ever after.

"The Italian ethics are the most singular ever met with. The
perversion, not only of action, but of reasoning, is singular in
the women. It is not that they do not consider the thing itself as
wrong, and very wrong, but _love_ (the _sentiment_ of love) is not
merely an excuse for it, but makes it an _actual virtue_, provided
it is disinterested, and not a _caprice_, and is confined to one
object. They have awful notions of constancy; for I have seen some
ancient figures of eighty pointed out as amorosi of forty, fifty,
and sixty years' standing. I can't say I have ever seen a husband
and wife so coupled.

"Ever, &c.

"P.S. Marianna, to whom I have just translated what I have written
on our subject to you, says--'If you loved me thoroughly, you would
not make so many fine reflections, which are only good _forbirsi i
scarpi_,'--that is, 'to clean shoes withal,'--a Venetian proverb of
appreciation, which is applicable to reasoning of all kinds."

[Footnote 130: He had been misinformed on this point,--the work in
question having been, from the first, entitled an "Oriental Romance." A
much worse mistake (because wilful, and with no very charitable design)
was that of certain persons, who would have it that the poem was meant
to be epic!--Even Mr. D'Israeli has, for the sake of a theory, given in
to this very gratuitous assumption:--"The Anacreontic poet," he says,
"remains only Anacreontic in his Epic."]

[Footnote 131: In a note to Mr. Murray, subjoined to some corrections
for Manfred, he says, "Since I wrote to you last, the _slow_ fever I wot
of thought proper to mend its pace, and became similar to one which I
caught some years ago in the marshes of Elis, in the Morea."]

* * * * *

LETTER 268. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Venice, March 25. 1817.

"Your letter and enclosure are safe; but 'English gentlemen' are
very rare--at least in Venice. I doubt whether there are at present
any, save, the consul and vice-consul, with neither of whom I have
the slightest acquaintance. The moment I can pounce upon a witness,
I will send the deed properly signed: but must he necessarily be
genteel? Venice is not a place where the English are gregarious;
their pigeon-houses are Florence, Naples, Rome, &c.; and to tell
you the truth, this was one reason why I stayed here ti