Chapter 56

"Ravenna, September 4. 1821.

"By Saturday's post, I sent you a fierce and furibund letter upon the subject of the printer's blunders in Don Juan. I must solicit your attention to the topic, though my wrath hath subsided into sullenness.

"Yesterday I received Mr. ----, a friend of yours, and because he is a friend of _yours_; and that's more than I would do in an _English_ case, except for those whom I honour. I was as civil as I could be among packages even to the very chairs and tables, for I am going to _Pisa_ in a few weeks, and have sent and am sending off my chattels. It regretted me[49] that, my books and every thing being packed, I could not send you a few things I meant for you; but they were all sealed and baggaged, so as to have made it a month's work to get at them again. I gave him an envelope, with the Italian scrap in it[50], alluded to in my Gilchrist defence. Hobhouse will make it out for you, and it will make you laugh, and him too, the _spelling_ particularly. The '_Mericani_,' of whom they call me the 'Capo' (or Chief), mean 'Americans,' which is the name given in _Romagna_ to a part of the Carbonari; that is to say, to the _popular_ part, the _troops_ of the Carbonari. They are originally a society of hunters in the forest, who took the name of Americans, but at present comprise some thousands, &c.; but I shan't let you further into the secret, which may be participated with the postmasters. Why they thought me their Chief, I know not: their Chiefs are like 'Legion, being many. However, it is a post of more honour than profit, for, now that they are persecuted, it is fit that I should aid them; and so I have done, as far as my means would permit. They will rise again some day, for these fools of the government are blundering: they actually seem to know _nothing_; for they have arrested and banished many of their _own_ party, and let others escape who are not their friends.

"What think'st thou of Greece?

"Address to me here as usual, till you hear further from me.

"By Mawman I have sent a Journal to Moore; but it won't do for the public,--at least a great deal of it won't;--_parts_ may.

"I read over the Juans, which are excellent. Your squad are quite wrong; and so you will find by and by. I regret that I do not go on with it, for I had all the plan for several cantos, and different countries and climes. You say nothing of the _note_ I enclosed to you[51], which will explain why I agreed to discontinue it (at Madame G----'s request); but you are so grand, and sublime, and occupied, that one would think, instead of publishing for 'the Board of _Longitude_,' that you were trying to discover it.

"Let me hear that Gifford is _better_. He can't be spared either by you or me."

[Footnote 49: It will be observed, from this and a few other instances, that notwithstanding the wonderful purity of English he was able to preserve in his writings, while living constantly with persons speaking a different language, he had already begun so far to feel the influence of this habit as to fall occasionally into Italianisms in his familiar letters.--"I am in the case to know"--"I have caused write"--"It regrets me," &c.]

[Footnote 50: An anonymous letter which he had received, threatening him with assassination.]

[Footnote 51: In this note, so highly honourable to the fair writer, she says, "Remember, my Byron, the promise you have made me. Never shall I be able to tell you the satisfaction I feel from it, so great are the sentiments of pleasure and confidence with which the sacrifice you have made has inspired me." In a postscript to the note she adds, "I am only sorry that Don Juan was not left in the infernal regions."--"Ricordati, mio Byron, della promessa che mi hai fatta. Non potrei mai dirti la satisfazione ch' io ne provo!--sono tanti i sentimenti di piacere e di confidenza che il tuo sacrificio m'inspira."--"Mi reveresce solo che Don Giovanni non resti all' Inferno."

In enclosing the lady's note to Mr. Murray, July 4th, Lord B. says, "This is the note of acknowledgment for the promise not to continue Don Juan. She says, in the postscript, that she is only sorry that D.J. does not _remain_ in Hell (or go there)".]

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