io8 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, vni 



part of me which is of no use in this friendship, that part 

 I must reserve for such another person," but with Anne no 

 part need wait. Whatever mood I am in, I find something 

 in her that suits that mood ; and I never have to keep back 

 any thought or feeling from the consideration that some 

 other person will be more likely to enter into it. This is 

 partly owing to the richness and fulness of her mind, and 

 the strength of her feelings, and partly to our ways of think- 

 ing and feeling being alike. I think you will be surprised 

 after all I have said in Anne's praise, that I should not be 

 perfectly satisfied and have no longings for this compound 

 friend composed " of every creature's best ": you will per- 

 haps, still think me very foolish when I have explained 

 myself, but that is a thing I never minded with you, and 

 this letter is entirely for your own eye. It is my misfortune 

 to be not of an affectionate disposition, though affection is 

 almost the only thing in the world that I value; I don't 

 know why I should be ashamed to own what I cannot 

 possibly help, an extreme fastidiousness about charm and 

 agreeable qualities ; there are very few persons in the world 

 who are agreeable and charming enough in appearance, 

 manner, and conversation to give me a lively pleasure, and 

 I seem as if I could not feel affection enough to satisfy me 

 without that. It is partly owing I suppose to my so seldom 

 feeling a lively affection, that I feel its sweetness so very 

 sensibly when I can catch it, and that I seem almost as if I 

 could not bear to be without it. 



I have been hesitating whether I would send you this 

 strange letter begun yesterday. I think I will venture, as 

 we had the satisfaction of hearing a better account from 

 Pisa last night, so that I hope you will be in a humour to 

 be indulgent to one of the epanchements de cceur, which I 

 seem impelled now and then to offer to your mercy. 



I think I have never written to you since I read Glenarvon. 1 



1 Lady Caroline Lamb (wife of William Lamb, afterwards Lord 

 Melbourne) was an eccentric, fascinating, inordinately vain woman. 

 Glenarvon owed its brief success to the caricature portrait of Lord 

 Byron, with whom she had fallen passionately in love. Byron wrote: 

 "As for the likeness, the picture can't be good; I did not sit long 



