[Footnote 17: A continuation of Vathek, by the author of that very
striking and powerful production. The "Tales" of which this unpublished
sequel consists are, I understand, those supposed to have been related
by the Princes in the Hall of Eblis.]

* * * * *

LETTER 311. TO MR. MOORE.

"Venice, March 16. 1818.

"My dear Tom,

"Since my last, which I hope that you have received, I have had a
letter from our friend Samuel. He talks of Italy this summer--won't
you come with him? I don't know whether you would like our Italian
way of life or not.

"They are an odd people. The other day I was telling a girl, 'You
must not come to-morrow, because Margueritta is coming at such a
time,'--(they are both about five feet ten inches high, with great
black eyes and fine figures--fit to breed gladiators from--and I
had some difficulty to prevent a battle upon a rencontre once
before,)--'unless you promise to be friends, and'--the answer was
an interruption, by a declaration of war against the other, which
she said would be a 'Guerra di Candia.' Is it not odd, that the
lower order of Venetians should still allude proverbially to that
famous contest, so glorious and so fatal to the Republic?