you live near the stove of society, where you are unavoidably influenced by its heat and its vapours.  I did so once—­and too much—­and enough to give a colour to my whole future existence.  As my success in society was not inconsiderable, I am surely not a prejudiced judge upon the subject, unless in its favour; but I think it, as now constituted, fatal to all great original undertakings of every kind.  I never courted it then, when I was young and high in blood, and one of its ‘curled darlings;’ and do you think I would do so now, when I am living in a clearer atmosphere?  One thing only might lead me back to it, and that is, to try once more if I could do any good in politics; but not in the petty politics I see now preying upon our miserable country.

“Do not let me be misunderstood, however.  If you speak your own opinions, they ever had, and will have, the greatest weight with me.  But if you merely echo the ‘monde,’ (and it is difficult not to do so, being in its favour and its ferment,) I can only regret that you should ever repeat any thing to which I cannot pay attention.

     “But I am prosing.  The gods go with you, and as much immortality of
     all kinds as may suit your present and all other existence.

     “Yours,” &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 483.  TO MR. MOORE.

     “Pisa, March 6. 1822.

“The enclosed letter from Murray hath melted me; though I think it is against his own interest to wish that I should continue his connection.  You may, therefore, send him the packet of Werner, which will save you all further trouble.  And pray, can you forgive me for the bore and expense I have already put upon you?  At least, say so—­for I feel ashamed of having given you so much for such nonsense.

“The fact is, I cannot keep my resentments, though violent enough in their onset.  Besides, now that all the world are at Murray on my account, I neither can nor ought to leave him; unless, as I really thought, it were better for him that I should.

     “I have had no other news from England, except a letter from Barry
     Cornwall, the bard, and my old school-fellow.  Though I have
     sickened you with letters lately, believe me

     “Yours, &c.

“P.S.  In your last letter you say, speaking of Shelley, that you would almost prefer the ‘damning bigot’ to the ’annihilating infidel.’[75] Shelley believes in immortality, however—­but this by the way.  Do you remember Frederick the Great’s answer to the remonstrance of the villagers whose curate preached against the eternity of hell’s torments?  It was thus:—­’If my faithful subjects of Schrausenhaussen prefer being eternally damned, let them.’