LETTER 546.  TO MR. BARFF.

“February 23.

“My health seems improving, especially from riding and the warm bath.  Six Englishmen will be soon in quarantine at Zante; they are artificers[1], and have had enough of Greece in fourteen days.  If you could recommend them to a passage home, I would thank you; they are good men enough, but do not quite understand the little discrepancies in these countries, and are not used to see shooting and slashing in a domestic quiet way, or (as it forms here) a part of housekeeping.

[Footnote 1:  The workmen who came out with Parry; and who, alarmed by the scene of confusion and danger they found at Missolonghi, had resolved to return home.]

“If they should want any thing during their quarantine, you can advance them not more than a dollar a day (amongst them) for that period, to purchase them some little extras as comforts (as they are quite out of their element).  I cannot afford them more at present.”

The following letter to Mr. Murray,—­which it is most gratifying to have to produce, as the last completing link of a long friendship and correspondence which had been but for a short time, and through the fault only of others, interrupted,—­contains such a summary of the chief events now passing round Lord Byron, as, with the assistance of a few notes, will render any more detailed narrative unnecessary.

LETTER 547.  TO MR. MURRAY.

“Missolonghi, February 25. 1824.

“I have heard from Mr. Douglas Kinnaird that you state ’a report of a satire on Mr. Gifford having arrived from Italy, said to be written by me! but that you do not believe it.’  I dare say you do not, nor anybody else, I should think.  Whoever asserts that I am the author or abettor of any thing of the kind on Gifford lies in his throat.  If any such composition exists it is none of mine. You know as well as any body upon whom I have or have not written; and you also know whether they do or did not deserve that same.  And so much for such matters.

“You will perhaps be anxious to hear some news from this part of Greece (which is the most liable to invasion); but you will hear enough through public and private channels.  I will, however, give you the events of a week, mingling my own private peculiar with the public; for we are here a little jumbled together at present.

“On Sunday (the 15th, I believe,) I had a strong and sudden convulsive attack, which left me speechless, though not motionless—­for some strong men could not hold me; but whether it was epilepsy, catalepsy, cachexy, or apoplexy, or what other exy or epsy, the doctors have not decided; or whether it was spasmodic or nervous, &c.; but it was very unpleasant, and nearly carried me off, and all that.  On Monday, they put leeches to my temples, no difficult matter, but the blood could not be stopped till eleven at night (they had gone too near the temporal artery for my temporal safety), and neither styptic nor caustic would cauterise the orifice till after a hundred attempts.