Hamilton’s, because I saw it full.  It is true that Mrs. Hervey (she writes novels) fainted at my entrance into Coppet, and then came back again.  On her fainting, the Duchess de Broglie exclaimed, ’This is too much—­at sixty-five years of age!’—­I never gave ‘the English’ an opportunity of avoiding me; but I trust that, if ever I do, they will seize it.  With regard to Mazeppa and the Ode, you may join or separate them, as you please, from the two Cantos.

“Don’t suppose I want to put you out of humour.  I have a great respect for your good and gentlemanly qualities, and return your personal friendship towards me; and although I think you a little spoilt by ’villanous company,’—­wits, persons of honour about town, authors, and fashionables, together with your ’I am just going to call at Carlton House, are you walking that way?’—­I say, notwithstanding ’pictures, taste, Shakspeare, and the musical glasses,’ you deserve and possess the esteem of those whose esteem is worth having, and of none more (however useless it may be) than yours very truly, &c.

“P.S.  Make my respects to Mr. Gifford.  I am perfectly aware that ‘Don Juan’ must set us all by the ears, but that is my concern, and my beginning.  There will be the ‘Edinburgh,’ and all, too, against it, so that, like ‘Rob Roy,’ I shall have my hands full.”

[Footnote 31:  This story, as given in the Preface to the “Vampire,” is as follows:—­

“It appears that one evening Lord B., Mr. P.B.  Shelley, two ladies, and the gentleman before alluded to, after having perused a German work called Phantasmagoria, began relating ghost stories, when his Lordship having recited the beginning of Christabel, then unpublished, the whole took so strong a hold of Mr. Shelley’s mind, that he suddenly started up, and ran out of the room.  The physician and Lord Byron followed, and discovered him leaning against a mantel-piece, with cold drops of perspiration trickling down his face.  After having given him something to refresh him, upon enquiring into the cause of his alarm, they found that his wild imagination having pictured to him the bosom of one of the ladies with eyes (which was reported of a lady in the neighbourhood where he lived), he was obliged to leave the room in order to destroy the impression.”]

* * * * *

LETTER 329.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Venice, May 25. 1819.

“I have received no proofs by the last post, and shall probably have quitted Venice before the arrival of the next.  There wanted a few stanzas to the termination of Canto first in the last proof; the next will, I presume, contain them, and the whole or a portion of Canto second; but it will be idle to wait for further answers from me, as I have directed that my letters wait for my return (perhaps in a month, and probably so); therefore do not wait for further advice