“I do not know whether Scott will like it; but I have called him
     the ‘Ariosto of the North’ in my text. If he should not, say
     so in time.

“An Italian translation of ‘Glenarvon’ came lately to be printed at Venice.  The censor (Sr.  Petrotini) refused to sanction the publication till he had seen me on the subject.  I told him that I did not recognise the slightest relation between that book and myself; but that, whatever opinions might be upon that subject, I would never prevent or oppose the publication of any book, in any language, on my own private account; and desired him (against his inclination) to permit the poor translator to publish his labours.  It is going forwards in consequence.  You may say this, with my compliments, to the author.

     “Yours.”

* * * * *

LETTER 293.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Venice, August 12. 1817.

“I have been very sorry to hear of the death of Madame de Stael, not only because she had been very kind to me at Copet, but because now I can never requite her.  In a general point of view, she will leave a great gap in society and literature.

     “With regard to death, I doubt that we have any right to pity the
     dead for their own sakes.

“The copies of Manfred and Tasso are arrived, thanks to Mr. Croker’s cover.  You have destroyed the whole effect and moral of the poem by omitting the last line of Manfred’s speaking; and why this was done, I know not.  Why you persist in saying nothing of the thing itself, I am equally at a loss to conjecture.  If it is for fear of telling me something disagreeable, you are wrong; because sooner or later I must know it, and I am not so new, nor so raw, nor so inexperienced, as not to be able to bear, not the mere paltry, petty disappointments of authorship, but things more serious,—­at least I hope so, and that what you may think irritability is merely mechanical, and only acts like galvanism on a dead body, or the muscular motion which survives sensation.

“If it is that you are out of humour, because I wrote to you a sharp letter, recollect that it was partly from a misconception of your letter, and partly because you did a thing you had no right to do without consulting me.

“I have, however, heard good of Manfred from two other quarters, and from men who would not be scrupulous in saying what they thought, or what was said; and so ’good morrow to you, good Master Lieutenant.’

     “I wrote to you twice about the fourth Canto, which you will answer
     at your pleasure.  Mr. Hobhouse and I have come up for a day to the
     city; Mr. Lewis is gone to England; and I am