alian lady of rank, who, by way of
displaying her learning in presence of the great chemist, then
describing his fourteenth ascension to Mount Vesuvius, asked 'if
there was not a similar volcano in _Ireland_?' My only notion of an
Irish volcano consisted of the lake of Killarney, which I naturally
conceived her to mean; but, on second thoughts, I divined that she
alluded to _Ice_land and to Hecla--and so it proved, though she
sustained her volcanic topography for some time with all the
amiable pertinacity of 'the feminie.' She soon after turned to me
and asked me various questions about Sir Humphry's philosophy, and
I explained as well as an oracle his skill in gasen safety lamps,
and ungluing the Pompeian MSS. 'But what do you call him?' said
she. 'A great chemist,' quoth I. 'What can he do?' repeated the
lady. 'Almost any thing,' said I. 'Oh, then, mio caro, do pray beg
him to give me something to dye my eyebrows black. I have tried a
thousand things, and the colours all come off; and besides, they
don't grow; can't he invent something to make them grow?' All this
with the greatest earnestness; and what you will be surprised at,
she is neither ignorant nor a fool, but really well educated and
clever. But they speak like children, when first out of their
convents; and, after all, this is better than an English
blue-stocking.

"I did not tell Sir Humphry of this last piece of philosophy, not
knowing how he might take it. Davy was much taken with Ravenna, and
the PRIMITIVE _Italianism_ of the people, who are unused to
foreigners: but he only stayed a day.

"Send me Scott's novels and some news.

"P.S. I have begun and advanced into the second act of a tragedy
on the subject of the Doge's conspiracy (_i.e._ the story of Marino
Faliero); but my present feeling is so little encouraging on such
matters, that I begin to think I have mined my talent out, and
proceed in no great phantasy of finding a new vein.

"P.S. I sometimes think (if the Italians don't rise) of coming over
to England in the autumn after the coronation, (at which I would
not appear, on account of my family schism,) but as yet I can
decide nothing. The place must be a great deal changed since I left
it, now more than four years ago."

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