Chapter VII: Letter 278: To Mr. Murray

"Rome, May 9. 1817.

"Address all answers to Venice; for there I shall return in fifteen
days, God willing.

"I sent you from Florence 'The Lament of Tasso,' and from Rome the
third Act of Manfred, both of which, I trust, will duly arrive. The
terms of these two I mentioned in my last, and will repeat in this,
it is three hundred for each, or _six_ hundred guineas for the
two--that is, if you like, and they are good for any thing.

"At last one of the parcels is arrived. In the notes to Childe
Harold there is a blunder of yours or mine: you talk of arrival at
_St. Gingo_, and, immediately after, add--'on the height is the
Chateau of Clarens.' This is sad work: Clarens is on the _other_
side of the Lake, and it is quite impossible that I should have so
bungled. Look at the MS.; and at any rate rectify it.

"The 'Tales of my Landlord' I have read with great pleasure, and
perfectly understand now why my sister and aunt are so very
positive in the very erroneous persuasion that they must have been
written by me. If you knew me as well as they do, you would have
fallen, perhaps, into the same mistake. Some day or other, I will
explain to you _why_--when I have time; at present, it does not
much matter; but you must have thought this blunder of theirs very
odd, and so did I, till I had read the book. Croker's letter to you
is a very great compliment; I shall return it to you in my next.

"I perceive you are publishing a Life of Raffael d'Urbino: it may
perhaps interest you to hear that a set of German artists here
allow their _hair_ to grow, and trim it into _his fashion_, thereby
drinking the cummin of the disciples of the old philosopher; if
they would cut their hair, convert it into brushes, and paint like
him, it would be more '_German_ to the matter.'

"I'll tell you a story: the other day, a man here--an
English--mistaking the statues of Charlemagne and Constantine,
which are _equestrian_, for those of Peter and Paul, asked another
_which_ was Paul of these same horsemen?--to which the reply
was,--'I thought, sir, that St. Paul had never got on _horseback_
since his _accident_?'

"I'll tell you another: Henry Fox, writing to some one from Naples
the other day, after an illness, adds--'and I am so changed, that
my _oldest creditors_ would hardly know me.'

"I am delighted with Rome--as I would be with a bandbox, that is,
it is a fine thing to see, finer than Greece; but I have not been
here long enough to affect it as a residence, and I must go back to
Lombardy, because I am wretched at being away from Marianna. I have
been riding my saddle-horses every day, and been to Albano, its
Lakes, and to the top of the Alban Mount, and to Frescati, Aricia,
&c. &c. with an &c. &c. &c. about the city, and in the city: for
all which--vide Guide-book. As a whole, ancient and modern, it
beats Greece, Constantinople, every thing--at least that I have
ever seen. But I can't describe, because my first impressions are
always strong and confused, and my memory _selects_ and reduces
them to order, like distance in the landscape, and blends them
better, although they may be less distinct. There must be a sense
or two more than we have, us mortals; for * * * * * where there is
much to be grasped we are always at a loss, and yet feel that we
ought to have a higher and more extended comprehension.

"I have had a letter from Moore, who is in some alarm about his
poem. I don't see why.

"I have had another from my poor dear Augusta, who is in a sad fuss
about my late illness; do, pray, tell her (the truth) that I am
better than ever, and in importunate health, growing (if not grown)
large and ruddy, and congratulated by impertinent persons on my
robustious appearance, when I ought to be pale and interesting.

"You tell me that George Byron has got a son, and Augusta says, a
daughter; which is it?--it is no great matter: the father is a good
man, an excellent officer, and has married a very nice little
woman, who will bring him more babes than income; howbeit she had a
handsome dowry, and is a very charming girl;--but he may as well
get a ship.

"I have no thoughts of coming amongst you yet awhile, so that I can
fight off business. If I could but make a tolerable sale of
Newstead, there would be no occasion for my return; and I can
assure you very sincerely, that I am much happier (or, at least,
have been so) out of your island than in it.

"Yours ever.

"P.S. There are few English here, but several of my acquaintance;
amongst others, the Marquis of Lansdowne, with whom I dine
to-morrow. I met the Jerseys on the road at Foligno--all well.

"Oh--I forgot--the Italians have printed Chillon, &c. a
_piracy_,--a pretty little edition, prettier than yours--and
published, as I found to my great astonishment on arriving here;
and what is odd, is, that the English is quite correctly printed.
Why they did it, or who did it, I know not; but so it is;--I
suppose, for the English people. I will send you a copy."

* * * * *