CORRESPONDENCE. 225 



the calling ; and elated, if not intoxicated, 

 I ventured on another, or sequel to the 

 first, as I thought the subject capable of 

 further elucidation. A copy of this I 

 sent to my friend the General (he had not 

 then attained the rank that was afterwards 

 conferred on him), and this led to a cor- 

 respondence which was most amusing, as it 

 developed the eccentric turn of mind of 

 this lover of the Muses. It was very 

 friendly in the expressions it contained of 

 his acknowledgments of, and willingness 

 to advance, my pretensions. His next 

 note, in which the merits of this my 

 second attempt (Paul before Nero) was 

 discussed, was accompanied with one 

 from a lady of high rank and literary 

 reputation, urging me to carry out the 

 poem to its proper termination, and wish- 

 ing me every success. 



It was upon the heel of this corres- 

 pondence that I had one day for my 

 box companion a gentleman who had 



VOL. III. Q 



