"June 8. 1822. "You give me no explanation of your intention as to the 'Vision of Quevedo Redivivus,' one of my best things: indeed, you are altogether so abstruse and undecided lately, that I suppose you mean me to write 'John Murray, Esq., a Mystery,'--a composition which would not displease the clergy nor the trade. I by no means wish you to do what you don't like, but merely to say what you will do. The Vision _must_ be published by some one. As to 'clamours,' the die is cast: and 'come one, come all,' we will fight it out--at least one of us." * * * * * LETTER 497. TO MR. MOORE. "Montenero, Villa Dupoy, near Leghorn, June 8. 1822. "I have written to you twice through the medium of Murray, and on one subject, _trite_ enough,--the loss of poor little Allegra by a fever; on which topic I shall say no more--there is nothing but time. "A few days ago, my earliest and dearest friend, Lord Clare, came over from Geneva on purpose to see me before he returned to England. As I have always loved him (since I was thirteen, at Harrow,) better than any (_male_) thing in the world, I need hardly say what a melancholy pleasure it was to see him for a _day_ only; for he was obliged to resume his journey immediately. * * * Do you recollect, in the year of revelry 1814, the pleasantest parties and balls all over London? and not the least so at * *'s. Do you recollect your singing duets with Lady * *, and my flirtation with Lady * *, and all the other fooleries of the time? while * * was sighing, and Lady * * ogling him with her clear hazel eyes. _But_ eight years have passed, and, since that time, * * has * * * * * *;--has run away with * * * * *; and _mysen_ (as my Nottinghamshire friends call themselves) might as well have thrown myself out of the window while you were singing, as intermarried where I did. You and * * * * have come off the best of us. I speak merely of my marriage, and its consequences, distresses, and calumnies; for I have been much more happy, on the whole, _since_, than I ever could have been with * *.