"Ravenna, August 24. 1821.
"Yours of the 5th only yesterday, while I had letters of the 8th
from London. Doth the post dabble into our letters? Whatever
agreement you make with Murray, if satisfactory to _you_, must be
so to me. There need be no scruple, because, though I used
sometimes to buffoon to myself, loving a quibble as well as the
barbarian himself (Shakspeare, to wit)--'that, like a Spartan, I
would sell my _life_ as _dearly_ as possible'--it never was my
intention to turn it to personal, pecuniary account, but to
bequeath it to a friend--yourself--in the event of survivorship. I
anticipated that period, because we happened to meet, and I urged
you to make what was possible _now_ by it, for reasons which are
obvious. It has been no possible _privation_ to me, and therefore
does not require the acknowledgments you mention. So, for God's
sake, don't consider it like * * *
"By the way, when you write to Lady Morgan, will you thank her for
her handsome speeches in her book about _my_ books? I do not know
her address. Her work is fearless and excellent on the subject of
Italy--pray tell her so--and I know the country. I wish she had
fallen in with _me_, I could have told her a thing or two that
would have confirmed her positions.
"I am glad you are satisfied with Murray, who seems to value dead
lords more than live ones. I have just sent him the following answer
to a proposition of his,
"For Orford and for Waldegrave, &c.
"The argument of the above is, that he wanted to 'stint me of my
sizings,' as Lear says,--that is to say, _not_ to propose an
extravagant price for an extravagant poem, as is becoming. Pray
take his guineas, by all means--_I_ taught him that. He made me a
filthy offer of _pounds_ once, but I told him that, like
physicians, poets must be dealt with in guineas, as being the only
advantage poets could have in the association with _them_, as
votaries of Apollo. I write to you in hurry and bustle, which I
will expound in my next.
"Yours ever, &c.
"P.S. You mention something of an attorney on his way to me on
legal business. I have had no warning of such an apparition. What
can the fellow want? I have some lawsuits and business, but have
not heard of any thing to put me to the expense of a _travelling_
lawyer. They do enough, in that way, at home.
"Ah, poor Queen I but perhaps it is for the best, if Herodotus's
anecdote is to be believed.
"Remember me to any friendly Angles of our mutual acquaintance.
What are you doing? Here I have had my hands full with tyrants and
their victims. There never _was_ such oppression, even in Ireland,
scarcely!"
* * * * *