d,
he is, to my knowledge, the _least_ selfish and the mildest of
men--a man who has made more sacrifices of his fortune and feelings
for others than any I ever heard of. With his speculative opinions
I have nothing in common, nor desire to have.

"The truth is, my dear Moore, you live near the _stove_ of society,
where you are unavoidably influenced by its heat and its vapours. I
did so once--and too much--and enough to give a colour to my whole
future existence. As my success in society was _not_
inconsiderable, I am surely not a prejudiced judge upon the
subject, unless in its favour; but I think it, as now constituted,
_fatal_ to all great original undertakings of every kind. I never
courted it _then_, when I was young and high in blood, and one of
its 'curled darlings;' and do you think I would do so _now_, when I
am living in a clearer atmosphere? One thing _only_ might lead me
back to it, and that is, to try once more if I could do any good in
_politics_; but _not_ in the petty politics I see now preying upon
our miserable country.

"Do not let me be misunderstood, however. If you speak your _own_
opinions, they ever had, and will have, the greatest weight with
_me_. But if you merely _echo_ the 'monde,' (and it is difficult
not to do so, being in its favour and its ferment,) I can only
regret that you should ever repeat any thing to which I cannot pay
attention.

"But I am prosing. The gods go with you, and as much immortality of
all kinds as may suit your present and all other existence.

"Yours," &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 483. TO MR. MOORE.

"Pisa, March 6. 1822.

"The enclosed letter from Murray hath melted me; though I think it
is against his own interest to wish that I should continue his
connection. You may, therefore, send him the packet of _Werner,_
which will save you all further trouble. And pray, _can you_
forgive me for the bore and expense I have already put upon you? At
least, _say_ so--for I feel ashamed of having given you so much for
such nonsense.

"The fact is, I cannot _keep_ my _resentments,_ though violent
enough in their onset. Besides, now that all the world are at
Murray on my account, I neither can nor ought to leave him; unless,
as I really thought, it were be