You need not take the trouble to answer this, as I shall see you in the course of the afternoon.

“P.S.  I have said this much about the epigrams, because I lived so much in the opposite camp, and, from my post as an engineer, might be suspected as the flinger of these hand-grenadoes; but with a worthy foe, I am all for open war, and not this bushfighting, and have not had, nor will have, any thing to do with it.  I do not know the author.”

[Footnote 113:  Penrose’s Journal.]

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Nov. 30. 1813.

     “Print this at the end of all that is of ‘The Bride of Abydos,’
     as an errata page.  BN.

     “Omitted, Canto 2d, page 47., after line 449.,

        “So that those arms cling closer round my neck.

     Read,

        “Then if my lip once murmur, it must be
        No sigh for safety, but a prayer for thee.”

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Tuesday evening, Nov. 30. 1813.

“For the sake of correctness, particularly in an errata page, the alteration of the couplet I have just sent (half an hour ago) must take place, in spite of delay or cancel; let me see the proof early to-morrow.  I found out murmur to be a neuter verb, and have been obliged to alter the line so as to make it a substantive, thus—­

        “The deepest murmur of this lip shall be
        No sigh for safety, but a prayer for thee!

     Don’t send the copies to the country till this is all right.”

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Dec. 2. 1813.

“When you can, let the couplet enclosed be inserted either in the page, or in the errata page.  I trust it is in time for some of the copies.  This alteration is in the same part—­the page but one before the last correction sent.

“P.S.  I am afraid, from all I hear, that people are rather inordinate in their expectations, which is very unlucky, but cannot now be helped.  This comes of Mr. Perry and one’s wise friends; but do not you wind your hopes of success to the same pitch, for fear of accidents, and I can assure you that my philosophy will stand the test very fairly; and I have done every thing to ensure you, at all events, from positive loss, which will be some satisfaction to both.”

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Dec. 3. 1813.

“I send you a scratch or two, the which heal.  The Christian Observer is very savage, but certainly well written—­and quite uncomfortable at the naughtiness of book and author.  I rather suspect you won’t much like the present to be more moral, if it is to share also the usual fate of your virtuous volumes.

     “Let me see a proof of the six before incorporation.”