The Works of Lord Byron, Letters and Journals, Volume 1 / Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824The Works of Lord Byron, Letters and Journals, Volume 1 / Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824| Author: | Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824 |
| Title: | The Works of Lord Byron, Letters and Journals, Volume 1 |
| Date: | 2003-08-22 |
| Contributor(s): | Prothero, Rowland E., 1851-1937 [Editor] |
| Size: | 771294 |
| Identifier: | etext8901 |
| Language: | en |
| Publisher: | Project Gutenberg |
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Title: The Works Of Lord Byron, Letters and Journals, Vol. 1
Author: Lord Byron, Edited by Rowland E. Prothero
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS AND JOURNALS, VOL. 1 ***
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THE WORKS
OF
LORD BYRON.
A NEW, REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
Letters and Journals. Vol. I.
_____________________________
EDITED BY
ROWLAND E. PROTHERO.
1898.
PREFACE
Two great collections of Byron's letters have been already printed. In
Moore's 'Life', which appeared in 1830, 561 were given. These, in
FitzGreene Halleck's American edition of Byron's 'Works', published in
1847, were increased to 635. The first volume of a third collection,
edited by Mr. W. E. Henley, appeared early in 1897. A comparison of the
number of letters contained in these three collections down to August
22, 1811, shows that Moore prints 61, Halleck 78, and Mr. Henley 88. In
other words, the edition of 1897, which was the most complete so far as
it goes, added 27 letters to that of 1830, and 10 to that of 1847. But
it should be remembered that by far the greater part of the material
added by Halleck and Mr. Henley was seen and rejected by Moore.
The present edition, down to August 22, 1811, prints 168 letters, or an
addition of 107 to Moore, 90 to Halleck, and 80 to Mr. Henley. Of this
additional matter considerably more than two-thirds was inaccessible to
Moore in 1830.
In preparing this volume for the press, use has been also made of a mass
of material, bearing more or less directly on Byron's life, which was
accumulated by the grandfather and father of Mr. Murray. The notes thus
contain, it is believed, many details of biographical interest, which
are now for the first time published.
It is necessary to make these comparisons, in order to define the
position which this edition claims to hold with regard to its
predecessors. On the other hand, no one can regret more sincerely than
myself--no one has more cause to regret--the circumstances which placed
this wealth of new material in my hands rather than in those of the true
poet and brilliant critic, who, to enthusiasm for Byron, and wide
acquaintance with the literature and social life of the day, adds the
rarer gift of giving life and significance to bygone events or trivial
details by unconsciously interesting his readers in his own living
personality.
Byron's letters appeal on three special grounds to all lovers of English
literature. They offer the most suggestive commentary on his poetry;
they give the truest portrait of the man; they possess, at their best,
in their ease, freshness, and racy vigour, a very high literary value.
The present volume, which covers the period from 1798 to August, 1811,
includes the letters written Lord Byron from his eleventh to his
twenty-third year. They therefore illustrate the composition of his
youthful poetry, of 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers', and of the
first two cantos of 'Childe Harold'. They carry his history down to the
eve of that morning in March, 1812, when he awoke and found himself
famous--in a degree and to an extent which to the present generation
seem almost incomprehensible.
If the letters were selected for their literary value alone, it is
probable that very few of those contained in the present volume would
find a place in a collection formed on this principle. But biographical
interest also demands consideration, and, in the case of Byron, this
claim is peculiarly strong. He has for years suffered much from the
suppression of the material on which a just estimate of his life may be
formed. It is difficult not to regret the destruction of the 'Memoirs',
in which he himself intended his history to be told. Their loss cannot
be replaced; but their best substitute is found in his letters. Through
them a truer conception of Byron can be formed than any impression which
is derived from Dallas, Leigh Hunt, Medwin, or even Moore. It therefore
seems only fair to Byron, that they should be allowed, as far as
possible, to interpret his career. For other reasons also it appears to
me too late, or too soon, to publish only those letters which possess a
high literary value. The real motive of such a selection would probably
be misread, and thus further misconceptions of Byron's character would
be encouraged.
With one exception, therefore, the whole of the available material has
been published. The exception consists of some of the business letters
written by Byron to his solicitor. Enough of these have been printed to
indicate the pecuniary difficulties which undoubtedly influenced his
life and character; but it was not considered necessary to publish the
whole series. Men of genius ask money from their lawyers in the same
language, and with the same arguments, as the most ordinary persons.
The picture which the letters give of Byron, is, it is believed, unique
in its completeness, while the portrait has the additional value of
being painted by his own hand. Byron's career lends itself only too
easily to that method of treatment, which dashes off a likeness by
vigorous strokes with a full brush, seizing with false emphasis on some
salient feature, and revelling in striking contrasts of light and shade.
But the style here adopted by the unconscious artist is rather that in
which Richardson the novelist painted his pathetic picture of Clarissa
Harlowe. With slow, laborious touches, with delicate gradations of
colour, sometimes with almost tedious minuteness and iteration, the
gradual growth of a strangely composite character is presented,
surrounded by the influences which controlled or moulded its
development, and traced through all the varieties of its rapidly
changing moods. Written, as Byron wrote, with habitual exaggeration, and
on the impulse of the moment, his letters correct one another, and, from
this point of view, every letter contained in the volume adds something
to the truth and completeness of the portrait.
Round the central figure of Byron are grouped his relations and friends,
and two of the most interesting features in the volume are the strength
of his family affections, and the width, if not the depth, of his
capacity for friendship. His father died when the child was only three
years old. But a bundle of his letters, written from Valenciennes to his
sister, Mrs. Leigh, in 1790-91, still exists, to attest, with startling
plainness of speech, the strength of the tendencies which John Byron
transmitted to his son. The following extract contains the father's only
allusion to the boy:--
"Valenciennes, Feb. 16, 1791.
Have you never received any letters from me by way of Bologne? I have
sent two. For God's sake send me some, as I have a great deal to pay.
With regard to Mrs. Byron, I am glad she writes to you. She is very
amiable at a distance; but I defy you and all the Apostles to live
with her two months, for, if any body could live with her, it was me.
'Mais jeu de Mains, jeu de Vilains'. For my son, I am happy to hear he
is well; but for his walking, 'tis impossible, as he is club-footed."
Between his mother and himself, in spite of frequent and violent
collisions, there existed a real affection, while the warmth of his love
for his half-sister Augusta, who had much of her brother's power of
winning affection, lost nothing in its permanence from the rarity of
their personal intercourse. Outside the family circle, the volume
introduces the only two men among his contemporaries who remained his
lifelong friends. In his affection for Lord Clare, whom he very rarely
saw after leaving school, there was a tinge of romance, and in him Byron
seems to have personified the best memories of an idealized Harrow. In
Hobhouse he found at once the truest and the most intimate of his
friends, a man whom he both liked and respected, and to whose opinion
and judgment he repeatedly deferred. On Hobhouse's side, the sentiment
which induced him, eminently sensible and practical as he was, to
treasure the nosegay which Byron had given him, long after it was
withered, shows how attractive must have been the personality of the
donor.
Without the 'Dictionary of National Biography', the labour of preparing
the letters for the press would be trebled. Both in the facts which it
supplies, and in the sources of information which it suggests, it is an
invaluable aid.
In conclusion, I desire to express my special obligations to Lord
Lovelace and Mr. Richard Edgcumbe, who have read the greater part of the
proofs, and to both of whom I am indebted for several useful
suggestions.
R. E. PROTHERO.
March, 1898.
List of Letters
1798
1. Nov. 8. To Mrs. Parker
1799.
2. March 13. To his Mother
3. Undated. To John Hanson
1803.
4. May 1. To his Mother
5. June 23, To his Mother
6. Sept. To his Mother
1804.
7. March 22. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
8. March 26. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
9. April 2. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
10. April 9. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
11 Aug. 18. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
12. Aug. 29. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
13. Oct. 25. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
14. Nov. 2. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
15. Nov. 11. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
16. Nov. 17. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
17. Nov. 21. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
18. Dec. 1. To John Hanson
1805.
19. Jan. 30. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
20. April 4. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
21. April 15. To Hargreaves Hanson
22. April 20. To Hargreaves Hanson
23. April 23. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
24. April 25. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
25. May 11. To John Hanson
26. June 5. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
27. June 27. To John Hanson
28. July 2. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
29. July 8. To John Hanson
30. Aug. 4. To Charles O. Gordon
31. Aug. 6. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
32. Aug. 10. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
33. Aug. 14. To Charles O. Gordon.
34. Aug. 19. To Hargreaves Hanson
35. Undated. To Hargreaves Hanson
36. Oct. 25. To Hargreaves Hanson
37. Oct. 26. To John Hanson
38. Nov. 6. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
39. Nov. 12. To Hargreaves Hanson
40. Nov. 23. To John Hanson
41. Nov. 30. To John Hanson
42. Dec. 4. To John Hanson
43. Dec. 13. To John Hanson
44. Dec. 26. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
45. Dec. 27. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
1806
46. Jan. 7. To the Hon. Augusta Byron
47. Feb. 26. To his Mother
48. March 3. To John Hanson
49. March 10. To John Hanson
50. March 25. To John Hanson
51. May 16. To Henry Angelo
52. Aug. 9. To John M.B. Pigot
53. Aug. 10. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
54. Aug. 10. To John M.B. Pigot
55. Aug. 16. To John M.B. Pigot
56. Aug. 18. To John M.B. Pigot
57. Aug. 26. To John M. B. Pigot
58. Undated. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
59. Dec. 7. To John Hanson
1807.
60. Jan. 12. To J. Ridge
61. Jan. 13. To John M. B. Pigot
62. Jan. 31. To Captain John Leacroft
63. Feb. 4. " " "
64. Feb. 4. " " "
65. Feb. 6. To the Earl of Clare
66. Feb. 8. To Mrs. Hanson
67. March 6. To William Bankes
68. Undated. " "
69. Undated. To----Falkner
70. April 2. To John Hanson
71. April. To John M. B. Pigot
72. April 19. To John Hanson
73. June 11. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
74. June 30. " " "
75. July 5. " " "
76. July 13. " " "
77. July 20. To John Hanson
78. Aug. 2. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
79. Aug. 11. " " "
80. Oct. 19. To John Hanson
81. Oct. 26. To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot
82. Nov. 20. To J. Ridge
83. Dec. 2. To John Hanson
84. Nov. 9 (1820) To John Murray
1808.
85. Jan. 13. To Henry Drury
86. Jan. 16. To John Cam Hobhouse
87. Jan. 20. To Robert Charles Dallas
88. Jan. 21. " " "
89. Jan. 25. To John Hanson
90. Jan. 25. " "
91. Feb. 2. To James De Bathe
92. Feb. 11. To William Harness
93. Feb. 21. To J. Ridge
94. Feb. 26. To the Rev. John Becher
95. March 28. " " "
96. April 26. To the Hon. Augusta Leigh
97. Sept. 14. To the Rev. John Becher
98. Sept. 18. To John Jackson
99. Oct. 4. " "
100. Oct. 7. To his Mother
101. Nov. 2. " "
102. Nov. 3. To Francis Hodgson
103. Nov. 18. To John Hanson
104. Nov. 27. To Francis Hodgson
105. Nov. 30. To the Hon. Augusta Leigh
106. Dec. 14. " " "
107. Dec. 17. To John Hanson
108. Dec. 17. To Francis Hodgson
1809.
109. Jan. 15. To John Hanson
110. Jan. 25. To R. C. Dallas
111. Feb. 7. " " "
112. Feb. 11. " " "
113. Feb. 12. " " "
114. Feb. 16. " " "
115. Feb. 19. " " "
116. Feb. 22. " " "
117. March 6. To his Mother
118. March 18. To William Harness
119. Undated. To William Bankes
120. April 25. To R. C. Dallas
121. April 26. To John Hanson
122. May 15. To the Rev. R. Lowe
123. June 22. To his Mother
124. June 28. To the Rev. Henry Drury
125. June 25-30. To Francis Hodgson
126. July 16. " " "
127. Aug. 6. " " "
128. Aug. 11. To his Mother
129. Aug. 15. To Mr. Rushton
130. Sept. 15. To his Mother
131. Nov. 12. " " "
1810.
132. March 19. To his Mother
133. April 9. To his Mother
134. April I0. To his Mother
135. April 17. To his Mother
136. May 3. To Henry Drury
137. May 5. To Francis Hodgson
138. May 18. To his Mother
139. May 24. To his Mother
140. June 17. To Henry Drury
141. June 28. To his Mother
142. July 1. To his Mother
143. July 4. To Francis Hodgson
144. July 25. To his Mother
145. July 27. To his Mother
146. July 30. To his Mother
147. Oct. 2. To his Mother
148. Oct. 3. To Francis Hodgson
149. Oct. 4. To John Cam Hobhouse
150. Nov. 14. To Francis Hodgson
1811.
151. Jan. 14. To his Mother
I52. Feb. 28. To his Mother
153. June 25. To his Mother
154. June 28. To R. C. Dallas
155. June 29. To Francis Hodgson
156. July 17. To Henry Drury
157. July 23. To his Mother
158. July 30. To William Miller
159. Aug. 2. To John M. B. Pigot
160. Aug. 4. To John Hanson
161. Aug. 7. To Scrope Berdmore Davies
162. Aug. 12. To R. C. Dallas
163. Aug. 12. To----Bolton
164. Aug. 16. To----Bolton
165. Aug. 20. To----Bolton
166. Aug. 21. To the Hon. Augusta Leigh
167. Aug. 21. To R. C. Dallas
168. Aug. 22. To Francis Hodgson
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I. CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL
II. CAMBRIDGE AND JUVENILE POEMS
III. ENGLISH BARDS, AND SCOTCH REVIEWERS
IV. TRAVELS IN ALBANIA, GREECE, ETC.--DEATH OF MRS. BYRON
APPENDIX I. REVIEW OF WORDSWORTH'S POEMS
APPENDIX II. ARTICLE FROM THE 'EDINBURGH REVIEW', FOR JANUARY, 1808
APPENDIX III. REVIEW OF GELL'S 'GEOGRAPHY OF ITHACA', AND 'ITINERARY OF
GREECE'
THE LETTERS OF LORD BYRON.
CHAPTER I.
1788-1805.
CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL.
Catherine Gordon of Gight (1765-1811), afterwards Mrs. Byron, and mother
of the poet, was descended on the paternal side from Sir William Gordon
of Gight, the third son, by Annabella Stewart, daughter of James I of
Scotland, of George, second Earl of Huntly, Chancellor of Scotland
(1498-1502), and Lord-Lieutenant of the North from 1491 to his death in
1507. The owners of Gight, now a ruin, once a feudal stronghold, were a
hot-headed, hasty-handed race, sufficiently notable to be commemorated
by Thomas the Rhymer, and to leave their mark in the traditions of
Aberdeenshire. In the seventh generation from Sir William Gordon, the
property passed to an heiress, Mary Gordon. By her marriage with
Alexander Davidson of Newton, who assumed the name of Gordon, she had a
son Alexander, Mrs. Byron's grandfather, who married Margaret Duff of
Craigston, a cousin of the first Earl of Fife. Their eldest son, George,
the fifth of the Gordons of Gight who bore that name, married Catherine
Innes of Rosieburn, and by her became the father of Catherine Gordon,
born in 1765, afterwards Mrs. Byron. Both her parents dying early,
Catherine Gordon was brought up at Banff by her grandmother, commonly
called Lady Gight, a penurious, illiterate woman, who, however, was
careful that her granddaughter was better educated than herself. Thus,
for the second time, Gight, which, with other property, was worth
between L23,000 and L24,000, passed to an heiress.
Miss Catherine Gordon had her full share of feminine vanity. At the age
of thirty-five she was a stout, dumpy, coarse-looking woman, awkward in
her movements, provincial in her accent and manner. But as her son was
vain of his personal appearance, and especially of his hands, neck, and
ears, so she, when other charms had vanished, clung to her pride in her
arms and hands. She exhausted the patience of Stewartson the artist, who
in 1806, after forty sittings, painted her portrait, by her anxiety to
have a particular turn in her elbow exhibited in the most pleasing
light. Of her ancestry she was, to use her son's expression, as "proud
as Lucifer," looked down upon the Byron family, and regarded the Duke of
Gordon as an inferior member of her clan. In later life, at any rate,
her temper was ungovernable; her language, when excited, unrestrained;
her love of gossip insatiable. Capricious in her moods, she flew from
one extreme to the other, passing, for the slightest cause, from
passionate affection to equally passionate resentment. How far these
defects were produced, as they certainly were aggravated, by her
husband's ill treatment and her hard struggle with poverty, it is
impossible to say. She had many good qualities. She bore her ruin, as
her letters show, with good sense, dignity, and composure. She lived on
a miserable pittance without running into debt; she pinched herself in
order to give her son a liberal supply of money; she was warm-hearted
and generous to those in distress. She adored her scamp of a husband,
and, in her own way, was a devoted mother. In politics she affected
democratic opinions, took in the 'Morning Chronicle', and paid for it,
as is shown by a bill sent in after her death, at the rate of L4 17s.
6d. for the half-year--no small deduction from her narrow income. She
was fond of books, subscribed to the Southwell Book Club, copied
passages which struck her in the course of her reading, collected all
the criticisms on her son's poetry, made shrewd remarks upon them
herself (Moore's 'Journal and Correspondence', vol. v. p. 295), and
corresponded with her friends on literary subjects.
In 1785 Miss Catherine Gordon was at Bath, where, it may be mentioned,
her father had, some years before, committed suicide. There she met, and
there, on May 13, 1785, in the parish church of St. Michael, as the
register shows, she married Captain John Byron.
Captain John Byron (1755-91), born at Plymouth, was the eldest son of
Admiral the Hon. John Byron (1723-86)--known in the Royal Navy as "Hardy
Byron" or "Foul-weather Jack"--by his marriage (1748) with Sophia
Trevanion of Carhais, in Cornwall. The admiral, next brother to William,
fifth Lord Byron, was a distinguished naval officer, whose 'Narrative'
of his shipwreck in the 'Wager' was published in 1768, and whose 'Voyage
round the World' in the 'Dolphin' was described by "an officer in the
said ship" in 1767. His eldest son, John Byron, educated at Westminster
and a French Military Academy, entered the Guards and served in America.
A gambler, a spendthrift, a profligate scamp, disowned by his father, he
in 1778 ran away with, and in 1779 married, Lady Carmarthen, wife of
Francis, afterwards fifth Duke of Leeds, nee Lady Amelia d'Arcy, only
child and heiress of the last Earl of Holderness, and Baroness Conyers
in her own right.
Captain Byron and his wife lived in Paris, where were born to them a son
and a daughter, both of whom died in infancy, and Augusta, born 1783,
the poet's half-sister, who subsequently married her first cousin,
Colonel George Leigh. In 1784 Lady Conyers died, and Captain Byron
returned to England, a widower, over head and ears in debt, and in
search of an heiress.
It was a rhyme in Aberdeenshire--
"When the heron leaves the tree,
The laird of Gight shall landless be."
Tradition has it that, at the marriage of Catherine Gordon with "mad
Jack Byron," the heronry at Gight passed over to Kelly or Haddo, the
property of the Earl of Aberdeen. "The land itself will not be long in
following," said his lordship, and so it proved. For a few months Mrs.
Byron Gordon--for her husband assumed the name, and by this title her
Scottish friends always addressed her--lived at Gight. But the ready
money, the outlying lands, the rights of fishery, the timber, failed to
liquidate Captain Byron's debts, and in 1786 Gight itself was sold to
Lord Aberdeen for L17,850. Mrs. Byron Gordon found herself, at the end
of eighteen months, stripped of her property, and reduced to the income
derived from L4200, subject to an annuity payable to her grandmother.
She bore the reverse with a composure which shows her to have been a
woman of no ordinary courage. Her letters on the subject are sensible,
not ill-expressed, and, considering the circumstances in which they were
written, give a favourable impression of her character.
The wreck of their fortunes compelled Mrs. Byron Gordon and her husband
to retire to France. At the beginning of 1788 she had returned to
London, and on January 22, 1788, at 16, Holles Street (since numbered
24, and now destroyed), in the back drawing-room of the first floor,
gave birth to her only child, George Gordon, afterwards sixth Lord
Byron. Hanson gives the names of the nurse, Mrs. Mills, the man-midwife,
Mr. Combe, the doctor, Dr. Denman, who attended Mrs. Byron at her
confinement. Dallas was, therefore, mistaken in his supposition that the
poet was born at Dover. The child was baptized in London on February 29,
1788, as is proved by the register of the parish of Marylebone.
Shortly after the birth of her son, Mrs. Byron settled in Aberdeen,
where she lived for upwards of eight years. During her stay there, in
the summer of 1791, her husband died at Valenciennes. In the year 1794,
by the death of his cousin William John Byron (1772-94) from a wound
received at the siege of Calvi, in Corsica, her son became the heir to
his great-uncle, the "wicked Lord Byron" (William, fifth Lord Byron,
1722-98), and a solicitor named Hanson was appointed to protect the
boy's interests. From Aberdeen Mrs. Byron kept up a correspondence with
her sister-in-law, Frances Leigh ('nee' Byron), wife of General Charles
Leigh, to whom, in a letter, dated March 27, 1791, she speaks of her son
as "very well, and really a charming boy." Writing again to Mrs. Leigh,
December 8, 1794, she says,
"I think myself much obliged to you for being so interested for
George; you may be sure I would do anything I could for my son, but I
really don't see what can be done for him in that case. You say you
are afraid Lord B. will dispose of the estates that are left, if he
can; if he has it in his power, nobody can prevent him from selling
them; if he has not, no one will buy them from him. You know Lord
Byron. Do you think he will do anything for George, or be at any
expense to give him a proper education; or, if he wish to do it, is
his present fortune such a one that he could spare anything out of it?
You know how poor I am, not that I mean to ask him to do anything for
him, that is to say, to be of any expense on his account."
If any application was made to the boy's great-uncle, it was
unsuccessful. On May 19, 1798, Lord Byron died, and Hanson informed Mrs.
Byron that her son had succeeded to the title and estates. At the end of
the summer of that year, the little Lord Byron, with his mother and the
nurse May Gray, reached Newstead, and, within a few weeks from their
arrival, his first letter was written. His letters to his mother, it may
be observed, are always addressed to "the Honourable Mrs. Byron," a
title to which she had no claim.
1.--To Mrs. Parker. [1]
Newstead Abbey, Nov. 8th, 1798.
Dear Madam,--My Mamma being unable to write herself desires I will let
you know that the potatoes are now ready and you are welcome to them
whenever you please.
She begs you will ask Mrs. Parkyns if she would wish the poney to go
round by Nottingham or to go home the nearest way as it is now quite
well but too small to carry me.
I have sent a young Rabbit which I beg Miss Frances will accept off
and which I promised to send before. My Mamma desires her best
compliments to you all in which I join.
I am, Dear Aunt, yours sincerely,
BYRON.
I hope you will excuse all blunders as it is the first letter I ever
wrote.
[Footnote 1: This letter, the first that Byron wrote, was written when
he was ten years and ten months old. It is preserved in the Library of
Trinity College, Cambridge, and a facsimile is given by Elze, in his
'Life of Lord Byron'.
It is apparently addressed to his aunt, Mrs. Parker. Charlotte Augusta
Byron, daughter of Admiral the Hon. John Byron, married Christopher
Parker (1761-1804), Vice-Admiral 1804, the son of Admiral of the Fleet
Sir Peter Parker, Bart. (1721-1811). Her son, who, on the death of his
grandfather, succeeded to the baronetcy as Sir Peter Parker, second
Bart. (1786-1814), commanded H.M.S. 'Menelaus', and was killed in an
attack on a body of American militia encamped near Baltimore. (See
Byron's "Elegy on the Death of Sir Peter Parker," and his letter to
Moore, October 7, 1814.) Her daughter Margaret, one of Byron's early
loves, inspired, as he says, his "first dash into poetry" (see 'Poems',
vol. i, p. 5, note 1).]
2.--To his Mother.
Nottingham, 13 March, 1799.
Dear Mama,--I am very glad to hear you are well. I am so myself, thank
God; upon my word I did not expect so long a Letter from you; however
I will answer it as well as I can. Mrs. Parkyns and the rest are well
and are much obliged to you for the present. Mr. Rogers [1] could
attend me every night at a separate hour from the Miss Parkynses, and
I am astonished you do not acquiesce in this Scheme which would keep
me in Mind of what I have almost entirely forgot. I recommend this to
you because, if some plan of this kind is not adopted, I shall be
called, or rather branded with the name of a dunce, which you know I
could never bear. I beg you will consider this plan seriously and I
will lend it all the assistance in my power. I shall be very glad to
see the Letter you talk of, and I have time just to say I hope every
body is well at Newstead,
And remain, your affectionate Son,
BYRON.
P.S.--Pray let me know when you are to send in the Horses to go to
Newstead. May [2] desires her Duty and I also expect an answer by the
miller.
[Footnote 1: Dummer Rogers, "Teacher of French, English, Latin, and
Mathematicks", was, according to 'Notes and Queries' (4th series, vol.
iii. p. 561), an American loyalist, pensioned by the English Government.
He lived at Hen Cross, Nottingham, when Byron was staying in that city,
partly with Mrs. Parkyns, partly at Mr. Gill's, in St. James's Lane, to
be attended by a man named Lavender, "trussmaker to the general
hospital", who had some local reputation for the treatment of misshapen
limbs. Lavender, in 1814 ('Nottingham Directory' for 1814), appears as a
"surgeon". Rogers, who read parts of Virgil and Cicero with Byron,
represents him as, for his age, a fair scholar. He was often, during his
lessons, in violent pain, from the position in which his foot was kept;
and Rogers one day said to him, "It makes me uncomfortable, my Lord, to
see you sitting there in such pain as I know you must be suffering".
"Never mind, Mr. Rogers," answered the boy; "you shall not see any signs
of it in _me_." Many years after, when in the neighbourhood of
Nottingham, Byron sent a kind message to his old instructor, bidding the
bearer tell him that he could still recite twenty verses of Virgil which
he had read with Rogers when suffering torture all the time.
[Footnote 2: Byron's nurse, who had accompanied him from Aberdeen (see
p. 10, note 1).]
3.--To John Hanson. [1]
SIR,--I am not a little disappointed at your Stay, for this last week
I expected you every hour; but, however, I beg it as a favour that you
will come up soon from Newstead as the Holidays commence in three
weeks Time. I congratulate you on Capt. Hanson's [1] being appointed
commander of The 'Brazen' Sloop of War, and I congratulate myself on
Lord Portsmouth's [2] Marriage, hoping his Lady, when he and I meet
next, will keep him in a little better order. The manner I knew that
Capt. Hanson was appointed Commander of the Ship before mentioned was
this. I saw it in the public Paper, and now, since you are going to
Newstead, I beg if you meet Gray [3] send her a packing as fast as
possible, and give my Compliments to Mrs. Hanson and to all my
comrades of the Battalions in and out upon different Stations,
And remain, your little friend,
BYRON.
I forgot to tell you how I was. I am at present very well and my foot
goes but indifferently; I cannot perceive any alteration.
[Footnote 1: John Hanson, of 6, Chancery Lane, a well-known London
solicitor, was introduced to the Byron family by an Aberdeenshire friend
of Mrs. Byron, Mr. Farquhar, a member of Parliament, and a civilian
practising in Doctors' Commons. The acquaintance began in January, 1788,
with Byron's birth, for the midwife and the nurse were recommended by
Mrs. Hanson. Six years later, Hanson was employed by Mrs. Byron to watch
the interests of her son, who in 1794 had become heir-presumptive to his
great-uncle. It was Hanson who, in the summer of 1798, communicated the
news of the death of Lord Byron to Mrs. Byron, and with his wife
received her and her son at Newstead. From that time till the close of
the minority, Hanson was intimately associated with Byron, both as a man
of business and a friend. He selected Dr. Glennie's school for the boy,
persuaded Lord Carlisle to become his guardian, introduced the ward to
Lord Carlisle, and entered him at Harrow. It was at his house in Earl's
Court that Byron, for five years, spent a considerable part of his
successive holidays. There he made acquaintance with Hanson's
children--his sons Charles, Hargreaves (his contemporary at Harrow), and
Newton, and his daughter, Mary Anne, who subsequently (March 7, 1814)
married the Earl of Portsmouth, Byron giving her away. This letter was
written by Byron a few weeks after he had gone to school at Dr.
Glennie's, in Lordship Lane, Dulwich. He remained there from August,
1799, to April, 1801.
In a letter to Mrs. Byron, dated September 1, 1799, Hanson describes Dr.
Glennie's "Academy," where he had shortly before left the boy:--
"I left my entertaining companion with Mr. Glennie last Thursday week,
and I have since learnt from him that he is very comfortable and likes
the situation. His schoolfellows are very fine youths, and their
deportment does very great credit to their Preceptor. I succeeded in
getting Lord Byron a separate room, and I am persuaded the greatest
attention will be paid to him. Mr. Glennie is a Scotchman, has
travelled a great deal, and seems every way qualified for his present
situation."
[Footnote 2: Captain James Hanson, R.N., was the brother of John Hanson
to whom the letter is written. Byron was born with a caul, prized by
sailors as a preservative from drowning. The caul was sold by Mrs.
Mills, the nurse who attended Mrs. Byron in January, 1788, to Captain
Hanson. In January, 1800, Captain Hanson, in command of H.M.S. 'Brazen',
had captured a French vessel, which he sent to Portsmouth with a prize
crew. On the 26th of the month, while shorthanded, he was caught in a
storm off Newhaven. The 'Brazen' foundered, and Captain Hanson with all
his men, except one, were drowned.]
[Footnote 3: In the late autumn of 1799 Lord Portsmouth was staying with
the Hansons before his marriage (November 23, 1799) with Miss Norton,
sister of Lord Grantley. In rough play he pinched Byron's ear; the boy
picked up a conch shell which was lying on the ground, and hurled it at
Lord Portsmouth's head, missing it by a hair's breadth, and smashing the
glass behind. In vain Mrs. Hanson tried to make the peace by saying that
Byron did not mean the missile for Lord Portsmouth. "But I 'did' mean
it!" he reiterated; "I will teach a fool of an earl to pinch another
noble's ear."]
[Footnote: 4. The following extract from a letter written by Hanson to
Mrs. Byron (September 1, 1799) places the character of Byron's nurse in
a different light to that which is given in Moore's 'Life':--
"I assure you, Madam, I should not have taken the liberty to have
interfered in your domestic Arrangements, had I not thought it
absolutely necessary to apprize you of the proceedings of your
Servant, Mrs. Gray; her conduct towards your son while at Nottingham
was shocking, and I was persuaded you needed but a hint of it to
dismiss her. Mrs. Parkyns, when I saw her, said something to me about
her; but when I found from dispassionate persons at Nottingham, it was
the general Topic of conversation, it would have ill become me to have
remained silent.
My honourable little companion, tho' disposed to retain his feelings,
could not refrain, from the harsh usage he had received at her hands,
from complaining to me, and such is his dread of the Woman that I
really believe he would forego the satisfaction of seeing you if he
thought he was to meet her again. He told me that she was perpetually
beating him, and that his bones sometimes ached from it; that she
brought all sorts of Company of the very lowest Description into his
apartments; that she was out late at nights, and he was frequently
left to put himself to bed; that she would take the Chaise-boys into
the Chaise with her, and stopped at every little Ale-house to drink
with them. But, Madam, this is not all; she has even----traduced
yourself.
I entertain a very great affection for Lord Byron, and I trust I shall
not be considered solely in my professional character, but as his
Friend. I introduced him to my Friends, Lord Grantley and his Brother
General Norton, who were vastly taken with him, as indeed are every
one. And I should be mortified in the highest degree to see the
honourable feelings of my little fellow exposed to insult by the
inordinate Indiscretions of any Servant. He has Ability and a
quickness of Conception, and a correct Discrimination that is seldom
seen in a youth, and he is a fit associate of men, and choice indeed
must be the Company that is selected for him."]
4.--To his Mother.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, Sunday, May 1st, 1803.
MY DEAR MOTHER,--I received your Letter the other day. And am happy to
hear you are well. I hope you will find Newstead in as favorable a
state as you can wish. I wish you would write to Sheldrake to tell him
to make haste with my shoes. [1]
I am sorry to say that Mr. Henry Drury [2] has behaved himself to me
in a manner I neither'can' nor 'will bear'. He has seized now an
opportunity of showing his resentment towards me. To day in church I
was talking to a Boy who was sitting next me; 'that' perhaps was not
right, but hear what followed. After Church he spoke not a word to me,
but he took this Boy to his pupil room, where he abused me in a most
violent manner, called me 'blackguard', said he 'would' and 'could'
have me expelled from the School, and bade me thank his 'Charity' that
'prevented' him; this was the Message he sent me, to which I shall
return no answer, but submit my case to 'you' and those you may think
'fit' to 'consult'. Is this fit usage for any body? had I 'stole' or
behaved in the most 'abominable' way to him, his language could not
have been more outrageous. What must the boys think of me to hear such
a Message ordered to be delivered to me by a 'Master'? Better let him
take away my life than ruin my 'Character'. My Conscience acquits me
of ever 'meriting' expulsion at this School; I have been 'idle' and I
certainly ought not to talk in church, but I have never done a mean
action at this School to him or 'any one'. If I had done anything so
'heinous', why should he allow me to stay at the School? Why should he
himself be so 'criminal' as to overlook faults which merit the
'appellation' of a 'blackguard'? If he had had it in his power to have
me expelled, he would long ago have 'done' it; as it is, he has done
'worse'. If I am treated in this Manner, I will not stay at this
School. I write you that I will not as yet appeal to Dr. Drury; his
Son's influence is more than mine and 'justice' would be 'refused' me.
Remember I told you, when I 'left' you at 'Bath', that he would seize
every means and opportunity of revenge, not for leaving him so much as
the mortification he suffered, because I begged you to let me leave
him. If I had been the Blackguard he talks of, why did he not of his
own accord refuse to keep me as his 'pupil'? You know Dr. Drury's
first letter, in it were these Words: "My son and Lord Byron have had
some Disagreements; but I hope that his future behaviour will render a
change of Tutors unnecessary." Last Term I was here but a short time,
and though he endeavoured, he could find nothing to abuse me in. Among
other things I forgot to tell you he said he had a great mind to expel
the Boy for speaking to me, and that if he ever again spoke to me he
would expel him. Let him explain his meaning; he abused me, but he
neither did nor can mention anything bad of me, further than what
every boy else in the School has done. I fear him not; but let him
explain his meaning; 'tis all I ask. I beg you will write to Dr. Drury
to let him know what I have said. He has behaved to me, as also Mr.
Evans, very kindly. If you do not take notice of this, I will leave
the School myself; but I am sure 'you' will not see me 'ill treated';
better that I should suffer anything than this. I believe you will be
tired by this time of reading my letter, but, if you love me, you will
now show it. Pray write me immediately. I shall ever remain, Your
affectionate Son, BYRON.
P.S.--Hargreaves Hanson desires his love to you and hopes you are very
well. I am not in want of any Money so will not ask you for any. God
bless, bless you.
[Footnote 1: Byron appears to have suffered from what would now be
described as infantile paralysis, which affected the inner muscles of
the right leg and foot, and rendered him permanently lame. Before
leaving London for Aberdeen, Mrs. Byron consulted John Hunter, who, in
correspondence with Dr. Livingstone of Aberdeen, advised her as to the
treatment of her son. Writing, May 31, 1791, to Mrs. Leigh, she says,
"George's foot turns inward, and it is the right foot; he walks quite on
the side of his foot." In 1798 the child was placed under the care of
Lavender (see p. 7, note 1) at Nottingham, doubtless on the
recommendation of his aunt. In July, 1799, he was taken to London, in
order to consult Dr. Baillie. From July, 1799, till the end of 1802, he
was attended by Baillie in consultation with Dr. Laurie of 2,
Bartholomew's Close. Special appliances were made for the boy, under
their superintendence, by a scientific bootmaker named Sheldrake, in the
Strand. In 'The Lancet' for 1827-8 (vol. ii. p. 779) Mr. T. Sheldrake
describes "Lord Byron's case," giving an illustration of the foot. His
account does not tally, in some respects, with that taken from
contemporary letters, and his sketch represents the left not the right
leg. But the nature and extent of Byron's lameness have been the subject
of a curious variety of opinion. Lady Blessington, Moore, Gait, the
Contessa Albrizzi, never knew which foot was deformed. Jackson, the
boxer, thought it was the 'left' foot. Trelawney says that it proceeded
from a contraction of the back sinews, and that the 'right' foot was
most distorted. The lasts from which his shoes were made by Swift, the
Southwell bootmaker, are preserved in the Nottingham Museum, and in both
the foot is perfect in shape. The last pair of shoes modelled on them
were made May 7, 1807. Mrs. Leigh Hunt says that the 'left' foot was
shrunken, but was not a club-foot. Stendhal says the 'right' foot.
Thorwaldsen indicates the 'left' foot. Dr. James Millingen, who
inspected the feet after the poet's death, says that there was a
malformation of the 'left' foot and leg, and that he was born
club-footed. Two surgical boots are in the possession of Mr. Murray,
made for Byron as a child; both are for the 'right' foot, ankle, and
leg, and, assuming that they were made to fit the foot, they are too
long and thin for a club-foot. Both at Dulwich and at Harrow, Byron was
frequently seen by Laurie, whom Mrs. Byron paid, as she once complained
in a letter to Laurie, "at the rate of L150 a year." It is difficult to
see what more could have been done for the boy, and the explanation of
the failure to effect a cure is probably to be found in the following
extracts from two of Laurie's letters to Mrs. Byron. The first is dated
December 7, 1801:--
"Agreeable to your desire, I waited on Lord Byron at Harrow, and I
think it proper to inform you that I found his foot in a much worse
state than when I last saw it,--the shoe entirely wet through and the
brace round his ancle quite loose. I much fear his extreme inattention
will counteract every exertion on my part to make him better. I have
only to add that with proper care and bandaging, his foot may still be
greatly recovered; but any delay further than the present vacation
would render it folly to undertake it."
The second letter is dated October 2, 1802. In it Laurie complains that
the boy had spent several days in London without seeing him, and adds--
"I cannot help lamenting he has so little sense of the Benefit he has
already received as to be so apparently neglectful."]
[Footnote 2: For Henry Drury (afterwards an intimate friend of Byron)
and his father, the Head-master of Harrow, see p. 41, note 2.
When Byron went to Harrow, in April, 1801, he was placed in Henry
Drury's house. But in January, 1803, he refused to go back to school
unless he was removed from Drury's care. He was in consequence placed at
Evans's house. Dr. Drury, writing to explain the new arrangement, says,
in a letter to Hanson, dated February 4, 1803--
"The reason why Lord Byron wishes for this change arises from the
repeated complaints of Mr. Henry Drury respecting his Inattention to
Business, and his propensity to make others laugh and disregard their
Employments as much as himself. On this subject I have had many very
serious conversations with him, and though Mr. H. D. had repeatedly
requested me to withdraw him from his Tuition, yet, relying on my own
remonstrances and arguments to rectify his Error, and on his own
reflection to confirm him in what is right, I was unwilling to accede
to my son's wishes. Lord Byron has now made the request himself; I am
glad it has been made, as he thereby imposes on himself an additional
responsibility, and encourages me to hope that by this change he
intends to lay aside all that negligence and those Childish Practices
which were the cause of former complaints."
Fresh troubles soon arose, as Byron's letter indicates. Hanson forwarded
the boy's complaint to Dr. Drury, from whom he received the following
answer, dated May 15, 1803:--
"The Perusal of the inclosed has allowed me to inquire into the whole
Matter, and to relieve your young friend's Mind from any uneasy
impression it might have sustained from a hasty word I fairly confess.
I am sorry it was ever uttered; but certainly it was never intended to
make so deep a wound as his letter intimates.
"I may truly say, without any parade of words, that I am deeply
interested in Lord Byron's welfare. He possesses, as his letter
proves, a mind that feels, and that can discriminate reasonably on
points in which it conceives itself injured. When I look forward to
the Possibility of the exercise of his Talents hereafter, and his
supplying the Deficiencies of fortune by the exertion of his abilities
and by application, I feel particularly hurt to see him idle, and
negligent, and apparently indifferent to the great object to be
pursued. This event, and the conversations which have passed between
us relative to it, will probably awaken in his mind a greater degree
of emulation, and make him studious of acquiring Distinction among his
Schoolfellows, as well as of securing to himself the affectionate
regard of his Instructors."]
5.--To his Mother.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, June 23rd, 6th, 8th, 30th, 1803.
My dear Mother,--I am much obliged to you for the Money you sent me. I
have already wrote to you several times about writing to Sheldrake: I
wish you would write to him, or Mr. Hanson to call on him, to tell him
to make an Instrument for my leg immediately, as I want one, rather. I
have been placed in a higher form in this School to day, and Dr. Drury
and I go on very well; write soon, my Dear Mother.
I remain, your affectionate Son,
BYRON.
6.--To his Mother. [1]
Southwell, [Sept. 1803].
MY DEAR MOTHER,--I have sent Mealey [2] to day to you, before William
came, but now I shall write myself. I _promise_ you, upon my _honour_,
I will come over tomorrow in the _Afternoon_. I was not wishing to
resist your _Commands_, and really seriously intended coming over
tomorrow, ever since I received your last Letter; you know as well as
I do that it is not your Company I dislike, but the place you reside
in. I know it is time to go to Harrow. It will make me _unhappy_; but
I will _obey_. I only desire, entreat, this one day, and on my
_honour_ I will be over tomorrow in the evening or afternoon. I am
sorry you disapprove my Companions, who, however, are the first this
County affords, and my equals in most respects; but I will be
permitted to chuse for myself. I shall never interfere in your's and I
desire you will not molest me in mine. If you grant me this favour,
and allow me this one day unmolested, you will eternally oblige your
Unhappy Son,
BYRON.
I shall attempt to offer no excuse as you do not desire one. I only
entreat you as a Governor, not as a Mother, to allow me this one day.
Those that I most love live in this County; therefore in the name of
Mercy I entreat this one day to take leave, and then I will join you
again at Southwell to prepare to go to a place where--I will write no
more; it would only incense you. Adieu. Tomorrow I come.
[Footnote 1: This letter is endorsed by Hanson, "Lord Byron to his
mother, "1803". In September, 1803, at the end of the summer holidays,
Byron did not return to Harrow. Dr. Drury asked the reason, received no
reply, and, on October 4, applied to Hanson for an explanation. Hanson's
inquiry drew from Mrs. Byron, on October 30, the following answer, with
which was enclosed the above letter from Byron:--
"You may well be surprized, and so may Dr. Drury, that Byron is not
returned to Harrow. But the Truth is, I cannot get him to return to
school, though I have done all in my power for six weeks past. He has
no indisposition that I know of, but love, desperate love, the 'worst'
of all 'maladies' in my opinion. In short, the Boy is distractedly in
love with Miss Chaworth, and he has not been with me three weeks all
the time he has been in this county, but spent all his time at
Annesley.
If my son was of a proper age and the lady 'disengaged', it is the
last of all connexions that I would wish to take place; it has given
me much uneasiness. To prevent all trouble in future, I am determined
he shall not come here again till Easter; therefore I beg you will
find some proper situation for him at the next Holydays. I don't care
what I pay. I wish Dr. Drury would keep him.
I shall go over to Newstead to-morrow and make a 'last effort' to get
him to Town."
The effort, if made, failed. On November 7, 1803, Mrs. Byron wrote
again:--
"Byron is really so unhappy that I have agreed, much against my
inclination, to let him remain in this County till after the next
Holydays."
It was not till January, 1804, that Byron returned to Harrow.
Miss Mary Anne Chaworth, the object of Byron's passion, was then living
with her mother, Mrs. Clarke, at Annesley, near Newstead (see 'Poems',
vol. i. p. 189, and note 1). The grand-niece of the Mr. Chaworth who
was killed in a duel by William, fifth Lord Byron, on January 26, 1765
('Annual Register', 1765, pp. 208-212; and 'State Trials', vol. xix. pp.
1178-1236), and the heiress of Annesley, she married, in August, 1805,
John Musters, by whom she had a daughter, born in 1806. (See "Well! thou
art happy!" 'Poems', vol. i. p. 277; see also, for other allusions to
Mrs. Chaworth Musters, 'ibid'., pp. 210, 239, 282, 285; and "The Dream"
of July, 1816.) In Byron's memorandum-book, he describes a visit which
he paid to Matlock with Miss Chaworth's mother, her stepfather Mr.
Clarke, some friends, "and 'my' M. A. C. Alas! why do I say MY? Our
union would have healed feuds in which blood had been shed by our
fathers,--it would have joined lands broad and rich, it would have
joined at least 'one' heart, and two persons not ill matched in years
(she is two years my elder) and--and--and--'what' has been the
result?" ('Life', p. 27).
Mrs. Musters, after an unhappy married life, died in February, 1832, at
Wiverton Hall, near Nottingham.
The connection between the families of Chaworth and Byron came through
the marriage of William, third Lord Byron (died 1695), with Elizabeth
Chaworth (died 1683), daughter of George Chaworth, created (1627)
Viscount Chaworth of Armagh (Thoroton's 'Nottinghamshire', vol. i. p.
198).]
[Footnote 2: Owen Mealey, the steward at Newstead.]
7.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron. [1]
[At 63, Portland Place, London.]
Burgage Manor, [Thursday], March 22d, 1804.
Although, My ever Dear Augusta, I have hitherto appeared remiss in
replying to your kind and affectionate letters; yet I hope you will
not attribute my neglect to a want of affection, but rather to a
shyness naturally inherent in my Disposition. I will now endeavour as
amply as lies in my power to repay your kindness, and for the Future I
hope you will consider me not only as _a Brother_ but as your warmest
and most affectionate _Friend_, and if ever Circumstances should
require it your _protector_. Recollect, My Dearest Sister, that you
are _the nearest relation_ I have in _the world both by the ties of
Blood_ and _affection_. If there is anything in which I can serve you,
you have only to mention it; Trust to your Brother, and be assured he
will never betray your confidence. When You see my Cousin and future
Brother George Leigh, [2] tell him that I already consider him as my
Friend, for whoever is beloved by you, my amiable Sister, will always
be equally Dear to me.
I arrived here today at 2 o'clock after a fatiguing Journey, I found
my Mother perfectly well. She desires to be kindly remembered to you;
as she is just now Gone out to an assembly, I have taken the first
opportunity to write to you, I hope she will not return immediately;
for if she was to take it into her head to peruse my epistle, there is
one part of it which would produce from her a panegyric on _a friend
of yours_, not at all agreeable to me, and I fancy, _not particularly
delightful to you_. If you see Lord Sidney Osborne [3] I beg you will
remember me to him; I fancy he has almost forgot me by this time, for
it is rather more than a year Since I had the pleasure of Seeing
him.--Also remember me to poor old Murray; [4] tell him we will see
that something is to be done for him, for _while I live he shall never
be abandoned In his old Age_. Write to me Soon, my Dear Augusta, And
do not forget to love me, In the meantime, I remain, more than words
can express, your ever sincere, affectionate
Brother and Friend,
BYRON.
P.S. Do not forget to knit the purse you promised me, Adieu my beloved
Sister.
[Footnote: 1. The Hon. Augusta Byron, Byron's half-sister (January,
1783-November, 1851), was the daughter of Captain John Byron by his
first wife, Amelia d'Arcy (died 1784), only child of the last Earl of
Holderness, Baroness Conyers in her own right, the divorced wife of
Francis, Marquis of Carmarthen, subsequently fifth Duke of Leeds. After
the return of Captain and Mrs. Byron to London early in 1788, she was
brought up by her grandmother, the Countess of Holderness. When the
latter died, Augusta Byron divided her time between her half-sister,
Lady Mary Osborne, who married, July 16, 1801, Lord Pelham, subsequently
(1805) Earl of Chichester; her half-brother George, who succeeded his
father as sixth Duke of Leeds in 1799; her cousin, the Earl of Carlisle;
and General and Mrs. Harcourt. From their houses her letters during the
period 1803-7 are written. In 1807 she married her first cousin, Colonel
George Leigh of the Tenth Dragoons, the son of General Charles Leigh, by
Frances, daughter of Admiral the Hon. John Byron. By her husband, who
was a friend of the Prince Regent and well known in society, she was the
mother of seven children. Their home was at Newmarket, till, in April,
1818, they were granted apartments in Flag Court, St. James's Palace,
where she died in November, 1851.
Augusta Byron seems scarcely to have seen her brother between his
infancy and 1802. Lady Holderness and Mrs. Byron were not on friendly
terms, and it was not till the former's death that any intimacy was
renewed between the brother and sister. Writing on October 18, 1801, to
Augusta Byron, Mrs. Byron says, in allusion to the death of Lady
Holderness,
"As I wish to bury what is past in _oblivion_, I shall avoid all
reflections on a person now no more; my opinion of yourself I have
suspended for some years; the time is now arrived when I shall form a
very _decided_ one. I take up my pen now, however, to condole with you
on the melancholy event that has happened, to offer you every
consolation in my power, to assure you of the inalterable regard and
friendship of myself and son. We will be extremely happy if ever we
can be of any service to you, now or at any future period. I take it
upon me to answer for him; although he knows so little of you, he
often mentions you to me in the most affectionate manner, indeed the
goodness of his heart and amiable disposition is such that your being
his sister, had he never seen you, would be a sufficient claim upon
him and ensure you every attention in his power to bestow.
Ah, Augusta, need I assure you that you will ever be dear to me as the
Daughter of the man I tenderly loved, as the sister of my beloved, my
darling Boy, and I take God to witness you _once_ was dear to me on
your own account, and may be so _again_. I still recollect with a
degree of horror the many _sleepless_ nights, and days of _agony_, I
have passed by your bedside drowned in tears, while you lay insensible
and at the gates of death. Your recovery certainly was wonderful, and
thank God I did my duty. These days you cannot remember, but I never
will forget them ... Your brother is at Harrow School, and, if you
wish to see him, I have now no desire to keep you asunder."
From 1802 till Byron's death, Augusta took in him the interest of an
elder sister. Writing to Hanson (June 17, 1804), she says--
"Pray write me a line and mention all you hear of my dear Brother: he
was a most delightful correspondent while he remained in
Nottinghamshire: but I can't obtain a single line from Harrow. I was
much struck with his _general improvement_; it was beyond the
expectations raised by what you had told me, and his letters gave me
the most excellent opinion of both his _Head_ and _Heart_."
In this tone the letters are continued (see extracts p. 39; p. 45,
note 1; and p. 97 [Letter 48], [Foot]note 1 [further down]).
From the end of 1805, with some interruptions, and less regularity, the
correspondence between brother and sister was maintained to the end of
Byron's life. To Augusta, then Mrs. Leigh, Byron sent a presentation
copy of 'Childe Harold', with the inscription:
"To Augusta, my dearest sister, and my best friend, who has ever loved
me much better than I deserved, this volume is presented by her
father's son and most affectionate brother."
She was the god-mother of Byron's daughter Augusta Ada, born December
10, 1815. In January, 1816, when Lady Byron was still with her husband,
she writes of and to Mrs. Leigh:
"In this at least, I _am_ 'truth itself,' when I say that, whatever
the situation may be, there is no one whose society is dearer to me,
or can contribute more to my happiness."
Lady Byron left Byron on January 15, 1816. Writing to Mrs. Leigh from
Kirby Mallory, she speaks of her as her "best comforter," notices her
absolute unselfishness, and says that Augusta's presence in Byron's
house in Piccadilly is her "great comfort" (Lady Byron's letters to Mrs.
Leigh, January 16 and January 23, 1816, quoted in the 'Quarterly Review'
for October, 1869, p. 414). Through Mrs. Leigh passed many
communications between Byron and Lady Byron after the separation. To
her, Byron, in 1816 and 1817, wrote the two sets of "Stanzas to
Augusta," the "Epistle to Augusta," and the Journal of his journey
through the Alps, "which contains all the germs of 'Manfred' (letter to
Murray, August, 1817). She was in his thoughts on the Rhine, and in the
third canto of 'Childe Harold':--
"But one thing want these banks of Rhine,
Thy gentle hand to clasp in mine."
To her he was writing a letter at Missolonghi (February 23, 1824), which
he did not live to finish, "My dearest Augusta, I received a few days
ago your and Lady Byron's report of Ada's health." He carried with him
everywhere the pocket Bible which she had given him. "I have a Bible,"
he told Dr. Kennedy ('Conversations'), "which my sister gave me, who is
an excellent woman, and I read it very often." His last articulate words
were "My sister--my child."
Several volumes of Mrs. Leigh's commonplace books are in existence,
filled with extracts mostly on religious topics. She was, wrote the late
Earl Stanhope, in a letter quoted in the 'Quarterly Review' (October,
1869, p. 421), "very fond" of talking about Byron.
"She was," he continues, "extremely unprepossessing in her person and
appearance--more like a nun than anything, and never can have had the
least pretension to beauty. I thought her shy and sensitive to a fault
in her mind and character."
Frances, Lady Shelley, who died in January, 1873, and was intimately
acquainted with Byron and his contemporaries, speaks of her as a
"Dowdy-Goody."
"I have seen," she writes
(see 'Quarterly Review', October, 1869, p. 421, quoting from
a letter signed E. M. U., which appeared in the 'Times' for September
II, 1869),
"a great deal of Mrs. Leigh (Augusta), having passed some days with
her and Colonel Leigh, for my husband's shooting near Newmarket, when
Lord Byron was in the house, and, as she told me, was writing 'The
Corsair', to my great astonishment, for it was a wretched small house,
full of her ill-trained children, who were always running up and down
stairs, and going into 'uncle's' bedroom, where he remained all the
morning."]
[Footnote 2: See preceding note.]
[Footnote 3: Francis, fifth Duke of Leeds, married, October 14, 1788, as
his second wife, Miss Catherine Anguish, by whom he had two children:
the eldest, a son, Sydney Godolphin Osborne, was born December 16,
1789.]
[Footnote 4: Joe Murray had been for many years in the employment of
William, fifth Lord Byron. At his master's death, in 1798, he was
taken into the service of the Duke of Leeds.
"I saw poor Joseph Murray the other night," writes Augusta Byron to
Hanson (June 17, 1804), "who wishes me particularly to apply to Col.
Leigh, to get him into some City Charity which the Prince of Wales is
at the head of.
I cannot understand what he means, nor can any body else, and
therefore, as he said he was advised by you, I think it better to
apply to you on the subject. I'm sure Col. Leigh would be happy to
oblige him; but in general he dislikes _asking favours_ of the
_Prince_, and this present moment is a bad one to chuse for the
purpose, as H.R.H. is so much taken up with _public affairs_. I am
very anxious about poor Joseph, and would almost do anything to serve
him. I fear he is too old and infirm to go to service again."
Three years later (March 19, 1807), Augusta Byron writes again
to Hanson:--
"I have just had a pitiful note from poor old Murray, telling me of
his dismissal from the Duchess of Leeds; but he says he does not leave
her till June. I therefore hope something may in the mean time be done
for him. He requests me to write word of it to my Brother. I shall
certainly comply with his wishes, and send _two lines_ on that subject
to Southwell, where I conclude he is."
Byron made Murray an allowance of L20 a year (see Letter 83), took him,
as soon as he could, into his service, and was careful, as he promises,
to provide that he should not be "abandoned in his old age." His
affection for Murray is marked by the postscript to the letter to Mrs.
Byron of June 22, 1809 (see also 'Life', pp. 74, 121); as also by his
draft will of 1811, in which he leaves Murray L50 a year for life.
8.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[63, Portland Place, London.]
Southwell, March 26th, 1804.
I received your affectionate letter, my ever Dear Sister, yesterday
and I now hasten to comply with your injunction by answering it as
soon as possible. Not, my Dear Girl, that it can be in the least
irksome to me to write to you, on the Contrary it will always prove my
Greatest pleasure, but I am sorry that I am afraid my correspondence
will not prove the most entertaining, for I have nothing that I can
relate to you, except my affection for you, which I can never
sufficiently express, therefore I should tire you, before I had half
satisfied myself. Ah, How unhappy I have hitherto been in being so
long separated from so amiable a Sister! but fortune has now
sufficiently atoned by discovering to me a relation whom I love, a
Friend in whom I can confide. In both these lights, my Dear Augusta, I
shall ever look upon you, and I hope you will never find your Brother
unworthy of your affection and Friendship.
I am as you may imagine a little dull here; not being on terms of
intimacy with Lord Grey [1] I avoid Newstead, and my resources of
amusement are Books, and writing to my Augusta, which, wherever I am,
will always constitute my Greatest pleasure. I am not reconciled to
Lord Grey, _and I never will_. He was once my _Greatest Friend_, my
reasons for ceasing that Friendship are such as I cannot explain, not
even to you, my Dear Sister, (although were they to be made known to
any body, you would be the first,) but they will ever remain hidden in
my own breast.
They are Good ones, however, for although I am _violent_ I am not
_capricious_ in my _attachments_. My mother disapproves of my
quarrelling with him, but if she knew the cause (which she never will
know,) She would reproach me no more. He Has forfeited all _title to
my esteem_, but I hold him in too much _contempt_ ever _to hate him_.
My mother desires to be kindly remembered to you. I shall soon be in
town to resume my studies at Harrow; I will certainly call upon you in
my way up. Present my respects to Mrs. Harcourt; [2] I am Glad to hear
that I am in her Good Graces for I shall always esteem her on account
of her behaviour to you, my Dear Girl. Pray tell me If you see Lord S.
Osborne, and how he is; what little I know of him I like very much and
If we were better acquainted I doubt not I should like him still
better. Do not forget to tell me how Murray is. As to your Future
prospects, my Dear Girl, _may they be happy_! I am sure you deserve
Happiness and if _you_ do not meet with it I shall begin to think it
is "a bad world we live in." Write to me soon. I am impatient to hear
from you. God bless you, My amiable Augusta, I remain,
Your ever affectionate Brother and Friend,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Henry, third Earl of Sussex, died in 1799, when the earldom
lapsed. He was, however, succeeded in the ancient barony of Grey de
Ruthyn by his daughter's son, Henry Edward, twentieth Baron Grey de
Ruthyn (1780-1810), to whom Newstead was let.
"I am glad," writes Mrs. Byron to Hanson, March 10, 1803, "that
Newstead is well let. I cannot find Lord Grey de Ruthin's Title in the
Peerage of England, Ireland, or Scotland. I suppose he is a _new_
Peer."
Lord Grey de Ruthyn married, in 1809, Anna Maria, daughter of William
Kelham, of Ryton-upon-Dunsmore, Warwick. (See postscript to Byron's
Letter to his mother, August 11, 1809.) The lease of Newstead terminated
in April, 1808.]
[Footnote 2: Probably the wife of General the Hon. William Harcourt
(1742-1830), who distinguished himself in the War of American
Independence, succeeded his only brother in 1809 as third (and last)
Earl Harcourt, was created a field-marshal in 1821, and died in 1830. He
married, in 1778, Mary, daughter of the Rev. William Danby, and widow of
Thomas Lockhart. She died in 1833.]
9.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[At General Harcourt's, St. Leonard's Hill, Windsor, Berkshire.]
Burgage Manor, April 2d, 1804.
I received your present, my beloved Augusta, which was very
acceptable, not that it will be of any use as a token of remembrance,
No, my affection for you will never permit me to forget you.
I am afraid, my Dear Girl, that you will be absent when I am in town.
I cannot exactly say when I return to Harrow, but however it will be
in a very short time. I hope you were entertained by Sir Wm. Fawcet's
funeral on Saturday. [1] Though I should imagine such spectacles rather
calculated to excite Gloomy ideas. But I believe _your motive was not
quite of so mournful a cast_.
You tell me that you are tired of London. I am rather surprised to
hear that, for I thought the Gaieties of the Metropolis were
particularly pleasing to _young ladies_. For my part I detest it; the
smoke and the noise feel particularly unpleasant; but however it is
preferable to this horrid place, where I am oppressed with _ennui_,
and have no amusement of any kind, except the conversation of my
mother, which is sometimes very _edifying_, but not always very
_agreeable_. There are very few books of any kind that are either
instructive or amusing, no society but old parsons and old Maids;--I
shoot a Good deal; but, thank God, I have not so far lost my reason as
to make shooting my only amusement. There are indeed some of my
neighbours whose only pleasures consist in field sports, but in other
respects they are only one degree removed from the brute creation.
These however I endeavour not to imitate, but I sincerely wish for the
company of a few friends about my own age to soften the austerity of
the scene. I am an absolute Hermit; in a short time my Gravity which
is increased by my solitude will qualify me for an Archbishoprick; I
really begin to think that I should become a mitre amazingly well. You
tell me to write to you when I have nothing better to do; I am sure
writing to you, my Dear Sister, must ever form my Greatest pleasure,
but especially so, at this time. Your letters and those of one of my
Harrow friends form my only resources for driving away _dull care_.
For Godsake write me a letter as long as may fill _twenty sheets_ of
paper, recollect it is my only pleasure, if you won't Give me twenty
sheets, at least send me as long an epistle as you can and as soon as
possible; there will be time for me to receive one more Letter at
Southwell, and as soon as I Get to Harrow I will write to you. Excuse
my not writing more, my Dear Augusta, for I am sure you will be
sufficiently tired of reading this complaining narrative. God bless
you, my beloved Sister. Adieu.
I remain your sincere and affectionate
Friend and Brother,
BYRON.
Remember me kindly to Mrs. Harcourt.
[Footnote 1: General the Right Hon. Sir William Fawcett, K.B.
(1728-1804), Colonel of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, Adjutant-General
(1778-1797), and Governor of Chelsea Hospital (1796-1804), died at his
house in Great George Street, Westminster, March 22, 1804. He had served
during the rebellion of 1745, and distinguished himself during the Seven
Years' War, where he was aide-de-camp first to General Elliot, and
afterwards to the Marquis of Granby. An excellent linguist, he
translated from the French, 'Reveries: or Memoirs upon the Art of War,
by Field-Marshal Count Saxe' (1757); and from the German, 'Regulations
for the Prussian Cavalry' (1757), 'Regulations for the Prussian
Infantry', and 'The Prussian Tacticks' (1759). His military and
diplomatic services were commemorated by a magnificent funeral on
Saturday, March 31, 1804. The body was carried through the streets from
Westminster to the chapel of Chelsea Hospital, the Prince Regent, the
Duke of Clarence, and the Duke of Kent following the hearse, and eight
general officers acting as pall-bearers.]
10.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[At General Harcourt's, St. Leonard's Hill, Windsor, Berkshire.]
Burgage Manor, April 9th, 1804.
A thousand thanks, my dear and Beloved Augusta, for your affectionate
Letter, and so ready compliance with the request of a peevish and
fretful Brother; it acted as a cordial on my drooping spirits and for
a while dispelled the Gloom which envelopes me in this uncomfortable
place. You see what power your letters have over me, so I hope you
will be liberal in your epistolary consolation.
You will address your next letter to Harrow as I set out from
Southwell on Wednesday, and am sorry that I cannot contrive to be with
you, as I must resume my studies at Harrow directly. If I speak in
public at all, it will not be till the latter end of June or the
beginning of July. You are right in your conjecture for I feel not a
little nervous in the anticipation _of my Debut_ [1] as _an orator_.
By the bye, I do not dislike Harrow. I find _ways_ and _means_ to
amuse _myself very pleasantly_ there; the friend, whose correspondence
I find so amusing, is an old sporting companion of mine, whose
recitals of Shooting and Hunting expeditions are amusing to me as
having often been his companion in them, and I hope to be so still
oftener.
My mother Gives a _party_ to night at which the principal _Southwell
Belles_ will be present, with one of which, although I don't as yet
know whom I shall so far _honour, having never seen them_, I intend to
_fall violently_ in love; it will serve as an amusement _pour passer
le temps_ and it will at least have the charm of novelty to recommend
it, then you know in the course of a few weeks I shall be quite _au
desespoir_, shoot myself and Go out of the world with _eclat_, and my
History will furnish materials for a pretty little Romance which shall
be entitled and denominated the loves of Lord B. and the cruel and
Inconstant Sigismunda Cunegunda Bridgetina, etc., etc., Princess of
Terra Incognita.
Don't you think that I have a very good Knack for _novel writing_? I
have Just this minute been called away from writing to you by two
Gentlemen who have given me an invitation to go over to Screveton, a
village a few miles off, and spend a few days; but however I shall not
accept it, so you will continue to address your letters to Harrow as
usual. Write to me as soon as possible and give me a long letter.
Remember me to Mrs. Harcourt and all who enquire after me. Continue to
love me and believe me,
Your truly affectionate Brother and Friend,
BYRON.
P.S.--My Mother's love to you, Adieu.
[Footnote 1: Mrs. Byron, writing to Hanson, July 24, 1804, says,
"I was informed by a Gentleman yesterday that he had been at Harrow
and heard him speaking, and that he acquitted himself uncommonly
well."
Byron's name occurs in three of the Harrow speech-bills--July 5, 1804;
June 6, 1805; and July 4, 1805. The three bills are printed below:--
HARROW SCHOOL PUBLIC SPEECHES.
1. JULY 5, 1804.
Erskine, Maj. Caesar } Ex Sallustio.
Sinclair Cato }
Long C. Canuleius ad Pleb. Ex Livio.
Molloy, Sr. The Country Box Lloyd.
Lord Byron Latinus }
Leeke Drances } Ex Virgilio.
Peel, Sr. Turnus }
Chaplin Henry the Fifth to his Shakespear.
Soldiers
Clayton Micispa ad Jugurtham Ex Sallustio.
Rowley Germanicus moriens Ex Tacito.
Grenside, Sr. General Wolfe to his Enfield.
Soldiers
Morant, Sr. Dido Ex Virgilio.
Mr. Calthorpe, Sr. In Catilinam Ex Cicerone.
Lloyd, Sr. The Ghost Shakespear.
Mr. Powys Tiresias Ex Horatio.
Sir Thomas Acland The Boil'd Pig Wesley.
Leveson Gower Ad Antonium Ex Cicerone.
Drury, Max. Earl of Strafford Hume.
2. JUNE 6, 1805.
There were no Speeches for May, 1805. Dr. Butler came to Harrow this
year, after the Easter Holiday.--G.B. [1]
Doveton Canulcius Ex Livio.
Farrer, Sr. Medea Ex Ovidio.
Long Caractacus Mason.
Rogers Manlius Ex Sallustio.
Molloy Micipsa Ex Sallustio.
Lord Byron Zanga Young.
Drury, Sr. Memmius Ex Sallustio.
Hoare Ajax } Ex Ovidio.
East Ulysses }
Leeke The Passions: an Ode Collins.
Calvert, Sr. Galgacus Ex Tacito.
Bazett Catilina ad Consp. Ex Sallustio.
Franks, Sr. Antony Shakespeare.
Wildman, Majr. Sat. ix., Lib. i. Ex Horatio.
Lloyd, Sr. The Bard: an Ode Gray.
3. JULY 4, 1805.
Lyon Piso ad Milites Ex Tacito.
East Cato Addison.
Saumarez Drances } Ex Virgilio, _AEn._ xi
Annesley Turnus }
Calvert Lord Strafford's Hume.
Defence
Erskine, Sr. Achilles Ex Homero, _Il._ xvi
Bazett York Shakespeare.
Harrington Camillus Ex Livio.
Leeke Ode to the Passions Collins.
Sneyd Electra Ex Sophocle.
Long Satan's Soliloquy Milton, _P.L._, b. iv
Gibson Brutus } Ex Lucano.
Drury, Sr. Cato }
Lord Byron Lear Shakespeare.
Hoare Otho ad Milites Ex Livio.
Wildman Caractacus Mason.
Franks Wolsey Shakespeare.
Of Byron's oratorical powers, Dr. Drury, Head-master of Harrow, formed a
high opinion.
"The upper part of the school," he writes (see 'Life', p. 20), composed
declamations, which, after a revisal by the tutors, were submitted to
the master. To him the authors repeated them, that they might be
improved in manner and action, before their public delivery. I certainly
was much pleased with Lord Byron's attitude, gesture, and delivery, as
well as with his composition. All who spoke on that day adhered, as
usual, to the letter of their composition, as, in the earlier part of
his delivery, did Lord Byron; but, to my surprise, he suddenly diverged
from the written composition, with a boldness and rapidity sufficient to
alarm me, lest he should fail in memory as to the conclusion. There was
no failure; he came round to the close of his composition without
discovering any impediment and irregularity on the whole. I questioned
him why he had altered his declamation. He declared he had made no
alteration, and did not know, in speaking, that he had deviated from it
one letter. I believed him; and, from a knowledge of his temperament, am
convinced that, fully impressed with the sense and substance of the
subject, he was hurried on to expressions and colourings more striking
than what his pen had expressed."
"My qualities," says Byron, in one of his note-books (quoted by Moore,
'Life', p. 20), "were much more oratorical and martial than poetical;
and Dr. Drury, my grand patron (our head-master), had a great notion
that I should turn out an orator, from my fluency, my turbulence, my
voice, my copiousness of declamation, and my action. I remember that
my first declamation astonished him into some unwonted (for he was
economical of such) and sudden compliments before the declaimers at
our first rehearsal."
For his subjects Byron chose passages expressive of vehement passion,
such as Lear's address to the storm, or the speech of Zanga over the
body of Alonzo, from Young's tragedy 'The Revenge'. Zanga's character
and speech are famous in history from their application to Benjamin
Franklin, in Wedderburn's speech before the Privy Council (January,
1774) on the Whately Letters (Stanhope's 'History of England', vol. v.
p. 327, ed. 1853):--
"I forg'd the letter, and dispos'd the picture,
I hated, I despis'd, and I destroy."]
[Sub-Footnote A: Note, in Dr. G. Butler's writing, in the bound volume of
Speech-Bills presented by him to the Harrow School Library.]
11.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
Burgage Manor, August 18th, 1804.
MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--I seize this interval of my _amiable_ mother's
absence this afternoon, again to inform you, or rather to desire to be
informed by you, of what is going on. For my own part I can send
nothing to amuse you, excepting a repetition of my complaints against
my tormentor, whose _diabolical_ disposition (pardon me for staining
my paper with so harsh a word) seems to increase with age, and to
acquire new force with Time. The more I see of her the more my dislike
augments; nor can I so entirely conquer the appearance of it, as to
prevent her from perceiving my opinion; this, so far from calming the
Gale, blows it into a _hurricane_, which threatens to destroy
everything, till exhausted by its own violence, it is lulled into a
sullen torpor, which, after a short period, is again roused into fresh
and revived phrenzy, to me most terrible, and to every other Spectator
astonishing. She then declares that she plainly sees I hate her, that
I am leagued with her bitter enemies, viz. Yourself, L'd C[arlisle]
and Mr. H[anson], and, as I never Dissemble or contradict her, we are
all _honoured_ with a multiplicity of epithets, too _numerous_, and
some of them too _gross_, to be repeated. In this society, and in this
amusing and instructive manner, have I dragged out a weary fortnight,
and am condemned to pass another or three weeks as happily as the
former. No captive Negro, or Prisoner of war, ever looked forward to
their emancipation, and return to Liberty with more Joy, and with more
lingering expectation, than I do to my escape from this maternal
bondage, and this accursed place, which is the region of dullness
itself, and more stupid than the banks of Lethe, though it possesses
contrary qualities to the river of oblivion, as the detested scenes I
now witness, make me regret the happier ones already passed, and wish
their restoration.
Such Augusta is the happy life I now lead, such my _amusements_. I
wander about hating everything I behold, and if I remained here a few
months longer, I should become, what with _envy, spleen and all
uncharitableness_, a complete _misanthrope_, but notwithstanding this,
Believe me, Dearest Augusta, ever yours, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
12.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot. [1]
Burgage Manor, August 29, 1804.
I received the arms, my dear Miss Pigot, and am very much obliged to
you for the trouble you have taken. It is impossible I should have any
fault to find with them. The sight of the drawings gives me great
pleasure for a double reason,--in the first place, they will ornament
my books, in the next, they convince me that _you_ have not entirely
_forgot_ me. I am, however, sorry you do not return sooner--you have
already been gone an _age_. I perhaps may have taken my departure for
London before you come back; but, however, I will hope not. Do not
overlook my watch-riband and purse, as I wish to carry them with me.
Your note was given me by Harry, [2] at the play, whither I attended
Miss Leacroft, [3] and Dr. S----; and now I have sat down to answer it
before I go to bed. If I am at Southwell when you return,--and I
sincerely hope you will soon, for I very much regret your absence,--I
shall be happy to hear you sing my favourite, "The Maid of Lodi." [4]
My mother, together with myself, desires to be affectionately
remembered to Mrs. Pigot, and, believe me, my dear Miss Pigot, I
remain, your affectionate friend,
BYRON.
P.S.--If you think proper to send me any answer to this, I shall be
extremely happy to receive it. Adieu.
P.S.2d.--As you say you are a novice in the art of knitting, I hope it
don't give you too much trouble. Go on _slowly_, but surely. Once
more, adieu.
[Footnote 1: Elizabeth Bridget Pigot lived with her mother and two
brothers on Southwell Green, in a house opposite Burgage Manor. Miss
Pigot thus describes her first meeting with Byron ('Life', p. 32):--
"The first time I was introduced to him was at a party at his
mother's, when he was so shy that she was forced to send for him three
times before she could persuade him to come into the drawing-room, to
play with the young people at a round game. He was then a fat, bashful
boy, with his hair combed straight over his forehead, and extremely
like a miniature picture that his mother had painted by M. de
Chambruland. The next morning Mrs. Byron brought him to call at our
house, when he still continued shy and formal in his manner. The
conversation turned upon Cheltenham, where we had been staying, the
amusements there, the plays, etc.; and I mentioned that I had seen the
character of Gabriel Lackbrain very well performed. His mother getting
up to go, he accompanied her, making a formal bow, and I, in allusion
to the play, said, 'Good-by, Gaby.' His countenance lighted up, his
handsome mouth displayed a broad grin, all his shyness vanished, never
to return, and, upon his mother's saying, 'Come, Byron, are you
ready?'--no, she might go by herself, he would stay and talk a little
longer; and from that moment he used to come in and go out at all
hours, as it pleased him, and in our house considered himself
perfectly at home."
The character of "Gabriel Lackbrain," mentioned above, occurs in 'Life',
a comedy by F. Reynolds. It was at Byron's suggestion that Moore, when
preparing the 'Life', applied to Miss Pigot for letters. On January 22,
1828, he was taken to call on her and her mother by the Rev. John
Becher.
"Their reception of me most cordial and flattering; made me sit in the
chair which Byron used to sit in, and remarked, as a singularity, that
this was the poor fellow's birthday; he would to-day have been forty.
On parting with Mrs. Pigot, a fine, intelligent old lady, who has been
bedridden for years, she kissed my hand most affectionately, and said
that, much as she had always admired me as a poet, it was as the
friend of Byron she valued and loved me ... Her affection, indeed, to
his memory is unbounded, and she seems unwilling to allow that he had
a single fault ... Miss Pigot in the evening, with his letters, which
interested me exceedingly; some written when he was quite a boy, and
the bad spelling and scrambling handwriting delightful; spelling,
indeed, was a very late accomplishment with him"
('Diary of Thomas Moore', vol. v. p. 249). (See "To Eliza," 'Poems',
vol. i. pp.47-49; see also the lines "To M. S. G.," 'Poems', vol. i. pp.
79, 80; see for the lines which Byron wrote in her copy of Burns,
'Poems', vol. i. pp. 233, 234.)
Miss Pigot died at Southwell in 1866, her brother John (see letter of
August 9, 1806, p. 100, note 3) in 1871. Her brother Henry, whom Byron
used to call his grandson, died October 28, 1830, a captain in the 23rd
Native Infantry in the service of the East India Company.
The following undated note (1810) from Mrs. Pigot to Mrs. Byron
illustrates the enthusiastic interest with which the Pigots followed
Byron's career:--
"Indeed, my dear Mrs. Byron, you have given me a very 'great treat' in
sending me 'English Bards' to look at; you know how very highly I
thought of the 'first' edition, and this is certainly much improved;
indeed, I do not think anybody but Lord Byron could (in these our
days) have produced such a work, for it has all the fire of ancient
genius. I have always been accustomed to tell you my thoughts most
sincerely, and I cannot say that I like that addition to the part
where 'Bowles' is mentioned; it wants that 'brilliant spirit' which
almost invariably accompanies Lord B.'s writings. Maurice, too, and
his granite weight of leaves, is in truth a heavy comparison. But I
turn with pleasure from these specks in the sun to notice 'Vice and
folly, Greville and Argyle;' it is 'most admirable': the 'same pen'
may 'equal', but I think it is not in the power of human abilities to
'exceed' it. As to Lord Carlisle, I think he well deserves the Note
Lord B. has put in; I am 'very much' pleased with it, and the little
word 'Amen' at the end, gives a point 'indescribably good'. The whole
of the conclusion is excellent, and the Postscript I think must
entertain everybody except 'Jeffrey'. I hope the poor Bear is well; I
wish you could make him understand that he is 'immortalized', for, if
'four-leg'd Bears' have any vanity, it would certainly delight him.
Walter Scott, too (I really do not mean to call him a Bear), will be
highly gratified: the compliment to him is very elegant: in short, I
look upon it as a most 'highly finished' work, and Lord Byron has
certainly taken the Palm from 'all our' Poets.... A good account of
yourself I assure you will always give the most sincere pleasure to my
dear Mrs. Byron's very affectionate friend, Margt. Pigot. Elizabeth
begs her compts."]
[Footnote 2: Henry Pigot. (See p. 33, note 1.)]
[Footnote 3: Miss Julia Leacroft, daughter of a neighbour, Mr. John
Leacroft. (See lines "To Lesbia," 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 41-43.) The
private theatricals in September, 1806 (see p. 117 [Letter 81],
[Foot]note 3 [4]), were held at Mr. Leacroft's house. Later, Captain
Leacroft expostulated with Byron on his attentions to his sister, and,
according to Moore, threatened to call him out. Byron was ready to meet
him; but afterwards, on consulting Becher, resolved never to go near the
house again.--'Prose and Verse of Thomas Moore', edited by Richard Herne
Shepherd (London, 1878), p. 420. (But see Letters 62, 63, 64.) ]
[Footnote 4: By Dibdin, set to music by Shield. (See Moore's 'Life', p.
33.) Byron's love for simple ballad music lasted throughout his life. As
a boy at Harrow, he was famous for the vigour with which he sang "This
Bottle's the Sun of our Table" at Mother Barnard's. He liked the Welsh
air "Mary Anne," sung by Miss Chaworth; the songs in 'The Duenna'; "When
Time who steals our Years away," which he sang with Miss Pigot; or
"Robin Adair," in which he was accompanied by Miss Hanson on her harp.
"It is very odd," he said to Miss Pigot, "I sing much better to your
playing than to any one else's."
"That is," she answered, "because I play to your singing."
Moore ('Journal and Correspondence', vol. v. pp. 295, 296), speaking of
"Byron's chanting method of repeating poetry," says that "it is the men
who have the worst ears for music that 'sing' out poetry in this manner,
having no nice perception of the difference there ought to be between
animated reading and 'chant'." Rogers ('Table-Talk, etc.', pp. 224, 225)
expresses the same opinion, when he says, "I can discover from a poet's
versification whether or not he has an ear for music. To instance poets
of the present day:--from Bowles's and Moore's, I should know that they
had fine ears for music; from Southey's, Wordsworth's, and Byron's, that
they had no ears for it."]
13.-To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.]
Harrow-on-the-Hill, October 25th, 1804.
My dear Augusta,--In compliance with your wishes, as well as gratitude
for your affectionate letter, I proceed as soon as possible to answer
it; I am glad to hear that _any body_ gives a good account of me; but
from the quarter you mention, I should imagine it was exaggerated.
That you are unhappy, my dear Sister, makes me so also; were it in my
power to relieve your sorrows you would soon recover your spirits; as
it is, I sympathize better than you yourself expect. But really, after
all (pardon me my dear Sister), I feel a little inclined to laugh at
you, for love, in my humble opinion, is utter nonsense, a mere jargon
of compliments, romance, and deceit; now, for my part, had I fifty
mistresses, I should in the course of a fortnight, forget them all,
and, if by any chance I ever recollected one, should laugh at it as a
dream, and bless my stars, for delivering me from the hands of the
little mischievous Blind God. Can't you drive this Cousin [1] of ours
out of your pretty little head (for as to _hearts_ I think they are
out of the question), or if you are so far gone, why don't you give
old L'Harpagon [2] (I mean the General) the slip, and take a trip to
Scotland, you are now pretty near the Borders. Be sure to Remember me
to my formal Guardy Lord Carlisle, [3] whose magisterial presence I
have not been into for some years, nor have I any ambition to attain
so great an honour. As to your favourite Lady Gertrude, I don't
remember her; pray, is she handsome? I dare say she is, for although
they are a _disagreeable, formal, stiff_ Generation, yet they have by
no means plain _persons_, I remember Lady Cawdor was a sweet, pretty
woman; pray, does your sentimental Gertrude resemble her? I have heard
that the duchess of Rutland was handsome also, but we will say nothing
about her temper, as I hate Scandal.
Adieu, my pretty Sister, forgive my levity, write soon, and God bless
you.
I remain, your very affectionate Brother,
BYRON.
P.S.--I left my mother at Southwell, some time since, in a monstrous
pet with you for not writing. I am sorry to say the old lady and
myself don't agree like lambs in a meadow, but I believe it is all my
own fault, I am rather too fidgety, which my precise mama objects to,
we differ, then argue, and to my shame be it spoken fall out a
_little_, however after a storm comes a calm; what's become of our
aunt the amiable antiquated Sophia? [4] is she yet in the land of the
living, or does she sing psalms with the _Blessed_ in the other world.
Adieu. I am happy enough and Comfortable here. My friends are not
numerous, but select; among them I rank as the principal Lord
Delawarr, [5] who is very amiable and my particular friend; do you
know the family at all? Lady Delawarr is frequently in town, perhaps
you may have seen her; if she resembles her son she is the most
amiable woman in Europe. I have plenty of acquaintances, but I reckon
them as mere Blanks. Adieu, my dear Augusta.
[Footnote 1: Colonel George Leigh.]
[Footnote 2: General Leigh, father of the colonel. Both Harpagon and
Cleante ('L'Avare') wish to marry Mariane; but the miser prefers his
casket to the lady, who therefore marries Cleante. ]
[Footnote 3: Frederick Howard, fifth Earl of Carlisle (1748-1825), was,
on his mother's side, connected with the Byron family. The Hon. Isabella
Byron (1721-1795), daughter of the fourth Lord Byron, married, in 1742,
Henry, fourth Earl of Carlisle. She subsequently, after the death of
Lord Carlisle (1758), married, as her second husband, Sir William
Musgrave. She was a woman of considerable ability, and apparently, in
later life, of eccentric habits--a "recluse in pride and rags." She was
the reputed writer of some published poetry, and of 'Maxims addressed to
Young Ladies'. Some of these maxims might have been of use to her
grand-nephew: "Habituate yourself to that way of life most agreeable to
the person to whom you are united; be content in retirement, or with
society, in town, or country." Her 'Answer' to Mrs. Greville's ode on
'Indifference' has more of the neck-or-nothing temper of the Byrons:--
"Is that your wish, to lose all sense
In dull lethargic ease,
And wrapt in cold indifference,
But half be pleased or please?
...
It never shall be my desire
To bear a heart unmov'd,
To feel by halves the gen'rous fire,
Or be but half belov'd.
Let me drink deep the dang'rous cup,
In hopes the prize to gain,
Nor tamely give the pleasure up
For fear to share the pain.
Give me, whatever I possess,
To know and feel it all;
When youth and love no more can bless,
Let death obey my call."
Lady Carlisle's son, Frederick, who was educated at Eton and Cambridge,
succeeded his father as fifth Earl of Carlisle, in 1758, when he was ten
years old. After leaving Cambridge, he started on a continental tour
with two Eton friends--Lord FitzWilliam and Charles James Fox. A lively
letter-writer, his correspondence with his friend George Selwyn, while
in Italy, shows him to have been a young man of wit, feeling, and taste.
It is curious to notice that, at Rome, he singles out, like his cousin
in 'Childe Harold' or 'Manfred', as the most striking objects, the
general aspect of the "marbled wilderness", the moonlight view of the
amphitheatre, the Laocoon, the Belvedere Apollo, and the group of Niobe
and her daughters. One other taste he shared with Byron--he was a lover
of dogs, and "Rover" was his constant companion abroad.
Lord Carlisle returned to England in 1769. Like Fox, he was a prodigious
dandy. They "once travelled from Paris to Lyons for the express purpose
of buying waistcoats; and during the whole journey they talked of
nothing else" ('Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers', pp. 73, 74). Already well
known in London society, Carlisle was a close friend of George Selwyn, a
familiar figure at White's and Brookes's, an inveterate gambler, an
adorer of Lady Sarah Bunbury, who, as Lady Sarah Lennox, had won the
heart of George III. The flirtation provoked from Lord Holland an
adaptation of 'Lydia, dic per omnes':--
"Sally, Sally, don't deny,
But, for God's sake, tell me why
You have flirted so, to spoil
That once lively youth, Carlisle?
He used to mount while it was dark;
Now he lies in bed till noon,
And, you not meeting in the park,
Thinks that he gets up too soon," etc.
In 1770 Lord Carlisle married Lady Margaret Leveson Gower, a beautiful
and charming woman. "Everybody," writes Lord Holland to George Selwyn
(May 2, 1770), "says it is impossible not to admire Lady Carlisle." But
matrimony did not at once steady his character. For the next few
years--though in 1773 he published a volume of 'Poems'--his pursuits
were mainly those of a young man of fashion, and he impoverished himself
at the gaming-table. From 1777 onwards, however, his life took a more
serious turn. In that year he became Treasurer of the Household, and was
sworn a member of the Privy Council. In 1778 he was the chief of the
three commissioners sent out by Lord North to negotiate with the United
States. There he declined a challenge from Lafayette, provoked by
reflections on the French court and nation, which he had issued with his
fellow-commissioners in their political capacity. In 1779 he was
nominated Lord-Lieutenant of Yorkshire, and First Lord of Trade and
Plantations. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland from 1780 to 1782, and
held the post of Lord Privy Seal in the Duke of Portland's
administration of 1783. Till the outbreak of the French Revolutionary
wars, he was an opponent of Pitt; but after 1792 he consistently
supported the Government.
Carlisle was a collector of pictures, statuary, and works of art. He was
also a writer of verse, tragedies, and pamphlets; but, in literature,
his admirable letters are his best claim to be remembered. One of his
two tragedies, 'The Father's Revenge' (1783), was praised by Walpole,
and received the guarded approval of Dr. Johnson. His published poetry
consisted of an ode on the death of Gray, verses on that of Lord Nelson,
"Lines for the Monument of a favourite Spaniel," an address to Sir
Joshua Reynolds, and translations from Dante. The first two poems
provoked Richard Tickell to write the 'Wreath of Fashion' (1780). "The
following lines," says Tickell, in his "Advertisement," were "occasioned
by the Author's having lately studied, with infinite attention, several
fashionable productions in the 'Sentimental' stile.... For example, A
Noble Author has lately published his works, which consist of 'three'
compositions: 'one' an Ode upon the death of Mr. Gray; the two others
upon the death of his Lordship's 'Spaniel'."
"Here, placid 'Carlisle' breathes his gentle line,
Or haply, gen'rous 'Hare', re-echoes thine.
Soft flows the lay: as when, with tears, He paid
The last sad honours to his------Spaniel's shade!
And lo! he grasps the badge of wit, a wand;
He waves it thrice and 'Storer' is at hand."
His contemporaries seem to have thought that his poetry, weak though it
was, was indebted to his Eton friends, "the Hare with many friends," and
Antony Storer. The latter's name is linked with that of Carlisle in
another satire, 'Pandolfo Attonito':--
"Fall'n though I am, I ne'er shall mourn,
Like the dark Peer on Storer's urn,"
where a note refers to "Antony Storer, formerly Member for Morpeth ('as
some persons' near Carlisle and Castle Howard 'may possibly recollect'),
a gentleman well known in the circles of fashion and polite literature."
Carlisle's name occurs in many of the satires of the day on literary
subjects. 'The Shade of Pope' (ii. 191, 192) says--
"Carlisle is lost with Gillies in surprize,
As Lysias charms soft Jersey's classic eyes;"
and in the 'Pursuits of Literature' (Dialogue ii. line 234), a note to
the line--
"While lyric Carlisle purrs o'er love transformed,"
again associates his name with that of Lady Jersey.
In 1799 Lord Carlisle was persuaded by Hanson to become Byron's
guardian, in order to facilitate legal proceedings for the recovery of
the Rochdale property, illegally sold by William, fifth Lord Byron. He
was introduced to his ward by Hanson, who took the boy to Grosvenor
Place, to see his guardian and consult Dr. Baillie in July, 1799. He
seemed anxious to befriend the boy; but Byron was eager, as Hanson
notes, to leave the house. When Mrs. Byron, in 1800, was anxious to
remove her son from Dr. Glennie's care, Carlisle exercised his
authority, and forbade the schoolmaster to give him up to his mother. He
probably, on this occasion, experienced Mrs. Byron's temper, for Augusta
Byron, writing to Hanson (November 18, 1804), says that he dreaded
"having any concern whatever with Mrs. Byron." Byron does not seem to
have met his guardian again till January, 1805, when Augusta Byron
writes to Hanson:
"I hear from Lady Gertrude Howard that Lord Carlisle was 'very much'
pleased with my brother, and I am sure, from what he said to me at
Castle Howard, is disposed to show him all the kindness and attention
in his power. I know you are so partial to Byron and so much
interested in all that concerns him, that you will rejoice almost as
much as I do that his acquaintance with Lord C. is renewed. In the
mean time it is a great comfort for me to think that he has spent his
Holydays so comfortably and so much to his wishes. You will easily
believe that he is a 'very great favourite of mine', and I may add the
more I see and hear of him, the more I 'must' love and esteem him."
It may be doubted whether Carlisle ever saw the dedication of 'Hours of
Idleness'. Augusta Byron, in a letter to Hanson of February 7, 1807,
says,
"I return you my Brother's poems with many Thanks. Mrs. B. has had the
attention to send me 2 copies. I like some of them very much: but you
will laugh when I tell you I have never had courage to shew them to
Lord Carlisle for fear of his disapproving others."
The years 1806-7, spent at Southwell, as his sister says, "in idleness
and ill humour with the whole World," were not the most creditable of
Byron's life, and Carlisle's efforts to make him return to Cambridge
failed. It is, moreover, certain that in 1809 Carlisle was ill; it is
also probable that at a time when the scandal of Mary Anne Clarke and
the Duke of York threatened to come before the House of Lords, he was
unwilling to connect himself in public with a cousin of whom he knew no
good, and of whose political views he was ignorant. These causes may
have combined to produce the coldly formal letter, in which he told
Byron the course of procedure to be adopted in taking his seat in the
House of Lords, and ignored the young man's wish that his cousin and
guardian should introduce him. (For Byron's attack upon Carlisle, and
his subsequent admission of having done him "some wrong," see 'English
Bards, and Scotch Reviewers', lines 723-740; and 'Childe Harold', Canto
III. stanzas xxix., xxx.)
It is possible that the "paralytic puling" may have been suggested by
the "placid purring" of previous satirists. In March, 1814, his sister
Augusta was trying hard to persuade Byron, as he notes in his Diary,
"to make it up with Carlisle. I have refused 'every' body else, but I
can't deny her anything, though I had as leif 'drink up Eisel--eat a
crocodile.'"
Lord Carlisle had three daughters: the eldest, Lady Caroline Isabella
Howard, married, in 1789, John, first Lord Cawdor, and died in 1848; the
second, Lady Elizabeth, married, in 1799, John Henry, fifth Duke of
Rutland, and died in 1825; the third, Lady Gertrude, married, in 1806,
William Sloane Stanley, of Paultons, Hants, and died in 1870.]
[Footnote 4: No "Aunt Sophia" appears in the pedigree; but his
grandmother was Sophia Trevanion, who married, in 1748, the Hon. John
Byron, afterwards Admiral Byron. Mrs. Byron knew Dr. Johnson well, and
she and Miss Burney were the only two friends who, as Mrs. Piozzi (then
Mrs. Thrale) thought, might regret her departure from Streatham in 1782
('Life and Writings of Mrs. Piozzi', vol. i. p. 171). "Mrs. Byron, who
really loves me," says Mrs. Piozzi ('ibid.', p. 125), "was disgusted at
Miss Burney's carriage to me." In August, 1820, Mrs. Piozzi writes to a
Miss Willoughby, to tell her
"what wonders Lord Byron is come home to do, for I see his arrival in
the paper. His grandmother was my intimate friend, a Cornish lady,
Sophia Trevanion, wife to the Admiral, 'pour ses peches', and we
called her Mrs. B_i_ron always, after the French fashion"
('Life and Writings, etc.', vol. ii. pp. 456, 457)' Mrs. Byron
died at Bath in 1790.]
[Footnote 5: Lady Delawarr, widow of John Richard, fourth Earl Delawarr,
whom she married in 1783, died in 1826. Her only son, George John, fifth
earl, succeeded his father in 1795. He went from Harrow to Brasenose
College, Oxford; married, in 1813, Lady Elizabeth Sackville; was Lord
Chamberlain 1858-9; and died in 1869. He was the "Euryalus" of "Childish
Recollections" (see 'Poems', vol. i. p. 100; and lines "To George, Earl
of Delawarr," 'ibid.', p. 126).]
14.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
Friday, November 2d, 1804.
This morning, my dear Augusta, I received your affectionate letter,
and it reached me at a time when I wanted consolation, not however of
your kind for I am not yet old enough or Goose enough to be in love;
no, my sorrows are of a different nature, though more calculated to
provoke risibility than excite compassion. You must know, Sister of
mine, that I am the most unlucky wight in Harrow, perhaps in
Christendom, and am no sooner out of one scrape than into another. And
to day, this very morning, I had a thundering Jobation from our Good
Doctor, [1] which deranged my _nervous system_, for at least five
minutes. But notwithstanding He and I now and then disagree, yet upon
the whole we are very good friends, for there is so much of the
Gentleman, so much mildness, and nothing of pedantry in his character,
that I cannot help liking him, and will remember his instructions with
gratitude as long as I live. He leaves Harrow soon, _apropos_, so do
I. This quitting will be a considerable loss to the school. He is the
best master we ever had, and at the same time respected and feared;
greatly will he be regretted by all who know him. You tell me you
don't know my friend L'd Delawarr; he is considerably younger than me,
but the most good tempered, amiable, clever fellow in the universe. To
all which he adds the quality (a good one in the eyes of women) of
being remarkably handsome, almost too much so for a boy. He is at
present very low in the school, not owing to his want of ability, but
to his years. I am nearly at the top of it; by the rules of our
Seminary he is under my power, but he is too goodnatured ever to
offend me, and I like him too well ever to exert my authority over
him. If ever you should meet, and chance to know him, take notice of
him on my account.
You say that you shall write to the Dowager Soon; her address is at
Southwell, _that_ I need hardly inform you. Now, Augusta, I am going
to tell you a secret, perhaps I shall appear undutiful to you, but,
believe me, my affection for you is founded on a more firm basis. My
mother has lately behaved to me in such an eccentric manner, that so
far from feeling the affection of a Son, it is with difficulty I can
restrain my dislike. Not that I can complain of want of liberality;
no, She always supplies me with as much money as I can spend, and more
than most boys hope for or desire. But with all this she is so hasty,
so impatient, that I dread the approach of the holidays, more than
most boys do their return from them. In former days she spoilt me; now
she is altered to the contrary; for the most trifling thing, she
upbraids me in a most outrageous manner, and all our disputes have
been lately heightened by my one with that object of my cordial,
deliberate detestation, Lord Grey de Ruthyn. She wishes me to explain
my reasons for disliking him, which I will never do; would I do it to
any one, be assured you, my dear Augusta, would be the first who would
know them. She also insists on my being reconciled to him, and once
she let drop such an odd expression that I was half inclined to
believe the dowager was in love with him. But I hope not, for he is
the most disagreeable person (in my opinion) that exists. He called
once during my last vacation; she threatened, stormed, begged me to
make it up, "he himself loved me, and wished it;" but my reason was so
excellent--that neither had effect, nor would I speak or stay in the
same room, till he took his departure. No doubt this appears odd; but
was my reason known, which it never will be if I can help it, I should
be justified in my conduct. Now if I am to be tormented with her and
him in this style, I cannot submit to it. You, Augusta, are the only
relation I have who treats me as a friend; if you too desert me, I
have nobody I can love but Delawarr. If it was not for his sake,
Harrow would be a desert, and I should dislike staying at it. You
desire me to burn your epistles; indeed I cannot do that, but I will
take care that They shall be invisible. If you burn any of mine, I
shall be _monstrous angry_; take care of them till we meet.
Delawarr [2] and myself are in a manner connected, for one of our
forefathers in Charles the 1st's time married into their family.
Hartington, [3] whom you enquire after, is on very good terms with me,
nothing more, he is of a soft milky disposition, and of a happy apathy
of temper which defies the softer emotions, and is insensible of ill
treatment; so much for him. Don't betray me to the Dowager. I should
like to know your Lady Gertrude, as you and her are so great Friends.
Adieu, my Sister, write. From
[Signature, etc., cut out.]
[Footnote 1: The Rev. Joseph Drury, D.D. (1750-1834), educated at
Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge, was appointed an
Assistant-master at Harrow before he was one and twenty. He was
Head-master from 1784 to 1805. In that year he retired, and till his
death in 1834 lived at Cockwood, in Devonshire, where he devoted himself
to farming. The following statement by Dr. Drury illustrates Byron's
respect for his Head-master ('Life', p. 20):--
"After my retreat from Harrow, I received from him two very affectionate
letters. In my occasional visits subsequently to London, when he had
fascinated the public with his productions, I demanded of him, why, as
in 'duty bound', he had sent none to me? 'Because,' said he, 'you are
the only man I never wish to read them;' but in a few moments, he added,
'What do you think of the 'Corsair'?'"
Dr. Drury married Louisa Heath, sister of the Rev. Benjamin Heath, his
predecessor in the Head-mastership. They had four children, all of whom
have some connection with Byron's life. (1) Henry Joseph Drury
(1778-1841), educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge (Fellow),
Assistant-master at Harrow School, married (December 20, 1808) Ann
Caroline Tayler, and had a numerous family. Mrs. Drury's sister married
the Rev. F. Hodgson (see page 195 [Letter 102], [Foot]note 1). (2)
Benjamin Heath Drury (1782-1835), educated at Eton and King's College,
Cambridge (Fellow), Assistant-master at Eton. (3) Charles Drury
(1788-1869), educated at Harrow and Queen's College, Oxford (Fellow).
(4) Louisa Heath Drury (1787-1873) married John Herman Merivale.
Dr. Drury's brother, Mark Drury, the Lower Master at Harrow, was the
candidate whom Byron supported for the Head-mastership.]
[Footnote 2: Thomas, third Lord Delawarr, Captain-general of all the
Colonies planted or to be planted in Virginia, died in 1618. His fourth
daughter, Cecilie, widow of Sir Francis Bindlose, married Sir John
Byron, created Lord Byron by Charles I. His fifth daughter, Lucy,
married Sir Robert Byron, brother to Lord Byron. But the first Lord
Byron left no heirs, and the title descended to his brother, Richard
Byron, from whom the poet was descended.]
[Footnote 3: William Spencer, Marquis of Hartington (1790-1858),
succeeded his father as sixth Duke of Devonshire in 1811, and died
unmarried. His sister, Georgiana Dorothy, married, in 1801, Lord
Carlisle's eldest son.]
15.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
Harrow, Saturday, 11th Novr, 1804.
I thought, my dear Augusta, [1] that your opinion of my _meek mamma_
would coincide with mine; Her temper is so variable, and, when
inflamed, so furious, that I dread our meeting; not but I dare say,
that I am troublesome enough, but I always endeavour to be as dutiful
as possible. She is so very strenuous, and so tormenting in her
entreaties and commands, with regard to my reconciliation, with that
detestable Lord G. [2] that I suppose she has a penchant for his
Lordship; but I am confident that he does not return it, for he rather
dislikes her than otherwise, at least as far as I can judge. But she
has an excellent opinion of her personal attractions, sinks her age a
good six years, avers that when I was born she was only eighteen, when
you, my dear Sister, know as well as I know that she was of age when
she married my father, and that I was not born for three years
afterwards. But vanity is the weakness of _your sex_,--and these are
mere foibles that I have related to you, and, provided she never
molested me, I should look upon them as follies very excusable in a
woman.
But I am now coming to what must shock you, as much as it does me,
when she has occasion to lecture me (not very seldom you will think no
doubt) she does not do it in a manner that commands respect, and in an
impressive style. No! did she do that, I should amend my faults with
pleasure, and dread to offend a kind though just mother. But she flies
into a fit of phrenzy, upbraids me as if I was the most undutiful
wretch in existence, rakes up the ashes of my _father_, abuses him,
says I shall be a true Byrrone, which is the worst epithet she can
invent. Am I to call this woman mother? Because by nature's law she
has authority over me, am I to be trampled upon in this manner? am I
to be goaded with insult, loaded with obloquy, and suffer my feelings
to be outraged on the most trivial occasions? I owe her respect as a
Son, But I renounce her as a Friend. What an example does she shew me!
I hope in God I shall never follow it. I have not told you all, nor
can I; I respect you as a female, nor, although I ought to confide in
you as a Sister, will I shock you with the repetition of Scenes, which
you may judge of by the Sample I have given you, and which to all but
you are buried in oblivion. Would they were so in my mind! I am afraid
they never will. And can I, my dear Sister, look up to this mother,
with that respect, that affection I ought? Am I to be eternally
subjected to her caprice? I hope not--; indeed a few short years will
emancipate me from the Shackles I now wear, and then perhaps she will
govern her passion better than at present.
You mistake me, if you think I dislike Lord Carlisle; I respect him,
and might like him did I know him better. For him too my mother has an
antipathy, why I know not. I am afraid he could be but of little use
to me, in separating me from her, which she would oppose with all her
might; but I dare say he would assist me if he could, so I take the
will for the Deed, and am obliged to him in exactly the same manner as
if he succeeded in his efforts.
I am in great hopes, that at Christmas I shall be with Mr. Hanson
during the vacation, I shall do all I can to avoid a visit to my
mother wherever she is. It is the first duty of a parent, to impress
precepts of obedience in their children, but her method is so violent,
so capricious, that the patience of Job, the versatility of a member
of the House of Commons could not support it. I revere Dr. Drury much
more than I do her, yet he is never violent, never outrageous: I dread
offending him, not however through fear, but the respect I bear him
makes me unhappy when I am under his displeasure. My mother's
precepts, never convey instruction, never fix upon my mind; to be sure
they are calculated, to inculcate obedience, so are chains, and
tortures, but though they may restrain for a time, the mind revolts
from such treatment. Not that Mrs. Byron ever injures my _sacred_
person. I am rather too old for that, but her words are of that rough
texture, which offend more than personal ill usage. "A talkative woman
is like an Adder's tongue," so says one of the prophets, but which I
can't tell, and very likely you don't wish to know, but he was a true
one whoever he was.
The postage of your letters, My dear Augusta, don't fall upon me; but
if they did, it would make no difference, for I am Generally in cash,
and should think the trifle I paid for your epistles the best laid out
I ever spent in my life. Write Soon. Remember me to Lord Carlisle,
and, believe me, I ever am
Your affectionate Brother and Friend,
BYRONE.
[Footnote 1: In consequence of this letter, Augusta Byron wrote as
follows to Hanson, and Byron spent the Christmas holidays of 1804 with
his solicitor:--
"Castle Howard, Nov. 18, 1804.
My Dear Sir,--I am afraid you will think I presume almost too much
upon the kind permission you have so often given me of applying to you
about my Brother's concerns. The reason that induces me now to do so
is his having lately written me several Letters containing the most
extraordinary accounts of his Mother's conduct towards him and
complaints of the uncomfortable Situation he is in during the Holidays
when with her. All this you will easily imagine has more _vexed_ than
_surprized_ me. I am quite unhappy about him, and wish I could in any
way remedy the grievances he confides to me. I wished, as the most
likely means of doing this, to mention the subject to Lord Carlisle,
who has always expressed the greatest interest about Byron and also
shewn me the greatest Kindness. Finding that he did _not object_ to
it, I yesterday had some conversation with Lord C. on the subject, and
it is partly by his advice and wishes that I trouble you with this
Letter. He authorized me to tell you that, if you would allow my
Brother to spend the next vacation with you (which _he_ seems
_strongly_ to wish), that it would put it into his power to see more
of him and shew him more attention than he has hitherto, being
withheld from doing so from the dread of having any concern whatever
with Mrs. Byron.
I need hardly add that it is almost MY first wish that this should be
accomplished. I am sure you are of my opinion that it is now of the
greatest consequence to Byron to secure the friendship of Lord C., the
only relation he has who possesses the _Will_ and _power_ to be of use
to him. I think the Letters he writes me _quite perfect_ and he does
not express one sentiment or idea I should wish different; he tells me
he is soon to leave Harrow, but does not say where he is to go. I
conclude to Oxford or Cambridge. Pray be so good as to write me a few
lines on this subject.
I trust entirely to the interest and friendship you have ever so
kindly expressed for my Brother, for _my Forgiveness_. Of course you
will not mention to Mrs. B. having heard from me, as she would only
accuse me of wishing to estrange her Son from her, which would be very
far from being the case further than his Happiness and comfort are
concerned in it. My opinion is that _as_ they cannot agree, they had
better be separated, for such eternal Scenes of wrangling are enough
to spoil the very best temper and Disposition in the universe. I shall
hope to hear from you soon, my dear sir, and remain, Most sincerely
yours, AUGUSTA BYRON."]
[Footnote 2: Lord Grey de Ruthyn. (See p. 23, note 1.)]
16.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.]
Harrow-on-the-Hill, Novr., Saturday, 17th, 1804.
I am glad to hear, My dear Sister, that you like Castle Howard so
well, I have no doubt what you say is true and that Lord C. is much
more amiable than he has been represented to me. Never having been
much with him and always hearing him reviled, it was hardly possible I
should have conceived a very _great friendship_ for his L'dship. My
mother, you inform me, commends my _amiable disposition_ and _good
understanding;_ if she does this to you, it is a great deal more than
I ever hear myself, for the one or the other is always found fault
with, and I am told to copy the _excellent pattern_ which I see before
me in _herself._ You have got an invitation too, you may accept it if
you please, but if you value your own comfort, and like a pleasant
situation, I advise you to avoid Southwell.--I thank you, My dear
Augusta, for your readiness to assist me, and will in some manner
avail myself of it; I do not however wish to be separated from _her_
entirely, but not to be so much with her as I hitherto have been, for
I do believe she likes me; she manifests that in many instances,
particularly with regard to money, which I never want, and have as
much as I desire. But her conduct is so strange, her caprices so
impossible to be complied with, her passions so outrageous, that the
evil quite overbalances her _agreeable qualities._ Amongst other
things I forgot to mention a most _ungovernable appetite_ for Scandal,
which she never can govern, and employs most of her time abroad, in
displaying the faults, and censuring the foibles, of her acquaintance;
therefore I do not wonder, that my precious Aunt, comes in for her
share of encomiums; This however is nothing to what happens when my
conduct admits of animadversion; "then comes the tug of war." My whole
family from the conquest are upbraided! myself abused, and I am told
that what little accomplishments I possess either in mind or body are
derived from her and _her alone._
When I leave Harrow I know not; that depends on her nod; I like it
very well. The master Dr. Drury, is the most amiable _clergyman_ I
ever knew; he unites the Gentleman with the Scholar, without
affectation or pedantry, what little I have learnt I owe to him alone,
nor is it his fault that it was not more. I shall always remember his
instructions with Gratitude, and cherish a hope that it may one day be
in my power to repay the numerous obligations, I am under; to him or
some of his family.
Our holidays come on in about a fortnight. I however have not
mentioned that to my mother, nor do I intend it; but if I can, I shall
contrive to evade going to Southwell. Depend upon it I will not
approach her for some time to come if It is in my power to avoid it,
but she must not know, that it is my wish to be absent. I hope you
will excuse my sending so short a letter, but the Bell has just rung
to summon us together. Write Soon, and believe me, Ever your
affectionate Brother, BYRON.
I am afraid you will have some difficulty in decyphering my epistles,
but _that_ I know you will excuse. Adieu. Remember me to Lord
Carlisle.
17.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.] Harrow-on-the-Hill, Novr. 21st,
1804.
MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--This morning I received your by no means
unwelcome epistle, and thinking it demands an immediate answer, once
more take up my pen to employ it in your service. There is no
necessity for my mother to know anything of my intentions, till the
time approaches; and when it does come, Mr. H. has only to write her a
note saying, that, as I could not accept the invitation he gave me
last holidays, he imagined I might do it now; to this she surely can
make no objections; but, if she entertained the slightest idea of my
making any complaint of her very _lenient_ treatment, the scene that
would ensue beggars all power of description. You may have some little
idea of it, from what I have told you, and what you yourself know.
I wrote to you the other day; but you make no mention of receiving my
letter in yours of the 18th inst. It is however of little importance,
containing merely a recapitulation of circumstances which I have
before detailed at full length.
To Lord Carlisle make my warmest acknowledgements. I feel more
gratitude, than my feelings can well express; I am truly obliged to
him for his endeavours, and am perfectly satisfied with your
explanation of his reserve, though I was hitherto afraid it might
proceed from personal dislike. I have some idea that I leave Harrow
these holidays. The Dr., whose character I gave you in my last, leaves
the mastership at Easter. Who his successor may be I know not, but he
will not be a better I am confident. You inform me that you intend to
visit my mother, then you will have an opportunity of seeing what I
have described, and hearing a great _deal of Scandal_. She does not
trouble me much with epistolary communications; when I do receive
them, they are very concise, and much to the purpose. However I will
do her the justice to say that she behaves, or rather means, well, and
is in some respects very kind, though her manners are not the most
conciliating. She likewise expresses a great deal of affection for
you, but disapproves your marriage, wishes to know my opinion of it,
and complains that you are negligent and do not write to her or care
about her. How far her opinion of your love for her is well grounded,
you best know. I again request you will return my sincere thanks to
Lord Carlisle, and for the future I shall consider him as more my
friend than I have hitherto been taught to think. I have more reasons
than one, to wish to avoid going to Notts, for there I should be
obliged to associate with Lord G. whom I detest, his manners being
unlike those of a Gentleman, and the information to be derived from
him but little except about shooting, which I do not intend to devote
my life to. Besides, I have a particular reason for not liking him.
Pray write to me soon. Adieu, my Dear Augusta.
I remain, your affectionate Brother, BYRON.
18.-To John Hanson [1].
Saturday, Dec. 1st, 1804.
MY DEAR SIR,--Our vacation commences on the 5th of this Month, when I
propose to myself the pleasure of spending the Holidays at your House,
if it is not too great an Inconvenience. I tell you fairly, that at
Southwell I should have nothing in the World to do, but play at cards
and listen to the edifying Conversation of old Maids, two things which
do not at all suit my inclinations. In my Mother's last Letter I find
that my poney and pointers are not yet procured, and that Lord Grey is
still at Newstead. The former I should be very dull at such a place as
Southwell without; the latter is still more disagreeable to be with. I
presume he goes on in the old way,--quarrelling with the farmers, and
stretching his judicial powers (he being now in the commission) to the
utmost, becoming a torment to himself, and a pest to all around
him.--I am glad you approve of my Gun, feeling myself happy, that it
has been tried by so _distinguished_ a _Sportsman_.
I hope your Campaigns against the Partridges and the rest of the
feathered Tribe have been attended with no serious
Consequences--_trifling accidents_ such as the top of a few fingers
and a Thumb, you _Gentlemen_ of the _city_ being used to, of course
occasion no interruption to your field sports.
Your Accommodation I have no doubt I shall be perfectly satisfied
with, only do exterminate that _vile Generation_ of _Bugs_ which
nearly ate me up the last Time I _sojourned_ at your House. After
undergoing the Purgatory of Harrow _board_ and _Lodging_ for three
Months I shall not be _particular_ or exorbitant in my demands.
Pray give my best Compliments to Mrs. Hanson and the now
_quilldriving_ Hargreaves [2]. Till I see you, I remain, Yours, etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Byron spent the Christmas holidays of 1804-5 with the
Hansons. He gave Hanson to understand that it was his wish to leave the
school, and that Dr. Drury agreed with him in the decision. Hanson,
after consulting Lord Carlisle, wrote to Drury, urging that Byron was
too young to leave the school. Drury's reply, dated December 29, 1804,
gave a different colour to the matter.
"Your letter," he writes, "supposes that Lord Byron was desirous to
leave school, and that I acquiesced in his Wish: but I must do him the
Justice to observe that _the wish originated with me._ During his last
residence at Harrow his conduct gave me much trouble and uneasiness;
and as two of his Associates were to leave me at Christmas, I
certainly suggested to him _my wish_ that he might be placed under the
care of some private Tutor previously to his admission to either of
the Universities. This I did no less with a view to the forming of his
mind and manners, than to my own comfort; and I am fully convinced
that if such a situation can be procured for his Lordship, it will be
much more advantageous for him than a longer residence at school,
where his animal spirits and want of judgment may induce him to do
wrong, whilst his age and person must prevent his Instructors from
treating him in some respects as a schoolboy. If we part now, we may
entertain affectionate dispositions towards each other, and his
Lordship will have left the school with credit; as my dissatisfactions
were expressed to him only privately, and in such a manner as not to
affect his public situation in the school."
Finally, however, Dr. Drury, yielding to the appeal of Lord Carlisle and
Hanson, allowed the boy to return to Harrow, and Byron remained at the
school till July, 1805, the last three months being passed under the
rule of Dr. Butler.]
[Footnote 2: Hargreaves Hanson, second son of John Hanson, had just left
Harrow, and was articled as a pupil in his father's business. He died in
1811, at the age of 23.]
19.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
6, Chancery Lane, Wednesday, 30th Jany., 1805.
I have delayed writing to you so long, My dearest Augusta, from
ignorance of your residence, not knowing whether you _graced_ Castle
Howard, or Kireton with your _presence._ The instant Mr. H[anson]
informed me where you was, I prepared to address you, and you have but
just forestalled my intention. And now, I scarcely know what to begin
with; I have so many things, to tell you. I wish to God, that we were
together, for It is impossible that I can confine all I have got to
say in an epistle, without I was to follow your example, and fill
eleven pages, as I was informed, by my _proficiency_ in _the art of
magic,_ that you sometimes send that _number_ to _Lady Gertrude._
To begin with an article of _grand importance;_ I on Saturday dined
with Lord Carlisle, and on further acquaintance I like them all very
much. Amongst other circumstances, I heard of your _boldness_ as a
_Rider,_ especially one anecdote about your horse carrying you into
the stable _perforce._ I should have admired amazingly to have seen
your progress, provided you met with no accident. I hope you recollect
the circumstance, and know what I allude to; else, you may think that
I am _soaring_ into the _Regions of Romance._ I wish you to
corroborate my account in your next, and inform me whether my
information was correct.
I think your friend Lady G. is a sweet girl. If your taste in _love_,
is as good as it is in _friendship_, I shall think you a _very
discerning little Gentlewoman_. His Lordship too improves upon further
acquaintance, Her Ladyship I always liked, but of the Junior part of
the family Frederick [1] is my favourite. I believe with regard to my
future destination, that I return to Harrow until June, and then I'm
off for the university. Could I have found Room there, I was to have
gone immediately.
I have contrived to pass the holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, to
whom I am greatly obliged for their hospitality. You are now within a
days journey of my _amiable Mama_. If you wish your spirits _raised_,
or rather _roused_, I would recommend you to pass a week or two with
her. However I daresay she would behave very well to _you_, for you do
not know her disposition so well as I do. I return you, my dear Girl,
a thousand thanks for hinting to Mr. H. and Lord C. my uncomfortable
situation, I shall always remember it with gratitude, as a most
_essential service_. I rather think that, if you were any time with my
mother, she would bore you about your marriage which she _disapproves_
of, as much for the sake of finding fault as any thing, for that is
her favourite amusement. At any rate she would be very inquisitive,
for she was always tormenting me about it, and, if you told her any
thing, she might very possibly divulge it; I therefore advise you,
_when you see her_ to say nothing, or as little, about it, as you can
help. If you make haste, you can answer this _well written_ epistle by
return of post, for I wish again to hear from you immediately; you
need not fill _eleven pages, nine_ will be sufficient; but whether it
contains nine pages or nine lines, it will always be most welcome, my
beloved Sister, to Your affectionate Brother and Friend, BYRON.
[Footnote 1: The Hon. Frederick Howard, third son of Lord Carlisle, the
"young, gallant Howard" of _Childe Harold_ (Canto III. stanzas xxix,
xxx; see Byron's note), was killed at Waterloo. "The best of his race,"
says Byron, in a letter to Moore, July 7, 1815.]
20.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[London], Thursday, 4th April, 1805.
MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--You certainly have excellent reasons for
complaint against my want of punctuality in our correspondence; but,
as it does not proceed from want of affection, but an idle
disposition, you will, I hope, accept my excuses. I am afraid,
however, that when I shall take up my pen, you will not be greatly
_edified_ or _amused_, especially at present, since, I sit down in
very bad spirits, out of humour with myself, and all the world, except
_you_. I left Harrow yesterday, and am now at Mr. Hanson's till Sunday
morning, when I depart for Nottinghamshire, to pay a visit to my
_mother_, with whom I shall remain for a week or two, when I return to
town, and from thence to Harrow, until July, when I take my departure
for the university, but which I am as yet undecided. Mr. H. Recommends
Cambridge; Ld. Carlisle allows me to chuse for myself, and I must own
I prefer Oxford. But, I am not violently bent upon it, and whichever
is determined upon will meet with my concurrence.--This is the outline
of my plans for the next 6 months.
I am Glad that you are Going to pay his _Lordship_ a visit, as I shall
have an opportunity of seeing you on my return to town, a pleasure,
which, as I have been long debarred of it, will be doubly felt after
so long a separation. My visit to the Dowager does not promise me all
the happiness I could wish; however, it must be gone through, as it is
some time since I have seen her. It shall be as short as possible. I
shall expect to find a letter from you, when I come down, as I wish to
know when you go to town, and how long you remain there. If you stay
till The middle of next month, you may have an opportunity of hearing
me speak, as the first day of our _Harrow orations_ occurs in May. My
friend Delawarr [1], (as you observed) danced with the little
Princess, nor did I in the least _envy_ him the honour. I presume you
have heard That Dr. Drury leaves Harrow this Easter, and That, as a
memorial of our Gratitude for his long services, The scholars
presented him with plate to the amount of 330 Guineas.
I hope you will excuse this _Hypocondriac_ epistle, as I never was in
such low spirits in my life. Adieu, my Dearest Sister, and believe me,
Your ever affectionate though negligent Brother, BYRON.
[Footnote 1: On February 25, 1805, their Majesties gave a magnificent
"house-warming" at Windsor Castle.
"The expenditure," says the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1805 (part
i. pp. 262-264), "cannot have cost less than L50,000. The floor of the
ball-room, instead of being chalked, was painted with most fanciful
and appropriate devices by an eminent artist." The "little Princess"
Charlotte of Wales, we are told, left the Castle at half-past nine.]
21.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Burgage Manor, Southwell, Notts, 15 April, 1805.
DEAR HARGREAVES,--As I have been unable to return to Town with your
father, I must request, that you will take care of my Books, and a
parcel which I expect from my Taylor's, and, as I understand you are
going to pay Farleigh a visit, I would be obliged to you to leave them
under the care of one of the Clerks, or a Servant, who may inform me
where to find them. I shall be in Town on Wednesday the 24th at
furthest, when I shall not hope to see you, or wish it; not but what I
should be glad of your _entertaining and loquacious Society_, but as I
think you will be more amused at Farleigh, it would be selfish in me
to wish that you should forego the pleasures of contemplating _pigs_,
_poultry_, _pork_, _pease_, and _potatoes_ together, with other Rural
Delights, for my Company. Much pleasure may you find in your excursion
and I dare say, when you have exchanged _pleadings_ for _ploughshares_
and _fleecing clients_ for _feeding flocks_, you will be in no hurry
to resume your Law Functions.
Remember me to your Father and Mother and the Juniors, and if you
should find it convenient to dispatch a note in answer to this
epistle, it will afford great pleasure to
Yours very sincerely and affectionately,
BYRON.
P.S.--It is hardly necessary to inform you that I am heartily tired of
Southwell, for I am at this minute experiencing those delights which I
have recapitulated to you and which are more entertaining to be
_talked_ of at a distance than enjoyed at Home. I allude to the
Eloquence of a _near relation_ of mine, which is as remarkable as your
_taciturnity_.
22.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Burgage Manor, April 20, 1805.
Dear Hargreaves,--Dr. Butler, [1] our new Master, has thought proper
to postpone our Meeting till the 8th of May, which obliges me to delay
my return to Town for one week, so that instead of Wednesday the 24th
I shall not arrive in London till the 1st of May, on which Day (If I
live) I shall certainly be in town, where I hope to have the pleasure
of seeing you. I shall remain with you only a week, as we are all to
return to the very day, on account of the prolongation of our
Holidays. However, if you shall previous to that period take a _jaunt_
into Hants, I beg you will leave my _valuables_, etc., etc., in the
care of one of the _Gentlemen_ of your office, as that _Razor faced
Villain_, James, might perhaps take the Liberty of walking off with a
suit. I have heard several times from Tattersall [2] and it is very
probable we may see him on my return. I beg you will excuse this short
epistle as my time is at present rather taken up, and Believe Me,
Yours very sincerely,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: The Rev. George Butler (1774-1853), who was Senior Wrangler
(1794), succeeded Dr. Drury as Head-master of Harrow School in April,
1805. He was then Fellow, tutor, and classical lecturer at Sydney Sussex
College, Cambridge. From affection to Dr. Drury, Byron supported the
candidature of his brother, Mark Drury, and avenged himself on Butler
for the defeat of his candidate by the lines on "Pomposus" (see 'Poems',
vol. i. pp. 16, 17, "On a Change of Masters," etc.; and pp. 84-106,
"Childish Recollections"). At a later period he became reconciled to
Butler, who knew the Continent well, was an excellent linguist, and gave
him valuable advice for his foreign tour in 1809-11. Butler resigned the
Head-mastership of Harrow in April, 1824, and retired to a country
living. In 1842 he was appointed to the Deanery of Peterborough, where
he died in 1853.]
[Footnote 2: John Cecil Tattersall entered Harrow in May, 1801. He was
the "Davus" of "Childish Recollections" ('Poems', vol. i. pp. 97, 98,
and notes). He went from Harrow to Christ Church, Oxford, took orders,
and died December 8, 1812.]
23.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[The Earl of Carlisle's, Grosvenor Place, London.] Burgage Manor,
April 23d, 1805.
MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--I presume by this time, that you are safely
arrived at the Earl's, at least I _hope_ so; nor shall I feel myself
perfectly easy, till I have the pleasure of hearing from yourself of
your safety. I myself shall set out for town this day (Tuesday) week,
and intend waiting upon you on Thursday at farthest; in the mean time
I must console myself as well as I can; and I am sure, no unhappy
mortal ever required much more consolation than I do at present. You
as well as myself know the _sweet_ and _amiable_ temper of a certain
personage to whom I am nearly related; of _course_, the pleasure I
have enjoyed during my vacation, (although it has been greater than I
expected) yet has not been so _superabundant_ as to make me wish to
stay a day longer than I can avoid. However, notwithstanding the
dullness of the place, and certain _unpleasant things_ that occur In a
family not a hundred miles distant from Southwell, I contrived to pass
my time in peace, till to day, when unhappily, In a most inadvertent
manner, I said that Southwell was not _peculiarly_ to my taste; but
however, I merely expressed this in common conversation, without
speaking disrespectfully of the _sweet_ town; (which, between you and
I, I wish was swallowed up by an earthquake, provided my _Eloquent
mother_ was not in it). No sooner had the unlucky sentence, which I
believe was prompted by my evil Genius, escaped my lips, than I was
treated with an Oration in the _ancient style_, which I have often so
_pathetically_ described to you, unequalled by any thing of _modern_
or _antique_ date; nay the _Philippics_ against Lord Melville [1] were
nothing to it; one would really Imagine, to have heard the _Good
Lady_, that I was a most _treasonable culprit_, but thank St. Peter,
after undergoing this _Purgatory_ for the last hour, it is at length
blown over, and I have sat down under these _pleasing impressions_ to
address you, so that I am afraid my epistle will not be the most
entertaining. I assure you upon my _honour_, jesting apart, I have
never been so _scurrilously_, and _violently_ abused by any person, as
by that woman, whom I think I am to call mother, by that being who
gave me birth, to whom I ought to look up with veneration and respect,
but whom I am sorry I cannot love or admire. Within one little hour, I
have not only heard myself, but have heard my _whole family_, by the
father's side, _stigmatized_ in terms that the _blackest malevolence_
would perhaps shrink from, and that too in words you would be shocked
to hear. Such, Augusta, such is my mother; _my mother!_ I disclaim her
from this time, and although I cannot help treating her with respect,
I cannot reverence, as I ought to do, that parent who by her
outrageous conduct forfeits all title to filial affection. To you,
Augusta, I must look up, as my nearest relation, to you I must confide
what I cannot mention to others, and I am sure you will pity me; but I
entreat you to keep this a secret, nor expose that unhappy failing of
this woman, which I must bear with patience. I would be very sorry to
have it discovered, as I have only one week more, for the present. In
the mean time you may write to me with the greatest safety, as she
would not open any of my letters, even from you. I entreat then that
you will favour me with an answer to this. I hope however to have the
pleasure of seeing you on the day appointed, but If you could contrive
any way that I may avoid being asked to dinner by L'd C. I would be
obliged to you, as I hate strangers. Adieu, my Beloved Sister,
I remain ever yours,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Henry Dundas (1742-1811), created Viscount Melville in
1802, Lord Advocate (1775-83), made himself useful to Lord North's
Government as a shrewd, hard-working man of business, a ready
speaker--in broad Scotch, and a consummate election agent. For twenty
years he was the right-hand man of Pitt--
"Too proud from pilfered greatness to descend,
Too humble not to call Dundas his friend."
Not only was he Pitt's political colleague, but in private life his boon
companion. A well-known epigram commemorates in a dialogue their
convivial habits--
'Pitt'. "I cannot see the Speaker, Hal; can you?"
'Dundas'. "Not see the Speaker, Billy? I see two."
Melville, for a long series of years, held important political posts. He
was Treasurer of the Navy (1782-1800); member of the Board of Control
for India (1784-1802) and President (1790-1802); Home Secretary
(1791-94); Secretary of War (1794-1801); First Lord of the Admiralty
(1804-5). In 1802 a Commission had been appointed to examine into the
accounts of the naval department for the past twenty years, and, in
consequence of their tenth report, a series of resolutions were moved in
the House of Commons (April, 1805) against Melville. The voting was
even--216 for and 216 against; the resolutions were carried by the
casting vote of Speaker Abbott.
"Pitt was overcome; his friend was ruined. At the sound of the
Speaker's voice, the Prime Minister crushed his hat over his brows to
hide the tears that poured over his cheeks: he pushed in haste out of
the House. Some of his opponents, I am ashamed to say, thrust
themselves near, 'to see how Billy took it.'"
(Mark Boyd's 'Reminiscences of Fifty Years', p. 404.) Melville, who was
heard at the bar of the House of Commons in his own defence, was
impeached before the House of Lords (June 26, 1805) of high crimes and
misdemeanours. At the close of the proceedings, which began in
Westminster Hall on April 29, 1806, Melville was acquitted on all the
charges. Whitbread took the leading part in the impeachment. See 'All
the Talents: a Satirical Poem', by Polypus (E. S. Barrett)--
"Rough as his porter, bitter as his barm,
He sacrificed his fame to M--lv--lle's harm."
Dialogue ii.]
24.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[The Earl of Carlisle's, Grosvenor Place, London.] Burgage Manor,
Southwell, Friday, April 25th, 1805.
My dearest Augusta,--Thank God, I believe I shall be in town on
Wednesday next, and at last relieved from those _agreeable
amusements_, I described to you in my last. I return you and Lady G.
many thanks for your _benediction_, nor do I doubt its efficacy as it
is bestowed by _two such Angelic beings_; but as I am afraid my
_profane blessing_ would but expedite your road to _Purgatory_,
instead of _Salvation_, you must be content with my best wishes in
return, since the _unhallowed adjurations_ of a mere mortal would be
of no effect. You say, you are sick of the Installation; [1] and that
L'd C. was not present; I however saw his name in the _Morning Post_,
as one of the Knights Companions. I indeed expected that _you_ would
have been present at the Ceremony.
I have seen this young Roscius [2] several times at the hazard of my
life, from the _affectionate squeezes_ of the surrounding crowd. I
think him tolerable in some characters, but by no means equal to the
ridiculous praises showered upon him by _John Bull_.
I am afraid that my stay in town ceases after the 10th. I should not
continue it so long, as we meet on the 8th at Harrow, But, I remain on
purpose to hear our _Sapient_ and _noble Legislators_ of Both Houses
debate on the Catholic Question, [3] as I have no doubt there will be
many _nonsensical_, and some _Clever_ things said on the occasion. I
am extremely glad that you _sport_ an audience Chamber for the Benefit
of your _modest_ visitors, amongst whom I have the _honour_ to reckon
myself: I shall certainly be most happy again to see you,
notwithstanding my _wise_ and _Good_ mother (who is at this minute
thundering against Somebody or other below in the Dining Room), has
interdicted my visiting at his _Lordship's_ house, with the threat of
her malediction, in case of disobedience, as she says he has behaved
very ill to her; the truth of this I much doubt, nor should the orders
of all the mothers (especially such mothers) in the world, prevent me
from seeing my Beloved Sister after so long an Absence. I beg you will
forgive this _well written epistle_, for I write in a great Hurry,
and, believe me, with the greatest impatience again to behold you,
your
Attached Brother and [Friend,
BYRON].
P.S.--By the bye Lady G. ought not to complain of your writing a
_decent_ long letter to me, since I remember your _11 Pages_ to her,
at which I did not make the least complaint, but submitted like a
_meek Lamb_ to the innovation of my privileges, for nobody _ought_ to
have had so long an epistle but my _most excellent Self_.
[Footnote 1: On St. George's Day, April 23, 1805, seven Knights were
installed at Windsor as Knights of the Garter, each in turn being
invested with the surcoat, girdle, and sword. The new Knights were the
Dukes of Rutland and Beaufort; the Marquis of Abercorn; the Earls of
Chesterfield, Pembroke, and Winchilsea; and, by proxy, the Earl of
Hardwicke.
Lady Louisa Strangways, writing to her sister, Lady Harriet Frampton, on
April 24, 1805 ('Journal of Mary Frampton', p. 129), says, "I was full
dressed for seventeen hours yesterday, and sat in one spot for seven,
which is enough to tire any one who enjoyed what was going on, which I
did not. I saw them walk to St. George's Chapel, which was the best
part, as it did not last long ... Their dresses were very magnificent.
The Knights, before they were installed, were in white and silver, like
the old pictures of Henry VIII., and afterwards they had a purple mantle
put on. They had immense plumes of ostrich feathers, with a heron's
feather in the middle."]
[Footnote 2: William Henry West Betty (1791-1874), the "Young Roscius,"
made his first appearance on the stage at Belfast, in 1803, in the part
of "Osman," in Hill's 'Zara;' and on December 1, 1804, at Covent Garden,
as "Selim" disguised as "Achmet," in Browne's 'Barbarossa'. In the
winter season of 1804-5, when he appeared at Covent Garden and Drury
Lane, such crowds collected to see him, that the military were called
out to preserve order. Leslie ('Autobiographical Recollections', vol. i.
p. 218) speaks of him as a boy "of handsome features and graceful
manners, with a charming voice." Fox, who saw him in 'Hamlet', said,
"This is finer than Garrick" ('Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers', p. 88).
Northcote ('Conversations', p. 23) spoke of his acting as "a beautiful
effusion of natural sensibility; and then that graceful play of the
limbs in youth gave such an advantage over every one about him." "Young
Roscius's premature powers," writes Mrs. Piozzi, February 21, 1805,
"attract universal attention, and I suppose that if less than an angel
had told 'his' parents that a bulletin of that child's health should be
necessary to quiet the anxiety of a metropolis for his safety, they
would not have believed the prediction" ('Life and Writings of Mrs.
Piozzi', vol. ii. p. 263). In society he was the universal topic of
conversation, and he commanded a salary of L50 a night, at a time when
John Kemble was paid L37 16's'. a week ('Life of Frederick Reynolds',
vol. ii. p. 364).
"When," writes Mrs. Byron of her son to Hanson (December 8, 1804), "he
goes to see the Young Roscius, I hope he will take care of himself in
the crowd, and not go alone."
Betty lost his attractiveness with the growth of his beard. Byron's
opinion of the merits of the youthful prodigy became that of the general
public; but not till the actor had made a large fortune. He retired from
the stage in 1824.]
[Footnote 3: On March 25, 1805, petitions were presented by Lord
Grenville in the House of Lords, and Fox in the House of Commons,
calling the attention of the country to the claims of the Roman
Catholics, and praying their relief from their disabilities, civil,
naval, and military. On Friday, May 10, Lord Grenville moved, in the
Upper House, for a committee of the whole House to consider the
petition. At six o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, the motion
was negatived by a division of 178 against 49. On Monday, May 13, Fox,
in the Lower House, made a similar motion, which was negatived, at five
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, May 15, by a division of 336
against 126. Byron, on April 21, 1812, in the second of his three
Parliamentary speeches, supported the relief of the Roman Catholics.]
25.--To John Hanson.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, 11 May, 1805.
Dear Sir,--As you promised to cash my Draft on the Day that I left
your house, and as you was only prevented by the Bankers being shut
up, I will be very much obliged to you to _give the ready_ to this old
Girl, Mother Barnard, [1] who will either present herself or send a
Messenger, as she demurs on its being not payable till the 25th of
June. Believe me, Sir, by doing this you will greatly oblige
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote: 1. Mother Barnard was the keeper of the "tuck-shop" at
Harrow.]
26.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[The Earl of Carlisle's, Grosvenor Place, London.]
[Harrow, Wednesday, June 5, 1805.]
My Dearest Augusta,--At last you have a _decent_ specimen of the
dowager's talents for epistles in the _furioso_ style. You are now
freed from the _shackles_ of her correspondence, and when I revisit
her, I shall be bored with long stories of your _ingratitude_, etc.,
etc. She is as I have before declared certainly mad (to say she was in
her senses, would be condemning her as a Criminal), her conduct is a
_happy_ compound of derangement and Folly. I had the other day an
epistle from her; not a word was mentioned about you, but I had some
of the usual _compliments_ on my own account. I am now about to answer
her letter, though I shall scarcely have patience, to treat her with
civility, far less with affection, that was almost over before, and
this has given the finishing stroke to _filial_, which now gives way
to _fraternal_ duty. Believe me, dearest Augusta, not ten thousand
_such_ mothers, or indeed any mothers, Could induce me to give you
up.--No, No, as the dowager says in that rare epistle which now lies
before me, "the time has been, but that is past long since," and
nothing now can influence your _pretty_ _sort of_ a _brother_ (bad as
he is) to forget that he is your _Brother_. Our first Speech day will
be over ere this reaches you, but against the 2d you shall have timely
notice.--I am glad to hear your illness is not of a Serious nature;
_young Ladies_ ought not to throw themselves in to the fidgets about a
trifling delay of 9 or 10 years; age brings experience and when you in
the flower of youth, between 40 and 50, shall then marry, you will no
doubt say that I am a _wise man_, and that the later one makes one's
self miserable with the matrimonial clog, the better. Adieu, my
dearest Augusta, I bestow my _patriarchal blessing_ on you and Lady G.
and remain,
[Signature cut out.]
27.--To John Hanson.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, 27 June, 1805.
Dear Sir,--I will be in Town on Saturday Morning, but it is absolutely
necessary for me to return to Harrow on Tuesday or Wednesday, as
Thursday is our 2d Speechday and Butler says he cannot dispense with my
Presence on that Day. I thank you for your Compliment in the Beginning
of your Letter, and with the Hope of seeing you and Hargreaves well on
Saturday,
I remain, yours, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
28.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Address cut out], Tuesday, July 2d, 1805.
My dearest Augusta,--I am just returned from Cambridge, where I have
been to enter myself at Trinity College.--Thursday is our Speechday at
Harrow, and as I forgot to remind you of its approach, previous to our
first declamation, [1] I have given you _timely_ notice this time. If
you intend doing me the _honour_ of attending, I would recommend you
not to come without a Gentleman, as I shall be too much engaged all
the morning to take care of you, and I should not imagine you would
admire _stalking_ about by yourself. You had better be there by 12
o'clock as we begin at 1, and I should like to procure you a good
place; Harrow is 11 miles from town, it will just make a _comfortable_
mornings drive for you. I don't know how you are to come, but for
_Godsake_ bring as few women with you as possible. I would wish you to
Write me an answer immediately, that I may know on Thursday morning,
whether you will drive over or not, and I will arrange my other
engagements accordingly. I _beg_, _Madam_, you may make your
appearance in one of his Lordships most _dashing_ carriages, as our
Harrow _etiquette_, admits of nothing but the most _superb_ vehicles,
on our Grand _Festivals_. In the mean time, believe me, dearest
Augusta,
Your affectionate Brother,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Mrs. Byron, writing to Hanson (June 25, 1805), says, "The
fame of Byron's oratory has reached Southwell" (see page 27, note 1).]
29.--To John Hanson.
Harrow, 8 July, 1805.
My dear Sir,--I have just received a Letter from my Mother, in which
she talks of coming to Town about the _commencement_ of our Holidays.
If she does, it will be impossible for me to call on _my Sister_,
previous to my leaving it, and at the same time I cannot conceive what
the Deuce she can want at this season in London. I have written to
tell her that my Holidays commence on the 6th of August, but however,
July the 1st is the proper day.--I beg that if you cannot find some
means to keep her in the Country that you at least will connive at
this deception which I can palliate, and then I shall be down in the
country before she knows where I am. My reasons for this are, that I
do _not wish_ to be detained in Town so uncomfortably as I know I
shall be if I remain with her; that _I do wish_ to see my Sister; and
in the next place she can just as well come to Town after my return to
Notts, as I don't desire to be dragged about according to her caprice,
and there are some other causes I think unnecessary to be now
mentioned. If you will only contrive by settling this business (if it
is in your power), or if that is impossible, not mention anything
about the day our Holidays commence, of which you can be easily
supposed not to be informed. If, I repeat, you can by any means
prevent this Mother from executing her purposes, believe me, you will
greatly oblige
Yours truly,
BYRON.
30.--To Charles O. Gordon. [1]
Burgage Manor, Southwell, Notts, August 4, 1805.
Although I am greatly afraid, my Dearest Gordon, that you will not
receive this epistle till you return from Abergeldie, (as your letter
stated that you would be at Ledbury on Thursday next) yet, that is not
my fault, for I have not deferred answering yours a moment, and, as I
have just now concluded my Journey, my first, and, I trust you will
believe me when I say, most pleasing occupation will be to write to
you.
We have played the Eton and were most confoundedly beat; [2] however
it was some comfort to me that I got 11 notches the 1st Innings and 7
the 2nd, which was more than any of our side except Brockman & Ipswich
could contrive to hit. After the match we dined together, and were
extremely friendly, not a single discordant word was uttered by either
party. To be sure, we were most of us rather drunk and went together
to the Haymarket Theatre, where we kicked up a row, As you may
suppose, when so many Harrovians & Etonians met at one place; I was
one of seven in a single hackney, 4 Eton and 3 Harrow, and then we all
got into the same box, and the consequence was that such a devil of a
noise arose that none of our neighbours could hear a word of the
drama, at which, not being _highly delighted_, they began to quarrel
with us, and we nearly came to a _battle royal_. How I got home after
the play God knows. I hardly recollect, as my brain was so much
confused by the heat, the row, and the wine I drank, that I could not
remember in the morning how I found my way to bed.
The rain was so incessant in the evening that we could hardly get our
Jarveys, which was the cause of so many being stowed into one. I saw
young Twilt, your brother, with Malet, and saw also an old
schoolfellow of mine whom I had not beheld for six years, but he was
not the one whom you were so good as to enquire after for me, and for
which I return you my sincere thanks. I set off last night at eight
o'clock to my mother's, and am just arrived this afternoon, and have
not delayed a second in thanking you for so soon fulfilling my request
that you would correspond with me. My address at Cambridge will be
Trinity College, but I shall not go there till the 20th of October.
You may continue to direct your letters here, when I go to Hampshire
which will not be till you have returned to Harrow. I will send my
address previous to my departure from my mother's. I agree with you in
the hope that we shall continue our correspondence for a long time. I
trust, my dearest friend, that it will only be interrupted by our
being some time or other in the same place or under the same roof, as,
when I have finished my _Classical Labour_, and my minority is
expired, I shall expect you to be a frequent visitor to Newstead
Abbey, my seat in this county which is about 12 miles from my mother's
house where I now am. There I can show you plenty of hunting, shooting
and fishing, and be assured no one ever will be more welcome guest
than yourself--nor is there any one whose correspondence can give me
more pleasure, or whose friendship yield me greater delight than
yours, sweet, dearest Charles, believe me, will always be the
sentiments of
Yours most affectionately,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: This and Letter 33 are written to Byron's Harrow friend,
Charles Gordon, one of his "juniors and favourites," whom he "spoilt by
indulgence." Gordon, who was the son of David Gordon of Abergeldie, died
in 1829.]
[Footnote 2: Byron's reputation as a cricketer rests on this match
between Eton and Harrow. It was played on the old cricket ground in
Dorset Square, August 2, 1805, and ended in a victory for Eton by an
innings and two runs. The score is thus given by Lillywhite, in his
_Cricket Scores and Biographies of Celebrated Cricketers from 1745 to
1826_ (vol. i. pp. 319, 320)--
HARROW.
First Innings. Second Innings.
--------------------------------------------------------
Lord Ipswich, b Carter --10 b Heaton --21
T. Farrer, Esq., b Carter -- 7 c Bradley-- 3
T. Drury, Esq., b Carter -- 0 st Heaton-- 6
--Bolton, Esq., run out -- 2 b Heaton -- 0
C. Lloyd, Esq., b Carter -- 0 b Carter -- 0
A. Shakespeare, Esq., st Heaton-- 8 runout -- 5
Lord Byron, c Barnard-- 7 b Carter -- 2
Hon. T. Erskine, b Carter -- 4 b Heaton -- 8
W. Brockman, Esq., b Heaton -- 9 b Heaton --10
E. Stanley, Esq., not out -- 3 c Canning-- 7
--Asheton, Esq., b Carter -- 3 not out -- 0
Byes -- 2 Byes -- 3
-- --
55 65
ETON.
--------------------------------------------------------
--Heaton, Esq., b Lloyd -- 0
--Slingsby, Esq., b Shakespeare--29
--Carter, Esq., b Shakespeare-- 3
--Farhill, Esq., c Lloyd -- 6
--Canning, Esq., c Farrer --12
--Camplin, Esq., b Ipswich --42
--Bradley, Esq., b Lloyd --16
--Barnard, Esq., b Shakespeare-- 0
--Barnard, Esq., not out -- 3
--Kaye, Esq., b Byron -- 7
--Dover, Esq., c Bolton -- 4
Byes -- 0
--
122
At this match Lord Stratford de Redcliffe remembers seeing a
"moody-looking boy" dismissed for a small score. The boy was Byron. But
the moment is not favourable to expression of countenance.
31.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.] Burgage Manor, August 6th, 1805.
Well, my dearest Augusta, here I am, once more situated at my mother's
house, which together with its _inmate_ is as _agreeable_ as ever. I
am at this moment _vis a vis_ and Tete a tete with that amiable
personage, who is, whilst I am writing, pouring forth complaints
against your _ingratitude_, giving me many oblique hints that I ought
not to correspond with you, and concluding with an interdiction that
if you ever after the expiration of my minority are invited to my
residence, _she_ will no longer condescend to grace it with her
_Imperial_ presence. You may figure to yourself, for your amusement,
my solemn countenance on the occasion, and the _meek Lamblike_
demeanour of her Ladyship, which, contrasted with my _Saintlike
visage_, forms a _striking family painting_, whilst in the back
ground, the portraits of my Great Grandfather and Grandmother,
suspended in their frames, seem to look with an eye of pity on their
_unfortunate descendant_, whose _worth_ and _accomplishments_ deserve
a milder fate.
I am to remain in this _Garden_ of _Eden_ one month, I do not indeed
reside at Cambridge till October, but I set out for Hampshire in
September where I shall be on a visit till the commencement of the
term. In the mean time, Augusta, your _sympathetic_ correspondence
must be some alleviation to my sorrows, which however are too
ludicrous for me to regard them very seriously; but they are _really_
more _uncomfortable_ than _amusing_.
I presume you were rather surprised not to see my _consequential_ name
in the papers [1] amongst the orators of our 2nd speech day, but
unfortunately some wit who had formerly been at Harrow, suppressed the
merits of Long [2], Farrer [3] and myself, who were always supposed to
take the Lead in Harrow eloquence, and by way of a _hoax_ thought
proper to insert a panegyric on those speakers who were really and
truly allowed to have rather disgraced than distinguished themselves,
of course for the _wit_ of the thing, the best were left out and the
worst inserted, which accounts for the _Gothic omission_ of my
_superior talents._ Perhaps it was done with a view to weaken our
vanity, which might be too much raised by the flattering paragraphs
bestowed on our performance the 1st speechday; be that as it may, we
were omitted in the account of the 2nd, to the astonishment of all
Harrow. These are _disappointments_ we _great men_ are liable to, and
we must learn to bear them with philosophy, especially when they arise
from attempts at wit. I was indeed very ill at that time, and after I
had finished my speech was so overcome by the exertion that I was
obliged to quit the room. I had caught cold by sleeping in damp sheets
which was the cause of my indisposition. However I am now perfectly
recovered, and live in hopes of being emancipated from the slavery of
Burgage manor. But Believe me, Dearest Augusta, whether well or ill,
I always am your affect. Brother,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: See page 27, note 1.]
[Footnote 2: Edward Noel Long, son of E. B. Long of Hampton Lodge,
Surrey, the "Cleon" of "Childish Recollections" ('Poems', vol. i. pp.
101, 102), entered Harrow in April, 1801. He went with Byron to Trinity
College, Cambridge, and till the end of the summer of 1806 was his most
intimate friend.
"We were," says Byron, in his Diary ('Life', p. 31), "rival swimmers,
fond of riding, reading, and of conviviality. Our evenings we passed
in music (he was musical, and played on more than one
instrument--flute and violoncello), in which I was audience; and I
think that our chief beverage was soda-water. In the day we rode,
bathed, and lounged, reading occasionally. I remember our buying, with
vast alacrity, Moore's new quarto (in 1806), and reading it together
in the evenings. ... _His_ friendship, and a violent though pure
passion--which held me at the same period--were the then romance of
the most romantic period of my life."
Long was Byron's companion at Littlehampton in August, 1806. In 1807 he
entered the Guards, served with distinction in the expedition to
Copenhagen, and was drowned early in 1809, "on his passage to Lisbon
with his regiment in the 'St. George' transport, which was run foul of
in the night by another transport" ('Life', p. 31. See also Byron's lines
"To Edward Noel Long, Esq.," 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 184-188).]
[Footnote 3: Thomas Farrer entered Harrow in April, 1801. He played in
Byron's XI. against Eton, on the ground in Dorset Square, on August 2,
1805.]
CHAPTER II.
1805-1808.
CAMBRIDGE AND JUVENILE POEMS.
32.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.] Burgage Manor, August 10th, 1805.
I have at last succeeded, my dearest Augusta, in pacifying the
dowager, and mollifying that _piece_ of _flint_ which the good Lady
denominates her heart. She now has condescended to send you her
_love_, although with many comments on the occasion, and many
compliments to herself. But to me she still continues to be a torment,
and I doubt not would continue so till the end of my life. However
this is the last time she ever will have an opportunity, as, when I go
to college, I shall employ my vacations either in town; or during the
summer I intend making a tour through the Highlands, and to Visit the
Hebrides with a party of my friends, whom I have engaged for the
purpose. This my old preceptor Drury recommended as the most improving
way of employing my Summer Vacation, and I have now an additional
reason for following his advice, as I by that means will avoid the
society of this woman, whose detestable temper destroys every Idea of
domestic comfort. It is a happy thing that she is my mother and not my
wife, so that I can rid myself of her when I please, and indeed, if
she goes on in the style that she has done for this last week that I
have been with her, I shall quit her before the month I was to drag
out in her company, is expired, and place myself any where, rather
than remain with such a vixen. As I am to have a very handsome
allowance,[1] which does not deprive her of a sixpence, since there is
an addition made from my fortune by the Chancellor for the purpose, I
shall be perfectly independent of her, and, as she has long since
trampled upon, and harrowed up every affectionate tie, It is my
serious determination never again to visit, or be upon any friendly
terms with her. This I owe to myself, and to my own comfort, as well
as Justice to the memory of my nearest relations, who have been most
shamefully libelled by this female 'Tisiphom', a name which your
'Ladyship' will recollect to have belonged to one of the Furies.
You need not take the precaution of writing in so enigmatical a style
in your next, as, bad as the woman is, she would not dare to open any
letter addressed to me from you. Whenever you can find time to write,
believe me, your epistles will be productive of the greatest pleasure,
to your
Affectionate Brother,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: During Byron's schooldays, Mrs. Byron received L500 a year
from the Court of Chancery for his education. When he went to Cambridge,
she gave up this allowance to her son, and the expenditure of a certain
sum was sanctioned by Chancery for furniture, clothes, plate, etc. At
the same time, Mrs. Byron applied for an allowance of L200 a year, but
in 1807 the allowance had not been granted. Her pension, it may be
added, most irregularly paid at all times, was reduced to L200 a year.
Writing to Hanson (September 23, 1805), she says, "I give up the five
hundred a year to my son, and you will supply him with money
accordingly. The two hundred a year addition I shall reserve for myself;
nor can I do with less, as my house will always be a home for my son
whenever he chooses to come to it."]
33.--To Charles O. Gordon.
Burgage Manor, August 14, 1805.
Believe me, my dearest Charles, no letter from you can ever be
unentertaining or dull, at least to me; on the contrary they will
always be productive of the highest pleasure as often as you think
proper to gratify me by your correspondence. My answer to your first
was addressed to Ledbury; and I fear you will not receive it till you
return from your tour, which I hope may answer your expectation in
every respect; I recollect some years ago passing near Abergeldie on
an excursion through the Highlands, it was at that time a most
beautiful place.
I suppose you will soon have a view of the eternal snows that summit
the top of Lachin y Gair, which towers so magnificently above the rest
of our _Northern Alps_. I still remember with pleasure the admiration
which filled my mind, when I first beheld it, and further on the dark
frowning mountains which rise near Invercauld, together with the
romantic rocks that overshadow Mar Lodge, a seat of Lord Fife's, and
the cataract of the Dee, which dashes down the declivity with
impetuous violence in the grounds adjoining to the House. All these I
presume you will soon see, so that it is unnecessary for me to
expatiate on the subject. I sincerely wish that every happiness may
attend you in your progress. I have given you an account of our match
in my epistle to Herefordshire. We unfortunately lost it. I got 11
notches the first innings and 7 the 2nd, making 18 in all, which was
more runs than any of our side (except Ipswich) could make. Brockman
also scored 18. We were very _convivial_ in the evening.[1]
[Footnote 1: Here the letter, which is printed from a copy made by the
Rev. W. Harness (see page 177 [Letter 92], [Foot]note 1), comes to an
end.]
34.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Burgage Manor, August 19th, 1805.
My Dear Hargreaves,--You may depend upon my Observance of your
father's Invitation to Farleigh [1] in September, where I hope we
shall be the cause of much destruction to the feathered Tribe and
great Amusement to ourselves. The Lancashire Trial [2] comes on very
soon, and Mr. Hanson will come down by Nottingham; perhaps, I may then
have a chance of seeing him; at all events, I shall probably accompany
him on his way back; as I hope his Health is by this time perfectly
reestablished, and will not require a journey to Harrowgate. I shall
not as you justly conjecture have any occasion for my _Chapeau de
Bras_, as there is nobody in the Neighbourhood who would be worth the
trouble of wearing it, when I went to their parties. I am uncommonly
dull at this place, as you may easily imagine, nor do I think I shall
have much Amusement till the commencement of the shooting season. I
shall expect (when you next write) an account of your military
preparations, to repel the Invader of our Isle whenever he makes the
attempt.--_You_ will doubtless acquire _great Glory_ on the occasion,
and in expectation of hearing of your Warlike Exploits,
I remain, yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Hanson had property at Farleigh, near Basingstoke.]
[Footnote 2: The Rochdale property of the Byron family had been
illegally sold by William, fifth Lord Byron. Proceedings were taken to
recover the property; but fresh points arose at every stage, and
eventually Byron, unable to wait longer, sold Newstead.]
35.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Burgage Manor.
My Dear Hargeaves,--I would be obliged to you, if you would write to
your father, and enquire--what time it will be most convenient for him
to receive my visit, and I will come to Town immediately to the time
appointed and accompany you to the _Rural Shades_ and _Fertile Fields_
of Hants. You must excuse the laconic Style of my Epistle as this place
is damned dull and I have nothing to relate, but believe me,
Yours truly,
BYRON.
36.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Trinity Coll., October 25, 1805.
Dear Hargreaves,--I presume your father has by this time informed you
of our safe Arrival here. [1] I can as yet hardly form an Opinion in
favour, or against the College, but as soon as I am settled you shall
have an account. I wish you to pack up carefully--& send immediately
the remainder of my books, and also my _Stocks_ which were left in
Chancery Lane. _Mon Chapeau de Bras_ take care of till Winter extends
his Icy Reign and I shall visit the Metropolis. Tell your father that
I am getting in the furniture he spoke of, but shall defer papering
and painting till the Recess. The sooner you execute my _commands_ the
better. Beware of Mr. Terry,
And believe me, yours faithfully,
BYRON.
The Bills for Furniture I shall send to Mr. H., your worthy papa,
according to his _particular Desire_. The Cambridge Coach sets off
from the White Horse, Fetter Lane.
[Footnote 1: Byron entered Trinity on July 1, 1805; but he did not go
into residence till the following October. His tutors were the Rev.
Thomas Jones (1756-1807), who was Senior Tutor from 1787 till his death
in 1807, and the Rev. George Frederick Tavell (B.A., 1792; M.A., 1795),
to whom Byron alludes in 'Hints from Horace', lines 228-230:--
"Unlucky Tavell! doom'd to daily cares
By pugilistic pupils, and by bears!"]
37.--To John Hanson.
Trinity Coll., Oct. 26, 1805.
Dear Sir,--I will be obliged to you to order me down 4 Dozen of
Wine--Port, Sherry, Claret, and Madeira, one dozen of each. I have got
part of my furniture in, and begin to admire a College life. Yesterday
my appearance in the Hall in my State Robes was _Superb_, but
uncomfortable to my _Diffidence_. You may order the Saddle, etc., etc.,
for "Oateater" as soon as you please and I will pay for them.
I remain, Sir, yours truly,
BYRON.
P.S.--Give Hargreaves a hint to be expeditious in his sending my
_Valuables_ which I begin to want. Your Cook had the Impudence to charge
my Servant 15 Shillings for 5 Days provision which I think is
exorbitant; but I hear that in _Town_ it is but reasonable. Pray is it
the custom to allow your Servants 3/6 per Diem, in London? I will thank
you for Information on the Subject.
38.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, near Malton, Yorkshire.]
Trin. Coll. [Wednesday], Novr. 6th, 1805.
My dear Augusta,--As might be supposed I like a College Life
extremely, especially as I have escaped the Trammels or rather
_Fetters_ of my domestic Tyrant Mrs. Byron, who continued to plague me
during my visit in July and September. I am now most pleasantly
situated in _Super_excellent Rooms, flanked on one side by my Tutor,
on the other by an old Fellow, both of whom are rather checks upon my
_vivacity_. I am allowed 500 a year, a Servant and Horse, so Feel as
independent as a German Prince who coins his own Cash, or a Cherokee
Chief who coins no Cash at all, but enjoys what is more precious,
Liberty. I talk in raptures of that _Goddess_ because my amiable Mama
was so despotic. I am afraid the Specimens I have lately given her of
my Spirit, and determination to submit to no more unreasonable
demands, (or the insults which follow a refusal to obey her implicitly
whether right or wrong,) have given high offence, as I had a most
_fiery_ Letter from the _Court_ at _Southwell_ on Tuesday, because I
would not turn off my Servant, (whom I had not the least reason to
distrust, and who had an excellent Character from his last Master) at
her suggestion, from some caprice she had taken into her head. [1] I
sent back to the Epistle, which was couched in _elegant_ terms, a
severe answer, which so nettled her Ladyship, that after reading it,
she returned it in a Cover without deigning a Syllable in return.
The Letter and my answer you shall behold when you next see me, that
you may judge of the Comparative merits of Each. I shall let her go on
in the _Heroics_, till she cools, without taking the least notice. Her
Behaviour to me for the last two Years neither merits my respect, nor
deserves my affection. I am comfortable here, and having one of the
best allowances in College, go on Gaily, but not extravagantly. I need
scarcely inform you that I am not the least obliged to Mrs. B. for it,
as it comes off my property, and She refused to fit out a single thing
for me from her own pocket; [2] my Furniture is paid for, & she has
moreover a handsome addition made to her own income, which I do not in
the least regret, as I would wish her to be happy, but by _no means_
to live with me in _person_. The sweets of her society I have already
drunk to the last dregs, I hope we shall meet on more affectionate
Terms, or meet no more.
But why do I say _meet?_ her temper precludes every idea of happiness,
and therefore in future I shall avoid her _hospitable_ mansion, though
she has the folly to suppose She is to be mistress of my house when I
come of [age]. I must apologize to you for the [dullness?] of this
letter, but to tell you the [truth] [the effects] of last nights
Claret have no[t gone] out of my head, as I supped with a large party.
I suppose that Fool Hanson in his _vulgar_ Idiom, by the word Jolly
did not mean Fat, but High Spirits, for so far from increasing I have
lost one pound in a fortnight as I find by being regularly weighed.
Adieu, Dearest Augusta.
[Signature cut out.]
[NB: Words in square brackets were cut and torn out with the seal.]
[Footnote 1: The servant, Byron's valet Frank, was accused of obtaining
money on false pretences from a Nottingham tradesman, and Mrs.
Byron informed her son of the charge. Frank was afterwards transported.
(See letter to Lord Clare, February 6, 1807; and letter to
Hanson, April 19, 1807.)]
[Footnote 2: See page 76, note 1.]
39.--To Hargreaves Hanson.
Trinity Coll., Novr. 12th, 1805.
DEAR HARGREAVES,--Return my Thanks to your father for the _Expedition_
he has used in filling my _Cellar_.
He deserves commendation for the _Attention_ he paid to my Request.
The Time of "Oateater's" Journey approaches; I presume he means to
repair his Neglect by Punctuality in this Respect. However, no
_Trinity Ale_ will be forthcoming, till I have broached the promised
_Falernum._
College improves in every thing but Learning. Nobody here seems to
look into an Author, ancient or modern, if they can avoid it. The
Muses, poor Devils, are totally neglected, except by a few Musty old
_Sophs_ and _Fellows_, who, however agreeable they may be to
_Minerva_, are perfect Antidotes to the _Graces._ Even I (great as is
my _inclination_ for Knowledge) am carried away by the Tide, having
only supped at Home twice since I saw your father, and have more
engagements on my Hands for a week to come. Still my Tutor and I go on
extremely well and for the first three weeks of my life I have not
involved myself in any Scrape of Consequence.
I have News for you which I bear with _Christian_ Resignation and
without any _violent Transports_ of _Grief._ My Mother (whose
diabolical Temper you well know) has taken it into her _Sagacious_
Head to quarrel with me her _dutiful Son._ She has such a Devil of a
Disposition, that she cannot be quiet, though there are fourscore
miles between us, which I wish were lengthened to 400. The Cause too
frivolous to require taking up your time to read or mine to write. At
last in answer to a _Furious Epistle_ I returned a _Sarcastick_
Answer, which so incensed the _Amiable Dowager_ that my Letter was
sent back without her deigning a Line in the cover. When I next see
you, you shall behold her Letter and my Answer, which will amuse you
as they both contain fiery Philippics. I must request you will write
immediately, that I may be informed when my Servant shall convey
"Oateater" from London; the 20th was the appointed; but I wish to hear
further from your father. I hope all the family are in a convalescent
State. I shall see you at Christmas (if I live) as I propose passing
the Vacation, which is only a Month, in London.
Believe me, Mr. Terry, your's Truly,
BYRON.
40.--To John Hanson.
Trin. Coll. Cambridge, Novr. 23, 1805.
Dear Sir,--Your Advice was good but I have not determined whether I
shall follow it; this Place is the _Devil_ or at least his principal
residence. They call it the University, but any other Appellation
would have suited it much better, for Study is the last pursuit of the
Society; the Master [1] eats, drinks, and sleeps, the Fellows [2]
_Drink, dispute and pun_; the Employment of the Under graduates you
will probably conjecture without my description. I sit down to write
with a Head confused with Dissipation which, tho' I hate, I cannot
avoid.
I have only supped at Home 3 times since my Arrival, and my table is
constantly covered with invitations, after all I am the most _steady_
Man in College, nor have I got into many Scrapes, and none of
consequence. Whenever you appoint a day my Servant shall come up for
"Oateater," and as the Time of paying my Bills now approaches, the
remaining L50 will be very _agreeable_. You need not make any
deduction as I shall want most of it; I will settle with you for the
Saddle and Accoutrements _next_ quarter. The Upholsterer's Bill will
not be sent in yet as my rooms are to be papered and painted at Xmas
when I will procure them. No Furniture has been got except what was
absolutely necessary including some Decanters and Wine Glasses.
Your Cook certainly deceived you, as I know my Servant was in Town 5
days, and she stated 4. I have yet had no reason to distrust him, but
we will examine the affair when I come to Town when I intend lodging
at Mrs. Massingbird's. My Mother and I have quarrelled, which I bear
with the _patience_ of a Philosopher; custom reconciles me to
everything.
In the Hope that Mrs. H. and the _Battalion_ are in good Health.
I remain, Sir, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: William Lort Mansel (1753-1820), Master of Trinity
(1798-1820), Bishop of Bristol (1808-1820), was the chief wit of
Cambridge in his day, and the author of many neat epigrams. "I wish,"
said Rogers (_Table-Talk_, etc., p. 60), "somebody would collect all the
Epigrams written by Dr. Mansel; they are remarkably neat and clever."
Beloe, in _The Sexagenarian_ (vol. i. p. 98), speaks of Mansel as "a
young man remarkable for his personal confidence, for his wit and
humour, and, above all, for his gallantries." Apparently, on the same
somewhat unreliable authority, he was, as Master, a severe
disciplinarian, and extremely tenacious of his dignity (i. p. 99).]
[Footnote 2: Byron probably refers to Richard Porson (1759-1808),
Professor of Greek (1792-1808). The son of the parish clerk of Bacton
and Earl Ruston, in Norfolk, Porson was entered, by the kindness of
friends, on the foundation of Eton College (1774-1778). At Trinity,
Cambridge, he became a Scholar in 1780, and a Fellow (1782-1792). In
1792, as he could not conscientiously take orders, he vacated his
Fellowship, but was elected Professor of Greek. When Byron was at
Cambridge, Porson's health and powers were failing. Silent and reserved,
except in the society of his friends, a sloven in his person, he had
probably taken to drink as a cure for sleeplessness. In a note to the
_Pursuits of Literature_ (Dialogue iv. lines 508-516),
"What," asks the author, J. T. Mathias, himself a Fellow of Trinity,
"is mere genius without a regulated life! To show the deformity of
vice to the rising hopes of the country, the policy of ancient Sparta
exhibited an inebriated slave."
Yet Porson's fine love of truth and genius for textual criticism make
him one of the greatest, if not the greatest, name in British
scholarship. Porson married, in 1795, Mrs. Lunan, sister of Mr. Perry,
the editor of the 'Morning Chronicle', for which he frequently wrote. In
the 'Shade of Alexander Pope', Mathias again attacks him as "Dogmatic
Bardolph in his nuptial noose." Porson's wife died shortly after their
marriage. His controversial method was merciless. Of his 'Letters to
Archdeacon Travis', Green ('Lover of Literature', p. 213) says that
"he dandles Travis as a tyger would a fawn: and appears only to
reserve him alive, for a time, that he may gratify his appetite for
sport, before he consigns his feeble prey, by a rougher squeeze, to
destruction."]
41.--To John Hanson.
Trinity College, Cambridge, Novr. 30, 1805.
Sir,--After the contents of your Epistle, you will probably be less
surprized at my answer, than I have been at many points of yours; [1]
never was I more astonished than at the perusal, for I confess I
expected very different treatment. Your _indirect_ charge of
Dissipation does not affect me, nor do I fear the strictest inquiry
into my conduct; neither here nor at _Harrow_ have I disgraced myself,
the "Metropolis" and the "Cloisters" are alike unconscious of my
Debauchery, and on the plains of _merry Sherwood_ I have experienced
_Misery_ alone; in July I visited them for the last time.
Mrs. Byron and myself are now totally separated, injured by her, I
sought refuge with Strangers, too late I see my error, for how was
kindness to be expected from _others_, when denied by a _parent_? In
you, Sir, I imagined I had found an Instructor; for your advice I
thank you; the Hospitality of yourself and Mrs. H. on many occasions I
shall always gratefully remember, for I am not of opinion that even
present Injustice can cancel past obligations.
Before I proceed, it will be necessary to say a few words concerning
Mrs. Byron; you hinted a probability of her appearance at Trinity; the
instant I hear of her arrival I quit Cambridge, though _Rustication_
or _Expulsion_ be the consequence. Many a weary week of _torment_ have
I passed with her, nor have I forgot the insulting _Epithets_ with
which myself, my _Sister_, my _father_ and my _Family_ have been
repeatedly reviled.
To return to you, Sir, though I feel obliged by your Hospitality,
etc., etc., in the present instance I have been completely deceived.
When I came down to College, and even previous to that period I
stipulated that not only my Furniture, but even my Gowns and Books,
should be paid for that I might set out free from _Debt_. Now with all
the _Sang Froid_ of your profession you tell me, that not only I shall
not be permitted to repair my rooms (which was at first agreed to) but
that I shall not even be indemnified for my present expence. In one
word, hear my determination. I will _never_ pay for them out of my
allowance, and the Disgrace will not attach to me but to _those_ by
whom I have been deceived. Still, Sir, not even the Shadow of
dishonour shall reflect on _my_ Name, for I will see that the Bills
are discharged; whether by you or not is to me indifferent, so that
the men I employ are not the victims of my Imprudence or your
Duplicity. I have ordered nothing extravagant; every man in College is
allowed to fit up his rooms; mine are secured to me during my
residence which will probably be some time, and in rendering them
decent I am more praiseworthy than culpable. The Money I requested was
but a secondary consideration; as a _Lawyer_ you were not obliged to
advance it till due; as a _Friend_ the request might have been
complied with. When it is required at Xmas I shall expect the demand
will be answered. In the course of my letter I perhaps have expressed
more asperity than I intended, it is my nature to feel warmly, nor
shall any consideration of interest or Fear ever deter me from giving
vent to my Sentiments, when injured, whether by a Sovereign or a
Subject.
I remain, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: The quarrel arose from Byron misunderstanding a letter from
Hanson on the subject of the allowance made by the Court of Chancery for
his furniture.]
42.--To John Hanson.
Trin. Coll. Cambridge, Dec. 4, 1805.
Sir,--In charging you with downright _Duplicity_ I wronged you, nor do
I hesitate to atone for an Injury which I feel I have committed, or
add to my Fault by the Vindication of an expression dictated by
Resentment, an _expression_ which deserves Censure, and demands the
apology I now offer; for I think that Disposition indeed _mean_ which
adds Obstinacy to Insult, by attempting the Palliation of unmerited
Invective from the mistaken principle of disdaining the Avowal of even
_self convicted_ Error. In regard to the other _Declarations_ my
Sentiments remain _unaltered;_ the event will shew whether my
Prediction is false. I know Mrs. Byron too well to imagine that she
would part with a _Sous_, and if by some _Miracle_ she was prevailed
upon, the _Details_ of her _Generosity_ in allowing me part of my _own
property_ would be continually _thundered_ in my ears, or _launched_
in the _Lightening_ of her letters, so that I had rather encounter the
Evils of Embarrassment than lie under an obligation to one who would
continually reproach me with her Benevolence, as if her Charity had
been extended to a _Stranger_ to the Detriment of her own Fortune. My
opinion is perhaps harsh for a Son, but it is justified by experience,
it is confirmed by _Facts_, it was generated by oppression, it has
been nourished by Injury. To you, Sir, I attach no Blame. I am too
much indebted to your kindness to retain my anger for a length of
Time, that _Kindness_ which, by a forcible contrast, has taught me to
spurn the _Ties_ of _Blood_ unless strengthened by proper and gentle
Treatment. I declare upon my honor that the Horror of entering Mrs.
Byron's House has of late years been so implanted in my Soul, that I
dreaded the approach of the Vacations as the _Harbingers_ of _Misery_.
My letters to my Sister, written during my residence at Southwell,
would prove my Assertion. With my kind remembrances to Mrs. H. and
Hargreaves,
I remain, Sir, yours truly,
BYRON.
43.--To John Hanson.
Trin. Coll. Cambridge, Dec. 13, 1805.
DEAR SIR,--I return you my Thanks for the remaining L50 which came in
extremely _apropos_, and on my visit to Town about the 19th will give
you a regular receipt. In your Extenuation of Mrs. Byron's Conduct you
use as a _plea_, that, by her being my Mother, greater allowance ought
to be made for those _little_ Traits in her Disposition, so much more
_energetic_ than _elegant_. I am afraid, (however good your intention)
that you have added to rather than diminished my Dislike, for
independent of the moral Obligations she is under to _protect,
cherish_, and _instruct_ her _offspring_, what can be expected of that
Man's heart and understanding who has continually (from Childhood to
Maturity) beheld so pernicious an Example? His nearest relation is the
first person he is taught to revere as his Guide and Instructor; the
perversion of Temper before him leads to a corruption of his own, and
when that is depraved, vice quickly becomes habitual, and, though
timely Severity may sometimes be necessary & justifiable, surely a
peevish harassing System of Torment is by no means commendable, & when
that is interrupted by ridiculous Indulgence, the only purpose
answered is to soften the feelings for a moment which are soon after
to be doubly wounded by the recal of accustomed Harshness. I will now
give this disagreeable Subject to the _Winds_. I conclude by observing
that I am the more confirmed in my opinion of the Futility of Natural
Ties, unless supported not only by Attachment but _affectionate_ and
_prudent_ Behaviour.
Tell Mrs. H. that the predicted alteration in my Manners and Habits
has not taken place. I am still the Schoolboy and as great a _Rattle_
as ever, and between ourselves College is not the place to improve
either Morals or Income.
I am, Sir, yours truly,
BYRON.
44.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[[Cas]tle Howard, [ne]ar Malton, Yorkshire.]
16, Piccadilly, [Thursday], Decr. 26th, 1805.
My dearest Augusta,--By the Date of my Letter you will perceive that I
have taken up my Residence in the metropolis, where I presume we shall
behold you in the latter end of January. I sincerely hope you will
make your appearance at that Time, as I have some subjects to discuss
with you, which I do not wish to communicate in my Epistle.
The Dowager has thought proper to solicit a reconciliation which in
some measure I have agreed to; still there is a coolness which I do
not feel inclined to _thaw_, as terms of Civility are the only
resource against her impertinent and unjust proceedings with which you
are already acquainted.
Town is not very full and the weather has been so unpropitious that I
have not been able to make use of my Horses above twice since my
arrival. I hope your everlasting negotiation with the Father of your
_Intended_ is near a conclusion in _some_ manner; if you do not hurry
a little, you will be verging into the "_Vale of Years_," and, though
you may be blest with Sons and daughters, you will never live to see
your _Grandchildren_.
When convenient, favour me with an Answer and believe me,
[Signature cut out.]
45.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howar[d], neat Malto[n], Yorkshire.] 16, Piccadilly, [Friday],
Decr. 27th, 1805.
My Dear Augusta,--You will doubtless be surprised to see a second
epistle so close upon the arrival of the first, (especially as it is
not my custom) but the Business I mentioned rather mysteriously in my
last compels me again to proceed. But before I disclose it, I must
require the most inviolable Secrecy, for if ever I find that it has
transpired, all confidence, all Friendship between us has concluded. I
do not mean this exordium as a threat to induce you to comply with my
request but merely (whether you accede or not) to keep it a Secret.
And although your compliance would essentially oblige me, yet, believe
me, my esteem will not be diminished by your Refusal; nor shall I
suffer a complaint to escape. The Affair is briefly thus; like all
other young men just let loose, and especially one as I am, freed from
the worse than bondage of my maternal home, I have been extravagant,
and consequently am in want of Money. You will probably now imagine
that I am going to apply to you for some. No, if you would offer me
thousands, I declare solemnly that I would without hesitation refuse,
nor would I accept them were I in danger of Starvation. All I expect
or wish is, that you will be joint Security with me for a few Hundreds
a person (one of the money lending tribe) has offered to advance in
case I can bring forward any collateral guarantee that he will not be
a loser, the reason of this requisition is my being a Minor, and might
refuse to discharge a debt contracted in my non-age. If I live till
the period of my minority expires, you cannot doubt my paying, as I
have property to the amount of 100 times the sum I am about to raise;
if, as I think rather probable, a pistol or a Fever cuts short the
thread of my existence, you will receive half the _Dross_ saved since
I was ten years old, and can be no great loser by discharging a debt
of 7 or L800 from as many thousands. It is far from my Breast to exact
any promise from you that would be detrimental, or tend to lower me in
your opinion. If you suppose this leads to either of those
consequences, forgive my impertinence and bury it in oblivion. I have
many Friends, most of them in the same predicament with myself; to
those who are not, I am too proud to apply, for I hate obligation; my
Relations you know I _detest_; who then is there that I can address on
the subject but yourself? to you therefore I appeal, and if I am
disappointed, at least let me not be tormented by the advice of
Guardians, and let silence rule your Resolution. I know you will think
me foolish, if not criminal; but tell me so yourself, and do not
rehearse my failings to others, no, not even to that proud Grandee the
Earl, who, whatever his qualities may be, is certainly not amiable,
and that Chattering puppy Hanson would make still less allowance for
the foibles of a Boy. I am now trying the experiment, whether a woman
can retain a secret; let me not be deceived. If you have the least
doubt of my integrity, or that you run too great a Risk, do not
hesitate in your refusal. Adieu. I expect an answer with impatience,
believe me, whether you accede or not,
[Signature cut out.]
P.S.--I apologize for the numerous errors probably enveloped in this
cover; the temper of my mind at present, and the hurry I have written
in, must plead for pardon. Adieu.
46.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.
[Castle Howard, near Malton, Yorkshire.]
16, Piccadilly, [Tuesday], January 7th, 1805.
[In another hand]--6.
My dearest Augusta,--Your efforts to reanimate my sinking spirits
will, I am afraid, fail in their effect, for my melancholy proceeds
from a very different cause to that which you assign, as, my nerves
were always of the strongest texture.--I will not however pretend to
say I possess that _Gaiete de Coeur_ which formerly distinguished me,
but as the diminution of it arises from what you could not alleviate,
and might possibly be painful, you will excuse the Disclosure. Suffice
it to know, that it cannot spring from Indisposition, as my Health was
never more firmly established than now, nor from the subject on which
I lately wrote, as that is in a promising Train, and even were it
otherwise, the Failure would not lead to Despair. You know me too well
to think it is _Love_; & I have had no quarrel or dissention with
Friend or enemy, you may therefore be easy, since no unpleasant
consequence will be produced from the present Sombre cast of my
Temper. I fear the Business will not be concluded before your arrival
in Town, when we will settle it together, as by the 20th these _sordid
Bloodsuckers_ who have agreed to furnish the Sum, will have drawn up
the Bond. Believe me, my dearest Sister, it never entered in to my
head, that you either could or would propose to antic[ipate] my
application to others, by a P[resent from?] yourself; I and I only
will be [injured] by my own extravagance, nor would I have wished you
to take the least concern, had any other means been open for
extrication. As it is, I hope you will excuse my Impertinence, or if
you feel an inclination to retreat, do not let affection for me
counterbalance prudence.
[Signature cut out.]
[Footnote 1: Words in square brackets accidentally torn off the edge of
the paper, and conjecturally supplied.]
47.--To his Mother.
16, Piccadilly, Febry. 26, 1806.
Dear Mother,--Notwithstanding your sage and economical advice I have
paid my _Harrow_ Debts, as I can better afford to wait for the Money
than the poor Devils who were my creditors. I have also discharged my
college Bills amounting to L231,--L75 of which I shall trouble Hanson
to repay, being for Furniture, and as my allowance is L500 per annum,
I do not chuse to lose the overplus as it makes only L125 per Quarter.
I happen to have a few hundreds in ready Cash by me, [1] so I have
paid the accounts; but I find it inconvenient to remain at College,
not for the expence, as I could live on my allowance (only I am
naturally extravagant); however the mode of going on does not suit my
constitution. Improvement at an English University to a Man of Rank
is, you know, impossible, and the very Idea _ridiculous_. Now I
sincerely desire to finish my Education and, having been sometime at
Cambridge, the Credit of the University is as much attached to my
Name, as if I had pursued my Studies _there_ for a Century; but,
believe me, it is nothing more than a Name, which is already acquired.
I can now leave it with Honour, as I have paid everything, & wish to
pass a couple of years abroad, where I am certain of employing my time
to far more advantage and at much less expence, than at our English
Seminaries. 'Tis true I cannot enter France; but Germany and the
Courts of Berlin, Vienna & Petersburg are still open, I shall lay the
Plan before Hanson & Lord C. I presume you will all agree, and if you
do not, I will, if possible, get away without your Consent, though I
should admire it more in the regular manner & with a Tutor of your
furnishing. This is my project, at present I wish _you_ to be silent
to Hanson about it. Let me have your Answer. I intend remaining in
Town a Month longer, when perhaps I shall bring my Horses and myself
down to your residence in that _execrable_ Kennel. I hope you have
engaged a Man Servant, else it will be impossible for me to visit you,
since my Servant must attend chiefly to his horses; at the same Time
you must cut an indifferent Figure with only maids in your habitation.
I remain, your's,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1:
"The Bills," writes Mrs. Byron to Hanson (January 11, 1806), "are
coming in thick upon me to double the amount I expected; he went and
ordered just what he pleased here, at Nottingham, and in London.
However, it is of no use to say anything about it, and I beg you will
take no notice. I am determined to have everything clear within the
year, if possible."
Again she writes (March 1, 1806):
"I beg you will not mention to my son, having heard from me, but try
to get out of him his reason for wishing to leave England, and where
he got the money. I much fear he has fallen into bad hands, not only
in regard to Money Matters, but in other respects. My idea is that he
has inveigled himself with some woman that he wishes to get rid of and
finds it difficult. But whatever it is, he must be got out of it."
Again (March 4, 1806):
"That Boy will be the death of me, and drive me mad! I never will
consent to his going Abroad. Where can he get Hundreds? Has he got
into the hands of Moneylenders? He has no feeling, no Heart. This I
have long known; he has behaved as ill as possible to me for years
back. This bitter Truth I can no longer conceal: it is wrung from me
by _heart-rending agony_. I am well rewarded. I came to
Nottinghamshire to please him, and now he hates it. He knows that I am
doing everything in my power to pay his Debts, and he writes to me
about hiring servants!"
Once more (April 24, 1806):
"Lord Byron has given L31 10s. to Pitt's statue. He has also bought a
Carriage, which he says was intended for me, which I _refused_ to
accept of, being in hopes it would stop his having one."]
48.--To John Hanson.
16, Piccadilly, March 3, 1806.
Sir,--I called at your House in Chancery Lane yesterday Evening, as I
expected you would have been in Town, but was disappointed. If
convenient, I should be glad to see you on Wednesday Morning about one
o'Clock, as I wish for your advice on some Business. On Saturday one
of my Horses threw me; I was stunned for a short time, but soon
recovered and suffered no material _Injury_; the accident happened on
the Harrow Road. I have paid Jones's Bill amounting to L231.4.5 of
which I expect to be reimbursed L75 for Furniture. I have got his
Bankers' receipt and the account ready for your Inspection. I now owe
nothing at Cambridge; but shall not return this Term, [1] as I have
been extremely _unwell_, and at the same time can stay where I am at
much less Expence and _equal Improvement_. I wish to consult you on
several Subjects and expect you will pay me a visit on Wednesday; in
the mean time,
I remain, yours, etc., BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Lectures began on February 5, 1806, as is stated on the
College bills, sent in by Mr. Jones, the Senior Tutor of Trinity. But
Byron preferred to remain in London. Augusta Byron writes to Hanson
(March 7, 1806)----
"I trouble you again in consequence of some conversation I had last
night with Lord Carlisle about my Brother. He expressed himself to me
as kindly on that subject as on all others, and though he says it may
not be productive of any good, and that he may be only _able to join
his lamentations_ with yours, he should like to talk to you and try if
anything can be done. I was much surprized and vexed to see my Brother
a week ago at the Play, as I think he ought to be employing his time
more profitably at Cambridge."]
49.--To John Hanson.
16, Piccadilly, near Park Lane, 10th March, 1806.
SIR,--As in all probability you will not make your appearance tomorrow
I must disclose by Letter the Business I intended to have discussed at
our interview.--We know each other sufficiently to render Apology
unnecessary. I shall therefore without further Prelude proceed to the
Subject in Question. You are not ignorant, that I have lately lived at
considerable Expence, to support which my allotted Income by the
'sapient' Court of Chancery is inadequate.--I confess I have
borrowed a trifling sum and now wish to raise L500 to discharge some
Debts I have contracted; my approaching Quarter will bring me L200 due
from my Allowance, and if you can procure me the other L300 at a
moderate Interest, it will save 100 per cent I must pay my _Israelite_
for the same purpose.--You see by this I have an _excellent_ Idea of
Oeconomy even in my Extravagance by being willing to pay as little
Money as possible, for the Cash must be disbursed _somewhere_ or
_somehow_, and if you decline (as in prudence I tell you fairly you
ought), the _Tribe_ of _Levi_ will be my _dernier resort_. However I
thought proper to make this Experiment with very slender hopes of
success indeed, since Recourse to the _Law_ is at best a _desperate_
effort. I have now laid open my affairs to you without Disguise and
Stated the Facts as they appear, declining all Comments, or the use of
any Sophistry to palliate my application, or urge my request. All I
desire is a speedy Answer, whether successful or not.
Believe me, yours truly, BYRON.
50.--To John Hanson.
16, Piccadilly, 25th March, 1806.
SIR,--Your last Letter, as I expected, contained much advice, but no
Money. I could have excused the former unaccompanied by the latter,
since any one thinks himself capable of giving that, but very few
chuse to own themselves competent to the other. I do not now write to
urge a 2nd Request, one Denial is sufficient. I only require what is
my right. This is Lady Day. L125 is due for my last Quarter, and L75
for my expenditure in Furniture at Cambridge and I will thank you to
remit.
The Court of Chancery may perhaps put in Force your Threat. I have
always understood it formed a Sanction for legal plunderers to
protract the Decision of Justice from year to year, till weary of
spoil it at length condescended to give Sentence, but I never yet
understood even its unhallowed Hands preyed upon the Orphan it was
bound to protect. Be it so, only let me have your answer.
I remain, etc., etc., BYRON.
51.--To Henry Angelo. [1]
Trinity College, Cambridge, May 16, 1806.
SIR,--You cannot be more indignant, at the insolent and unmerited
conduct of Mr. Mortlock, [2] than those who authorised you to request
his permission. However we do not yet despair of gaining our point,
and every effort shall be made to remove the obstacles, which at
present prevent the execution of our project. I yesterday waited on
the Master of this College, [3] who, having a personal dispute with the
Mayor, declined interfering, but recommended an application to the
Vice Chancellor, whose authority is paramount in the University. I
shall communicate this to Lord Altamount,[4] and we will endeavour to
bend the obstinacy of the _upstart_ magistrate, who seems to be
equally deficient in justice and common civility. On my arrival in
town, which will take place in a few days, you will see me at Albany
Buildings, when we will discuss the subject further. Present my
remembrance to the Messrs. Angelo, junior, and believe me, we will yet
_humble_ this _impertinent bourgeois_.
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Henry Angelo, the famous fencing-master, was at the head of
his profession for nearly forty years. His position was recognized at
least as early as 1787, when he published _The School of Fencing_, and
fenced, with the Chevalier de St. George and other celebrities, before
the Prince of Wales at Carlton House. In 1806 he was travelling down
every other week to Cambridge, as he states in his _Pic Nic_ (1837), to
visit his pupils. He had made Byron's acquaintance at Harrow by teaching
him to fence, and in later years had many bouts with him with the foils,
single-sticks, and Highland broadsword. His _Reminiscences_ (1830),
together with his _Pic Nic_, contain numerous anecdotes of Byron, to
whom he seems to have been sincerely attached. In 1806 he had several
rooms in London for the use of his pupils. One of these was at 13, Bond
Street, which he shared with Gentleman Jackson, the pugilist and
ex-champion. In Cruikshank's picture of the room (Pierce Egan's _Life in
London_, p. 254), two fencers have unmasked and stopped their bout to
see Jackson spar with Corinthian Tom. Angelo contributed an article on
fencing to Sir John Sinclair's _Code of Health and Longevity_, vol. ii.
p. 163.
Angelo, who retired from London in 1821, and lived near Bath, was in
1806 at the height of his reputation. An old Etonian (1767), he knew
every one in London; had dined at the same table with the Prince of
Wales, acted with Lord Barrymore, sung comic songs with Dibdin, punned
with Bannister and Colman, fished at Benham on the invitation of the
Margravine of Anspach, played the flute to Lady Melfort's accompaniment
on the piano, and claimed his share of the table-talk at the Keep Line
Club. Nearly every celebrity of the day, from Lord Sidmouth and Lord
Liverpool to Kean and Macready, was his pupil.]
[Footnote 2: Mr. Mortlock, the Mayor of Cambridge, is thus mentioned in
a letter from S. T. Coleridge to Southey, dated September 26, 1794: "All
last night I was obliged to listen to the damned chatter of "Mortlock,
our mayor, a fellow that would certainly be a pantisocrat "were his head
and heart as highly illuminated as his face. In the tropical latitude of
this fellow's nose was I obliged to fry" (_Letters of S. T. Coleridge_
(1895), vol. i. p. 87).]
[Footnote 3: William Lort Mansel, Master of Trinity, and Bishop of
Bristol. (See page 84 [Letter 40], [Foot]note 1.)]
[Footnote 4: Howe Peter Browne, Lord Altamont (1788-1845), of Jesus
College, succeeded his father in 1809 as second Marquis of Sligo. Byron
spent some time with him at Athens in 1810. Lord Sligo's letter on the
origin of the 'Giaour' is quoted by Moore ('Life', p. 178). (See also
page 289 [Letter 144], [Foot]note 1 [3].)]
52.--To John M. B. Pigot. [1]
16, Piccadilly, August 9, 1806.
MY DEAR PIGOT,--Many thanks for your amusing narrative of the last
proceedings of my amiable Alecto, who now begins to feel the effects
of her folly. I have just received a penitential epistle, to which,
apprehensive of pursuit, I have despatched a moderate answer, with a
_kind_ of promise to return in a fortnight;--this, however (_entre
nous_), I never mean to fulfil. Her soft warblings must have delighted
her auditors, her higher notes being particularly musical, and on a
calm moonlight evening would be heard to great advantage. Had I been
present as a spectator, nothing would have pleased me more; but to
have come forward as one of the _dramatis personae_--St. Dominic
defend me from such a scene! Seriously, your mother has laid me under
great obligations, and you, with the rest of your family, merit my
warmest thanks for your kind connivance at my escape from "Mrs. Byron
_furiosa_."
Oh! for the pen of Ariosto to rehearse, in epic, the scolding of that
momentous eve,--or rather, let me invoke the shade of Dante to inspire
me, for none but the author of the Inferno could properly preside over
such an attempt. But, perhaps, where the pen might fail, the pencil
would succeed. What a group!--Mrs. B. the principal figure; you
cramming your ears with cotton, as the only antidote to total
deafness; Mrs.----in vain endeavouring to mitigate the wrath of the
lioness robbed of her whelp; and last, though not least, Elizabeth and
_Wousky_,--wonderful to relate!--both deprived of their parts of
speech, and bringing up the rear in mute astonishment. How did S. B.
receive the intelligence? How many _puns_ did he utter on so
_facetious_ an event? In your next inform me on this point, and what
excuse you made to A. You are probably, by this time, tired of
deciphering this hieroglyphical letter;--like Tony Lumpkin, you will
pronounce mine to be "a damned up and down hand." All Southwell,
without doubt, is involved in amazement. _Apropos_, how does my
blue-eyed nun, the fair----? Is she "_robed in sable garb of woe?_"
Here I remain at least a week or ten days; previous to my departure
you shall receive my address, but what it will be I have not
determined. My lodgings must be kept secret from Mrs. B. You may
present my compliments to her, and say any attempt to pursue me will
fail, as I have taken measures to retreat immediately to Portsmouth,
on the first intimation of her removal from Southwell. You may add, I
have proceeded to a friend's house in the country, there to remain a
fortnight.
I have now _blotted_ (I must not say written) a complete double
letter, and in return shall expect a _monstrous budget_. Without
doubt, the dames of Southwell reprobate the pernicious example I have
shown, and tremble lest their _babes_ should disobey their mandates,
and quit, in dudgeon, their mammas on any grievance. Adieu. When you
begin your next, drop the "lordship," and put "Byron" in its place.
Believe me yours, etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: J. M. B. Pigot, eldest brother of Miss E. B. Pigot (see
Letter of August 29, 1804, page 32, note 1). To him Byron addressed
his "Reply" ('Poems', vol. i. pp. 53-56) and verses "To the Sighing
Strephon" ('Ibid'., pp. 63-66). In 1805-6 Pigot was studying medicine at
Edinburgh, and in his vacations saw much of Byron. He died at
Ruddington, Notts., November 26, 1871, aged 86. It would appear that
Byron had, with the connivance of the Pigots, escaped to London, after a
quarrel with his mother; but the caution to keep his lodgings secret
gives a theatrical air to the letter, as the rooms, kept by Mrs.
Massingberd, were originally taken by Mrs. Byron, and often occupied by
her, and she was at the time corresponding with Hanson about her son's
debt to Mrs. Massingberd, who seems to have been both landlady and
money-lender to Byron.]
53.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
London, August 10, 1806.
MY DEAR BRIDGET,--As I have already troubled your brother with more
than he will find pleasure in deciphering, you are the next to whom I
shall assign the employment of perusing this second epistle. You will
perceive from my first, that no idea of Mrs. B.'s arrival had
disturbed me at the time it was written; _not_ so the present, since
the appearance of a note from the _illustrious cause_ of my _sudden
decampment_ has driven the "natural ruby from my cheeks," and
completely blanched my woebegone countenance. This gunpowder
intimation of her arrival (confound her activity!) breathes less of
terror and dismay than you will probably imagine, from the volcanic
temperament of her ladyship; and concludes with the comfortable
assurance of _present motion_ being prevented by the fatigue of her
journey, for which my _blessings_ are due to the rough roads and
restive quadrupeds of his Majesty's highways. As I have not the
smallest inclination to be chased round the country, I shall e'en make
a merit of necessity; and since, like Macbeth, "they've tied me to the
stake, I cannot fly," I shall imitate that valorous tyrant, and
bear-like fight the "course," all escape being precluded. I can now
engage with less disadvantage, having drawn the enemy from her
intrenchments, though, like the _prototype_ to whom I have compared
myself, with an excellent chance of being knocked on the head.
However, "lay on Macduff", and "damned be he who first cries, Hold,
enough."
I shall remain in town for, at least, a week, and expect to hear from
_you_ before its expiration. I presume the printer has brought you the
offspring of my _poetic mania_. [1] Remember in the first line to read
"_loud_ the winds whistle," instead of "round," which that blockhead
Ridge had inserted by mistake, and makes nonsense of the whole stanza.
Addio!--Now to encounter my _Hydra_.
Yours ever.
[Footnote 1: Byron's first volume of verse was now in the press. The
line to which he alludes is the first line of the poem, "On Leaving
Newstead Abbey" ('Poems', vol. i. pp. 1-4). It now runs--
"Through thy battlements, Newstead, the hollow winds whistle."
(For the bibliography of his early poems, see 'Poems', vol. i.,
Bibliographical Note; and vol. vi., Appendix.) The first collection
('Fugitive Pieces', printed by S. and J. Ridge, Newark, 4to, 1806) was
destroyed, with the exception of two copies, by the advice of the Rev.
J. T. Becher (see page 182 [Letter 94], [Foot]note 1 [2]). The second
collection ('Poems on Various Occasions', printed by S. and J. Ridge,
Newark, 12mo, 1807) was published anonymously. It is to this edition
that Letters 60, 61, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, refer.
In the summer of 1807, 'Poems on Various Occasions' was superseded by
the third collection, called 'Hours of Idleness' (printed by S. and J.
Ridge, Newark, 12mo, 1807), published with the author's name. To this
edition Letters 76 and 78 refer. 'Hours of Idleness' was reviewed by
Lord Brougham ('Notes from a Diary', by Sir M. E. Grant Duff, vol. ii.
p. 189) in the 'Edinburgh Review' for January, 1808.
The fourth and final collection, entitled 'Poems Original and
Translated' (printed by S. and J. Ridge, Newark, 12mo, 1808), was
dedicated to the Earl of Carlisle.
54.--To John M. B. Pigot.
London, Sunday, midnight, August 10, 1806.
Dear Pigot,--This _astonishing_ packet will, doubtless, amaze you; but
having an idle hour this evening, I wrote the enclosed stanzas, [2]
which I request you will deliver to Ridge, to be printed _separate_
from my other compositions, as you will perceive them to be improper
for the perusal of ladies; of course, none of the females of your
family must see them. I offer 1000 apologies for the trouble I have
given you in this and other instances.
Yours truly.
[Footnote 1: These are probably some silly lines "To Mary," written in
the erotic style of Moore's early verse. To the same Mary, of whom
nothing is known, are addressed the lines "To Mary, on receiving her
Picture" ('Poems', vol. i. pp. 32, 33).]
55.--To John M. B. Pigot.
Piccadilly, August 16, 1806.
I cannot exactly say with Caesar, "Veni, vidi, vici:" however, the
most important part of his laconic account of success applies to my
present situation; for, though Mrs. Byron took the _trouble_ of
"_coming_," and "_seeing_," yet your humble servant proved the
_victor_. After an obstinate engagement of some hours, in which we
suffered considerable damage, from the quickness of the enemy's fire,
they at length retired in confusion, leaving behind the artillery,
field equipage, and some prisoners: their defeat is decisive for the
present campaign. To speak more intelligibly, Mrs. B. returns
immediately, but I proceed, with all my laurels, to Worthing, on the
Sussex coast; to which place you will address (to be left at the post
office) your next epistle. By the enclosure of a second _gingle of
rhyme_, you will probably conceive my muse to be _vastly prolific_;
her inserted production was brought forth a few years ago, and found
by accident on Thursday among some old papers. I have recopied it,
and, adding the proper date, request that it may be printed with the
rest of the family. I thought your sentiments on the last bantling
would coincide with mine, but it was impossible to give it any other
garb, being founded on _facts_. My stay at Worthing will not exceed
three weeks, and you may _possibly_ behold me again at Southwell the
middle of September.
Will you desire Ridge to suspend the printing of my poems till he
hears further from me, as I have determined to give them a new form
entirely? This prohibition does not extend to the two last pieces I
have sent with my letters to you. You will excuse the _dull vanity_ of
this epistle, as my brain is a _chaos_ of absurd images, and full of
business, preparations, and projects.
I shall expect an answer with impatience;--believe me, there is
nothing at this moment could give me greater delight than your letter.
56.--To John M. B. Pigot.
London, August 18, 1806.
I am just on the point of setting off for Worthing, and write merely
to request you will send that _idle scoundrel Charles_ with my horses
immediately; tell him I am excessively provoked he has not made his
appearance before, or written to inform me of the cause of his delay,
particularly as I supplied him with money for his journey. On _no_
pretext is he to postpone his _march_ one day longer; and if, in
obedience to the caprices of Mrs. B. (who, I presume, is again
spreading desolation through her little monarchy), he thinks proper to
disregard my positive orders, I shall not, in future, consider him as
my servant. He must bring the surgeon's bill with him, which I will
discharge immediately on receiving it. Nor can I conceive the reason
of his not acquainting Frank with the state of my unfortunate
quadrupeds. Dear Pigot, forgive this _petulant_ effusion, and
attribute it to the idle conduct of that _precious_ rascal, who,
instead of obeying my injunctions, is sauntering through the streets
of that _political Pandemonium_, Nottingham. Present my remembrance to
your family and the Leacrofts, and believe me, etc.
P.S.--I delegate to _you_ the unpleasant task of despatching him on
his journey--Mrs. B.'s orders to the contrary are not to be attended
to: he is to proceed first to London, and then to Worthing, without
delay. Every thing I have _left_ must be sent to London. My _Poetics
you_ will _pack up_ for the same place, and not even reserve a copy
for yourself and sister, as I am about to give them an _entire new
form_: when they are complete, you shall have the _first fruits_. Mrs.
B. on no account is to _see_ or touch them. Adieu.
57.--To John M. B. Pigot.
Little Hampton, August 26, 1806.
I this morning received your epistle, which I was obliged to send for
to Worthing, whence I have removed to this place, on the same coast,
about eight miles distant from the former. You will probably not be
displeased with this letter, when it informs you that I am L30,000
richer than I was at our parting, having just received intelligence
from my lawyer that a cause has been gained at Lancaster assizes, [1]
which will be worth that sum by the time I come of age. Mrs. B. is,
doubtless, acquainted of this acquisition, though not apprised of its
exact _value_, of which she had better be ignorant; for her behaviour
under any sudden piece of favourable intelligence, is, if possible,
more ridiculous than her detestable conduct on the most trifling
circumstances of an unpleasant nature. You may give my compliments to
her, and say that her detaining my servant's things shall only
lengthen my absence: for unless they are immediately despatched to 16,
Piccadilly, together with those which have been so long delayed,
belonging to myself, she shall never again behold my _radiant
countenance_ illuminating her gloomy mansion. If they are sent, I may
probably appear in less than two years from the date of my present
epistle.
Metrical compliment is an ample reward for my strains: you are one of
the few votaries of Apollo who unite the sciences over which that
deity presides. I wish you to send my poems to my lodgings in London
immediately, as I have several alterations and some additions to make;
_every_ copy must be sent, as I am about to _amend_ them, and you
shall soon behold them in all their glory. I hope you have kept them
from that upas tree, that antidote to the arts, Mrs. B. _Entre nous_,
--you may expect to see me soon. Adieu.
Yours ever.
[Footnote 1: Byron was disappointed in his expectations. Fresh legal
difficulties arose, and Newstead had to be sold before they were settled
(see page 78 [Letter 34], [Foot]note 2).]
58.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot. [1]
My Dear Bridget,--I have only just dismounted from my _Pegasus_, which
has prevented me from descending to _plain prose_ in an epistle of
greater length to your _fair_ self. You regretted, in a former letter,
that my poems were not more extensive; I now for your satisfaction
announce that I have nearly doubled them, partly by the discovery of
some I conceived to be lost, and partly by some new productions. We
shall meet on Wednesday next; till then, believe me,
Yours affectionately,
BYRON.
P.S.--Your brother John is seized with a poetic mania, and is now
rhyming away at the rate of three lines _per hour_--so much for
_inspiration_! Adieu!
[Footnote 1: This letter was written about September, 1806, from
Harrogate, where Byron had gone with John Pigot. It forms the conclusion
of a longer letter, written by Pigot to his sister, from which Moore
quotes ('Life', p. 37) the following passage:--
"Harrowgate is still extremely full; Wednesday (to-day) is our
ball-night, and I meditate going into the room for an hour, although I
am by no means fond of strange faces. Lord B., you know, is even more
shy than myself; but for an hour this evening I will shake it off....
How do our theatricals proceed? Lord Byron can say 'all' his part, and
I 'most' of mine. He certainly acts it inimitably. Lord B. is now
'poetising', and, since he has been here, has written some very pretty
verses ['To a Beautiful Quaker,' see 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 38-41]. He
is very good in trying to amuse me as much as possible, but it is not
in my nature to be happy without either female society or study....
There are many pleasant rides about here, which I have taken in
company with Bo'swain, who, with Brighton, is universally admired.
'You' must read this to Mrs. B., as it is a little 'Tony Lumpkinish'.
Lord B. desires some space left: therefore, with respect to all the
comedians 'elect', believe me," etc., etc.
(For the theatricals to which Mr. Pigot alludes, see page 117 [Letter
65], [Foot]note 3 [4].) Brighton, it may be added, was one of Byron's
horses; the other was called Sultan. Bo'swain was the dog to which Byron
addressed the well-known epitaph (see 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 280, 281, and
note 1).
Moore also quotes Pigot's recollections of the visit to Harrogate
('Life', pp. 37, 38).
"We, I remember, went in Lord Byron's own carriage, with post-horses;
and he sent his groom with two saddle-horses, and a beautifully
formed, very ferocious, bull-mastiff, called Nelson, to meet us there.
Boatswain went by the side of his valet Frank on the box, with us.
"The bull-dog, Nelson, always wore a muzzle, and was occasionally sent
for into our private room, when the muzzle was taken off, much to my
annoyance, and he and his master amused themselves with throwing the
room into disorder. There was always a jealous feud between this
Nelson and Boatswain; and whenever he latter came into the room while
the former was there, they instantly seized each other; and then,
Byron, myself, Frank, and all the waiters that could be found, were
vigorously engaged in parting them,--which was in general only
effected by thrusting poker and tongs into the mouths of each. But,
one day, Nelson unfortunately escaped out of the room without his
muzzle, and going into the stable-yard fastened upon the throat of a
horse from which he could not be disengaged. The stable-boys ran in
alarm to find Frank, who taking one of his Lord's Wogdon's pistols,
always kept loaded in his room, shot poor Nelson through the head, to
the great regret of Byron.
"We were at the Crown Inn, at Low Harrowgate. We always dined in the
public room, but retired very soon after dinner to our private one;
for Byron was no more a friend to drinking than myself. We lived
retired, and made few acquaintance; for he was naturally shy, 'very'
shy; which people who did not know him mistook for pride. While at
Harrowgate he accidentally met with Professor Hailstone from
Cambridge, and appeared much delighted to see him. The professor was
at Upper Harrowgate: we called upon him one evening to take him to the
theatre, I think,--and Lord Byron sent his carriage for him, another
time, to a ball at the Granby. This desire to show attention to one of
the professors of his college is a proof that, though he might choose
to satirise the mode of education in the university, and to abuse the
antiquated regulations and restrictions to which undergraduates are
subjected, he had yet a due discrimination in his respect for the
individuals who belonged to it. I have always, indeed, heard him speak
in high terms of praise of Hailstone, as well as of his master, Bishop
Mansel, of Trinity College, and of others whose names I have now
forgotten.
"Few people understood Byron; but I know that he had naturally a kind
and feeling heart, and that there was not a single spark of malice in
his composition."
Professor Hailstone was Woodwardian Professor of Geology (1788-1818).
(For Bishop Mansel, see page 84, note 1.)]
59.--To John Hanson. [1]
Southwell, Dec. 7th, 1806.
Sir,--A Letter to Mrs. Byron has just arrived which states, from what
"you have _heard_ of the Tenor of my Letters," you will not put up
with Insult. I presume this means (for I will not be positive on what
is rather ambiguously expressed) that some offence to you has been
conveyed in the above mentioned Epistles. If you will peruse the
papers in question, you will discover that the _person_ insulted is
not _yourself_, or any one of your "_Connections_." On Mr. B.'s
apology, I have expressed my opinion in a Letter to your Son, if any
Misrepresentation has taken place, it must be those "Connections" to
whom I am to pay such Deference, & whose conduct to me has deserved
such _ample respect_. I must now beg leave to observe in turn, that I
am by no means disposed to bear Insult, &, be the consequences what
they may, I will always declare, in plain and explicit Terms, my
Grievance, nor will I overlook the slightest Mark of disrespect, &
silently brood over affronts from a mean and interested dread of
Injury to my person or property. The former I have Strength and
resolution to protect; the latter is too trifling by its Loss to
occasion a moments Uneasiness.
Though not conversant with the methodical & dilatory arrangements of
Law or Business, I know enough of Justice to direct my conduct by the
principles of Equity, nor can I reconcile the "Insolence of office" to
her regulations or forget in an Instant a poignant Affront.
But enough of this Dispute. You will perceive my Sentiments on the
Subject, in my correspondence with Mr. B. and Mr. H. Junior. In future
to prevent a repetition and altercation I shall advise; but as, even
then, some Demur may take place, I wish to be informed, if the
equitable Court of Chancery, whose paternal care of their Ward can
never be sufficiently commended, have determined, in the great Flow of
parental Affection, to withhold their beneficent Support, till I
return to "Alma Mater" (i.e.) Cambridge. Your Information on this
point will oblige, as a College life is neither conducive to my
Improvement, nor suitable to my Inclination. As to the reverse of the
Rochdale Trial, I received the News of Success without confidence or
exultation; I now sustain the Loss without repining. My Expectations
from _Law_ were never very sanguine.
I remain, yr very obedt. sert.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Hanson's partner, Birch, the "Mr. B." of the letter, seems
to have irritated Byron by withholding the income allotted to him by the
Court of Chancery for his education at Cambridge. The attempt to compel
his return to Trinity by cutting off the supplies, failed. He did not
appear again at Cambridge till the summer term of 1807.]
60.--To J. Ridge.
Dorant's Hotel, Albemarle Street, Jany. 12, 1807.
Mr. Ridge,--I understand from some of my friends, that several of the
papers are in the habit of publishing extracts from my volume,
particularly the _Morning Herald_. I cannot say for my own part I have
observed this, but I am assured it is so. The thing is of no
consequence to me, except that I dislike it. But it is to you, and as
publisher you should put a stop to it. The _Morning Herald_ is the
paper; of course you cannot address any other, as I am sure I have
seen nothing of the kind in mine. You will act upon this as you think
proper, and proceed with the 2d. Edition as you please. I am in no
hurry, and I still think you were _premature_ in undertaking it.
Etc., etc.,
BYRON.
P.S.--Present a copy of the _Antijacobin_ therein to Mrs. Byron.
61.--To John M. B. Pigot.
Southwell, Jan. 13, 1807.
I ought to begin with _sundry_ apologies, for my own negligence, but
the variety of my avocations in _prose_ and _verse_ must plead my
excuse. With this epistle you will receive a volume of all my
_Juvenilia_, published since your departure: it is of considerably
greater size than the _copy_ in your possession, which I beg you will
destroy, as the present is much more complete. That _unlucky_ poem to
my poor Mary [1] has been the cause of some animadversion from _ladies
in years_. I have not printed it in this collection, in consequence of
my being pronounced a most _profligate sinner_, in short, a "_young
Moore_," [2] by------, your----friend. I believe, in general, they
have been favourably received, and surely the age of their author will
preclude _severe_ criticism. The adventures of my life from sixteen to
nineteen, and the dissipation into which I have been thrown in London,
have given a voluptuous tint to my ideas; but the occasions which
called forth my muse could hardly admit any other colouring. This
volume is _vastly_ correct and miraculously chaste. Apropos, talking
of love, ...
...
If you can find leisure to answer this farrago of unconnected
nonsense, you need not doubt what gratification will accrue from your
reply to yours ever, etc.
[Footnote 1: See page 104 [Letter 53], [Foot]note 2 [1].]
[Footnote 2: Thomas Moore (1779-1852) had already published 'Anacreon'
(1800), 'The Poetical Works of the late Thomas Little' (1801), and
'Odes, Epistles, and other Poems' (1806). In all, especially in the
second, the poetry was of an erotic character.
"So heartily," said Rogers ('Table-Talk, etc.', pp. 281, 282), "has
Moore repented of having published 'Little's Poems', that I have seen
him shed tears--tears of deep contrition--when we were talking of
them. Young ladies read his 'Lalla Rookh' without being aware (I
presume) of the grossness of 'The Veiled Prophet'. These lines by Mr.
Sneyd are amusing enough--
"''Lalla Rookh'
Is a naughty book
By Tommy Moore,
Who has written four,
Each warmer
Than the former.
So the most recent
Is the least decent.'"]
62.--To Captain John Leacroft. [1]
January 31, 1807.
Sir,--Upon serious reflection on the conversation we last night held,
I am concerned to say, that the only effectual method to crash the
animadversions of officious malevolence, is by my declining all future
intercourse with those whom my acquaintance has unintentionally
injured. At the same time I must observe that I do not form this
resolution from any resentment at your representation, which was
temperate and gentlemanly, but from a thorough conviction that the
desirable end can be attained by no other line of conduct.
I beg leave to return my thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Leacroft, for the
attention and hospitality I have always experienced, of which I shall
ever retain a grateful remembrance.
So much to them; with your permission, I must add a few words for
myself. You will be sensible, that a coolness between families,
hitherto remarkable for their intimacy, cannot remain unobserved in a
town, whose inhabitants are notorious for officious curiosity; that
the causes for our separation will be mis-represented I have little
doubt; if, therefore, I discover that such misrepresentation does take
place, I shall call upon you, to unite with myself in making a serious
example of those _men_, be they _who_ they may, that dare to cast an
aspersion on the character I am sacrificing my own comfort to protect.
If, on the other hand, they imagine, that my conduct is the
consequence of intimidation, from my conference with you, I must
require a further explanation of what passed between us on the
subject, as, however careful I am of your Sister's honour, I am
equally tenacious of my own.
I do not wish this to be misconstrued into any desire to quarrel; it
is what I shall endeavour to avoid; but, as a young man very lately
entered into the world, I feel compelled to state, that I can permit
no suspicion to be attached to my name with impunity.
I have the honour to remain,
Your very obedient Servant,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: This and the two following letters refer to a quarrel
between Byron and the Leacroft family, which arose from his attentions
to Miss Julia Leacroft. Moore's statement, that Captain Leacroft, the
lady's brother (see page 34 [Letter 12], [foot]note 3), sent a challenge
to Byron, who was at first inclined to accept it, is inaccurate. But it
is possible that Byron was acting on the advice of the Rev. J. T.
Becher, when he decided, in order to prevent misunderstanding, to break
off his acquaintance with the Leacrofts absolutely.]
63.--To Captain John Leacroft.
February 4th, 1807.
Sir,--I have just received your note, which conveys all that can be
said on the subject. I can easily conceive your feelings must have
been irritated in the course of the affair. I am sorry that I have
been the unintentional cause of so disagreeable a business. The line
of conduct, however painful to myself, which I have adopted, is the
only effectual method to prevent the remarks of a _meddling world_. I
therefore again take my leave for the last time. I repeat, that,
though the intercourse, from which I have derived so many hours of
happiness, is for ever interrupted, the remembrance can never be
effaced from the bosom of
Your very obedient Servant,
BYRON.
64.--To Captain John Leacroft.
February 4th, 1807.
Sir,--I am concerned to be obliged again to trouble you, as I had hoped
that our conversations had terminated amicably. Your good Father, it
seems, has desired otherwise; he has just sent a most _agreeable_
epistle, in which I am honoured with the appellations of _unfeeling_ and
ungrateful. But as the consequences of all this must ultimately fall on
you and myself, I merely write this to apprise you that the dispute is
not of my seeking, and that, if we must cut each other's throats to
please our relations, you will do me the justice to say it is from no
_personal_ animosity between us, or from any insult on my part, that
such _disagreeable_ events (for I am not so much enamoured of quarrels
as to call them _pleasant_) have arisen.
I remain, your's, etc.,
BYRON.
65.-To the Earl of Clare. [1]
Southwell, Notts, February 6, 1807.
My Dearest Clare,--Were I to make all the apologies necessary to atone
for my late negligence, you would justly say you had received a
petition instead of a letter, as it would be filled with prayers for
forgiveness; but instead of this, I will acknowledge my _sins_ at
once, and I trust to your friendship and generosity rather than to my
own excuses. Though my health is not perfectly re-established, I am
out of all danger, and have recovered every thing but my spirits,
which are subject to depression. You will be astonished to hear I have
lately written to Delawarr, [2] for the purpose of explaining (as far
as possible without involving some _old friends_ of mine in the
business) the cause of my behaviour to him during my last residence at
Harrow (nearly two years ago), which you will recollect was rather
"_en cavalier_." Since that period, I have discovered he was treated
with injustice both by those who misrepresented his conduct, and by me
in consequence of their suggestions. I have therefore made all the
reparation in my power, by apologizing for my mistake, though with
very faint hopes of success; indeed I never expected any answer, but
desired one for form's sake; _that_ has not yet arrived, and most
probably never will. However, I have _eased_ my own _conscience_ by
the atonement, which is humiliating enough to one of my disposition;
yet I could not have slept satisfied with the reflection of having,
_even unintentionally_, injured any individual. I have done all that
could be done to repair the injury, and there the affair must end.
Whether we renew our intimacy or not is of very trivial consequence.
My time has lately been much occupied with very different pursuits. I
have been _transporting_ a servant, [3] who cheated me,--rather a
disagreeable event;--performing in private theatricals;
[4]--publishing a volume of poems (at the request of my friends, for
their perusal);--making love,--and taking physic. The two last
amusements have not had the best effect in the world; for my
attentions have been divided amongst so many fair damsels, and the
drugs I swallow are of such variety in their composition, that between
Venus and AEsculapius I am harassed to death. However, I have still
leisure to devote some hours to the recollections of past, regretted
friendships, and in the interval to take the advantage of the moment,
to assure you how much I am, and ever will be, my dearest Clare,
Your truly attached and sincere
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: John Fitzgibbon (1792-1851), son of the first Earl of
Clare, by his wife Anne Whaley, succeeded his father as second Earl in
January, 1802. A schoolfellow of Byron's at Harrow, he was the "Lycus"
of "Childish Recollections," and one of his dearest friends. Clare,
after leaving Harrow, went to a private tutor, the Rev. Mr. Smith, at
Woodnesborough, near Sandwich. There he formed so close a friendship
with Lord John Russell as to provoke Byron's jealousy ('Life', p. 21).
Clare was at Christ Church, Oxford (B.A. 1812); Byron at Trinity,
Cambridge. They rarely met after leaving Harrow. Their meeting on the
road between Imola and Bologna in 1821,
"annihilated for a moment," says Byron (see 'Life', p. 540; 'Detached
Thoughts', November 5, 1821), "all the years between the present time
and the days of Harrow. We were but five minutes together, and on the
public road; but I hardly recollect an hour of my existence which
could be weighed against them. Of all I have ever known, he has always
been the least altered in everything from the excellent qualities and
kind affections which attached me to him so strongly at school. I
should hardly have thought it possible for society (or the world, as
it is called) to leave a being with so little of the leaven of bad
passions. I do not speak from personal experience only, but from all I
have ever heard of him from others, during absence and distance."
Lord Clare was Governor of Bombay from 1830 to 1834.]
[Footnote 2: See page 41 [Letter 14], note 1 [Footnote 5].]
[Footnote 3: See page 81 [Letter 38], [Foot]note 1.]
[Footnote 4: In the theatricals, which took place at Southwell in the
autumn of 1806, Byron was the chief mover. A letter received by Mr.
Pigot, quoted by Moore ('Life', p. 38), shows how eagerly his return
from Harrogate was expected:--
"Tell Lord Byron that, if any accident should retard his return, his
mother desires he will write to her, as she shall be 'miserable' if he
does not arrive the day he fixes. Mr. W. B. has written a card to Mrs.
H. to offer for the character of 'Henry Woodville,'--Mr. and Mrs.----
not approving of their son's taking a part in the play: but I believe
he will persist in it. Mr. G. W. says, that sooner than the party
should be disappointed, 'he' will take any part,--sing--dance--in
short, do any thing to oblige. Till Lord Byron returns, nothing can be
done; and positively he must not be later than Tuesday or Wednesday."
A full account of the theatricals is given in a manuscript written by
Miss Bristoe, one of the performers. Two plays were represented, (1)
Cumberland's 'Wheel of Fortune' and (2) Allingham's 'Weathercock'. The
following were the respective casts:--
(1) 'Penruddock', Lord Byron.
'Sir David Daw', Mr. C. Becher.
'Woodville', Captain Lightfoot.
'Sydenham', Mr. Pigot.
'Henry Woodville', Mr. H. Houson.
'Mrs. Woodville', Miss Bristoe.
'Emily Tempest', Miss J. Leacroft
'Dame Dunckley', Miss Leacroft.
'Weazel', Mr. G. Wylde.
'Jenkins', Mr. G. Heathcote.
(2) 'Tristram Fickle', Lord Byron.
'Old Fickle', Mr. Pigot.
'Briefwit', Captain Lightfoot.
'Sneer', Mr. R. Leacroft.
'Variella', Miss Bristoe.
'Ready', Miss Leacroft.
'Gardener', Mr. C. Becher.
'Barber', Mr. G. Wylde.
Between the two plays, a member of the Southwell choir sang "The Death
of Abercrombie." The brave General, attended by two aides-de-camp, all
three in the costume of the Southwell volunteers, appeared on the stage,
and the General, sinking into the outstretched arms of his two friends,
warbled out his dying words in a style which convulsed Byron with
laughter.
The play itself nearly came to an untimely conclusion. Captain Lightfoot
screwed his failing courage to the sticking point by several glasses of
wine, with the result that, being a very abstemious man, he became
tipsy. But "restoratives were administered," and he went through his
part with credit. Byron, who was the star of the company, repeatedly
brought down the house by his acting.
(For Byron's Prologue to 'The Wheel of Fortune', see 'Poems', vol. i.
pp. 45, 46.) Moore's account of the epilogue, written by the Rev. J. T.
Becher, and spoken by Byron, is erroneous. Only one word gave any
opportunity for mimicry. It occurs in the lines--
"Tempest becalmed forgets his blust'ring rage,
He calls Dame Dunckley 'sister' off the stage."
In pronouncing the word "sister," Byron "took off exactly the voice and
manner of Mr. R. Leacroft."]
66.--To Mrs. Hanson.
Southwell, Feb. 8, 1807.
Dear Madam,--Having understood from Mrs. Byron that Mr. Hanson is in a
very indifferent State of Health, I have taken the Liberty of
addressing you on the Subject.
Though the _Governor_ & _I_ have lately not been on the _best_ of
_Terms_, yet I should be extremely sorry to learn he was in Danger,
and I trust _he_ and _I_ will live to have many more _Squabbles_ in
_this world_, before we _finally make peace_ in the next. If therefore
you can favor me with any _salutary_ Intelligence of the _aforesaid_
Gentleman, believe me, nothing will be more acceptable to
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
P.S.--Remember me to all the family now in _Garrison_, particularly my
old Friend Harriet.
67.--To William Bankes. [1]
Southwell, March 6, 1807.
Dear Bankes,--Your critique is valuable for many reasons: in the first
place, it is the only one in which flattery has borne so slight a
part; in the _next_, I am _cloyed_ with insipid compliments. I have a
better opinion of your judgment and ability than your _feelings_.
Accept my most sincere thanks for your kind decision, not less
welcome, because totally unexpected. With regard to a more exact
estimate, I need not remind you how few of the _best poems_, in our
language, will stand the test of _minute_ or _verbal_ criticism: it
can, therefore, hardly be expected the effusions of a boy (and most of
these pieces have been produced at an early period) can derive much
merit either from the subject or composition. Many of them were
written under great depression of spirits, and during severe
indisposition:--hence the gloomy turn of the ideas. We coincide in
opinion that the "_poesies erotiques_" are the most exceptionable;
they were, however, grateful to the _deities_, on whose altars they
were offered--more I seek not.
The portrait of Pomposus [2] was drawn at Harrow, after a _long
sitting_; this accounts for the resemblance, or rather the
_caricatura_. He is _your_ friend, he _never was mine_--for both our
sakes I shall be silent on this head. The _collegiate_ rhymes [3] are
not personal--one of the notes may appear so, but could not be
omitted. I have little doubt they will be deservedly abused--a just
punishment for my unfilial treatment of so excellent an Alma Mater. I
sent you no copy, lest _we_ should be placed in the situation of _Gil
Blas_ and the _Archbishop_ of Grenada; [4] though running some hazard
from the experiment, I wished your _verdict_ to be unbiassed. Had my
"_Libellus_" been presented previous to your letter, it would have
appeared a species of bribe to purchase compliment. I feel no
hesitation in saying, I was more anxious to hear your critique,
however severe, than the praises of the _million_. On the same day I
was honoured with the encomiums of _Mackenzie_, the celebrated author
of the _Man of Feeling_ [5] Whether _his_ approbation or _yours_
elated me most, I cannot decide.
You will receive my _Juvenilia_,--at least all yet published. I have a
large volume in manuscript, which may in part appear hereafter; at
present I have neither time nor inclination to prepare it for the
press. In the spring I shall return to Trinity, to dismantle my rooms,
and bid you a final adieu. The _Cam_ will not be much increased by my
_tears_ on the occasion. Your further remarks, however _caustic_ or
bitter, to a palate vitiated with the _sweets of adulation_, will be
of service. Johnson has shown us _that no poetry_ is perfect; but to
correct mine would be an Herculean labour. In fact I never looked
beyond the moment of composition, and published merely at the request
of my friends. Notwithstanding so much has been said concerning the
"Genus irritabile vatum," we shall never quarrel on the
subject--poetic fame is by no means the "acme" of my wishes.--Adieu.
Yours ever,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: William John Bankes, of Kingston Lacy, Dorsetshire, was
Byron's friend, possibly at Harrow, though his name does not occur in
the school lists, certainly at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1808).
He represented Truro from 1810 to 1812, when he left England on his
Eastern travels. At Philae he discovered an obelisk, the geometrical
elevation and inscriptions of which he published in 1820. In Mesopotamia
he encountered John Silk Buckingham, whom he afterwards charged with
making use of his notes in his 'Travels', a statement, found to be
libellous, which (October 19, 1826) cost Bankes L400 in damages. He also
travelled with Giovanni Finati, a native of Ferrara, who, under the
assumed name of Mahomet, made the campaigns against the Wahabees for the
recovery of Mecca and Medina. Finati's Italian 'Narrative' was
translated by Bankes, to whom it is dedicated by his "attached and
faithful servant Hadjee Mahomet," and published in 1830. In 1822 Bankes
was elected M.P. for Cambridge University, but lost his seat to Sir J.
Copley in 1826. At a bye-election in 1827, he was again unsuccessful.
His candidature gave occasion to Macaulay's squib, which appeared in the
'Times' for May 14, 1827, 'A Country Clergyman's Trip to Cambridge'.
"A letter--and free--bring it here:
I have no correspondent who franks.
No! Yes! Can it be? Why, my dear,
'Tis our glorious, our Protestant Bankes.
'Dear Sir as I know your desire
That the Church should receive due protection,
I humbly presume to require
Your aid at the Cambridge election,'"etc., etc.
Bankes subsequently represented Marlborough (1829-1832) and Dorsetshire
(1833-1834). He was Byron's "collegiate pastor, and master and patron,"
"ruled the roast" at Trinity, "or, rather, the 'roasting', and was
father of all mischief" (Byron to Murray, October 12, 1820). "William
Bankes," Byron told Lady Blessington ('Conversations', p. 172), "is
another of my early friends. He is very clever, very original, and has
a fund of information: he is also very good-natured, but he is not much
of a flatterer." Bankes died at Venice in 1855.]
[Footnote 2: Dr. Butler, Head-master of Harrow. (See page 58 [Letter
22],[Foot]note 1.)]
[Footnote 3: "Thoughts suggested by a College Examination" ('Poems',
vol. i. pp. 28-31); and "Granta, A Medley" ('Poems', vol. i. pp. 56-62).]
[Footnote 4: Alluding to 'Gil Blas', bk. vii. chap, iv., where Gil Blas
ventures to criticize the Archbishop's work, and is dismissed for his
candour.
"Adieu, monsieur Gil Blas; Je vous souhaite toutes sortes de
prosperites, avec un peu plus de gout."]
[Footnote 5: The praise was worth having. Henry Mackenzie (1745-1831)
was not only the author of the lackadaisical 'Man of Feeling', but in
real life a shrewd, hard-headed man. As a novelist, he wrote 'The Man of
Feeling' (1771), 'The Man of Honour' (1773), and 'Julia de Roubigne'
(1777). As a playwright, he produced four plays, none of which
succeeded. As an essayist, he contributed to the 'Mirror' (1779-80) and
the 'Lounger' (1785-86). As a political writer, he supported Pitt, and
was rewarded by the comptrollership of taxes. An original member of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh, many of his papers appear in its
'Transactions'. In Edinburgh society he was "the life of the company," a
connecting link on the literary side between David Hume, Walter Scott,
and Lord Cockburn, and in all matters of sport a fund of anecdotes and
reminiscences.]
68.--To William Bankes. [1]
For my own part, I have suffered severely in the decease of my two
greatest friends, the only beings I ever loved (females excepted); I
am therefore a solitary animal, miserable enough, and so perfectly a
citizen of the world, that whether I pass my days in Great Britain or
Kamschatka, is to me a matter of perfect indifference. I cannot evince
greater respect for your alteration than by immediately adopting
it--this shall be done in the next edition. I am sorry your remarks
are not more frequent, as I am certain they would be equally
beneficial. Since my last, I have received two critical opinions from
Edinburgh, both too flattering for me to detail. One is from Lord
Woodhouselee, [2] at the head of the Scotch literati, and a most
_voluminous_ writer (his last work is a _Life_ of Lord Kaimes); the
other from Mackenzie, who sent his decision a second time, more at
length. I am not personally acquainted with either of these gentlemen,
nor ever requested their sentiments on the subject: their praise is
voluntary, and transmitted through the medium of a friend, at whose
house they read the productions.
Contrary to my former intention, I am now preparing a volume for the
public at large: my amatory pieces will be exchanged, and others
substituted in their place. The whole will be considerably enlarged,
and appear the latter end of May. This is a hazardous experiment; but
want of better employment, the encouragement I have met with, and my
own vanity, induce me to stand the test, though not without _sundry
palpitations_. The book will circulate fast enough in this country
from mere curiosity; what I prin----...
[letter incomplete]
[Footnote 1: This fragment refers, like the previous letter, to Byron's
volume of verse, 'Poems on Various Occasions'.]
[Footnote 2: Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee, one of the
Senators of the College of Justice in Scotland, and a friend of Robert
Burns. Besides the 'Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Hon. Henry
Home of Kames' (1807), he published 'Elements of General History'
(1801), 'Essay on the Principles of Translation', etc. He died in 1813.
His 'Universal History', in six vols., appeared in 1834.]
69.--To----Falkner. [1]
Sir,--The volume of little pieces which accompanies this, would have
been presented before, had I not been apprehensive that Miss Falkner's
indisposition might render some trifles unwelcome. There are some
errors of the printer which I have not had time to correct in the
collection: you have it thus, with "all its imperfections on its
head," a heavy weight, when joined with the faults of its author. Such
_Juvenilia_, as they can claim no great degree of approbation, I may
venture to hope, will also escape the severity of uncalled for, though
perhaps _not_ undeserved, criticism.
They were written on many and various occasions, and are now published
merely for the perusal of a friendly circle. Believe me, sir, if they
afford the slightest amusement to yourself and the rest of my _social_
readers, I shall have gathered all the _bays_ I ever wish to adorn the
head of yours very truly,
BYRON.
P.S.--I hope Miss F. is in a state of recovery.
[Footnote 1: Mrs. Byron's landlord at Burgage Manor.]
70.--To John Hanson.
[Farleigh House, Basingstoke, Hants.]
Southwell, April 2nd, 1807.
Dear Sir,--Before I proceed in Reply to the other parts of your
Epistle, allow me to congratulate you on the _Accession_ of _Dignity_
and _profit_, which will doubtless accrue, from your official
appointment.
You was fortunate in obtaining Possession at so critical a period;
your Patrons "exeunt omnes." [1] I trust they will soon supersede the
Cyphers, their successors. The Reestablishment of your Health is
another happy event, and, though _secondary_ in my _Statement_, is by
no means so in my _Wishes_. As to our Feuds, they are purely
_official_, the natural consequence of our relative Situations, but as
little connected with _personal animosity_, as the _Florid
Declamations_ of _parliamentary_ Demagogues. I return you my thanks
for your favorable opinion of my muse; I have lately been honoured
with many very flattering literary critiques, from men of high
Reputation in the Sciences, particularly Lord Woodhouselee and Henry
Mackenzie, both _Scots_ and of great Eminence as Authors themselves. I
have received also some most favorable Testimonies from _Cambridge_.
This you will _marvel_ at, as indeed I did myself. Encouraged by these
and several other Encomiums, I am about to publish a Volume at large;
this will be very different from the present; the amatory effusions,
not to be wondered at from the _dissipated_ Life I have led, will be
cut out, and others substituted. I coincide with you in opinion that
the _Poet_ yields to the _orator_; but as nothing can be done in the
latter capacity till the Expiration of my _Minority_, the former
occupies my present attention, and both _ancients_ and _moderns_ have
declared that the two pursuits are so nearly similar as to require in
a great measure the same Talents, and he who excels in the one, would
on application succeed in the other. Lyttleton, Glover, and Young (who
was a celebrated Preacher and a Bard) are instances of the kind.
_Sheridan & Fox_ also; _these_ are _great Names_. I may imitate, I can
never equal them.
You speak of the _Charms_ of Southwell; the _Place_ I _abhor_. The
Fact is I remain here because I can appear no where else, being
_completely done_ up. _Wine_ and _Women_ have _dished_ your _humble
Servant_, not a _Sou_ to be _had_; all _over_; condemned to exist (I
cannot say live) at this _Crater_ of Dullness till my _Lease_ of
_Infancy_ expires. To appear at Cambridge is impossible; no money even
to pay my College expences. You will be surprized to hear I am grown
_very thin_; however it is the _Fact_, so much so, that the people
here think I am _going_. I have lost 18 LB in my weight, that is one
Stone & 4 pounds since January, this was ascertained last Wednesday,
on account of a _Bet_ with an acquaintance. However don't be alarmed;
I have taken every means to accomplish the end, by violent exercise
and Fasting, as I found myself too plump. I shall continue my
Exertions, having no other amusement; I wear _seven_ Waistcoats and a
great Coat, run, and play at cricket in this Dress, till quite
exhausted by excessive perspiration, use the Hip Bath daily; eat only
a quarter of a pound of Butcher's Meat in 24 hours, no Suppers or
Breakfast, only one Meal a Day; drink no malt liquor, but a little
Wine, and take Physic occasionally. By these means my _Ribs_ display
Skin of no great Thickness, & my Clothes have been taken in nearly
_half a yard_. Do you believe me now?
Adieu. Remembrance to Spouse and the Acorns.
Yours ever,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: In March, 1807, George III demanded from the Coalition
Ministry a written pledge that they would propose no further concessions
to the Roman Catholics. They refused to give it, and the Tories, with
the Duke of Portland as their nominal head, were recalled to the
Government.]
71.--To John M. B. Pigot.
Southwell, April, 1807.
My Dear Pigot,--Allow me to congratulate you on the success of your
first examination--"_Courage_, mon ami." The title of Doctor will do
wonders with the damsels. I shall most probably be in Essex or London
when you arrive at this damned place, where I am detained by the
publication of my _rhymes_.
Adieu.--Believe me,
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
P.S.--Since we met, I have reduced myself by violent exercise, _much_
physic, and _hot_ bathing, from 14 stone 6 lb. to 12 stone 7 lb. In
all I have lost 27 pounds. [1] Bravo!--what say you?
[Footnote 1: The following extract is taken from a ledger in the
possession of Messrs. Merry, of St. James's Street, S.W.:--
"1806--January 4. Lord Byron (boots, no hat) 13 stone 12 lbs
1807--July 8. Lord Byron (shoes) 10 stone 13 lbs
1807--July 23. Lord Byron (shoes) 11 stone 0 lbs
1807--August 13. Lord Byron (shoes) 10 stone 11-1/2 lbs
1808--May 27. Lord Byron (shoes) 11 stone 1 lbs
1809--June 10. Lord Byron (shoes) 11 stone 5-3/4 lbs
1811--July 15. Lord Byron (shoes) 9 stone 11-1/2 lbs"]
72.--To John Hanson.
[6, Chancery Lane, Temple Bar, London.]
Southwell, 19 April, 1807.
Sir,--My last was an Epistle "_entre nous_;" _this_ is a _Letter_ of
_Business_, Of course the _formalities_ of _official communication_
must be attended to. From lying under pecuniary difficulties, I shall
draw for the Quarter due the 25th June, in a short Time. You will
recollect I was to receive L100 for the Expence of Furniture, etc., at
Cambridge. I placed in your possession accounts to amount and then I
have received L70, for which I believe you have my Receipt. This extra
L25 or L30 (though the Bills are long ago discharged from my own
purse) I should not have troubled you for, had not my present
Situation rendered even that Trifle of some Consequence. I have
therefore to request that my Draft for L150, instead of L125 the
simple Quarter, may be honoured, but think it necessary to apprize you
previous to its appearance, and indeed to request an early Answer, as
I had one Draft returned by Mistake from your _House_, some Months
past. I have no Inclination to be placed in a similar Dilemma.
I lent Mrs. B. _L60_ last year; of this I have never received a Sou and
in all probability never shall. I do not mention the circumstance as
any Reproach on that worthy and lamblike Dame, [1] but merely to show
you how affairs stand. 'Tis true myself and two Servants lodge in the
House, but my Horses, etc., and their expences are defrayed by your
humble Sert. I quit Cambridge in July, and shall have considerable
payments to make at that period; for this purpose I must sell my
_Steeds_. I paid Jones in January L150, L38 to my Stable Keeper, L21
to my wine Merchant, L20 to a _Lawyer_ for the prosecution of a
Scoundrel, a late Servant. In short I have done all I can, but am now
completely _done_ up.
Your answer will oblige
Yours, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Mrs. Byron, on the other hand, tells a different story.
"Lord Byron," she writes to Hanson (March 19, 1807), "has now been
with me seven months, with two Men Servants, for which I have never
received one farthing, as he requires the five hundred a year for
himself. Therefore it is impossible I can keep him and them out of my
small income of four hundred a year,--two in Scotland [Mrs. Gordon of
Gight (see Chapter I. p. 4) was dead], and the pension is now reduced
to two hundred a year. But if the Court allows the additional two
hundred, I shall be perfectly satisfied.
"I do not know what to say about Byron's returning to Cambridge. When
he was there, I believe he did nothing but drink, gamble, and spend
money."
A month later (April 29, 1807), she consults Hanson about raising L1000
by a loan from Mrs. Parkyns on her security.
"Byron from their last letter gave up all hopes of getting the money,
and behaved very well on the occasion, and proposed selling his Horses
and plans of OEconomy that I much fear will be laid aside if the Money
is procured. My only motive for wishing it was to keep him clear of
the Jews; but at present he does not seem at all disposed to have
anything to do with them, even if he is disappointed in this resource.
I wish to act for the best: but God knows what is for the best."
Eventually money was provided on Mrs. Byron's security (see Letters of
March 6 [Letter 117] and April 26 [Letter 121], 1809), and he resided at
Trinity for a few days at the end of the May term, 1807.
73.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
June 11, 1807.
Dear Queen Bess,--_Savage_ ought to be _immortal_:--though not a
_thorough-bred bull-dog_, he is the finest puppy I ever _saw_, and
will answer much better; in his great and manifold kindness he has
already bitten my fingers, and disturbed the _gravity_ of old
Boatswain, who is _grievously discomposed_. I wish to be informed what
he _costs_, his _expenses_, etc., etc., that I may indemnify Mr.
G----. My thanks are _all_ I can give for the trouble he has taken,
make a _long speech_, and conclude it with 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. [1] I am out
of practice, so _deputize_ you as a legate,--_ambassador_ would not do
in a matter concerning the _Pope_, which I presume this must, as the
_whole_ turns upon a _Bull_.
Yours,
BYRON.
P.S.--I write in bed.
[Footnote 1: He here alludes to an odd fancy or trick of his own;
--whenever he was at a loss for something to say, he used always to
gabble over "1 2 3 4 5 6 7" (Moore).]
74.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
Cambridge, June 30, 1807.
"Better late than never, Pal," [1] is a saying of which you know the
origin, and as it is applicable on the present occasion, you will
excuse its conspicuous place in the front of my epistle. I am almost
superannuated here. My old friends (with the exception of a very few)
all departed, and I am preparing to follow them, but remain till
Monday to be present at three _Oratorios_, two _Concerts_, a _Fair_,
and a Ball. I find I am not only _thinner_ but _taller_ by an inch
since my last visit. I was obliged to tell every body my _name_,
nobody having the least recollection of my _visage_, or person. Even
the hero of _my Cornelian_ [2] (who is now sitting _vis-a-vis_ reading
a volume of my _Poetics_) passed me in Trinity walks without
recognising me in the least, and was thunderstruck at the alteration
which had taken place in my countenance, etc., etc. Some say I look
_better_, others _worse_, but all agree I am _thinner_,--more I do not
require. I have lost two pounds in my weight since I left your
_cursed_, _detestable_, and _abhorred_ abode of _scandal_, where,
excepting yourself and John Becher, [3] I care not if the whole race
were consigned to the _Pit of Acheron_, which I would visit in person
rather than contaminate my _sandals_ with the polluted dust of
Southwell. _Seriously_, unless obliged by the _emptiness_ of my purse
to revisit Mrs. B., you will see me no more.
On Monday I depart for London. I quit Cambridge with little regret,
because our _set_ are _vanished_, and my _musical protege_ before
mentioned has left the choir, and is stationed in a mercantile house
of considerable eminence in the metropolis. You may have heard me
observe he is exactly to an hour two years younger than myself. I
found him grown considerably, and as you will suppose, very glad to
see his former _Patron_. He is nearly my height, very _thin_, very
fair complexion, dark eyes, and light locks. My opinion of his mind
you already know;--I hope I shall never have occasion to change it.
Every body here conceives me to be an _invalid_. The University at
present is very gay from the fetes of divers kinds. I supped out last
night, but eat (or ate) nothing, sipped a bottle of claret, went to
bed at two, and rose at eight. I have commenced early rising, and find
it agrees with me. The Masters and the Fellows all very _polite_, but
look a little _askance_--don't much admire _lampoons_ [4]--truth
always disagreeable.
Write, and tell me how the inhabitants of your _Menagerie_ go _on_,
and if my publication goes _off_ well: do the quadrupeds _growl_?
Apropos, my bull-dog is deceased--"Flesh both of cur and man is
grass." Address your answer to Cambridge. If I am gone, it will be
forwarded. Sad news just arrived--Russians beat [5]--a bad set, eat
nothing but _oil_, consequently must melt before a _hard fire_. I get
awkward in my academic habiliments for want of practice. Got up in a
window to hear the oratorio at St. Mary's, popped down in the middle
of the _Messiah_, tore a _woeful_ rent in the back of my best black
silk gown, and damaged an egregious pair of breeches. Mem.--never
tumble from a church window during service. Adieu, dear----! do
not remember me to any body:--to _forget_ and be forgotten by the
people of Southwell is all I aspire to.
[Footnote 1: The allusion is to the farce _Better Late than Never_
(attributed to Miles Peter Andrews, but really, according to Reynolds
(_Life_, vol. ii. pp. 79, 80), by himself, Topham, and Andrews), in
which Pallet, an artist, is a prominent character. It was played at
Drury Lane for the first time October 17, 1790, with Kemble as "Saville"
and Mrs. Jordan as "Augusta."]
[Footnote 2: "The hero of _my Cornelian_" was a Cambridge chorister
named Edleston, whose life, as Harness has recorded in a MS. note, Byron
saved from drowning. This began their acquaintance. (See Byron's lines
on "The Cornelian," _Poems_, vol. i. 66-67.) Edleston died of
consumption in May, 1811. Byron, writing to Mrs. Pigot, gives the
following account of his death:--
"Cambridge, Oct. 28, 1811.
Dear Madam,--I am about to write to you on a silly subject, and yet I
cannot well do otherwise. You may remember a _cornelian_, which some
years ago I consigned to Miss Pigot, indeed _gave_ to her, and now I
am going to make the most selfish and rude of requests. The person who
gave it to me, when I was very young, is _dead_, and though a long
time has elapsed since we met, as it was the only memorial I possessed
of that person (in whom I was very much interested), it has acquired a
value by this event I could have wished it never to have borne in my
eyes. If, therefore, Miss Pigot should have preserved it, I must,
under these circumstances, beg her to excuse my requesting it to be
transmitted to me at No. 8, St. James's Street, London, and I will
replace it by something she may remember me by equally well. As she
was always so kind as to feel interested in the fate of him that
formed the subject of our conversation, you may tell her that the
giver of that cornelian died in May last of a consumption, at the age
of twenty-one, making the sixth, within four months, of friends and
relatives that I have lost between May and the end of August.
"Believe me, dear Madam, yours very sincerely,
"BYRON.
"P.S.--I go to London to-morrow."
The cornelian heart was, of course, returned, and Lord Byron, at the
same time, reminded that he had left it with Miss Pigot as a deposit,
_not_ a gift (Moore).]
[Footnote 3: See page 182 [Letter 94], [Foot]note 1 [2].]
[Footnote 4: See "Thoughts suggested by a College Examination" (_Poems_,
vol. i. pp. 28-31), also "Granta: a Medley" (_Poems_, vol. i. pp.
56-62).]
[Footnote 5: The Battle of Friedland, June 15, 1807. This is almost the
first allusion that Byron makes to the war.]
75.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
Trin. Coll. Camb. July 5, 1807.
Since my last letter I have determined to reside _another year_ at
Granta, as my rooms, etc., etc., are finished in great style, several
old friends come up again, and many new acquaintances made;
consequently my inclination leads me forward, and I shall return to
college in October if still _alive_. My life here has been one
continued routine of dissipation--out at different places every day,
engaged to more dinners, etc., etc., than my _stay_ would permit me to
fulfil. At this moment I write with a bottle of claret in my _head_
and _tears_ in my _eyes_; for I have just parted with my "_Cornelian_"
who spent the evening with me. As it was our last interview, I
postponed my engagement to devote the hours of the _Sabbath_ to
friendship:--Edleston and I have separated for the present, and my
mind is a chaos of hope and sorrow. To-morrow I set out for London:
you will address your answer to "Gordon's Hotel, Albemarle Street,"
where I _sojourn_ during my visit to the metropolis.
I rejoice to hear you are interested in my _protege_; he has been my
_almost constant_ associate since October, 1805, when I entered
Trinity College. His _voice_ first attracted my attention, his
_countenance_ fixed it, and his _manners_ attached me to him for ever.
He departs for a _mercantile house_ in _town_ in October, and we shall
probably not meet till the expiration of my minority, when I shall
leave to his decision either entering as a _partner_ through my
interest, or residing with me altogether. Of course he would in his
present frame of mind prefer the _latter_, but he may alter his
opinion previous to that period;--however, he shall have his choice.
I certainly love him more than any human being, and neither time nor
distance have had the least effect on my (in general) changeable
disposition. In short, we shall, put _Lady E. Butler_ and _Miss
Ponsonby_ [1] to the blush, _Pylades_ and _Orestes_ out of
countenance, and want nothing but a catastrophe like _Nisus_ and
_Euryalus_, to give _Jonathan_ and _David_ the "go by." He certainly
is perhaps more attached to _me_ than even I am in return. During the
whole of my residence at Cambridge we met every day, summer and
winter, without passing _one_ tiresome moment, and separated each time
with increasing reluctance. I hope you will one day see us together.
He is the only being I esteem, though I _like_ many.
The Marquis of Tavistock [2] was down the other day; I supped with him
at his tutor's--entirely a Whig party. The opposition muster strong
here now, and Lord Hartington, the Duke of Leinster, etc., etc., are
to join us in October, so every thing will be _splendid_. The _music_
is all over at present. Met with another "_accidency_"--upset a
butter-boat in the lap of a lady--look'd very _blue_--_spectators_
grinned--"curse 'em!" Apropos, sorry to say, been _drunk_ every day,
and not quite _sober_ yet--however, touch no meat, nothing but fish,
soup, and vegetables, consequently it does me no harm--sad dogs all
the _Cantabs_. Mem.--_we mean_ to reform next January. This place is a
_monotony of endless variety_--like it--hate Southwell. Has Ridge sold
well? or do the ancients demur? What ladies have bought?
Saw a girl at St. Mary's the image of Anne----, [3] thought it was
her--all in the wrong--the lady stared, so did I--I _blushed_, so did
_not_ the lady,--sad thing--wish women had _more modesty_. Talking of
women, puts me in mind of my terrier Fanny--how is she? Got a
headache, must go to bed, up early in the morning to travel. My
_protege_ breakfasts with me; parting spoils my appetite--excepting
from Southwell. Mem. _I hate Southwell_.
Yours, etc.
[Footnote 1: Lady Eleanor Butler (c. 1745-1829), sister of the
seventeenth Earl of Ormonde, and Sarah Ponsonby (circ. 1755-1831),
cousin of the Earl of Bessborough, were the two "Ladies of the Vale," or
"Ladies of Llangollen." About the year 1779 they settled in a cottage at
Plasnewydd, in the Vale of Llangollen, where they lived, with their
maidservant, Mary Caryll, for upwards of half a century. They are
buried, with their servant, in the churchyard of Plasnewydd, under a
triangular pyramid. Though they had withdrawn from the world, they
watched its proceedings with the keenest interest.
"If," writes Mrs. Piozzi, from Brynbella, July 9, 1796, "Mr. Bunbury's
'Little Gray Man' is printed, do send it hither; the ladies at
Llangollen are dying for it. They like those old Scandinavian tales
and the imitations of them exceedingly; and tell me about the prince
and princess of 'this' loyal country, one province of which alone had
disgraced itself"
('Life and Writings of Mrs. Piozzi', vol. ii. p. 234). Nor did they
despise the theatre. Charles Mathews ('Memoirs', vol. iii. pp. 150,
151), writing from Oswestry, September 4, 1820, says,
"The dear inseparable inimitables, Lady Butler and Miss Ponsonby, were
in the boxes here on Friday. They came twelve miles from Llangollen,
and returned, as they never sleep from home. Oh, such curiosities! I
was nearly convulsed.... As they are seated, there is not one point to
distinguish them from men; the dressing and powdering of the hair;
their well-starched neckcloths; the upper part of their habits, which
they always wear, even at a dinner-party, made precisely like men's
coats; and regular black beaver men's hats. They looked exactly like
two respectable superannuated old clergymen.... I was highly
flattered, as they never were in the theatre before."
Among the many people who visited them in their retreat, and have left
descriptions of them, are Madame de Genlis, De Quincey, Prince
Pueckler-Muskau. Their friendships were sung by Sotheby and Anne Seward,
and their cottage was depicted by Pennant.
"It is very singular," writes John Murray, August 24, 1829, to his son
('Memoir of John Murray', vol. ii. p. 304),
"that the ladies, intending to 'retire' from the world, absolutely
brought all the world to visit them, for after a few years of
seclusion their strange story was the universal subject of
conversation, and there has been no person of rank, talent, and
importance in any way who did not procure introductions to them."
[Footnote 2: Lord Tavistock's experience at Cambridge resembled that of
Byron. He had received only a "pretended education," and the Duke of
Bedford had come to the conclusion that "nothing was learned at English
Universities." "Tavistock left Cambridge in May," Lord J. Russell notes
in his Diary for 1808, "having been there in supposition two years"
(Walpole's 'Life of Lord John Russell', vol. i. pp. 44 and 35).]
[Footnote 3: Probably Miss Anne Houson, daughter of the Rev. Henry
Houson of Southwell. She married the Rev. Luke Jackson, died December
25, 1821, and is buried at Hucknall Torkard. (For verses addressed to
her, see 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 70-2, 244-45, 246-47, 251-52, 253.)]
76.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
Gordon's Hotel, July 13, 1807.
You write most excellent epistles--a fig for other correspondents,
with their nonsensical apologies for "_knowing nought about it_"--you
send me a delightful budget. I am here in a perpetual vortex of
dissipation (very pleasant for all that), and, strange to tell, I get
thinner, being now below eleven stone considerably. Stay in town a
_month_, perhaps six weeks, trip into Essex, and then, as a favour,
_irradiate_ Southwell for three days with the light of my countenance;
but nothing shall ever make me _reside_ there again. I positively
return to Cambridge in October; we are to be uncommonly gay, or in
truth I should _cut_ the University. An extraordinary circumstance
occurred to me at Cambridge; a girl so very like----made her
appearance, that nothing but the most _minute inspection_ could have
undeceived me. I wish I had asked if _she_ had ever been at H----
What the devil would Ridge have? is not fifty in a fortnight, before
the advertisements, a sufficient sale? [1] I hear many of the London
booksellers have them, and Crosby [2] has sent copies to the principal
watering places. Are they liked or not in Southwell? ... I wish
Boatswain had _swallowed_ Damon! How is Bran? by the immortal gods,
Bran ought to be a _Count_ of the _Holy Roman Empire_.
The intelligence of London cannot be interesting to you, who have
rusticated all your life--the annals of routs riots, balls and
boxing-matches, cards and crim. cons., parliamentary discussion,
political details, masquerades, mechanics, Argyle Street Institution
and aquatic races, love and lotteries, Brookes's and Buonaparte,
opera-singers and oratorios, wine, women, wax-work, and weathercocks,
can't accord with your _insulated_ ideas of decorum and other _silly
expressions_ not inserted in _our vocabulary_.
Oh! Southwell, Southwell, how I rejoice to have left thee, and how I
curse the heavy hours I dragged along, for so many months, among the
Mohawks who inhabit your kraals!--However, one thing I do not regret,
which is having _pared off_ a sufficient quantity of flesh to enable
me to slip into "an eel-skin," and vie with the _slim_ beaux of modern
times; though I am sorry to say, it seems to be the mode amongst
_gentlemen_ to grow _fat_, and I am told I am at least fourteen pound
below the fashion. However, I _decrease_ instead of enlarging, which
is extraordinary, as _violent_ exercise in London is impracticable;
but I attribute the _phenomenon_ to our _evening squeezes_ at public
and private parties. I heard from Ridge this morning (the 14th, my
letter was begun yesterday): he says the poems go on as well as can be
wished; the seventy-five sent to town are circulated, and a demand for
fifty more complied with, the day he dated his epistle, though the
advertisements are not yet half published. Adieu.
P.S.--Lord Carlisle, on receiving my poems, sent, before he opened the
book, a tolerably handsome letter:[1]--I have not heard from him
since. His opinions I neither know nor care about: if he is the least
insolent, I shall enrol him with _Butler_ and the other worthies. He
is in Yorkshire, poor man! and very ill! He said he had not had time
to read the contents, but thought it necessary to acknowledge the
receipt of the volume immediately. Perhaps the Earl "_bears no brother
near the throne"--if so_, I will make his _sceptre_ totter _in his
hands_.--Adieu!
[Footnote 1: This is probably the third collection of early verse,
'Hours of Idleness', the first collection published with Byron's name
(see page 104 [Letter 53], [Foot]note 1).]
[Footnote 2: B. Crosby & Co., of Stationers' Court, were the London
agents of Ridge, the Newark bookseller. Crosby was also the publisher of
a magazine called 'Monthly Literary Recreations', in which (July, 1807)
appeared a highly laudatory notice of 'Hours of Idleness', and Byron's
review of Wordsworth's 'Poems' (2 vols. 1807. See Appendix I.), and his
"Stanzas to Jessy" (see 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 234-236). These lines were
enclosed with the following letter, addressed to "Mr. Crosby,
Stationers' Court:"--
"July 21, 1807.
Sir,--I have sent according to my promise some Stanzas for
'Literary Recreations'. The insertion I leave to the option of the
Editors. They have never appeared before. I should wish to
know whether they are admitted or not, and when the work will
appear, as I am desirous of a copy.
Etc., etc.,
BYRON.
P.S.--Send your answer when convenient."]
[Footnote 3:
"My Dear Lord,--Your letter of yesterday found me an invalid, and
unable to do justice to your poems by a dilligent ['sic'] perusal of
them. In the meantime I take the first occasion to thank you for
sending them to me, and to express a sincere satisfaction in finding
you employ your leisure in such occupations. Be not disconcerted if
the reception of your works should not be that you may have a right to
look for from the public. Persevere, whatever that reception may be,
and tho' the Public maybe found very fastidious, ... you will stand
better with the world than others who only pursue their studies in
Bond St. or at Tatershall's.
Believe me to be, yours most sincerely,
CARLISLE.
July 8th, 1807."]
77.--To John Hanson.
July 20th, 1807.
Sir,--Your proposal to make Mrs. Byron my _Treasurer_ is very kind,
but does not meet with my approbation. Mrs. Byron has already made
more _free_ with my _funds_ than suits my convenience & I do not chuse
to expose her to the Danger of Temptation.
Things will therefore stand as they are; the remedy would be worse
than the Disease.
I wish you would order your Drafts payable to me and not Mrs. B. This
is worse than Hannibal Higgins; [1] who the Devil could suppose that
any Body would have mistaken him for a _real personage?_ & what
earthly consequence could it be whether the Blank in the Draft was
filled up with _Wilkins, Tomkyns, Simkins, Wiggins, Spriggins,
Jiggins_, or _Higgins?_ If I had put in _James Johnson_ you would not
have demurred, & why object to Hannibal Higgins? particularly after
his _respectable Endorsements_. As to Business, I make no pretensions
to a Knowledge of any thing but a Greek Grammer or a Racing Calendar;
but if the _Quintessence_ of information on that head consists in
unnecessary & unpleasant delays, explanations, rebuffs, retorts,
repartees, & recriminations, the House of H.& B. stands pre-eminent in
the profession, as from the Bottom of his Soul testifies
Yours, etc., etc.,
BYRON.
P.S--Will you dine with me on Sunday Tete a Tete at six o'clock? I
should be happy to see you before, but my Engagements will not permit
me, as on Wednesday I go to the House. I shall have Hargreaves & his
Brother on some day after you; I don't like to annoy Children with the
_formal_ Faces of _legal_ papas.
[Footnote 1: The point of the allusion is that Byron had endorsed one of
Hanson's drafts with the name of "Hannibal Higgins," and had been
solemnly warned of the consequences of so tampering with the dignity of
the law.]
78.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
August 2, 1807.
London begins to disgorge its contents--town is empty--consequently I
can scribble at leisure, as occupations are less numerous. In a
fortnight I shall depart to fulfil a country engagement; but expect
two epistles from you previous to that period. Ridge does not proceed
rapidly in Notts--very possible. In town things wear a more promising
aspect, and a man whose works are praised by _reviewers_, admired by
_duchesses_, and sold by every bookseller of the metropolis, does not
dedicate much consideration to _rustic readers_. I have now a review
before me, entitled _Literary Recreations_ [1] where my _hardship_ is
applauded far beyond my deserts. I know nothing of the critic, but
think _him_ a very discerning gentleman, and _myself_ a devilish
_clever_ fellow. His critique pleases me particularly, because it is
of great length, and a proper quantum of censure is administered, just
to give an agreeable _relish_ to the praise. You know I hate insipid,
unqualified, common-place compliment. If you would wish to see it,
order the 13th Number of _Literary Recreations_ for the last month. I
assure you I have not the most distant idea of the writer of the
article--it is printed in a periodical publication--and though I have
written a paper (a review of Wordsworth), which appears in the same
work, I am ignorant of every other person concerned in it--even the
editor, whose name I have not heard. My cousin, Lord Alexander Gordon,
who resided in the same hotel, told me his mother, her Grace of
Gordon, [2] requested he would introduce my _Poetical_ Lordship to her
_Highness_, as she had bought my volume, admired it exceedingly, in
common with the rest of the fashionable world, and wished to claim her
relationship with the author. I was unluckily engaged on an excursion
for some days afterwards; and, as the Duchess was on the eve of
departing for Scotland, I have postponed my introduction till the
winter, when I shall favour the lady, _whose taste I shall not
dispute_, with my most sublime and edifying conversation. She is now
in the Highlands, and Alexander took his departure, a few days ago,
for the same _blessed_ seat of "_dark rolling winds_."
Crosby, my London publisher, has disposed of his second importation,
and has sent to Ridge for a _third_--at least so he says. In every
bookseller's window I see my _own name_, and _say nothing_, but enjoy
my fame in secret. My last reviewer kindly requests me to alter my
determination of writing no more: and "A Friend to the Cause of
Literature" begs I will _gratify_ the _public_ with some new work "at
no very distant period." Who would not be a bard?--that is to say, if
all critics would be so polite. However, the others will pay me off, I
doubt not, for this _gentle_ encouragement. If so, have at 'em? By the
by, I have written at my intervals of leisure, after two in the
morning, 380 lines in blank verse, of Bosworth Field. I have luckily
got Hutton's account. [3] I shall extend the poem to eight or ten
books, and shall have finished it in a year. Whether it will be
published or not must depend on circumstances. So much for _egotism!_
My _laurels_ have turned my brain, but the _cooling acids_ of
forthcoming criticism will probably restore me to _modesty_.
Southwell is a damned place--I have done with it--at least in all
probability; excepting yourself, I esteem no one within its precincts.
You were my only _rational_ companion; and in plain truth, I had more
respect for you than the whole _bevy_, with whose foibles I amused
myself in compliance with their prevailing propensities. You gave
yourself more trouble with me and my manuscripts than a thousand
_dolls_ would have done.
Believe me, I have not forgotten your good nature in _this circle_ of
_sin_, and one day I trust I shall be able to evince my gratitude.
Adieu.
Yours, etc.
P.S.--Remember me to Dr. P.
[Footnote 1: See page 137 [Letter 76], [Foot]note 2.]
[Footnote 2: The Duchess of Gordon (1748-1812), 'nee' Jean Maxwell of
Monreith, daughter of Sir W. Maxwell, Bart., married in 1767 the Duke of
Gordon. The most successful matchmaker of the age, she married three of
her daughters to three dukes--Manchester, Richmond, and Bedford. A
fourth daughter was Lady Mandalina Sinclair, afterwards, by a second
marriage, Lady Mandalina Palmer. A fifth was married to Lord Cornwallis
(see the extraordinary story told in the 'Recollections of Samuel
Rogers', pp. 145-146). According to Wraxall ('Posthumous Memoirs', vol.
ii. p. 319), she schemed to secure Pitt for her daughter Lady Charlotte,
and Eugene Beauharnais for Lady Georgiana, afterwards Duchess of
Bedford. Cyrus Redding ('Memoirs of William Beckford', vol. ii. pp.
337-339) describes her attack upon the owner of Fonthill, where she
stayed upwards of a week, magnificently entertained, without once seeing
the wary master of the house.
She was also the social leader of the Tories, and her house in Pall
Mall, rented from the Duke of Buckingham, was the meeting-place of the
party. Malcontents accused her of using her power tyrannically:--
"Not Gordon's broad and brawny Grace,
The last new Woman in the Place
With more contempt could blast."
'Pandolfo Attonito' (1800).
Lord Alexander Gordon died in 1808.]
[Footnote 3: William Hutton (1723-1815), a Birmingham bookseller, who
took to literature and became a voluminous writer of poems, and of
topographical works which still have their value. In his 'Trip to Redcar
and Coatham' (Preface, p. vi.) he says,
"I took up my pen at the advanced age of fifty-six ... I drove the
quill thirty years, during which time I wrote and published thirty
books."
'The Battle of Bosworth Field' was published in 1788. A new edition,
with additions by John Nichols, appeared in 1813. Byron's poem was never
published.]
79.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
London, August 11, 1807.
On Sunday next I set off for the Highlands. [1] A friend of mine
accompanies me in my carriage to Edinburgh. There we shall leave it,
and proceed in a _tandem_ (a species of open carriage) though the
western passes to Inverary, where we shall purchase _shelties_, to
enable us to view places inaccessible to _vehicular conveyances_. On
the coast we shall hire a vessel, and visit the most remarkable of the
Hebrides; and, if we have time and favourable weather, mean to sail as
far as Iceland, only 300 miles from the northern extremity of
Caledonia, to peep at _Hecla_. This last intention you will keep a
secret, as my nice _mamma_ would imagine I was on a Voyage of
_Discovery_, and raised the accustomed _maternal warwhoop_.
Last week I swam in the Thames from Lambeth through the two bridges,
Westminster and Blackfriars, a distance, including the different turns
and tracks made on the way, of three miles! [2] You see I am in
excellent training in case of a _squall_ at sea. I mean to collect all
the Erse traditions, poems, etc., etc., and translate, or expand the
subject to fill a volume, which may appear next spring under the
denomination of _"The Highland "Harp"_ or some title equally
_picturesque_. Of Bosworth Field, one book is finished, another just
began. It will be a work of three or four years, and most probably
never _conclude_. What would you say to some stanzas on Mount Hecla?
they would be written at least with _fire_. How is the immortal Bran?
and the Phoenix of canine quadrupeds, Boatswain? I have lately
purchased a thorough-bred bull-dog, worthy to be the coadjutor of the
aforesaid celestials--his name is _Smut!_
"Bear it, ye breezes, on your _balmy_ wings."
Write to me before I set off, I conjure you, by the fifth rib of your
grandfather. Ridge goes on well with the books--I thought that worthy
had not done much in the country. In town they have been very
successful; Carpenter (Moore's publisher) told me a few days ago they
sold all their's immediately, and had several enquiries made since,
which, from the books being gone, they could not supply. The Duke of
York, the Marchioness of Headfort, the Duchess of Gordon, etc., etc.,
were among the purchasers; and Crosby says the circulation will be
still more extensive in the winter, the summer season being very bad
for a sale, as most people are absent from London. However, they have
gone off extremely well altogether. I shall pass very near you on my
journey through Newark, but cannot approach. Don't tell this to Mrs.
B, who supposes I travel a different road. If you have a letter, order
it to be left at Ridge's shop, where I shall call, or the post-office,
Newark, about six or eight in the evening. If your brother would ride
over, I should be devilish glad to see him--he can return the same
night, or sup with us and go home the next morning--the Kingston Arms
is my inn. Adieu.
Yours ever,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: This projected trip to the Highlands, mentioned in his
letter to Augusta Byron of August 30, 1805, seems to have become a joke
among Byron's friends. Moore quotes ('Life', p. 56) a letter written by
Miss Pigot to her brother:
"How can you ask if Lord B. is going to visit the Highlands in the
summer? Why, don't _you_ know that he never knows his own mind
for ten minutes together? I tell him he is as fickle as the winds, and
as uncertain as the waves."]
[Footnote 2:
"The first time I saw Lord Byron," says Leigh Hunt ('Lord Byron and
his Contemporaries', p. 1), "he was rehearsing the part of Leander,
under the auspices of Mr. Jackson the prize-fighter. It was in the
river Thames, before he went to Greece. I had been bathing, and was
standing on the floating machine adjusting my clothes, when I noticed
a respectable-looking manly person who was eyeing something at a
distance. This was Mr. Jackson waiting for his pupil. The latter was
swimming with somebody for a wager."
On this occasion, however, Hunt only saw "his Lordship's head bob up and
down in the water, like a "buoy."]
80.--To John Hanson.
Dorant's Hotel, October 19th, 1807.
Dear Hanson,--I will thank you to disburse the quarter due as soon as
possible, for I am at this moment contemplating with woeful visage,
one _solitary Guinea, two bad sixpences_ and a shilling, being _all_
the _cash_ at present in possession of
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
81.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot.
Trinity College, Cambridge, October 26, 1807.
My Dear Elizabeth,--Fatigued with sitting up till four in the morning
for the last two days at hazard, I take up my pen to inquire how your
highness and the rest of my female acquaintance at the seat of
archiepiscopal grandeur go on. I know I deserve a scolding for my
negligence in not writing more frequently; but racing up and down the
country for these last three months, how was it possible to fulfil the
duties of a correspondent? Fixed at last for six weeks, I write, as
_thin_ as ever (not having gained an ounce since my reduction), and
rather in better humour;--but, after all, Southwell was a detestable
residence. Thank St. Dominica, I have done with it: I have been twice
within eight miles of it, but could not prevail on myself to
_suffocate_ in its heavy atmosphere. This place is wretched enough--a
villainous chaos of din and drunkenness, nothing but hazard and
burgundy, hunting, mathematics, and Newmarket, riot and racing. Yet it
is a paradise compared with the eternal dulness of Southwell. Oh! the
misery of doing nothing but make _love, enemies_, and _verses_.
Next January (but this is _entre nous only_, and pray let it be so, or
my maternal persecutor will be throwing her tomahawk at any of my
curious projects,) I am going to _sea_ for four or five months, with
my cousin Captain Bettesworth, [1] who commands the _Tartar_, the
finest frigate in the navy. I have seen most scenes, and wish to look
at a naval life. We are going probably to the Mediterranean, or to the
West Indies, or--to the devil; and if there is a possibility of taking
me to the latter, Bettesworth will do it; for he has received four and
twenty wounds in different places, and at this moment possesses a
letter from the late Lord Nelson, stating Bettesworth as the only
officer in the navy who had more wounds than himself.
I have got a new friend, the finest in the world, a _tame bear_. [2]
When I brought him here, they asked me what I meant to do with him,
and my reply was, "he should _sit for a fellowship._" Sherard will
explain the meaning of the sentence, if it is ambiguous. This answer
delighted them not. We have several parties here, and this evening a
large assortment of jockeys, gamblers, boxers, authors, parsons, and
poets, sup with me,--a precious mixture, but they go on well together;
and for me, I am a _spice_ of every thing except a jockey; by the bye,
I was dismounted again the other day.
Thank your brother in my name for his treatise. I have written 214
pages of a novel--one poem of 380 lines, [3] to be published (without
my name) in a few weeks, with notes,--560 lines of Bosworth Field, and
250 lines of another poem in rhyme, besides half a dozen smaller
pieces. The poem to be published is a Satire. _Apropos_, I have been
praised to the skies in the _Critical Review_, [4] and abused greatly
in another publication. [5] So much the better, they tell me, for the
sale of the book: it keeps up controversy, and prevents it being
forgotten. Besides, the first men of all ages have had their share,
nor do the humblest escape;--so I bear it like a philosopher. It is
odd two opposite critiques came out on the same day, and out of five
pages of abuse, my censor only quotes _two lines_ from different
poems, in support of his opinion. Now, the proper way to _cut up_, is
to quote long passages, and make them appear absurd, because simple
allegation is no proof. On the other hand, there are seven pages of
praise, and more than _my modesty_ will allow said on the subject.
Adieu.
P.S.--Write, write, write!!!
[Footnote 1: George Edmund Byron Bettesworth (1780-1808), as lieutenant
of the 'Centaur', was wounded (1804) in the capture of the 'Curieux'. In
command of the latter vessel he captured the 'Dame Ernouf' (1805), and
was again wounded. He was made a post-captain in the latter year, when
he brought home despatches from Nelson at Antigua, announcing
Villeneuve's return to Europe. He was killed off Bergen in 1808, while
in command of the 'Tartar'. Captain Bettesworth, whose father assumed
the name of Bettesworth in addition to that of Trevanion, married, in
1807, Lady Alethea Grey, daughter of Earl Grey. Through his grandmother,
Sophia Trevanion, Byron was Captain Bettesworth's cousin.]
[Footnote 2: See 'Poems', vol. i. p. 406. ]
[Footnote 3: This poem, printed in book form, but not published, under
the title of 'British Bards', is the foundation of 'English Bards, and
Scotch Reviewers'. The MS. is in the possession of Mr. Murray.]
[Footnote 4: For September, 1807. In noticing the Elegy on Newstead
Abbey, the writer says, "We could not but hail, with something of
prophetic rapture, the hope conveyed in the closing stanza:--
"'Haply thy sun, emerging, yet may shine,
Thee to irradiate with meridian ray.'"]
[Footnote 5: The first number of 'The Satirist: A Monthly Meteor'
(October, 1807).]
82.--To J. Ridge.
Trinity College, Cambridge, November 20, 1807.
Sir,--I am happy to hear every thing goes on so well, and I presume
you will soon commence, though I am still of opinion the first Edition
had better be entirely sold, before you risk the printing of a second.
As Curly recommends fine wove Foolscap, let it be used, and I will
order a design in London for a plate, my own portrait would perhaps be
best, but as that would take up so long a time in completing we will
substitute probably a view of Harrow, [1] or Newstead in its stead.
You will omit the poems mentioned below:
Stanzas on a view of Harrow.
To a Quaker.
The First Kiss of Love.
College Examinations.
Lines to the Rev. J. T. Becher.
To be inserted, not exactly in the place, but in different parts of
the volume, I will send you five poems never yet published. Two of
tolerable length, at least much longer than any of the above, which
are ordered to be omitted.
Mention in your answer when you would like to receive the manuscripts
that they may be sent. By the bye, I must have the proofs of the
Manuscripts sent to Cambridge as they occur; the proofs from the
printed copy you can manage with care, if Mr. Becher will assist you.
Attend to the list of _Errata_, that we may not have a _Second
Edition_ of them also.
The Preface we have done with, perhaps I may send an Advertisement, a
dedication shall be forthcoming in due Season.
You will send a proof of the first Sheet for Inspection, and soon too,
for I am about to set out for London next week. If I remain there any
time, I shall apprize you where to send the Manuscript Proofs.
Do you think the others will be sold before the next are ready, what
says Curly? remember I have advised you not to risk it a second time,
and it is not too late to retract. However, you must abide by your own
discretion:
Etc., etc.,
BYRON.
P.S.--You will print from the Copy I sent you with the alterations,
pray attend to these, and be careful of mistakes. In my last I gave
you directions concerning the Title page and Mottoes.
[Footnote 1: A view of Harrow was given.]
83.--To John Hanson.
Trin. Coll., Cambridge, Dec. 2nd, 1807.
My Dear Sir,--I hope to take my New Years Day dinner with you _en
famille_. Tell Hargreaves I will bring his Blackstones, and shall have
no objection to see my Daniel's _Field Sports_, if they have not
escaped his recollection.--I certainly wish the expiration of my
minority as much as you do, though for a reason more nearly affecting
my magisterial person at this moment, namely, the want of twenty
pounds, for no spendthrift peer, or unlucky poet, was ever less
indebted to _Cash_ than George Gordon is at present, or is more likely
to continue in the same predicament.--My present quarter due on the
25th was drawn long ago, and I must be obliged to you for the loan of
twenty on my next, to be deducted when the whole becomes tangible,
that is, probably, some months after it is exhausted. Reserve Murray's
quarter, [1] of course, and I shall have just 100 _!_. to receive at
Easter, but if the risk of my demand is too great, inform me, that I
may if possible convert my Title into cash, though I am afraid twenty
pounds will be too much to ask as Times go, if I were an Earl ... but
a Barony must fetch ten, perhaps fifteen, and that is something when
we have not as many pence. Your answer will oblige
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
P.S.--Remember me to Mrs. H. in particular, and the family in general.
[Footnote 1: Joe Murray. (See page 21 [Letter 7], [Foot]note 3 [4].)]
84.--To John Murray. [1]
Ravenna, 9bre 19, 1820.
What you said of the late Charles Skinner Matthews [2] has set me to
my recollections; but I have not been able to turn up any thing which
would do for the purposed Memoir of his brother,--even if he had
previously done enough during his life to sanction the introduction of
anecdotes so merely personal. He was, however, a very extraordinary
man, and would have been a great one. No one ever succeeded in a more
surpassing degree than he did as far as he went. He was indolent, too;
but whenever he stripped, he overthrew all antagonists. His conquests
will be found registered at Cambridge, particularly his _Downing_ one,
which was hotly and highly contested, and yet easily _won_. Hobhouse
was his most intimate friend, and can tell you more of him than any
man. William Bankes [3] also a great deal. I myself recollect more of
his oddities than of his academical qualities, for we lived most
together at a very idle period of _my_ life. When I went up to
Trinity, in 1805, at the age of seventeen and a half, I was miserable
and untoward to a degree. I was wretched at leaving Harrow, to which I
had become attached during the two last years of my stay there;
wretched at going to Cambridge instead of Oxford (there were no rooms
vacant at Christchurch); wretched from some private domestic
circumstances of different kinds, and consequently about as unsocial
as a wolf taken from the troop. So that, although I knew Matthews, and
met him often _then_ at Bankes's, (who was my collegiate pastor, and
master, and patron,) and at Rhode's, Milnes's, Price's, Dick's,
Macnamara's, Farrell's, Gally Knight's, and others of that _set_ of
contemporaries, yet I was neither intimate with him nor with any one
else, except my old schoolfellow Edward Long [4] (with whom I used to
pass the day in riding and swimming), and William Bankes, who was
good-naturedly tolerant of my ferocities.
It was not till 1807, after I had been upwards of a year away from
Cambridge, to which I had returned again to _reside_ for my degree,
that I became one of Matthews's familiars, by means of Hobhouse, [5]
who, after hating me for two years, because I wore a _white hat_, and
a _grey_ coat, and rode a _grey_ horse (as he says himself), took me
into his good graces because I had written some poetry. I had always
lived a good deal, and got drunk occasionally, in their company--but
now we became really friends in a morning. Matthews, however, was not
at this period resident in College. I met _him_ chiefly in London, and
at uncertain periods at Cambridge. Hobhouse, in the mean time, did
great things: he founded the Cambridge "Whig Club" (which he seems to
have forgotten), and the "Amicable Society," which was dissolved in
consequence of the members constantly quarrelling, and made himself
very popular with "us youth," and no less formidable to all tutors,
professors, and heads of Colleges. William Bankes was gone; while he
stayed, he ruled the roast--or rather the _roasting_--and was father
of all mischiefs.
Matthews and I, meeting in London, and elsewhere, became great
cronies. He was not good tempered--nor am I--but with a little tact
his temper was manageable, and I thought him so superior a man, that I
was willing to sacrifice something to his humours, which were often,
at the same time, amusing and provoking. What became of his _papers_
(and he certainly had many), at the time of his death, was never
known. I mention this by the way, fearing to skip it over, and _as_ he
_wrote_ remarkably well, both in Latin and English. We went down to
Newstead together, [6] where I had got a famous cellar, and _Monks'_
dresses from a masquerade warehouse. We were a company of some seven
or eight, with an occasional neighbour or so for visiters, and used to
sit up late in our friars' dresses, drinking burgundy, claret,
champagne, and what not, out of the _skull-cup_, and all sorts of
glasses, and buffooning all round the house, in our conventual
garments. [7] Matthews always denominated me "the Abbot," and never
called me by any other name in his good humours, to the day of his
death. The harmony of these our symposia was somewhat interrupted, a
few days after our assembling, by Matthews's threatening to throw
Hobhouse out of a _window_, in consequence of I know not what commerce
of jokes ending in this epigram. Hobhouse came to me and said, that
"his respect and regard for me as host would not permit him to call
out any of my guests, and that he should go to town next morning." He
did. It was in vain that I represented to him that the window was not
high, and that the turf under it was particularly soft. Away he went.
Matthews and myself had travelled down from London together, talking
all the way incessantly upon one single topic. When we got to
Loughborough, I know not what chasm had made us diverge for a moment
to some other subject, at which he was indignant. "Come," said he,
"don't let us break through--let us go on as we began, to our
journey's end;" and so he continued, and was as entertaining as ever
to the very end. He had previously occupied, during my year's absence
from Cambridge, my rooms in Trinity, with the furniture; and Jones,
[8] the tutor, in his odd way, had said, on putting him in,
"Mr. Matthews, I recommend to your attention not to damage any of
the moveables, for Lord Byron, Sir, is a young man of _tumultuous
passions_."
Matthews was delighted with this; and whenever anybody came to visit
him, begged them to handle the very door with caution; and used to
repeat Jones's admonition in his tone and manner. There was a large
mirror in the room, on which he remarked, "that he thought his friends
were grown uncommonly assiduous in coming to _see him_, but he soon
discovered that they only came to _see themselves_." Jones's phrase of
"_tumultuous passions_" and the whole scene, had put him into such
good humour, that I verily believe that I owed to it a portion of his
good graces.
When at Newstead, somebody by accident rubbed against one of his white
silk stockings, one day before dinner; of course the gentleman
apologised.
"Sir," answered Matthews, "it may be all very well for you, who have
a great many silk stockings, to dirty other people's; but to me, who
have only this _one pair_, which I have put on in honour of the
Abbot here, no apology can compensate for such carelessness;
besides, the expense of washing."
He had the same sort of droll sardonic way about every thing. A wild
Irishman, named Farrell, one evening began to say something at a large
supper at Cambridge, Matthews roared out "Silence!" and then, pointing
to Farrell, cried out, in the words of the oracle, "Orson is endowed
with reason." You may easily suppose that Orson lost what reason he
had acquired, on hearing this compliment. When Hobhouse published his
volume of poems, the _Miscellany_ (which Matthews would call the
"_Miss-sell-any_"), all that could be drawn from him was, that the
preface was "extremely like _Walsh_." Hobhouse thought this at first a
compliment; but we never could make out what it was, [9] for all we
know of _Walsh_ is his Ode to King William, [10] and Pope's epithet of
"_knowing Walsh_." [11] When the Newstead party broke up for London,
Hobhouse and Matthews, who were the greatest friends possible, agreed,
for a whim, to _walk together_ to town. They quarrelled by the way,
and actually walked the latter half of the journey, occasionally
passing and repassing, without speaking. When Matthews had got to
Highgate, he had spent all his money but three-pence halfpenny, and
determined to spend that also in a pint of beer, which I believe he
was drinking before a public-house, as Hobhouse passed him (still
without speaking) for the last time on their route. They were
reconciled in London again.
One of Matthews's passions was "the fancy;" and he sparred uncommonly
well. But he always got beaten in rows, or combats with the bare fist.
In swimming, too, he swam well; but with _effort_ and _labour_, and
_too high_ out of the water; so that Scrope Davies [1] and myself, of
whom he was therein somewhat emulous, always told him that he would be
drowned if ever he came to a difficult pass in the water. He was so;
but surely Scrope and myself would have been most heartily glad that
"the Dean had lived,
And our prediction proved a lie."
His head was uncommonly handsome, very like what _Pope's_ was in his
youth.
His voice, and laugh, and features, are strongly resembled by his
brother Henry's, if Henry be _he_ of _King's College_. His passion for
boxing was so great, that he actually wanted me to match him with
Dogherty [13] (whom I had backed and made the match for against Tom
Belcher [14]), and I saw them spar together at my own lodgings with
the gloves on. As he was bent upon it, I would have backed Dogherty to
please him, but the match went off. It was of course to have been a
private fight, in a private room.
On one occasion, being too late to go home and dress, he was equipped
by a friend (Mr. Baillie, I believe,) in a magnificently fashionable
and somewhat exaggerated shirt and neckcloth. He proceeded to the
Opera, and took his station in Fop's Alley. During the interval
between the opera and the ballet, an acquaintance took his station by
him and saluted him:
"Come round," said Matthews, "come round."
"Why should I come round?" said the other; "you have only to turn
your head--I am close by you."
"That is exactly what I cannot do," said Matthews; "don't you see
the state I am in?"
pointing to his buckram shirt collar and inflexible cravat,--and there
he stood with his head always in the same perpendicular position
during the whole spectacle.
One evening, after dining together, as we were going to the Opera, I
happened to have a spare Opera ticket (as subscriber to a box), and
presented it to Matthews.
"Now, sir," said he to Hobhouse afterwards, "this I call _courteous_
in the Abbot--another man would never have thought that I might do
better with half a guinea than throw it to a door-keeper;--but here
is a man not only asks me to dinner, but gives me a ticket for the
theatre."
These were only his oddities, for no man was more liberal, or more
honourable in all his doings and dealings, than Matthews. He gave
Hobhouse and me, before we set out for Constantinople, a most splendid
entertainment, to which we did ample justice. One of his fancies was
dining at all sorts of out-of-the-way places. Somebody popped upon him
in I know not what coffee-house in the Strand--and what do you think
was the attraction? Why, that he paid a shilling (I think) to _dine
with his hat on_. This he called his "_hat_ house," and used to boast
of the comfort of being covered at meal times.
When Sir Henry Smith [15] was expelled from Cambridge for a row with a
tradesman named "Hiron," Matthews solaced himself with shouting under
Hiron's windows every evening,
"Ah me! what perils do environ
The man who meddles with _hot Hiron_."
He was also of that band of profane scoffers who, under the auspices
of----, used to rouse Lort Mansel (late Bishop of Bristol) from his
slumbers in the lodge of Trinity; and when he appeared at the window
foaming with wrath, and crying out, "I know you, gentlemen, I know
you!" were wont to reply, "We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lort!"--"Good Lort deliver us!" (Lort was his Christian name.) As he
was very free in his speculations upon all kinds of subjects, although
by no means either dissolute or intemperate in his conduct, and as I
was no less independent, our conversation and correspondence used to
alarm our friend Hobhouse to a considerable degree.
You must be almost tired of my packets, which will have cost a mint of
postage.
Salute Gifford and all my friends.
Yours, etc.
[Footnote 1: This letter, though written twelve years later, belongs to
the Cambridge period of Byron's life. It is therefore introduced here.
(For John Murray, see [Foot]note [1] to letter to R. C. Dallas [Letter
167] of August 21, 1811.)]
[Footnote 2: Charles Skinner Matthews was known at Eton as Matthews
'major', his 'minor' being his brother Henry, the author of 'The Diary
of an Invalid', afterwards a Judge in the Supreme Court of Ceylon, who
died in 1828. They were the sons of John Matthews of Belmont,
Herefordshire, M.P. for that county (1802-6). C. S. Matthews became a
Scholar of Trinity, Cambridge; Ninth Wrangler in 1805; First Members'
Prizeman in 1807; Fellow of Downing in 1808. He was drowned in the Cam
in August, 1811. He at the time contemplated standing as Member for the
University of Cambridge. For a description of the accident, see letter
from Henry Drury to Francis Hodgson ('Life of the Rev. Francis Hodgson',
vol. i. pp. 182-185). In the note to 'Childe Harold', Canto I. stanza
xci., Byron speaks of Matthews:
"I should have ventured a verse to the memory of the late Charles
Skinner Matthews, Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge, were he not
too much above all praise of mine. His powers of mind, shown in the
attainment of greater honours, against the ablest candidates, than
those of any graduate on record at Cambridge, have sufficiently
established his fame on the spot where it was acquired; while his
softer qualities live in the recollection of friends who loved him too
well to envy his superiority."]
[Footnote 3: See page 120 [Letter 67], [Foot]note 1.]
[Footnote 4: See page 73 [Letter 31], [Foot]note 2.]
[Footnote 5: See page 163 [Letter 83], note 1 [5].]
[Footnote 6: Of this visit to Newstead, Matthews wrote the following
account to his sister:--
"London, May 22, 1809.
"My Dear----,--I must begin with giving you a few particulars of the
singular place which I have lately quitted.
Newstead Abbey is situate 136 miles from London,--four on this side
Mansfield. It is so fine a piece of antiquity, that I should think
there must be a description, and, perhaps, a picture of it in Grose.
The ancestors of its present owner came into possession of it at the
time of the dissolution of the monasteries,--but the building itself
is of a much earlier date. Though sadly fallen to decay, it is still
completely an _abbey_, and most part of it is still standing in the
same state as when it was first built. There are two tiers of
cloisters, with a variety of cells and rooms about them, which, though
not inhabited, nor in an inhabitable state, might easily be made so;
and many of the original rooms, amongst which is a fine stone hall,
are still in use. Of the abbey church only one end remains; and the
old kitchen, with a long range of apartments, is reduced to a heap of
rubbish. Leading from the abbey to the modern part of the habitation
is a noble room, seventy feet in length, and twenty-three in breadth;
but every part of the house displays neglect and decay, save those
which the present Lord has lately fitted up.
The house and gardens are entirely surrounded by a wall with
battlements. In front is a large lake, bordered here and there with
castellated buildings, the chief of which stands on an eminence at the
further extremity of it. Fancy all this surrounded with bleak and
barren hills, with scarce a tree to be seen for miles, except a
solitary clump or two, and you will have some idea of Newstead. For
the late Lord, being at enmity with his son, to whom the estate was
secured by entail, resolved, out of spite to the same, that the estate
should descend to him in as miserable a plight as he could possibly
reduce it to; for which cause, he took no care of the mansion, and
fell to lopping of every tree he could lay his hands on, so furiously,
that he reduced immense tracts of woodland country to the desolate
state I have just described. However, his son died before him, so that
all his rage was thrown away.
So much for the place, concerning which I have thrown together these
few particulars, meaning my account to be, like the place itself,
without any order or connection. But if the place itself appear rather
strange to you, the ways of the inhabitants will not appear much less
so. Ascend, then, with me the hall steps, that I may introduce you to
my Lord and his visitants. But have a care how you proceed; be mindful
to go there in broad daylight, and with your eyes about you. For,
should you make any blunder,--should you go to the right of the hall
steps, you are laid hold of by a bear; and should you go to the left,
your case is still worse, for you run full against a wolf!--Nor, when
you have attained the door, is your danger over; for the hall being
decayed, and therefore standing in need of repair, a bevy of inmates
are very probably banging at one end of it with their pistols; so that
if you enter without giving loud notice of your approach, you have
only escaped the wolf and the bear to expire by the pistol-shots of
the merry monks of Newstead.
Our party consisted of Lord Byron and four others, and was, now and
then, increased by the presence of a neighbouring parson. As for our
way of living, the order of the day was generally this:--for
breakfast we had no set hour, but each suited his own convenience,
--everything remaining on the table till the whole party had done;
though had one wished to breakfast at the early hour of ten, one would
have been rather lucky to find any of the servants up. Our average
hour of rising was one. I, who generally got up between eleven and
twelve, was always,--even when an invalid,--the first of the party,
and was esteemed a prodigy of early rising. It was frequently past two
before the breakfast party broke up. Then, for the amusements of the
morning, there was reading, fencing, single-stick, or shuttle-cock, in
the great room; practising with pistols in the hall;
walking--riding--cricket--sailing on the lake, playing with the bear,
or teasing the wolf. Between seven and eight we dined; and our evening
lasted from that time till one, two, or three in the morning. The
evening diversions may be easily conceived.
I must not omit the custom of handing round, after dinner, on the
removal of the cloth, a human skull filled with burgundy. After
revelling on choice viands, and the finest wines of France, we
adjourned to tea, where we amused ourselves with reading, or improving
conversation,--each, according to his fancy,--and, after sandwiches,
etc., retired to rest. A set of monkish dresses, which had been
provided, with all the proper apparatus of crosses, beads, tonsures,
etc., often gave a variety to our appearance, and to our pursuits.
You may easily imagine how chagrined I was at being ill nearly the
first half of the time I was there. But I was led into a very
different reflection from that of Dr. Swift, who left Pope's house
without ceremony, and afterwards informed him, by letter, that it was
impossible for two sick friends to live together; for I found my
shivering and invalid frame so perpetually annoyed by the thoughtless
and tumultuous health of every one about me, that I heartily wished
every soul in the house to be as ill as myself.
"The journey back I performed on foot, together with another of the
guests. We walked about twenty-five miles a day; but were a week on
the road, from being detained by the rain. So here I close my account
of an expedition which has somewhat extended my knowledge of this
country. And where do you think I am going next? To
Constantinople!--at least, such an excursion has been proposed to me.
Lord B. and another friend of mine are going thither next month, and
have asked me to join the party; but it seems to be but a wild scheme,
and requires twice thinking upon.
"Addio, my dear I., yours very affectionately, C. S. MATTHEWS."]
[Footnote 7: A joke, related by Hobhouse, reminds us of the youth of the
party. In the Long Gallery at Newstead was placed a stone coffin,
from which, as he passed down the Gallery at night, he heard a
groan proceeding. On going nearer, a cowled figure rose from the
coffin and blew out the candle. It was Matthews.]
[Footnote 8: The Rev. Thomas Jones. (See page 79 [Letter 36], [Foot]note 1.)]
[Footnote 9: The only thing remarkable about Walsh's preface is that
Dr. Johnson praises it as "very judicious," but is, at the same time,
silent respecting the poems to which it is prefixed (Moore).]
[Footnote 10: No "Ode" under this title is to be found in Walsh's Poems.
Byron had, no doubt, in mind _The Golden Age Restored_--a composition in
which, says Dr. Johnson, "there was something of humour, while the facts
were recent; but it now strikes no longer."]
[Footnote 11:
"----Granville the polite,
And _knowing Walsh_, would tell me I could write."
"About fifteen," says Pope, "I got acquainted with Mr. Walsh. He used to
encourage me much, and tell me, that there was one way left of
excelling: for though we had several great poets, we never had any one
great poet that was correct; and he desired me to make that my study and
aim" (Spence's _Anecdotes_, edit. 1820, p. 280).]
[Footnote 12: See page 165 [Letter 86], [Foot]note 2.]
[Footnote 13: Dan Dogherty, Irish champion (1806-11), came into notice as
a pugilist in 1806. He was beaten by Belcher in April, 1808, near
the Rubbing House on Epsom Downs, and again on the Curragh
of Kildare, in 1813, in thirty-five minutes, after twenty-six rounds.]
[Footnote 14: Tom Belcher (1783-1854), younger brother of Jem Belcher
the champion, fought and won his first fight in London, in 1804, against
Warr. The fight took place in Tothill Fields, Westminster. Twice beaten
by Dutch Sam (Elias Samuel), in 1806 and 1807, he never held the
championship, which a man of his height (5 ft. 9 ins.) and weight (10
st. 12 lbs.) could scarcely hope to win. But he repeatedly established
the superiority of art over strength, and was one of the most popular
and respectable pugilists of the day. Under his management the Castle
Tavern at Holborn, in which he succeeded Gregson (page 207 [Letter 108],
[Foot]note 1 [2]), was the head-quarters of pugilism.]
[Footnote 15: Sir Henry Smyth, Baronet, of Trinity Hall, A.M. 1805, was
found between eleven and twelve at night, on May 11, 1805, "inciting to a
disturbance" at the shop of a Mrs. Thrower on Market Hill. Other members
of the University seem to have been equally guilty. The sentence of the
Vice-Chancellor and Heads was "that he be suspended from his degree and
banished from the University." The others were admonished only; so it
was clearly considered that Smyth was the ring-leader.]
85.--To Henry Drury. [1]
Dorant's Hotel, Jan. 13, 1808.
My Dear Sir,--Though the stupidity of my servants, or the porter of
the house, in not showing you up stairs (where I should have joined
you directly), prevented me the pleasure of seeing you yesterday, I
hoped to meet you at some public place in the evening. However, my
stars decreed otherwise, as they generally do, when I have any favour
to request of them. I think you would have been surprised at my
figure, for, since our last meeting, I am reduced four stone in
weight. I then weighed fourteen stone seven pound, and now only _ten
stone and a half_. I have disposed of my _superfluities_ by means of
hard exercise and abstinence.
Should your Harrow engagements allow you to visit town between this
and February, I shall be most happy to see you in Albemarle Street. If
I am not so fortunate, I shall endeavour to join you for an afternoon
at Harrow, though, I fear, your cellar will by no means contribute to
my cure. As for my worthy preceptor, Dr. B., [2] our encounter would
by no means prevent the _mutual endearments_ he and I were wont to
lavish on each other. We have only spoken once since my departure from
Harrow in 1805, and then he politely told Tatersall [3] I was not a
proper associate for his pupils. This was long before my strictures in
verse; but, in plain _prose_, had I been some years older, I should
have held my tongue on his perfections. But, being laid on my back,
when that schoolboy thing was written--or rather dictated--expecting
to rise no more, my physician having taken his sixteenth fee, and I
his prescription, I could not quit this earth without leaving a
memento of my constant attachment to Butler in gratitude for his
manifold good offices.
I meant to have been down in July; but thinking my appearance,
immediately after the publication, would be construed into an insult,
I directed my steps elsewhere. Besides, I heard that some of the boys
had got hold of my _Libellus_, contrary to my wishes certainly, for I
never transmitted a single copy till October, when I gave one to a
boy, since gone, after repeated importunities. You will, I trust,
pardon this egotism. As you had touched on the subject I thought some
explanation necessary. Defence I shall not attempt, _Hic murus aheneus
esto, nil conscire sibi_--and "so on" (as Lord Baltimore [4] said on
his trial for a rape)--I have been so long at Trinity as to forget the
conclusion of the line; but though I cannot finish my quotation, I
will my letter, and entreat you to believe me, gratefully and
affectionately, etc.
P.S.--I will not lay a tax on your time by requiring an answer, lest
you say, as Butler said to Tatersall (when I had written his reverence
an impudent epistle on the expression before mentioned), viz. "that I
wanted to draw him into a correspondence."
[Footnote 1: See page 12 [Letter 4], [Foot]note 1 [2]; and page 41
[Letter 14], [Foot] note 2 [1].]
[Footnote 2: Dr. Butler, Head-master of Harrow (see page 58 [Letter 22],
[Foot]note 1).]
[Footnote 3: See page 59 [Letter 22], [Foot]note 1 [2].]
[Footnote 4: Francis Calvert, seventh Lord Baltimore (1731-1771), was
charged with decoying a young milliner, named Sarah Woodcock, to his
house, and with rape. On February 12, 1768, he was committed for trial
at the Spring assizes, was tried at Kingston, March 26, 1768, and
acquitted. The story is the subject of a romance, 'Injured Innocence; or
the Rape of Sarah Woodcock;' A Tale, by S. J., Esq., of Magdalen
College, Oxford. New York (no date).
"I thank God," Lord Baltimore is reported to have said, "that I have
had firmness and resolution to meet my accusers face to face, and
provoke an enquiry into my conduct, 'Hic murus aheneus esto, nil
conscire sibi'"
('Ann. Register' for 1768, p. 234). His body lay in state at Exeter
Change, previous to its interment at Epsom (Leigh Hunt's 'The Town',
edit. 1893, p. 191).]
86.--To John Cam Hobhouse. [1]
Newstead Abbey, Notts, January 16, 1808.
My Dear Hobhouse,--I do not know how the _dens_-descended Davies [2]
came to mention his having received a copy of my epistle to you, but I
addressed him and you on the same evening, and being much incensed at
the account I had received from Wallace, I communicated the contents
to the Birdmore, though without any of that malice wherewith you
charge me. I shall leave my card at Batts, and hope to see you in your
progress to the North.
I have lately discovered Scrope's genealogy to be ennobled by a
collateral tie with the Beardmore, Chirurgeon and Dentist to Royalty,
and that the town of Southwell contains cousins of Scrope's, who
disowned them (I grieve to speak it) on visiting that city in my
society.
How I found this out I will disclose, the first time "we three meet
again." But why did he conceal his lineage? "Ah, my dear H., it was
_cruel_, it was _insulting_, it was _unnecessary_."
I have (notwithstanding your kind invitation to Wallace) been alone
since the 8th of December; nothing of moment has occurred since our
anniversary row. I shall be in London on the 19th; there are to be
oxen roasted and sheep boiled on the 22nd, with ale and uproar for the
mobility; a feast is also providing for the tenantry. For my own part,
I shall know as little of the matter as a corpse of the funeral
solemnized in its honour.
A letter addressed to Reddish's will find me. I still intend
publishing the _Bards_, but I have altered a good deal of the "Body of
the Book," added and interpolated, with some excisions; your lines
still stand, [3] and in all there will appear 624 lines.
I should like much to see your Essay upon Entrails: is there any
honorary token of silver gilt? any cups, or pounds sterling attached
to the prize, besides glory? I expect to see you with a medal
suspended from your button-hole, like a Croix de St. Louis.
Fletcher's father is deceased, and has left his son tway cottages,
value ten pounds per annum. I know not how it is, but Fletch., though
only the third brother, conceives himself entitled to all the estates
of the defunct, and I have recommended him to a lawyer, who, I fear,
will triumph in the spoils of this ancient family. A Birthday Ode has
been addressed to me by a country schoolmaster, in which I am likened
to the Sun, or Sol, as he classically saith; the people of Newstead
are compared to Laplanders. I am said to be a Baron, and a Byron, the
truth of which is indisputable. Feronia is again to reign (she must
have some woods to govern first), but it is altogether a very pleasant
performance, and the author is as superior to Pye, as George Gordon to
George Guelph. To be sure some of the lines are too short, but then,
to make amends, the Alexandrines have from fifteen to seventeen
syllables, so we may call them Alexandrines the great.
I shall be glad to hear from you, and beg you to believe me,
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: John Cam Hobhouse (1786-1869), created in 1851 Baron
Broughton de Gyfford, was the eldest son of Mr. Benjamin Hobhouse,
created a baronet in 1812, and M.P. (from 1797 to 1818) successively for
Bletchingley, Grampound, and Hindon. From a school at Bristol, John Cam
Hobhouse was sent to Westminster, and thence to Trinity, Cambridge,
where he won (1808) the Hulsean Prize for an essay on "Sacrifices," and
made acquaintance with Byron, as related in Letter 84. In 1809 he
published a poetical miscellany, consisting of sixty-five pieces, under
the title of 'Imitations and Translations from the Ancient and Modern
Classics, together with original Poems never before published' (London,
1809, 8vo). (For Byron's nine contributions, see 'Poems', vol. i.,
Bibliographical Note.) In 1809-10 he was Byron's travelling companion
abroad (see 'A Journey through Albania, etc.' London, 1813, 4to).
In 1813 he travelled with Douglas Kinnaird in Sweden, Germany, Austria,
and Italy; in 1814 he was at Paris with the allied armies; and in April,
1815, was there again till the second Napoleonic war broke out,
returning to witness the second restoration of the Bourbons (see his
'Letters--written by an Englishman resident in Paris, etc.' Anon.,
London, 1816, 2 vols., 8vo). During 1814 he was much with Byron in
London. He notes going with him to Drury Lane, and being introduced with
him to Kean (May 19); dining with him at Lord Tavistock's (June 4);
dining with him at Douglas Kinnaird's, to meet Kean (December 14). He
was Byron's best man at his marriage at Seaham (January 2, 1815), and it
was to him that the bride said, "If I am not happy, it will be my own
fault." He was the last person who shook hands with Byron on Dover pier,
when the latter left England in 1816. Later in the same year he was with
him at the Villa Diodati, on the Lake of Geneva, and travelled with him
to Venice. To him Byron dedicated 'The Siege of Corinth', In the next
year he was again with Byron in the Villa La Mira on the banks of the
Brenta, and at Venice, where he prepared the commentary on the fourth
canto of 'Childe Harold', which Byron dedicated to him. Part of the
notes were published separately ('Historical Illustrations, etc.'
London, 1818, 8vo). In 1818 Hobhouse stood for Westminster, but was
defeated by George Lamb, the representative of the official Whigs. He
was an original member of "The Rota Club," afterwards known as
"Harrington's," to which Michael Bruce, Douglas Kinnaird, Scrope Davies,
and others belonged, and which Byron, writing from Italy, expressed a
wish to join. He had now embarked on political life. His pamphlet, 'A
Defence of the People' (1819), was followed in the same year by 'A
Trifling Mistake', which was declared by the House of Commons to be a
breach of privilege. In consequence, he was committed to Newgate. The
death of George III., and the dissolution of Parliament, set him free.
He contested Westminster, won the seat with Sir Francis Burdett as his
colleague, and represented it for thirteen years. He took the part of
Queen Caroline against the Government. At the Queen's funeral (August 7,
1821) he attended the procession which escorted her body (August 13)
from Brandenburg House to Harwich, and saw the coffin placed upon the
vessel.
His political career was long, independent, useful, and distinguished,
and he specially associated himself with such questions as the
shortening of the hours for infant labour, the opening up of
metropolitan vestries, and the subject of parliamentary reform. In 1832
he was made a Privy Councillor, and became Secretary at War in Lord
Grey's Ministry. This post, finding himself unable to effect essential
reforms at the War Office, he exchanged for that of Secretary for
Ireland (1833); but he resigned both his office and his seat a few weeks
later, being opposed to the Government on a question of taxation. In
1834 he joined Lord Melbourne's Government as First Commissioner of
Woods and Forests, with a seat in the Cabinet. In Lord Melbourne's
second administration, and again in Lord J. Russell's Government of
1846, he was President of the Board of Control. On his retirement from
public life, in 1852, he received high recognition of his official
services from the Queen, who conferred on him the Grand Cross of the
Bath and a peerage. Hobhouse was present at Her Majesty's first Council,
and is said to have originated the phrase, "Her Majesty's Opposition."
In 1822 he travelled in Italy (see 'Italy: Remarks made in Several
Visits from the Year 1816 to 1834', London, 1859, 2 vols., 8vo). There,
on September 20, at Pisa, he for the last time saw Byron, whose parting
words were, "Hobhouse, you should never have come, or you should never
go." In July, 1824, when Byron's body was brought home, he boarded the
'Florida' in Sandgate Creek, and took charge of the funeral ceremonies
from Westminster Stairs to the interment at Hucknall Torkard. He
prepared an article for the 'Quarterly Review', exposing the absurdities
of Medwin's 'Conversations' and of Dallas's 'Recollections'; but, owing
to difficulties with Southey, it was not published. It was the substance
of this article which afterwards appeared in the 'Westminster Review' in
1825. In 1830 he wrote, but, by Lord Holland's advice, withheld, a
refutation of the charges made against the dead poet as to his
separation from Lady Byron. He has, however, left on record that it was
not fear which induced Byron to agree to the separation, but that, on
the contrary, he was ready to "go into court."
The staunchest of Byron's friends, Hobhouse was also the most sensible
and candid. As such Byron valued him. Talking to Lady Blessington at
Genoa, in 1823, he said ('Conversations', p. 93) that Hobhouse was
"the most impartial, or perhaps," added he, "'unpartial', of my
friends; he always told me my faults, but I must do him the justice to
add, that he told them to 'me', and not to others."
On another occasion he said (p. 172),
"If friendship, as most people imagine, consists in telling one
truth--unvarnished, unadorned truth--he is indeed a friend: yet, hang
it, I must be candid, and say I have had many other, and more
agreeable, proofs of Hobhouse's friendship than the truths he always
told me; but the fact is, I wanted him to sugar them over a little
with flattery, as nurses do the physic given to children; and he never
would, and therefore I have never felt quite content with him, though,
'au fond', I respect him the more for his candour, while I respect
myself very much less for my weakness in disliking it."]
[Footnote 2: Scrope Berdmore Davies (1783-1852), born at Horsley, in
Gloucestershire, was educated at Eton, and King's College, Cambridge,
where he was admitted a Scholar in July, 1802, and a Fellow in July,
1805. In 1803 he was awarded by the Provost of Eton the Belham
Scholarship, given to those Scholars of King's who had behaved well at
Eton, and held it till 1816. A witty companion, with "a dry caustic
manner, and an irresistible stammer" ('Life of Rev, F. Hodgson', vol. i.
p. 204), Davies was, during the Regency and afterwards, a popular member
of fashionable society. A daring gambler and shrewd calculator, he at
one time won heavily at the gaming-tables. On June 10, 1814, as he told
Hobhouse, he won L6065 at Watier's Club at Macao. Captain Cronow, in his
'Reminiscences' (ed. 1860, vol. i. pp. 93-96), sketches him among
"Golden Ball" Hughes, "King" Allen, and other dandies. But luck turned
against him, and he retired, poverty-stricken and almost dependent upon
his Fellowship, to Paris, where he died, May 23, 1852. It was supposed
he had for many years occupied himself with writing his recollections of
his friends. But the notes, if they were ever written, have disappeared.
Byron, who hated obligations, as he himself says, counted Davies as a
friend, though not on the same plane as Hobhouse. He borrowed from
Davies L4800 before he left England in 1809, repaid him in 1814, and
dedicated to him his 'Parisina'. In his 'MS. Journal' ('Life', pp. 129,
130) he says,
"One of the cleverest men I ever knew, in conversation, was Scrope
Berdmore Davies. Hobhouse is also very good in that line, though it is
of less consequence to a man who has other ways of showing his talents
than in company. Scrope was always ready, and often witty--Hobhouse
was witty, but not always so ready, being more diffident."
Byron appointed him one of the executors of his will of 1811. In his
'Journal' for March 28, 1814 ('Life', p. 234), occurs this entry:
"Yesterday, dined tete a tete at the Cocoa with Scrope Davies--sat
from six till midnight--drank between us one bottle of champagne and
six of claret, neither of which wines ever affect me. Offered to take
Scrope home in my carriage; but he was tipsy and pious, and I was
obliged to leave him on his knees praying to I know not what purpose
or pagod. No headach, nor sickness, that night, nor to-day. Got up, if
anything, earlier than usual--sparred with Jackson 'ad sudorem', and
have been much better in health than for many days. I have heard
nothing more from Scrope."
Scrope Davies visited Byron at the Villa Diodati, in 1816, and brought
back with him 'Childe Harold', canto iii. On his return he gave evidence
in the case of 'Byron v. Johnson', before the Lord Chancellor, November
28, 1816, when an injunction was obtained to restrain Johnson from
publishing a volume containing 'Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
to the Holy Land', and other works, which he professed to have bought
from Byron for L500.
According to Gronow ('Reminiscences', vol. i. p. 153, 154), Scrope
Davies, asked to give his private opinion of Byron, said that he
considered him
"very agreeable and clever, but vain, overbearing, suspicious, and
jealous. Byron hated Palmerston, but liked Peel, and thought that the
whole world ought to be constantly employed in admiring his poetry and
himself."]
[Footnote 3: For Hobhouse's lines on Bowles, see 'English Bards, etc.',
line 384, and note.]
87.--To Robert Charles Dallas. [1]
Dorant's Hotel, Albemarle Street, Jan. 20, 1808.
Sir,--Your letter was not received till this morning, I presume from
being addressed to me in Notts., where I have not resided since last
June; and as the date is the 6th, you will excuse the delay of my
answer.
If the little volume you mention has given pleasure to the author of
_Percival_ and _Aubrey_, I am sufficiently repaid by his praise.
Though our periodical censors have been uncommonly lenient, I confess
a tribute from a man of acknowledged genius is still more flattering.
But I am afraid I should forfeit all claim to candour, if I did not
decline such praise as I do not deserve; and this is, I am sorry to
say, the case in the present instance.
My compositions speak for themselves, and must stand or fall by their
own worth or demerit: _thus far_ I feel highly gratified by your
favourable opinion. But my pretensions to virtue are unluckily so few,
that though I should be happy to merit, I cannot accept, your applause
in that respect. One passage in your letter struck me forcibly: you
mention the two Lords Lyttleton [2] in the manner they respectively
deserve, and will be surprised to hear the person who is now
addressing you has been frequently compared to the _latter_. I know I
am injuring myself in your esteem by this avowal, but the circumstance
was so remarkable from your observation, that I cannot help relating
the fact. The events of my short life have been of so singular a
nature, that, though the pride commonly called honour has, and I trust
ever will, prevent me from disgracing my name by a mean or cowardly
action, I have been already held up as the votary of licentiousness,
and the disciple of infidelity. How far justice may have dictated this
accusation, I cannot pretend to say; but, like the _gentleman_ to whom
my religious friends, in the warmth of their charity, have already
devoted me, I am made worse than I really am. However, to quit myself
(the worst theme I could pitch upon), and return to my poems, I cannot
sufficiently express my thanks, and I hope I shall some day have an
opportunity of rendering them in person. A second edition is now in
the press, with some additions and considerable omissions; you will
allow me to present you with a copy. The 'Critical', [3] 'Monthly',
[4] and 'Anti-Jacobin [5] Reviews' have been very indulgent; but the
'Eclectic' [6] has pronounced a furious Philippic, not against the
_book_ but the _author_, where you will find all I have mentioned
asserted by a reverend divine who wrote the critique.
Your name and connection with our family have been long known to me,
and I hope your person will be not less so: you will find me an
excellent compound of a "Brainless" and a "Stanhope." [7] I am afraid
you will hardly be able to read this, for my hand is almost as bad as
my character; but you will find me, as legibly as possible,
Your obliged and obedient servant,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Robert Charles Dallas (1754-1842), born in Jamaica and
educated in Scotland, read law at the Inner Temple. About 1775 he
returned to Jamaica to look after his property and take up a lucrative
appointment. Three years later he returned to England, married, and took
his wife back with him to the West Indies. His wife's health compelled
him to return to Europe, and he lived for some time in France. At the
outbreak of the Revolution he emigrated to America; but finally settled
down to literary work in England. His first publication (1797) was
_Miscellaneous Writings consisting of Poems; Lucretia, a Tragedy; and
Moral Essays, with a Vocabulary of the Passions_. He translated a number
of French books bearing on the French Revolution, by Bertrand de
Moleville, Mallet du Pan, Hue, and Joseph Weber; also a work on
Volcanoes by the Abbe Ordinaire, and an historical novel by Madame de
Genlis, _The Siege of Rochelle_. He wrote a number of novels, among them
_Percival, or Nature Vindicated_ (1801); _Aubrey: a Novel_ (1804); _The
Morlands; Tales illustrative of the Simple and Surprising_ (1805); _The
Knights; Tales illustrative of the Marvellous_ (1808). Later (1819 and
1823) he published two volumes of poems. He says (preface to _Percival_,
p. ix.) that his object is "to improve the heart, as well as to please
the fancy, and to be the auxiliary of the Divine and the Moralist." He
is one of the writers, others being "Gleaner" Pratt and Lord Carlisle,
"whose writings" (_Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Percival
Stockdale_, 1809, vol. i. Preface, p. xvi.) "dart through the general
fog of our literary dulness." Stockdale further says of him that he was
"a man of a most affectionate and virtuous mind. He has had the moral
honour, in several novels, to exert his talents, which were worthy of
their glorious cause, in the service of good conduct and religion."
Dallas's sister, Henrietta Charlotte, married George Anson Byron, the
son of Admiral the Hon. John Byron, and was therefore Byron's aunt by
marriage. On the score of this connection, Dallas introduced himself to
Byron by complimenting him, in a letter dated January 6, 1808, on his
_Hours of Idleness_. A well-meaning, self-satisfied, dull, industrious
man, he gave Byron excellent moral advice, to which the latter responded
as the _fanfaron de ses vices_, evidently with great amusement to
himself. _English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers_ was brought out under
Dallas's auspices, as well as _Childe Harold_ and _The Corsair_, the
profits of which Byron made over to him. Dallas distrusted his own
literary judgment in the matter of Byron's verse, and consulted Walter
Wright, the author of Horae Ioniae, about the prospects of 'Childe
Harold'.
"I have told him," said Wright, "that I have no doubt this will
succeed. Lord Byron had offered him before some translations from
Horace, which I told him would never sell, and he did not take them"
('Diary of H. Crabb Robinson', vol. i. pp. 29, 30).
The connection between Dallas and Byron practically ended in 1814. The
publication of Dallas's 'Recollections of the Life of Lord Byron from
the Year 1808 to the end of 1814' was stopped by a decree obtained by
Byron's executors, in the Court of Chancery, August 23, 1824. But the
book was published by the writer's son, the Rev. A. R. C. Dallas.]
[Footnote 2: Byron refers to the following passage in Dallas's letter of
January 6, 1808:
"A spirit that brings to my mind another noble author, who was not
only a fine poet, orator, and historian, but one of the closest
reasoners we have on the truth of that religion, of which forgiveness
is a prominent principle: the great and the good Lord Lyttelton, whose
fame will never die. His son, to whom he had transmitted genius but
not virtue, sparkled for a moment, and went out like a falling star,
and with him the title became extinct. He was the victim of inordinate
passions, and he will be heard of in this world only by those who read
the English Peerage"
('Correspondence of Lord Byron', p. 20, the suppressed edition).
Dallas was, of course, aware that Byron's predecessor in the title,
William, fifth Lord Byron, was known as the "wicked Lord Byron." George,
first Lord Lyttelton (1709-1773), to whom Pope refers ('Imitations of
Horace', bk. i. Ep. i. 1. 30) as
"Still true to virtue, and as warm as true,"
was a voluminous writer in prose and verse, but owed his political
importance to his family connection with Chatham, Temple, and George
Grenville. Horace Walpole calls him a "wise moppet" ('Letters', vol. ii.
p. 28, ed. Cunningham), and repeatedly sneers at his dulness. His son
Thomas, second Lord Lyttelton (1744-1779), the "wicked Lord Lyttelton,"
appears in W. Combe's 'Diaboliad' as the
"Peer of words,
Well known,--and honour'd in the House of Lords,--
Whose Eloquence all Parallel defies!"
who claims the throne of Hell as the worst of living men. His 'Poems by
a Young Nobleman lately deceased' (published in 1780, after his death)
may have helped Dallas in his allusion. He was the hero and the victim
of the famous ghost story which Dr. Johnson was "willing to believe."]
[Footnote 3: 'The Critical Review' (3rd series, vol. xii. pp. 47-53)
specially praises lines "On Leaving Newstead Abbey" and "Childish
Recollections."]
[Footnote 4: In 'Monthly Literary Recreations' (July, 1807, pp. 67-71),
"Childish Recollections" and "The Tear" are particularly commended.
"As friends to the cause of literature, we have thought proper not to
disguise our opinion of his powers, that we might alter his
determination, and lead him once more to the Castalian fount."]
[Footnote 5: 'The Anti-Jacobin Review' (December, 1807, pp. 407, 408)
says that the poems
"exhibit strong proofs of genius, accompanied by a lively but
chastened imagination, a classical taste, and a benevolent heart."]
[Footnote 6: _The Eclectic Review_ (vol. iii. part ii. pp. 989-993)
begins its review thus:
"The notice we take of this publication regards the author rather than
the book; the book is a collection of juvenile pieces, some of very
moderate merit, and others of very questionable morality; but the
author is a _nobleman_!"]
[Footnote 7: Characters in the novel called _Percival_.]
88.--To Robert Charles Dallas.
Dorant's, January 21, 1808.
Sir,--Whenever leisure and inclination permit me the pleasure of a
visit, I shall feel truly gratified in a personal acquaintance with
one whose mind has been long known to me in his writings.
You are so far correct in your conjecture, that I am a member of the
University of Cambridge, where I shall take my degree of A.M. this
term; but were reasoning, eloquence, or virtue, the objects of my
search, Granta is not their metropolis, nor is the place of her
situation an "El Dorado," far less an Utopia. The intellects of her
children are as stagnant as her Cam, and their pursuits limited to the
church--not of Christ, but of the nearest benefice.
As to my reading, I believe I may aver, without hyperbole, it has been
tolerably extensive in the historical department; so that few nations
exist, or have existed, with whose records I am not in some degree
acquainted, from Herodotus down to Gibbon. Of the classics, I know
about as much as most school-boys after a discipline of thirteen
years; of the law of the land as much as enables me to keep "within
the statute"--to use the poacher's vocabulary. I did study the "Spirit
of Laws" [1] and the Law of Nations; but when I saw the latter
violated every month, I gave up my attempts at so useless an
accomplishment:--of geography, I have seen more land on maps than I
should wish to traverse on foot;--of mathematics, enough to give me
the headach without clearing the part affected;--of philosophy,
astronomy, and metaphysics, more than I can comprehend; and of common
sense so little, that I mean to leave a Byronian prize at each of our
"Almae Matres" for the first discovery,--though I rather fear that of
the longitude will precede it.
I once thought myself a philosopher, and talked nonsense with great
decorum: I defied pain, and preached up equanimity. For some time this
did very well, for no one was in _pain_ for me but my friends, and
none lost their patience but my hearers. At last, a fall from my horse
convinced me bodily suffering was an evil; and the worst of an
argument overset my maxims and my temper at the same moment: so I
quitted Zeno for Aristippus, and conceive that pleasure constitutes
the [Greek (transliterated): to kalon].
In morality, I prefer Confucius to the Ten Commandments, and Socrates
to St. Paul (though the two latter agree in their opinion of
marriage). In religion, I favour the Catholic emancipation, but do not
acknowledge the Pope; and I have refused to take the sacrament,
because I do not think eating bread or drinking wine from the hand of
an earthly vicar will make me an inheritor of heaven. I hold virtue,
in general, or the virtues severally, to be only in the disposition,
each a _feeling_, not a principle. I believe truth the prime attribute
of the Deity, and death an eternal sleep, at least of the body. You
have here a brief compendium of the sentiments of the _wicked_ George,
Lord Byron; and, till I get a new suit, you will perceive I am badly
cloathed.
I remain yours, etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: In Byron's "List of historical writers whose works I have
perused in different languages" ('Life', pp. 46, 47), occurs the name of
Montesquieu. It is to his 'Esprit des Lois' that Byron refers.]
89.--To John Hanson.
Dorant's, January 25th, 1808.
Sir,--The picture I have drawn of my finances is unfortunately a true
one, and I find the colours may be heightened but not improved by
time.--I have inclosed the receipt, and return my thanks for the loan,
which shall be repaid the first opportunity. In the concluding part of
my last I gave my reasons for not troubling you with my society at
present, but when I can either communicate or receive pleasure, I
shall not be long absent.
Yrs., etc.,
BYRON.
P.S.--I have received a letter from Whitehead, of course you know the
contents, and must act as you think proper.
90.--To John Hanson.
Dorant's, January 25th, 1808.
Dear Sir,--Some time ago I gave Mitchell the sadler [_sic_] a letter
for you, requesting his bill might be paid from the Balance of the
Quarter you obliged me by advancing. If he has received this you will
further oblige me by paying what remains, I believe somewhere about
five pounds, if so much.
You will confer a favour upon me by the loan of twenty. I will
endeavour to repay it next week, as I have immediate occasion for that
sum, and I should not require it of you could I obtain it elsewhere.
I am now in my one and twentieth year, and cannot command as many
pounds. To Cambridge I cannot go without paying my bills, and at
present I could as soon compass the National Debt; in London I must
not remain, nor shall I, when I can procure a trifle to take me out of
it. Home I have none; and if there was a possibility of getting out of
the Country, I would gladly avail myself of it. But even that is
denied me, my Debts amount to three thousand, three hundred to Jews,
eight hundred to Mrs. B. of Nottingham, to coachmaker and other
tradesmen a thousand more, and these must be much increased, before
they are lessened.
Such is the prospect before me, which is by no means brightened by
ill-health. I would have called on you, but I have neither spirits to
enliven myself or others, or inclination to bring a gloomy face to
spoil a group of happy ones. I remain,
Your obliged and obedt. sert.,
BYRON.
P.S.--Your answer to the former part will oblige, as I shall be
reduced to a most unpleasant dilemma if it does not arrive.
91.--To James De Bathe. [1]
Dorant's Hotel, February 2d, 1808.
My Dear De Bathe,--Last Night I saw your Father and Brother, the
former I have not the pleasure of knowing, but the latter informed me
_you_ came to Town on _Saturday_ and returned _yesterday_.
I have received a pressing Invitation from Henry Drury to pay him a
visit; in his Letter he mentions a very old _Friend_ of yours, who
told him he would join my party, if I could inform him on what day I
meant to go over. This Friend you will readily conclude to be a Lord
_B_.; but not the one who now addresses you. Shall I bring him to you?
and insure a welcome for myself which perhaps might not otherwise be
the case. This will not be for a Fortnight to come. I am waiting for
Long, who is now at Chatham, when he arrives we shall probably drive
down and dine with Drury.
I confess Harrow has lost most of its charms for me. I do not know if
Delawarr is still there; but, with the exception of yourself and the
Earl, I shall find myself among Strangers. Long has a Brother at
Butler's, and all his predilections remain in full force; mine are
weakened, if not destroyed, and though I can safely say, I never knew
a Friend out of Harrow, I question whether I have one left in it. You
leave Harrow in July; may I ask what is your future Destination?
In January _1809_ I shall be twenty one & in the Spring of the same
year proceed abroad, not on the usual Tour, but a route of a more
extensive Description. What say you? are you disposed for a view of
the Peloponnesus and a voyage through the Archipelago? I am merely in
jest with regard to you, but very serious with regard to my own
Intention which is fixed on the _Pilgrimage_, unless some political
view or accident induce me to postpone it. Adieu! if you have Leisure,
I shall be as happy to hear from you, as I would have been to have
_seen_ you. Believe me,
Yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Sir James Wynne De Bathe (1792-1828) succeeded his father
as second baronet, February 22, 1808. "Clare, Dorset, Charles Gordon, De
Bathe, Claridge, and John Wingfield, were my juniors and favourites,
whom I spoilt by indulgence" ('Life', p. 21). De Bathe's name does not
appear in the Harrow School lists. A Captain De Bathe interested himself
in the case of Medora Leigh in 1843 (see Charles Mackay's 'Medora
Leigh', pp. 92, 93, and elsewhere in the volume).]
92.--To William Harness. [1]
Dorant's Hotel, Albemarle Street, Feb. II, 1808.
My Dear Harness,--As I had no opportunity of returning my verbal
thanks, I trust you will accept my written acknowledgments for the
compliment you were pleased to pay some production of my unlucky muse
last November,--I am induced to do this not less from the pleasure I
feel in the praise of an old schoolfellow, than from justice to you,
for I had heard the story with some slight variations. Indeed, when we
met this morning, Wingfield [2] had not undeceived me; but he will
tell you that I displayed no resentment in mentioning what I had
heard, though I was not sorry to discover the truth. Perhaps you
hardly recollect, some years ago, a short, though, for the time, a
warm friendship between us. Why it was not of longer duration I know
not. I have still a gift of yours in my possession, that must always
prevent me from forgetting it. I also remember being favoured with the
perusal of many of your compositions, and several other circumstances
very pleasant in their day, which I will not force upon your memory,
but entreat you to believe me, with much regret at their short
continuance, and a hope they are not irrevocable,
Yours very sincerely, etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: William Harness (1790-1869), son of Dr. J. Harness,
Commissioner of the Transport Board, was educated at Harrow and Christ's
College, Cambridge. Ordained in 1812, he was, from 1823 to 1826, Curate
at Hampstead.
"I could quiz you heartily," writes Mrs. Franklin to Miss Mitford
(September 6, 1824), "for having told me in three successive letters
of Mr. Harness's chapel at Hampstead. I understand he now lives a very
retired life"
('The Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford', vol. i. p. 61). From 1826 to
1844 he was Incumbent of Regent Square Chapel; Minister of Brompton
Chapel (1844-47); Perpetual Curate (1849-69) of All Saints',
Knightsbridge, which he built from subscriptions raised by himself. He
is described by Crabb Robinson ('Diary', vol. iii. p. 212) as
"a clergyman with Oxford propensities, and a worshipper of the heathen
Muses as well as of the Christian Graces;"
and again (iii. 326), as
"a man of taste, of High Church principles and liberal in spirit."
Miss Mitford ('The Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford', vol. ii. p.
289) writes that
"he has neither Catholic nor Puseyite tendencies,--only it is a large
and liberal mind like Bishop Stanley's, believing good men and good
Christians may exist among Papists, and will be as safe there as if
they were Protestants."
Again (vol. ii. p. 295) she says of him:
"Besides his varied accomplishments, and his admirable goodness and
kindness, he has all sorts of amusing peculiarities. With a temper
never known to fail, an indulgence the largest, a tenderness as of a
woman, he has the habit of talking like a cynic! and with more
learning, ancient and modern, and a wider grasp of literature than
almost any one I know, professes to read nothing and care for nothing
but 'Shakespeare and the Bible.' He is the finest reader of both that
I ever heard. His preaching, which has been so much admired, is too
rapid, but his reading the prayers is perfection. The best parish
priest in London, and the truest Christian."
Miss Mitford's praise may be exaggerated; but she had known Harness for
a lifetime.
Harness edited 'Shakespeare' (1825, 8 vols.), as well as 'Massinger'
(1830) and 'Ford' (1831); wrote for the 'Quarterly' and 'Blackwood'; and
published a number of sermons, including 'The Wrath of Cain', 'A Boyle
Lecture' (1822). He wrote 'The Life of Mary Russell Mitford' (1870), in
collaboration with the Rev. A. G. L'Estrange, whose 'Life of the Rev. W.
Harness' is the chief authority for his career.
His friendship with Byron began at Harrow ('Life', pp. 23, 24), where
Byron, who was older than Harness, took pity upon his lameness and
weakness, and protected him from the bullies of the school. At a later
period they became estranged, as is shown by the following letter from
Byron to Harness ('Life', pp. 24, 25):--
"We both seem perfectly to recollect, with a mixture of pleasure and
regret, the hours we once passed together, and I assure you, most
sincerely, they are numbered among the happiest of my brief chronicle
of enjoyment. I am now 'getting into years', that is to say, I was
'twenty' a month ago, and another year will send me into the world to
run my career of folly with the rest. I was then just fourteen,--you
were almost the first of my Harrow friends, certainly the 'first' in
my esteem, if not in date; but an absence from Harrow for some time,
shortly after, and new connections on your side, and the difference in
our conduct (an advantage decidedly in your favour) from that
turbulent and riotous disposition of mine, which impelled me into
every species of mischief,--all these circumstances combined to
destroy an intimacy, which affection urged me to continue, and memory
compels me to regret. But there is not a circumstance attending that
period, hardly a sentence we exchanged, which is not impressed on my
mind at this moment. I need not say more,--this assurance alone must
convince you, had I considered them as trivial, they would have been
less indelible. How well I recollect the perusal of your 'first
flights'! There is another circumstance you do not know;--the 'first
lines' I ever attempted at Harrow were addressed to 'you'. You were to
have seen them; but Sinclair had the copy in his possession when we
went home;--and, on our return, we were 'strangers'. They were
destroyed, and certainly no great loss; but you will perceive from
this circumstance my opinions at an age when we cannot be hypocrites.
I have dwelt longer on this theme than I intended, and I shall now
conclude with what I ought to have begun. We were once friends,--nay,
we have always been so, for our separation was the effect of chance,
not of dissension. I do not know how far our destinations in life may
throw us together, but if opportunity and inclination allow you to
waste a thought on such a hare-brained being as myself, you will find
me at least sincere, and not so bigoted to my faults as to involve
others in the consequences. Will you sometimes write to me? I do not
ask it often; and, if we meet, let us be what we 'should' be, and what
we 'were'."
The following is Harness's own account of the circumstances in which
Letter 92 was written:--
"A coolness afterwards arose, which Byron alludes to in the first of
the accompanying letters, and we never spoke during the last year of
his remaining at school, nor till after the publication of his 'Hours
of Idleness'. Lord Byron was then at Cambridge; I, in one of the upper
forms, at Harrow. In an English theme I happened to quote from the
volume, and mention it with praise. It was reported to Byron that I
had, on the contrary, spoken slightingly of his work and of himself,
for the purpose of conciliating the favour of Dr. Butler, the master,
who had been severely satirised in one of the poems. Wingfield, who
was afterwards Lord Powerscourt, a mutual friend of Byron and myself,
disabused him of the error into which he had been led, and this was
the occasion of the first letter of the collection. Our intimacy was
renewed, and continued from that time till his going abroad. Whatever
faults Lord Byron might have had towards others, to myself he was
always uniformly affectionate. I have many slights and neglects
towards him to reproach myself with; but I cannot call to mind a
single instance of caprice or unkindness, in the whole course of our
friendship, to allege against him."
In December, 1811, Harness paid Byron a visit at Newstead, the only
other guest being Francis Hodgson, who, like Harness, was not then
ordained. He thus describes the visit ('Life of the Rev. Francis
Hodgson', vol. i. pp. 219-221):--
"When Byron returned, with the MS. of the first two cantos of 'Childe
Harold' in his portmanteau, I paid him a visit at Newstead. It was
winter--dark, dreary weather--the snow upon the ground; and a
straggling, gloomy, depressive, partially inhabited place the Abbey
was. Those rooms, however, which had been fitted up for residence were
so comfortably appointed, glowing with crimson hangings, and cheerful
with capacious fires, that one soon lost the melancholy feeling of
being domiciled in the wing of an extensive ruin. Many tales are
related or fabled of the orgies which, in the poet's early youth, had
made clamorous these ancient halls of the Byrons. I can only say that
nothing in the shape of riot or excess occurred when I was there. The
only other visitor was Dr. Hodgson, the translator of 'Juvenal', and
nothing could be more quiet and regular than the course of our days.
Byron was retouching, as the sheets passed through the press, the
stanzas of 'Childe Harold'. Hodgson was at work in getting out the
ensuing number of the 'Monthly Review', of which he was principal
editor. I was reading for my degree. When we met, our general talk was
of poets and poetry--of who could or who could not write; but it
occasionally rose into very serious discussions on religion. Byron,
from his early education in Scotland, had been taught to identify the
principles of Christianity with the extreme dogmas of Calvinism. His
mind had thus imbibed a most miserable prejudice, which appeared to be
the only obstacle to his hearty acceptance of the Gospel. Of this
error we were most anxious to disabuse him. The chief weight of the
argument rested with Hodgson, who was older, a good deal, than myself.
I cannot even now--at a distance of more than fifty years--recall
those conversations without a deep feeling of admiration for the
judicious zeal and affectionate earnestness (often speaking with tears
in his eyes) which Dr. Hodgson evinced in his advocacy of the truth.
The only difference, except perhaps in the subjects talked about,
between our life at Newstead Abbey and that of the great families
around us, was the hours we kept. It was, as I have said, winter, and
the days were cold; and, as nothing tempted us to rise early, we got
up late. This flung the routine of the day rather backward, and we did
not go early to bed. My visit to Newstead lasted about three weeks,
when I returned to Cambridge to take my degree."
To Harness Byron intended to dedicate 'Childe Harold', but feared to do
so, "lest it should injure him in his profession."]
[Footnote 2: Three Wingfields, sons of Lord Powerscourt, entered Harrow
in February, 1801. The Hon. Richard Wingfield succeeded his father as
fifth Viscount Powerscourt in 1809, and died in 1823. Edward became a
clergyman and died of cholera in 1825; John, Byron's friend, the
"Alonzo" of "Childish Recollections" entered the Coldstream Guards, and
died of fever at Coimbra, May 14, 1811.
"Of all human beings, I was perhaps at one time most attached to poor
Wingfield, who died at Coimbra, 1811, before I returned to England"
('Life', p. 21). To his memory Byron wrote the lines in 'Childe Harold',
Canto I. stanza xci.]
93.--To J. Ridge.
[Mr. Ridge, Newark.]
Dorant's Hotel, February 21st, 1808.
Mr. Ridge,--Something has occurred which will make considerable
alteration in my new volume. You must _go back_ and _cut out_ the
whole _poem_ of 'Childish Recollections'. [1] Of course you will be
surprized at this, and perhaps displeased, but it must be _done_. I
cannot help its detaining you a _month_ longer, but there will be
enough in the volume without it, and as I am now reconciled to Dr.
Butler I cannot allow my satire to appear against him, nor can I alter
that part relating to him without spoiling the whole. You will
therefore omit the whole poem. Send me an _immediate_ answer to this
letter but _obey_ the directions. It is better that my reputation
should suffer as a poet by the omission than as a man of honour by the
insertion.
Etc., etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: For "Childish Recollections," see 'Poems', vol.i. p.101. A
previous letter, written to Ridge from Dorant's Hotel, January 9, 1808,
illustrates the rapidity with which Byron's moods changed. In this case,
the lines on "Euryalus" (Lord Delawarr: see page 41 [Letter 13],
[Foot]note 1 [5]) were to be omitted:--
"Mr. Ridge,--In Childish Recollections omit the whole character of
'Euryalus', and insert instead the lines to 'Florio' as a part of the
poem, and send me a proof in due course.
"Etc. etc.,
"BYRON.
"P.S.--The first line of the passage to be omitted begins 'Shall fair
Euryalus,' etc., and ends at 'Toil for more;' omit the _whole_."]
CHAPTER III.
1808-1809.
'ENGLISH BARDS, AND SCOTCH REVIEWERS.'
94.--To the Rev. John Becher. [1]
Dorant's Hotel, Feb. 26, 1808.
MY DEAR BECHER,--Now for Apollo. I am happy that you still retain your
predilection, and that the public allow me some share of praise. I am
of so much importance that a most violent attack is preparing for me
in the next number of the 'Edinburgh Review'. [2] This I had from the
authority of a friend who has seen the proof and manuscript of the
critique. You know the system of the Edinburgh gentlemen is universal
attack. They praise none; and neither the public nor the author
expects praise from them. It is, however, something to be noticed, as
they profess to pass judgment only on works requiring the public
attention. You will see this when it comes out;--it is, I understand,
of the most unmerciful description; but I am aware of it, and hope
'you' will not be hurt by its severity.
Tell Mrs. Byron not to be out of humour with them, and to prepare her
mind for the greatest hostility on their part. It will do no injury
whatever, and I trust her mind will not be ruffled. They defeat their
object by indiscriminate abuse, and they never praise except the
partisans of Lord Holland and Co. [3] It is nothing to be abused when
Southey, Moore, Lauderdale, Strangford, and Payne Knight, share the
same fate. [4]
I am sorry--but "Childish Recollections" must be suppressed during
this edition. I have altered, at your suggestion, the _obnoxious
allusions_ in the sixth stanza of my last ode.
And now, my dear Becher, I must return my best acknowledgments for the
interest you have taken in me and my poetical bantlings, and I shall
ever be proud to show how much I esteem the _advice_ and the
_adviser._
Believe me, most truly, etc.
[Footnote 1: The Rev. John Thomas Becher (1770-1848), educated at
Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, was appointed Vicar of Rumpton,
Notts., and Midsomer Norton, 1801; Prebendary of Southwell in 1818; and
chairman of Newark Quarter Sessions in 1816. In all matters relating to
the condition of the poor he made himself an acknowledged authority. He
was the originator of a house of correction, a Friendly Society, and a
workhouse at Southwell. He was one of the "supervisors" appointed to
organize the Milbank Penitentiary, which was opened in June, 1816. On
Friendly Societies he published three works (1824, 1825, and 1826), in
which, 'inter alia', he sought to prove that labourers, paying sixpence
a week from the time they were twenty, could secure not only sick-pay,
but an annuity of five shillings a week at the age of sixty-five. His
'Anti-Pauper System' (1828) pointed to indoor relief as the true cure to
pauperism. It was by Becher's advice that Byron destroyed his 'Fugitive
Pieces'. No one who has read the silly verses which Becher condemned,
can doubt that the counsel was wise (see Byron's Lines to Becher,
'Poems', vol. i. pp. 112-114, 114-116, 247-251). The following are the
lines in which Becher expostulated with Byron on the mischievous
tendency of his verses:--
"Say, Byron! why compel me to deplore
Talents designed for choice poetic lore,
Deigning to varnish scenes, that shun the day,
With guilty lustre, and with amorous lay?
Forbear to taint the Virgin's spotless mind,
In Power though mighty, be in Mercy kind,
Bid the chaste Muse diffuse her hallowed light,
So shall thy Page enkindle pure delight,
Enhance thy native worth, and proudly twine,
With Britain's Honors, those that are divine."
[Footnote 2: See, for the Review itself, Appendix II.
"As an author," writes Byron to Hobhouse, February 27, 1808, "I am cut
to atoms by the E-----'Review;' it is just out, and has completely
demolished my little fabric of fame. This is rather scurvy treatment
for a Whig Review; but politics and poetry are different things, and I
am no adept in either. I therefore submit in silence."
Among the less sentimental effects of this Review upon Byron's mind, he
used to mention that, on the day he read it, he drank three bottles of
claret to his own share after dinner; that nothing, however, relieved
him till he had given vent to his indignation in rhyme, and that "after
the first twenty lines, he felt himself considerably better" (Moore,
'Life', p. 69).
"I was sitting with Charles Lamb," H. Crabb Robinson told De Morgan,
"when Wordsworth came in, with fume in his countenance and the
'Edinburgh Review' in his hand.
'I have no patience with these Reviewers,' he said; 'here is a young
man, a lord, and a minor, it appears, who publishes a little volume
of poetry; and these fellows attack him, as if no one may write
poetry unless he lives in a garret. The young man will do something,
if he goes on.'
When I became acquainted with Lady Byron, I told her this story, and
she said,
'Ah! if Byron had known that, he would never have attacked
Wordsworth. He once went out to dinner where Wordsworth was to be;
when he came home, I said,
"Well, how did the young poet get on with the old one?"
"To tell you the truth," said he, "I had but one feeling from the
beginning of the visit to the end--'reverence!'"'"
('Diary,' iii. 488.)]
[Footnote 3: That is to say, the 'Edinburgh Review' praised only Whigs.
Henry Richard Vassall Fox, third Lord Holland (1773-1840), the "nephew
of Fox, and friend of Grey," married, in 1797, Elizabeth Vassall, the
divorced wife of Sir Godfrey Webster. He held the office of Lord Privy
Seal in the Ministry of All the Talents (October, 1806, to March, 1807).
During the long exclusion of the Whigs from office (1807-32), when there
seemed as little chance of a Whig Administration as of "a thaw in Nova
Zembla," Holland, in the House of Lords, supported Catholic
Emancipation, advocated the emancipation of slaves, opposed the
detention of Napoleon as a prisoner of war, and moved the abolition of
capital punishment for minor offences. From November, 1830, to his
death, with brief intervals, he was Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster, in the administrations of Lord Grey and of Lord Melbourne.
Outside the House he kept the party together by his great social gifts.
An admirable talker, 'raconteur', and mimic, with a wit's relish for
wit, the charm of his good temper was irresistible.
"In my whole experience of our race," said Lord Brougham, "I never saw
such a temper, nor anything that at all resembled it"
('Statesmen of the Time of George III.', ed. 1843, 3rd series, p. 341).
Greville speaks of
"his imperturbable temper, unflagging vivacity and spirit, his
inexhaustible fund of anecdote, extensive information, sprightly wit"
('Memoirs', iii. 446). Leslie, in his 'Autobiographical Recollections'
(vol. i. p. 100), adds the tribute that
"he was, without any exception, the very best-tempered man I have ever
known."
Lord John Russell (preface to vol. vi. of the 'Life of Thomas Moore')
says that
"he won without seeming to court, instructed without seeming to teach,
and he amused without labouring to be witty."
George Ticknor ('Life', vol. i. p. 264)
"never met a man who so disarms opposition in discussion, as I have
often seen him, without yielding an iota, merely by the unpretending
simplicity and sincerity of his manner."
Sydney Smith ('Memoir of the Rev. Sydney Smith', chap. x. p. 187)
considered that his
"career was one great, incessant, and unrewarded effort to resist
oppression, promote justice, and restrain the abuse of power. He had
an invincible hatred of tyranny and oppression, and the most ardent
love of public happiness and attachment to public rights."
A lover of art, a scholar, a linguist, he wrote memoirs, satires, and
verses, collected materials for a life of his uncle, Charles James Fox,
and translated both from the Spanish and Italian. His 'Account of the
Life and Writings of Lope Felix de Vega Carpio' (1806) was reviewed
favourably by the 'Edinburgh Review' for October, 1806. Byron attacked
him in 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers' (lines 540-559, and
'notes'), on the supposition that Lord Holland had instigated the
article in the 'Edinburgh Review' on 'Hours of Idleness' (January,
1808). In 1812, learning his mistake, and hearing from Rogers that Lord
and Lady Holland desired the satire to be withdrawn, he gave orders that
the whole impression should be burned (see 'Introduction to English
Sards, and Scotch Reviewers, Poems,' vol. i. p. 294). In his 'Journal'
(November 17, 1813) he writes,
"I have had a most kind letter from Lord Holland on 'The Bride of
Abydos,' which he likes, and so does Lady H. This is very good-natured
in both, from whom I do not deserve any quarter. Yet I 'did' think at
the time, that my cause of enmity proceeded from Holland House, and am
glad I was wrong, and wish I had not been in such a hurry with that
confounded Satire, of which I would suppress even the memory; but
people, now they can't get it, make a fuss, I verily believe out of
contradiction."]
[Footnote 4: In the early numbers of the 'Edinburgh Review' reviews were
published of Southey's 'Thalaba' and 'Madoc;' of Moore's 'Odes of
Anacreon' and 'Poems;' of Lord Lauderdale's 'Inquiry into the Nature and
Origin of Public Wealth;' of Lord Strangford's 'Translations from
Camoens;' of Payne Knight's 'Principles of Taste.']
95.--To the Rev. John Becher.
Dorant's, March 28, 1808.
I have lately received a copy of the new edition from Ridge, and it is
high time for me to return my best thanks to you for the trouble you
have taken in the superintendence. This I do most sincerely, and only
regret that Ridge has not seconded you as I could wish,--at least, in
the bindings, paper, etc., of the copy he sent to me. Perhaps those
for the public may be more respectable in such articles.
You have seen the 'Edinburgh Review', of course. I regret that Mrs.
Byron is so much annoyed. For my own part, these "paper bullets of the
brain" have only taught me to stand fire; and, as I have been lucky
enough upon the whole, my repose and appetite are not discomposed.
Pratt, [1] the gleaner, author, poet, etc., etc., addressed a long
rhyming epistle to me on the subject, by way of consolation; but it
was not well done, so I do not send it, though the name of the man
might make it go down. The E. Rs. have not performed their task well;
at least the literati tell me this; and I think _I_ could write a more
sarcastic critique on _myself_ than any yet published. For instance,
instead of the remark,--ill-natured enough, but not keen,--about
Macpherson, I (quoad reviewers) could have said, "Alas, this imitation
only proves the assertion of Dr. Johnson, that many men, women, and
_children_, could write such poetry as Ossian's." [2]
I am _thin_ and in exercise. During the spring or summer I trust we
shall meet. I hear Lord Ruthyn leaves Newstead in April. As soon as he
quits it for ever, I wish much you would take a ride over, survey the
mansion, and give me your candid opinion on the most advisable mode of
proceeding with regard to the _house_. _Entre nous_, I am cursedly
dipped; my debts, _every_ thing inclusive, will be nine or ten
thousand before I am twenty-one. But I have reason to think my
property will turn out better than general expectation may conceive.
Of Newstead I have little hope or care; but Hanson, my agent,
intimated my Lancashire property was worth three Newsteads. I believe
we have it hollow; though the defendants are protracting the
surrender, if possible, till after my majority, for the purpose of
forming some arrangement with me, thinking I shall probably prefer a
sum in hand to a reversion. Newstead I may _sell_;--perhaps I will
not,--though of that more anon. I will come down in May or June.
Yours most truly, etc.
[Footnote 1: Samuel Jackson Pratt (1749-1814), actor, itinerant
lecturer, poet of the Cruscan school, tragedian, and novelist, published
a large number of volumes. His 'Gleanings' in England, Holland, Wales,
and Westphalia attained some reputation. His 'Sympathy, a Poem' (1788)
passed through several editions. His stage-name, as well as his 'nom de
plume', was Courtney Melmoth. He was the discoverer and patron of the
cobbler-poet, Blacket (see also 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers',
line 319, note 2).]
[Footnote 2: "Dr. Johnson's reply to the friend who asked him if any man
'living' could have written such a book, is well known: 'Yes, sir; many
men, many women, and many children.' I inquired of him myself if this
story was authentic, and he said it was" (Mrs. Piozzi, 'Johnsoniana', p.
84).--[Moore.]]
96.--To the Hon. Augusta Leigh.
[Six Mile Bottom, Newmarket, Cambridge.]
Dorant's, [Tuesday], April 26th, 1808.
My dear Augusta,--I regret being compelled to trouble you again, but
it is necessary I should request you will inform Col. Leigh, if the
P's consent is not obtained in a few days, it will be of little
service to Mr. Wallace, who is ordered to join the 17th in ten days,
the Regiment is stationed in the East Indies, and, as he has already
served there nine years, he is unwilling to return. I shall feel
particularly obliged by Col. Leigh's interference, as I think from his
influence the Prince's consent might be obtained. I am not much in the
habit of asking favours, or pressing exertion, but, on this occasion,
my wish to save Wallace must plead my excuse.
I have been introduced to Julia Byron [1] by Trevannion at the Opera;
she is pretty, but I do not admire her; there is too much Byron in her
countenance, I hear she is clever, a very great defect in a woman, who
becomes conceited in course; altogether I have not much inclination to
improve the acquaintance.
I have seen my old friend George, [1] who will prove the best of the
family, and will one day be Lord B. I do not much care how soon.
Pray name my nephew after his uncle; it must be a nephew, (I _won't_
have a _niece,_) I will make him my _heir,_ for I shall never marry,
unless I am ruined, and then his _inheritance_ would not be great.
George will have the title and his _laurels;_ my property, (if any is
left in five years time,) I can leave to whom I please, and your son
shall be the legatee. Adieu.
Yours ever,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: George Anson Byron, R.N. (1758-1793), second son of Admiral
the Hon. John Byron, by his wife Sophia Trevanion, and brother of
Byron's father, married Henrietta Charlotte Dallas, by whom he had a
son, George, who was at this time in the Royal Navy, and in 1824
succeeded as seventh Lord Byron; and a daughter, Julia Byron, who
married, in 1817, the Rev. Robert Heath. Of his cousin George, Byron
writes in his 'Journal' for November 30, 1813 ('Life,' p. 209):
"I like George much more than most people like their heirs. He is a
fine fellow, and every inch a sailor."
Again on December 1, 1813, he says,
"I hope he will be an admiral, and, perhaps, Lord Byron into the
bargain. If he would but marry, I would engage never to marry myself,
or cut him out of the heirship."
George Anson Byron and his wife both died in 1793.]
97.--To the Rev. John Becher.
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Sept. 14, 1808.
My dear Becher,--I am much obliged to you for your inquiries, and
shall profit by them accordingly. I am going to get up a play here;
the hall will constitute a most admirable theatre. I have settled the
'dram. pers.,' and can do without ladies, as I have some young friends
who will make tolerable substitutes for females, and we only want
three male characters, beside Mr. Hobhouse and myself, for the play we
have fixed on, which will be the 'Revenge.' [1] Pray direct Nicholson
the carpenter to come over to me immediately, and inform me what day
you will dine and pass the night here.
Believe me, etc.
[Footnote 1: Young's tragedy (1721), from which one of Byron's Harrow
speeches in the character of "Zanga" was taken (see page 27 [Letter 10],
[Foot]note 1).]
98.--To John Jackson. [1]
N. A., Notts., September 18, 1808.
Dear Jack,--I wish you would inform me what has been done by Jekyll,
at No. 40, Sloane Square, concerning the pony I returned as unsound.
I have also to request you will call on Louch at Brompton, and inquire
what the devil he meant by sending such an insolent letter to me at
Brighton; and at the same time tell him I by no means can comply with
the charge he has made for things pretended to be damaged.
Ambrose behaved most scandalously about the pony. You may tell Jekyll
if he does not refund the money, I shall put the affair into my
lawyer's hands. Five and twenty guineas is a sound price for a pony,
and by God, if it costs me five hundred pounds, I will make an example
of Mr. Jekyll, and that immediately, unless the cash is returned.
Believe me, dear Jack, etc.
[Footnote 1: John Jackson (1769-1845), better known as "Gentleman"
Jackson, was champion of England from 1795 to 1803. His three fights
were against Fewterel (1788), George Ingleston (1789), and Mendoza
(1795). In his fight at Ingatestone with "George the Brewer," he slipped
on the wet stage, and, falling, dislocated his ankle and broke his leg.
His fight with Mendoza at Hornchurch, Essex, was decided in nine rounds.
At the end of the third round "the odds rose two to one on Mendoza." In
the fifth, Jackson "seized hold of his opponent by the hair, and served
him out in that defenceless state till he fell to the ground." The fight
was practically over, and the odds at once turned in favour of Jackson,
who thenceforward had matters all his own way. Even if Mendoza had worn
a wig, he probably would have succumbed to Jackson, who was a more
powerful man with a longer reach, and as scientific, though not so
ornamental, a boxer. In 1803 Jackson retired from the ring.
"I can see him now" ('Pugilistica,' vol. i. 98), "as I saw him in '84,
walking down Holborn Hill towards Smithfield. He had on a scarlet coat
worked in gold at the button-holes, ruffles, and frill of fine lace, a
small white stock, no collar (they were not then invented), a looped
hat with a broad black band, buff knee-breeches, and long silk
strings, striped white silk stockings, pumps, and paste buckles; his
waistcoat was pale blue satin, sprigged with white. It was impossible
to look on his fine ample chest, his noble shoulders, his waist, (if
anything too small,) his large, but not too large hips, ... his limbs,
his balustrade calf and beautifully turned, but not over delicate
ankle, his firm foot, and peculiarly small hand, without thinking that
nature had sent him on earth as a model. On he went at a good five
miles and a half an hour, the envy of all men, and the admiration of
all women."
His rooms at 13, Bond Street, became the head-quarters of the Pugilistic
Club, with whose initials, P.C., the ropes and stakes at prize-rings
were marked (see page 99 [Letter 51], [Foot]note 1; and Pierce Egan's
'Life in London,' pp. 252-254). From 1803 to 1824, when he retired from
the profession, he was, as Pierce Egan says of him (p. 254), unrivalled
as "a teacher of the Art of 'self-defence.'" His character stood high.
"From the highest to the lowest person in the Sporting World, his
'decision' is law."
"This gentleman," says Moore, in a note to 'Tom Crib's Memorial to
Congress' (p. 13), "as he well deserves to be called, from the
correctness of his conduct and the peculiar urbanity of his manners,
forms that useful link between the amateurs and the professors of
pugilism, which, when broken, it will be difficult, if not wholly
impossible, to replace."
He was Byron's guest at Cambridge, Newstead, and Brighton; received from
him many letters; and is described by him, in a note to 'Don Juan'
(Canto XI. stanza xix.), as "my old friend and corporeal pastor and
master." Jackson's monument in Brompton Cemetery, a couchant lion and a
mourning athlete, was subscribed for "by several noblemen and gentlemen,
to record their admiration of one whose excellence of heart and
incorruptible worth endeared him to all who knew him."]
99.--To John Jackson.
N. A., Notts., October 4, 1808.
You will make as good a bargain as possible with this Master Jekyll,
if he is not a gentleman. If he is a _gentleman_, inform me, for I
shall take very different steps. If he is not, you must get what you
can of the money, for I have too much business on hand at present to
commence an action. Besides, Ambrose is the man who ought to
refund,--but I have done with him. You can settle with L. out of the
balance, and dispose of the bidets, etc., as you best can.
I should be very glad to see you here; but the house is filled with
workmen, and undergoing a thorough repair. I hope, however, to be more
fortunate before many months have elapsed.
If you see Bold Webster, [1] remember me to him, and tell him I have
to regret Sydney, who has perished, I fear, in my rabbit warren, for
we have seen nothing of him for the last fortnight. Adieu. [2]
Believe me, etc.
[Footnote 1: Sir Godfrey Vassal Webster (1788-1836).]
[Footnote 2: A third letter to Jackson, written from Newstead, December
12, 1808, runs as follows:--
"My Dear Jack,--You will get the greyhound from the owner at any
price, and as many more of the same breed (male or female) as you can
collect.
"Tell D'Egville his dress shall be returned--I am obliged to him for
the pattern. I am sorry you should have so much trouble, but I was not
aware of the difficulty of procuring the animals in question. I
shall have finished part of my mansion in a few weeks, and, if you can
pay me a visit at Christmas, I shall be very glad to see you.
Believe me, etc."
In a bill, for 1808, sent in to Byron by Messrs. Finn and Johnson,
tailors, of Nottingham, appears the following item: "Masquerade Jackett
with belt and rich Turban, L11:9:6." This is probably the dress made
from d'Egville's pattern.
James d'Egville learned dancing from Gaetano Vestris, well known at the
Court of Frederick the Great, and from Gardel, the Court teacher of
Marie Antoinette. He, his brother Louis, and his sister Madame Michau,
were the most famous teachers of the day in England. The real name of
the family was Hervey; that of d'Egville was assumed for professional
purposes. James d'Egville enjoyed a great reputation, both as an actor
and a dancer, in Paris and London. He was Acting-Manager and Director of
the King's Theatre (October, 1807, to January, 1808), but was dismissed,
owing to a disagreement between the managers, in the course of which he
was accused of French proclivities and republican principles (see
Waters's 'Opera-Glass', pp. 133-145). A man of taste and cultivation, he
produced some musical extravaganzas and ballets; 'e.g. Don Quichotte ou
les Noces de Gamache, L'Elevement d'Adonis, The Rape of Dejanira', etc.
A coloured print, in the possession of his great-nephew, Mr. Louis
d'Egville, represents him, with Deshayes, in one of his most successful
appearances, the ballet-pantomime of 'Achille et Deidamie'. He was an
enthusiastic sportsman.]
100.--To his Mother.
Newstead Abbey, Notts, October 7, 1808.
Dear Madam,--I have no beds for the Hansons or any body else at
present. The Hansons sleep at Mansfield. I do not know that I resemble
Jean Jacques Rousseau. [1] I have no ambition to be like so
illustrious a madman--but this I know, that I shall live in my own
manner, and as much alone as possible. When my rooms are ready I shall
be glad to see you: at present it would be improper, and uncomfortable
to both parties. You can hardly object to my rendering my mansion
habitable, notwithstanding my departure for Persia in March (or May at
farthest), since _you_ will be _tenant_ till my return; and in case of
any accident (for I have already arranged my will to be drawn up the
moment I am twenty-one), I have taken care you shall have the house
and manor for _life_, besides a sufficient income. So you see my
improvements are not entirely selfish. As I have a friend here, we
will go to the Infirmary Ball on the 12th; we will drink tea with Mrs.
Byron [2] at eight o'clock, and expect to see you at the ball. If that
lady will allow us a couple of rooms to dress in, we shall be highly
obliged:--if we are at the ball by ten or eleven, it will be time
enough, and we shall return to Newstead about three or four. Adieu.
Believe me, yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: In Byron's 'Detached Thoughts', quoted by Moore ('Life', p.
72), he thus refers to the comparison with Rousseau:--
"My mother, before I was twenty, would have it that I was like
Rousseau, and Madame de Stael used to say so too in 1813, and the
'Edinburgh Review' has something of the sort in its critique on the
fourth canto of 'Childe Harold'. I can't see any point of
resemblance:--he wrote prose, I verse: he was of the people; I of the
aristocracy: he was a philosopher; I am none: he published his first
work at forty; I mine at eighteen: his first essay brought him
universal applause; mine the contrary: he married his housekeeper; I
could not keep house with my wife: he thought all the world in a plot
against him; my little world seems to think me in a plot against it,
if I may judge by their abuse in print and coterie: he liked botany; I
like flowers, herbs, and trees, but know nothing of their pedigrees:
he wrote music; I limit my knowledge of it to what I catch by _ear_--I
never could learn any thing by _study_, not even a _language_--it was
all by rote and ear, and memory: he had a _bad_ memory; I _had_, at
least, an excellent one (ask Hodgson the poet--a good judge, for he
has an astonishing one): he wrote with hesitation and care; I with
rapidity, and rarely with pains: _he_ could never ride, nor swim, nor
'was cunning of fence;' _I_ am an excellent swimmer, a decent, though
not at all a dashing, rider, (having staved in a rib at eighteen, in
the course of scampering,) and was sufficient of fence, particularly
of the Highland broadsword,--not a bad boxer, when I could keep my
temper, which was difficult, but which I strove to do ever since I
knocked down Mr. Purling, and put his knee-pan out (with the gloves
on), in Angelo's and Jackson's rooms in 1806, during the sparring,
--and I was, besides, a very fair cricketer,--one of the Harrow
eleven, when we played against Eton in 1805. Besides, Rousseau's way
of life, his country, his manners, his whole character, were so very
different, that I am at a loss to conceive how such a comparison could
have arisen, as it has done three several times, and all in rather a
remarkable manner. I forgot to say that _he_ was also short-sighted,
and that hitherto my eyes have been the contrary, to such a degree
that, in the largest theatre of Bologna, I distinguished and read some
busts and inscriptions, painted near the stage, from a box so distant
and so _darkly_ lighted, that none of the company (composed of young
and very bright-eyed people, some of them in the same box,) could make
out a letter, and thought it was a trick, though I had never been in
that theatre before.
"Altogether, I think myself justified in thinking the comparison not
well founded. I don't say this out of pique, for Rousseau was a great
man; and the thing, if true, were flattering enough;--but I have no
idea of being pleased with the chimera."]
[Footnote 2: The Hon. Mrs. George Byron, 'nee' Frances Levett, Byron's
great-aunt, widow of the Hon. George Byron, fourth brother of William,
fifth Lord Byron.]
101.--To his Mother.
Newstead Abbey, November 2, 1808.
DEAR MOTHER,--If you please, we will forget the things you mention. I
have no desire to remember them. When my rooms are finished, I shall
be happy to see you; as I tell but the truth, you will not suspect me
of evasion. I am furnishing the house more for you than myself, and I
shall establish you in it before I sail for India, which I expect to
do in March, if nothing particularly obstructive occurs. I am now
fitting up the _green_ drawing-room; the red for a bed-room, and the
rooms over as sleeping-rooms. They will be soon completed;--at least
I hope so.
I wish you would inquire of Major Watson (who is an old Indian) what
things will be necessary to provide for my voyage. I have already
procured a friend to write to the Arabic Professor at Cambridge, [1]
for some information I am anxious to procure. I can easily get letters
from government to the ambassadors, consuls, etc., and also to the
governors at Calcutta and Madras. I shall place my property and my
will in the hands of trustees till my return, and I mean to appoint
you one. From Hanson I have heard nothing--when I do, you shall have
the particulars.
After all, you must own my project is not a bad one. If I do not
travel now, I never shall, and all men should one day or other. I have
at present no connections to keep me at home; no wife, or unprovided
sisters, brothers, etc. I shall take care of you, and when I return I
may possibly become a politician. A few years' knowledge of other
countries than our own will not incapacitate me for that part. If we
see no nation but our own, we do not give mankind a fair chance;--it
is from _experience_, not books, we ought to judge of them. There is
nothing like inspection, and trusting to our own senses.
Yours, etc.
[Footnote 1: The Rev. John Palmer, Fellow of St. John's, Adam's
Professor of Arabic (1804-19).]
102.--To Francis Hodgson. [1]
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Nov. 3, 1808.
My Dear Hodgson,--I expected to have heard ere this the event of your
interview with the mysterious Mr. Haynes, my volunteer correspondent;
however, as I had no business to trouble you with the adjustment of my
concerns with that illustrious stranger, I have no right to complain
of your silence.
You have of course seen Drury, [2] in all the pleasing palpitations of
anticipated wedlock. Well! he has still something to look forward to,
and his present extacies are certainly enviable. "Peace be with him
and with his spirit," and his flesh also, at least just now ...
Hobhouse and your humble are still here. Hobhouse hunts, etc., and I
do nothing; we dined the other day with a neighbouring Esquire (not
Collet of Staines), and regretted your absence, as the Bouquet of
Staines was scarcely to be compared to our last "feast of reason." You
know, laughing is the sign of a rational animal; so says Dr. Smollett.
I think so, too, but unluckily my spirits don't always keep pace with
my opinions. I had not so much scope for risibility the other day as I
could have wished, for I was seated near a woman, to whom, when a boy,
I was as much attached as boys generally are, and more than a man
should be. [3] I knew this before I went, and was determined to be
valiant, and converse with _sang froid_; but instead I forgot my
valour and my nonchalance, and never opened my lips even to laugh, far
less to speak, and the lady was almost as absurd as myself, which made
both the object of more observation than if we had conducted ourselves
with easy indifference. You will think all this great nonsense; if you
had seen it, you would have thought it still more ridiculous. What
fools we are! We cry for a plaything, which, like children, we are
never satisfied with till we break open, though like them we cannot
get rid of it by putting it in the fire.
I have tried for Gifford's _Epistle to Pindar_,[4] and the bookseller
says the copies were cut up for _waste paper_; if you can procure me a
copy I shall be much obliged. Adieu!
Believe me, my dear Sir, yours ever sincerely,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Francis Hodgson (1781-1852), educated at Eton (1794-99) and
at King's College, Cambridge, Scholar (1799), Fellow (1802), hesitated
between literature and the bar as his profession. For three years he was
a private tutor, for one (1806) a master at Eton. In 1807 he became a
resident tutor at King's. It was not till 1812 that he decided to take
orders. Two years later he married Miss Tayler, a sister of Mrs. Henry
Drury, and took a country curacy. In 1816 he was given the Eton living
of Bakewell, in Derbyshire, became Archdeacon of Derby in 1836, and in
1840 Provost of Eton. At Eton he died December 29, 1852.
Hodgson's literary facility was extraordinary. He rhymed with an ease
which almost rivals that of Byron, and from 1807 to 1818 he poured out
quantities of verse, English and Latin, original and translated, besides
writing articles for the 'Quarterly', the 'Monthly', and the 'Critical'
Reviews. He published his 'Translation of Juvenal' in 1807, in which he
was assisted by Drury and Merivale; 'Lady Jane Grey', a Tale; and other
Poems (1809); 'Sir Edgar, a Tale' (1810); 'Leaves of Laurel' (1812);
'Charlemagne, an Epic Poem' (1815), translated from the original of
Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino, by S. Butler and Francis Hodgson;
'The Friends, a Poem in Four Books; Mythology for Versification' (1831);
'A Charge, as Archdeacon of Derby' (1837); 'Sermons' (1846); and other
works.
His acquaintance with Byron began in 1807, when Byron was meditating
'British Bards', and Hodgson, provoked by a review of his 'Juvenal' in
the 'Edinburgh Review', was composing his 'Gentle Alterative prepared
for the Reviewers', which appears on pp. 56, 57 of 'Lady Jane Grey'.
There are some curious points of resemblance between the two poems,
though Hodgson's lines can hardly be compared for force and sting to
'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers'. Like Byron (see 'English Bards,
etc'., line 513, note 7), he makes merry over the blunder of the
'Edinburgh' reviewer, who, in an article on Payne Knight's 'Principles
of Taste', severely criticized some Greek lines which he attributed to
Knight, but which, in fact, were by Pindar:--
"And when he frown'd on Kn--'s erroneous Greek,
Bad him in Pindar's page that error seek."
Like Byron also, he attributes the blunder to Hallam, and speaks of
"Hallam's baffled art." The article was written by Lord Holland's
physician, Dr. Allen, who, according to Sydney Smith, had "the creed of
a philosopher and the legs of a clergyman." Like Byron also (see
'English Bards, etc'., line 820), he appeals to Gifford, who was an old
family friend, to return to the fray:--
"Oh! for that voice, whose cadence loud and strong
Drove Delia Crusca from the field of song--
And with a force that guiltier fools should feel,
Rack'd a vain butterfly on Satire's wheel."
In a note appended to the words in his satire--"Like clowns detest
nobility"--he refers to the 'Edinburgh's' treatment of Byron's verse.
The link thus established between Byron and Hodgson grew stronger for
the next few years. Hodgson suppressed Moore's challenge to the author
of 'English Bards'; was Byron's guest at Newstead (see page 179 [Letter
92], in [Foot]note [further down]); pleaded with him on the subject of
religion; translated his lines, "I would I were a careless child," into
Latin verse ('Lady Jane Grey', p. 94); addressed him in poetry, as, for
instance, in the "Lines to a Friend going abroad" ('Sir Edgar', p. 173).
Byron, on his side, seems to have been sincerely attached to Hodgson, to
whom he left, by his first will (1811), one-third of his personal goods,
and in 1813 gave L1000 to enable him to marry. Hodgson corresponded with
Mrs. Leigh and with Miss Milbanke, afterwards Lady Byron, endeavoured to
heal the breach between husband and wife, and was one of the mourners at
Hucknall Torkard Church.
In Haydon's 'Table-Talk' (vol. ii. pp. 367-8) is recorded a conversation
with Hobhouse on the subject of Hodgson. Haydon's account of Hobhouse's
words is confused; but he definitely asserts that Hodgson's life was
dissipated, and insinuates that he perverted Byron's character. Part of
the explanation is probably this: Hodgson's friend, the Rev. Robert
Bland, kept a mistress, described as a woman of great personal and
mental attraction. He asked Hodgson, during his absence on the
Continent, to visit the lady and send him frequent news of her. Hodgson
did so, with the result that, at Bland's return, the lady refused to see
him. When Byron came back from his Eastern tour, he received a frantic
letter from Bland, telling him that Hodgson had stolen her love. To this
Byron refers in his letter to Harness, December 15, 1811, and probably
told an embellished story to Hobhouse. But Hodgson himself warmly
repudiated the charge; and there is no reason to think that his version
of the affair is not the truth.]
[Footnote 2: The Rev. Henry Drury married, December 20, 1808, Ann
Caroline, daughter of Archdale Wilson Tayler, of Boreham Wood, Herts.
Their five sons were all educated at Harrow: Henry, Archdeacon of Wilts
and editor of 'Arundines Cami' (1841); Byron, Vice-Admiral R.N.;
Benjamin Heath, Vice-President of Caius College, Cambridge; Heber,
Colonel in the Madras Army; Charles Curtis, General of the Bengal Staff
Corps (see also page 41 [Letter 14], [Foot]note 2 [1]).]
[Footnote 3: Mrs. Chaworth Musters (see Byron's lines, "Well! thou art
happy," 'Poems', vol. i. pp. 277-279).]
[Footnote 4: William Gifford (1756-1826), a self-taught scholar, first a
ploughboy, then boy on board a Brixham coaster, afterwards shoemaker's
apprentice, was sent by friends to Exeter College, Oxford (1779-81). In
the 'Baviad' (1794) and the 'Maeviad' (1795) he attacked many of the
smaller writers of the day, who were either silly, like the Delia
Cruscan school, or discreditable, like Williams, who wrote as "Anthony
Pasquin." In his 'Epistle to Peter Pindar' (1800) he succeeds in laying
bare the true character of John Wolcot. As editor of the 'Anti-Jacobin,
or Weekly Examiner' (November, 1797, to July, 1798), he supported the
political views of Canning and his friends. As editor of the 'Quarterly
Review', from its foundation (February, 1809) to his resignation in
September, 1824, he did yeoman's service to sound literature by his good
sense and adherence to the best models. It was a period when all
criticism was narrow, and, to some degree, warped by political
prejudice. In these respects, Gifford's work may not have risen
above--it certainly did not fall below--the highest standard of
contemporary criticism. His editions of 'Massinger' (1805), which
superseded that of Monck Mason and Davies (1765), of 'Ben Jonson'
(1816), of 'Ford' (1827), are valuable. To his translation of 'Juvenal'
(1802) is prefixed his autobiography. His translation of 'Persius'
appeared in 1821. To Gifford, Byron usually paid the utmost deference.
"Any suggestion of yours, even if it were conveyed," he writes to him,
in 1813, "in the less tender text of the 'Baviad,' or a Monk Mason
note to Massinger, would be obeyed."
See also his letter (September 7, 1811), in which he calls Gifford his
"Magnus Apollo," and values his praise above the gems of Samarcand.
"He was," says Sir Walter Scott ('Diary,' January 18, 1827), "a little
man, dumpled up together, and so ill-made as to seem almost deformed,
but with a singular expression of talent in his countenance."
Byron was attracted to Gifford, partly by his devotion to the classical
models of literature, partly by the outspoken frankness of his literary
criticism, partly also, perhaps, by his physical deformity.
103.--To John Hanson.
Newstead Abbey, Notts., November 18th, 1808.
Dear Sir,--I am truly glad to hear your health is reinstated. As for
my affairs I am sure you will do your best, and, though I should be
glad to get rid of my Lancashire property for an equivalent in money,
I shall not take any steps of that nature without good advice and
mature consideration.
I am (as I have already told you) going abroad in the spring; for this
I have many reasons. In the first place, I wish to study India and
Asiatic policy and manners. I am young, tolerably vigorous, abstemious
in my way of living; I have no pleasure in fashionable dissipation,
and I am determined to take a wider field than is customary with
travellers. If I return, my judgment will be more mature, and I shall
still be young enough for politics. With regard to expence, travelling
through the East is rather inconvenient than expensive: it is not like
the tour of Europe, you undergo hardship, but incur little hazard of
spending money. If I live here I must have my house in town, a
separate house for Mrs. Byron; I must keep horses, etc., etc. When I
go abroad I place Mrs. Byron at Newstead (there is one great expence
saved), I have no horses to keep. A voyage to India will take me six
months, and if I had a dozen attendants cannot cost me five hundred
pounds; and you will agree with me that a like term of months in
England would lead me into four times that expenditure. I have written
to Government for letters and permission of the Company, so you see I
am _serious._
You honour my debts; they amount to perhaps twelve thousand pounds,
and I shall require perhaps three or four thousand at setting out,
with credit on a Bengal agent. This you must manage for me. If my
resources are not adequate to the supply I must _sell_, but _not
Newstead._ I will at least transmit that to the next Lord. My debts
must be paid, if possible, in February. I shall leave my affairs to
the care of _trustees_, of whom, with your acquiescence, I shall _name
you_ one, Mr. Parker another, and two more, on whom I am not yet
determined.
Pray let me hear from you soon. Remember me to Mrs. Hanson, whom I
hope to see on her return. Present my best respects to the young lady,
and believe me, etc.,
BYRON.
104.--To Francis Hodgson.
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Nov. 27, 1808.
My Dear Sir,--Boatswain [1] is to be buried in a vault waiting for
myself. I have also written an epitaph, which I would send, were it
not for two reasons: one is, that it is too long for a letter; and the
other, that I hope you will some day read it on the spot where it will
be engraved.
You discomfort me with the intelligence of the real orthodoxy of the
Arch-fiend's name, [2] but alas! it must stand with me at present; if
ever I have an opportunity of correcting, I shall liken him to
Geoffrey of Monmouth, a noted liar in his way, and perhaps a more
correct prototype than the Carnifex of James II.
I do not think the composition of your poem "a sufficing reason" for
not keeping your promise of a Christmas visit. Why not come? I will
never disturb you in your moments of inspiration; and if you wish to
collect any materials for the _scenery_?,[3] Hardwicke (where Mary was
confined for several years) is not eight miles distant, and,
independent of the interest you must take in it as her vindicator, is
a most beautiful and venerable object of curiosity. I shall take it
very ill if you do not come; my mansion is improving in comfort, and,
when you require solitude, I shall have an apartment devoted to the
purpose of receiving your poetical reveries.
I have heard from our Drury; he says little of the Row, which I
regret: indeed I would have sacrificed much to have contributed in any
way (as a schoolboy) to its consummation; but Butler survives, and
thirteen boys have been expelled in vain. Davies is not here, but
Hobhouse hunts as usual, and your humble servant "drags at each remove
a lengthened chain." I have heard from his Grace of Portland [4] on
the subject of my expedition: he talks of difficulties; by the gods!
if he throws any in my way I will next session ring such a peal in his
ears,
That he shall wish the fiery
Dane Had rather been his guest again. [5]
You do not tell me if Gifford is really my commentator: it is too good
to be true, for I know nothing would gratify my vanity so much as the
reality; even the idea is too precious to part with.
I shall expect you here; let me have no more excuses. Hobhouse desires
his best remembrance. We are now lingering over our evening potations.
I have extended my letter further than I ought, and beg you will
excuse it; on the opposite page I send you some stanzas [6] I wrote
off on being questioned by a former flame as to my motives for
quitting this country. You are the first reader. Hobhouse hates
everything of the kind, therefore I do not show them to him. Adieu!
Believe me, yours very sincerely,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Boatswain, the Newfoundland dog, died November 18, 1808.
(For Byron's inscriptions in prose and verse, see 'Poems', vol. i. p.
280.)]
[Footnote 2: Byron at first thought that Jeffrey, the editor of the
'Edinburgh Review', spelt his name in the same way as the Judge Jeffreys
of the Bloody Assizes. He probably writes "orthodoxy" for "orthography"
as a joke. (See the lines quoted from 'British Bards' in notes to
'English. Bards, etc.', line 439, note 2.)]
[Footnote 3: It is stated that Hodgson was writing a poem on Mary Queen
of Scots ('Life of Rev. Francis Hodgson', vol. i. p. 107). No such poem
was apparently ever published. In Hodgson's 'Lady Jane Grey', Queen Mary
of England plays a part; hence, possibly, the mistake.]
[Footnote 4: Byron asked the Duke of Portland to procure him "permission
from the E.I. Directors to pass through their settlements." The duke
replied, in effect, that Byron trespassed on his time and patience. So
Byron at least took his answer (see 'English Bards, and Scotch
Reviewers,' line 1016 and note 2).]
[Footnote 5: 'Marmion', Canto II. stanza xxxi.]
[Footnote 6: See stanzas "To a Lady on being asked my Reason for
Quitting England in the Spring" ('Poems', vol. i. p. 282).]
105.--To the Hon. Augusta Leigh.
[Ld. Chichester's, Stratton Street, London.]
Newstead Abbey, Notts., [Wednesday], Novr. 30th, 1808.
My Dearest Augusta,--I return you my best thanks for making me an
uncle, and forgive the sex this time; but the next _must_ be a nephew.
You will be happy to hear my Lancashire property is likely to prove
extremely valuable; indeed my pecuniary affairs are altogether far
superior to my expectations or any other person's. If I would _sell_,
my income would probably be six thousand per annum; but I will not
part at least with Newstead, or indeed with the other, which is of a
nature to increase in value yearly. I am living here _alone_, which
suits my inclinations better than society of any kind. Mrs. Byron I
have shaken off for two years, and I shall not resume her yoke in
future, I am afraid my disposition will suffer in your estimation; but
I never can forgive that woman, or breathe in comfort under the same
roof.
I am a very unlucky fellow, for I think I had naturally not a bad
heart; but it has been so bent, twisted, and trampled on, that it has
now become as hard as a Highlander's heelpiece.
I do not know that much alteration has taken place in my person,
except that I am grown much thinner, and somewhat taller! I saw Col.
Leigh at Brighton in July, where I should have been glad to have seen
you; I only know your husband by sight, though I am acquainted with
many of the Tenth. Indeed my relations are those whom I know the
least, and in most instances, I am not very anxious to improve the
acquaintance. I hope you are quite recovered, I shall be in town in
January to take my seat, and will call, if convenient; let me hear
from you before.
[Signature cut off, and over the page is, in Mrs. Leigh's writing,
this endorsement: "Sent to Miss Alderson to go to Germany, May 29th,
1843."]
106.--To the Hon. Augusta Leigh.
[Ld. Chichester's, Stratton Street, London.]
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Decr. 14th, 1808.
My Dearest Augusta,--When I stated in my last, that my intercourse
with the world had hardened my heart, I did not mean from any
matrimonial disappointment, no, I have been guilty of many
absurdities, but I hope in God I shall always escape that worst of
evils, Marriage. I have no doubt there are exceptions, and of course
include you amongst them, but you will recollect, that "_exceptions
only prove the Rule_."
I live here much in my own manner, that is, _alone_, for I could not
bear the company of my best friend, above a month; there is such a
sameness in mankind upon the whole, and they grow so much more
disgusting every day, that, were it not for a portion of Ambition, and
a conviction that in times like the present we ought to perform our
respective duties, I should live here all my life, in unvaried
Solitude. I have been visited by all our Nobility and Gentry; but I
return no visits. Joseph Murray is at the head of my household, poor
honest fellow! I should be a great Brute, if I had not provided for
him in the manner most congenial to his own feelings, and to mine. I
have several horses, and a considerable establishment, but I am not
addicted to hunting or shooting. I hate all field sports, though a few
years since I was a tolerable adept in the _polite_ arts of
Foxhunting, Hawking, Boxing, etc., etc. My Library is rather
extensive, (and as you perhaps know) I am a mighty Scribbler; I
flatter myself I have made some improvements in Newstead, and, as I am
independent, I am happy, as far as any person unfortunate enough to be
born into this world, can be said to be so.
I shall be glad to hear from you when convenient, and beg you to
believe me,
Very sincerely yours,
BYRON.
107.--To John Hanson.
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Dec. 17, 1808.
My Dear Sir,--I regret the contents of your letter as I think we shall
be thrown on our backs from the delay. I do not know if our best
method would not be to compromise if possible, as you know the state
of my affairs will not be much bettered by a protracted and possibly
unsuccessful litigation. However, I am and have been so much in the
dark during the whole transaction that I am not a competent judge of
the most expedient measures. I suppose it will end in my marrying a
_Golden Dolly_ [1] or blowing my brains out; it does not much matter
which, the remedies are nearly alike. I shall be glad to hear from you
further on the business. I suppose now it will be still more difficult
to come to any terms. Have you seen Mrs. Massingberd, and have you
arranged my Israelitish accounts? Pray remember me to Mrs. Hanson, to
Harriet, and all the family, female and male.
Believe me also, yours very sincerely,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Mrs. Byron also advised his marriage with an heiress. The
following passage is taken from her letter to Hanson, January 30, 1809:--
"I was sorry I could not see you here. Byron told me he intended to
put his servants on Board Wages at Newstead. I was very sorry to hear
of the great expence the Newstead _fete_ would put him to. I can see
nothing but the Road to Ruin in all this, which grieves me to the
heart and makes me still worse than I would otherwise be (unless,
indeed, Coal Mines turn to Gold Mines), or that he mends his fortune
in the old and usual way by marrying a Woman with two or three hundred
thousand pounds. I have no doubt of his being a great speaker and a
celebrated public character, and _all_ that; but that _won't add_ to
his fortune, but bring on more expenses on him, and there is nothing
to be had in this country to make a man rich in his line of life."
In another letter to Hanson, dated March 4, 1809, she returns to the
same subject:--
"I have had a very dismal letter from my son, informing me that he is
_ruined_. He wishes to borrow my money. This I shall be very ready to
oblige him in, on such security as you approve. As it is my _all_,
this is very necessary, and I am sure he would not wish to have it on
any other terms. It cannot be paid up, however, under six months'
notice. I wish he would take the debt of a thousand pounds, that I
have been security for, on himself, and pay about eighty pounds he
owes here.
I wish to God he would exert himself and retrieve his affairs. He
must marry a Woman of _fortune_ this spring; love matches is all
nonsense. Let him make use of the Talents God has given him. He is an
English Peer, and has all the privileges of that situation. What is
this about proving his grandfather's marriage? I thought it had been
in Lancashire. If it was not, it surely easily can be proved. Is
nothing going forward concerning the Rochdale Property? I am sure, if
I was Lord Byron, I would sell no estates to pay Jews; I only would
pay what was lawful. Pray answer the note immediately, and answer all
my questions concerning lending the money, the Rochdale property, and
why B. don't or can't take his seat, which is very hard, and very
provoking.
I am, Dear Sir, yours sincerely,
C. G. BYRON."]
108.--To Francis Hodgson.
Newstead Abbey, Notts., Dec. 17, 1808.
My Dear Hodgson,--I have just received your letter, and one from B.
Drury, [1] which I would send, were it not too bulky to despatch
within a sheet of paper; but I must impart the contents and consign
the answer to your care. In the first place, I cannot address the
answer to him, because the epistle is without date or direction; and
in the next, the contents are so singular that I can scarce believe my
optics, "which are made the fools of the other senses, or else worth
all the rest."
A few weeks ago, I wrote to our friend Harry Drury of facetious
memory, to request he would prevail on his brother at Eton to receive
the son of a citizen in London well known unto me as a pupil; the
family having been particularly polite during the short time I was
with them, induced me to this application. "Now mark what follows," as
somebody or Southey sublimely saith: on this day, the 17th December,
arrives an epistle signed B. Drury, containing not the smallest
reference to tuition or _in_tuition, but a _petition_ for _Robert
Gregson_, [2] of pugilistic notoriety, now in bondage for certain
paltry pounds sterling, and liable to take up his everlasting abode in
Banco Regis. Had this letter been from any of my _lay_ acquaintance,
or, in short, from anyone but the gentleman whose signature it bears,
I should have marvelled not. If Drury is serious, I congratulate
pugilism on the acquisition of such a patron, and shall be happy to
advance any sum necessary for the liberation of the captive Gregson;
but I certainly hope to be certified from you or some reputable
housekeeper of the fact, before I write to Drury on the subject. When
I say the _fact_, I mean of the _letter_ being written by _Drury_, not
having any doubt as to the authenticity of the statement. The letter
is now before me, and I keep it for your perusal. When I hear from you
I shall address my answer to him, under _your care_; for as it is now
the vacation at Eton, and the letter is without _time_ or _place_, I
cannot venture to consign my sentiments on so _momentous_ a _concern_
to chance.
To you, my dear Hodgson, I have not much to say. If you can make it
convenient or pleasant to trust yourself here, be assured it will be
both to me.
[Footnote 1: Benjamin Heath Drury (1782-1835), second son of the
Headmaster of Harrow (see page 41 [Letter 14], [Foot]note 2 [1]), was a
Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and Assistant-master at Eton.
Gronow ('Reminiscences', vol. i. pp. 209 and 233) says that Drury was
"passionately devoted to theatricals," and, with his friend Knapp,
frequently drove up to London after school-hours to sup with Edmund Kean
and Arnold at Drury Lane or the Hummums in Covent Garden. On one
occasion they took with them Lord Eldon's son, then a school-boy at
Eton. After supper the party were "run in" by the watchmen, and bailed
out at Bow Street by the Lord Chancellor's secretary.]
[Footnote 2: Bob Gregson (1778-1824), the big-boned, burly landlord of
the Castle, Holborn, known as "Bob's Chop-house," was a familiar figure
in the sporting world. When captain of the Liverpool and Wigan Packet,
he established his reputation in Lancashire as a fighter. He stood 6
feet 1-1/2 inches in height, and weighed 15 stone 6 pounds. But, in
spite of the eulogies of Pierce Egan--a low-caste Irishman, who was
first a compositor, then a comedian, and afterwards a newspaper reporter
(see Grantley Berkeley's 'My Life and Recollections', vol. i. pp. 107,
108)--Gregson had no science, and depended only on his strength,
courage, and endurance. He was beaten by Gully at Six Mile Bottom in
1807, and again in 1808 at Markyate Street; also by Tom Cribb at Moulsey
Hurst in 1808 ('Pugilistica', vol. i. pp. 237-241). Failing as landlord
of the Castle, he set up a school of boxing at Dublin, where he
afterwards kept "the Punch House," in Moor Street. He died at Liverpool
in 1824. According to Egan ('Boxiana', vol. i. pp. 357, 358), Gregson
"united Pugilism with Poetry." On this claim he adopted the letters
"P.P." after his name. Egan gives some of his doggerel among "Prime
Chaunts for the Fancy" ('ibid'., p. 358). Moore, in 'Tom Crib's Memorial
to Congress', attributes to him his "Lines to Miss Grace Maddox" (pp.
75-77); "Ya-Hip, my Hearties!" (pp. 80-83); and "The Annual Pill" (pp.
84-86).]
109.--To John Hanson.
Newstead Abbey, Jan. 15th, 1809.
My Dear Sir,--I am much obliged by your kind invitation, but I wish
you, if possible, to be here on the 22nd. [1] Your presence will be of
great service, everything is prepared for your reception exactly as if
I remained, and I think Hargreaves will be gratified by the appearance
of the place, and the humours of the day. I shall on the first
opportunity pay my respects to your family, and though I will not
trespass on your hospitality on the 22nd, my obligation is not less
for your agreeable offer, which on any other occasion would be
immediately accepted, but I wish you much to be present at the
festivities, and I hope you will add Charles to the party. Consider,
as the Courtier says in the tragedy of _Tom Thumb_ [2]--
"This is a day; your Majesties may boast of it,
And since it never can come o'er, 'tis fit you make the most of it."
I shall take my seat as soon as circumstances will admit. I have not
yet chosen my side in politics, nor shall I hastily commit myself with
professions, or pledge my support to any men or measures, but though I
shall not run headlong into opposition, I will studiously avoid a
connection with ministry. I cannot say that my opinion is strongly in
favour of either party; [3] on the one side we have the late
underlings of Pitt, possessing all his ill fortune, without his
talents; this may render their failure more excusable, but will not
diminish the public contempt; on the other, we have the ill-assorted
fragments of a worn-out minority; Mr. Windham with his coat _twice_
turned, and my Lord Grenville who perhaps has more sense than he can
make good use of; between the two and the shuttlecock of both, a
Sidmouth, and the general _football_ Sir F. Burdett, kicked at by all,
and owned by none.
I shall stand aloof, speak what I think, but not often, nor too soon.
I will preserve my independence, if possible, but if involved with a
party, I will take care not to be the _last_ or _least_ in the ranks.
As to _patriotism_, the word is obsolete, perhaps improperly, so, for
all men in the Country are patriots, knowing that their own existence
must stand or fall with the Constitution, yet everybody thinks he
could alter it for the better, and govern a people, who are in fact
easily governed, but always claim the privilege of grumbling. So much
for Politics, of which I at present know little and care less; bye and
bye, I shall use the senatorial privilege of talking, and indeed in
such times, and in such a crew, it must be difficult to hold one's
tongue.
Believe me, etc.,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Byron's coming of age was celebrated at Newstead on January
22, 1809.]
[Footnote 2: See O'Hara's acting version of Fielding's _Tom Thumb the
Great_, act i. sc. I--
"_Doodle_. A Day we never saw before;
A Day of fun and drollery.
_Noodle_. That you may say,
Their Majesties may boast of it;
And since it never can come more,
'Tis fit they make the most of it."]
[Footnote 3: Lord Grenville (1759-1834) became First Lord of the
Treasury; Lord Sidmouth, Lord Privy Seal; and William Windham, Secretary
for War, in February, 1806. They, with Fox and his friends, formed the
administration of "All the Talents," which in March, 1807, fell over the
Roman Catholic question. They were succeeded by the Duke of Portland's
Ministry, which included the "late underlings of Pitt,"--Perceval,
Canning, Dundas, etc. "Weathercock" Windham, in the Ministry of "All the
Talents," was responsible for the conduct of a war which, as leader of
the so-called "New Opposition," he had vigorously opposed. Sir Francis
Burdett's zeal for Parliamentary Reform involved him in hostility to
both Whigs and Tories, who had combined to exclude him from Parliament
after his election for Middlesex (1802-6). In 1807 he had been elected
for Westminster.]
110.--To R. C. Dallas.
Reddish's Hotel, Jan. 25, 1809.
My Dear Sir,--My only reason for not adopting your lines is because
they are _your_ lines. [1] You will recollect that Lady Wortley
Montague said to Pope: "No touching, for the good will be given to
you, and the bad attributed to me." I am determined it shall be all my
own, except such alterations as may be absolutely required; but I am
much obliged by the trouble you have taken, and your good opinion.
The couplet on Lord C. [2] may be scratched out and the following
inserted:
Roscommon! Sheffield! with your spirits fled,
No future laurels deck a noble head.
Nor e'en a hackney'd Muse will deign to smile
On minor Byron, nor mature Carlisle.
This will answer the purpose of concealment. Now for some couplets on
Mr. Crabbe, [3] which you may place after "Gifford, Sotheby, M'Niel:"
There be who say, in these enlightened days,
That splendid lies are all the Poet's praise;
That strained invention, ever on the wing,
Alone impels the modern Bard to sing.
'Tis true that all who rhyme, nay, all who write,
Shrink from that fatal word to genius, trite:
Yet Truth will sometimes lend her noblest fires,
And decorate the verse herself inspires.
This fact in Virtue's name let Crabbe attest;
Though Nature's sternest painter, yet the best.
I am sorry to differ with you with regard to the title, [4] but I mean
to retain it with this addition: _The British [the word "British" is
struck through] English Bards and Scotch Reviewers_; and if we call it
a _Satire_, it will obviate the objection, as the Bards also were
Welch. Your title is too humorous;--and as I know a little of----, I
wish not to embroil myself with him, though I do not commend his
treatment of----. I shall be glad to hear from you or see you, and beg
you to believe me,
Yours very sincerely,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Dallas (January 24, 1809) takes "the liberty of sending you
some two dozen lines," etc.]
[Footnote 2: The couplet on Lord Carlisle, as it stood in 'British Bards',
was--
"On one alone Apollo deigns to smile,
And crowns a new Roscommon in Carlisle."
(See 'English Bards, etc.', lines 723, 'et seqq.'; see also line 927,
note 2. For Lord Carlisle, see page 36, note 2.)]
[Footnote 3: For "Gifford, Sotheby, Macneil," see 'English Bards, etc'.,
line 818, and 'notes'. Dallas had written (January 24, 1809),
"I am sorry you have not found a place among the genuine sons of
Apollo for Crabbe, who, in spite of something bordering on servility
in his dedication, may surely rank with some you have admitted to his
temple"
(see 'English Bards, etc'., lines 849-858).]
[Footnote 4: Dallas suggested as a title, 'The Parish Poor of
Parnassus'.]
111.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 7, 1809.
My Dear Sir,--Suppose we have this couplet--
Though sweet the sound, disdain a borrow'd tone,
Resign Achaia's lyre, and strike your own: [1]
or,
Though soft the echo, scorn a borrow'd tone,
Resign Achaia's lyre, and strike your own.
So much for your admonition; but my note of notes, my solitary pun,
[2] must not be given up--no, rather
"Let mightiest of all the beasts of chace
That roam in woody Caledon"
come against me; my annotation must stand.
We shall never sell a thousand; then why print so many? Did you receive
my yesterday's note? I am troubling you, but I am apprehensive some of
the lines are omitted by your young amanuensis, to whom, however, I am
infinitely obliged.
Believe me, yours very truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: Dallas (February 6, 1809) objected to the rhyme in the
couplet:--
"Translation's servile work at length disown,
And quit Achaia's Muse to court your own."
(For the corrected couplet, see 'English Bards, etc'., lines 889, 890.)]
[Footnote 2: See 'English Bards, etc.', line 1016, note 2.]
112.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 11, 1809.
I wish you to call, if possible, as I have some alterations to suggest
as to the part about Brougham. [1]
B.
[Footnote 1: See 'ibid.', line 524, note 2.]
113.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 12, 1809.
Excuse the trouble, but I have added two lines which are necessary to
complete the poetical character of Lord Carlisle. [1]
..........in his age
His scenes alone had damn'd our singing stage;
But Managers for once cried, "hold, enough!"
Nor drugg'd their audience with the tragic stuff!
Yours, etc.,
B.
[Footnote 1: See 'ibid.', lines 733-736. Another letter, written
February 15, 1809, runs as follows:--
"I wish you much to call on me, about _One_, not later, if convenient,
as I have some thirty or forty lines for addition.
Believe me, etc.,
B."]
114.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 16, 1809.
_Ecce iterum Crispinus!_--I send you some lines to be placed after
"Gifford, Sotheby, M'Niel." [1] Pray call tomorrow any time before
two, and
Believe me, etc.,
B.
P.S.--Print soon, or I shall overflow with more rhyme.
[Footnote 1: See 'English Bards, etc.', lines 819-830.]
115.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 19, 1809.
I enclose some lines to be inserted, the first six after "Lords too
are bards," etc., or rather immediately following the line:
"Ah! who would take their titles with their rhymes."
The four next will wind up the panegyric on Lord Carlisle, and come
after "tragic stuff." [1]
Yours truly.
In these our times with daily wonders big,
A letter'd Peer is like a letter'd Pig:
Both know their alphabet, but who from thence
Infers that Peers or Pigs have manly sense?
Still less that such should woo the graceful Nine?
Parnassus was not made for Lords and Swine.
Roscommon, Sheffield, etc., etc.
...
... tragic stuff.
Yet at their judgment let his Lordship laugh,
And case his volumes in congenial calf:
Yes, doff that covering where morocco shines,
"And hang a calf-skin on those recreant" lines.
[Footnote 1: See 'ibid.', lines 736-740.]
116.--To R. C. Dallas.
February 22, 1809.
A cut at the opera.--_Ecce signum_! from last night's observation,
and inuendos against the Society for the Suppression of Vice. [1]
The lines will come well in after the couplets concerning Naldi and
Catalani! [2]
Yours truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: See 'English Bards, etc.', lines 618-631, note 1, for the
"cut at the opera." The piece which provoked the outburst was 'I
Villegiatori Rezzani', at the King's Theatre, February 21, 1809.
Guiseppe Naldi (1770-1820) made his 'debut' in London, at the King's
Theatre, in April, 1806. (For further details, see 'English Bards,
etc.', line 613, note 2.) Angelica Catalani, born at Sinigaglia, in
1779, or, according to some authorities, 1785, came out at Venice, in an
opera by Nasolini. She sang in many capitals of Europe, married at
Lisbon a French officer named Vallabregue, and came to London in
October, 1806. The salary paid her was a cause of the O. P. riots at
Covent Garden in 1809, when one of the cries was, "No foreigners! No
Catalani!" A series of caricatures, one set by Isaac Cruikshank, and
several medals, commemorate the riots. Madame Catalani died at Paris in
1849.]
[Footnote 2: See 'English Bards, etc.', lines 632-637.]
117.--To his Mother.
8, St. James's Street, March 6, 1809.
Dear Mother,--My last letter was written under great depression of
spirits from poor Falkland's death, [1] who has left without a
shilling four children and his wife. I have been endeavouring to
assist them, which, God knows, I cannot do as I could wish, for my own
embarrassments and the many claims upon me from other quarters.
What you say is all very true: come what may, _Newstead_ and I _stand_
or fall together. I have now lived on the spot, I have fixed my heart
upon it, and no pressure, present or future, shall induce me to barter
the last vestige of our inheritance. I have that pride within me which
will enable me to support difficulties. I can endure privations; but
could I obtain in exchange for Newstead Abbey the first fortune in the
country, I would reject the proposition. Set your mind at ease on that
score; Mr. Hanson talks like a man of business on the subject,--I feel
like a man of honour, and I will not sell Newstead.
I shall get my seat [2] on the return of the affidavits from Carhais,
in Cornwall, and will do something in the House soon: I must dash, or
it is all over. My Satire must be kept secret for a _month_; after
that you may say what you please on the subject. Lord Carlisle has
used me infamously, and refused to state any particulars of my family
to the Chancellor. I have _lashed_ him in my rhymes, and perhaps his
lordship may regret not being more conciliatory. They tell me it will
have a sale; I hope so, for the bookseller has behaved well, as far as
publishing well goes.
Believe me, etc.
P.S.--You shall have a mortgage on one of the farms. [3]
[Footnote 1: Captain Charles John Cary, R.N., succeeded his brother
Thomas in 1796 as ninth Lord Falkland. He married, in 1803, Miss Anton,
the daughter of a West India merchant. He had been recently dismissed
from his ship "on account of some irregularities arising from too free a
circulation of the bottle." But he had received a promise of being
reinstated, and, in high spirits at the prospect, dined one evening in
March, 1809, at Stevens's Coffeehouse, in Bond Street. There he applied
to Mr. Powell an offensive nickname. "He lost his life for a joke, and
one too he did not make himself" (Medwin, 'Conversations', ed. 1825, p.
66). A challenge resulted. The parties met on Goldar's Green, and
Falkland, mortally wounded, died two days later in Powell's house in
Devonshire Place, on March 7, 1809. ('Annual Register', vol. li. pp.
449, 450.) For a more detailed account, see 'Gentleman's Magazine' for
March, 1809. Both accounts give March 7 as the date of Falkland's death.
A posthumous child was born to Lady Falkland. Byron stood godfather, and
gave L500 at the christening.
[Footnote 2: Byron took his seat in the House of Lords, March 13, 1809.
The delay was caused by the difficulty of proving the marriage of
Admiral the Hon. John Byron with Miss Sophia Trevanion in the private
chapel of Carhais. Probably Carlisle neither possessed nor withheld any
information.]
[Footnote 3: Byron had borrowed L1000 for his return to Cambridge in
1807: L200 from Messrs. Wylde and Co., bankers, of Southwell; and the
remainder from the Misses Parkyns, and his great-aunt, the Hon. Mrs.
George Byron. For this debt his mother made herself liable. No mortgage
was given (see page 221 [Letter 121], [Foot]note 2 [1]).]
118.--To William Harness.
8, St. James's Street, March 18, 1809.
There was no necessity for your excuses: if you have time and
inclination to write, "for what we receive, the Lord make us
thankful,"--if I do not hear from you, I console myself with the idea
that you are much more agreeably employed.
I send down to you by this post a certain Satire lately published, and
in return for the three and sixpence expenditure upon it, only beg
that if you should guess the author, you will keep his name secret; at
least for the present. London is full of the Duke's business. [1] The
Commons have been at it these last three nights, and are not yet come
to a decision. I do not know if the affair will be brought before our
House, unless in the shape of an impeachment. If it makes its
appearance in a debatable form, I believe I shall be tempted to say
something on the subject.--I am glad to hear you like Cambridge:
firstly, because, to know that you are happy is pleasant to one who
wishes you all possible sublunary enjoyment; and, secondly, I admire
the morality of the sentiment. _Alma Mater_ was to me _injusta
noverca_; and the old beldam only gave me my M.A. degree because she
could not avoid it. [2]--You know what a farce a noble Cantab. must
perform.
I am going abroad, if possible, in the spring, and before I depart I
am collecting the pictures of my most intimate school-fellows; I have
already a few, and shall want yours, or my cabinet will be incomplete.
I have employed one of the first miniature painters [3] of the day to
take them, of course, at my own expense, as I never allow my
acquaintance to incur the least expenditure to gratify a whim of mine.
To mention this may seem indelicate; but when I tell you a friend of
ours first refused to sit, under the idea that he was to disburse on
the occasion, you will see that it is necessary to state these
preliminaries to prevent the recurrence of any similar mistake. I
shall see you in time, and will carry you to the 'limner'. It
will be a tax on your patience for a week; but pray excuse it, as it
is possible the resemblance may be the sole trace I shall be able to
preserve of our past friendship and acquaintance. Just now it seems
foolish enough; but in a few years, when some of us are dead, and
others are separated by inevitable circumstances, it will be a kind of
satisfaction to retain in these images of the living the idea of our
former selves, and, to contemplate, in the resemblances of the dead,
all that remains of judgment, feeling, and a host of passions. But all
this will be dull enough for you, and so good night; and, to end my
chapter, or rather my homily,
Believe me, my dear H., yours most affectionately,
[Footnote 1: This was the inquiry into the charges made by Colonel
Gwyllym Wardle, M.P. for Okehampton (1807-12), against the Duke of York
and his mistress, Mary Ann Clarke. The inquiry began January 27, 1809,
and ended March 20, 1809, with the duke's resignation, the Commons
having previously (March 17) acquitted him of "personal connivance and
corruption."
The case has passed into literature. Wardle, the valorous Dowler, and
Lowten, Mr. Perker's clerk, had all figured in the trial before they
played their parts in 'Pickwick'. Wardle, who was a colonel of the Welsh
Fusiliers ("Wynne's Lambs") had fought at Vinegar Hill. After losing his
seat, he took a farm between Tunbridge Wells and Rochester, from which
he fled to escape his creditors, and died at Florence, November 30,
1834, aged seventy-two.]
[Footnote 2: Byron took his M.A. degree, July 4, 1808. In another letter
to Harness, dated February, 1809, he says,
"I do not know how you and Alma Mater agree. I was but an untoward
child myself, and I believe the good lady and her brat were equally
rejoiced when I was weaned, and if I obtained her benediction at
parting, it was, at best, equivocal."]
[Footnote 3: George Sanders (1774-1846) painted miniatures, made
watercolour copies of continental master-pieces, and afterwards became a
portrait-painter in oils. He painted several portraits of Byron, two of
which have been often engraved.]
119.--To William Bankes.
Twelve o'clock, Friday night.
My Dear Bankes,--I have just received your note; believe me I regret
most sincerely that I was not fortunate enough to see it before, as I
need not repeat to you that your conversation for half an hour would
have been much more agreeable to me than gambling [1] or drinking, or
any other fashionable mode of passing an evening abroad or at home.--I
really am very sorry that I went out previous to the arrival of your
despatch: in future pray let me hear from you before six, and whatever
my engagements may be, I will always postpone them.--Believe me, with
that deference which I have always from my childhood paid to your
_talents_, and with somewhat a better opinion of your heart than I
have hitherto entertained,
Yours ever, etc.
[Footnote 1:
"I learn with delight," writes Hobhouse from Cambridge, May 12, 1808,
"from Scrope Davies, that you have totally given up dice. To be sure
you must give it up; for you to be seen every night in the very vilest
company in town--could anything be more shocking, anything more unfit?
I speak feelingly on this occasion, 'non ignara mali miseris, &c'. I
know of nothing that should bribe me to be present once more at such
horrible scenes. Perhaps 'tis as well that we are both acquainted with
the extent of the evil, that we may be the more earnest in abstaining
from it. You shall henceforth be 'Diis animosus hostis'."
Moore quotes ('Life', p. 86) the following extract from Byron's
'Journal':--
"I have a notion that gamblers are as happy as many people, being
always _excited_. Women, wine, fame, the table,--even ambition,
_sate_ now and then; but every turn of the card and cast of the
dice keeps the gamester alive: besides, one can game ten times longer
than one can do any thing else. I was very fond of it when young, that
is to say, of hazard, for I hate all _card_ games,--even faro.
When macco (or whatever they spell it) was introduced, I gave up the
whole thing, for I loved and missed the _rattle_ and _dash_
of the box and dice, and the glorious uncertainty, not only of good
luck or bad luck, but of _any luck at all_, as one had sometimes
to throw _often_ to decide at all. I have thrown as many as
fourteen mains running, and carried off all the cash upon the table
occasionally; but I had no coolness, or judgment, or calculation. It
was the delight of the thing that pleased me. Upon the whole, I left
off in time, without being much a winner or loser. Since
one-and-twenty years of age I played but little, and then never above
a hundred, or two, or three."]
120.--To R. C. Dallas.
April 25, 1809.
Dear Sir,--I am just arrived at Batt's Hotel, Jermyn Street, St.
James's, from Newstead, and shall be very glad to see you when
convenient or agreeable. Hobhouse is on his way up to town, full of
printing resolution, [1] and proof against criticism.--Believe me,
with great sincerity,
Yours truly,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: See page 163 [Letter 86], [Foot]note 1. Hobhouse's
miscellany was published in 1809, under the title of 'Imitations and
Translations from the Antient and Modern Classics: Together with
Original Poems never before published'.]
121.--To John Hanson.
Batt's Hotel, Jermyn Street, April 26th, 1809.
DEAR SIR,--I wish to know before I make my final effort elsewhere, if
you can or cannot assist me in raising a sum of money on fair and
equitable terms and immediately. [1] I called twice this morning, and
beg you will favour me with an answer when convenient. I hope all your
family are well. I should like to see them together before my
departure.
The Court of Chancery it seems will not pay the money, of which indeed
I do not know the precise amount; the Duke of Portland will not pay
his debt, and with the Rochdale property nothing is done.--My debts
are daily increasing, and it is with difficulty I can command a
shilling. As soon as possible I shall get quit of this country, but I
wish to do justice to my creditors (though I do not like their
importunity), and particularly to my securities, for their annuities
must be paid off soon, or the interest will swallow up everything.
Come what may, in every shape and in any shape, I can meet ruin, but I
will never sell Newstead; the Abbey and I shall stand or fall
together, and, were my head as grey and defenceless as the Arch of the
Priory, I would abide by this resolution. The whole of my wishes are
summed up in this; procure me, either of my own or borrowed of others,
three thousand pounds, and place two in Hammersley's hands for letters
of credit at Constantinople; if possible sell Rochdale in my absence,
pay off these annuities and my debts, and with the little that remains
do as you will, but allow me to depart from this cursed country, and I
promise to turn Mussulman, rather than return to it. Believe me to be,
Yours truly, BYRON.
P.S.--Is my will finished? I should like to sign it while I have
anything to leave.
[Footnote 1: Money was obtained, partly by means of a life insurance
effected with the Provident Institution. The medical report, signed by
Benjamin Hutchinson, F.R.C.S., London, states that Hutchinson had
attended Byron for the last four or five years; that he was, when last
seen by Hutchinson, in very good health; that he never was afflicted
with any serious malady; that he was sober and temperate; that he
"sometimes used much exercise, and at others was of a studious and
sedentary turn;" and thus concludes: "I do believe that he possesses an
unimpaired, healthy constitution, and I am not aware of any circumstance
which may be considered as tending to shorten his life."
Mrs. Byron (April 9, 1809) begs Hanson to see that Byron gave some
security for the thousand pounds for which she was bound. She adds:
"There is some Trades People at Nottingham that will be completely
ruined if he does not pay them, which I would not have happen for the
whole world." No security seems to have been given, and the tradesmen
remained unpaid. Mrs. Byron's death was doubtless accelerated by anxiety
from these causes.]
122.-To the Rev. R. Lowe. [1]
8, St. James Street, May 15, 1809.
MY DEAR SIR,--I have just been informed that a report is circulating
in Notts of an intention on my part to sell Newstead, which is rather
unfortunate, as I have just tied the property up in such a manner as
to prevent the practicability, even if my inclination led me to
dispose of it. But as such a report may render my tenants
uncomfortable, I will feel very much obliged if you will be good
enough to contradict the rumour, should it come to your ears, on my
authority. I rather conjecture it has arisen from the sale of some
copyholds of mine in Norfolk. [2] I sail for Gibraltar in June, and
thence to Malta when, of course, you shall have the promised detail. I
saw your friend Thornhill last night, who spoke of you as a friend
ought to do. Excuse this trouble, and believe me to be, with great
sincerity,
Yours affectionately, BYRON.
[Footnote 1. The Rev. Robert Lowe was some years older than Byron, and
had known him intimately at Southwell in his early youth. Miss Pigot was
a cousin of Mr. Lowe, as was also the Rev. J. T. Becher of Southwell.
Mrs. Chaworth Musters, who contributed this letter to 'The Life and
Letters of Viscount Sherbrooke' (vol. i. p. 46), adds that her
grandfather was, naturally, excessively annoyed at having been made the
mouthpiece of an untruth, and that the coolness which arose in
consequence lasted up to the end of Byron's life. There can, however, be
no doubt that Byron made the statement in all sincerity.]
[Footnote 2: At Wymondham.]
CHAPTER IV.
TRAVELS IN ALBANIA, GREECE, ETC.--DEATH OF MRS. BYRON.
1809-1811.
123.--To his Mother.
Falmouth, June 22, 1809.
DEAR MOTHER,--I am about to sail in a few days; probably before this
reaches you. Fletcher begged so hard, that I have continued him in my
service. If he does not behave well abroad, I will send him back in a
_transport_. I have a German servant (who has been with Mr. Wilbraham
in Persia before, and was strongly recommended to me by Dr. Butler, of
Harrow), Robert and William; [1] they constitute my whole suite. I
have letters in plenty:--you shall hear from me at the different ports
I touch upon; but you must not be alarmed if my letters miscarry. The
Continent is in a fine state--an insurrection has broken out at Paris,
and the Austrians are beating Buonaparte--the Tyrolese have risen.
There is a picture of me in oil, to be sent down to Newstead soon. [2]
--I wish the Miss Pigots had something better to do than carry my
miniatures to Nottingham to copy. Now they have done it, you may ask
them to copy the others, which are greater favourites than my own. As
to money matters, I am ruined--at least till Rochdale is sold; and if
that does not turn out well, I shall enter into the Austrian or
Russian service--perhaps the Turkish, if I like their manners. The
world is all before me, and I leave England without regret, and
without a wish to revisit any thing it contains, except _yourself_,
and your present residence.
Believe me, yours ever sincerely.
P.S.--Pray tell Mr. Rushton his son is well, and doing well; so is
Murray, [3] indeed better than I ever saw him; he will be back in
about a month. I ought to add the leaving Murray to my few regrets, as
his age perhaps will prevent my seeing him again. Robert I take with
me; I like him, because, like myself, he seems a friendless animal.
[Footnote 1: Robert Rushton and William Fletcher, the "little page" and
"staunch yeoman" of Childe Harold's "Good Night," Canto I. stanza xiii.]
[Footnote 2: By George Sanders.]
[Footnote 3: "Joe" Murray was sent back from Gibraltar, and with him
returned the homesick Robert Rushton.
124.--To the Rev. Henry Drury.
Falmouth, June 28, 1809.
MY DEAR DRURY,--We sail to-morrow in the Lisbon packet, having been
detained till now by the lack of wind, and other necessaries. These
being at last procured, by this time tomorrow evening we shall be
embarked on the vide vorld of vaters, vor all the vorld like Robinson
Crusoe. The Malta vessel not sailing for some weeks, we have
determined to go by way of Lisbon, and, as my servants term it, to see
"that there "'Portingale'"--thence to Cadiz and Gibraltar, and so on
our old route to Malta and Constantinople, if so be that Captain Kidd,
our gallant, or rather gallows, commander, understands plain sailing
and Mercator, and takes us on a voyage all according to the chart.
Will you tell Dr. Butler that I have taken the treasure of a servant,
Friese, the native of Prussia Proper, into my service from his
recommendation? He has been all among the Worshippers of Fire in
Persia, and has seen Persepolis and all that.
Hobhouse has made woundy preparations for a book on his return; 100
pens, two gallons of Japan Ink, and several volumes of best blank, is
no bad provision for a discerning public. I have laid down my pen, but
have promised to contribute a chapter on the state of morals, and a
further treatise on the same to be intituled "..., 'Simplified,... or
Proved to be Praiseworthy from Ancient Authors and Modern Practice.'"
Hobhouse further hopes to indemnify himself in Turkey for a life of
exemplary chastity at home. Pray buy his 'Missellingany', as the
Printer's Devil calls it. I suppose it is in print by this time.
Providence has interposed in our favour with a fair wind to carry us
out of its reach, or he would have hired a Faqui to translate it into
the Turcoman lingo.
"The cock is crowing,
I must be going,
And can no more."
'Ghost of Gaffer Thumb'. [1]
Adieu.--Believe me, etc., etc.
[Footnote 1: In Fielding's burlesque tragedy, 'The Tragedy of Tragedies;
or the Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great'(1730), occur the lines--
"Arthur, beware; I must this moment hence,
Not frighted by your voice, but by the cock's."
The burlesque was altered by Kane O'Hara, and published as performed at
the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in 1805. In this prompt-book version (act
i.) appear the lines quoted by Byron.
"'Ghost'. Grizzle's Rebellion,
What need I tell you on?
Or by a red cow
Tom Thumb devoured?
('cock crows') Hark the cock crowing!
I must be going:
I can no more {'vanishes'}."]
125.--To Francis Hodgson.
Falmouth, June 25, 1809.
MY DEAR HODGSON,--Before this reaches you, Hobhouse, two officers'
wives, three children, two waiting-maids, ditto subalterns for the
troops, three Portuguese esquires and domestics, in all nineteen
souls, will have sailed in the Lisbon packet, with the noble Captain
Kidd, a gallant commander as ever smuggled an anker of right Nantz.
We are going to Lisbon first, because the Malta packet has sailed,
d'ye see?--from Lisbon to Gibraltar, Malta, Constantinople, and "all
that," as Orator Henley said, when he put the Church, and "all that,"
in danger. [1]
This town of Falmouth, as you will partly conjecture, is no great ways
from the sea. It is defended on the sea-side by tway castles, St. Maws
and Pendennis, extremely well calculated for annoying every body
except an enemy. St. Maws is garrisoned by an able-bodied person of
fourscore, a widower. He has the whole command and sole management of
six most unmanageable pieces of ordnance, admirably adapted for the
destruction of Pendennis, a like tower of strength on the opposite
side of the Channel. We have seen St. Maws, but Pendennis they will
not let us behold, save at a distance, because Hobhouse and I are
suspected of having already taken St. Maws by a coup de main.
The town contains many Quakers and salt fish--the oysters have a taste
of copper, owing to the soil of a mining country--the women (blessed
be the Corporation therefor!) are flogged at the cart's tail when they
pick and steal, as happened to one of the fair sex yesterday noon. She
was pertinacious in her behaviour, and damned the mayor.
This is all I know of Falmouth. Nothing occurred of note in our way
down, except that on Hartford Bridge we changed horses at an inn,
where the great----, Beckford, [2] sojourned for the night. We tried
in vain to see the martyr of prejudice, but could not. What we thought
singular, though you perhaps will not, was that Ld Courtney [3]
travelled the same night on the same road, only one stage _behind_ him.
Hodgson, remember me to the Drury, and remember me to yourself when
drunk. I am not worth a sober thought. Look to my satire at
Cawthorn's, Cockspur Street, and look to the 'Miscellany' of the
Hobhouse. It has pleased Providence to interfere in behalf of a
suffering public by giving him a sprained wrist, so that he cannot
write, and there is a cessation of ink-shed.
I don't know when I can write again, because it depends on that
experienced navigator, Captain Kidd, and the "stormy winds that
(don't) blow" at this season. I leave England without regret--I shall
return to it without pleasure. I am like Adam, the first convict
sentenced to transportation, but I have no Eve, and have eaten no
apple but what was sour as a crab;--and thus ends my first chapter.
Adieu. [4]
Yours, etc.
[Footnote 1: Henley, in one of his publications entitled 'Oratory
Transactions', engaged
"to execute singly what would sprain a dozen of modern doctors of the
tribe of Issachar--to write, read, and study twelve hours a day, and
yet appear as untouched by the yoke as if he never wore it--to teach
in one year what schools or universities teach in five;" and he
furthermore pledged himself to persevere in his bold scheme until he
had "put the church,--and all that--, in danger."
(Moore).]
[Footnote 2: William Beckford (1760-1844), son of Chatham's friend who
was twice Lord Mayor of London, at the age of eleven succeeded it is
said, to a million of ready money and a hundred thousand a year. Before
he was seventeen he wrote his 'Biographical Memoirs of Extraordinary
Painters', designed as a satire on the 'Vies des Peintres Flamands',
('Memoirs of William Beckford', by Cyrus Redding, vol. i. p. 96.) His
travels (1777-82) in Switzerland, the Low Countries, and Italy are
described in his 'Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents, in a series of
letters from various parts of Europe', published anonymously in 1783,
and reprinted, with additions and omissions, in 1834 and 1840. In the
previous year he had written 'Vathek' in French, in "three days and two
nights," without, as he says, taking off his clothes; "the severe
application made me very ill." This statement, if made by Beckford, as
Redding implies, is untrue. Evidence exists to prove that 'Vathek' was a
careful and elaborate composition. The book was published with his name
in 1787; but a translation, made and printed without his leave, had
already (1784) appeared, and was often mistaken for the original. In
1783 he married Lady Margaret Gordon, with whom he lived in Switzerland
till her death in 1786. One of his two daughters--he had no son--became
Mrs. Orde, the other the Duchess of Hamilton. From 1787 to 1791, and
again from 1794 to 1796, he visited Portugal and Spain, and to this
period belong his 'Sketches of Spain and Portugal' (1834), and his
'Recollections of an Excursion to the 'Monasteries of Alobaca and
Batalha' (1835). Between his two visits to Portugal, on the last of
which he occupied the retreat at Cintra celebrated by Byron ('Childe
Harold', Canto I. stanzas xviii.-xxii.), he saw the destruction of the
Bastille, bought Gibbon's library at Lausanne (in 1796), and, shutting
himself up in it "for six weeks, from early in the morning until night,
only now and then taking "a ride," read himself "nearly blind" (Cyrus
Redding's "Recollections of the Author of Vathek," 'New Monthly
Magazine', vol. lxxi. p. 307). He also wrote two burlesque novels, to
ridicule, it is said, those written by his sister, Mrs. Henry: 'Azemia;
a Descriptive and Sentimental Novel. By Jacquetta Agneta Mariana Jenks
of Bellgrove Priory in Wales' (1796); and 'Modern Novel-Writing, or the
Elegant Enthusiast. By the Rt. Hon. Lady Harriet Marlow'(1797). He
represented Wells from 1784 to 1790, and Hindon from 1806 to 1820; but
took no part in political life. He was now settled at Fonthill
(1796-1822), absorbed in collecting books, pictures, and engravings,
laying out the grounds, indulging his architectural extravagances, and
shutting himself and his palace out from the world by a gigantic wall.
When Rogers visited him at Fonthill, and arrived at the gate, he was
told that neither his servant nor his horses could be admitted, but that
Mr. Beckford's attendants and horses would be at his service
('Recollections of the Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers', p. 217). Beckford
had been taught music by Mozart, and Rogers says ('ibid'.) that "in the
evening Beckford would amuse us by reading one of his unpublished works;
or he would extemporize on the pianoforte, producing the most novel and
charming melodies."
In 1822 his gigantic fortune had dwindled; he was in embarrassed
circumstances; Fonthill and most of its contents were sold, and Beckford
settled in Lansdowne Terrace, Bath, where he still collected books and
works of art, laid out the grounds, and built the tower on Lansdowne
Hill, which are now the property of the city. At Bath he died in 1844.
'Vathek' is a masterpiece, which, as an Eastern tale, is unrivalled in
European literature.
"For correctness of costume," says Byron, in one of his diaries,
"beauty of description, and power of imagination, it far surpasses all
European imitations; and bears such marks of originality, that those
who have visited the East will find some difficulty in believing it to
be a translation. As an Eastern tale, even 'Rasselas' must bow before
it: his 'Happy Valley' will not bear a comparison with the Hall of
Eblis."
Beckford's letters are, in their way, equally masterpieces, and, like
'Vathek', have the appearance of being struck off without labour.
Reprinted, as their writer says (Preface to the edition of 1840),
because "some justly admired Authors... condescended to glean a few
stray thoughts from these letters," they suggest, in some respects,
comparison with Byron's own work. There is the same prodigality of
power, the same simple nervous style, the same vein of melancholy, the
same cynical contempt for mankind. In both writers there is a passionate
feeling for the grander aspects of nature, though Beckford was also
thrilled, as Byron was not, by the beauties of art. In both there are
similar inconsistencies and incongruities of temperament, and the same
vein of reckless self-indulgence appears to run by the side of nobler
enthusiasms. In both there is a taste for Oriental magnificence, which,
in Beckford, was to some degree corrected by his artistic perceptions.
Both, finally, described not so much the objects they saw, as the
impression which those objects produced on themselves, and thus steeped
their pictures, clear and vivid though they are, in an atmosphere of
their own personality.]
[Footnote 3: William, third Viscount Courtenay, died unmarried in 1835,
and with him the viscountcy became extinct. In 1831 he proved before
Parliament his title to the earldom of Devon, which passed at his death
to a cousin, William, tenth Earl of Devon (1777-1859).]
[Footnote 4: In this letter the following verses were enclosed:--
"Falmouth Roads, June 30, 1809.
"Huzza! Hodgson, we are going,
Our embargo's off at last;
Favourable breezes blowing
Bend the canvass o'er the mast.
From aloft the signal's streaming,
Hark! the farewell gun is fired,
Women screeching, tars blaspheming,
Tell us that our time's expired.
Here's a rascal
Come to task all,
Prying from the Custom-house;
Trunks unpacking,
Cases cracking,
Not a corner for a mouse
'Scapes unsearch'd amid the racket,
Ere we sail on board the Packet.
Now our boatmen quit their mooring,
And all hands must ply the oar;
Baggage from the quay is lowering,
We're impatient--push from shore.
'Have a care! that case holds liquor--
Stop the boat--I'm sick--oh Lord!'
'Sick, ma'am, damme, you'll be sicker
Ere you've been an hour on board.'
Thus are screaming
Men and women,
Gemmen, ladies, servants, Jacks;
Here entangling,
All are wrangling,
Stuck together close as wax.
Such the general noise and racket,
Ere we reach the Lisbon Packet.
Now we've reach'd her, lo! the captain,
Gallant Kidd, commands the crew;
Passengers their berths are clapt in,
Some to grumble, some to spew.
'Hey day! call you that a cabin?
Why 'tis hardly three feet square;
Not enough to stow Queen Mab in--
Who the deuce can harbour there?'
'Who, sir? plenty--
Nobles twenty--
Did at once my vessel fill'--
'Did they? Jesus,
How you squeeze us!
Would to God they did so still:
Then I'd 'scape the heat and racket,
Of the good ship, Lisbon Packet.'
Fletcher! Murray! Bob! where are you?
Stretch'd along the deck like logs--
Bear a hand, you jolly tar you!
Here's a rope's end for the dogs.
Hobhouse muttering fearful curses,
As the hatchway down he rolls;
Now his breakfast, now his verses,
Vomits forth--and damns our souls.
'Here's a stanza
On Braganza--
Help!'--'A couplet?'--'No, a cup
Of warm water.'--
'What's the matter?'
'Zounds! my liver's coming up;
I shall not survive the racket
Of this brutal Lisbon Packet.'
Now at length we're off for Turkey,
Lord knows when we shall come back!
Breezes foul and tempests murky
May unship us in a crack.
But, since life at most a jest is,
As philosophers allow,
Still to laugh by far the best is,
Then laugh on--as I do now.
Laugh at all things,
Great and small things,
Sick or well, at sea or shore;
While we're quaffing,
Let's have laughing--
Who the devil cares for more?--
Some good wine! and who would lack it,
Ev'n on board the Lisbon Packet?
"BYRON."
126.--To Francis Hodgson.
Lisbon, July 16, 1809.
Thus far have we pursued our route, and seen all sorts of marvellous
sights, palaces, convents, etc.;--which, being to be heard in my
friend Hobhouse's forthcoming Book of Travels, I shall not anticipate
by smuggling any account whatsoever to you in a private and
clandestine manner. I must just observe, that the village of Cintra in
Estremadura is the most beautiful, perhaps, in the world.
I am very happy here, because I loves oranges, and talks bad Latin to
the monks, who understand it, as it is like their own,--and I goes
into society (with my pocket-pistols), and I swims in the Tagus all
across at once, and I rides on an ass or a mule, and swears
Portuguese, and have got a diarrhoea and bites from the mosquitoes.
But what of that? Comfort must not be expected by folks that go a
pleasuring.
When the Portuguese are pertinacious, I say 'Carracho!'--the great
oath of the grandees, that very well supplies the place of
"Damme,"--and, when dissatisfied with my neighbour, I pronounce him
'Ambra di merdo'. With these two phrases, and a third, 'Avra louro',
which signifieth "Get an ass," I am universally understood to be a
person of degree and a master of languages. How merrily we lives that
travellers be!--if we had food and raiment. But, in sober sadness, any
thing is better than England, and I am infinitely amused with my
pilgrimage as far as it has gone.
To-morrow we start to ride post near 400 miles as far as Gibraltar,
where we embark for Melita and Byzantium. A letter to Malta will find
me, or to be forwarded, if I am absent. Pray embrace the Drury and
Dwyer, and all the Ephesians you encounter. I am writing with Butler's
donative pencil, which makes my bad hand worse. Excuse illegibility.
Hodgson! send me the news, and the deaths and defeats and capital
crimes and the misfortunes of one's friends; and let us hear of
literary matters, and the controversies and the criticisms. All this
will be pleasant--'Suave mari magno', etc. Talking of that, I have
been sea-sick, and sick of the sea. Adieu.
Yours faithfully, etc.
127.--To Francis Hodgson.
Gibraltar, August 6, 1809.
I have just arrived at this place after a journey through Portugal,
and a part of Spain, of nearly 500 miles. We left Lisbon and travelled
on horseback to Seville and Cadiz, and thence in the 'Hyperion'
frigate to Gibraltar. The horses are excellent--we rode seventy miles
a day. Eggs and wine, and hard beds, are all the accommodation we
found, and, in such torrid weather, quite enough. My health is better
than in England.
Seville is a fine town, and the Sierra Morena, part of which we
crossed, a very sufficient mountain; but damn description, it is
always disgusting. Cadiz, sweet Cadiz! [1]--it is the first spot in
the creation. The beauty of its streets and mansions is only excelled
by the loveliness of its inhabitants. For, with all national
prejudice, I must confess the women of Cadiz are as far superior to
the English women in beauty as the Spaniards are inferior to the
English in every quality that dignifies the name of man. Just as I
began to know the principal persons of the city, I was obliged to
sail.
You will not expect a long letter after my riding so far "on hollow
pampered jades of Asia." Talking of Asia puts me in mind of Africa,
which is within five miles of my present residence. I am going over
before I go on to Constantinople.
Cadiz is a complete Cythera. Many of the grandees who have left Madrid
during the troubles reside there, and I do believe it is the prettiest
and cleanest town in Europe. London is filthy in the comparison. The
Spanish women are all alike, their education the same. The wife of a
duke is, in information, as the wife of a peasant,--the wife of
peasant, in manner, equal to a duchess. Certainly they are
fascinating; but their minds have only one idea, and the business of
their lives is intrigue.
I have seen Sir John Carr [2] at Seville and Cadiz, and, like Swift's
barber, have been down on my knees to beg he would not put me into
black and white [3]. Pray remember me [4] to the Drurys and the Davies,
and all of that stamp who are yet extant. Send me a letter and news to
Malta. My next epistle shall be from Mount Caucasus or Mount Sion. I
shall return to Spain before I see England, for I am enamoured of the
country. Adieu, and believe me, etc.
[Footnote 1: In 'Childe Harold' (Canto I., after stanza lxxxiv.),
instead of the song "To Inez," Byron originally wrote the song beginning
"Oh never talk again to me
Of northern climes and British ladies,
It has not been your lot to see,
Like me, the lovely girl of Cadiz."]
[Footnote 2: Sir John Carr (1772-1832), a native of Devonshire, and a
barrister of the Middle Temple, was knighted by the Duke of Bedford as
Viceroy of Ireland about 1807. He published 'The Fury of Discord, a
Poem' (1803); 'The Sea-side Hero, a Drama in 3 Acts' (1804); and
'Poems'(1809). But he is best known by his travels, which gained him the
nickname of "Jaunting Carr," and considerable profit. 'The Stranger in
France' (1803) was bought by Johnson for L100. 'A Northern Summer, or
Travels round the Baltic, etc._(1805), 'The Stranger in Ireland'
(1806), and 'A Tour through Holland_(1807), were bought for L500,
L700, and L600 respectively by Sir Richard Phillips, who, but for the
ridicule cast upon Carr by Edward Dubois (in 'My Pocket Book; or Hints
for a Ryhte Merrie and Conceited Tour in Quarto, to be called "The
Stranger in Ireland in 1805," by a Knight Errant'), would have given
L600 for his 'Caledonian Sketches' (1808). In spite, however, of this
proof of damages, the jury found, in Carr's action against Messrs. Hood
and Sharpe, the publishers of 'My Pocket Book', that the criticism was
fair and justifiable (1808). Carr published, in 1811, his 'Descriptive
Travels in the Southern and Eastern Parts of Spain', without mentioning
Byron's name. Byron concluded his MS. of 'Childe Harold', Canto I. with
three stanzas on "Green Erin's Knight and Europe's Wandering Star" (see,
for the lines, 'Childe Harold', at the end of Canto I.). In letter vii.
of 'Intercepted Letters; or the Twopenny Post-bag', by Thomas Brown the
Younger (1813), occur the following lines:--
"Since the Chevalier C--rr took to marrying lately,
The Trade is in want of a 'Traveller' greatly--
No job, Sir, more easy--your 'Country' once plann'd,
A month aboard ship and a fortnight on land
Puts your Quarto of Travels, Sir, clean out of hand."]
[Footnote 3:
"Once stopping at an inn at Dundalk, the Dean was so much amused with
a prating barber, that rather than be alone he invited him to dinner.
The fellow was rejoiced at this unexpected honour, and being dressed
out in his best apparel came to the inn, first inquiring of the groom
what the clergyman's name was who had so kindly invited him. 'What the
vengeance!' said the servant,' don't you know Dean Swift?' At which
the barber turned pale, and, running into the house, fell upon his
knees and intreated the Dean 'not to put him into print; for that he
was a poor barber, had a large family to maintain, and if his
reverence put him into black and white he should lose all his
customers.' Swift laughed heartily at the poor fellow's simplicity,
bade him sit down and eat his dinner in peace, for he assured him he
would neither put him nor his wife in print."
Sheridan's 'Life of Swift'.--(Moore).]
[Footnote 4:
"This sort of passage," says the Rev. Francis Hodgson, in a note on
his copy of this letter, "constantly occurs in his correspondence. Nor
was his interest confined to mere remembrances and inquiries after
health. Were it possible to state 'all' he has done for numerous
friends, he would appear amiable indeed. For myself, I am bound to
acknowledge, in the fullest and warmest manner, his most generous and
well-timed aid; and, were my poor friend Bland alive, he would as
gladly bear the like testimony;--though I have most reason, of all
men, to do so."
(Moore).]
128.--To his Mother.
Gibraltar, August 11th, 1809.
Dear Mother,-I have been so much occupied since my departure from
England, that till I could address you at length I have forborne
writing altogether. As I have now passed through Portugal, and a
considerable part of Spain, and have leisure at this place, I shall
endeavour to give you a short detail of my movements.
We sailed from Falmouth on the 2nd of July, reached Lisbon after a
very favourable passage of four days and a half, and took up our abode
in that city. It has been often described without being worthy of
description; for, except the view from the Tagus, which is beautiful,
and some fine churches and convents, it contains little but filthy
streets, and more filthy inhabitants. To make amends for this, the
village of Cintra, about fifteen miles from the capital, is, perhaps
in every respect, the most delightful in Europe; it contains beauties
of every description, natural and artificial. Palaces and gardens
rising in the midst of rocks, cataracts, and precipices; convents on
stupendous heights--a distant view of the sea and the Tagus; and,
besides (though that is a secondary consideration), is remarkable as
the scene of Sir Hew Dalrymple's Convention.[1] It unites in itself
all the wildness of the western highlands, with the verdure of the
south of France. Near this place, about ten miles to the right, is the
palace of Mafra, the boast of Portugal, as it might be of any other
country, in point of magnificence without elegance. There is a convent
annexed; the monks, who possess large revenues, are courteous enough,
and understand Latin, so that we had a long conversation: they have a
large library, and asked me if the _English_ had _any books_ in their
country?
I sent my baggage, and part of the servants, by sea to Gibraltar, and
travelled on horseback from Aldea Galbega (the first stage from
Lisbon, which is only accessible by water) to Seville (one of the most
famous cities in Spain), where the Government called the Junta is now
held. The distance to Seville is nearly four hundred miles, and to
Cadiz almost ninety farther towards the coast. I had orders from the
governments, and every possible accommodation on the road, as an
English nobleman, in an English uniform, is a very respectable
personage in Spain at present. The horses are remarkably good, and the
roads (I assure you upon my honour, for you will hardly believe it)
very far superior to the best English roads, without the smallest toll
or turnpike. You will suppose this when I rode post to Seville, in
four days, through this parching country in the midst of summer,
without fatigue or annoyance.
Seville is a beautiful town; though the streets are narrow, they are
clean. We lodged in the house of two Spanish unmarried ladies, who
possess _six_ houses in Seville, and gave me a curious specimen of
Spanish manners. They are women of character, and the eldest a fine
woman, the youngest pretty, but not so good a figure as Donna Josepha.
The freedom of manner, which is general here, astonished me not a
little; and in the course of further observation, I find that reserve
is not the characteristic of the Spanish belles, who are, in general,
very handsome, with large black eyes, and very fine forms. The eldest
honoured your _unworthy_ son with very particular attention, embracing
him with great tenderness at parting (I was there but three days),
after cutting off a lock of his hair, and presenting him with one of
her own, about three feet in length, which I send, and beg you will
retain till my return. Her last words were, _Adios, tu hermoso! me
gusto mucho_--"Adieu, you pretty fellow! you please me much." She
offered me a share of her apartment, which my _virtue_ induced me to
decline; she laughed, and said I had some English _amante_ (lover),
and added that she was going to be married to an officer in the
Spanish army.
I left Seville, and rode on to Cadiz, through a beautiful country. At
_Xeres_, where the sherry we drink is made, I met a great merchant--a
Mr. Gordon of Scotland--who was extremely polite, and favoured me with
the inspection of his vaults and cellars, so that I quaffed at the
fountain head.
Cadiz, sweet Cadiz, is the most delightful town I ever beheld, very
different from our English cities in every respect except cleanliness
(and it is as clean as London), but still beautiful, and full of the
finest women in Spain, the Cadiz belles being the Lancashire witches
of their land. Just as I was introduced and began to like the
grandees, I was forced to leave it for this cursed place; but before I
return to England I will visit it again. The night before I left it, I
sat in the box at the opera with Admiral Cordova's family; [2] he is
the commander whom Lord St. Vincent defeated in 1797, and has an aged
wife and a fine daughter, Sennorita Cordova. The girl is very pretty,
in the Spanish style; in my opinion, by no means inferior to the
English in charms, and certainly superior in fascination. Long black
hair, dark languishing eyes, _clear_ olive complexions, and forms more
graceful in motion than can be conceived by an Englishman used to the
drowsy, listless air of his countrywomen, added to the most becoming
dress, and, at the same time, the most decent in the world, render a
Spanish beauty irresistible.
I beg leave to observe that intrigue here is the business of life;
when a woman marries she throws off all restraint, but I believe their
conduct is chaste enough before. If you make a proposal, which in
England will bring a box on the ear from the meekest of virgins, to a
Spanish girl, she thanks you for the honour you intend her, and
replies, "Wait till I am married, and I shall be too happy." This is
literally and strictly true.
Miss Cordova and her little brother understood a little French, and,
after regretting my ignorance of the Spanish, she proposed to become
my preceptress in that language. I could only reply by a low bow, and
express my regret that I quitted Cadiz too soon to permit me to make
the progress which would doubtless attend my studies under so charming
a directress. I was standing at the back of the box, which resembles
our Opera boxes, (the theatre is large and finely decorated, the music
admirable,) in the manner which Englishmen generally adopt, for fear
of incommoding the ladies in front, when this fair Spaniard
dispossessed an old woman (an aunt or a duenna) of her chair, and
commanded me to be seated next herself, at a tolerable distance from
her mamma. At the close of the performance I withdrew, and was
lounging with a party of men in the passage, when, _en passant,_ the
lady turned round and called me, and I had the honour of attending her
to the admiral's mansion. I have an invitation on my return to Cadiz,
which I shall accept if I repass through the country on my return from
Asia. [3]
I have met Sir John Carr, Knight Errant, at Seville and Cadiz. He is a
pleasant man. I like the Spaniards much. You have heard of the battle
near Madrid, [4] and in England they would call it a victory--a pretty
victory! Two hundred officers and five thousand men killed, all
English, and the French in as great force as ever. I should have
joined the army, but we have no time to lose before we get up the
Mediterranean and Archipelago. I am going over to Africa tomorrow; it
is only six miles from this fortress. My next stage is Cagliari in
Sardinia, where I shall be presented to His Majesty. I have a most
superb uniform as a court dress, indispensable in travelling.
_August 13._--I have not yet been to Africa--the wind is contrary--but
I dined yesterday at Algesiras, with Lady Westmorland, [5] where I met
General Castanos, the celebrated Spanish leader in the late and
present war. To-day I dine with him. He has offered me letters to
Tetuan in Barbary, for the principal Moors, and I am to have the house
for a few days of one of the great men, which was intended for Lady
W., whose health will not permit her to cross the Straits.
_August 15_.--I could not dine with Castanos [6] yesterday, but this
afternoon I had that honour. He is pleasant and, for aught I know to
the contrary, clever. I cannot go to Barbary. The Malta packet sails
to-morrow, and myself in it. Admiral Purvis, with whom I dined at
Cadiz, gave me a passage in a frigate to Gibraltar, but we have no
ship of war destined for Malta at present. The packets sail fast, and
have good accommodation. You shall hear from me on our route.
Joe Murray delivers this; I have sent him and the boy back. Pray show
the lad kindness, as he is my great favourite; I would have taken him
on. And say this to his father, who may otherwise think he has behaved
ill. I hope this will find you well. Believe me,
Yours ever sincerely,
BYRON.
P.S.--So Lord G----[7] is married to a rustic. Well done! If I wed, I
will bring home a Sultana, with half a dozen cities for a dowry, and
reconcile you to an Ottoman daughter-in-law, with a bushel of pearls
not larger than ostrich eggs, or smaller than walnuts.
[Footnote 1: Sir Hew Whitefoord Dalrymple (1750-1830) took command of
the British forces in the Peninsular War, August 22, 1808, and signed
the Convention of Cintra (August 31), by which Junot, whom Sir Arthur
Wellesley had defeated at Vimeira, evacuated Portugal, and surrendered
Elvas and Lisbon. The Convention was approved by a court of general
officers ordered to sit at Chelsea Hospital; but Dalrymple never again
obtained a command.
The so-called Convention of Cintra was signed at the palace of the
Marquis de Marialva, thirty miles distant.]
[Footnote 2: Admiral Cordova commanded the Spanish Fleet, defeated,
February 14, 1797, off Cape St. Vincent, by Sir John Jervis, afterwards
Earl St. Vincent.]
[Footnote 3: To these adventures in his hasty passage through Spain
Byron briefly alludes in the early part of his _Memoranda._
"For some time," he said, "I went on prosperously both as a linguist
and a lover, till at length the lady took a fancy to a ring which I
wore, and set her heart on my giving it to her, as a pledge of my
sincerity. This, however, could not be:--any thing but the ring, I
declared, was at her service, and much more than its value,--but the
ring itself I had made a vow never to give away." The young Spaniard
grew angry as the contention went on, and it was not long before the
lover became angry also; till, at length, the affair ended by their
separating. "Soon after this," said he, "I sailed for Malta, and there
parted with both my heart and ring."
('Life', p.93). He also alludes to the incident in 'Don Juan', Canto II,
stanza clxiv.--
"'Tis pleasing to be school'd in a strange tongue
By female lips and eyes--that is, I mean,
When both the teacher and the taught are young,
As was the case, at least, where I have been,"
etc.]
[Footnote 4: The battle of Talavera, July 27 and 28, 1809, in which Sir
Arthur Wellesley defeated Marshal Victor. In Cuesta's despatch to the
Spanish Government, dated Seville, August 7, the British loss is
mentioned as 260 officers and 5000 men.]
[Footnote 5: Lady Westmorland, _nee_ Jane Saunders, daughter of Dr. R.
H. Saunders, married, in 1800, as his second wife, John, tenth Earl of
Westmorland (1759-1841). At her house Lady Caroline Lamb refused to be
introduced to Byron (_Life of Lord Melbourne,_ vol. i. p.103).
[Footnote 6: General Francisco de Castanos, Duke of Baylen (1758-1852)
defeated General Dupont at Baylen in 1808, and distinguished himself at
Vittoria in 1813. He was guardian to Queen Isabella in 1843.]
[Footnote 7: Lord Grey de Ruthyn. (See page 23 [Letter 8], [Foot]note 1.)]
129.--To Mr. Rushton.
Gibraltar, August 15, 1809.
Mr. Rushton,--I have sent Robert home with Mr. Murray, because the
country which I am about to travel through is in a state which renders
it unsafe, particularly for one so young. I allow you to deduct
five-and-twenty pounds a year for his education for three years,
provided I do not return before that time, and I desire he may be
considered as in my service. Let every care be taken of him, and let
him be sent to school. In case of my death I have provided enough in
my will to render him independent. He has behaved extremely well, and
has travelled a great deal for the time of his absence. Deduct the
expense of his education from your rent.
BYRON.
130.--To his Mother.
Malta, September 15, 1809.
Dear Mother,--Though I have a very short time to spare, being to sail
immediately for Greece, I cannot avoid taking an opportunity of
telling you that I am well. I have been in Malta [1] a short time, and
have found the inhabitants hospitable and pleasant.
This letter is committed to the charge of a very extraordinary woman,
whom you have doubtless heard of, Mrs. Spencer Smith, of whose escape
the Marquis de Salvo published a narrative a few years ago. [2] She
has since been shipwrecked, and her life has been from its
commencement so fertile in remarkable incidents, that in a romance
they would appear improbable. She was born at Constantinople, where
her father, Baron Herbert, was Austrian Ambassador; married unhappily,
yet has never been impeached in point of character; excited the
vengeance of Buonaparte by a part in some conspiracy; several times
risked her life; and is not yet twenty-five. She is here on her way to
England, to join her husband, being obliged to leave Trieste, where
she was paying a visit to her mother, by the approach of the French,
and embarks soon in a ship of war. Since my arrival here, I have had
scarcely any other companion. I have found her very pretty, very
accomplished, and extremely eccentric. Buonaparte is even now so
incensed against her, that her life would be in some danger if she
were taken prisoner a second time.
You have seen Murray and Robert by this time, and received my letter.
Little has happened since that date. I have touched at Cagliari in
Sardinia, and at Girgenti in Sicily, and embark to-morrow for Patras,
from whence I proceed to Yanina, where Ali Pacha holds his court. So I
shall soon be among the Mussulmans. Adieu. Believe me, with sincerity,
yours ever,
BYRON.
[Footnote 1: At Gibraltar, John Galt, who was travelling for his health,
met Byron, whom he did not know by sight, but by whose appearance he was
attracted.
"His dress indicated a Londoner of some fashion, partly by its
neatness and simplicity, with just so much of a peculiarity of style
as served to show that, although he belonged to the order of
metropolitan beaux, he was not altogether a common one ... His
physiognomy was prepossessing and intelligent, but ever and anon his
brows lowered and gathered--a habit, as I then thought, with a degree
of affectation in it, probably first assumed for picturesque effect
and energetic expression, but which I afterwards discovered was
undoubtedly the scowl of some unpleasant reminiscence; it was
certainly disagreeable, forbidding, but still the general cast of his
features was impressed with elegance and character."
Afterwards Galt was a fellow-passenger on board the packet from
Gibraltar to Malta.
"In the little bustle and process of embarking their luggage, his
Lordship affected, as it seemed to me, more aristocracy than befitted
his years, or the occasion; and then I thought of his singular scowl,
and suspected him of pride and irascibility. The impression that
evening was not agreeable, but it was interesting; and that forehead
mark, the frown, was calculated to awaken curiosity, and beget
conjectures ... Byron held himself aloof, and sat on the rail, leaning
on the mizzen shrouds, inhaling, as it were, poetical sympathy from
the gloomy rock, then dark and stern in the twilight. There was, in
all about him that evening, much waywardness. He spoke petulantly to
Fletcher, his valet, and was evidently ill at ease with himself, and
fretful towards others. I thought he would turn out an unsatisfactory
shipmate; yet there was something redeeming in the tones of his voice,
and when, some time after having indulged his sullen meditation he
again addressed Fletcher; so that, instead of finding him ill-natured,
I was soon convinced he was only capricious."
On the voyage,
"about the third day, Byron relented from his rapt mood, as if he felt
it was out of place, and became playful, and disposed to contribute
his fair proportion to the general endeavour to while away the
tediousness of the dull voyage."
But yet throughout the whole passage,
"if," says Galt, "my remembrance is not treacherous, he only spent one
evening in the cabin with us--the evening before we came to anchor at
Cagliari; for, when the lights were placed, he made himself a man
forbid, took his station on the railing, between the pegs on which the
sheets are belayed and the shrouds, and there, for hours, sat in
silence, enamoured, it may be, of the moon. All these peculiarities,
with his caprices, and something inexplicable in the cast of his
metaphysics, while they served to awaken interest, contributed little
to conciliate esteem. He was often strangely rapt--it may have been
from his genius; and, had its grandeur and darkness been then
divulged, susceptible of explanation; but, at the time, it threw, as
it were, around him the sackcloth of penitence. Sitting amid the
shrouds and rattlings, in the tranquillity of the moonlight, churning
an inarticulate melody, he seemed almost apparitional, suggesting dim
reminiscences of him who shot the albatross"
(Galt's 'Life of Byron', pp. 57-61).]
[Footnote 2: Byron's "new Calypso." Mrs. Spencer Smith (born about 1785)
was the daughter of Baron Herbert, Austrian Ambassador at
Constantinople, wife of Spencer Smith, the British Minister at
Stuttgart, and sister-in-law of Sir Sidney Smith, the hero of Acre. In
1805 she was staying, for her health, at the baths of Valdagno, near
Vicenza, when the Napoleonic wars overspread Northern Italy, and she
took refuge with her sister, the Countess Attems, at Venice. In 1806
General Lauriston took over the government of the city in the name of
Napoleon, and M. de La Garde was appointed Prefect of the Police. A few
days after their arrival, on April 18, Mrs. Smith was arrested, and,
guarded by 'gendarmes', conveyed towards the Italian frontier, to be
confined, as La Garde told a Sicilian nobleman, the Marquis de Salvo, at
Valenciennes. Mrs. Smith's beauty and impending fate deeply impressed
the marquis, who determined to rescue her. The prisoner and her guard
had reached Brescia, and were lodged at the 'Albergo delle due Torre',
The opportunity seemed favourable. Once across the Guarda Lake, and in
the passes of Tyrol, it would be easy to reach Styria. The marquis made
his arrangements--hired two boats, one for the fugitives, the other for
their post-chaise and horses; procured for Mrs. Smith a boy's dress, as
a disguise; made a ladder long enough to reach her window in the inn,
and succeeded in making known his plan to the prisoner. The escape was
effected; but all along the road the danger continued, for their way lay
through a country which was practically French territory. It was not
till they reached Gratz, and Mrs. Smith was under the roof of her
sister, the Countess Strassoldo, that she was safe. The story is told in
detail by the Marquis de Salvo, in his 'Travels in the Year 1806 from
Italy to England' (1807), and by the Duchesse d'Abrantes ('Memoires,'
vol. xv. pp. 1-74).
To Mrs. Spencer Smith are addressed the "Lines to Florence," the
"Stanzas composed during a Thunderstorm" (near Zitza, in October, 1809),
and stanzas xxx.-xxxii. of the second canto of 'Childe Harold.' The
Duchesse d'Abrantes ('Memoires', vol. xv. pp. 4, 5) thus describes her:
"Une jeune femme, dont la delicate et elegante tournure, la peau
blanche et diaphane, les cheveux blonds, les mouvemens onduleux, toute
une tournure impossible a decrire autrement qu'en disant qu'elle etait
de toutes les creatures la plus gracieuse, lui donnaient l'aspect
d'une de ces apparitions amenees par un reve heureux... il y avail de
la Sylphide en elle. Sa vue excessivement basse n'etait qu'un charme
de plus."
Moore ('Life,' p. 95) thinks that Byron was less in love with Mrs.
Smith than with his recollection of her. According to Gait ('Life of
Byron,' p. 66),
"he affected a passion for her, but it was only Platonic. She,
however, beguiled him of his valuable yellow diamond ring."]
131.--To his Mother.
Prevesa, November 12, 1809.
My Dear Mother,--I have now been some time in Turkey: this place is on
the coast, but I have traversed the interior of the province of
Albania on a visit to the Pacha. I left Malta in the _Spider,_ a brig
of war, on the 21st of September, and arrived in eight days at
Prevesa. I thence have been about 150 miles, as far as Tepaleen, his
Highness's country palace, where I stayed three days. The name of the
Pacha is _Ali_ [1] and he is considered a man of the first abilities:
he governs the whole of Albania (the ancient Illyricum), Epirus, and
part of Macedonia. His son, Vely Pacha, [2] to whom he has given me
letters, governs the Morea, and has great influence in Egypt; in
short, he is one of the most powerful men in the Ottoman empire. When
I reached Yanina, the capital, after a journey of three days over the
mountains, through a country of the most picturesque beauty, I found
that Ali Pacha was with his army in Illyricum, besieging Ibrahim Pacha
in the castle of Berat. He had heard that an Englishman of rank was in
his dominions, and had left orders in Yanina with the commandant to
provide a house, and supply me with every kind of necessary _gratis_;
and, though I have been allowed to make presents to the slaves, etc.,
I have not been permitted to pay for a single article of household
consumption.
I rode out on the vizier's horses, and saw the palaces of himself and
grandsons: they are splendid, but too much ornamented with silk and
gold. I then went over the mountains through Zitza, [3] a village with
a Greek monastery (where I slept on my return), in the most beautiful
situation (always excepting Cintra, in Portugal) I ever beheld. In
nine days I reached Tepaleen. Our journey was much prolonged by the
torrents that had fallen from the mountains, and intersected the
roads. I shall never forget the singular scene on entering Tepaleen at
five in the afternoon, as the sun was going down. It brought to my
mind (with some change of _dress_, however) Scott's description of
Branksome Castle in his _Lay_, and the feudal system. [4] The
Albanians, in their dresses, (the most magnificent in the world,
consisting of a long _white kilt_, gold-worked cloak, crimson velvet
gold-laced jacket and waistcoat, silver-mounted pistols and daggers,)
the Tartars with their high caps, the Turks in their vast pelisses and
turbans, the soldiers and black slaves with the horses, the former in
groups in an immense large open gallery in front of the palace, the
latter placed in a kind of cloister below it, two hundred steeds ready
caparisoned to move in a moment, couriers entering or passing out with
the despatches, the kettle-drums beating, boys calling the hour from
the minaret of the mosque, altogether, with the singular appearance of
the building itself, formed a new and delightful spectacle to a
stranger. I was conducted to a very handsome apartment, and my health
inquired after by the vizier's secretary, 'a-la-mode Turque'!
The next day I was introduced to Ali Pacha. I was dressed in a full
suit of staff uniform, with a very magnificent sabre, etc. The vizier
received me in a large room paved with marble; a fountain was playing
in the centre; the apartment was surrounded by scarlet ottomans. He
received me standing, a wonderful compliment from a Mussulman, and
made me sit down on his right hand. I have a Greek interpreter for
general use, but a physician of Ali's named Femlario, who understands
Latin, acted for me on this occasion. His first question was, why, at
so early an age, I left my country?--(the Turks have no idea of
travelling for amusement). He then said, the English minister, Captain
Leake, [5] had told him I was of a great family, and desired his
respects to my mother; which I now, in the name of Ali Pacha, present
to you. He said he was certain I was a man of birth, because I had
small ears, curling hair, and little white hands, and expressed
himself pleased with my appearance and garb. He told me to consider
him as a father whilst I was in Turkey, and said he looked on me as
his son. Indeed, he treated me like a child, sending me almonds and
sugared sherbet, fruit and sweetmeats, twenty times a day. He begged
me to visit him often, and at night, when he was at leisure. I then,
after coffee and pipes, retired for the first time. I saw him thrice
afterwards. It is singular that the Turks, who have no hereditary
dignities, and few great families, except the Sultans, pay so much
respect to birth; for I found my pedigree more regarded than my title.
To-day I saw the remains of the town of Actium, [6] near which Antony
lost the world, in a small bay, where two frigates could hardly
manoeuvre: a broken wall is the sole remnant. On another part of the
gulf stand the ruins of Nicopolis, built by Augustus in honour of his
victory. Last night I was at a Greek marriage; but this and a thousand
things more I have neither time nor _space_ to describe.
His highness is sixty years old, very fat, and not tall, but with a
fine face, light blue eyes, and a white beard; his manner is very
kind, and at the same time he possesses that dignity which I find
universal amongst the Turks. He has the appearance of anything but his
real character