and Mackinlay's example,-I say Payne and Mackinlay, supposing that the partnership held good. Drury, the villain, has not written to me; 'I am never (as Mrs. Lumpkin says to Tony) to be gratified with the monster's dear wild notes.' So you are going (going indeed!) into orders. You must make your peace with the Eclectic Reviewers -they accuse you of impiety, I fear, with injustice. Demetrius, the 'Sieger of Cities,' is here, with 'Gilpin Horner.' The painter is not necessary, as the portraits he already painted are (by anticipation) very like the new animals.-Write, and send me your Love Song-but I want paulo majora from you. Make a dash before you are a deacon, and try a dry publisher. Yours always, B. TO MR. DALLAS October 14, 1811. Dear Sir, Stanza 9th, for Canto 2nd, somewhat cxi altered, to avoid a recurrence in a former stanza. STANZA 9. There, thou !—whose love and life together fled, If aught of young Remembrance then remain, Whate'er beside Futurity's behest ; or,-Howe'er may be For me 'twere bliss enough to see thy spirit blest! I think it proper to state to you, that this stanza alludes to an event which has taken place since my arrival here, and not to the death of any male friend.-Yours, B. cxii cxiii TO MR. DALLAS Newstead Abbey, October 16, 1811. I am on the wing for Cambridge. Thence, after a short stay, to London. Will you be good enough to keep an account of all the мss. you receive, for fear of omission? Have you adopted the three altered stanzas of the latest proof? I can do nothing more with them. I am glad you like the new ones.—Of the last, and of the trio, I sent you a new edition— to-day a fresh note. The lines of the second sheet I fear must stand; I will give you reasons when we meet. Believe me, yours ever, TO MR. MOORE BYRON. Cambridge, October 27, 1811. Sir, Your letter followed me from Notts to this place, which will account for the delay of my reply. Your former letter I never had the honour to receive; -be assured in whatever part of the world it had found me, I should have deemed it my duty to return and answer it in person. The advertisement you mention I know nothing of. At the time of your meeting with Mr. Jeffrey, I had recently entered College, and remember to have heard and read a number of squibs on the occasion; and from the recollection of these I derived all my knowledge on the subject, without the slightest idea of 'giving the lie' to an address which I never beheld. When I put my name to the production, which has occasioned this correspondence, I became responsible to all whom it might concern,-to explain where it requires explanation, and, where insufficiently or too sufficiently explicit, at all events to satisfy. My situation leaves me no choice; it rests with the injured and the angry to obtain reparation in their own way. With regard to the passage in question, you were certainly not the person towards whom I felt personally hostile. On the contrary, my whole thoughts were engrossed by one, whom I had reason to consider as my worst literary enemy, nor could I foresee that his former antagonist was about to become his champion. You do not specify what you would wish to have done: I can neither retract nor apologise for a charge or falsehood which I never advanced. In the beginning of the week I shall be at No. 8 St. James's Street. Neither the letter nor the friend to whom you stated your intention ever made their appearance. Your friend, Mr. Rogers, or any other gentleman delegated by you, will find me most ready to adopt any conciliatory proposition which shall not compromise my own honour,-or, failing in that, to make the atonement you deem it necessary to require.— I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, BYRON. exiv TO MR. MOORE 8 St. James's Street, October 29, 1811. Sir,-Soon after my return to England, my friend, Mr. Hodgson, apprised me that a letter for me was in his possession; but a domestic event hurrying me from London, immediately after, the letter (which may most probably be your own) is still unopened in his keeping. If, on examination of the address, the similarity of the handwriting should lead to such a conclusion, it shall be opened in your presence, for the satisfaction of all parties. Mr. H. is at present out of town ;-on Friday I shall see him, and request him to forward it to my address. With regard to the latter part of both your letters, until the principal point was discussed between us I felt myself at a loss in what manner to reply. Was I to anticipate friendship from one who conceived me to have charged him with falsehood? Were not advances, under such circumstances, to be misconstrued, not, perhaps, by the person to whom they were addressed, but by others? In my case such a step was impracticable. If you, who conceived yourself to be the offended person, are satisfied that you had no cause for offence, it will not be difficult to convince me of it. My situation, as I have before stated, leaves me no choice. I should have felt proud of your acquaintance, had it commenced under other circumstances; but it must rest with you to determine how far it may proceed after so auspicious a beginning.—I have the honour to be, etc. TO MR. MOORE 8 St. James's Street, October 30, 1811. Sir, You must excuse my troubling you once cxv more upon this very unpleasant subject. It would be a satisfaction to me, and I should think to yourself, that the unopened letter in Mr. Hodgson's possession (supposing it to prove your own) should be returned in statu quo to the writer; particularly as you expressed yourself 'not quite easy under the manner in which I had dwelt on its miscarriage.' A few words more, and I shall not trouble you further. I felt, and still feel, very much flattered by those parts of your correspondence which held out the prospect of our becoming acquainted. If I did not meet them in the first instance as perhaps I ought, let the situation I was placed in be my defence. You have now declared yourself satisfied, and on that point we are no longer at issue. If, therefore, you still retain any wish to do me the honour you hinted at, I shall be most happy to meet you, when, where, and how you please, and I presume you will not attribute my saying thus much to any unworthy motive.-I have the honour to remain, etc. TO MR. DALLAS 8 St. James's Street, October 31, 1811. Dear Sir, I have already taken up so much of cxvi your time that there needs no excuse on your part, but a great many on mine, for the present interrup |