Chapter II (2)

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In the summer of 1807, 'Poems on Various Occasions' was superseded by the third collection, called 'Hours of Idleness' (printed by S. and J. Ridge, Newark, 12mo, 1807), published with the author's name.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 £30,000
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 Æsculapius 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 "_poësies érotiques_" 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 Philæ 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 £400 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
prosperités, avec un peu plus de goût."]

[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 £100 for the Expence of Furniture, etc., at
Cambridge. I placed in your possession accounts to amount and then I
have received £70, for which I believe you have my Receipt. This extra
£25 or £30 (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 £150, instead of £125 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. _£60_ 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 £150, £38 to my Stable Keeper, £21
to my wine Merchant, £20 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 £1000 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-à-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 protégé_ 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 fètes 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.