ese, by their own account, but is not popular among them. Now
do, pray, send off Augustine, and carriage and cattle, to Bologna,
without fail or delay, or I shall lose my remaining shred of
senses. Don't forget this. My coming, going, and every thing,
depend upon HER entirely, just as Mrs. Hoppner (to whom I remit my
reverences) said in the true spirit of female prophecy.

"You are but a shabby fellow not to have written before. And I am
truly yours," &c.

[Footnote 38: That this task of "governing" him was one of more ease
than, from the ordinary view of his character, might be concluded, I
have more than once, in these pages, expressed my opinion, and shall
here quote, in corroboration of it, the remark of his own servant
(founded on an observation of more than twenty years), in speaking of
his master's matrimonial fate:--

"It is very odd, but I never yet knew a lady that could not manage my
Lord, _except_ my Lady."

"More knowledge," says Johnson, "may be gained of a man's real character
by a short conversation with one of his servants than from the most
formal and studied narrative."]

* * * * *

LETTER 333. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, June 29. 1819.

"The letters have been forwarded from Venice, but I trust that you
will not have waited for further alterations--I will make none.

"I have no time to return you the proofs--publish without them. I
am glad you think the poesy good; and as to 'thinking of the
effect,' think _you_ of the sale, and leave me to pluck the
porcupines who may point their quills at you.

"I have been here (at Ravenna) these four weeks, having left Venice
a month ago;--I came to see my 'Amica,' the Countess Guiccioli, who
has been, and still continues, very unwell. * * She is only in her
seventeenth, but not of a strong constitution. She has a perpetual
cough and an intermittent fever, but bears up most _gallantly_ in
every sense of the word. Her husband (this is his third wife) is
the richest noble of Ravenna, and almost of Romagna; he is also
_not_ the youngest, being upwards of three-score, but in good
preservation. All this will appear strange to you, who do not
understand the meridian morality, nor our way of life in such
respects, and I cannot at present expound the difference;--but you
would find it much the same in th