that 'his respect and regard for me as host did, as far as he went. He was indolent too; but when- would not permit him to call out any of my guests, and ever he stripped, he overthrew all antagonists. His con- that he should go to town next morning. He did. It was quests will be found registered at Cambridge, particularly in vain that I represented to him that the window was not his Downing one, which was hotly and highly contested, high, and that the turf under it was particularly soft, and yet easily won. Hobhouse was his most intimate Away he went. friend, and can tell you more of him than any man. Wil- "Matthews and myself had travelled down from Lonliam Bankes also a great deal. I myself recollect more don together, talking all the way incessantly upon one of his oddities than of his academical qualities, for we lived single topic. When we got to Loughborough, I know most together at a very idle period of my life. When I not what chasm had made us diverge for a moment to went up to Trinity in 1805, at the age of seventeen and a some other subject, at which he was indignant. 'Come, half, I was miserable and untoward to a degree. I was said he, 'don't let us break through-let us go on as we wretched at leaving Harrow, to which I had become at- began, to our journey's end;' and so he continued, and was tached during the last two years of my stay there; wretched ente:ning as ever to the very end. He had previously at going to Cambridge instead of Oxford, (there were no occupied, during my year's absence from Cambridge, my rooms vacant at Christchurch,) wretched from some private rooms in Trinity, with the furniture; and Jones the tutor domestic circumstances of different kinds, and consequently in his odd way, had said on putting him in, Mr. Matabout as unsocial as a wolf taken from the troop. So that, thews, I recommend to your attention not to damage any although I knew Matthews, and met him often then at of the moveables, for Lord Byron, sir, is a young man of Bankes's, (who was my collegiate pastor, and master, and tumultuous passions.' Matthews was delighted with this; patron,) and at Rhode's, Milne's, Price's, Dick's, Mac-and whenever any body cane to visit him, begged them to namara's, Farrell's, Galley Knight's, and others of that set handle the very door with caution; and used to repeat of contemporaries, yet I was neither intimate with him nor Jones's admonition, in his tone and manner. There was with any else, except my old schoolfellow Edward Long, a large mirror in the room, on which he remarked, 'that he (with whom I used to pass the day in riding and swim-thought his friends were grown uncommonly assiduous in ning,) and William Bankes, who was good-naturedly coming to see him, but he soon discovered that they only tolerant of my ferocities. came to see themselves.' Jones's phrase of 'tumultuous *It was not till 180" after I had been upwards of a year passions,' and the whole scene had put him into such good humour, that I verily believe, that I owed to it a portion of to the Opera, I happened to have a spare Opera ticket his good graces. (as subscriber to a box,) and presented it to Matthews. When at Newstead, somebody by accident rubbed 'Now, sir,' said he to Hobhouse afterward, 'this I call against one of his white silk stockings, one day before courteous in the Abbot-another man would never have dinner; of course the gentleman apologized. 'Sir,' an-thought that I might do better with half a guinea than swered Matthews, 'it may be all very well for you, who throw it to a doorkeeper; but here is a man not only have a great many silk stockings, to dirty other people's; asks me to dinner, but gives me a ticket for the theatre. but to me, who have only this one pair, which I have put These were only his oddities, for no man was more liberal, on in honour of the Abbot here, no apology can compen- or more honourable in all his doings and dealings then sate for such carelessness; besides the expense of wash-Matthews. He gave Hobhouse and me, before we set ing.' He had the same sort of droll sardonic way about out for Constantinople, a most splendid entertainment, to every thing. A wild Irishman, named F**, one even-which we did ample justice. One of his fancies was dining ing beginning to say something at a large supper at Cam- at all sorts of out of the way places. Somebody popped upon bridge, Matthews roared out 'Silence!' and then, pointing him, in I know not what coffee-house in the Strand-and to F**, cried out, in the words of the oracle, 'Orson is what do you think was the attraction? Why, that he endowed with reason.' You may easily suppose that Or-paid a shilling (I think) to dine with his hat on. This he son lost what reason he had acquired, on hearing this called his 'hat house,' and used to boast of the comfort of compliment. When Hobhouse published his volume of being covered at meal-times. poems, the Miscellany (which Matthews would call the "When Sir Henry Smith was expelled from Cambridge Miss-sell-any,') all that could be drawn from him was, for a row with a tradesman named 'Hiron,' Matthews that the preface was 'extremely like Walsh.' Hobhouse | solaced himself with shouting under Hiron's windows thought this at first a compliment; but we never could every evening, make out what it was, for all we know of Walsh is his Ode to King William, and Pope's epithet of knowing Walsh. When the Newstead party broke up for London, Hobhouse and Matthews, who were the greatest friends possible, agreed, for a whim, to walk together to town. They quarrelled by the way, and actually walked the latter half of their journey, occasionally passing and repassing, without speaking. When Matthews had got to Highgate, he had spent all his money but threepence halfpenny, and determined to spend that also in a pint of beer, which I believe he was drinking before a public house, as Hobhouse passed him (still without speaking) for the last time on their route. They were reconciled in London again. "One of Matthews's passions was the 'the Fancy; and he sparred uncommonly well. But he always got beaten in rows, or combats with the bare fist. In swimming too, he swam well; but with effert and labour, and too high out of the water; so that Scrope Davies and myself, of whom he was therein somewhat emulous, always told him that he would be drowned if ever he came to a difficult pass in the water. He was so; but surely Scrope and myself would have been most heartly glad that "The Dean had lived, And our prediction proved a lie.' "His head was uncommonly handsome, very like what Pope's was in his youth. Ah me! What perils do environ The man who meddles with hot Hiron.' "He was also of that band of profane scoffers, who, under the auspices of ****, used to rouse Lort Mansel (late bishop of Bristol) from his slumbers in the lodge of Trinity, and when he appeared at the window foaming with wrath, and crying out, I know you, gentlemen, Í know you!' were wont to reply, 'We beseech thee to hear us, good Lort-good Lort, deliver us!' (Lort was his Christian name.) As he was very free in his speculations upon all kinds of subjects, although by no means either dissolute or intemperate in his conduct, and as I was no less independent, our conversation and correspon dence used to alarm our friend Hobhouse to a considerable degree. * * * * * "His voice, and laugh, and features, are strongly re"Ravenna, 9bre 23, 1820. sembled by his brother Henry's, if Henry be he of King's "The 'Hints,' Hobhouse says, will require a good deal College. His passion for boxing was so great, that he ac-of slashing to suit the times, which will be a work of time, tually wanted me to match him with Dogherty, (whom I for I do n't feel at all laborious just now. Whatever had backed and made the match for against Tom Bel-effect they are to have would perhaps be greater in a cher,) and I saw them spar together at my own lodgings separate form, and they also must have ny name to them. with the gloves on. As he was bent upon it, I would have backed Dogherty to please him, but the match went off. It was of course to have been a private fight in a private room. "On one occasion, being too late to go home and dress, he was equipped by a friend, (Mr. Bailey, I believe,) in a magnificently fashionable and somewhat exaggerated shirt and neckcloth. He proceeded to the Opera, and took his station in Fop's Alley. During the interval between the opera and the ballet, an acquaintance took his station by him, and saluted him: 'Come round,' said Matthews, 'come round.' 'Why should I come round?' said the other; 'you have only to turn your head-I am close by vou.' That is exactly what I cannot do,' answered Matthews: 'don't you see the state I am in?' pointing to his buckram shirt-collar, and inflexible cravat; and there he stood with his head always in the same perpendicular position during the whole spectacle. *One evening, after dining together, as we were going Now, if you publish them in the same volume with Don Juan, they identify Don Juan as mine, which I don't think worth a chancery suit about my daughter's guardianship, as in your present code a facetious poem is sufficient to take away a man's right over his family. "Of the state of things here it would be difficult and not very prudent to speak at large, the Huns opening all letters. I wonder if they can read them when they have opened them; if so, they may see, in my MOST LEGIBLE HAND, THAT I THINK THEM DAMNED SCOUNDRELS AND BARBARIANS, and THEIR EMPEROR & FOOL, and themselves more fools than he; all which they may send to Vienna for any thing I care. They have got themselves masters of the Papal police, and are bullying away: but some day or other they will pay for all: it may not be very soon, because these unhappy Italians have no consistency among themselves; but I suppose that Providence will get tired of them at last, * "Yours, &c." |