.

"I hope Hodgson is in a fair way on the same voyage--I saw him and
his idol at Hastings. I wish he would be married at the same
time,--I should like to make a party,--like people electrified in a
row, by (or rather through) the same chain, holding one another's
hands, and all feeling the shock at once. I have not yet apprised
him of this. He makes such a serious matter of all these things,
and is so 'melancholy and gentlemanlike,' that it is quite
overcoming to us choice spirits.

"They say one shouldn't be married in a black coat. I won't have a
blue one,--that's flat. I hate it.

"Yours," &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 206. TO MR. COWELL.

"October 22. 1814.

"My dear Cowell,

"Many and sincere thanks for your kind letter--the bet, or rather
forfeit, was one hundred to Hawke, and fifty to Hay (nothing to
Kelly), for a guinea received from each of the two former.[50] I
shall feel much obliged by your setting me right if I am incorrect
in this statement in any way, and have reasons for wishing you to
recollect as much as possible of what passed, and state it to
Hodgson. My reason is this: some time ago Mr. * * * required a bet
of me which I never made, and of course refused to pay, and have
heard no more of it; to prevent similar mistakes is my object in
wishing you to remember well what passed, and to put Hodgson in
possession of your memory on the subject.

"I hope to see you soon in my way through Cambridge. Remember me to
H., and believe me ever and truly," &c.

[Footnote 50: He had agreed to forfeit these sums to the persons
mentioned, should he ever marry.]

* * * * *

Soon after the date of this letter, Lord Byron had to pay a visit to
Cambridge for the purpose of voting for Mr. Clarke, who had been
started by Trinity College as one of the candidates for Sir Busick
Harwood's Professorship. On this occasion, a circumstance occurred which
could not but be gratifying to him. As he was delivering in his vote to
the Vice-Chancellor, in the Senate House, the under-graduates in the
gallery ventured to testify their admiration of him by a general murmur
of applause and stamping of the feet. For this breach of order, the
gallery was immediately cleared by order of the Vice-Chancellor.

At the beginning of the month of Dec