er, and nearly ready for publication. He had,
before I left town, repeated to me, as we were on our way to some
evening party, the first one hundred and twenty lines of the poem, which
he had written the day before,--at the same time giving me a general
sketch of the characters and the story.

His short notes to Mr. Murray, during the printing of this work, are of
the same impatient and whimsical character as those, of which I have
already given specimens, in my account of his preceding publications:
but, as matter of more interest now presses upon us, I shall forbear
from transcribing them at length. In one of them he says, "I have just
corrected some of the most horrible blunders that ever crept into a
proof:"--in another, "I hope the next proof will be better; this was one
which would have consoled Job, if it had been of his 'enemy's book:'"
--a third contains only the following words: "Dear sir, you demanded
more _battle_--there it is.

"Yours," &c.

The two letters that immediately follow were addressed to me, at this
time, in town.

LETTER 187. TO MR. MOORE.

"July 8. 1814.

"I returned to town last night, and had some hopes of seeing you
to-day, and would have called,--but I have been (though in
exceeding distempered good health) a little head-achy with free
living, as it is called, and am now at the freezing point of
returning soberness. Of course, I should be sorry that our parallel
lines did not deviate into intersection before you return to the
country,--after that same nonsuit[38], whereof the papers have
told us,--but, as you must be much occupied, I won't be affronted,
should your time and business militate against our meeting.

"Rogers and I have almost coalesced into a joint invasion of the
public. Whether it will take place or not, I do not yet know, and I
am afraid Jacqueline (which is very beautiful) will be in bad
company.[39] But in this case, the lady will not be the sufferer.

"I am going to the sea, and then to Scotland; and I have been doing
nothing,--that is, no good,--and am very truly," &c.

[Footnote 38: He alludes to an action for piracy brought by Mr. Power
(the publisher of my musical works), to the trial of which I had been
summoned as a witness.]

[Footnote 39: Lord Byron afterwards proposed that I should make a third
in this publication; but the honour was a perilous one, and I begged
leave to