[Footnote 71:  Mr. Galignani having expressed a wish to be furnished with a short Memoir of Lord Byron, for the purpose of prefixing it to the French edition of his works, I had said jestingly in a preceding letter to his Lordship, that it would he but a fair satire on the disposition of the world to “bemonster his features,” if he would write for the public, English as well as French, a sort of mock-heroic account of himself, outdoing, in horrors and wonders, all that had been yet related or believed of him, and leaving even Goethe’s story of the double murder in Florence far behind.]

[Footnote 72:  The following are the lines enclosed in this letter.  In one of his Journals, where they are also given, he has subjoined to them the following note:—­“I composed these stanzas (except the fourth, added now) a few days ago, on the road from Florence to Pisa.

    “Oh, talk not to me of a name great in story;
    The days of our youth are the days of our glory;
    And the myrtle and ivy of sweet two-and-twenty
    Are worth all your laurels, though ever so plenty.

    “What are garlands and crowns to the brow that is wrinkled? 
    ’Tis but as a dead flower with May-dew besprinkled. 
    Then away with all such from the head that is hoary! 
    What care I for the wreaths that can only give glory?

    “Oh Fame! if I e’er took delight in thy praises,
    ’Twas less for the sake of thy high-sounding phrases,
    Than to see the bright eyes of the dear One discover
    She thought that I was not unworthy to love her.

“There chiefly I sought thee, there only I found thee; Her glance was the best of the rays that surround thee; When it sparkled o’er aught that was bright in my story, I knew it was love, and I felt it was glory.”]

* * * * *

LETTER 473.  TO MR. SHELLEY.

     “December 12. 1821.

     “My dear Shelley,

“Enclosed is a note for you from ——.  His reasons are all very true, I dare say, and it might and may be of personal inconvenience to us.  But that does not appear to me to be a reason to allow a being to be burnt without trying to save him.  To save him by any means but remonstrance is of course out of the question; but I do not see why a temperate remonstrance should hurt any one.  Lord Guilford is the man, if he would undertake it.  He knows the Grand Duke personally, and might, perhaps, prevail upon him to interfere.  But, as he goes to-morrow, you must be quick, or it will be useless.  Make any use of my name that you please.

     “Yours ever,” &c

* * * * *

LETTER 474.  TO MR. MOORE.