the highest style of magnificence: her apartments and table are in the most splendid taste; but what baubles are these when speaking of a Montagu! Her form (for she has no body) is delicate, even tó fragility; her countenance the most animated in the world; the sprightly vivacity of fifteen, with the judgment and experience of a Nestor. But I fear she is hastening to decay very fast: her spirits are so active, that they must soon wear out the little frail receptacle that holds them. Mrs. Carter has in her person a great deal of what the gentle. men mean when they say such a one is a "poetical lady." However, independently of her great talents and learning, I like her much; she has affability, kindness, and goodness; and I honour her heart even more than her talents. But I do not like one of them better than Mrs. Boscawen: she is at once polite, learned, judicious, and humble; and Mrs. Palk tells me her letters are not thought inferior to Mrs. Montagu's. She regretted (so did I) that so many suns could not possibly shine at one time; but we are to have a smaller party, where, from fewer luminaries, there may emanate a clearer, steadier, and more beneficial light. Dr. Johnson asked me how I liked the new tragedy of Braganza. I was afraid to speak before them all, as I knew a diversity of opinion prevailed among the company. However, as I thought it a less evil to dissent from the opinion of a fellow-creature than to tell a falsity, I ventured to give my sentiments; and was satisfied with Johnson's answering, "You are right, madam,"

LETTERS OF BUSINESS.

DEAR SIR,

Lord Byron to R. C. Dallas, Esq.

8, St. James's-street, October 31, 1811.

I HAVE already taken up so much of your time, that there needs no excuse on your part, but a great many on mine, for the present interruption. I have altered the passages according to your wish. With this note I send a few stanzas on a subject which has lately occupied much of my thoughts. They refer to the death of one to whose name you are a stranger, and, consequently, cannot be interested. I mean them to complete the present volume. They relate to the same person whom I have mentioned in canto second, and at the conclusion of the poem.

I by no means intend to identify myself with Harold, but to deny all connexion with him. If, in parts, I may be thought to have drawn from myself, believe me, it is but in parts, and I shall not own even to that. As to the "Monastic dome," &c., I thought those circumstances would suit him as well as any other, and I could describe what I had seen better than I could invent. I would not be such a fellow as I have made my hero for the world. Yours ever,

BYRON.

R. C. Dallas, Esq, to Lord Byron.

MY DEAR LORD,

December 14, 1811.

You sent but a few notes for the first canto: there are a good many for the second, The only

liberty I took with them was, if you will allow me to use the expression, to dove-tail two of them, which, though connected in the sense, and relative to the reference in the poem, were disunited as they stood in your MS. I have omitted the passage respecting the Portuguese, which fell with the alteration you made in the stanzas relative to Cintra, and the insertion of which would overturn what your kindness had allowed me to obtain from you on that point. I have no objection to your politics, my dear lord; as, in the first place, I do not much give my mind to politics, and, in the next, I cannot but have observed that you view politics, as well as some other subjects, through the optics of philosophy. But the note, or rather passage I allude to, is so discouraging to the cause of our country, that it could not fail to damp the ardour of your readers. Let me entreat you not to recall the sacrifice of it; at least, let it not appear in this volume, in which I am more anxious than I can express for your fane, both as a poet and as a philosopher. Except this, in which I thought myself warranted, I have not interfered with the subjects of the notes: yes, the word "fiction" I turned as you have seen, conceiving it to have been no fiction to YOUNG. But, when I did it, I determined not to send it to the press till it had met your eye. Indeed, you know that, even when a single word has struck me as better changed, my way has been to state my thought to you.

The Pilgrimage is concluded, and the notes to canto second, and the shorter poems are all placed in order. I am making the references, and to-day they will be ready for the printer. As there is not the slightest alteration in any of these notes, I shall not think it necessary to send them to you

till you see them in the proofs. You have yet to see a revise of the last proofs, and a proof of the conclusion of the poem. My nephew tells me you are going out of town in a few days. I should have been glad to have indulged in passing an hour or two, occasionally, with you; but regret is fruitless. I hope to have that pleasure when parliament meets. Before you go, pray let me have your Preface. I will send you the proofs as formerly.

All the notes relative to Greece and its modern literature I have placed together, referring them to this line,

"Fair Greece! sad relic of departed worth!" Stanza 72, 1. 1. and, all being written at Athens, they form an excellent conclusion, under the head of NOCTES ATTICE.

I ever am, my dear lord,

Yours faithfully,

R. C. DALLAS.

Lord Byron to his publisher, Mr. Murray.

Ravenna, 9bre 4, 1820.

I HAVE received from Mr. Galignani the inclosed letters, duplicates, and receipts, which will explain themselves. As the poems are your property by purchase, right, and justice, all matters of public caution, &c. &c. are for you to decide upon. I know not how far my compliance with Mr. Galig. nani's requests might be legal, and I doubt that it would not be honest. In case you choose to arrange with him, I inclose the permits to you, and, in so doing, I wash my hands of the business altogether. I sign them merely to enable you to exert the power you justly possess more properly. I will

have nothing to do with it farther, except in my answer to Mr. Galignani to state, that the letters, &c. &c. are sent to you, and the causes thereof.

If you can check these foreign pirates, do; if not, put the permissive papers in the fire. I can have no view nor object whatever but to secure to you your property.

Yours, &c.

BYRON.

Lord Byron to Mr. Murray.

Ravenna, January 27, 1821. I DIFFER from you about the Dante, which I think should be published with the tragedy. But do as you please: you must be the best judge of your own craft. I agree with you about the title. The play may be good or bad, but I flatter myself that it is original as a picture of that kind of passion, which to my mind is so natural, that I am convinced that I should have done precisely what the Doge did on those provocations.

I

I am glad of Foscolo's approbation. Excuse haste. I believe I mentioned to you that- I forget what it was; but no matter. Thanks for your compliments of the year. hope it will be pleasanter than the last. I speak with reference to England only, as far as regards myself, where I had every kind of disappointment -lost an important lawsuit-and the trustees of Lady Byron refusing to allow of an advantageous loan to be made from my property to Lord Blessington, &c. &c., by way of closing the four sea. sons. These, and a hundred other such things, made a year of bitter business for me in England. Luckily, things were a little pleasanter for me