Do not fancy yourself engaged in another "Mirandola" office, when I take the great liberty--too great perhaps!--of requesting you to send over the enclosed scheme of a Play on the story of Garzia Garzia de' Medici & to tell me if you think it be worth attempting in one word yes or no. The subject first struck me in the , & on reperusing whilst in Town the intense but terrible Tragedy of Alfieri, I was still more caught by the contrast of character which it offers & the dreadful truth of the catastrophe--I have somewhat injured the collision of various characters in one family, which is so striking in his play, by the omission of one of the brothers, which seemed necessary to disencumber the plot--but he could be restored if necessary. Altogether I do not like the subject so well as not to be very ready to abandon it if I could find a better. Procida is a better--but then--would that be quite right?--Well you tell me what their Procida is--& perhaps we may find out the real Author--if it be by a woman--really a woman, & writing for money--Heaven forbid that I should jostle with her!--If it be Mr. Milman I should not mind taking the field.--Francesca da Rimini beginning with the scene of Phadre from Euripides, & making the brother--I forget his name--Paolo quite unconscious of his love till it bursts on him suddenly in reading with her the old romance--that would be very fine if we had a great Actress--but Miss Lacy--Oh!----I don't think you like , & perhaps Gibbon has done too much for the story, & it would transgress too violently against the rule of time, & be too political--the temptation is, that there exists, or that I have fancied, some slight resemblance of character & history between him & Napoleon; both of obscure birth, both governing by force of mind, both driven headlong to ruin by an indomitable self will, rising by liberty & falling by ambition--surely there is enough resemblance to justify an attempt to portray the man who, with all his faults has possessed my imagination all my life long. But I am afraid of the attempt--It would be an over excitement--I should get nervous & fail.--Masaniello the Fisherman of Naples--is he promising?--Am I likely to find any thing to the purpose in Froissart?--I have not seen that delightful book for many years--but I remember a romantic story of the Count of Orthes & his son--I don't however think it would do for Tragedy--though the old Chronicler is full of high & chivalrous incident--I must read him for that. I am half afraid of attacking Greek or Roman story, because women from mere want of learning, from the absence of real depth are always pedantic & spread their thin gold leaf over an immense quantity of surface--And yet History is best for a thousand reasons. Well, if I were wise I should form a strong resolution to conquer my besetting sin of idleness, to renounce "le delicieux far' niente" as Rousseau calls it, & work hard this summer so as to produce two or three Tragedies from which you might choose, if any were worthy of your choice, & throw the others into the fire--in that case, the immediate selection of a subject would be of less consequence & I might leave to Chance--who has a great deal to do on these occasions--the suggestion of a good Tragedy--I mean a good subject whilst I was writing on a bad one.--But I don't know that I could write two or three Plays in 7 or 8 months--besides being incorrigibly idle I am really lamentably & inconquerably slow--I have an almost insurmountable difficulty in procuring a fixity of attention--I never could learn chess.--Tell me shall I try Garzia?

My Father, who would go to Town, tells me as your dear sister does, that went splendidly on Wednesday and not amiss considering the wet night on Friday & that you think it rising--but you must not perform that fatiguing part again when you are not well--no--not for all the s in the world--I have implored your sister not to let you. Are you amenable to this sort of management? By the way if the Play do not reach the ninth night, it will be a very complete refutation of Mr. Kemble's axiom that no single performer can fill the Theatre--for who , except our pretty Alphonso, Miss Foote there is in one & only one--let him imagine how deeply we feel his exertions & his kindness.--Have you seen the attack upon us in the ? Can you guess the Author? It is evidently one who does not understand who has never felt the pleasure of gratitude, the delight of being thankful--but I hope that it is not, that it cannot be--no, though I know from a part of Mrs. Kemble's tirade that he has joined the opposite party, I will not suspect that a man of genius could write that sneering and hateful article. I had hoped that Mr. Talfourd would through Mr. Charles Lamb have guarded against any thing so unfavorable as that--but this Circuit which Talfourd from Town. has been as far as the Press is concerned a great loss to both of us--There is nothing that can vex me so much as to be made the instrument, the plea for attacking such a friend--& our discourteous critics, in whose eyes to be a woman is a , seem to have found that out. To make amends Mr. Haydon writes the word, that Mr. Hazlitt has applied to Mr. Jeffrey for his sanction to review in the --This is a great Compliment, & will be, if the request be granted, a great advantage--he will do it so well. Of course this is quite in confidence.--Did my Father tell you that Mrs. Randolph heard from some one (probably Mrs. Horace Twiss) that the Kembles are exceedingly angry (I don't very well know at what) & that the Mrs. K, believed they had sent back ? That has not happened--& the information was I think before Mr. Kemble's return.--It is right that I should tell you that Mr. Hamilton says I mistook Mr. Elliston's message--It was only that he had no objection to read against the next season, & was not a direct message, only a passage in conversation. You will not I am sure suspect me of intentional mistake in this affair--Mr. Talfourd says that I cannot possibly without honour take the Play from one house to give it to the other--& advises me not to be in a hurry to withdraw it--so I shall not. You will rely on my assurance that it shall never be acted there to your Annoyance--You believe me--do you not?--& for the rest I rejoice to be spared the prospect of immediate contention & quarrel--Now that I am here in the quiet Country I would fain have none but calm & peaceful feeling & would be thankful even to the Managers for the use of their Theatre--will be thankful if they will let me--How thankful I am to a very different one, I can never say--never! I am frightened to look at the length of this letter--I may say with Anacreon's dove, "I have chattered like a jay"--Pray forgive it, & believe me always, my dear Sir