y of late. But what could I do? You
are a friend--an absent one, alas!--and as I trust no one more, I
trouble you in proportion.

"This war of 'Church and State' has astonished me more than it
disturbs; for I really thought 'Cain' a speculative and hardy, but
still a harmless, production. As I said before, I am really a great
admirer of tangible religion; and am breeding one of my daughters a
Catholic, that she may have her hands full. It is by far the most
elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with
incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real
presence, confession, absolution,--there is something sensible to
grasp at. Besides, it leaves no possibility of doubt; for those who
swallow their Deity, really and truly, in transubstantiation, can
hardly find any thing else otherwise than easy of digestion.

"I am afraid that this sounds flippant, but I don't mean it to be
so; only my turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd
point of view, that it breaks out in spite of me every now and
then. Still, I do assure you that I am a very good Christian.
Whether you will believe me in this, I do not know; but I trust you
will take my word for being

"Very truly and affectionately yours, &c.

"P.S. Do tell Murray that one of the conditions of peace is, that
he publisheth (or obtaineth a publisher for) * * *'s Commentary on
Dante, against which there appears in the trade an unaccountable
repugnance. It will make the man so exuberantly happy. He dines
with me and half-a-dozen English to-day; and I have not the heart
to tell him how the bibliopolar world shrink from his
Commentary;--and yet it is full of the most orthodox religion and
morality. In short, I make it a point that he shall be in print. He
is such a good-natured, heavy-* * Christian, that we must give him
a shove through the press. He naturally thirsts to be an author,
and has been the happiest of men for these two months, printing,
correcting, collating, dating, anticipating, and adding to his
treasures of learning. Besides, he has had another fall from his
horse into a ditch the other day, while riding out with me into the
country."

* * * * *

LETTER 486. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Pisa, March 15. 1822.