simple way, I have been most delighted with a correspondence of letters, all original and amatory, between Lucretia Borgia and Cardinal Bembo, preserved there.  I have pored over them and a lock of her hair, the prettiest and fairest imaginable—­I never saw fairer—­and shall go repeatedly to read the epistles over and over; and if I can obtain some of the hair by fair means, I shall try.  I have already persuaded the librarian to promise me copies of the letters, and I hope he will not disappoint me.  They are short, but very simple, sweet, and to the purpose; there are some copies of verses in Spanish also by her; the tress of her hair is long, and, as I said before, beautiful.  The Brera gallery of paintings has some fine pictures, but nothing of a collection.  Of painting I know nothing; but I like a Guercino—­a picture of Abraham putting away Hagar and Ishmael—­which seems to me natural and goodly.  The Flemish school, such as I saw it in Flanders, I utterly detested, despised, and abhorred; it might be painting, but it was not nature; the Italian is pleasing, and their ideal very noble.

“The Italians I have encountered here are very intelligent and agreeable.  In a few days I am to meet Monti.  By the way, I have just heard an anecdote of Beccaria, who published such admirable things against the punishment of death.  As soon as his book was out, his servant (having read it, I presume) stole his watch; and his master, while correcting the press of a second edition, did all he could to have him hanged by way of advertisement.

“I forgot to mention the triumphal arch begun by Napoleon, as a gate to this city.  It is unfinished, but the part completed worthy of another age and the same country.  The society here is very oddly carried on,—­at the theatre, and the theatre only,—­which answers to our opera.  People meet there as at a rout, but in very small circles.  From Milan I shall go to Venice.  If you write, write to Geneva, as before—­the letter will be forwarded.

     “Yours ever.”

* * * * *

LETTER 250.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Milan, November 1. 1816.

“I have recently written to you rather frequently but without any late answer.  Mr. Hobhouse and myself set out for Venice in a few days; but you had better still address to me at Mr. Hentsch’s, Banquier, Geneva; he will forward your letters.

“I do not know whether I mentioned to you some time ago, that I had parted with the Dr. Polidori a few weeks previous to my leaving Diodati.  I know no great harm of him; but he had an alacrity of getting into scrapes, and was too young and heedless; and having enough to attend to in my own concerns, and without time to become his tutor, I thought it much better to give him his conge.  He arrived at Milan some weeks before Mr. Hobhouse and myself.  About