By the way, to prevent any mistakes, I think it necessary to state
the fact that _he_, Mr. Hobhouse, has no interest whatever in the
price or profit to be derived from the copyright of either poem or
notes directly or indirectly; so that you are not to suppose that
it is by, for, or through him, that I require more for this Canto
than the preceding.--No: but if Mr. Eustace was to have had two
thousand for a poem on Education; if Mr. Moore is to have three
thousand for Lalla, &c.; if Mr. Campbell is to have three thousand
for his prose on poetry--I don't mean to disparage these gentlemen
in their labours--but I ask the aforesaid price for mine. You will
tell me that their productions are considerably _longer_: very
true, and when they shorten them, I will lengthen mine, and ask
less. You shall submit the MS. to Mr. Gifford, and any other two
gentlemen to be named by you, (Mr. Frere, or Mr. Croker, or
whomever you please, except such fellows as your * *s and * *s,)
and if they pronounce this Canto to be inferior as a _whole_ to the
preceding, I will not appeal from their award, but burn the
manuscript, and leave things as they are.

"Yours very truly.

"P.S. In answer to a former letter, I sent you a short statement of
what I thought the state of our present copyright account, viz. six
hundred _pounds_ still (or lately) due on Childe Harold, and six
hundred _guineas_, Manfred and Tasso, making a total of twelve
hundred and thirty pounds. If we agree about the new poem, I shall
take the liberty to reserve the choice of the manner in which it
should be published, viz. a quarto, certes."

* * * * *