LETTER CCCCLXXII.

TO MR MOORE.

" Pisa, December 12th, 1821.

"C What you say about Galignani's two biographies is very amusing; and, if I were not lazy, I would certainly do what you desire. But I doubt my present stock of facetiousness—that is, of good serious humour, so as not to let the cat out of the bag. I wish you would undertake it. I will forgive and indulge you (like a Pope) beforehand, for any thing ludicrous, that might keep those fools in their own dear belief that a man is a loup garou.

"I suppose I told you that the Giaour story had actually some foundation on facts; or, if I did not, you will one day find it in a letter of Lord Sligo's, written to me after the publication of the poem. I should not like marvels to rest upon any acount of my own, and shall say nothing about it. However, the real incident is still remote enough from the poetical one, being just such as, happening to a man of any imagination, might suggest such a composition. The worst of any real adventures is that they involve living people-else Mrs's, -'s, etc. are as 'German to the matter' as Mr Maturin could desire for his novels. ********

'Mr Galignani having expressed a wish to be furnished with a short Memoir of Lord Byron, for the purpose of prefixing it to the French edition of his works, I had said jestingly in a preceding letter to his lordship, that it would be but a fair satire on the disposition of the world to bemonster his features,» if he would write for the public, English as well as French, a sort of mock-heroic account of himself, outdoing, in horrors and wonders, all that had been yet related or believed of him, and leaving even Goethe's story of the double murder at Florence far behind.

you

was

«The consummation mentioned for poor ** near taking place yesterday. Riding pretty sharply after Mr Medwin and myself, in turning the corner of a lane between Pisa and the hills, he was spilt,—and, besides losing some claret on the spot, bruised himself a good deal, but is in no danger. He was bled and keeps his room. As I was a-head of him some hundred yards, I did not see the accident; but my servant, who was behind, did, and says the horse did not fall-the usual excuse of floored equestrians. As ** piques himself upon his horsemanship, and his horse is really a pretty horse enough, I long for his personal narrative, -as I never yet met the man who would fairly claim a tumble as his own property.

« Could not you send me a printed copy of the 'Irish Avatar? I do not know what has become of Rogers since we parted at Florence.

« Don't let the Angles keep you from writing. Sam told me that you were somewhat dissipated in Paris, which I can easily believe. Let me hear from you at your best leisure.

« Ever and truly, etc.

P.S. December 13th.

I enclose you some lines written not long ago, which you may do what you like with, as they are very harmless. Only, if copied, or printed, or set, I could

I

The following are the lines enclosed in this letter. In one of his Journals, where they are also given, he has subjoined to them the following note:-<<I composed these stanzas (except the fourth, added now) a few days ago, on the road from Florence to Pisa. >>

Oh, talk not to me of a name great in story;
The days of our youth are the days of our glory;
And the myrtle and ivy of sweet two-and-twenty
Are worth all your laurels, though ever so plenty.

**

wish it more correctly than in the usual way, in which one's 'nothings are monstered,' as Coriolanus says. «You must really get published-he never will rest till he is so. He is just gone with his broken head to Lucca, at my desire, to try to save a man from being burnt. The Spanish ***, that has her petticoats over Lucca, had actually condemned a poor devil to the stake, for stealing the wafer-box out of a church. Shelley and I, of course, were up in arms against this piece of piety, and have been disturbing every body to get the sentence changed. ** is gone to see what can be done.

LETTER CCCCLXXIII.

TO MR SHelley.

« B. »

"MY DEAR SHELLEY,

« December 12th, 1821.

His reasons

be

"Enclosed is a note for you from

are all very true, I dare say, and it might and may of personal inconvenience to us. But that does not ap

What are garlands and crowns to the brow that is wrinkled?
'T is but as a dead-flower with May-dew besprinkled.
Then away with all such from the head that is hoary!
What care I for the wreaths that can only give glory?
Oh Fame! if I e'er took delight in thy praises,
'T was less for the sake of thy high-sounding phrases,
Than to see the bright eyes of the dear One discover
She thought that I was not unworthy to love her.

There chiefly I sought thee, there only I found thee;
Her glance was the best of the rays that surround thee;
When it sparkled o'er aught that was bright in my story,
I knew it was love, and I felt it was glory.

pear to me to be a reason to allow a being to be burnt without trying to save him. To save him by any means but remonstrance, is of course out of the question; but I do not see why a temperate remonstrance should hurt any one. Lord Guilford is the man, if he would undertake it. He knows the Grand Duke personally, and might, perhaps, prevail upon him to interfere. But as he goes to-morrow, you must be quick, or it will

be useless.

please.

Make any use of my name that you

«Yours ever, etc."

LETTER CCCCLXXIV.

TO MR MOORE.

"I send you the two notes, which will tell you the story I allude to of the Auto da Fé. Shelley's allusion to his 'fellow-serpent' is abuffoonery of mine. Goethe's Mephistofilus calls the serpent who tempted Eve 'my aunt the renowned snake;' and I always insist that Shelley is nothing but one of her nephews, walking about on the tip of his tail. »

"MY DEAR LORD,

TO LORD BYRON.

« 2 o'clock, Tuesday Morning.

« Although strongly persuaded that the story must be either an entire fabrication, or so gross an exaggeration as to be nearly so; yet, in order to be able to discover the truth beyond all doubt, and to set your mind quite at rest, I have taken the determination to go myself to Lucca this morning. Should it prove less false than I am convinced it is, I shall not fail to exert myself in

every way that I can imagine may have any success. assured of this.

« Your lordship's most truly,

*

Be

« P.S.-To prevent bavardage, I prefer going in person to sending my servant with a letter. It is better for you to mention nothing (except, of course, to Shelley) of my excursion. The person I visit there is one on whom I can have every dependence in every way, both as to authority and truth. »>

«I hear this morning that the design, which certainly had been in contemplation, of burning my fellow-serpent, has been abandoned, and that he has been condemned to the galleys. Lord Guilford is at Leghorn; and as your courier applied to me to know whether he ought to leave your letter for him or not, I have thought it best since this information to tell him to take it back. "Ever faithfully yours,

"I need not say how grateful I am for your letter, but I must own my ingratitude in not having written to you again long ago. Since I left England (and it is not for