"Print this at the end of _all that is of 'The Bride of Abydos_,' as an errata page. BN.
"Omitted, Canto 2d, page 47., after line 449.,
"So that those arms cling closer round my neck.
"Then if my lip once murmur, it must be No sigh for safety, but a prayer for thee."
"For the sake of correctness, particularly in an errata page, the alteration of the couplet I have just sent (half an hour ago) must take place, in spite of delay or cancel; let me see the _proof_ early to-morrow. I found out _murmur_ to be a neuter _verb_, and have been obliged to alter the line so as to make it a substantive, thus--
"The deepest murmur of this lip shall be No sigh for safety, but a prayer for thee!
Don't send the copies to the _country_ till this is all right."
"When you can, let the couplet enclosed be inserted either in the page, or in the errata page. I trust it is in time for some of the copies. This alteration is in the same part--the page _but one_ before the last correction sent.
"P.S. I am afraid, from all I hear, that people are rather inordinate in their expectations, which is very unlucky, but cannot now be helped. This comes of Mr. Perry and one's wise friends; but do not _you_ wind _your_ hopes of success to the same pitch, for fear of accidents, and I can assure you that my philosophy will stand the test very fairly; and I have done every thing to ensure you, at all events, from positive loss, which will be some satisfaction to both."
"I send you a _scratch_ or _two_, the which _heal_. The Christian Observer is very savage, but certainly well written--and quite uncomfortable at the naughtiness of book and author. I rather suspect you won't much like the _present_ to be more moral, if it is to share also the usual fate of your virtuous volumes.
"Let me see a proof of the six before incorporation."
"It is all very well, except that the lines are not numbered properly, and a diabolical mistake, page 67., which _must_ be corrected with the _pen_, if no other way remains; it is the omission of '_not_' before '_disagreeable_,' in the _note_ on the _amber_ rosary. This is really horrible, and nearly as bad as the stumble of mine at the threshold--I mean the _misnomer_ of Bride. Pray do not let a copy go without the '_not_;' it is nonsense, and worse than nonsense as it now stands. I wish the printer was saddled with a vampire.