Why, how is this? I will swear that yesterday was Christmas
Day, for I celebrated it at a splendid feast given by Lord Byron to what I call his Pistol Club—i.e. to
Shelley, Medwin, a Mr. Taaffe,
and myself, and was scarcely awake from the vision of it when your letter was
put into my hands, dated 1st of January, 1822. Time
flies fast enough, but you, in the rapidity of your motions, contrive to
outwing the old fellow; rather take a plume or two from your mental pinions,
and add them, like Mercury to your heels, and let us see you before another
year draws upon us. Forty years hence, my lad, you will treat the present with
more respect than to ante-date the coming one. But I
hope that time with you will always fly as unheeded as it now appears to do.
Lord Byron is the very spirit of this
place,—that is, to those few to whom, like Mokannah, he has lifted his veil. When you asked me, in your
last letter if it was probable to become at all intimate with him, I replied in
a manner which I considered it most prudent to do, from motives which are best
16 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
I shall reserve all that I have to say about the boat until we
meet at the select committee, which is intended to be held on that subject when
you arrive here. Have a boat we must, and if we can get Roberts to build her, so much the better. We
are settled here for the winter, perhaps many winters, for we have taken
apartments and furnished them. This is a step that anchors a man at once, nay,
moors him head and stern: you will find us at the Tre Palazzi, 349, Lung’
Arno. Pray, remember me to Roberts; tell him he must be
content to take me by the hand, though he should
LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 17 |
Bring with you any new books you may have. There is a Mrs. B. here, with a litter of seven daughters, she is the gayest lady, and the only one who gives dances, for the young squaws are arriving at that age, when as Lord Byron says, they must waltz for their livelihood. When a man gets on this strain, the sooner he concludes his letter the better. Addio. Believe me,