ℓ. 5

of MS poetry; on one occasion I remember
when I shewed you some, only a translation
of a chorus in the Prometheus Bound,
you would give no opinion on it. Indeed,
I believe you were right, it is the only
safe course. I hate being asked to criticize
what I cannot praise. However
it is absurd to speak of a critic who does
not open his lips. The upshot of this is
that I come under the list of those
whom you anathematize so much, the
writers of new unnecessary poetry, and
need a critic often, and often am dis-
spirited. I will not however ask you to
be my critic, for I should put you, I
suppose, in an uncomfortable office,
if you accepted it, if not, and you
were silent, what good would you
be to me? Now that I have said so
much it appears to me that I might
just as well have left it unsaid.