"Missolonghi, February 21. 1824.
"I have received yours of the 2d of November. It is essential that
the money should be paid, as I have drawn for it all, and more too,
to help the Greeks. Parry is here, and he and I agree very well; and
all is going on hopefully for the present, considering circumstances.
"We shall have work this year, for the Turks are coming down in
force; and, as for me, I must stand by the cause. I shall shortly
march (according to orders) against Lepanto, with two thousand men. I
have been here some time, after some narrow escapes from the Turks,
and also from being ship-wrecked. We were twice upon the rocks; but
this you will have heard, truly or falsely, through other channels,
and I do not wish to bore you with a long story.
"So far I have succeeded in supporting the Government of Western
Greece, which would otherwise have been dissolved. If you have
received the eleven thousand and odd pounds, these, with what I have
in hand, and my income for the current year, to say nothing of
contingencies, will, or might, enable me to keep the 'sinews of war'
properly strung. If the deputies be honest fellows, and obtain the
loan, they will repay the 4000,'. as agreed upon; and even then I
shall save little, or indeed less than little, since I am maintaining
nearly the whole machine--in this place, at least--at my own cost.
But let the Greeks only succeed, and I don't care for myself.
"I have been very seriously unwell, but am getting better, and can
ride about again; so pray quiet our friends on that score.
"It is not true that I ever _did, will, would, could, _ or _should_
write a satire against Gifford, or a hair of his head. I always
considered him as my literary father, and myself as his 'prodigal
son;' and if I have allowed his 'fatted calf' to grow to an ox
before, he kills it on my return, it is only because I prefer beef to
veal. Yours," &c