next work. Colburn, her publisher, who
had just presented her with a beautiful parure of amethysts, now proposed
that she and her husband should go to Italy. "Do it, and get up another
book--the lively lady to sketch men and manners, the metaphysical
balance-wheel contributing the solid chapters on laws, politics, science
and education." They accepted the offer, and received the same
extraordinary attentions as in their former tour. This may be accounted
for by the fact that it was well known that they were to prepare a book on
Italy. It was equally well known that Lady Morgan had a sharp tongue and
still sharper pen; so that people who lived in glass houses, as did many
of the magnates, were remarkably civil to "Miladi," even those who
regarded her tour among them as an unjustifiable invasion. Byron
pronounced this book an excellent and fearless work. During her sojourn in
Italy Lady Morgan became enthusiastic about Salvator Rosa, and began to
collect material for writing the history of his life and times, which was
her own favorite of all her writings.

In 1825 the _Diary_ is started, chatty, full of gossip and incident. She
writes, October 30th: "A ballad-singer was this morning singing beneath my
window in a strain most unmusical and melancholy. My own name caught my
ear, and I sent Thomas out to buy the song. Here is a stanza:

Och, Dublin City, there's no doubting,
Bates every city upon the say:
'Tis there you'll hear O'Connell spouting,
And Lady Morgan making tay;
For 'tis the capital of the foinest nation,
Wid charming pisantry on a fruitful sod,
Fighting like divils for conciliation,
An' hating one another for the love o' God."

_The O'Briens and O'Flahertys_ was published in 1827, and proved more
popular than any of her previous novels. There is an allusion to it in the
interesting account which Lord Albemarle gives us of his acquaintance with
Lady Morgan: "A number of pleasant people used to assemble of an evening
in Lady Morgan's 'nut-shell' in Kildare street. When I first met her she
was in the height of her popularity. In her new novel she tells me I am to
figure as a certain count, a great traveller who made a trip to Jerusalem
for the sole object of eating artichokes in their native country. The
chief attraction in the Kildare street 'at homes' was her sister Olivia
(Lady Clark), who used to compose and sing charming Irish songs, for the
most part squibs on th