"Ravenna, March 28. 1820.
"Enclosed is a 'Screed of Doctrine' for you, of which I will
trouble you to acknowledge the receipt by next post. Mr. Hobhouse
must have the correction of it for the press. You may show it first
to whom you please.
"I wish to know what became of my two Epistles from St. Paul
(translated from the Armenian three years ago and more), and of the
letter to R----ts of last autumn, which you never have attended to?
There are two packets with this.
"P.S. I have some thoughts of publishing the 'Hints from Horace,'
written ten years ago[71],--if Hobhouse can rummage them out of my
papers left at his father's,--with some omissions and alterations
previously to be made when I see the proofs."
[Footnote 71: When making the observations which occur in the early part
of this work, on the singular preference given by the noble author to the
"Hints from Horace," I was not aware of the revival of this strange
predilection, which (as it appears from the above letter, and, still more
strongly, from some that follow) took place so many years after, in the
full maturity of his powers and taste. Such a delusion is hardly
conceivable, and can only, perhaps, be accounted for by that tenaciousness
of early opinions and impressions by which his mind, in other respects so
versatile, was characterised.]
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