Who girded his sword on,
To serve with a Muscovite master,
And help him to polish
A nation so owlish,
They thought shaving their beards a disaster.

"For the man, '_poor and shrewd_[11],'
With whom you'd conclude
A compact without more delay,
Perhaps some such pen is
Still extant in Venice;
But please, sir, to mention _your pay_."


[Footnote 11: "Vide your letter."]

* * * * *

LETTER 305. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Venice, January 19. 1818.

"I send you the Story[12] in three other separate covers. It won't
do for your Journal, being full of political allusions. _Print
alone, without name_; alter nothing; get a scholar to see that the
_Italian phrases_ are correctly published, (your printing, by the
way, always makes me ill with its eternal blunders, which are
incessant,) and God speed you. Hobhouse left Venice a fortnight
ago, saving two days. I have heard nothing of or from him.