y of Carnival at Saragossa,
which reminded me of the 'Cortes de Muerte,' etc. Hawthorne (whose
admirable Italian Journal I brought with me here) says that originally
the Italian Carnival ended with somewhat of the same Burlesque
Ceremonial, but was thought to mimic too Graciosoly that of the Church. I
believe the Moccoli, etc., are a remainder of it.

'Eso alla se ha de entender, respondio Sancho, con los _que nacieron en
las malvas_' (II. c. 4), made my Master jump at once to Job XXX. 4.

I cannot but suppose that you are gradually gathering materials for some
Essay on Spanish Literature, and it is a rare Quality in these days to be
in no hurry about such work, but to wait till one can do it thoroughly;
as is the case with you. I suppose you know Lope: of whom I have read,
and now shall read, nothing: even Cowell, who has read some, is not much
interested in him. He delights in Calderon, of whom he has one thick
Volume here, and still finds many obscure passages to clear up. He was
telling me of one about Madrid, {274} which (as you are now there) I must
quote by way of filling up this Second Sheet of Letter. But, to do this,
I must wait till I have been with him for our morning's reading, so as I
may give it you Chapter and Verse.

P.S. Here is my Professor's MS. note for you, which I told him I wanted
to send. We have been reading Chapters 14-15 of Don Quixote, Second
Part. Do you know why Carrasco finds an _Algebrista_ for his hurts? Why
the Moorish _Aljebro_ = the setting of Fractions, etc. So said my dear
Pundit at once. Ah! you would like to be with us, for the sake of him,
rather than of yours sincerely E. F. G.

_To C. E. Norton_.

LOWESTOFT. _Sept._ 3/79.

MY DEAR NORTON,

I must write you a few lines, on my knee (not, on my knees, however), in
return for your kind letter. As to my thinking you could be
'importunate' in asking again for my two Sophocles Abstracts, you must
know that such importunity cannot but be grateful. I am only rather
ashamed that you should have to repeat it. I laid the Plays by after
looking them over some months ago, meaning to wait till another year to
clear up some parts, if not all. Thus do my little works arrive at such
form as they result in, good or bad; so as, however I may be blamed for
the liberties I take with the Great, I cannot be accused of over haste in
doing so, though blamed I may be for rashness in meddling with them at
all. Anyhow, I would no