Chapter 15

"Ravenna, January 20. 1821.

"If Harris or Elliston persist, after the remonstrance which I desired you and Mr. Kinnaird to make on my behalf, and which I hope will be sufficient--but _if_, I say, they _do persist_, then I pray you to _present in person_ the enclosed letter to the Lord Chamberlain: I have said _in person_, because otherwise I shall have neither answer nor knowledge that it has reached its address, owing to 'the insolence of office.'

"I wish you would speak to Lord Holland, and to all my friends and yours, to interest themselves in preventing this cursed attempt at representation.

"God help me! at this distance, I am treated like a corpse or a fool by the few people that I thought I could rely upon; and I _was_ a fool to think any better of them than of the rest of mankind.

"Pray write. Yours, &c.

"P.S. I have nothing more at heart (that is, in literature) than to prevent this drama from going upon the stage: in short, rather than permit it, it must be _suppressed altogether_, and only _forty copies struck off privately_ for presents to my friends. What curst fools those speculating buffoons must be _not_ to see that it is unfit for their fair--or their booth!"

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