and some others, and went over them side by side with Pope’s, and I was really astonished (I ought not to have been so) and mortified at the ineffable distance in point of sense, learning, effect, and even imagination, passion, and invention, between the little Queen Anne’s man, and us of the Lower Empire.  Depend upon it, it is all Horace then, and Claudian now, among us; and if I had to begin again, I would mould myself accordingly.  Crabbe’s the man, but he has got a coarse and impracticable subject, and * * * is retired upon half-pay, and has done enough, unless he were to do as he did formerly.”

[Footnote 9:  On this paragraph, in the MS. copy of the above letter, I find the following note, in the handwriting of Mr. Gifford:—­

“There is more good sense, and feeling, and judgment in this passage, than in any other I ever read, or Lord Byron wrote.”]

* * * * *

LETTER 298.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “September 17. 1817.

     “Mr. Hobhouse purposes being in England in November; he will bring
     the fourth Canto with him, notes and all; the text contains one
     hundred and fifty stanzas, which is long for that measure.

“With regard to the ‘Ariosto of the North,’ surely their themes, chivalry, war, and love, were as like as can be; and as to the compliment, if you knew what the Italians think of Ariosto, you would not hesitate about that.  But as to their ‘measures,’ you forget that Ariosto’s is an octave stanza, and Scott’s any thing but a stanza.  If you think Scott will dislike it, say so, and I will expunge.  I do not call him the ‘Scotch Ariosto,’ which would be sad provincial eulogy, but the ’Ariosto of the North, meaning of all countries that are not the South. * *

     “As I have recently troubled you rather frequently, I will
     conclude, repeating that I am

     “Yours ever,” &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 299.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “October 12. 1817.

“Mr. Kinnaird and his brother, Lord Kinnaird, have been here, and are now gone again.  All your missives came, except the tooth-powder, of which I request further supplies, at all convenient opportunities; as also of magnesia and soda-powders, both great luxuries here, and neither to be had good, or indeed hardly at all, of the natives. * * *

“In * ’s Life, I perceive an attack upon the then Committee of D.L.  Theatre for acting Bertram, and an attack upon Maturin’s Bertram for being acted.  Considering all things, this is not very grateful nor graceful on the part of the worthy autobiographer; and I would answer, if I had _not_ obliged him.  Putting my own pains to forward the views of * out