Chapter XXVII: Letter 298: To Mr. Murray

"September 17. 1817.

"Mr. Hobhouse purposes being in England in November; he will bring
the fourth Canto with him, notes and all; the text contains one
hundred and fifty stanzas, which is long for that measure.

"With regard to the 'Ariosto of the North,' surely their themes,
chivalry, war, and love, were as like as can be; and as to the
compliment, if you knew what the Italians think of Ariosto, you
would not hesitate about that. But as to their 'measures,' you
forget that Ariosto's is an octave stanza, and Scott's any thing
but a stanza. If you think Scott will dislike it, say so, and I
will expunge. I do not call him the '_Scotch_ Ariosto,' which would
be sad _provincial_ eulogy, but the 'Ariosto of the _North_,
meaning of all _countries_ that are _not_ the _South_. * *

"As I have recently troubled you rather frequently, I will
conclude, repeating that I am

"Yours ever," &c.

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