crush them!"

[Footnote 81: The angry note against English travellers appended to this
tragedy, in consequence of an assertion made by some recent tourist,
that he (or as it afterwards turned out, she) "had repeatedly declined
an introduction to Lord Byron while in Italy."]

* * * * *

LETTER 385. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, Sept. 14. 1820.

"What! not a line? Well, have it your own way.

"I wish you would inform Perry, that his stupid paragraph is the
cause of all my newspapers being stopped in Paris. The fools
believe me in your infernal country, and have not sent on their
gazettes, so that I know nothing of your beastly trial of the
Queen.

"I cannot avail myself of Mr. Gifford's remarks, because I have
received none, except on the first act. Yours, &c.

"P.S. Do, pray, beg the editors of papers to say any thing
blackguard they please; but not to put me amongst their arrivals.
They do me more mischief by such nonsense than all their abuse can
do."

* * * * *

LETTER 386. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, Sept. 21. 1820.

"So you are at your old tricks again. This is the second packet I
have received unaccompanied by a single line of good, bad, or
indifferent. It is strange that you have never forwarded any
further observations of Gifford's. How am I to alter or amend, if I
hear no further? or does this silence mean that it is well enough
as it is, or too bad to be repaired? If the last, why do you not
say so at once, instead of playing pretty, while you know that soon
or late you must out with the truth.

"Yours, &c.

"P.S. My sister tells me that you sent to her to enquire where I
was, believing in my arrival, _driving a curricle_, &c. &c. into
Palace-yard. Do you think me a coxcomb or a madman, to be capable
of such an exhibition? My sister knew me better, and told you, that
could not be me. You might as well have thought me entering on 'a
pale horse,' like Death in the Revelations."

* * * * *

LETTER 387. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, Sept. '23. 1820.

"Get from Mr. Hobhouse, and send me a proof (with the Latin) of my
Hints from Horace; it has now the _nonum prematur in annum_
complete for its production, being written at Athens in 1811. I
hav