Life of Lord Byron Volume IV Part 28

Love to one death conducted us along, But Caina waits for him our life who ended:'

These were the accents utter'd by her tongue,-- Since first I listen'd to these souls offended, I bow'd my visage and so kept it till--

{_then_} 'What think'st thou?' said the bard; { when } I unbended, And recommenced: 'Alas! unto such ill How many sweet thoughts, what strong ecstasies Led these their evil fortune to fulfil!'

And then I turn'd unto their side my eyes, And said, 'Francesca, thy sad destinies Have made me sorrow till the tears arise.

But tell me, in the season of sweet sighs, By what and how thy Love to Pa.s.sion rose, So as his dim desires to recognise?'

Then she to me: 'The greatest of all woes {_recall to mind_} Is to { remind us of } our happy days {_this_} In misery, and { that } thy teacher knows.

But if to learn our pa.s.sion's first root preys Upon thy spirit with such sympathy, { _relate_ } I will {do[70] even} as he who weeps and says.-- We read one day for pastime, seated nigh, Of Lancilot, how Love enchain'd him too.

We were alone, quite unsuspiciously, But oft our eyes met, and our cheeks in hue All o'er discolour'd by that reading were; { _overthrew_ } But one point only wholly {us o'erthrew;} { _desired_ } When we read the {long-sighed-for} smile of her, {_a fervent_} To be thus kiss'd by such { devoted } lover, He who from me can be divided ne'er Kiss'd my mouth, trembling in the act all over.

Accursed was the book and he who wrote!

That day no further leaf we did uncover.-- While thus one Spirit told us of their lot, The other wept, so that with pity's thralls I swoon'd as if by death I had been smote, And fell down even as a dead body falls.'"

[Footnote 70: "In some of the editions, it is, 'diro,' in others 'faro;'--an essential difference between 'saying' and 'doing,' which I know not how to decide. Ask Foscolo. The d----d editions drive me mad."]

LETTER 363. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, March 23. 1820.

"I have received your letter of the 7th. Besides the four packets you have already received, I have sent the Pulci a few days after, and since (a few days ago) the four first Cantos of Dante's Prophecy, (the best thing I ever wrote, if it be not _unintelligible_,) and by last post a literal translation, word for word (versed like the original), of the episode of Francesca of Rimini. I want to hear what you think of the new Juans, and the translations, and the Vision. They are all things that are, or ought to be, very different from one another.

"If you choose to make a print from the Venetian, you may; but she don't correspond at all to the character you mean her to represent.

On the contrary, the Contessa G. does (except that she is fair), and is much prettier than the Fornarina; but I have no picture of her except a miniature, which is very ill done; and, besides, it would not be proper, on any account whatever, to make such a use of it, even if you had a copy.

"Recollect that the two new Cantos only count with us for one. You may put the Pulci and Dante together: perhaps that were best. So you have put your name to Juan, after all your panic. You are a rare fellow. I must now put myself in a pa.s.sion to continue my prose. Yours," &c.

"I have caused write to Thorwaldsen. Pray be careful in sending my daughter's picture--I mean, that it be not hurt in the carriage, for it is a journey rather long and jolting."

LETTER 364. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, March 28. 1820.

"Enclosed is a 'Screed of Doctrine' for you, of which I will trouble you to acknowledge the receipt by next post. Mr. Hobhouse must have the correction of it for the press. You may show it first to whom you please.

"I wish to know what became of my two Epistles from St. Paul (translated from the Armenian three years ago and more), and of the letter to R----ts of last autumn, which you never have attended to?

There are two packets with this.

"P.S. I have some thoughts of publis.h.i.+ng the 'Hints from Horace,'

written ten years ago[71],--if Hobhouse can rummage them out of my papers left at his father's,--with some omissions and alterations previously to be made when I see the proofs."

[Footnote 71: When making the observations which occur in the early part of this work, on the singular preference given by the n.o.ble author to the "Hints from Horace," I was not aware of the revival of this strange predilection, which (as it appears from the above letter, and, still more strongly, from some that follow) took place so many years after, in the full maturity of his powers and taste. Such a delusion is hardly conceivable, and can only, perhaps, be accounted for by that tenaciousness of early opinions and impressions by which his mind, in other respects so versatile, was characterised.]

LETTER 365. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, March 29. 1820.

"Herewith you will receive a note (enclosed) on Pope, which you will find tally with a part of the text of last post. I have at last lost all patience with the atrocious cant and nonsense about Pope, with which our present * *s are overflowing, and am determined to make such head against it as an individual can, by prose or verse; and I will at least do it with good will. There is no bearing it any longer; and if it goes on, it will destroy what little good writing or taste remains amongst us. I hope there are still a few men of taste to second me; but if not, I'll battle it alone, convinced that it is in the best cause of English literature.

"I have sent you so many packets, verse and prose, lately, that you will be tired of the postage, if not of the perusal. I want to answer some parts of your last letter, but I have not time, for I must 'boot and saddle,' as my Captain Craigengelt (an officer of the old Napoleon Italian army) is in waiting, and my groom and cattle to boot.

"You have given me a screed of metaphor and what not about _Pulci_, and manners, and 'going without clothes, like our Saxon ancestors.'

Now, the _Saxons did not go without clothes_; and, in the next place, they are not my ancestors, nor yours either; for mine were Norman, and yours, I take it by your name, were _Gael_. And, in the next, I differ from you about the 'refinement' which has banished the comedies of Congreve. Are not the comedies of _Sheridan_? acted to the thinnest houses? I know (as _ex-committed_) that 'The School for Scandal' was the worst stock piece upon record. I also know that Congreve gave up writing because Mrs. Centlivre's balderdash drove his comedies off. So it is not decency, but stupidity, that does all this; for Sheridan is as decent a writer as need be, and Congreve no worse than Mrs. Centlivre, of whom Wilks (the actor) said, 'not only her play would be d.a.m.ned, but she too.' He alluded to 'A Bold Stroke for a Wife.' But last, and most to the purpose, Pulci is _not_ an _indecent_ writer--at least in his first Canto, as you will have perceived by this time.

"You talk of _refinement_:--are you all _more_ moral? are you _so_ moral? No such thing. _I_ know what the world is in England, by my own proper experience of the best of it--at least of the loftiest; and I have described it every where as it is to be found in all places.

"But to return. I should like to see the _proofs_ of mine answer, because there will be something to omit or to alter. But pray let it be carefully printed. When convenient let me have an answer.

"Yours."

LETTER 366. TO MR. HOPPNER.

"Ravenna, March 31. 1820.

"Ravenna continues much the same as I described it. Conversazioni all Lent, and much better ones than any at Venice. There are small games at hazard, that is, faro, where n.o.body can point more than a s.h.i.+lling or two;--other card-tables, and as much talk and coffee as you please. Every body does and says what they please; and I do not recollect any disagreeable events, except being three times falsely accused of flirtation, and once being robbed of six sixpences by a n.o.bleman of the city, a Count * * *. I did not suspect the ill.u.s.trious delinquent; but the Countess V * * * and the Marquis L * * * told me of it directly, and also that it was a way he had, of filching money when he saw it before him; but I did not ax him for the cash, but contented myself with telling him that if he did it again, I should antic.i.p.ate the law.

"There is to be a theatre in April, and a fair, and an opera, and another opera in June, besides the fine weather of nature's giving, and the rides in the Forest of Pine. With my best respects to Mrs.

Hoppner, believe me ever, &c. BYRON.

"P.S. Could you give me an item of what books remain at Venice? I don't want them, but want to know whether the few that are not here are there, and were not lost by the way. I hope and trust you have got all your wine safe, and that it is drinkable. Allegra is prettier, I think, but as obstinate as a mule, and as ravenous as a vulture: health good, to judge of the complexion--temper tolerable, but for vanity and pertinacity. She thinks herself handsome, and will do as she pleases."

LETTER 367. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, April 9. 1820.

"In the name of all the devils in the printing-office, why don't you write to acknowledge the receipt of the second, third, and fourth packets, viz. the Pulci translation and original, the _Danticles_, the Observations on, &c.? You forget that you keep me in hot water till I know whether they are arrived, or if I must have the bore of re-copying.

"Have you gotten the cream of translations, Francesca of Rimini, from the Inferno? Why, I have sent you a warehouse of trash within the last month, and you have no sort of feeling about you: a pastry-cook would have had twice the grat.i.tude, and thanked me at least for the quant.i.ty.

"To make the letter heavier, I enclose you the Cardinal Legate's (our Campeius) circular for his conversazione this evening. It is the anniversary of the Pope's _tiara_-tion, and all polite Christians, even of the Lutheran creed, must go and be civil. And there will be a circle, and a faro-table, (for s.h.i.+llings, that is, they don't allow high play,) and all the beauty, n.o.bility, and sanct.i.ty of Ravenna present. The Cardinal himself is a very good-natured little fellow, bishop of Muda, and legate here,--a decent believer in all the doctrines of the church. He has kept his housekeeper these forty years * * * *; but is reckoned a pious man, and a moral liver.

"I am not quite sure that I won't be among you this autumn, for I find that business don't go on--what with trustees and lawyers--as it should do, 'with all deliberate speed.' They differ about investments in Ireland.

"Between the devil and deep sea, Between the lawyer and trustee,

I am puzzled; and so much time is lost by my not being upon the spot, what with answers, demurs, rejoinders, that it may be I must come and look to it; for one says do, and t'other don't, so that I know not which way to turn: but perhaps they can manage without me.

"Yours, &c.

"P.S. I have begun a tragedy on the subject of Marino Faliero, the Doge of Venice; but you sha'n't see it these six years, if you don't acknowledge my packets with more quickness and precision.