eve that such insinuations as those will weaken
either my hands or my heart.--No more of this sort of nonsense, I beseech
you, in any of your future letters.

He had not taken any resolutions, you say, when you saw him. He must and
will take resolutions, one way or other, very quickly; for I wrote to him
yesterday, without waiting for this or your answer to my last. I could
not avoid it. I could not (as I told you in that) live in suspense. I
have directed my letter to Florence. Nor could I suffer my friends to
live in suspense as to my safety. But I have couched it in such moderate
terms, that he has fairly his option. He will be the challenger, if he
take it in the sense in which he may so handsomely avoid taking it. And
if he does, it will demonstrate that malice and revenge were the
predominant passions with him; and that he was determined but to settle
his affairs, and then take his resolutions, as you phrase it.--Yet, if we
are to meet [for I know what my option would be, in his case, on such a
letter, complaisant as it is] I wish he had a worse, I a better cause.
It would be a sweet revenge to him, were I to fall by his hand. But what
should I be the better for killing him?

I will enclose a copy of the letter I sent him.

***

On re-perusing your's in a cooler moment, I cannot but thank you for your
friendly love, and good intentions. My value for you, from the first
hour of our acquaintance till now, I have never found misplaced;
regarding at least your intention: thou must, however, own a good deal of
blunder of the over-do and under-do kind, with respect to the part thou
actest between me and the beloved of my heart. But thou art really an
honest fellow, and a sincere and warm friend. I could almost wish I had
not written to Florence till I had received thy letter now before me.
But it is gone. Let it go. If he wish peace, and to avoid violence, he
will have a fair opportunity to embrace the one, and shun the other.--If
not--he must take his fate.

But be this as it may, you may contrive to let young Harlowe know [he is
a menacer, too!] that I shall be in England in March next, at farthest.

This of Bavaria is a gallant and polite court. Nevertheless, being
uncertain whether my letter may meet with the Colonel at Florence, I
shall quit it, and set out, as I intended, for Vienna; taking care to
have any letter or message from him conveyed to me there: which will soon
bring me back hith