"I knew very few of the Genevese. "Hentsh was very civil to me; and I have I was a great respect for Sismondi. "forced to return the civilities of one of "their Professors by asking him, and an "old gentleman, a friend of Gray's, to "dine with me. I had gone out to sail ་ early in the morning, and the wind pre "vented me from returning in time for ❝ dinner. I understand that I offended "them mortally. Polidori did the honours. 66 Among our countrymen I made no new acquaintances; Shelley, Monk Lewis, "and Hobhouse were almost the only "English people I saw. No wonder; I "shewed a distaste for society at that "time, and went little among the Ge 66 nevese; besides, I could not speak "French. What is become of my boat man and boat? I suppose she is rotten; "she was never worth much. When I "went the tour of the Lake in her with Shelley and Hobhouse, she was nearly "wrecked near the very spot where St. 66 Preux and Julia were in danger of being "drowned. It would have been classical "to have been lost there, but not so 'agreeable. Shelley was on the Lake "much oftener than I, at all hours of the night and day: he almost lived on it; 66 66 "his great rage is a boat. We are both 66 building now at Genoa, I a yacht, and "he an open boat." We played at billiards till the carriage was announced, and I accompanied him in his drive. Soon after we got off the stones, we mounted were waiting for us. our horses, which Lord Byron is an admirable horseman, combining grace with the security of his seat. He prides himself much on this exercise. He conducted us for some miles till we came to a farmhouse, where he practises pistol-firing every evening. This is his favourite amusement, and may indeed be called almost a pursuit. He always has pistols in his holster, and eight or ten pair by the first makers in London carried by his courier. We had each twelve rounds of ammunition, and in a diameter of four inches he put eleven out of twelve shots. I observed his hand shook exceedingly. He said that when he first began at Manton's he was the worst shot in the world, and Manton was perhaps the best. The subject turned upon duelling, and he contended for its necessity, and quoted some strong arguments in favour of it. C 66 66 66 I have been concerned," said he, "in many duels as second, but only in two as principal; one was with Hobhouse be"fore I became intimate with him. The "best marksmen at a target are not the "surest in the field. Cecil's and Stack 66 poole's affair proved this. They fought "after a quarrel of three years, during "which they were practising daily. Stack 66 poole was so good a shot that he used to cut off the heads of the fowls for din ner as they drank out of the coops "about. He had every wish to kill his antagonist, but he received his death"blow from Cecil, who fired rather fine, 66 66 or rather was the quickest shot of the 66 two. All he said when falling was, “‹ D——n it, have I missed him?' Shel 66 ley is a much better shot than I am, but "he is thinking of metaphysics rather "than of firing." I understand that Lord Byron is always in better spirits after having culped (as he calls it) the targe often, or hit a five-franc piece, the counterpart of which is always given to the farmer, who is making a little fortune. All the pieces struck, Lord Byron keeps to put, as he says, in his museum. We now continued our ride, and returned to Pisa by the Lucca gate. 66 "Pisa with its hanging tower and Sophia-like dome reminds me," said Lord Byron," of an eastern place." He then remarked the heavy smoke that rolled away from the city, spreading in the distance a vale of mist, through which the golden clouds of evening appeared. |