which he had been evidently trying upon me. Occasionally, too, he spoke
of his own affairs, making me repeat all I had heard with regard to
him, and desiring that I would not spare him, but let him know the worst
that was said."

* * * * *

LETTER 308. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Venice, Feb. 20. 1818.

"I have to thank Mr. Croker for the arrival, and you for the
contents, of the parcel which came last week, much quicker than any
before, owing to Mr. Croker's kind attention and the official
exterior of the bags; and all safe, except much friction amongst
the magnesia, of which only two bottles came entire; but it is all
very well, and I am exceedingly obliged to you.

"The books I have read, or rather am reading. Pray, who may be the
Sexagenarian, whose gossip is very amusing? Many of his sketches I
recognise, particularly Gifford, Mackintosh, Drummond, Dutens, H.
Walpole, Mrs. Inchbald, Opie, &c., with the Scotts, Loughborough,
and most of the divines and lawyers, besides a few shorter hints of
authors, and a few lines about a certain '_noble author_,'
characterised as malignant and sceptical, according to the good old
story, 'as it was in the beginning, is now, but _not_ always shall
be:' do you know such a person, Master Murray? eh?--And pray, of
the booksellers, which be _you_? the dry, the dirty, the honest,
the opulent, the finical, the splendid, or the coxcomb bookseller?
Stap my vitals, but the author grows scurrilous in his grand