because, in case of any reckoning between you and me, these two are only to go for ONE, as this was the original form, and in fact the two together are not longer than one of the first; so remember, that I have not made this division to DOUBLE upon you, but merely to suppress some tediousness in the aspect of the thing. I should have served you a pretty trick if I had sent you, for example, cantos of fifty stanzas each."

CAPT. MEDWIN, p. 169.

"I don't wish to quarrel with Murray, but it seems inevitable. I had no reason to be pleased with him the other day. Galignani wrote to me, offering to purchase the copyright of my works, in order to obtain an exclusive privilege of printing them in France. I might have made my own terms, and put the money in my own pocket; instead of which, I enclosed Galignani's letter to Murray, in order that he might conclude the matter as he pleased. He did so, very advantageously for his own interest; but never had the complaisance, the common politeness, to thank me, or acknowledge my letter."

LORD BYRON's letter.

"Ravenna, 9bre 4. 1820. "I have received from Mr. Galignani the enclosed letters, duplicates, and receipts, which will explain themselves. As the poems are your property by purchase, right, and justice, ALL MATTERS OF PUBLICATION, &c. &c. ARE FOR YOU TO DECIDE UPON. I know not how far my compliance with Mr. G.'s request might be legal, and I doubt that it would not be honest. In case you choose to arrange with him, I enclose the permits to you, and in so doing I wash my hands of the business altogether. I sign ther: merely to enable you to exert the power you justly possess more properly. I will have nothing to do with it further, except in my answer to Mr. Galignani, to state that the letters, &c. &c. are sent to you, and the causes thereof. If you can check these

foreign pirates, do; if not, put the permissive papers in the fire. I can have no view nor object whatever but to secure to you your property."

NOTE.-Mr. Murray derived no advantage from the proposed agreement, which was by no means of the importance here ascribed to it, and therefore was never attempted to be carried into effect: the documents alluded to are still in his possession.

CAPT. MEDWIN, pp. 169-171.

Murray has long prevented The Quarterly' from abusing me. Some of their bullies have had their fingers itching to be at me; but they would get the worst of it in a set-to.

Murray and I have dissolved all connection: he had the choice of giving up me or the Navy List. There was no hesitation which way he should decide: the Admiralty carried the day. Now for the Quarterly: their batteries will be opened; but I can fire broadsides too. They have been letting off lots of squibs and crackers against me, but they only make a noise and ***”

"Werner' was the last book Murray published for me, and three months after came out the Quarterly's article on my Plays, when Marino Faliero' was noticed for the first time."

LORD BYRON'S LETTER.

"Genoa, 10bre 25. 1822.

"I had sent you back the Quarterly without perusal, having resolved to read no more reviews, good, bad, or indifferent; but who can control his fate? • Galignani,' to whom my English studies are confined, has forwarded a copy of at least one half of it in his indefatigable weekly compilation, and as, like honour, it came unlooked for,' I have looked through it. I must say that upon the WHOLE- that is, the whole of the HALF which I have read (for the other half is to be the segment of Gal.'s next week's circular), it is certainly handsome, and any thing but unkind or unfair."

NOTE. The passage about the Admiralty is unfounded in fact, and no otherwise deserving of notice than to mark its absurdity; and with regard to the "Quarterly Review," his lordship well knew that it was established, and constantly conducted, on principles which absolutely excluded Mr. Murray from all such interference and influence as is implied in the "Conversations."

CAPT. MEDWIN, p. 168.

"Because I gave Mr. Murray one of my poems, he wanted to make me believe that I had made him a present of two others, and hinted at some lines in English Bards' that were certainly to the point. But I have altered my mind considerably upon that subject: as I once hinted to him, I see no reason why a man should not profit by the sweat of his brain as well as that of his brow, &c.; besides, I was poor at that time, and have no idea of aggrandizing booksellers.'

"Dear Sir,

LORD BYRON'S LETTER.

"January 2. 1816.

"Your offer is liberal in the extreme, and much more than the two poems can possibly be worth — but I cannot accept it,

nor will not. You are most welcome to them, as additions to the collected volumes, without any demand or expectation on my part whatever.

"BYRON.

"P. S. I have enclosed your draft TORN, for fear of accidents by the way. — I wish you would not throw temptation in mine; it is not from a disdain of the universal idol. -nor from a present superfluity of his treasures — I can assure you, that 1 refuse to worship him- · but what is right is right, and must not yield to circumstances.

"To J. Murray, Esq."

NOTE. The above letter relates to a draft for 1000 guineas, offered by Mr. Murray for two poems, the Siege of Corinth and Parisina, which his lordship had previously, at a short interval, presented to Mr. Murray as donations. -Lord Byron was afterwards induced, by Mr. Murray's earnest persuasion, to accept the 1000 guineas, and Mr. Murray has his lordship's assignment of the copyright of the two pieces accordingly.

66

CAPT. MEDWIN, p. 166.

Murray pretends to have lost money by my writings, and pleads poverty; but if he is poor, which is somewhat problematical to me, pray who is to blame?

How kind in him! Why? because he has a

"Mr. Murray is tender of my fame. He is afraid of my writing too fast. tender regard for his own pocket, and does not like the look of any new acquaintance in the shape of a book of mine, till he has seen his old friends in a variety of new faces; ID EST, disposed of a vast many editions of the former works. I don't know what would become of me without Douglas Kinnaird, who has always been my best and kindest friend. It is not easy to deal with Mr. Murray.

NOTE. In the numerous letters received by Mr. Murray yearly from Lord Byron (who, in writing them, was not accustomed to restrain the expression of his feelings), not one has any tendency towards the imputations here thrown out: the incongruity of which will be evident from the fact of Mr. Murray having paid at various times, for the copyright of his lordship's poems, sums amounting to upwards of 15,000l.,

Weli;

purchased Cain,' The Two Foscari,' and 'Sardanapalus,' he

sent me a deed, which you may remember witnessing. after its return to England it was discovered that

*

*

But I shall take no notice of it.".

NOTE. Mr. Murray of course cannot answer a statement which he does not see; but pledges himself to disprove any inculpation the suppressed passage may contain, whenever disclosed. He has written twice to Captain Medwin's publisher, desiring, as an act of justice, to have the passage printed entire in any new edition of the book, and in the mean time to be favoured with a copy of it. As this has not yet been obtained, and as the context seems to imply that it accuses him of endeavouring to take some pecuniary advantage of Lord Byron, he thinks he shall be forgiven for stating the following circumstances.

Mr. Murray having accidentally heard that Lord Byron was in pecuniary difficulties, immediately forwarded 1500l. to him, with an assurance that another such sum should be at his ser