g in parts of the country.

I am troubled, too, at the uncertainty of how and when we are to meet;
and the reason why these various considerations do not, perhaps, engross
so much of my thoughts as they do of yours is because I have so many
immediate and necessarily absorbing claims upon my attention.

I incline with you, however, to think that I shall not go to Dublin. I
have not heard again from the manager, and I begin to hope that he has
thought better of his invitation to me. As my work is a matter of
necessity, I could not, of course, refuse an engagement in Dublin; but
it does seem monstrous that there should be people willing to pay for
theatrical entertainments there at this time.

If I do not go I shall lose an opportunity of seeing my brother Henry,
which I am looking forward to with great pleasure--the only pleasure in
the whole expedition, since you will not be there, which will indeed
seem most strange and very _inappropriate_.

Harriet, _you_ certainly have a passion for writing, for in your last
you have repeated every word I said about my brother John, just as if
you had invented it yourself. You are like Ariel, very; and I am like
Prospero, very ("Dull thing! I said so"); or, no, I am like Falstaff, to
be sure, and you like Prince Hal, with "damnable iteration." ...

Various of my London men friends threaten coming down to Manchester
during my engagement there; Charles and Henry Greville, Chorley, and
even Moxon, who declared, if my play was brought out, he must be in the
pit the first night to see it. [This was my play called "An English
Tragedy," which there was some talk of bringing out at Manchester.] I
dare say the courage of all of them will give out before this bitter
cold, and I shall not be sorry if it does, for I want no sympathizers to
make me pitiful over myself.

I am tolerably well just now, and really believe that when once I am
fairly out of the fangs of the dressmakers I shall gather strength
rapidly.

The crudest fact in my fate at present is that I have actually not been
able to get all my things made here, and am taking the materials for my
Juliet and Queen Katharine dresses to be made up at Manchester; and this
is horrid, because, but for this, my off evenings would have really been
seasons of rest and quiet. However, it is of no use lamenting over any
one detail of such a whole as this business....

Give my love to dear Dorothy. She is half my good angel, by her own
volun