and the horses, and Mutz, and Moretto.  In the beginning of November, perhaps sooner, I expect to have the pleasure of seeing you.  To-day I got drenched by a thunder-storm, and my horse and groom too, and his horse all bemired up to the middle in a cross-road.  It was summer at noon, and at five we were bewintered; but the lightning was sent perhaps to let us know that the summer was not yet over.  It is queer weather for the 27th October.

     “Yours,” &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 344.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Venice, October 29. 1819.

“Yours of the 15th came yesterday.  I am sorry that you do not mention a large letter addressed to your care for Lady Byron, from me, at Bologna, two months ago.  Pray tell me, was this letter received and forwarded?

     “You say nothing of the vice-consulate for the Ravenna patrician,
     from which it is to be inferred that the thing will not be done.

     “I had written about a hundred stanzas of a third Canto to Don
     Juan, but the reception of the two first is no encouragement to you
     nor me to proceed.

“I had also written about 600 lines of a poem, the Vision (or Prophecy) of Dante, the subject a view of Italy in the ages down to the present—­supposing Dante to speak in his own person, previous to his death, and embracing all topics in the way of prophecy, like Lycophron’s Cassandra; but this and the other are both at a stand-still for the present.

“I gave Moore, who is gone to Rome, my Life in MS., in seventy-eight folio sheets, brought down to 1816.  But this I put into his hands for his care, as he has some other MSS. of mine—­a Journal kept in 1814, &c.  Neither are for publication during my life; but when I am cold you may do what you please.  In the mean time, if you like to read them you may, and show them to anybody you like—­I care not.

“The Life is Memoranda, and not Confessions I have left out all my loves (except in a general way), and many other of the most important things (because I must not compromise other people), so that it is like the play of Hamlet—­’the part of Hamlet omitted by particular desire.’  But you will find many opinions, and some fun, with a detailed account of my marriage, and its consequences, as true as a party concerned can make such account, for I suppose we are all prejudiced.

     “I have never read over this Life since it was written, so that I
     know not exactly what it may repeat or contain.  Moore and I passed
     some merry days together.

“I probably must return for business, or in my way to America.  Pray, did you get a letter for Hobhouse, who will have told you the contents?  I understand that the Venezuelan commissioners had orders to treat with emigrants; now I want to go there.  I should not make a bad South-American planter, and I should take my natural daughter, Allegra, with me, and settle.  I wrote, at length, to Hobhouse, to get information from Perry, who, I suppose, is the best topographer and trumpeter of the new republicans.  Pray write.

     “Yours ever.