attempt * * * *. His length alone prevented me from trying my part,
though I should have been less severe upon the Reviewee.

"Your seal is the best and prettiest of my set, and I thank you
very much therefor. I have just been--or rather, ought to be--very
much shocked by the death of the Duke of Dorset. We were at school
together, and there I was passionately attached to him. Since, we
have never met--but once, I think, since 1805--and it would be a
paltry affectation to pretend that I had any feeling for him worth
the name. But there was a time in my life when this event would
have broken my heart; and all I can say for it now is that--it is
not worth breaking.

"Adieu--it is all a farce."

[Footnote 70: A seal, with the head of Anacreon, which I had given him.]

[Footnote 71: I had taken the liberty of laughing a little at the manner
in which some of his Hebrew Melodies had been set to music.]

* * * * *

LETTER 216. TO MR. MOORE.

"March 2. 1815.

"My dear Thom,

"Jeffrey has sent me the most friendly of all possible letters, and
has accepted * *'s article. He says he has long liked not only, &c.
&c. but my 'character.' This must be _your_ doing, you dog--ar'nt
you ashamed of yourself, knowing me so well? This is what one gets
for having you for a father confessor.

"I feel merry enough to send you a sad song.[72] You once asked me
for some words which you would set. Now you may set or not, as you
like,--but there they are, in a legible hand[73], and not in mine,
but of my own scribbling; so you may say of them what you please.
Why don't you write to me? I shall make you 'a speech'[74] if you
don't respond quickly.

"I am in such a state of sameness and stagnation, and so totally
occupied in consuming the fruits--and sauntering--and playing dull
games at cards--and yawning--and trying to read old Annual
Registers and the daily papers--and gathering shells on the
shore--and watching the growth of stunted gooseberry bushes in the
garden--that I have neither time nor sense to say more than yours
ever, B.

"P.S. I open my letter again to put a question to you. What would
Lady C----k, or any other fashionable Pidcock, give to collect you
and Jeffrey and me to _one_ party? I have been answering his
le