As I said before, I am really a great admirer of tangible religion; and am breeding one of my daughters a Catholic, that she may have her hands full.  It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology.  What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real presence, confession, absolution,—­there is something sensible to grasp at.  Besides, it leaves no possibility of doubt; for those who swallow their Deity, really and truly, in transubstantiation, can hardly find any thing else otherwise than easy of digestion.

“I am afraid that this sounds flippant, but I don’t mean it to be so; only my turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd point of view, that it breaks out in spite of me every now and then.  Still, I do assure you that I am a very good Christian.  Whether you will believe me in this, I do not know; but I trust you will take my word for being

     “Very truly and affectionately yours, &c.

“P.S.  Do tell Murray that one of the conditions of peace is, that he publisheth (or obtaineth a publisher for) * * ’s Commentary on Dante, against which there appears in the trade an unaccountable repugnance.  It will make the man so exuberantly happy.  He dines with me and half-a-dozen English to-day; and I have not the heart to tell him how the bibliopolar world shrink from his Commentary;—­and yet it is full of the most orthodox religion and morality.  In short, I make it a point that he shall be in print.  He is such a good-natured, heavy- * Christian, that we must give him a shove through the press.  He naturally thirsts to be an author, and has been the happiest of men for these two months, printing, correcting, collating, dating, anticipating, and adding to his treasures of learning.  Besides, he has had another fall from his horse into a ditch the other day, while riding out with me into the country.”

* * * * *

LETTER 486.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Pisa, March 15. 1822.

     “I am glad that you and your friends approve of my letter of the
     8th ultimo.  You may give it what publicity you think proper in the
     circumstances.  I have since written to you twice or thrice.

“As to ‘a Poem in the old way,’ I shall attempt of that kind nothing further.  I follow the bias of my own mind, without considering whether women or men are or are not to be pleased; but this is nothing to my publisher, who must judge and act according to popularity.

     “Therefore let the things take their chance:  if they pay, you
     will pay me in proportion; and if they don’t, I must.