"made part of the ridicule fall on Moore. "The fact was, that there was no imputa"tion on the courage of either of the prin 66 66 cipals. One of the balls fell out in the carriage, and was lost; and the seconds, "not having a further supply, drew the "remaining one. 66 Shortly after this publication I went "abroad: and Moore was so offended by "the mention of the leadless pistols, that "he addressed a letter to me in the na"ture of a challenge, delivering it to the "care of Mr. Hanson, but without ac 66 quainting him with the contents. This "letter was mislaid, at least never for"warded to me. "But on my return to England in 1812, "an enquiry was made by Moore if I "had received such a letter? adding, that 66 particular circumstances (meaning his mar riage, or perhaps the suppression of the "satire) had now altered his situation, and "that he wished to recall the letter, and to "be known to me through Rogers. I was "shy of this mode of arranging matters,— 66 one hand presenting a pistol, and another "held out to shake; and felt awkward at "the loss of a letter of such a nature, and "the imputation it might have given rise to. "But when, after a considerable search, it 66 was at length found, I returned it to "Moore with the seal unbroken; and we "have since been the best friends in the "world. I correspond with no one so re "friends and correspondents those whom I "most made the subjects of satire in ‘English "Bards.' I never retracted my opinions of "their works, I never sought their ac 66 quaintance; but there are men who can forgive and forget. The Laureate is not "one of that disposition, and exults over "the anticipated death-bed repentance of "the objects of his hatred. Finding that "his denunciations or panegyrics are of little “or no avail here, he indulges himself in 66 a pleasant vision as to what will be their "fate hereafter. The third Heaven is "hardly good enough for a king, and "Dante's worst birth in the 'Inferno' hardly "bad enough for me. "brother-in-law might My kindness to his have taught him to "be more charitable. I said in a Note to "The Two Foscari,' in answer to his vain "boasting, that I had done more real good " in one year than Mr. Southey in the whole 66 course of his shifting and turn-coat ex"istence, on which he seems to reflect with "so much complacency. I did not mean to 66 pride myself on the act to which I have "just referred, and should not mention it 66 to you, but that his self-sufficiency calls "for the explanation.—When Coleridge was "in great distress, I borrowed 1007. to give " him." 6 Some days after this discussion appeared Mr. Southey's reply to the Note in question. I happened to see The Literary Gazette' at Mr. Edgeworth's, and mentioned the general purport of the letter to Lord Byron during our evening ride. His anxiety to get a sight of it was so great, that he wrote me two notes in the course of the evening, entreating me to procure the paper. I at length succeeded, and took it to the Lanfranchi palace at eleven o'clock, (after coming from the opera,) an hour at which I was frequently in the habit of calling on him. He had left the Guiccioli earlier than usual, and I found him waiting with some impatience. I never shall forget his countenance as he glanced rapidly over the contents. He looked perfectly awful: his colour changed almost prismatically; his lips were as pale as death. He said not a word. He read it a second time, and with more attention than his rage at first permitted, commenting on some of the passages as he went on. When he had finished, he threw down the paper, and asked me if I thought there was any thing of a personal nature in the reply that demanded satisfaction; as, if there |