. . . You never say a word about your Hafiz. Has that fallen for the present, Austin not daring to embark in it in these days of war, when nothing that is not warlike sells except Macaulay? Don’t suppose I bandy compliments; but, with moderate care, any such Translation of such a writer as Hafiz by you into pure, sweet, and partially measured Prose must be better than what I am doing for Jámí; [304] whose ingenuous prattle I am stilting into too Miltonic verse. This I am very sure of. But it is done.
[Jan. 1856.]
My dear Cowell,
I send you a sketch of Jámí’s Life, which cut, correct, and annotate as you like. Where there was
so little to tell I have brought in all the fine Names and extra bits I could to give it a little sparkle. There is very little after all; I have spread it over Paper to give you room to note upon it. Only take care not to lose either these, or Yesterday’s, Papers—for my Terror at going over the Ground!
You must put in the corrected Notice about the Sultan Hussein, both in the Memoir and in the Note to the Poem. The latter will have room for at least four (I think five) lines of note Type: which you must fill, and not overflow: ‘Strong without rage, etc.’
I feel guilty at taking up your Time and Thoughts: and also at Dressing myself so in your Plumes. But I mean to say a word about this, φωναντα συνετοισιν, in my Preliminary Notice; and would gladly dedicate the little Book to you by Name, with due acknowledgment, did I think the world would take it for a Compliment to you. But though I like the Version, and you like it, we know very well the world—even the very little world, I mean, who will see it—may not; and might laugh at us both for any such Compliment. They cannot laugh at your Scholarship; but they might laugh at the use I put it to: and at my dedicating a cobweb (as Carlyle called Maud the other night) to you.
31 Gt Portland St., P. Place.
Jan. 10/56.
My dear Cowell,
Do make a sign of some sort to me. I sent you a string of Questions about Salámán last week, all of which I did not want you to answer at once, but wishing at least to hear if you had leisure and Inclination to meddle with them. There is no reason in the world you should unless you really have Time and Liking. If you have, I will send you the Proofs of the Little Book which Mr. Childs is even now putting in hand. Pray let me know as soon as you can what and how much of all this will be agreeable to you.