Life of Lord Byron Volume III Part 5

"February 28. 1814.

"There is a youngster, and a clever one, named Reynolds, who has just published a poem called 'Safie,' published by Cawthorne. He is in the most natural and fearful apprehension of the Reviewers; and as you and I both know by experience the effect of such things upon a _young_ mind, I wish you would take his production into dissection, and do it _gently_. _I_ cannot, because it is inscribed to me; but I a.s.sure you this is not my motive for wis.h.i.+ng him to be tenderly entreated, but because I know the misery at his time of life, of untoward remarks upon first appearance.

"Now for _self_. Pray thank your _cousin_--it is just as it should be, to my liking, and probably _more_ than will suit any one else's. I hope and trust that you are well and well doing. Peace be with you. Ever yours, my dear friend."

LETTER 162. TO MR. MOORE.

"February 10. 1814.

"I arrived in town late yesterday evening, having been absent three weeks, which I pa.s.sed in Notts. quietly and pleasantly. You can have no conception of the uproar the eight lines on the little Royalty's weeping in 1812 (now republished) have occasioned. The R * *, who had always thought them _yours_, chose--G.o.d knows why--on discovering them to be mine, to be _affected_ 'in sorrow rather than anger.' The Morning Post, Sun, Herald, Courier, have all been in hysterics ever since. M. is in a fright, and wanted to shuffle; and the abuse against me in all directions is vehement, unceasing, loud--some of it good, and all of it hearty. I feel a little compunctious as to the R * *'s _regret_;--'would he had been only angry! but I fear him not.'

"Some of these same a.s.sailments you have probably seen. My person (which is excellent for 'the nonce') has been denounced in verses, the more like the subject, inasmuch as they halt exceedingly. Then, in another, I am an _atheist_, a _rebel_, and, at last, the _devil_ (_boiteux_, I presume). My demonism seems to be a female's conjecture; if so, perhaps, I could convince her that I am but a mere mortal,--if a queen of the Amazons may be believed, who says [Greek: ariston cholos oiphei]. I quote from memory, so my Greek is probably deficient; but the pa.s.sage is _meant_ to mean * *.

"Seriously, I am in, what the learned call, a dilemma, and the vulgar, a sc.r.a.pe; and my friends desire me not to be in a pa.s.sion; and, like Sir Fretful, I a.s.sure them that I am 'quite calm,'--but I am nevertheless in a fury.

"Since I wrote thus far, a friend has come in, and we have been talking and buffooning till I have quite lost the thread of my thoughts; and, as I won't send them unstrung to you, good morning, and

"Believe me ever, &c.

"P.S. Murray, during my absence, _omitted_ the Tears in several of the copies. I have made him replace them, and am very wroth with his qualms,--'as the wine is poured out, let it be drunk to the dregs.'"

TO MR. MURRAY.

"February 10. 1814.

"I am much better, and indeed quite well, this morning. I have received _two_, but I presume there are more of the _Ana_, subsequently, and also something previous, to which the Morning Chronicle replied. You also mentioned a parody on the _Skull_. I wish to see them all, because there may be things that require notice either by pen or person.

"Yours, &c.

"You need not trouble yourself to answer this; but send me the things when you get them."

TO MR. MURRAY.

"February 12. 1814.

"If you have copies of the 'Intercepted Letters,' Lady Holland would be glad of a volume; and when you have served others, have the goodness to think of your humble servant.

"You have played the devil by that injudicious _suppression_, which you did totally without my consent. Some of the papers have exactly said what might be expected. Now I _do_ not, and _will_ not be supposed to shrink, although myself and every thing belonging to me were to perish with my memory. Yours, &c. BN.

"P.S. Pray attend to what I stated yesterday on _technical_ topics."

LETTER 163. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Monday, February 14. 1814.

"Before I left town yesterday, I wrote you a note, which I presume you received. I have heard so many different accounts of _your_ proceedings, or rather of those of others towards _you_, in consequence of the publication of these everlasting lines, that I am anxious to hear from yourself the real state of the case.

Whatever responsibility, obloquy, or effect is to arise from the publication, should surely _not_ fall upon you in any degree; and I can have no objection to your stating, as distinctly and publicly as you please, _your_ unwillingness to publish them, and my own obstinacy upon the subject. Take any course you please to vindicate _yourself_, but leave me to fight my own way; and, as I before said, do not _compromise_ me by any thing which may look like _shrinking_ on my part; as for your own, make the best of it.

Yours, BN."

LETTER 164. TO MR. ROGERS.

"February 16. 1814.

"My dear Rogers,

"I wrote to Lord Holland briefly, but I hope distinctly, on the subject which has lately occupied much of my conversation with him and you.[15] As things now stand, upon that topic my determination must be unalterable.

"I declare to you most sincerely that there is no human being on whose regard and esteem I set a higher value than on Lord Holland's; and, as far as concerns himself, I would concede even to humiliation, without any view to the future, and solely from my sense of his conduct as to the past. For the rest, I conceive that I have already done all in my power by the suppression.[16] If that is not enough, they must act as they please; but I will not 'teach my tongue a most inherent baseness,' come what may. You will probably be at the Marquis Lansdowne's to-night. I am asked, but I am not sure that I shall be able to go. Hobhouse will be there. I think, if you knew him well, you would like him.

"Believe me always yours very affectionately,

"B."

[Footnote 15: Relative to a proposed reconciliation between Lord Carlisle and himself.]

[Footnote 16: Of the Satire.]

LETTER 165. TO MR. ROGERS.

"February 16. 1814.

"If Lord Holland is satisfied, as far as regards himself and Lady Hd., and as this letter expresses him to be, it is enough.

"As for any impression the public may receive from the revival of the lines on Lord Carlisle, let them keep it,--the more favourable for him, and the worse for me,--better for all.

"All the sayings and doings in the world shall not make me utter another word of conciliation to any thing that breathes. I shall bear what I can, and what I cannot I shall resist. The worst they could do would be to exclude me from society. I have never courted it, nor, I may add, in the general sense of the word, enjoyed it--and 'there is a world elsewhere!'

"Any thing remarkably injurious, I have the same means of repaying as other men, with such interest as circ.u.mstances may annex to it.

"Nothing but the necessity of adhering to regimen prevents me from dining with you to-morrow.

"I am yours most truly,

"BN."