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NEW YORK CICLIBRARY

ASTOP, LEN X

TIONS

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received the reformed Third Act of Manfred, from 'Rome, which I sent soon after my arrival there. My ' date will apprize you of my return home within these few days. For me, I have received none of your 'packets, except, after long delay, the "Tales of my 'Landlord," which I before acknowledged. I do not at all understand the why nots, but so it is;-no Manuel, no letters, no tooth-powder, no extract 'from Moore's Italy concerning Marino Faliero, no NOTHING as a man hallooed out at one of Burdett's elections, after a long ululatus of "No Bastille! No 'governor-ities! No-" God knows who or what ;— but his ne plus ultra was "No nothing!"-and my ' receipts of your packages amount to about his meaning. I want the extract from Moore's Italy very 'much, and the tooth-powder, and the magnesia; I 'don't care so much about the poetry, or the letters, 'or Mr. Maturin's by-Jasus tragedy. Most of the things sent by the post have come-I mean proofs ' and letters; therefore send me Marino Faliero by 'the post, in a letter.

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'I was delighted with Rome, and was on horseback 'all round it many hours daily, besides in it the rest ' of my time, bothering over its marvels. I excursed ' and skirred the country round to Alba, Tivoli, Fres'cati, Licenza, &c. &c.; besides, I visited twice the Fall of Terni, which beats every thing. thing. On On my way 'back, close to the temple by its banks, I got some famous trout out of the river Clitumnus-the prettiest little stream in all poesy, near the first post from 'Foligno and Spoletto.-I did not stay at Florence, 'being anxious to get home to Venice, and having 'already seen the galleries and other sights. I left my commendatory letters the evening before I went, 'so I saw nobody.

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'To-day, Pindemonte, the celebrated poet of Verona, called on me; he is a little thin man, with 'acute and pleasing features; his address good and gentle; his appearance altogether very philosophical; 'his age about sixty, or more. He is one of their best going. I gave him Forsyth, as he speaks, or reads 'rather, a little English, and will find there a favour'able account of himself. He inquired after his old 'Cruscan friends, Parsons, Greathead, Mrs. Piozzi, ' and Merry, all of whom he had known in his youth. 'I gave him as bad an account of them as I could, answering, as the false "Solomon Lob" does to "Totterton" in the farce, "all gone dead," and damned by a satire more than twenty years ago; 'that the name of their extinguisher was Gifford ; that they were but a sad set of scribes after all, and no great things in any other way. He seemed, as was 'natural, very much pleased with this account of his 'old acquaintances, and went away greatly gratified 'with that and Mr. Forsyth's sententious paragraph ' of applause in his own (Pindemonte's) favour. After 'having been a little libertine in his youth, he is grown devout, and takes prayers, and talks to him'self, to keep off the devil; but for all that, he is a very nice little old gentleman.

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'I forgot to tell you that at Bologna (which is cele'brated for producing popes, painters, and sausages) 'I saw an anatomical gallery, where there is a deal of 'waxwork, in which

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'I am sorry to hear of your row with Hunt; but suppose him to be exasperated by the Quarterly and your refusal to deal; and when one is angry and 'edites a paper, I should think the temptation too 'strong for literary nature, which is not always 'human. I can't conceive in what, and for what, he

'abuses you what have you done? you are not an author, nor a politician, nor a public character; I 'know no scrape you have tumbled into. I am the 'more sorry for this because I introduced you to Hunt, ' and because I believe him to be a good man; but 'till I know the particulars, I can give no opinion.

'Let me know about Lalla Rookh, which must be ' out by this time.

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I restore the proofs, but the punctuation should be 'corrected. I feel too lazy to have at it myself; so beg and pray Mr. Gifford for me.-Address to Venice. In a few days I go to my villeggiatura, in a cassino 'near the Brenta, a few miles only on the main land. I have determined on another year, and many years ' of residence if I can compass them. Marianna is 'with me, hardly recovered of the fever, which has 'been attacking all Italy last winter. I am afraid she ' is a little hectic; but I hope the best. Ever, &c. P.S. Torwaltzen has done a bust of me at Rome ' for Mr. Hobhouse, which is reckoned very good. He is their best after Canova, and by some preferred to ' him.

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I have had a letter from Mr. Hodgson. He is very happy, has got a living, but not a child: if he had 'stuck to a curacy, babes would have come of course, because he could not have maintained them.

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'Remember me to all friends, &c. &c.

An Austrian officer, the other day, being in love with a Venetian, was ordered, with his regiment, into Hungary. Distracted between love and duty, 'he purchased a deadly drug, which dividing with his 'mistress, both swallowed. The ensuing pains were terrific, but the pills were purgative, and not poisonous, by the contrivance of the unsentimental apothe

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