Believe me, your ever affectionate E.B.B. [Footnote 63: Miss Barrett's dog, the gift of Miss Mitford. His praise is sung in her poem, 'To Flush, my Dog' (_Poetical Works_, iii. 19), and in many of the following letters. He accompanied his mistress to Italy, lived to a good old age, and now lies buried in the vaults of Casa Guidi.] _To H.S. Boyd_ Saturday night, March 5, 1842. My very dear Friend,--I am quite angry with myself for forgetting your questions when I answered your letter. Could you really imagine that I have not looked into the Greek tragedians for years, with my true love for Greek poetry? That is asking a question, you will say, and not answering it. Well, then, I answer by a 'Yes' the one you put to me. I had two volumes of Euripides with me in Devonshire, and have read him as well as Aeschylus and Sophocles--that is _from_ them--both before and since I went there. You know I have gone through every line of the three tragedians long ago, in the way of regular, consecutive reading. You know also that I had at different times read different dialogues of Plato; but when three years ago, and a few months previous to my leaving home, I became possessed of a complete edition of his works, edited by Bekker, why then I began with the first volume and went through the whole of his writings, both those I knew and those I did not know, one after another: and have at this time read, not only all that is properly attributed to Plato, but even those dialogues and epistles which pass falsely under his name--everything except two books I think, or three, of the treatise 'De Legibus,' which I shall finish in a week or two, as soon as I can take breath from Mr. Dilke. Now the questions are answered. Ever your affectionate and grateful friend, E.B.B. _To H.S. Boyd_ Thursday, March 10, 1842 [postmark]. My very dear Friend,--I did not know until to-day whether the paper would appear on Saturday or not; but as I have now received the proof sheets, there can be no doubt of it. I have been and _am_ hurried and hunted almost into a corner through the pressing for the fourth paper, and the difficulty about books. You will forgive a very short note to night. I have read of Aristotle only his Poetics, his Ethics, and his work upon Rhetoric, but I mean to take him regularly into both hands when I finish Plato's last page. Aristophanes I took with me into Devonshire; and after all, I do not know much more of _him_ than three or four of his plays may stand for. Next week, my very dear friend, I shall be at your commands, and sit in spirit at your footstool, to hear and answer anything you may care to ask me--but oh! what have I done that you should talk to _me_ about 'venturing,' or 'liberty,' or anything of that kind? From your affectionate and grateful catechumen, E.B.B. _To H.S. Boyd_. March 29, 1842.