the most gaseous glow of the gas-light company. My chimney-board
has just been thrown down by a gust of wind: I thought that it was
the 'Bold Thunder' and 'Brisk Lightning' in person.--_Three_ of us
would be too many. There it goes--_flash_ again! but

"I tax not you, ye elements, with unkindness;
I never gave ye _franks_, nor _call'd_ upon you;

as I have done by and upon Mr. Elliston.

"Why do you not write? You should at least send me a line of
particulars: I know nothing yet but by Galignani and the Honourable
Douglas.

"Well, and how does our Pope controversy go on? and the pamphlet?
It is impossible to write any news: the Austrian scoundrels rummage
all letters.

"P.S. I could have sent you a good deal of gossip and some _real_
information, were it not that all letters pass through the
Barbarians' inspection, and I have no wish to inform _them_ of any
thing but my utter abhorrence of them and theirs. They have only
conquered by treachery, however."

[Footnote 38: The account given, by Madame Guiccioli, of his anxiety on
this occasion, fully corroborates his own:--"His quiet was, in spite of
himself, often disturbed by public events, and by the attacks which,
principally in his character of author, the journals levelled at him. In
vain did he protest that he was indifferent to those attacks. The
impression was, it is true, but momentary, and he, from a feeling of
noble pride, but too much disdained to reply to his detractors. But,
however brief his annoyance was, it was sufficiently acute to occasion
him much pain, and to afflict those who loved him. Every occurrence
relative to the bringing Marino Faliero on the stage caused him
excessive inquietude. On, the occasion of an article in the Milan
Gazette, in which mention was made of this affair, he wrote to me in the
following manner:--'You will see here confirmation of what I told you
the other day! I am sacrificed in every way, without knowing the _why_
or the _wherefore_. The tragedy in question is not (nor ever was)
written for, or adapted to, the stage; nevertheless, the plan is not
romantic; it is rather regular than otherwise;--in point of unity of
time, indeed, perfectly regular, and failing but slightly in unity of
place. You well know whether it was ever my intention to have it acted,
since it was written at your side, and at a period assuredly rather more
_t