ope,
But this, I feel, can ne'er be true;
For, _by the death-blow of my hope,
My Memory immortal grew!_"

We frequently, during the first months of our acquaintance, dined
together alone; and as we had no club, in common, to resort to,--the
Alfred being the only one to which he, at that period, belonged, and I
being then a member of none but Watier's,--our dinners used to be either
at the St. Alban's, or at his old haunt, Stevens's. Though at times he
would drink freely enough of claret, he still adhered to his system of
abstinence in food. He appeared, indeed, to have conceived a notion that
animal food has some peculiar influence on the character; and I
remember, one day, as I sat opposite to him, employed, I suppose, rather
earnestly over a beef-steak, after watching me for a few seconds, he
said, in a grave tone of enquiry,--"Moore, don't you find eating
beef-steak makes you ferocious?"

Understanding me to have expressed a wish to become a member of the
Alfred, he very good-naturedly lost no time in proposing me as a
candidate; but as the resolution which I had then nearly formed of
betaking myself to a country life rendered an additional club in London
superfluous, I wrote to beg that he would, for the present, at least,
withdraw my name: and his answer, though containing little, being the
first familiar note he ever honoured me with, I may be excused for
feeling a peculiar pleasure in inserting it.

[Footnote 39: "Written beneath the picture of ----"]

* * * * *

LETTER 82. TO MR. MOORE.

"December 11. 1811.

"My dear Moore,

"If you please, we will drop our former monosyllables, and adhere
to the appellations sanctioned by our godfathers and godmothers. If
you make it a point, I will withdraw your name; at the same time
there is no occasion, as I have this day postponed your election
'sine die,' till it shall suit your wishes to be amongst us. I do
not say this from any awkwardness the erasure of your proposal
would occasion to _me_, but simply such is the state of the case;
and, indeed, the longer your name is up, the stronger will become
the probability of success, and your voters more numerous. Of
course you will decide--your wish shall be my law. If my zeal has
already outrun discretion, pardon me, and attribute my
officiousness to an excusable motive.

"I wish you would go d