"Venice, October 29. 1819.
"Yours of the 15th came yesterday. I am sorry that you do not
mention a large letter addressed to _your care_ for Lady Byron,
from me, at Bologna, two months ago. Pray tell me, was this letter
received and forwarded?
"You say nothing of the vice-consulate for the Ravenna patrician,
from which it is to be inferred that the thing will not be done.
"I had written about a hundred stanzas of a _third_ Canto to Don
Juan, but the reception of the two first is no encouragement to you
nor me to proceed.
"I had also written about 600 lines of a poem, the Vision (or
Prophecy) of Dante, the subject a view of Italy in the ages down to
the present--supposing Dante to speak in his own person, previous
to his death, and embracing all topics in the way of prophecy, like
Lycophron's Cassandra; but this and the other are both at a
stand-still for the present.
"I gave Moore, who is gone to Rome, my Life in MS., in
seventy-eight folio sheets, brought down to 1816. But this I put
into his hands for _his_ care, as he has some other MSS. of mine--a
Journal kept in 1814, &c. Neither are for publication during my
life; but when I am cold you may do what you please. In the mean
time, if you like to read them you may, and show them to anybody
you like--I care not.
"The Life is _Memoranda_, and not _Confessions_ I have left out all
my _loves_ (except in a general way), and many other of the most
important things (because I must not compromise other people), so
that it is like the play of Hamlet--'the part of Hamlet omitted by
particular desire.' But you will find many opinions, and some fun,
with a detailed account of my marriage, and its consequences, as
true as a party concerned can make such account, for I suppose we
are all prejudiced.
"I have never read over this Life since it was written, so that I
know not exactly what it may repeat or contain. Moore and I passed
some merry days together.
"I probably must return for business, or in my way to America.
Pray, did you get a letter for Hobhouse, who will have told you the
contents? I understand that the Venezuelan commissioners had orders
to treat with emigrants; now I want to go there. I should not make
a bad South-American planter, and I should take my natural
daughter, Allegra, with me, and settle. I wrote, at length, to
Hobhouse, to get information from Perry, who, I suppose, is the
best topographer and trumpeter of the new republicans. Pray write.
"Yours ever.
"P.S. Moore and I did nothing but laugh. He will tell you of 'my
whereabouts,' and all my proceedings at this present; they are as
usual. You should not let those fellows publish false 'Don Juans;'
but do not put _my name_, because I mean to cut R----ts up like a
gourd, in the preface, if I continue the poem."
* * * * *