Lady Byron Vindicated

The italics are mine.

13

Vol. iv. p.143.

14

Lord Byron took especial pains to point out to Murray the importance of these two letters.  Vol. V. Letter 443, he says: ‘You must also have from Mr. Moore the correspondence between me and Lady B., to whom I offered a sight of all that concerns herself in these papers.  This is important.  He has her letter and my answer.’

15

‘And I, who with them on the cross am placed,
.          .          .          .    truly
My savage wife, more than aught else, doth harm me.’

    Inferno, Canto, XVI., Longfellow’s translation.

16

‘Conversations,’ p.108.

17

Murray’s edition of ‘Byron’s Works,’ vol. ii. p.189; date of dedication to Hobhouse, Jan. 2, 1818.

18

Recently, Lord Lindsay has published another version of this story, which makes it appear that he has conversed with a lady who conversed with Hobhouse during his lifetime, in which this story is differently reported.  In the last version, it is made to appear that Hobhouse got this declaration from Lady Byron herself.

19

The references are to the first volume of the first edition of Moore’s ‘Life,’ originally published by itself.

20

‘The officious spies of his privacy,’ p.65O.

21

‘The deserted husband,’ p.651.

22

‘I (Campbell) had not time to ask Lady Byron’s permission to print this private letter; but it seemed to me important, and I have published it meo periculo.’

23

‘Noctes,’ July 1822.

24

‘Noctes,’ September 1832.

25

Miss Martineau’s Biographical Sketches.

26

The italics are mine.—H. B. S.

27

In ‘The Noctes’ of November, 1824 Christopher North says, ‘I don’t call Medwin a liar. . . .  Whether Byron bammed him, or he, by virtue of his own stupidity, was the sole and sufficient bammifier of himself, I know not.’  A note says that Murray had been much shocked by Byron’s misstatements to Medwin as to money-matters with him.  The note goes on to say, ‘Medwin could not have invented them, for they were mixed up with acknowledged facts; and the presumption is that Byron mystified his gallant acquaintance.  He was fond of such tricks.’

28

This one fact is, that Lord Byron might have had an open examination in court, if he had only persisted in refusing the deed of separation.

29

In the history of ‘Blackwood’s Magazine,’ prefaced to the American edition of 1854, Mackenzie says of the ‘Noctes’ papers, ‘Great as was their popularity in England it was peculiarly in America that their high merit and undoubted originality received the heartiest recognition and appreciation.  Nor is this wonderful when it is considered that for one reader of “Blackwood’s Magazine” in the old country there cannot be less than fifty in the new.’

30

The reader is here referred to Lady Byron’s other letters, in Part III.; which also show the peculiarly active and philosophical character of her mind, and the class of subjects on which it habitually dwelt.

31

See her character of Dr. King, Part III.

32

Alluding to the financial crisis in the United States in 1857.

33

‘The Minister’s Wooing.’

34

See her letter on spiritualistic phenomena, Part III.

35

This novel of Godwin’s is a remarkably powerful story.  It is related in the first person by the supposed hero, Caleb Williams.  He represents himself as private secretary to a gentleman of high family named Falkland.  Caleb accidentally discovers that his patron has, in a moment of passion, committed a murder.  Falkland confesses the crime to Caleb, and tells him that henceforth he shall always suspect him, and keep watch over him.  Caleb finds this watchfulness insupportable, and tries to escape, but without success.  He writes a touching letter to his patron, imploring him to let him go, and promising never to betray him.  The scene where Falkland refuses this is the most highly wrought in the book.  He says to him, “Do not imagine that I am afraid of you; I wear an armour against which all your weapons are impotent.  I have dug a pit for you: and whichever way you move, backward or forward, to the right or the left, it is ready to swallow you.  Be still!  If once you fall, call as loud as you will, no man on earth shall hear your cries: prepare a tale however plausible or however true, the whole world shall execrate you for an impostor.  Your innocence shall be of no service to you.  I laugh at so feeble a defence.  It is I that say it: you may believe what I tell you.  Do you know, miserable wretch!” added he, stamping on the ground with fury, “that I have sworn to preserve my reputation, whatever be the expense; that I love it more than the whole world and its inhabitants taken together? and do you think that you shall wound it?”  The rest of the book shows how this threat was executed.

36