In 1819 Mr. Murray first made the acquaintance of Ugo Foscolo.  A native of Zante, descended from a Venetian family who had settled in the Ionian Islands, Foscolo studied at Padua, and afterwards took up his residence at Venice.  The ancient aristocracy of that city had been banished by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the conqueror gave over Venice to Austria.  Foscolo attacked Bonaparte in his “Lettere di Ortis.”  After serving as a volunteer in the Lombard Legion through the disastrous campaign of 1799, Foscolo, on the capitulation of Genoa, retired to Milan, where he devoted himself to literary pursuits.  He once more took service—­under Napoleon—­and in 1805 formed part of the army of England assembled at Boulogne; but soon left the army, went to Pavia (where he had been appointed Professor of Eloquence), and eventually at the age of forty took refuge in England.  Here he found many friends, who supported him in his literary efforts.  Among others he called upon Mr. Murray, who desired his co-operation in writing for the Quarterly.  An article, on “The Poems of the Italians” was his first contribution.  Mr. Thomas Mitchell, the translator of “Aristophanes,” desired Mr. Murray to give Foscolo his congratulations upon his excellent essay, as well as on his acquaintance with our language.

Mr. Thomas Mitchell to John Murray.

“The first time I had the pleasure of seeing M. Foscolo was at a table d’hote at Berne.  There was something in his physiognomy which very much attracted nay notice; and, for some reason or another, I thought that I seemed to be an object of his attention.  At table, Foscolo was seated next to a young Hanoverian, between whom and me a very learned conversation had passed on the preceding evening, and a certain degree of acquaintance was cemented in consequence.  The table was that day graced with the appearance of some of the Court ladies of Stuttgard, and all passed off with the decorum usually observed abroad, when suddenly, towards the conclusion of the feast a violent hubbub was heard between M. Foscolo and his Hanoverian neighbour, who, in angry terms and with violent gestures, respectively asserted the superior harmonies of Greek and Latin.  This ended with the former’s suddenly producing a card, accompanied with the following annunciation:  ’Sir, my name is Ugo Foscolo; I am a native of Greece, and I have resided thirty years in Italy; I therefore think I ought to know something of the matter.  This card contains my address, and if you have anything further to say, you know where I am to be found.’  Whether Foscolo’s name or manner daunted the young Hanoverian, or whether he was only a bird of passage, I don’t know, but we saw nothing more of him after that day.  Foscolo, after the ladies had retired, made an apology, directed a good deal to me, who, by the forms of the place, happened to be at the head of the table; a considerable degree of intimacy took place between us, and an excellent man I believe him to be, in spite of these little ebullitions.”