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ΠΛΑ. Βοήθεια, βοήθεια. [Φεύγει ἀπὸ τὴν σκάλαν, ὁ Λέανδρος θέλει νὰ τὴν ἀκολουθήσῃ μὲ τό σπαθί, καὶ ὁ Εὐγ. τὸν βαστᾶ.]

ΤΡΑ. [Μὲ ἕνα ιάτο μὲ φαγὶ εἰς μίαν πετζέτα πηδά ἀπὸ τὸ παραθύρι, καὶ φεύγει εἰς τὸν καφενέ.]

ΠΛΑ. [Εὐγαίνει ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι του παιγνιδιου τρέο χωντας, καὶ φεύγει εἰς τὸ χάνι.]

ΕΥΓ. [Μὲ ἅρματα εἰς τὸ χέρι πρὸς διαφέντευσιν τῆς Πλάτζιδας, ἐναντίον τοῦ Λεάνδρου, ὁπῶ τὴν κατατρέχει.] ΜΑΡ. [Εὐγαίνει καὶ αὐτὸς σιγὰ σιγὰ ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι, καὶ φεύγει λέγωντας.] Rumores fuge. [Ρουμόρες φεύγε.] 1

Οἱ Δούλοι. [ ̓Απὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι ἀπερνοῦν εἰς τὸ χάν, καὶ κλειοὺν τὴν πορταν.]

ΒΙΤ. [Μένει εἰς τὸν καφενέ βοηθημένη ἀπὸ τὸν ̔Ριδόλα φον.]

ΛΕΑ. Δίσετε τόπον· θέλω νὰ ἔμβω νὰ ἔμβω εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ χάνι. [Μὲ τὸ σπαθὶ εἰς τὸ χέρι ἐναντίον τοῦ Εὐα γενίου.]

ΕΥΓ. Οχι, μὴ γένοιτο ποτέ· εἶσαι ἕνας σληρόκαρδος ἐναντίον τῆς γυναικός σου, καὶ ἐγὼ θέλει τήν διαφεντεύσω ὡς εἰς τὸ ὕστερον αἷμα.

ΛΕΑ. Σοῦ κάμνω ὅρκον πῶς θέλει τὸ μετανοιώσῃς. [Κινηγᾷ τὸν Εὐγένιον μὲ τὸ σπαθί.]

ΕΥΓ. Δὲν σὲ φοβοῦμαι. [Κατατρέχει τον Λέανδρον, καὶ τὸν βιάζει νὰ συρθῇ ὀπίσω τόσον, ὁποῦ εὑρισκωντας ἀνοικτὸν τὸ σπῆτι τῆς χορεύτριας, εμβαίνει εἰς αὐτὸ, καὶ σώνεται.]

TRANSLATION.

Platzida, from the Door of the Hotel, and the others.

Pla. Oh God! from the window it seemed that I heard my husband's voice. If he is here, I have arrived in time to make him ashamed. [A servant enters from the Shop.] Boy, tell me, pray, who are in those chambers.

Serv. Three gentlemen : one, Signor Eugenio; the other, Signor Martio, the Neapolitan; and the third, my Lord, the Count Leander Ardenti.

Pla. Flaminio is not amongst these, unless he has changed his name.

Leander. [Within drinking.] Long live the good fortune of Signor Eugenio.

[The whole company, Long live, &c.] (Literally, Νὰ ζῆ, νὰ ζῆ, May he live.)

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Leander. Away, fly from hence !

Pla. Help! help ! [Flies down the stairs, Leander attempt. ing to follow with his sword, Eugenio hinders him.]

[Trapolo, with a plate of meat, leaps over the balcony from the window, and runs into the Coffee-House.]

[Platzida runs out of the Gaming-House, and takes shelter in the Hotel.]

[Martio steals softly out of the Gaming-House, and goes off. exclaiming “ Rumores fuge." The Servants from the GamingHouse enter the Hotel, and shut the door.]

[Victoria remains in the Coffee-House assisted by Ridolpha] [Leander, sucord in hand, opposite Eugenio, ezclaims, Give way — I will enter that Hotel.]

Eugenio. No, that shall never be. You are a scoundrel to your wife, and I will defend her to the last drop of my blood.

Leander. I will give you cause to repent this. [Menaring with his sword.]

Eugenio. I fear you not. [He attacks Leander, and makes him give back so much, that, finding the door of the dancing girl's house open, Leander escapes through, and so finishes.j2

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Ἐγὼ σᾶς εὐχαριστῶ.

Σας γνωρίζω χάριν.

Σᾶς εἶμαι ὑπόχρεος κατὰ πολλά.

Pla. Without doubt that is my husband. [To the Serv.] | Ἐγὼ θέλω τὸ κάμει μετὰ χα

My good man, do me the favour to accompany me above to those gentlemen: I have some business.

Serv. At your commands. [Aside.] The old office of us waiters. [He goes out of the Gaming-House.]

Ridolpho. [To Victoria on another part of the Stage.]
Courage, courage, be of good cheer, it is nothing.
Victoria. I feel as if about to die. [Leaning on him as i

fainting.]

[From the windows above all within are seen rising from table in confusion: Leander starts at the sight of Platzida, and appears by his gestures to threaten her life.] Eugenio. No, stop

1 Λόγος λατινικός, ὁποῦ θέλει νὰ εἰπῇ φεύγε ταῖς σύγχισης. 2 Σώνεται "finishes akwardly enough, but it is the literal translation of the Romaic. The original of this comedy of Goldoni's I never read, but it does not appear one of his best. "Il Bugiardo is one of the most lively; but I do not think it has been translated into Romaic: It is much more amusing ban our own " Liar," by Foote. The character of Lelio is better drawn than Young Wilding. Goldoni's comedies amount

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ράς.

Μὲ ὅλην μου τὴν καρδίαν.
Μὲ καλήν μου καρδίαν.
Σᾶς εἶμαὶ ὑπόχρεος.
Εἶμαι ὅλος ἐδίκος σας.
Ταπεινότατος δοῦλος.
Εἶμαι δοῦλος σας.

Εἶστε κατὰ πολλὰ εὐγενικός.
Πολλὰ πειράζεσθε.

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With all my heart.
Most cordially.

I am obliged to you.

I am wholly yours.

I am your serrant.

Your most humble servant.

You are too obliging. You take too much trou. ble.

to fitt : some perhaps the best in Europe, and others the wore. His Life is also one of the best specimens of autobiography, and, as, Gibbon has observed, "more dramatic than any of his pays." The above scene was selected as containing some of the most familiar Komaic idioms: not for any wit which it displays, since there is more done than said, the greater part consisting of stage directions. The original is one of the few comedies by Goldoni which is without the buffoonery of the speaking Harlequin.

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THE INSCRIPTIONS AT ORCHOMENUS FROM MELETIUS.

ΟΡΧΟΜΕΝΟΣ, κοινῶς Σκριπού, Πόλις ποτὲ πλουσια τάτη καὶ ἰσχυρωτάτη, πρότερον καλουμένη Βοιωτικαὶ ̓Αθῆναι, εἰς τὴν ὁποίαν ἦτον ὁ Ναὸς τῶν Χαρίτων, εἰς τὸν ὁποῖον ἐπλήρωναν τέλη οἱ Θηβαῖοι, οὗτινος τὸ ἔδαφος ἀνεσκάφθε ποτὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ̓Ασπαλάγκων. Ἐπανηγύριζον εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν Πόλιν τὰ Χαριτήσια, τοῦ ὁποίου ̓Αγῶνος εὗρον ἐπιγραφὰς ἐν στήλαις ἔνδον τοῦ κτισθέντος Ναοῦ ἐπ ̓ ὀνό ματι τῆς Θεοτόκου, ὑπὸ τοῦ Πρωτοσπαθαρίου Λέοντος, ἐπὶ τῶν Βασιλέων Βασιλείου, Λέοντος, καὶ Κωνσταντίνου, ἐχούσ σας οὕτως. Εν μὲν τῇ μιᾷ κοινῶς.

« Οἴδε ἐνίκων τὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν χαριτησίων. Η Σαλπιστής.

“ Μῆνις ̓Απολλωνίου ̓Αντιοχεὺς ἀπὸ Μαιάνδρου.

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«'Ανδρας Αὐλητάς. “ Διοκλῆς Καλλιμήδου Θηβαῖος. σε "Ανδρας ηγεμόνας. « Ρόδιππος 'Ροδίππου Αργεῖος. “ Τραγωδός.

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• Ιπποκράτης ̓Αριστομένους 'Ρόδιος. « Κωμωδός.

“ Καλλίστρατος Εξακέστου Θηβαῖος.

"

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“ Μνασίνω ἄρχοντος ἀγωνοθετίοντος τὸν Χαριτείσιον, εὐαριόστω πάντων οἳ τυΐδε ἐνικώσαν τὰ χαριτείτια.

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Νικόστρατος Φιλοστράτω Θείθειος.

« Τὰ ἐπινίκεια Κωμαευδός.

· Εὔαρχος Ηροδότω Κορωνεύς.”

Ἐν ἄλλῳ Λίθω.

· Μύριχος Πολυκράτους Ιαρώνυμος διογίτωνος ἄνδρεσσι χοραγείσαντες νικάσαντες διονύσου ἀνέθηκαν τίμωνος ἄρχοντος αὐλίοντος κλέος ᾄδοντος ἀλκισθένιος.

Εν ἑτέρῳ Λίθω.

σε συνάρχω ἄρχοντος, μεινὸς θεολουθία, ἀρχι .......... ας « Εὔβωλι ἀρχεδάμω φωκεῖα ......... ὃς ἀπέδωκα ἀπὸ τὰς σουγγραφῶ πέδα τῶν πολεμάρχων, κὴ τῶν κατοπτάων, σε ἀνελόμενος τὰς σουγγραφὼς τὰς κιμένας πὰρ εὐφρόνα, « κὴ φιδίαν κὴ πασικλεῖν .......... κὴ τιμόμείδον φωκείας, σε κὴ δαμοτελεῖν λυσιδάμω, κὴ δίονυσον καφισοδίω χερο σε γεῖα κατ τὸ ψαφισμα το δάμω.

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ΜΟΥ ΕΤΡΙΠ

συνάρχω ἄρχοντος, μεινὸς ἀλαλκομενίω F ἀρνῶν πολύ σε κλειος ταμίας ἀπέδωκε εὔβωλυ ἀρχεδάμω φωκεῖν ἀπὸ " τᾶς σουγγραφῶ τὸ καταλύπον κατ τὸ ψάφισμα τω « δάμω, ἀνελόμενος τὰς σουγγραφὼς τὰς κίμενας παρ σε σώφιλον, κὴ εὐφρονα φωκέας. Κὴ πὰρ διωνύσιον και φισοδώρου χηρωνέα, κὴ λυσίδαμον δαμοτέλιος πέδα τῶν πολεμάρχων, κὴ τῶν κατοπτάων.

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ΠΙ ΕΙΕΓΕΙ III H

“ Αρχοντος ἐν ἐρχομενὸ συνάρχω, μενὸς ̓Αλαλκομενίω, ἐν δὲ ς ἐλατίη Μενοίταο ̓Αρχελάω μεινὸς πράτω. Ομολο γα Εὔβωλυ F ἐλατίη, ὁ κὴ τῇ πόλι ἐρχομενίων. Επειδή κεκομίστῃ Εὔβωλος πὰρ τῆς πόλιος τὸ δάνειον ἅπαν κάτ τὰς ὁμολογίας τὰς τεθίσας συνάρχω άρχοντος, μεινὸς Θεολουθίω, κὴ οὐτ ὀφειλέτη αὐτῷ ἔτι οὐθὲν τὰς τὰν · πόλιν, ἀλλ ̓ ἀπέχι πάντα περὶ παντὸς, κὴ ἀποδελόανθε τῇ πόλι τὸ ἔχοντες τὰς ὁμολογίας, εἰ μὲν ποτὶ δεδομέν

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ΟΣΟΙ εἰς βιβλία παντοδαπὰ ἐντρυφῶσιν, ἠξεύρουν πόσον εἶναι τὸ χρήσιμον τῆς Ιστορίας, δι' αὐτῆς γὰρ ἐξευρίσκε ται η πλέον μεμακρυσμένη παλαιότης, καὶ θεωροῦνται ὡς ἐν κατόπτρῳ ἤθη, πράξεις καὶ διοικήσεις πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων Εθνῶν καὶ Γενῶν ων τὴν μνήμην διεσώσατο καὶ διασώσει ἡ ἱστορικὴ Διήγησις εἰς αἰῶνα τὸν ἅπαντα.

Μία τέτοια Επιστήμη εἶναι εὐαπόκτητος, καὶ ἐν ταυτῶ ἀφέλιμη, ἡ κρεῖττον εἰπεῖν ἀναγκαία· διατὶ λοιπὸν ἡμεῖς μόνοι νὰ τὴν ὑστερούμεθα, μὴ ἠξεύροντες οὔτε τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν Προγόνων μας, πόθεν πότε καὶ πως εὑρέθησαν εἰς τὰς Πατρίδας μας, οὔτε τὰ ἤθη, τὰ κατορθώματα καὶ τὴν διοίκησίν των ̓Αν ἐρωτήσωμεν τοὺς ̓Αλλογενεῖς, ἠξεύρουν νὰ μᾶς δώσουν ὄχιμόνον ἱστορικῶς τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν πρόοδον τῶν προγόνων μας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοπογραφικῶς μᾶς δείχνουν τὰς θέσεις τῶν Πατρίδων μας, καὶ οἱονεὶ χειρα. γωγοί γινόμενοι μὲ τοὺς γεωγραφικούς τῶν Πίνακας, μᾶς λέγουν, ἐδὼ εἶναι αἱ ̓Αθῆναι, ἐδῶ ἡ Σπάρτη, ἐκεῖ αἱ Θῆβαι, τόσα στάδια ἢ μίλια απέχει ἡ μία Επαρχία ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλην. Τοῦτος οικοδόμησε την μίαν πόλιν, ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἄλ λην καὶ τξ. Προσέτι ἂν ἐρωτήσωμεν αὐτοὺς τοὺς μὴ Ελα ληνας χειραγωγούς μας, πόθεν ἐπαρακινήθησαν νὰ ἐξερευνήσουν ἀρχὰς τόσον παλαιὰς, ἀνυποστόλως μᾶς ἀποκρίνονται μὲ αὐτοὺς τοὺς λόγους. “ Καθὼς ὁ ἐκ Σκυθίας Ανάχαρσις, “ ἂν δὲν ἐπερείρχετο τὰ πανευφρόσυνα ἐκεῖνα κλίματα. τῆς ̔Ελλάδος, ἂν δὲν ἐμφορεῖτο τὰ ἀξιώματα, τὰ ἤθη καὶ τοὺς Νόμους τῶν ̔Ελλήνων, ἤθελε μείνῃ Σκύθης καὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα· οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος Ιατρὸς, ἂν δὲν ἐμάνθανε τὰ τοῦ ̔Ιπποκράτους, δὲν ἐδύνατο νὰ προχωρήσῃ εἰς τὴν τέχνην τοῦ. ̓́Αν ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν Νομοθέτης “ δὲν ἐξέταζε τὰ τοῦ Σόλωνος, Λυκούργου, καὶ Πιττακοῦ, σε δὲν ἐδύνατο νὰ ῥυθμήσῃ καὶ νὰ καλιεργήσῃ τὰ ἤθη τῶν · Ομογενών του ἂν ὁ Ρήτωρ δὲν ἀπηνθίζετο τὰς εὐφραδείας “ καὶ τοὺς χαριεντισμοὺς τοῦ Δημοσθένους, δὲν ἐνεργοῦσεν " εἰς τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀκροατῶν του. ̓́Αν ὁ Νέος Ανάχαρσις, “ ὁ Κύριος ̓Αββᾶς Βαρθολομαῖος δὲν ἀνεγίνωσκε με μεγά. « λην ἐπιμονὴν καὶ σκέψιν τοὺς πλέον ἐγκρίτους συγγρα φεῖς τῶν ̔Ελλήνων, ἐξερευνῶν αὐτοὺς κατὰ βάθος ἐπὶ τρίακοντα δύω ἔτη, δὲν ἤθελεν ἐξυφάνη τούτην τὴν περὶ « Ελλήνων Ιστορίαν του, ἥτις Περιήγησις τοῦ Νέου Ανα " χάρσεως παρ' αὐτοῦ προσωνομάσθη, καὶ εἰς ὅλας τὰς

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“ Εὐρωπαϊκὸς Διαλέκτους μετεγλωττίσθη.” Καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ, οἱ Νεώτεροι, ἂν δὲν ἔπερναν δία ὁδηγοὺς τοὺς Προγόν νους μας, ἤθελαν ἴσως περιφέρωνται ματαίως μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Αὐτὰ δὲν εἶναι Λόγια ἐνθουσιασμένου διὰ τὸ φιλογενὲς Γραικοῦ, εἶναι δὲ φιλαλήθους Γερμανοῦ, ὅστις ἐμετάφρασε τὸν Νέον ̓Ανάχαρσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Γαλλικοῦ εἰς τὸ Γερμανικὸν.

̓Αν λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμεῖς θέλωμεν νὰ μεθέξωμεν τῆς γνώ σεως τῶν λαμπρῶν κατορθωμάτων ὁποῦ ἔκαμαν οἱ θαυ μαστοὶ ἐκεῖνοι Προπάτορες ἡμῶν, ἂν ἐπιθυμῶμεν νὰ μάθω· μεν τὴν πρόοδον καὶ αὔξησίν των εἰς τὰς Τέχνας καὶ Επιστήμας καὶ εἰς κάθε ἄλλο εἶδος μαθήσεως, ἂν ἔχωμεν περιέργειαν νὰ γνωρίσωμεν πόθεν καταγόμεθα, καὶ ὁποίους θαυμαστοὺς καὶ μεγάλους ἄνδρας, εἰ καὶ προγόνους ἡμῶν, φεῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲν γνωρίζομεν, εἰς καιρὸν ὁποῦ οἱ ̓Αλλογενεῖς θαυμάζουσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὡς πατέρας παντοιασοῦν μαθή σεως σέβονται, ἂς συνδράμωμεν ἅπαντες προθύμως εἰς τὴν ἔκδοσιν τοῦ θαυμασίου τούτου συγγράμματος τοῦ Νέου ̓Αναχάρσεως.

Ἡμεῖς οὖν οἱ ὑπογεγραμμένοι θέλομεν ἐκτελέσει προς θύμως τὴν μετάφρασιν τοῦ βιβλίου μὲ τὴν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν καλὴν φράσιν τῆς νῦν καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς ὁμιλίας, καὶ ἐκδόντες τοῦτο εἰς τύπον, θέλομεν τὸ καλλωπίσει μὲ τοὺς Γεωγρα φικοὺς Πίνακας μὲ ἁπλᾶς ̔Ρωμαϊκὰς λέξεις ἐγκεχαρα γμένους εἰς ἐδικάμας γράμματα, προστιθέντες ὅτι ἄλλο χρήσιμον καὶ ἁρμόδιον εἰς τὴν ἱστορίαν.

Ολον τὸ σύγγραμμα θέλει γένει εἰς Τόμους δώδεκα κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς Ἰταλικῆς ἐκδόσεως. Η τιμὴ ὅλου τοῦ Συγγράμματος εἶναι φιορίνια δεκαέξη τῆς Βιέννης διὰ τὴν προσθήκην τῶν γεωγραφικών πινάκων. Ο φιλογενὴς· οὖν Συνδρομητής πρέπει νὰ πληρώσῃ εἰς κάθε Τόμον φιορίνι ἕνα καὶ Καραντανία εἴκοσι τῆς Βιέννης, καὶ τοῦτο χωρὶς καμι μίαν πρόδοσιν, ἀλλ ̓ εὐθὺς ὁποῦ θέλει τῷ παραδοθῇ ὁ Τόμος τυπωμένος καὶ δεμένος.

Εῤῥωμένοι καὶ εὐδαίμονες διαβιώοιτε ̔Ελλήνων Παῖδες.
Τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης ἐξηρτημένοι.

Ἰωάννες Μαρμαροτούρης.
Δημήτριος Βενιέρης.
Σπυρίδων Πρεβέτος.

Ἐν Τριεστίῳ, τῇ πρώτῃ Οκτωβρίου, 1799.

THE LORD'S PRAYER IN ROMAIC.

Ω ΠΑΤΕΡΑΜΑΣ ὁ ποῦ εἶσαι εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἃς ἁγιασθῇ τὸ ὄνομά σου. Ας ἔλθῃ ἡ βασιλεία σου. Ας γένῃ τὸ θέλημά σου, καθὼς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἔτζη καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν. Τὸ ψωμίμας τὸ καθημερινὸν, δός μας τὸ σήμερον. Καὶ συγχώρησε μας τὰ χρέημας, καθῶς καὶ ἐμεῖς συγχωροῦμεν τοὺς κρεοφειλέτας μας. Καὶ μὴν μᾶς φέρεις πειρασμὸν, ἀλλὰ ἐλευθέρωσέ μας ἀπὸ τὸν πονηρόν. "Οτι ἐδική σου εἶναι ἡ βασιλεία δὲ, ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ̓Αμήν.

IN GREEΚ.

ΠΑΤΕΡ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου. Ελθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιού στον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον. Καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκης ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμὸν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ̓Αμήν.

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As a believer in the church of England-to say nothing of the State- I have been an occasional reader and great admirer of, though not a subscriber to, your Review, which is rather expensive. But I do not know that any part of its contents ever gave me much surprise till the eleventh article of your twenty-seventh number made its appearance. You have there most vigorously refuted a calumnious accusation of bribery and corruption, the credence of which in the public mind might not only have damaged your reputation as a clergyman 2 and an editor, but, what would have been still worse, have injured the circulation of your journal; which, I regret to hear, is not so extensive as the " purity" (as you well observe)" of its, &c. &c." and the present taste for propriety, would induce us to expect. The charge itself is of a solemn nature, and, although in verse, is couched in terms of such circumstantial gravity, as to induce a belief little short of that generally accorded to the thirty-nine articles, to which you so frankly subscribed on taking your degrees. It is a charge the most revolting to the heart of man from its frequent occurrence; to the mind of a statesman, from its occasional truth; and to the soul of an editor, from its moral impossibility. You are charged then in the last line of one octave stanza, and the whole eight lines of the next, viz. 209th and 210th of the first canto of that “ pestilent poem Don Juan, with receiving, and still more foolishly acknowledging the receipt of, certain monies, to eulogise the unknown author, who by this account must be known to you, if to nobody else. An impeachment of this nature so seriously made, there is but one way of refuting; and it is my firm persuasion, that whether you did or did not (and I believe that you did not) receive the said monies, of which I wish that he had specified the sum, you are quite right in denying all knowledge of the transaction. If charges of this nefarious description are to go forth, sanctioned by all the solemnity of circumstance, and guaranteed by the veracity of verse (as Counsellor Phillips 3 would say), what is to become of readers hitherto implicitly confident in the not less veracious prose of our critical journals? what is to become of the reviews? And, if the reviews fail, what is to become of the editors? It is common cause, and you have done well to sound the alarm. I myself, in my humble sphere, will be one of your echoes. In the words of the tragedian, Liston, "I love a row," and you seem justly determined to make

one.

"

It is barely possible, certainly improbable, that the writer might have been in jest; but this only aggravates his crime. A joke, the proverb says, "breaks no bones;" but it may break a bookseller, or it may be the cause of bones being broken. The jest is but a bad one at the best for the author, and might have been a still worse one for you, if your copious contradiction did not certify to all whom it may concern your own indignant innocence, and the immaculate purity of the British Review. I do not doubt your word, my dear Roberts; yet I cannot help wishing that, in a case of such vital importance, it had assumed the more substantial shape

1 ["Bologna, Aug. 23. 1819. I send you a letter to Roberts, signed Wortley Clutterbuck,' which you may publish in what form you please, in answer to his article. I have had many proofs of men's absurdity, but he heats all in folly. Why, the wolf in sheep's clothing has tumbled into the very trap"- Lord Byron to Mr. Murray.]

2 [Mr. Roberts is not, as Lord Byron seems to have supposed, a clergyman, but a barrister at law. In 1792, he established a paper called "The

of an affidavit sworn before the Lord Mayor Atkins, who readily receives any deposition; and doubtless would have brought it in some way as evidence of the designs of the Reformers to set fire to London, at the same time that he himself meditates the same good office towards the river Thames.

I am sure, my dear Roberts, that you will take these observations of mine in good part: they are written in a spirit of friendship not less pure than your own editorial integrity. I have always admired you; and, not knowing any shape which friendship and admiration can assume more agreeable and useful than that of good advice, I shall continue my lucubrations, mixed with here and there a monitory hint as to what I conceive to be the line you should pursue, in case you should ever again be assailed with bribes, or accused of taking them. By the way, you don't say much about the poem, except that it is "flagitious." This is a pity-you should have cut it up; because, to say the truth, in not doing so, you somewhat assist any notions which the malignant might entertain on the score of the anonymous asseveration which has made you so angry.

You say no bookseller" was willing to take upon himself the publication, though most of them disgrace themselves by selling it." Now, my dear friend, though we all know that those fellows will do any thing for money, methinks the disgrace is more with the purchasers: and some such, doubtless, there are; for there can be no very extensive selling (as you will perceive by that of the British Review) without buying. You then add, “What can the critic say?" I am sure I don't know; at present he says very little, and that not much to the purpose. Then comes" for praise as far as regards the poetry, many passages might be exhibited: for condemnation, as far as regards the morality, all." Now, my dear good Mr. Roberts, I feel for you, and for your reputation: my heart bleeds for both; and I do ask you, whether or not such language does not come positively under the description of " the puff collusive," for which see Sheridan's farce of The Critic," (by the way, a little more facetious than your own farce under the same title,) towards the close of scene second, act the first.

The poem is, it seems, sold as the work of Lord Byron ; but you feel yourself" at liberty to suppose it not Lord B.'s composition." Why did you ever suppose that it was? I approve of your indignation — I applaud it — I feel as angry as you can; but perhaps your virtuous wrath carries you a little too far, when you say that "no misdemeanour, not even that of sending into the world obscene and blasphemous poetry, the product of studious lewdness and laboured impiety, appears to you in so detestable a light as the acceptance of a present by the editor of a review, as the condition of praising an author." The devil it does n't! — Think a little. This is being critical overmuch. In point of Gentile benevolence or Christian charity, it were surely less criminal to praise for a bribe, than to abuse a fellowcreature for nothing; and as to the assertion of the comparative innocence of blasphemy and obscenity, confronted with an editor's "acceptance of a present," I shall merely observe, that as an Editor you say very well, but, as a Christian divine, I would not recommend you to transpose this sentence into

a sermon.

And yet you say, "the miserable man (for miserable he is, as having a soul of which he cannot get rid)" But here I I must pause again, and inquire what is the meaning of this parenthesis? We have heard of "little soul," or of "no soul at all," but never till now of "the misery of having a soul of which we cannot get rid; "a misery under which you are possibly no great sufferer, having got rid apparently of some of the intellectual part of your own when you penned this pretty piece of cloquence.

Looker-on," which has since been admitted into the collection of British Essayists; and he is known, in his profession, for a treatise on the Law of Fraudulent Bankruptcy. In 1831, he also published the Menoirs of Hannah More.]

3 [Charles Phillips, Barrister, was in those days celebrated for ultraIrish eloquence. See the Edinburgh Review, No. [vii.]

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