“Will you forward the letter to Mr. Gilford with the proof?  There
     is an alteration I may make in Zuleika’s speech, in second Canto
     (the only one of hers in that Canto).  It is now thus: 

        “And curse, if I could curse, the day.

     It must be—­

        “And mourn—­I dare not curse—­the day
        That saw my solitary birth, &c. &c.

     “Ever yours, B.

     “In the last MS. lines sent, instead of ‘living heart,’ convert to
     ‘quivering heart.’  It is in line ninth of the MS. passage.

     “Ever yours again, B.”

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Alteration of a line in Canto second.

     “Instead of—­

        “And tints to-morrow with a fancied ray,

Print—­

“And tints to-morrow with prophetic ray.

“The evening beam that smiles the clouds away
And tints to-morrow with prophetic ray;

Or,

             {_gilds_}
        “And { tints } the hope of morning with its ray;

Or,

“And gilds to-morrow’s hope with heavenly ray.

“I wish you would ask Mr. Gifford which of them is best, or rather
not worst.  Ever, &c.

“You can send the request contained in this at the same time with
the revise, after I have seen the said revise.”

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Nov. 13. 1813.

“Certainly.  Do you suppose that no one but the Galileans are acquainted with Adam, and Eve, and Cain[109], and Noah?—­Surely, I might have had Solomon, and Abraham, and David, and even Moses.  When you know that Zuleika is the Persian poetical name for Potiphar’s wife, on whom and Joseph there is a long poem, in the Persian, this will not surprise you.  If you want authority, look at Jones, D’Herbelot, Vathek, or the notes to the Arabian Nights; and, if you think it necessary, model this into a note.

     “Alter, in the inscription, ‘the most affectionate respect,’ to
     ‘with every sentiment of regard and respect.’”

[Footnote 109:  Some doubt had been expressed by Mr. Murray as to the propriety of his putting the name of Cain into the mouth of a Mussulman.]

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Nov. 14. 1813.

“I send you a note for the ignorant, but I really wonder at finding you among them.  I don’t care one lump of sugar for my poetry; but for my costume and my correctness on those points (of which I think the funeral was a proof), I will combat lustily.

     “Yours,” &c.

* * * * *

     “Nov. 14. 1813.