“I trust you like Newstead, and agree with your neighbours; but you know you are a vixen—­is not that a dutiful appellation?  Pray, take care of my books and several boxes of papers in the hands of Joseph; and pray leave me a few bottles of champagne to drink, for I am very thirsty;—­but I do not insist on the last article, without you like it.  I suppose you have your house full of silly women, prating scandalous things.  Have you ever received my picture in oil from Sanders, London?  It has been paid for these sixteen months:  why do you not get it?  My suite, consisting of two Turks, two Greeks, a Lutheran, and the nondescript, Fletcher, are making so much noise, that I am glad to sign myself

“Yours, &c. &c.

BYRON.”

A day or two after the date of this, he left Athens in company with the Marquis of Sligo.  Having travelled together as far as Corinth, they from thence branched off in different directions,—­Lord Sligo to pay a visit to the capital of the Morea, and Lord Byron to proceed to Patras, where he had some business, as will be seen by the following letter, with the English consul, Mr. Strane:—­

LETTER 47.

TO MRS. BYRON.

“Patras, July 30. 1810.

“Dear Madam,

“In four days from Constantinople, with a favourable wind, I arrived in the frigate at the island of Ceos, from whence I took a boat to Athens, where I met my friend the Marquis of Sligo, who expressed a wish to proceed with me as far as Corinth.  At Corinth we separated, he for Tripolitza, I for Patras, where I had some business with the consul, Mr. Strane, in whose house I now write.  He has rendered me every service in his power since I quitted Malta on my way to Constantinople, whence I have written to you twice or thrice.  In a few days I visit the Pacha at Tripolitza, make the tour of the Morea, and return again to Athens, which at present is my head-quarters.  The heat is at present intense.  In England, if it reaches 98 deg., you are all on fire:  the other day, in travelling between Athens and Megara, the thermometer was at 125 deg.!!!  Yet I feel no inconvenience; of course I am much bronzed, but I live temperately, and never enjoyed better health.

“Before I left Constantinople, I saw the Sultan (with Mr. Adair), and the interior of the mosques, things which rarely happen to travellers.  Mr. Hobhouse is gone to England:  I am in no hurry to return, but have no particular communications for your country, except my surprise at Mr. H——­’s silence, and my desire that he will remit regularly.  I suppose some arrangement has been made with regard to Wymondham and Rochdale.  Malta is my post-office, or to Mr. Strane, consul-general, Patras, Morea.  You complain of my silence—­I have written twenty or thirty times within the last year:  never less than twice a month, and often more.  If my letters do not arrive, you must not conclude