compatible with glory. She would be delighted to go too; but I do not choose to expose her to a long voyage, "certi momenti in cui per una emozione improvvisa e più forte della "sua volontà la sua anima si abbandonava `interamente a sé stessa ; "—bisognava vederlo allora per scoprire i tesori di sensibilità e di "bontà che erano in quella nobile anima. "Fra le tante volte che io l'ho veduto in simili circostanze ne "ricorderò una che risguarda i suoi sentimenti di amicizia. Pochi "giorni prima di lasciare Pisa eravamo verso sera insieme seduti "nel giardino del Palazzo Lanfranchi. Una dolce malinconia era "sparsa sul suo viso. Egli riandava col pensiero gli avvenimenti "della sua vita e faceva il confronto colla attuale sua situazione e "quella che avrebbe potuta essere se la sua affezione per me non lo "avesse fatto restare in Italia; e diceva cose che avrebbero resa per "me la terra un paradiso, se già sino d'allora il presentimento di "perdere tanta felicità non mi avesse tormentata. În questo mentre "un domestico annunciò Mr. Hobhouse. La leggiera tinta di "malinconia sparsa sul viso di Byron fece luogo subitamente alla 'più viva gioia; ma essa fu così forte che gli tolse quasi le forze. "Un pallore commovente ricoperse il suo volto, e nell' abbracciare "il suo amico i suoi occhi erano pieni di lacrime di contento. E "l'emozione fu così forte che egli fu obbligato di sedersi, sentendosi "mancare le forze. "La venuta pure di Lord Clare fu per lui un' epoca di grande “felicità. Egli ̄amava sommamente Lord Clare—egli era così felice "in quel breve tempo che passò presso di lui a Livorno, e il giorno "in cui si separarono fu un giorno di grande tristezza per Lord "Byron. "Io ho il presentimento che non lo vedrò più,' diceva "egli; ei suoi occhi si riempivano di lacrime; e in questo stato "l'ho veduto per varie settimane dopo la partenza di Lord Clare, "ogni qual volta il discorso cadeva sopra di codesto suo amico." Of this passage Moore gives the following translation : "We continued in Pisa even more rigorously to absent ourselves "from society. However, as there were a good many English in "Pisa, he could not avoid becoming acquainted with various friends "of Shelley, among which number was Mr. Medwin. They fol"lowed him in his rides, dined with him, and felt themselves "happy, of course, in the apparent intimacy in which they lived "with so renowned a man; but not one of them was admitted to "any part of his friendship, which, indeed, he did not easily accord. "He had a great affection for Shelley, and a great esteem for his "character and talents; but he was not his friend in the most "extensive sense of that word. Sometimes, when speaking of his "friends and of friendship, as also of love, and of every other noble "emotion of the soul, his expressions might inspire doubts concern"ing his sentiments and the goodness of his heart. The feeling of "the moment regulated his speech, and, besides, he liked to play the "part of singularity, and sometimes worse,-more especially with "those whom he suspected of endeavouring to make discoveries and a residence in an unsettled country, where I shall probably take a part of some sort. 1024.-To John Murray. Pisa, Sept 11th 1822. DEAR SIR,-I write a line to advise you that by the two last posts-I sent off to Mr. D. K. the four new Cantoes of D. J. I hear by the way that Rogue Southey says that he does not know what I meant by hinting that I had been kind to one of his connections. All I know is that in 1815 Mr. Sotheby wrote to me "as to his real character: but it was only mean minds and "superficial observers that could be deceived in him. It was "necessary to consider his actions to perceive the contradiction they "bore to his words: it was necessary to be witness of certain "moments, during which unforeseen and involuntary emotion forced "him to give himself entirely up to his feelings; and whoever "beheld him then, became aware of the stores of sensibility and "goodness of which his noble heart was full. "Among the many occasions I had of seeing him thus over"powered, I shall mention one relative to his feelings of friendship. "A few days before leaving Pisa, we were one evening seated in "the garden of the Palazzo Lanfranchi. A soft melancholy was "spread over his countenance; he recalled to mind the events of "his life; compared them with his present situation, and with that "which it might have been if his affection for me had not caused "him to remain in Italy, saying things which would have made "earth a paradise for me, but that even then a presentiment that I "should lose all this happiness tormented me. At this moment a "servant announced Mr. Hobhouse. The slight shade of melan"choly diffused over Lord Byron's face gave instant place to the "liveliest joy; but it was so great, that it almost deprived him of "strength. A fearful paleness came over his cheeks, and his eyes "were filled with tears as he embraced his friend. His emotion was so great that he was forced to sit down. "Lord Clare's visit also occasioned him extreme delight. He "had a great affection for Lord Clare, and was very happy during "the short visit that he paid him at Leghorn. The day on which "they separated was a melancholy one for Lord Byron. I have "a presentiment that I shall never see him more,' he said, and his "eyes filled with tears. The same melancholy came over him "during the first weeks that succeeded to Lord Clare's departure, "whenever his conversation happened to fall upon this friend." saying that Coleridge was in great distress, and that the literary fund had given him 20-or more pounds [and] wishing me to help him, and that I immediately sent him one hundred pounds, being at a time when I could not command 150 in the world, having (as you know) duns and executions in my house daily and weekly.1 I also recommended him to you as a publisher. I have no wish to trumpet this; but if Rogue Southey denies it, I shall prove it to his face. I also hear that he says his wife was not a milliner at Bath. Ask Luttrell. I have heard Mr. Nugent, his friend, say twenty times that he knew both her and Coleridge's Sara at Bath, before they were married and that they were Milliners or Dressmaker's apprentices.2 There is no harm if they were, that I know-nor did I mean it as any. Yours, etc., etc., Address to Genoa-ferma in posta. 1025.-To W. E. West.3 N. B. Pisa, Sept 19th 1822. DEAR SIR,-I am anxious to have an engraving from your picture for the Academy of N. Y. by Morghen. 1. See Letters, vol. iii. p. 264, and p. 271, note 1. 2. Edith Fricker was the second daughter, Sarah (afterwards called Sara) the third daughter, of Stephen Fricker of Westbury, a manufacturer of sugar-pans. The father died a ruined man, and the daughters lived with their widowed mother at Bristol, where she kept a school. At Bristol Coleridge married Sarah Fricker, October 4, 1795, and Southey married Edith Fricker, November 14, 1795. The two girls were not "milliners of Bath" (Don Juan, Canto III. stanza xciii.), though they were in the habit of earning money by doing work at the houses of friends. 3. A part of this letter is printed in the Literary Souvenir for 1827 (Preface, p. x.), with the following note: "Mr. West applied VOL. VI. 1 Would you have the goodness to propose this to the Engraver Morghen,' at his own price, and at my expence. "to Raphael Morghen; but although he asked four thousand "dollars for making the engraving, he would not undertake to "complete it in less than three years. The idea was accordingly "abandoned." At p. 33 is given a line engraving of West's portrait of Byron, followed by "Stanzas by L. E. L." West's account of the sitting is quoted by Moore (Life, p. 562). "On the day appointed, I arrived at two o'clock, and began the "picture. I found him a bad sitter. He talked all the time, and "asked a multitude of questions about America-how I liked Italy, "what I thought of the Italians, etc. When he was silent, he was "a better sitter than before; for he assumed a countenance that did "not belong to him, as though he were thinking of a frontispiece "for Childe Harold. In about an hour our first sitting terminated, "and I returned to Leghorn, scarcely able to persuade myself that "this was the haughty misanthrope whose character had always "appeared so enveloped in gloom and mystery; for I do not "remember ever to have met with manners more gentle and "attractive. "The next day I returned and had another sitting of an hour, "during which he seemed anxious to know what I should make of "my undertaking. Whilst I was painting, the window from which I "received my light became suddenly darkened, and I heard a voice "exclaim, E troppo bello! I turned, and discovered a beautiful "female stooping down to look in, the ground on the outside being on a level with the bottom of the window. Her long golden hair "hung down about her face and shoulders; her complexion was "exquisite, and her smile completed one of the most romantic"looking heads, set off as it was by the bright sun behind it, which "I had ever beheld. Lord Byron invited her to come in, and "introduced her to me as the Countess Guiccioli. He seemed very "fond of her, and I was glad of her presence, for the playful "manner which he assumed towards her made him a much better "sitter. "The next day, I was pleased to find that the progress which I "had made in his likeness had given satisfaction, for, when we "were alone, he said that he had a particular favour to request of "me-would I grant it? I said I should be happy to oblige him; "and he enjoined me to the flattering task of painting the Countess "Guiccioli's portrait for him. On the following morning I began “it, and, after, they sat alternately. He gave me the whole history "of his connection with her, and said that he hoped it would last "for ever; at any rate, it should not be his fault if it did not. His "other attachments had been broken off by no fault of his. "I was by this time sufficiently intimate with him to answer his "question as to what I thought of him before I had seen him. He "laughed much at the idea which I had formed of him, and said, "Well, you find me like other people, do you not?' He often -I wish also to know what I am in your debt for Your obliged and obed Sert, 1026.-To Charles Hanson. Pisa, Sept. 21st 1822. DEAR CHARLES,-I have but a moment to answer your letter. The Arbitrators say that it is Shadwell's opinion that the house is vested in the trustees. Consult Mr. Bell or other sound lawyers, and, if their opinion is contrary to Shadwell's, throw the thing into Chancery. We shall there at least know the truth. "afterwards repeated, 'And so you thought me a finer fellow, did "you?' I remember once telling him, that notwithstanding his "vivacity, I thought myself correct in at least one estimate which I had made of him, for I still conceived that he was not a happy man. He enquired earnestly what reason I had for thinking so; “and I asked him if he had never observed in little children, after a paroxysm of grief, that they had at intervals a convulsive or "tremulous manner of drawing in a long breath. Wherever I had "observed this, in persons of whatever age, I had always found "that it came from sorrow. He said the thought was new to him, "and that he would make use of it. "Lord Byron, and all the party, left Villa Rossa (the name of "their house) in a few days, to pack up their things in their house "at Pisa. He told me that he should remain a few days there, and "desired me, if I could do any thing more to the pictures, to come "and stay with him. He seemed at a loss where to go, and was, "I thought, on the point of embarking for America. I was with "him at Pisa for a few days; but he was so annoyed by the police, "and the weather was so hot, that I thought it doubtful whether I "could improve the pictures, and, taking my departure one morn"ing before he was up, I wrote him an excuse from Leghorn. "Upon the whole, I left him with an impression that he possessed "an excellent heart, which had been misconstrued on all hands "from little else than a reckless levity of manners, which he took a "whimsical pride in opposing to those of other people." 1. For Morghen, see Letters, vol. v. p. 244, note 2. |