BYRON'S LETTERS TO DOUGLAS KINNAIRD ... - Get a Free Blog

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ever were written by me – i.e. the E. B. and the C. H. – were refused by one half “the trade” and
reluctantly received by the other. There are two or three ways to proceed. – – –
1st ly . – You can cast about and see if any proposition is made by these tanners of Authors; – the
Calf=skin and Morocco – and
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Muscovite publishers. – If eligible – you can decide; – when it is known you will probably have
proposals. – –
2d ly . – If not – we have always the option of stamping (an Italic phrase) 102 upon the “touch and go”
own account score – – which is only objectionable in as much as it never yet succeeded – but it may –
as Steam has – and balloons will. – – –
3d ly . – If so concluded – we must have securities that said publisher or Author & Self’s account – shall
have his Arithmetic summed up and checked by the skilful in such affairs. –
4th ly . – Are the D.J.s subject to any laws? that is your laws? – which are somewhat of the queerest –
and is my compact respecting them binding to the contracting party? – – –
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5th ly . – If M r . J. H. publishes them eventually – his Son (if of age) ought to be comprized in the
stipulation to render a fair account of “meum et tuum” quarterly to persons appointed by the Author for
such purpose. –
6th ly . – Some other ought to be bound – not for the assetts – but merely in case of nonfulfilment – to
see and guarantee that the account (be it good – bad, or indifferent) is a fair and true one – for it is a
difficult piece of Antiquarianism to decypher the Hieroglyphic of a publisher’s balance – pro – con – or
otherwise – or anywise. –
I venture to throw out these hints to y r . Honour’s Convalescence – but how far they may merit attention
in y r . sickness or your health is left to your consideration – – “and your petition shall ever & c . & c . & c . –
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2.) I am not very well – I suspect worse than you {are} – at least I hope so. – Ever since the Summer –
when I was fool enough to swim some four miles under a boiling Sun at Via Reggio 103 – I have been
more or less ailing. – –
First my Skin peeled off – Well – it came again. – Then I had a fever and a portentious Constipation
and inflammation which confined me to my bed in a bad Inn on a worse road. – Well – I thought I was
well quit for the winter at least – but lo! – I have within this last month {had} eruptions and the devil
knows what besides – so that I have called in an English Physician – who hath decocted and concocted
me “secundum artem” so that I am turned inside out but the malady still continues –
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and is very troublesome. – I should think that it was the itch – but {that} it don’t infect anybody – and I
might think that it was something else – were it not for the same reason. – – I am as temperate as an
Anchorite – but I suspect that temperance is a more effective medicine at twenty than at thirty and –
almost five – Oh Parish Register! – Oh Peerage why? –
Record those years that I would fain deny?
I shall not trouble you further – and I merely do it now – as a sleeping draught to your Collar=bone. –
You will have seen Hobhouse by this time – with his relations – who I hope returned safely. – I had a
letter from his brother dated 1821 introducing an Overland Gentleman from India – whom I
wished back again. – However I mounted on “tit=back for to ride” paid him a visit up four hundred
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3 d .) pair of stairs at a Genoese Inn – and came back again half=frozen from politeness to an Equinoctial
new acquaintance. Pray – make this a merit to the Demague, 104 – it is all out of deference to the
102: “Stampare” – “to print” (Italian).
103: After Shelley’s cremation (which B. doesn’t wish K. to know that he attended).