"The 'White Lady of Avenel' is not quite so good as a _real well authenticated_ ('Donna Bianca') White Lady of Colalto, or spectre in the Marca Trivigiana, who has been repeatedly seen. There is a man (a huntsman) now alive who saw her also. Hoppner could tell you all about her, and so can Rose, perhaps. I myself have _no doubt_ of the fact, historical and spectral.[11] She always appeared on particular occasions, before the deaths of the family, &c. &c. I heard Madame Benzoni say, that she knew a gentleman who had seen her cross his room at Colalto Castle. Hoppner saw and spoke with the huntsman who met her at the chase, and never _hunted_ afterwards. She was a girl attendant, who, one day dressing the hair of a Countess Colalto, was seen by her mistress to smile upon her husband in the glass. The Countess had her shut up in the wall of the castle, like Constance de Beverley. Ever after, she haunted them and all the Colaltos. She is described as very beautiful and fair. It is well authenticated." [Footnote 10: Here follow some details respecting his friend Charles S. Matthews, which have already been given in the first volume of this work.] [Footnote 11: The ghost-story, in which he here professes such serious belief, forms the subject of one of Mr. Rogers's beautiful Italian sketches.--See "Italy," p. 43. edit. 1830.] * * * * * LETTER 399. TO MR. MURRAY. "Ravenna, 9bre 18°, 1820. "The death of Waite is a shock to the--teeth, as well as to the feelings of all who knew him. Good God, he and _Blake_[12] both gone! I left them both in the most robust health, and little thought of the national loss in so short a time as five years. They were both as much superior to Wellington in rational greatness, as he who preserves the hair and the teeth is preferable to 'the bloody blustering warrior' who gains a name by breaking heads and knocking out grinders. Who succeeds him? Where is tooth-powder _mild_ and yet efficacious--where is _tincture_--where are clearing _roots_ and _brushes_ now to be obtained? Pray obtain what information you can upon these '_Tusc_ulan questions.' My jaws ache to think on't. Poor fellows! I anticipated seeing both again; and yet they are gone to that place where both teeth and hair last longer than they do in this life. I have seen a thousand graves opened, and always perceived, that whatever was gone, the _teeth_ and _hair_ remained with those who had died with them. Is not this odd? They go the very first things in _youth_, and yet last the longest in the dust, if people will but _die_ to preserve them! It is a queer life, and a queer death, that of mortals.