“I have looked over and corrected one proof, but not so carefully (God knows if you can read it through, but I can’t) as to preclude your eye from discovering some omission of mine or commission of your printer.  If you have patience, look it over.  Do you know any body who can stop—­I mean point—­commas, and so forth? for I am, I hear, a sad hand at your punctuation.  I have, but with some difficulty, not added any more to this snake of a poem, which has been lengthening its rattles every month.  It is now fearfully long, being more than a Canto and a half of Childe Harold, which contains but 882 lines per book, with all late additions inclusive.

“The last lines Hodgson likes.  It is not often he does, and when he don’t he tells me with great energy, and I fret and alter.  I have thrown them in to soften the ferocity of our Infidel, and, for a dying man, have given him a good deal to say for himself.

     “I was quite sorry to hear you say you stayed in town on my
     account, and I hope sincerely you did not mean so superfluous a
     piece of politeness.

     “Our six critiques!—­they would have made half a Quarterly by
     themselves; but this is the age of criticism.”

* * * * *

The following refer apparently to a still later edition.

LETTER 131.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Stilton, Oct. 3. 1813.

     “I have just recollected an alteration you may make in the proof to
     be sent to Aston.—­Among the lines on Hassan’s Serai, not far from
     the beginning, is this—­

        “Unmeet for Solitude to share.

     Now to share implies more than one, and Solitude is a single
     gentleman; it must be thus—­

        “For many a gilded chamber’s there,
        Which Solitude might well forbear;

     and so on.—­My address is Aston Hall, Rotherham.

     “Will you adopt this correction? and pray accept a Stilton cheese
     from me for your trouble.  Ever yours, B.

     “If[75] the old line stands let the other run thus—­

        “Nor there will weary traveller halt,
        To bless the sacred bread and salt.

     “Note.—­To partake of food—­to break bread and taste salt with
     your host, ensures the safety of the guest; even though an enemy,
     his person from that moment becomes sacred.

     “There is another additional note sent yesterday—­on the Priest in
     the Confessional.

     “P.S.—­I leave this to your discretion; if any body thinks the old
     line a good one or the cheese a bad one, don’t accept either.  But,
     in that case, the word share is repeated soon after in the line—­

        “To share the master’s bread and salt;