who object to an advantageous loan which I was to furnish to a nobleman on mortgage, because his property is in Ireland, have shown me how a man is treated in his absence.  Oh, if I do come back, I will make some of those who little dream of it spin—­or they or I shall go down.”

[Footnote 28:  To the letter which enclosed this protest, and which has been omitted to avoid repetitions, he had subjoined a passage from Spence’s Anecdotes (p. 197. of Singer’s edition), where Pope says, speaking of himself, “I had taken such strong resolutions against any thing of that kind, from seeing how much every body that did write for the stage was obliged to subject themselves to the players and the town.”—­Spence’s Anecdotes, p. 22.

In the same paragraph, Pope is made to say, “After I had got acquainted with the town, I resolved never to write any thing for the stage, though solicited by many of my friends to do so, and particularly Betterton.”]

[Footnote 29:  No further step was ever taken in this affair; and the documents, which were of no use whatever, are, I believe, still in Mr. Murray’s possession.]

[Footnote 30:  The self-will of Lord Byron was in no point more conspicuous than in the determination with which he thus persisted in giving the preference to one or two works of his own which, in the eyes of all other persons, were most decided failures.  Of this class was the translation from Pulci, so frequently mentioned by him, which appeared afterwards in the Liberal, and which, though thus rescued from the fate of remaining unpublished, roust for ever, I fear, submit to the doom of being unread.]

* * * * *

LETTER 407.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “January 20. 1821.

“I did not think to have troubled you with the plague and postage of a double letter this time, but I have just read in an Italian paper, ‘That Lord Byron has a tragedy coming out,’ &c. &c. &c. and that the Courier and Morning Chronicle, &c. &c. are pulling one another to pieces about it and him, &c.

“Now I do reiterate and desire, that every thing may be done to prevent it from coming out on any theatre, for which it never was designed, and on which (in the present state of the stage of London) it could never succeed.  I have sent you my appeal by last post, which you must publish in case of need; and I require you even in your own name (if my honour is dear to you) to declare that such representation would be contrary to my wish and to my judgment.  If you do not wish to drive me mad altogether, you will hit upon some way to prevent this.

     “Yours, &c.