LETTER LVI. TO MR. HODGSON. LETTER LVII. TO THE HONORABLE MRS. BYRON. "Salsette Frigate, in the Dardanelles, off" DEAR MOTHER, "I wrote to you, very shortly, the other day on my "I am on my way to Constantinople, after a tour arrival here, and as another opportunity avails, take through Greece, Epirus, &c., and part of Asia Minor, some particulars of which I have just com- may atone for their brevity. Pray did you ever reup my pen again, that the frequency of my letters municated to our friend and host, H. Drury. With ceive a picture of me in oil by Sanders, in Vigo-lane, these, then, I shall not trouble you; but, as you will London? (a noted limner:) if not, write for it imperhaps be pleased to hear that I am well, &c., Imediately; it was paid for, except the frame, (if take the opportunity of our ambassador's return frame there be,) before I left England. I believe I to forward the few lines I have time to despatch. mentioned to you in my last, that my only notable We have undergone some inconveniences and in- exploit, lately, has been swimming from Sestos to curred partial perils, but no events worthy of com- Abydos on the third of this month, in humble imimunication, unless you will deem it one that two tation of Leander, of amorous memory, though I days ago I swam from Sestos to Abydos. This, had no Hero to receive me on the other shore of the with a few alarms from robbers, and some danger of Hellespont. Of Constantinople you have, of shipwreck in a Turkish galliot six months ago, a course, read fifty descriptions by sundry travellers, visit to a Pacha, a passion for a married woman at which are in general so correct, that I have nothing Malta, a challenge to an officer, an attachment to to add on the subject. three Greek girls at Athens, with a great deal of "When our ambassador takes his leave, I shall buffoonery and fine prospects,-form all that has accompany him to see the sultan, and afterward distinguished my progress since my departure from probably return to Greece. I have heard nothing of Spain. "Hobhouse rhymes and journalizes; I stare and from that gentleman. If you have any occasion for Mr. Hanson, but one remittance, without any letter do nothing-unless smoking can be deemed an ac-any pecuniary supply, pray use my funds as far as tive amusement. The Turks take too much care they go without reserve; and, lest this should not of their women to permit them to be scrutinized; be enough, in my next to Mr. Hanson I will direct but I have lived a good deal with the Greeks, whose him to advance any sum you may want, leaving it modern dialect I can converse in enough for my to your discretion how much, in the present state of purposes. With the Turks I have also some male my affairs, you may think proper to requirre. I acquaintances-female society is out of the ques- have already seen the most interesting parts of tion. I have been very well treated by the Pachas Turkey in Europe and Asia Minor, but shall not and Governors, and have no complaint to make of proceed farther till I hear from England: in the any kind. Hobhouse will one day inform you of all mean time I shall expect occasional supplies, acour adventures,-were I to attempt the recital, cording to circumstances, and shall pass my sumneither my paper nor your patience would hold out mer among my friends, the Greeks of the Morea. during the operation. "You will direct to Malta, where my letters are forwarded, and believe me to be, "Nobody, save yourself, has written to me since I left England; but indeed I did not request it. I "With great sincerity, yours ever. except my relations, who write quite as often as I wish. Of Hobhouse's volume I know nothing, ex"P. S. Fletcher is well; pray take care of my It is fortucept that it is out; and of my second edition I do boy Robert, and the old man Murray. not even know that, and certainly do not, at this nate they returned; neither the youth of the one, distance, interest myself in the matter. ** * nor the age of the other, would have suited the changes of climate and fatigues of travelling." I hope you and Bland roll down the stream of sale with rapidity. "Of my return I cannot positively speak, but think it probable Hobhouse will precede me in that respect. We have been very nearly one year abroad. I should wish to gaze away another, at least, in these ever-green climates; but I fear business-law business-the worst of employments, will recall me previous to that period, if not very quickly. If so, you shall have due notice. LETTER LVIII. TO MR. HENRY DRURY. "Constantinople, June 17, 1810. "I hope you will find me an altered personage,- "Though I wrote to you so recently, I break in I do not mean in body, but in manner, for begin upon you again to congratulate you on a child being to find out that nothing but virtue will do in this born, as a letter from Hodgson apprizes me of that d-d world. I am tolerably sick of vice, which I event, in which I rejoice. have tried in its agreeable varieties, and mean, "I am just come from an expedition through the on my return, to cut all my dissolute acquaintance, Bosphorus to the Black Sea and the Cyanean Symleave off wine and carnal company, and betake my-plegades, up which last I scrambled at as great a self to politics and decorum. I am very serious and risk as ever the Argonauts escaped in their hoy. cynical, and a good deal disposed to moralize; but, You remember the beginning of the nurse's dole in fortunately for you, the coming homily is cut off by the Medea, of which I beg you to take the followdefault of pen and defection of paper. ing translation, done on the summit. "Good morrow! If you write, address to me at Malta, whence your letters will be forwarded. You need not remember me to any body, but believe me "Yours with all faith, "BYRON." "Oh how I wish that an embargo Had kept in port the good ship Argo! But now I fear her trip will be a Damn'd business for my Miss Medea, &c., &c. as it very nearly was to me;-for, had not this sablime passage been in my head, I should never have dreamed of ascending the said rocks, and bruising my carcass in honor of the ancients. • See Childe Harold, Canto iv., stanza clxxvi.; also answer to Bowles. "I have now sat on the Cyaneans, swam from and said he was sure I was a man of high birth, Bestos to Abydos, (as I trumpeted in my last,) and, because I had small ears, curling hair, and white after passing through the Morca again, shall set hands!! He was very kind to me, begged me to sail for Santa Maura, and toss myself from the consider him as a father, and gave me a guard of Leucadian promontory;-surviving which opera- forty soldiers through the forests of Acarnania. tion, I shall probably rejoin you in England. H., But of this and other circumstances I have written who will deliver this, is bound straight for these at large, and yet hope you will receive my letters. parts; and as he is bursting with his travels, I shall "I remember Mahmout Pacha, the grandson of not anticipate his narratives, but merely beg you Ali Pacha, at Yanina, (a little fellow of ten years not to believe one word he says, but reserve your of age, with large black eyes, which our ladies ear for me, if you have any desire to be acquainted would purchase at any price, and those regular with the truth. * features which distinguish the Turks,) asked me "I am bound for Athens once more, and thence how I came to travel so young, without any body to to the Morea; but my stay depends so much on my take care of me. This question was put by the caprice, that I can say nothing of its probable little man with all the gravity of threescore. I duration. I have been out a year already, and may cannot now write copiously; I have only time to stay another; but I am quicksilver, and say noth- tell you that I have passed many a fatiguing, but ing positively. We are all very much occupied doing never a tedious moment: and that all I am afraid nothing, at present. We have seen every thing of is, that I shall contract a gipsy-like wandering but the mosques, which we are to view with a disposition, which will make home tiresome to me: firman on Tuesday next. But of these and other this, I am told, is very common with men in the snudries let H. relate, with this proviso, that I am habit of peregrination, and, indeed, I feel it so. On to be referred to for authenticity; and I beg leave the third of May, I swam from Sestos to Abydos. to contradict all those things whereon he lays You know the story of Leander, but I had no Hero particular stress. But, if he soars, at any time, to receive me at landing. into wit, I give you leave to applaud, because that "I also passed a fortnight in the Troad: the is necessarily stolen from his fellow pilgrim. Tell tombs of Achilles and Esyetes still exist in large Davies that H. has made excellent use of his best barrows, similar to those you have, doubtless, seen jokes in many of his majesty's ships of war; but in the North. The other day I was at Belgrade, (a add, also, that I always took care to restore them village in these environs,) to see the house built on to the right owner; in consequence of which he, the same site as Lady Mary Wortley's; by-the-by, (Davies.) is not less famous by water than by land, her Ladyship, as far as I can judge, has lied, but and reigns unrivalled in the cabin, as in the Cocoa not half so much as any other woman would have Tree.' done in the same situation. I have been in all the "And Hodson has been publishing more poesy-principal mosques by the virtue of a firman; this is I wish he would send me his Sir Edgar,' and a favor rarely permitted to infidels, but the ambas 'Bland's Anthology' to Malta, where they will be sador's departure obtained it for us. I have been orwarded. In my last, which I hope you received, up the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, round the I gave an outline of the ground we have covered. walls of the city, and indeed I know more of it by you have not been overtaken by this despatch, sight, than I do of London. If H.'s tongue is at your service. Kemember me to "I hope to amuse you some winter's evening Dwyer, who owes me eleven guineas. Tell him to with the details, but at present you must excuse put them in my banker's hands at Gibralter or me; I am not able to write long letters in June. I Constantinople. I believe he paid them once, but return to spend my summer in Greece. I shall not that goes for nothing, as it was an annuity. proceed further into Asia, as I have visited Smyrna, "I wish you would write. I have heard from Ephesus, and the Troad. I write often, but you Hodgson frequently. Malta is my post-office. I must not be alarmed when you do not receive my mean to be with you by next Montem. You letters; consider we have no regular post further remember the last,-I hope for such another; but, than Malta, where I beg you will in future send after having swam across the broad Hellespont,' I your letters, and not to this city. Fletcher is a disdain Datchett. Good afternoon! "I am yours, very sincerely, LETTER LIX. "BYRON." TO THE HON. MRS. BYRON. MY DEAR MOTHER, "Constantinople, June 28, 1810. poor creature, and requires comforts that I can dispense with. He is very sick of his travels, but you must not believe his account of the country; he sighs for ale, and idleness, and a wife, and the devil knows what besides. I have not been disappointed or disgusted. I have lived with the highest and the lowest. I have been for days in a Pacha's palace, and have passed many a night in a cowhouse, and I find the people inoffensive and kind. I have also passed some time with the principal Grecks in the Morea and Livadia, and, though inferior to the Turks, they are better than the Spaniards, who, in their turn, excel the Portuguese. Of Constantinople you will find many descriptions "I regret to perceive, by your last letter, that in different travels; but Lady Wortley errs strangely several of mine have not arrived, particularly a very when she says, St. Paul's would cut a strange ong one, written in November last, from Albania, figure by St. Sophia's.' I have been in both, surwhen I was on a visit to the Pacha of that province. veyed them inside and out attentively. St. Sophia's Fletcher has also written to his spouse perpetually, is undoubtedly the most interesting from its imMr. Hobhouse, who will forward or deliver this, and mense antiquity, and the circumstance of all the is on his return to England, can inform you of our Greek emperors, from Justinian, having been different movements, but I am very uncertain as to crowned there, and several murdered at the altar, my own return. He will probably be down to besides the Turkish sultans, who attend it regularly. Nott's, some time or other; but Fletcher, whom I But it is inferior in beauty and size to some of the send back as an incumbrance, (English servants mosques, particularly Soleyman,' &c., and not are sad travellers,) will supply his place in the to be mentioned in the same page with St. Paul's, interim, and describe our travels, which have been (I speak like a Cockney.) However, I prefer the tolerably extensive. I have written twice briefly Gothic cathedral of Seville to St. Paul's, St. from this capital, from Smyrna, from Athens, and Sophia's, and any religious building I have ever other parts of Greece; from Albania, the Pacha of seen. which province desired his respects to my mother, "The walls of the Seraglio are like the walls of Newstead gardens, only higher, and much in the as you may suppose; but none of them verge to on the land side, is beautiful. Imagine four miles "The Marquis of Sligo, my old fellow-collegian, "Now for England. I am glad to hear of the scenes of the ancient world. Fletcher, after having progress of English Bards,' &c., of course, you been toasted, and roasted, and baked, and grilled, observed I have made great additions to the new and eaten by all sorts of creeping things, begins to edition. Have you recived my picture from San- philosophize, is grown a refined as well as resigned der's, Vigo lane, London? It was finished and character, and promises at his return to become an paid for long before I left England: pray, send for ornament to his own parish, and a very prominent it. You seem to be a mighty reader of magazines: person in the future family pedigree of the Fletchwhere do you pick up all this intelligence, quota- er's, whom I take to be Goths by their accomplishtions, &c., &c.? Though I was happy to obtain ments, Greeks by their acuteness, and ancient my seat without the assistance of Lord Carlisle, I Saxons by their appetite. He (Fletcher) begs had no measures to keep with a man who declined leave to send half a dozen sighs to Sally his spouse, interfering as my relation on that occasion, and I and wonders (though I do not) that his ill written have done with him, though I regret distressing and worse spelled letters have never come to hand; Mrs. Leigh, poor thing!-I hope she is happy. as for that matter, there is no great loss in either "It is my opinion that Mr. B✶✶ ought to marry of our letters, saving and except that I wish you to Miss R** Our first duty is not to do evil; but, know we are well, and warm enough at this present alas! that is impossible: our next is to repair it, if writing, God knows. You must not expect long in our power. The girl is his equal: if she were his letters at present, for they are written with the inferior, a sum of money and provision for the child sweat of my brow, I assure you. It is rather singuwould be some, though a poor compensation: as it lar that Mr. Hanson has not written a syllable is, he should marry her. I will have no gay since my departure. Your letters I have mostly deceivers on my estate, and I shall not allow my received, as well as others; from which I conjecture tenants a privilege I do not permit myself, that of that the man of law is either angry or busy. debauching each other's daughters. God knows I "I trust you like Newstead, and agree with your have been guilty of many excesses; but, as I have neighbors; but you know you are a vixen-is not laid down a resolution to reform, and lately kept it, that a dutiful appellation? Pray, take care of my I expect this Lothario to follow the example, and books and several boxes of papers in the hands of begin by restoring this girl to society, or, by the Joseph; and pray leave me a few bottles of chambeard of my father! he shall hear of it. Pray take pagne to drink, for I am very thirsty ;-but I do not some notice of Robert, who will miss his master: poor boy, he was very unwilling to return. I trust you are well and happy. It will be a pleasure to hear from you. Believe me, yours very sincerly, "P. S. How is Joe Murray ? insist on the last article, without you like it. I LETTER LXI. "DEAR MOTHER, LETTER LX. TO MRS. BYRON. "Athens, July 25, 1810. "In four days from Constantinople, with a favorable wind, I arrived in the frigate at the island of "I have arrived here in four days from Constan- Ceos, from whence I took a boat to Athens, where tinople, which is considered as singularly quick, I met my friend the Marquis of Sligo, who exparticularly for the season of the year. You pressed a wish to proceed with me as far as Corinth. northern gentry can have no conception of a Greek At Corinth we separated, he for Tripolitza, I for summer; which, however, is a perfect frost com- Patras, where I had some business with the consul, pared with Malta and Gibralter, where I reposed Mr. Strané, in whose house I now write. He has myself in the shade last year, after a gentle gallop rendered me every service in his power since I of four hundred miles, without intermission, through quitted Malta on my way to Constantinople, whence Portugal and Spain. You see, by my date, that I am at Athens again, a place which I think I prefer, upon the whole, to any I have seen. 66 have written to you twice or thrice. In a few days I visit the Pacha at Tripolitza, make the tour of the Morea, and return again to Athens, which at My next movement is to-morrow into the present is my head-quarters. The heat is at present Morea, where I shall probably remain a month or intense. In England, if it reaches 98°, you are two, and then return to winter here, if I do not all on fire: the other day, in travelling between change my plans, which, however, are very variable, Athens and Megara, the thermometer was at 125°!! Yet I feel no inconvenience; of course I the Morea, of which I have been making the tour, am much bronzed, but I live temperately, and never and visiting the Pacha, who gave me a fine horse, enjoyed better health. and paid me all possible honors and attention. I Before I left Constantinople, I saw the Sultan, have now seen a good portion of Turkey in Europe (with Mr. Adair,) and the interior of the mosques, and Asia Minor, and shall remain at Athens, and in things which rarely happen to travellers. Mr. Hob- the vicinity, till I hear from England. I have house is gone to England: I am in no hurry to re-punctually obeyed your injunctions of writing fre turn, but have no particular communications for quently, but I shall not pretend to describe cour your country, except my surprise at Mr. Hanson's tries which have been already amply treated of. I ́ silence, and my desire that he will remit regularly. believe before this time Mr. Hobhouse will have ar I suppose some arangement has been made with re-rived in England, and he brings letters from me, gard to Wymondham and Rochdale. Malta is my written at Constantinople. In these I mention post-office, or to Mr. Strané, consul-general, Patras, having seen the Sultan and the mosques, and that l Morea. You complain of my silence-I have writ- swam from Sestos to Abydos, an exploit of which I ten twenty or thirty times within the last year: take care to boast. "Believe me to be, with great sincerity, never less than twice a month, and often more. If "I am here on business at present, but Athens is my letters do not arrive, you must not conclude my head-quarters, where I am pleasantly situated in that we are eaten, or that there is a war, or a pesti-a Franciscan convent. lence, or famine: neither must you credit silly reports, which I dare say you have in Notts, as usual. am very well, and neither more nor less happy than I usually am; except that I am very glad to "P. S. Fletcher is well, and discontented as be once more alone, for I was sick of my compan-usual; his wife don't write, at least, her scrawl ion, not that he was a bad one, but because my na- have not arrived. You will address to Malta. Pray ture leads me to solitude, and that every day adds have you never received my picture in oil from Sas to this disposition. If I chose, here are many men ders, Vigo-lane, London? who would wish to join me-one wants me to go to Egypt, another to Asia, of which I have seen enough. The greater part of Greece is already my own, so that I shall only go over my old ground, and look upon my old seas and mountains, the only acquaintances I ever found improve upon me. LETTER LXIII. TO MR. HODGSON. "Patras, Morea, October 3, 1910. "I have a tolerable suite-a Tartar, two Albanians, an interpreter, besides Fletcher; but in this country these are easily maintained. Adair received me wonderfully well, and indeed I have no complaints against any one. Hospitality here is necessary, for inns are not. I have lived in the houses fever which confined me five days to bed, you won't "As I have just escaped from a physician and a of Greeks, Turks, Italians and English-to-day in expect much allegrezza' in the ensuing letter. In a palace, to-morrow in a cow-house; this day with this place there is an indigenous distemper, which, the Pacha, the next with a shepherd. I shall con- when the wind blows from the gulf of Corinth, ( tinue to write briefly, but frequently, and am glad it does five months out of six,) attacks great and to hear from you; but you fill your letters with small, and makes woful work with visiters. Here things from the papers, as if English papers were be also two physicians, one of whom trusts to his not found all over the world. I have at this mo- genius (never having studied)-the other to a cam ment a dozen before me. Pray take care of my paign of eighteen months against the sick of books, and believe me, Otranto, which he made in his youth with great effect. "My dear Mother, yours very faithfully, LETTER LXII. TO THE HON. MRS. BYRON. "DEAR MADAM, "BYRON." "Patras, Oct. 21, 1810. "When I was seized with my disorder, I protested against both these assassins;-but what can a helpless, feverish, toasted-and-watered poot wretch do? In spite of my teeth and tongue, the English consul, my Tartar, Albanians, dragoman, forced a physician upon me, and in three days vom ited and glystered me to the last gasp. In this state I made my epitaph-take it. "Youth, Nature, and relenting Jove He beat all three-and blew it out. "It is now several months since I have received any communication from you; but at this I am not But Nature and Jove, being piqued at my doubts, surprised, nor indeed have I any complaint to make, did in fact, at last, beat Romanelli, and here I am, since you have written frequently, for which I well but weakly, at your service. thank you; but I very much condemn Mr. Hanson, "Since I left Constantinople, I have made a tour who has not taken the smallest notice of my many of the Morea, and visited Vely Pacha, who paid letters, nor of my request before I left England, me great honors and gave me a pretty stallion. H which I sailed from on this very day fifteen months is doubtless in England before even the date of this ago. Thus one year and a quarter have passed letter-he bears a despatch from me to your bardaway, without my receiving the least intelligence ship. He writes to me from Malta, and requests on the state of my affairs, and they were not in a my journal, if I keep one. I have none, or he posture to admit of neglect, and I do conceive and should have it; but I have replied, in a consolatory declare that Mr. Hanson has acted negligently and and exhortatory epistle, praying him to abate three culpably in not apprizing me of his proceedings; I and sixpence in the price of his next Boke, seeing will also add uncivily. His letters, were there any, that half a guinea is a price not to be given for any could not easily miscarry the communications thing save an opera-ticket. with the Levant are slow, but tolerably secure, at "As for England, it is long since I have heard least as far as Malta, and there I left directions from it. Every one at all connected with my con which I know would be observed. I have written to cerns is asleep, and you are my only correspondent, you several times from Constantinople and Smyrna. agents excepted. I have really no friends in the You will perceive by my date I am returned into world; though all my old school-companions ar gone forth into that world, and walk about there in precarious. I have lately made several sinall tours monstrous disguises, in the garb of guardsmen, of some hundred or two miles about the Morea, Atlawyers, parsons, fine gentlemen, and such other tica, &c., as I have finished my grand giro by the masquerade dresses. So, I here shake hands and Troad, Constantinople, &c., and am returned down cut with all these busy people, none of whom write again to Athens. I believe I have mentioned to to me. Indeed, I asked it not; and here I am, a you more than once, that I swam (in imitation of poor traveller and heathenish philosopher, who hath Leander, though without his lady) across the Helperambulated the greatest part of the Levant, and lespont, from Sestos to Abydos. Of this, and all seen a great quantity of very improvable land and other particulars, F., whom I have sent home with sea, and, after all, am no better than when I set papers, &c., will apprize you. I cannot find that he out-Lord help me! is any loss, being tolerably master of the Italian "I have been out fifteen months this very day, and modern Greek languages, which last I am also and I believe my concerns will draw me to England studying with a master,-I can order and discourse soon; but of this I will apprize you regularly from more than enough for a reasonable man. Besides Malta. On all points, Hobhouse will inform you, if the perpetual lamentations after beef and beer, the you are curious as to our adventures. I have seen stupid, bigoted contempt for every thing foreign, some old English papers up to the 15th of May. I and insurmountable incapacity of acquiring even a see the Lady of the Lake' advertised. Of course few words of any language, rendered him, like all it is in his old ballad style, and pretty. After all, other English servants, an incumbrance. I do asScott is the best of them. The end of all scribble-sure you, the plague of speaking for him, the comment is to amuse, and he certainly succeeds there. forts he required, (more than myself by far,) the I long to read his new romance. pilaws, (a Turkish dish of rice and meat,) which he "And how does 'Sir Edgar?' and your friend, could not eat, the wines which he could not drink, Bland? I suppose you are involved in some lite- the beds where he could not sleep, and the long list rary squabble. The only way is to despise all of calamities, such as stumbling horses, want of brothers of the quill. I suppose you won't allow tea!!! &c., which assailed him, would have made a me to be an author, but I contemn you all, you lasting source of laughter to a spectator, and indogs!-I do. convenience to a master. After all, the man is You don't know D-s, do you? He had a honest enough, and, in Christendom, capable farce ready for the stage before I left England, and enough; but in Turkey, Lord forgive me! my Alasked me for a prologue, which I promised, but banian soldiers, my Tartars and Janizary, worked sailed in such a hurry, I never penned a couplet. I for him and us too, as my friend Hobhouse can am afraid to ask after his drama, for fear it should testify. be damned-Lord forgive me for using such a word! "It is probable I may steer homewards in spring; -but the pit, sir, you know, the pit-they will do but to enable me to do that, I must have remitthose things in spite of merit. I remember this tances. My own funds would have lasted me very farce from a curious circumstance. When Drury-well; but I was obliged to assist a friend, who, lane was burnt to the ground, by which accident know, will pay me; but in the mean time, I am out Sheridan and his son lost the few remaining shil- of pocket. At present, I do not care to venture a lings they were worth, what doth my friend D- winter's voyage, even if I were otherwise tired of do? Why, before the fire was out, he writes a note travelling; but I am so convinced of the advanto Tom Sheridan, the manager of this combustible tages of looking at mankind instead of reading concern, to inquire whether this farce was not con- about them, and the bitter effects of staying at verted into fuel, with about two thousand other un-home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, actable manuscripts, which of course were in great that I think there should be a law among us to set peril, if not actually consumed. Now, was not this our young men abroad, for a term, among the few characteristic?-the ruling passions of Pope are allies our wars have left us. nothing to it. While the poor distracted manager "Here I see and have conversed with French, was bewailing the loss of a building only worth Italians, Germans, Danes, Greeks, Turks, Ameri300,000., together with some twenty thousand cans, &c., &c., &c.; and, without losing sight of my pounds of rags and tinsel in the tiring rooms, Blue- own, I can judge of the countries and manners of beard's elephants, and all that-in comes a note others. Where I see the superiority of England, from a scorching author, requiring at his hands two (which, by-the-by, we are a good deal mistaken about in many things,) I am pleased, and where acts and odd scenes of a farce!! "Dear H., remind Drury that I am his well- find her inferior, I am at least enlighted. Now, I wisher, and let Scrope Davies be well affected to- might have stayed, smoked in your towns, or fogged wards me. I look forward to meeting you at in your country, a century, without being sure of Newstead, and renewing our old champagne eve- this, and without acquiring any thing more useful nings with all the glee of anticipation. I have writ- or amusing at home. I keep no journal, nor have ten by every opportunity, and expect responses I any intention of scribbling my travels. I have as regular as those of the liturgy, and somewhat done with authorship; and if, in my last produclonger. As it is impossible for a man in his senses tion, I have convinced the critics of the world I to hope for happy days, let us at least look forward was something more than they took me for, I am to merry ones, which come nearest to the other satisfied; nor will I hazard that reputation by a fuin appearance, if not in reality; and in such ex-ture effort. It is true I have some others in manupectations I remain, &c." script, but I leave them for those who come after me; and, if deemed worth publishing, they may serve to prolong my memory when I myself shall cease to remember. I have a famous Bavarian artist taking some views of Athens, &c., &c., for me. This will be better than scribbling, a disease I hope myself cured of. I hope, on my return, to lead a quiet, recluse life, but God knows and does best for us all; at least, so they say, and I have nothing to object, as on the whole, I have no reason to complain of my lot. I am convinced, however, that men do more harm to themselves than ever the devil could do them. I trust this will find you well, and as happy as we can be; you will, at least, be pleased to hear I am so, and yours ever." |