by itself, if you like; but let me have a few months from hence: and before that time copies in sheets. "If you look over this carefully by the last proof with my corrections, it is probably right; this you can do as well or better; I have not now time. The copies I mentioned to be sent to different friends last night, I should wish to be made up with the new Giaours, if it also is ready. If not, send The Giaour afterwards. you will be able to ascertain how far your offer may be a losing one: if so, you can deduct proportionably; and if not, I shall not at any rate allow you to go higher than your present proposal, which is very handsome, and more than fair. 2 "Sunday Monday morning-three o'clock in my doublet and hose,- swearing. "I send you in time an errata page, containing an omission of mine, which must be thus added, as it is too late for insertion in the text. The passage is an imitation altogether from Medea in Ovid, and is incomplete without these two lines. Pray let this be done, and directly; it is necessary, will add one page to your book (making), and can do no harm, and is yet in time for the public. Answer me, thou oracle, in the affirmative. You can send the loose pages to those who have copies already, if they like; but certainly to all the critical copyholders. "The Morning Post says I am the author of Nourjahad!! This comes of lending the drawings for their dresses; but it is not worth a formal contradiction. Besides, the criticisms on the supposition will, some of them, be quite amusing and furious. The Orientalism "P. S.-I have got out of my bed, (in which I hear is very splendid ―of the melodrame (whosoever it is, and I which, however, I could not sleep, whether am sure I don't know) is as good as an ad- I had amended this or not,) and so good vertisement for your Eastern Stories, by fill-morning. I am trying whether De l'Alleing their heads with glitter. magne will act as an opiate, but I doubt it.” "P. S. You will of course say the truth, that I am not the melodramist—if any one charges me in your presence with the performance." LETTER 149. TO MR. MURRAY. "November 28. 1813. "Send another copy (if not too much of a request) to Lady Holland of the Journal', in my name, when receive this; it is for you Earl Grey-and I will relinquish my own. Also to Mr. Sharpe, Lady Holland, and Lady Caroline Lamb, copies of The Bride' as soon as convenient. "P. S.- Mr. Ward and myself still continue our purpose; but I shall not trouble you on any arrangement on the score of The Giaour and The Bride till our return,— or, at any rate, before May, 1814, - that is, six 1 Penrose's Journal, a book published by Mr. Murray at this time. 2 Mr. Murray had offered him a thousand guineas for the two poems. ET. 25. LETTERS TO MURRAY. page; place it at the beginning. Mr. Perry is a little premature in his compliments: these may do harm by exciting expectation, and I think we ought to be above it though I see the next paragraph is on the Journal', which makes me suspect you as the author of both. "Would it not have been as well to have Isaid in two cantos' in the advertisement? they will else think of fragments, a species of composition very well for once, like one ruin in a view; but one would not build a town of them. The Bride, such as it is, is my first entire composition of any length (except the Satire, and be d―d to it), for The Giaour is but a string of passages, and Childe Harold is, and I rather think always will be, unconcluded. I return Mr. Hay's note, with thanks to him and you. "There have been some epigrams on Mr. Ward: one I see to-day. 2 The first I did not see, but heard yesterday. The second seems very bad. I only hope that Mr. Ward does not believe that I had any connection with either. The Regent is the only person on whom I ever expectorated an epigram, or ever should; and even if I were disposed that way, I like and value him too well to allow my politics to contract into spleen, or to admire any thing intended to annoy him or his. You need not take the trouble to answer this, as I shall see you in the course of the afternoon. "P. S.-I have said this much about the epigrams, because I live so much in the opposite camp, and, from my post as an engineer, might be suspected as the flinger of these hand-grenadoes; but with a worthy foe I am all for open war, and not this bush-fighting, and have not had, nor will have, any thing to do with it. I do not know the author." TO MR. MURRAY. "Nov. 30. 1813. "Print this at the end of all that is of 'The Bride of Abydos,' as an errata page. BN. "Omitted, canto 2d, page 47., after line 449., "So that those arms cling closer round my neck. Read, "Then, if my lip once murmur, it must be TO MR. MURRAY. "Tuesday evening, Nov. 30. 1813. "For the sake of correctness, particularly in an errata page, the alteration of the 1 " Journal of Llewellin Penrose, a Seaman." 223 people are rather inordinate in their expectP.S.-I am afraid, from all I hear, that ations, which is very unlucky, but cannot and one's wise friends; but do not you wind now be helped. This comes of Mr. Perry your hopes of success to the same pitch, for fear of accidents, and I can assure you that my philosophy will stand the test very fairly; and I have done every thing to ensure you, at all events, from positive loss, which will be some satisfaction to both." Monday evening, Dec. 6. 1813. "It is all very well, except that the lines are not numbered properly, and a diabolical mistake, page 67., which must be corrected with the pen, if no other way remains; it is the omission ofnot,' before 'disagreeable,' in the note on the amber rosary. This is really horrible, and nearly as bad as the stumble of mine at the threshold - I mean the misnomer of Bride. Pray do not let a copy go without the 'not;' it is nonsense, 2 ["They say Ward has no heart, but I deny it : He has a heart, and gets his speeches by it."] LETTER 151. TO MR. MURRAY. “December 27. 1813. "Lord Holland is laid up with the gout, and would feel very much obliged if you could obtain, and send as soon as possible, Madame D'Arblay's (or even Miss Edgeworth's) new work. I know they are not out; but it is perhaps possible for your Majesty to command what we cannot with much suing purchase, as yet. I need not say that when you are able or willing to confer the same favour on me, I shall be obliged. I would almost fall sick myself to get at Madame D'Arblay's writings. "P. S.-You were talking to-day of the American edition of a certain unquenchable memorial of my younger days. As it can't be helped now, I own I have some curiosity to see a copy of trans-Atlantic typography. This you will perhaps obtain, and one for yourself; but I must beg that you will not import more, because, seriously, I do wish to have that thing forgotten as much as it has been forgiven. 66 in a very different light; for, when expostulated with by Mr. Murray on his generous intentions towards one whom nobody else would give a single farthing to," he answered, "it is for that very reason I give it, because nobody else will." The person in question was Mr. Thomas Ashe, author of a certain notorious publication called "The Book," which, from the delicate mysteries discussed its talent, or even mischief, deserved. In a in its pages, attracted far more notice than fit, it is to be hoped, of sincere penitence, this man wrote to Lord Byron, alleging poverty as his excuse for the vile uses to which he had hitherto prostituted his pen, and soliciting his Lordship's aid towards enabling him to exist, in future, more reputably. To this application the following answer, marked, in the highest degree, by good sense, humanity, and honourable sentiment, was returned by Lord Byron : 66 LETTER 152. TO MR. ASHE. Sir, "4. Bennet Street, St. James's, Dec. 14. 1813. "I leave town for a few days tomorrow on my return, I will answer your letter more at length. Whatever may be your situation, I cannot but commend your resolution to abjure and abandon the publication and composition of works such as those to which you have alluded. Depend upon it they amuse few, disgrace both reader and writer, and benefit none. It will be my wish to assist you, as far as my limited ⠀| means will admit, to break such a bondage. think would enable you to extricate yourself In your answer, inform me what sum you "If you send to the Globe editor, say that I want neither excuse nor contradiction, but merely a discontinuance of a most ill-from the hands of your employers, and to grounded charge. I never was consistent in any thing but my politics; and as my redemption depends on that solitary virtue, it is murder to carry away my last anchor." regain, at least, temporary independence, and I shall be glad to contribute my mite Your name is not unknown to me, and I retowards it. At present, I must conclude. gret, for your own sake, that you have ever lent it to the works you mention. In saying this, I merely repeat your own words in your letter to me, and have no wish whatever to say a single syllable that may appear to insult your misfortunes. If I have, excuse me; it is unintentional. Yours, &c. 'BYRON." 66 In answer to this letter, Ashe mentioned, as the sum necessary to extricate him from his difficulties, 150.-to be advanced at the rate of ten pounds per month; and, some short delay having occurred in the reply to this demand, the modest applicant, in renewing his suit, complained, it appears, of neglect: on which Lord Byron, with a good Er. 25. MATRIMONIAL PROJECT. if 225 temper which few, in a similar case, could whether between the actions or no. Only imitate, answered him as follows: you wish to have all the success you deserve, never listen to friends, and- - as I am not the least troublesome of the number least of all to me. LETTER 153. TO MR. ASHE. Sir, "January 5. 1814. "When you accuse a stranger of neglect, you forget that it is possible business or absence from London may have interfered to delay his answer, as has actually occurred in the present instance. But to the point. I am willing to do what I can to extricate you from your situation. Your first scheme I was considering; but your own impatience appears to have rendered it abortive, if not irretrievable. I will deposit in Mr. Murray's hands (with his consent) the sum you mentioned, to be advanced for the time at ten pounds per month. 66 P. S.-I write in the greatest hurry, which may make my letter a little abrupt; but, as I said before, I have no wish to distress your feelings." The service thus humanely proffered was no less punctually performed; and the following is one of the many acknowledgments of payment which I find in Ashe's letters to Mr. Murray : — -"I have the honour to enclose you another memorandum for the sum of ten pounds, in compliance with the munificent instructions of Lord Byron.”2 His friend, Mr. Merivale, one of the translators of those Selections from the Anthology which we have seen he regretted so much not having taken with him on his travels, published a poem about this time, which he thus honours with his praise. 66 March, | I hope you will be out soon. sir, March is the month for the trade, and they must be considered. You have written a very noble Poem, and nothing but the detestable taste of the day can do you harm, - but I think you will beat it. Your measure is uncommonly well chosen and wielded."3 In the extracts from his Journal just given, there is a passage that cannot fail to have been remarked, where, in speaking of his admiration of some lady, whose name he has himself left blank, the noble writer says -"a wife would be the salvation of me." It was under this conviction, which not only himself but some of his friends entertained, of the prudence of his taking timely refuge in matrimony from those perplexities which form the sequel of all less regular ties, that he had been induced, about a year before, to turn his thoughts seriously to marriage, at least, as seriously as his thoughts were ever capable of being so turned, — and chiefly, I believe, by the advice and intervention of his friend Lady Melbourne, to become a suitor for the hand of a relative of that lady, Miss Milbanke. Though his proposal was not then accepted, every assurance of friendship and regard accompanied the refusal; a wish was even expressed that they should continue to write to each other, and a correspondence, in consequence, somewhat singular between two young persons of different sexes, inasmuch as love was not the subject of it, — ensued between them. We have seen how highly Lord Byron estimated as well the virtues as the accomplishments of the young lady; but it is evident that on neither side, at this period, was love either felt or professed. + In the mean time, new entanglements, in which his heart was the willing dupe of his fancy and vanity, came to engross the young poet and still, as the usual penalties of such pursuits followed, he again found himself sighing for the sober yoke of wedlock, as some security against their recurrence. There The sum was accordingly, by Lord Byron's orders, paid into his hands. 3 This letter is but a fragment, -the remainder being lost. 4 The reader has already seen what Lord Byron himself says, in his Journal, on this subject:-"What an odd situation and friendship is ours! without one spark of love on either side," &c. &c. Q were, indeed, in the interval between Miss Milbanke's refusal and acceptance of him, two or three other young women of rank who, at different times, formed the subject of his matrimonial dreams. In the society of one of these, whose family had long honoured me with their friendship, he and I passed much of our time, during this and the preceding spring; and it will be found that, in a subsequent part of his correspondence, he represents me as having entertained an anxious wish that he should so far cultivate my fair friend's favour as to give a chance, at least, of matrimony being the result. That I, more than once, expressed some such feeling, is undoubtedly true. Fully concurring with the opinion, not only of himself, but of others of his friends, that in marriage lay his only chance of salvation from the sort of perplexing attachments into which he was now constantly tempted, I saw in none of those whom he admired with more legitimate views so many requisites for the difficult task of winning him into fidelity and happiness, as in the lady in question. Combining beauty of the highest order with a mind intelligent and ingenuous, having just learning enough to give refinement to her taste, and far too much taste to make pre he attributes to me. But in taking for granted seen, I shall now proceed to resume the thread of the Journal, which I had broken off, and of which, it will be perceived, the noble author himself had, for some weeks, at this time, interrupted the progress. CHAPTER XX. 1814. tensions to learning, -with a patrician spirit JOURNAL. — THE WEEPING STANZAS. proud as his own, but showing it only in a delicate generosity of spirit, a feminine highmindedness, which would have led her to tolerate his defects in consideration of his noble qualities and his glory, and even to sacrifice silently some of her own happiness rather than violate the responsibility in which she stood pledged to the world for his ; — such was, from long experience, my impression of the character of this lady; and perceiving Lord Byron to be attracted by her more obvious claims to admiration, I felt a pleasure no less in rendering justice to the still rarer qualities which she possessed, than in endeavouring to raise my noble friend's mind to the contemplation of a higher model | of female character than he had, unluckily for himself, been much in the habit of studying. To this extent do I confess myself to have been influenced by the sort of feeling which 1 Immediately on the appearance of The Corsair, (with those obnoxious verses, Weep, daughter of a royal line," appended to it,) a series of attacks, not confined to Lord Byron himself, but aimed also at all those who had lately become his friends, was commenced in the Courier and Morning Post, and carried on through the greater part of the months of February and March. The point selected by these writers, as a ground of censure on the poet, was one which now, perhaps, even themselves would agree to class among his claims to praise,-namely, the atonement which he had endeavoured to make for 66 NEWSPAPER ASSAULTS. MR. HObhouse. -REYNOLDS'S SAFIE.-MRS. MULE.-MISS “ JOURNAL, 1814.-February 18. Better than a month since I last journalised :- most of it out of London and at Notts., but a busy one and a pleasant, at least three weeks of it. On my return, I find all the newspapers in hysterics', and town in an uproar, the youthful violence of his Satire by a measure of justice, amiable even in its overflowings, to every one whom he conceived he had wronged. Notwithstanding the careless tone in which, here and elsewhere, he speaks of these assaults, it is evident that they annoyed him; - an effect which, in reading them over now, we should be apt to wonder they could produce, did we not recollect the property which Dryden attributes to "small wits," in common with certain other small animals: "We scarce could know they live, but that they bite.' |