The Daily News only tells me of Crisises in France, Floods in Italy, Insubordination of London Policemen, and Desertion from the British Army. So I take refuge in other Topics. Do look for ‘Objects of Art’ among them.
Which are you for
Noi leggiavamo }
or } un giorno per diletto? [146a]
Noi leggevamo }
Woodbridge: Nov. 28 [1872].
‘Multæ Epistolæ pertransibunt et augebitur Scientia.’ Our one Man of Books down here, Brooke, [146b] had told me that the old Editions on the whole favoured ‘leggiavamo.’ Now I shall tell him that the Germans have decided on ‘leggevamo.’ But Brooke quotes one Copy (1502) which reads ‘leggevam,’ which I had also wished for, to get rid of a fifth (and superfluous) o in the line. I suppose such a plural is as allowable as
Noi andavam per lo solingo Piano, etc.
What is all this erudite Enquiry about? I was talking with Edwards one night of this passage, and of this line in particular, which came into my head as a motto for a Device [146c] we were talking of; and hence all this precious fuss.
But I want to tell you what I forgot in my last letter; what Dickens himself says of his ‘Holyday Romance’ in a letter to Fields.
July 25, 1867.
‘I hope the Americans will see the joke of Holyday Romance. The writing seems to me so much like Children’s, that dull folk (on any side of any water) might perhaps rate it accordingly. I should like to be beside you when you read it, and particularly when you read the Pirate’s Story. It made me laugh to that extent that my people here thought I was out of my wits: until I gave it to them to read, when they did likewise.’
One thinks, what a delightful thing to be such an Author! Yet he died of his work, I suppose.