"Venice, March 3. 1828.
"I have not, as you say, 'taken to wife the Adriatic.' I heard of
Moore's loss from himself in a letter which was delayed upon the
road three months. I was sincerely sorry for it, but in such cases
what are words?
"The villa you speak of is one at Este, which Mr. Hoppner
(Consul-general here) has transferred to me. I have taken it for
two years as a place of Villeggiatura. The situation is very
beautiful, indeed, among the Euganean hills, and the house very
fair. The vines are luxuriant to a great degree, 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.
"Last summer (except an excursion to Rome) I passed upon the
Brenta. In Venice I winter, transporting my horses to the Lido,
bordering the Adriatic (where the fort is), so that I get a gallop
of some miles daily along the strip of beach which 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 masques;
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.
"It is a very good place for women. I like the dialect and their
manner very much. There is a _naïveté_ about them which is very
winning, and the romance of the place is a mighty adjunct; the _bel
sangue_ is not, however, now amongst the _dame_ or higher orders;
but all under _i fazzioli_, or kerchiefs (a white kind of veil
which the lower orders wear upon their heads);--the _vesta
zendale_, or old national female costume, is no more. The city,
however, is decaying daily, and does not gain in population.
However, I prefer it to any other in Italy; and here have I pitched
my staff, and here do I purpose to reside for the remainder of my
life, unless events, connected with business not to be transacted
out of England, compel me to return for that purpose; otherwise I
have few regrets, and no desires to visit it again for its own
sake. I shall probably be obliged to do so, to sign papers for my
affairs, and a proxy for the Whigs, and to see Mr. Waite, for I
can't find a good dentist here, and every two or three years one
ought to consult one. About seeing my children I must take my
chance. One I shall have sent here; and I shall be very happy to
see the legitimate one, when God pleases, which he perhaps will
some day or other. As for my mathematical * * *, I am as well
without her.
"Your account of your visit to Fonthill is very striking: could you
beg of _him_ for _me_ a copy in MS. of the remaining _Tales_?[17] I
think I deserve them, as a strenuous and public admirer of the
first one. I will return it when read, and make no ill use of the
copy, if granted. Murray would send me out any thing safely. If
ever I return to England, I should like very much to see the
author, with his permission. In the mean time, you could not oblige
me more than by obtaining me the perusal I request, in French or
English,--all's one for that, though I prefer Italian to either. I
have a French copy of Vathek which I bought at Lausanne. I can read
French with great pleasure and facility, though I neither speak nor
write it. Now Italian I _can_ speak with some fluency, and write
sufficiently for my purposes, but I don't like their _modern_ prose
at all; it is very heavy, and so different from Machiavelli.
"They say Francis is Junius;--I think it looks like it. I remember
meeting him at Earl Grey's at dinner. Has not he lately married a
young woman; and was not he Madame Talleyrand's _cavaliere
servente_ in India years ago?
"I read my death in the papers, which was not true. I see they are
marrying the remaining singleness of the royal family. They have
brought out Fazio with great and deserved success at Covent Garden:
that's a good sign. I tried, during the directory, to have it done
at Drury Lane, but was overruled. If you think of coming into this
country, you will let me know perhaps beforehand. I suppose Moore
won't move. Rose is here. I saw him the other night at Madame
Albrizzi's; he talks of returning in May. My love to the Hollands.
"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 with Iago cut out, and the greatest nonsense
instead; the handkerchief turned into a _billet-doux_, and the
first singer would not _black_ his face, for some exquisite reasons
assigned in the preface. Singing, dresses, and music, very good."
[Footnote 17: A continuation of Vathek, by the author of that very
striking and powerful production. The "Tales" of which this unpublished
sequel consists are, I understand, those supposed to have been related
by the Princes in the Hall of Eblis.]
* * * * *