aterial and Epicurean doctrines that pervaded all his maturer
works, being chiefly, it is supposed, brought about by the shock his
heart had received from a disappointment of its affections in early
life. Speaking of the illusion of this first passion, in one of his
letters, he says,--"It is one for which no joys, no honours, no gifts of
fortune, not even wisdom itself can afford an equivalent, and which,
when it has once vanished, returns no more."]

[Footnote 55:

"'Tis but a portrait of his son and wife,
And self; but such a woman! love in life!"
BEPPO, Stanza xii.

This seems, by the way, to be an incorrect description of the picture,
as, according to Vasari and others, Giorgione never was married, and
died young.]

[Footnote 56: "Egli viene per vedere le meraviglie di questa Citta, e
sono certa che nessuno meglio di lui saprebbe gustarle. Mi sara grato
che vi facciate sua guida come potrete, e voi poi me ne avrete obbligo.
Egli e amico de Lord Byron--sa la sua storia assai piu precisamente di
quelli che a voi la raccontarono. Egli dunque vi raccontera se lo
interrogherete _la forma, le dimensioni_, e tuttocio che vi piacera del
_Castello ove tiene imprigionata una giovane innocente sposa_, &c. &c.
Mio caro Pietro, quando ti sei bene sfogato a ridere, allora rispondi
due righe alla tua sorella, che t' ama e t' amera sempre colla maggiore
tenerezza."]

* * * * *

LETTER 341. TO MR. HOPPNER.

"October 22. 1819.

"I am glad to hear of your return, but I do not know how to
congratulate you--unless you think differently of Venice from what
I think now, and you thought always. I am, besides, about to renew
your troubles by requesting you to be judge between Mr. E * * * and
myself in a small matter of imputed peculation and irregular
accounts on the part of that phoenix of secretaries. As I knew that
you had not parted friends, at the same time that _I_ refused for
my own part any judgment but _yours_, I offered him his choice of
any person, the _least_ scoundrel native to be found in Venice, as
his own umpire; but he expressed himself so convinced of your
impartiality, that he declined any but _you_. This is in his
favour.--The paper within will explain to you the default in his
accounts. You will hear his explanation, and decide if it so please
you. I shall not appeal from the decision.