f the
representation of the 'Clouds,'and thus gets to his 'symbol'--'le
pazzie fatte spacciare a Socrate in quella commedia ... il misero in
tanto scherno e derisione del pubblico, che perfino i vasai
dipingevano il suo ritratto sopra gli orci, i fiaschi, i boccali, e
ogni vasellamento da piu vile servigio. Cosi quel sommo filosofo ...
fu condotto a far di se par le case d'Atene una continua commedia, con
solamente vederlo comparir cosi scontraffatto e ridicolo, come i vasai
sel formavano d'invenzione'--

There you have what a very clever man can say in choice Tuscan on a
passage in AElian which he takes care not to quote nor allude to, but
which is the sole authority for the fact. AElian, speaking of Socrates'
magnanimity, says that on the first representation, a good many
foreigners being present who were at a loss to know 'who could be this
Socrates'--the sage himself stood up that he might be pointed out to
them by the auditory at large ... 'which' says AElian--'was no
difficulty for them, to whom his features were most familiar,--_the
very potters being in the habit of decorating their vessels with his
likeness_'--no doubt out of a pleasant and affectionate admiration.
Yet see how 'people' can turn this out of its sense,--'say' their say
on the simplest, plainest word or deed, and change it to its opposite!
'God's great gift of speech abused' indeed!

But what shall we hear of it _there_, my Siren?

On Monday--is it not? _Who_ was it looked into the room just at our
leave-taking?

Bless you, my ever dearest,--remember to walk, to go down-stairs--and
be sure that I will endeavour to get well for my part. To-day I am
very well--with this letter!

Your own.

_E.B.B. to R.B._

Friday Evening.
[Post-mark, March 7, 1846.]

Always _you_, is it, who torments me? always _you_? Well! I agree to
bear the torments as Socrates his persecution by the potters:--and by
the way he liked those potters, as Plato shows, and was fain to go to
them for his illustrations ... as I to you for all my light. Also,
while we are on the subject, I will tell you another fault of your
Bartoli ... his 'choice Tuscan' filled one of my pages, in the place
of my English better than Tuscan.

For the letter you mentioned, I meant to have said in mine yesterday,
that I was grateful to you for telling me of it--_that_ was o