prison are much improved. Went home with Lord John afterwards, and read a little story he has written since he came to Paris, called the "Nun of Arrouca." Dined at Montron's; the party, two or three Sicilians, Perigord, Latour Maimbourg, a Madame Hamelin, &c. &c. Lord Alvanley the only Englishman besides myself in company; the day very agreeable. A translation of "Lalla Rookh❞ in French verse, by a M. Arnaud, is, it seems, now in the press he does not understand a word of English. This produced a discussion as to the possibility of a translation, under such circumstances, doing the original justice. M. Airoldi, a very agreeable Sicilian, whom I sat next to, mentioned, as a case in point, that the best Italian translation of Homer is done by Monti, who does not know anything of Greek. M. Arnaud is the author of "Germanicus" and some other tragedies. They talked of a celebrated Sicilian poet, the Abate Mele, whom I never heard of before, in the genre Anacreontique and pastoral. M. Airoldi told me that, under Murat, one of his spies once came to tell him, that, in a certain house, a sonnet had been discovered by a person of the name of Filicaja, beginning Italia, Italia, &c. They then showed him a copy of the sonnet, which is by no means inapplicable to the state of Italy of that time. Murat agreed it was very seditious, and ordered them to arrest this Filicaja immediately. On coming to the house, however, where they found the sonnet, and mentioning the object of their search to the master of it, he said that there was but one small objection to their arresting Filicaja, namely, that he died about 200 years ago. Went from Montron's to the Français, where Lord John and Lady Rancliffe

*

* This story has been told of others, especially of Eugène Beauharnois, Viceroy of Italy. Probably not true, but ben trovato. —ED.

1

had taken a box, and saw Madle. Mars in the "Jeu de

l'Amour et du Hazard.”

24th. Have done now about 100 lines of my second letter. Slow work this, but I must turn over a new leaf. Had a letter from the Longmans, saying they think it would be quite right for me to stay in France till I have completed my Egyptian work. Easily said this. Walked with Bessy, Miss Forster, and the children, to the Louvre. Dined (both) with the Villamils; an odd party of the Sapios, Spaniards, &c. &c. A man told us of a Frenchman in London having mistaken the sign of the Two Friends over an eating-house for the Deux Friands. A considerable accession to the ménagerie in the evening. Singing by the Sapios, Mrs. Villamil, Mercer, &c.

25th. Went with Bessy and Williams to see the house at Auteuil. She liked it all but the kitchen, which is away from the house, and a wretched paved place, such as we could not bear to see our excellent Hannah inhabit. The French do not care where they put their servants. Dined at home, of course, to-day, and made Williams partake of our beef and plum-pudding. Finished Zoega in the evening.

26th. Wrote a few lines. Took a long walk by myself to the Boulevards des Invalides et du Mont Parnasse. Saw many houses to be sold, but no furnished lodgings. At six o'clock Lord Granard's carriage came for us, and Bessy and I dined there. A vast effort for her, and one she will not repeat, although the girls were civil and kind to her. No one but Lord John at dinner. In the evening came Lady Rancliffe, Princess Castelcicala, Prince Somebody, &c. &c. Came away early.

27th. Had a job-coach for the half-day to return some of Bessy's calls. Miss Forster went with us. Dined

afterwards (Williams of the party) at the Cadran Bleu, and went to the Ambigu Comique to see "Thérèse," a most interesting and well-acted little piece. The villain Valter, admirable. Received to-day Crawford's work from London.

28th. Began words to a Notturne for Power. Went in to order wine for dinner. Have perceived, within these two days, a little tumour in my groin, produced by the same cause as that which I had about ten years ago./Lord John and Mr. Irving came to dinner; the evening very agreeable. Mr. Irving complains grievously of the last thing Lord Byron has sent, as unworthy of himself, and likely to injure Murray's property in the former works. Lord John went to Lady Rancliffe's ball, but I begged him to make an excuse for me. The tumour begins to be so troublesome, that I have resolved to send for Dupuytren in the morning. In talking of people who had a sort of non sequitur head, there were two or three ridiculous instances mentioned. A man, who being asked did he understand German, answered, "No, but I have a cousin who plays the German flute." Another, going into a book-shop to ask if they had the "Whole Duty of Man," and receiving for answer, "No, sir, but we have Mrs. Glasse's Cookery," &c. &c.

29th. Sent for Dupuytren: fear very much that the tumour will suppurate, which, from the place in which it is situated, may give me much uneasiness. Dupuytren arrived at one: says that the tumour will disperse, and ordered me a mercurial plaster for that purpose; but ordered me to lie in bed, and be very careful of myself. Were to have had some people to supper in the evening, but wrote to put them off. Montron called; said, in bad English, upon my remarking that Lady Byron was not

a fit wife for Lord B. "'Tis indeed a very hard thing to find a good person in that capacity." Williams and his friend Dunwiddy (two of our guests whom the notes had not reached) came to supper in my bedroom. Asked Dupuytren to-day, whether he had been paid for his visit to poor Dumoulin; and, when he said not, paid him.

30th. Thought myself a little better. Read, and endeavoured to write, but visitors interrupted me,- Forster, Lord Granard, and Lord John, who says, as I cannot dine at Lady Rancliffe's with him on Monday, he will set off on that day. He looked over some of the sheets of Lord Byron's continuation of his "Memoirs." In the evening I read a little of Crawford's book. Williams came to tea. My darling Bessy nurses me most attentively and tenderly

31st. A good many visitors. Lord John came between two and three, and read over the remainder of B.'s continuation. Staid with me till near six. Goes off tomorrow. I wrote a few lines of my poem to-day.

January 1st, 1821./Had rather an uncomfortable night, and fear that the tumour is suppurating. Sent a note to Dupuytren by Mrs. Forster. Read some of Jablonski, and wrote a few lines. Dupuytren did not come.

2nd. A visit from Dr. Arthur, to offer his services. L'abondance de richesses in doctors, at all events./Gallois came, and sat for some time: lamented that Lord John showed to so little advantage in society, from his extreme taciturnity, and still more from his apparent coldness and indifference to what is said by others: said that several here to whom he was introduced had been much dis

appointed in consequence of this manner. I can easily imagine that to Frenchmen such reserve and silence must appear something quite out of the course of nature. After

Gallois came Y- (another doctor), and persisted in staying till Dupuytren's arrival; which quite put an end to my plan of keeping my friends out of the concern; and he was, of course, called into consultation. It appeared that the tumour had already broken, and Dupuytren widened the aperture (roughly enough) with a lancet, which Y- said, afterwards, was unnecessary, and would render it rather tedious in healing. Bessy, who had walked out with Williams (another doctor) to make some purchases, was a good deal alarmed, on her return, to find me bleeding. Williams dined below with her, and came up to my room at night for supper; during which I read out to them Irving's beautiful account of Christmas in his "Sketch Book."/Looked this morning over the "Curiosities of Literature." Quotes from Bacon's will the following striking words: "For my name and memory, I leave it to men's charitable speeches, and to foreign nations, and the next ages." A pretty quotation for small editions, Quam brevis immensum cepit membrana Maronem! (Martial). He says, Though the fire offices will insure books, they will not allow authors to value their own manuscripts." A fine instance of Fairfax's admirable translation. Tasso of Olindo, Brama assai, poco spera, nulla chiede; which Fairfax has done.

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"He, full of bashfulness and truth,

Lov'd much, hop'd little, and desired nought.”

3rd. Read, and tried to write a little. Nicolle of the Port-Royal Society said of a show-off man in society, "He conquers me in the drawing-room, but he surrenders to me at discretion on the stair-case." Noah (according