23.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.


[The Earl of Carlisle's, Grosvenor Place, London.] Burgage Manor,
April 23d, 1805.


MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--I presume by this time, that you are safely
arrived at the Earl's, at least I _hope_ so; nor shall I feel myself
perfectly easy, till I have the pleasure of hearing from yourself of
your safety. I myself shall set out for town this day (Tuesday) week,
and intend waiting upon you on Thursday at farthest; in the mean time
I must console myself as well as I can; and I am sure, no unhappy
mortal ever required much more consolation than I do at present. You
as well as myself know the _sweet_ and _amiable_ temper of a certain
personage to whom I am nearly related; of _course_, the pleasure I
have enjoyed during my vacation, (although it has been greater than I
expected) yet has not been so _superabundant_ as to make me wish to
stay a day longer than I can avoid. However, notwithstanding the
dullness of the place, and certain _unpleasant things_ that occur In a
family not a hundred miles distant from Southwell, I contrived to pass
my time in peace, till to day, when unhappily, In a most inadvertent
manner, I said that Southwell was not _peculiarly_ to my taste; but
however, I merely expressed this in common conversation, without
speaking disrespectfully of the _sweet_ town; (which, between you and
I, I wish was swallowed up by an earthquake, provided my _Eloquent
mother_ was not in it). No sooner had the unlucky sentence, which I
believe was prompted by my evil Genius, escaped my lips, than I was