Chapter XCIII: Letter 486: To Mr. Murray

"Pisa, March 15. 1822.

"I am glad that you and your friends approve of my letter of the
8th ultimo. You may give it what publicity you think proper in the
circumstances. I have since written to you twice or thrice.

"As to 'a Poem in the old way,' I shall attempt of that kind
nothing further. I follow the bias of my own mind, without
considering whether women or men are or are not to be pleased; but
this is nothing to my publisher, who must judge and act according
to popularity.

"Therefore let the things take their chance: if _they pay,_ you
will pay me in proportion; and if they don't, I must.

"The Noel affairs, I hope, will not take me to England. I have no
desire to revisit that country, unless it be to keep you out of a
prison (if this can be effected by my taking your place), or
perhaps to get myself into one, by exacting satisfaction from one
or two persons who take advantage of my absence to abuse me.
Further than this, I have no business nor connection with England,
nor desire to have, _out_ of my own family and friends, to whom I
wish all prosperity. Indeed, I have lived upon the whole so little
in England (about five years since I was one-and-twenty), that my
habits are too continental, and your climate would please me as
little as the society.

"I saw the Chancellor's Report in a French paper. Pray, why don't
they prosecute the translation of _Lucretius_? or the original with
its

"'Primus in orbe Deos fecit Timor,'

or

"'Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum?'

"You must really get something done for Mr. * *'s Commentary: what
can I say to him?

"Yours," &c.

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