"Venice, March 10. 1817.
"I wrote again to you lately, but I hope you won't be sorry to have
another epistle. I have been unwell this last month, with a kind of
slow and low fever, which fixes upon me at night, and goes off in
the morning; but, however, I am now better. In spring it is
probable we may meet; at least I intend for England, where I have
business, and hope to meet you in _your_ restored health and
additional laurels.
"Murray has sent me the Quarterly and the Edinburgh. When I tell
you that Walter Scott is the author of the article in the former,
you will agree with me that such an article is still more
honourable to him than to myself. I am perfectly pleased with
Jeffrey's also, which I wish you to tell him, with my
remembrances--not that I suppose it is of any consequence to him,
or ever could have been, whether I am pleased or not, but simply in
my private relation to him, as his well-wisher, and it may be one
day as his acquaintance. I wish you would also add, what you know,
that I was not, and, indeed, am not even now, the misanthropical
and gloomy gentleman he takes me for, but a facetious companion,
well to do with those with whom I am intimate, and as loquacious
and laughing as if I were a much cleverer fellow.
"I suppose now I shall never be able to shake off my sables in
public imagination, more particularly since my moral * * clove down
my fame. However, nor that, nor more than that, has yet
extinguished my spirit, which always rises with the rebound.
"At Venice we are in Lent, and I have not lately moved out of
doors, my feverishness requiring quiet, and--by way of being more
quiet--here is the Signora Marianna just come in and seated at my
elbow.
"Have you seen * * *'s book of poesy? and, if you have seen it, are
you not delighted with it? And have you--I really cannot go on:
there is a pair of great black eyes looking over my shoulder, like
the angel leaning over St. Matthew's, in the old frontispieces to
the Evangelists,--so that I must turn and answer them instead of
you.
"Ever," &c.
* * * * *