e with me that such an article is still more
honourable to him than to myself. I am perfectly pleased with
Jeffrey's also, which I wish you to tell him, with my
remembrances--not that I suppose it is of any consequence to him,
or ever could have been, whether I am pleased or not, but simply in
my private relation to him, as his well-wisher, and it may be one
day as his acquaintance. I wish you would also add, what you know,
that I was not, and, indeed, am not even now, the misanthropical
and gloomy gentleman he takes me for, but a facetious companion,
well to do with those with whom I am intimate, and as loquacious
and laughing as if I were a much cleverer fellow.

"I suppose now I shall never be able to shake off my sables in
public imagination, more particularly since my moral * * clove down
my fame. However, nor that, nor more than that, has yet
extinguished my spirit, which always rises with the rebound.

"At Venice we are in Lent, and I have not lately moved out of
doors, my feverishness requiring quiet, and--by way of being more
quiet--here is the Signora Marianna just come in and seated at my
elbow.

"Have you seen * * *'s book of poesy? and, if you have seen it, are
you not delighted with it? And have you--I really cannot go on:
there is a pair of great black eyes looking over my shoulder, like
the angel leaning over St. Matthew's, in the old frontispieces to
the Evangelists,--so that I must turn and answer them instead of
you.

"Ever," &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 267. TO MR. MOORE.

"Venice, March 25. 1817.

"I have at last learned, in default of your own writing (or _not_
writing--which should it be? for I am not very clear as to the
application of the word _default_) from Murray, two particulars of
(or belonging to) you; one, that you are removing to Hornsey, which
is, I presume, to be nearer London; and the other, that your Poem
is announced by the name of Lalla Rookh. I am glad of it,--first,
that we are to have it at last, and next, I like a tough title
myself--witness The Giaour and Childe Harold, which choked half the
Blues at starting. Besides, it is the tail of Alcibiades's
dog,--not that I suppose you want either dog or tail. Talking of
tail, I wish you had not called it a '_Persian T