r than so,
and to understand the natural reaction of all that generous trust and
hopefulness, what naturally it would be. Also, it is satisfactory that
Domizia, having put her woman's part off to the last, should be too
late with it--it will be a righteous retribution. I had fancied that
her object was to isolate him, ... to make his military glory and
national recompense ring hollowly to his ears, and so commend herself,
drawing back the veil.

Puccio's scornful working out of the low work, is very finely given,
I think, ... and you have 'a cunning right hand,' to lift up Luria
higher in the mind of your readers, by the very means used to pull
down his fortunes--you show what a man he is by the very talk of his
rivals ... by his 'natural godship' over Puccio. Then Husain is nobly
characteristic--I like those streaks of Moorish fire in his speeches.
'Why 'twas all fighting' &c. ... _that_ passage perhaps is over-subtle
for a Husain--but too nobly right in the abstract to be altered, if it
is so or not. Domizia talks philosophically besides, and how
eloquently;--and very noble she is where she proclaims

The angel in thee and rejects the sprites
That ineffectual crowd about his strength,
And mingle with his work and claim a share!--

But why not 'spirits' rather than 'sprites,' which has a different
association by custom? 'Spirits' is quite short enough, it seems to
me, for a last word--it sounds like a monosyllable that trembles--or
thrills, rather. And, do you know, I agree with yourself a little when
you say (as did you _not_ say?) that some of the speeches--Domizia's
for instance--are too lengthy. I think I should like them to coil up
their strength, here and there, in a few passages. Luria ... poor
Luria ... is great and pathetic when he stands alone at last, and 'all
his waves have gone over him.' Poor Luria!--And now, I wonder where
Mr. Chorley will look, in this work,--along all the edges of the
hills,--to find, or prove, his favourite 'mist!' On the glass of his
own opera-lorgnon, perhaps:--shall we ask him to try _that_?

But first, I want to ask _you_ something--I have had it in my head a
long time, but it might as well have been in a box--and indeed if it
had been in the box with your letters, I should have remembered to
speak of it long ago. So now, at last, tell me--how do you write, O my
poet? with steel pens, or Bramah pens, or goose-quills or
crow-quills?--Because I have a penholder whic