Chapter 8

"February 10. 1814.

"I arrived in town late yesterday evening, having been absent three weeks, which I passed in Notts. quietly and pleasantly. You can have no conception of the uproar the eight lines on the little Royalty's weeping in 1812 (now republished) have occasioned. The R * *, who had always thought them _yours_, chose--God knows why--on discovering them to be mine, to be _affected_ 'in sorrow rather than anger.' The Morning Post, Sun, Herald, Courier, have all been in hysterics ever since. M. is in a fright, and wanted to shuffle; and the abuse against me in all directions is vehement, unceasing, loud--some of it good, and all of it hearty. I feel a little compunctious as to the R * *'s _regret_;--'would he had been only angry! but I fear him not.'

"Some of these same assailments you have probably seen. My person (which is excellent for 'the nonce') has been denounced in verses, the more like the subject, inasmuch as they halt exceedingly. Then, in another, I am an _atheist_, a _rebel_, and, at last, the _devil_ (_boiteux_, I presume). My demonism seems to be a female's conjecture; if so, perhaps, I could convince her that I am but a mere mortal,--if a queen of the Amazons may be believed, who says [Greek: ariston chôlos oiphei]. I quote from memory, so my Greek is probably deficient; but the passage is _meant_ to mean * *.

"Seriously, I am in, what the learned call, a dilemma, and the vulgar, a scrape; and my friends desire me not to be in a passion; and, like Sir Fretful, I assure them that I am 'quite calm,'--but I am nevertheless in a fury.

"Since I wrote thus far, a friend has come in, and we have been talking and buffooning till I have quite lost the thread of my thoughts; and, as I won't send them unstrung to you, good morning, and

"Believe me ever, &c.

"P.S. Murray, during my absence, _omitted_ the Tears in several of the copies. I have made him replace them, and am very wroth with his qualms,--'as the wine is poured out, let it be drunk to the dregs.'"

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TO MR. MURRAY.

"February 10. 1814.

"I am much better, and indeed quite well, this morning. I have received _two_, but I presume there are more of the _Ana_, subsequently, and also something previous, to which the Morning Chronicle replied. You also mentioned a parody on the _Skull_. I wish to see them all, because there may be things that require notice either by pen or person.

"Yours, &c.

"You need not trouble yourself to answer this; but send me the things when you get them."

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TO MR. MURRAY.

"February 12. 1814.

"If you have copies of the 'Intercepted Letters,' Lady Holland would be glad of a volume; and when you have served others, have the goodness to think of your humble servant.

"You have played the devil by that injudicious _suppression_, which you did totally without my consent. Some of the papers have exactly said what might be expected. Now I _do_ not, and _will_ not be supposed to shrink, although myself and every thing belonging to me were to perish with my memory. Yours, &c. BN.

"P.S. Pray attend to what I stated yesterday on _technical_ topics."

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