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scendental philosophy and German metaphysics, nor 'taken to write lay sermons, he would have made the greatest poet of the day. What poets had we in 1795 ? Hayley had got a monopoly, such as it was. Coleridge might have been any thing: as it is, he is a thing that dreams are made of.'"

Being one day at Moloni's the bookseller's at Pisa, report was in circulation that a subject belonging to the Lucchese States had been taken up for sacrilege, and senenced to be burnt alive. A priest who entered the library it that moment confirmed the news, and expressed himself • hus:-" Scelerato!" said he, "he took the consecrated wafers off the altar, and threw them contemptuously about the church! What punishment can be great enough for such a monstrous crime? Burning is too easy a death! I shall go to Lucca,-I would almost go to Spain,-to see the wretch expire at the stake!" Such were the humane and Christian sentiments of a minister of the Gospel! I quitted him with disgust, and immediately hastened to Lord Byron's..

"Is it possible?" said he, after he had heard my story.

"I was very much amused with Coleridge's 'Memoirs.' "There is a great deal of bonhommie in that book, and he "does not spare himself. Nothing, to me at least, is so entertaining as a work of this kind-as private biography:

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Hamilton's Memoirs,' for instance, that were the origin of "the style of Voltaire. Madame de Staël used to say, that "De Grammont' was a book containing, with less matter, "more interest than any she knew. Alfieri's 'Life' is delight"ful. You will see my Confessions in good time, and you will "wonder at two things-that I should have had so much "to confess, and that I should have confessed so much.

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Coleridge, too, seems sensible enough of his own errors. "His sonnet to the Moon is an admirable burlesque on the "Lakists, and his own style. Some of his stories are told "with a vast deal of humour, and display a fund of good his disappointments could not sour.

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temper that all

Many parts of his

Memoirs' are quite unintelligible, and

were, I apprehend, meant for Kant; on the proper pro"nunciation of whose name I heard a long argument the other evening.

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Coleridge is like Sosia in 'Amphytrion;'-he does not i know whether he is himself, or not. If he had never gone to Germany, nor spoilt his fine genius by the tran

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scendental philosophy and German metaphysics, nor taken to write lay sermons, he would have made the greatest poet of the day. What poets had we in 1795 ? "Hayley had got a monopoly, such as it was. Coleridge "might have been any thing: as it is, he is a thing that "dreams are made of.'"

Being one day at Moloni's the bookseller's at Pisa, a report was in circulation that a subject belonging to the Lucchese States had been taken up for sacrilege, and sentenced to be burnt alive. A priest who entered the library at that moment confirmed the news, and expressed himself · thus:-" Scelerato!" said he, "he took the consecrated wafers off the altar, and threw them contemptuously about the church! What punishment can be great enough for such a monstrous crime? Burning is too easy a death! I shall go to Lucca,-I would almost go to Spain,-to see the wretch expire at the stake!" Such were the humane and Christian sentiments of a minister of the Gospel! I quitted him with disgust, and immediately hastened to Lord Byron's.

"Is it possible?" said he, after he had heard my story.

a

"Can we believe that we live in the nineteenth century? "However, I can believe any thing of the Duchess of "Lucca. She is an Infanta of Spain, a bigot in religion, " and of course advocates the laws of the Inquisition. "But it is scarcely credible that she will venture to put "them into effect here. We must endeavour to prevent "this auto da fé. Lord Guilford is arrived :-we will

get him to use his influence. Surely the Grand Duke of "Tuscany will interfere, for he has himself never signed "a death-warrant since he came upon the throne."

Shelley entered at this moment horror-struck: he had just heard that the criminal was to suffer the next day. He proposed that we should mount and arm ourselves as well as we could, set off immediately for Lucca, and endeavour to rescue the prisoner when brought out for execution, making at full speed for the Tuscan frontiers, where he would be safe. Mad and hopeless as the scheme was, Lord Byron consented, carried away by his feelings, to join in it, if other means should fail. We agreed to meet again in, the evening, and in the mean time to get a petition signed by all the English residents at Pisa, to be presented to the Grand Duke.

." I will myself," said he, "write immediately to Lord "Guilford."

He did so, and received an answer a few hours after, telling him that the same report had reached Lord Guilford; but that he had learned, on investigation, that it was unfounded.

It appeared that the Duchess had issued a proclamation which made the peasant amenable, when apprehended, to the ancient laws of Spain; but that he had escaped to Florence and given himself up to the police, who had stipulated not to make him over to the authorities at Lucca, but on condition of his being tried by the Tuscan laws.

"

Speaking of Coppet and Madame de Staël, he said:

"I knew Madame de Staël in England. When she

❝ came over she created a great sensation, and was much " courted in the literary as well as the political world.

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On the supposition of her being a Liberal, she was "invited to a party, where were present Whitbread, "Sheridan, and several of the Opposition leaders.