"January 20. 1821.
"I did not think to have troubled you with the plague and postage
of a _double letter_ this time, but I have just read in an _Italian
paper_, 'That Lord Byron has a tragedy coming out,' &c. &c. &c. and
that the Courier and Morning Chronicle, &c. &c. are pulling one
another to pieces about it and him, &c.
"Now I do reiterate and desire, that every thing may be done to
prevent it from coming out on _any theatre_, for which it never was
designed, and on which (in the present state of the stage of
London) it could never succeed. I have sent you my appeal by last
post, which you _must publish in case of need_; and I require you
even in _your own name_ (if my honour is dear to you) to declare
that such representation would be contrary to my _wish and to my
judgment_. If you do not wish to drive me mad altogether, you will
hit upon some way to prevent this.
"Yours, &c.
"P.S. I cannot conceive how Harris or Elliston should be so insane
as to think of acting Marino Faliero; they might as well act the
Prometheus of Aeschylus. I speak of course humbly, and with the
greatest sense of the distance of time and merit between the two
performances; but merely to show the absurdity of the attempt.
"The Italian paper speaks of a 'party against it;' to be sure there
would be a party. Can you imagine, that after having never
flattered man, nor beast, nor opinion, nor politics, there would
_not_ be a party against a man, who is also a _popular_ writer--at
least a successful? Why, all parties would be a party against."
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