here are trying to persecute me,--but no matter. Yours," &c.

[Footnote 13: The power here meant is that of omitting passages that
might be thought objectionable. He afterwards gave me this, as well as
every other right, over the whole of the manuscript.]

[Footnote 14: He here alludes to a humorous article, of which I had told
him, in Blackwood's Magazine, where the poets of the day were all
grouped together in a variety of fantastic shapes, with "Lord Byron and
little Moore laughing behind, as if they would split," at the rest of
the fraternity.]

* * * * *

LETTER 402. TO MR. MOORE.

"Ravenna, Dec. 9. 1820.

"I open my letter to tell you a fact, which will show the state of
this country better than I can. The commandant of the troops is
_now_ lying _dead_ in my house. He was shot at a little past eight
o'clock, about two hundred paces from my door. I was putting on my
great-coat to visit Madame la Contessa G. when I heard the shot. On
coming into the hall, I found all my servants on the balcony,
exclaiming that a man was murdered. I immediately ran down, calling
on Tita (the bravest of them) to follow me. The rest wanted to
hinder us from going, as it is the custom for every body here, it
seems, to run away from 'the stricken deer.'

"However, down we ran, and found him lying on his back, almost, if