444. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, August 16. 1821.

"I regret that Holmes can't or won't come: it is rather shabby, as
I was always very civil and punctual with him. But he is but one *
* more. One meets with none else among the English.

"I wait the proofs of the MSS. with proper impatience.

"So you have published, or mean to publish, the new Juans? Ar'n't
you afraid of the Constitutional Assassination of Bridge Street?
When first I saw the name of _Murray_, I thought it had been yours;
but was solaced by seeing that your synonyme is an attorneo, and
that you are not one of that atrocious crew.

"I am in a great discomfort about the probable war, and with my
trustees not getting me out of the funds. If the funds break, it is
my intention to go upon the highway. All the other English
professions are at present so ungentlemanly by the conduct of those
who follow them, that open robbing is the only fair resource left
to a man of any principles; it is even honest, in comparison, by
being undisguised.

"I wrote to you by last post, to say that you had done the handsome
thing by Moore and the Memoranda. You are very good as times go,
and would probably be still better but for the 'march of events'
(as Napoleon called it), which won't permit any body to be better
than they should be.

"Love to Gifford. Believe me, &c.

"P.S. I restore Smith's letter, whom thank for his good opinion. Is
the bust by Thorwaldsen arrived?"

* * * * *

LETTER 445. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, August 23. 1821.

"Enclosed are the two acts corrected. With regard to the charges
about the shipwreck, I think that I told both you and Mr. Hobhouse,
years ago, that there was not a _single circumstance_ of it not
taken from _fact_; not, indeed, from any _single_ shipwreck, but
all from actual facts of different wrecks[46]. Almost all Don Juan
is _real_ life, either my own, or from people I knew. By the way,
much of the description of the _furniture_, in Canto third, is
taken from _Tully's Tripoli_ (pray _note this_), and the rest from
my own observation. Remember, I never meant to conceal this at all,
and have only not stated it, because Don Juan had no preface nor
name to it. If you think it worth while to make this statement, do