Chapter 42

"Venice, March 25. 1818.

"I have your letter, with the account of 'Beppo,' for which I sent you four new stanzas a fortnight ago, in case you print, or reprint.

"Croker's is a good guess; but the style is not English, it is Italian;--Berni is the original of _all_. Whistlecraft was _my_ immediate _model_! Rose's 'Animali' I never saw till a few days ago,--they are excellent. But (as I said above) Berni is the father of that kind of writing, which, I think, suits our language, too, very well;--we shall see by the experiment. If it does, I shall send you a volume in a year or two, for I know the Italian way of life well, and in time may know it yet better; and as for the verse and the passions, I have them still in tolerable vigour.

"If you think that it will do you and the work, or works, any good, you may put my name to it; _but first consult the knowing ones_. It will, at any rate, show them that I can write cheerfully, and repel the charge of monotony and mannerism.

"Yours," &c.

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