Manuscript is carefully referred to. The poem will be published alone-and by whom I know not, as I leave these things to Mr. K. Your brother is tolerably well, -but surprized at your silence. I have the honour to be Your very obed humble St, N. B. P.S. The proof is called "Proof in Slips" and certainly the "Slips" are the most conspicuous part of it. I pray you represent as much to your Faust on this occasion. 1059-To Sir James Wedderburn Webster. March 9th DEAR W.,-Part of your news is rather interesting, as I was present at the marriage of the Earl, by request of the father-in-law, and thought that all had been very regular.1 I suppose there is some statute against his marrying any but a woman past bearing, which his last wife was, and his brother intended his next should be; but he chose for himself very perversely. Pray step over and tell me more of these fine things, which are vastly amusing. Ever yours, B. 1. In the Court of Chancery, before the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney-General opened (November 7, 1822) the case of the petitioner, Henry Wallop Fellowes, nephew of Lord Portsmouth. The prayer of the petition was that a commission of inquiry should be issued, "to ascertain whether his Lordship was of sound mind "and capable of managing his own person and property." On this petition the Lord Chancellor gave judgment December 12, 1822: see Report of the Portsmouth Case, under a Commission of Lunacy, issued by His Majesty (London 1823, 8). The Commission was issued, and the jury, February, 1823, returned a verdict that Lord Portsmouth had been a lunatic since 1809. (For Byron's presence at the marriage, and affidavit, see Letters, vol. ii. p. 393, and note 3.) 1060.-To John Hunt.1 Genoa, Mch. 10th, 1823. SIR, I do not know what Mr. Kinnaird intended by Liberal, which is no more desiring the stoppage of The in his power than in mine. (who must have misunderstood me,) should have done, was to state, what I mentioned to your brother, that, my assistance neither appearing essential to the publication nor advantageous to you or your brother, and at the same time exciting great disapprobation amongst my friends and connections in England, I craved permission to withdraw. What is stranger is, that Mr. Kd. could not have received my letter to this effect till long after the date of your letter to your brother this day received. The Pulci is at your service for the third number, if you think it worth the insertion. With regard to other publications, I know not what to think or to say; for the work, even by your own account, is unsuccessful, and I am not at all sure that this failure does not spring much more from me than any other connection of the work. I am at this moment the most unpopular man in England, and if a whistle would call me to the pinnacle of English fame, I would not utter it. All this, however, is no reason why I should involve others in similar odium, and I have some reason to believe that "The Liberal" would have more success without my intervention. However this may be, I am willing to do any thing I can for your brother or any member of his family, and have the honour to be Your very obed: humble st. N. B. 1. Reprinted from the Literary Guardian for 1831-2, vol. i. p. 188. P.S.-I have to add that no secession will take place on my part from "The Liberal" without serious consideration with your brother. The poems which I have desired to be published separately, required this for obvious reasons of the subject, etc., and also that their publication should be immediate. 1061.-To John Hunt.1 Genoa, Mh. 17th 1823. SIR,-Your brother will have forwarded by the post a corrected proof of The Blues for some ensuing number of the journal; but I should think that yo Pulci translation had better be preferred for the immediate number, as The Blues will only tend further to indispose a portion of your readers. I still retain my opinion that my connection with the work will tend to any thing but its success. Such I thought from the first, when I suggested that it would have been better to have made a kind of literary appendix to the Examiner; the other expedient was hazardous, and has failed hitherto accordingly; and it appears that the two pieces of my contribution have precipitated that failure more than any other. It was a pity to print such a quantity, especially as you might have been aware of my general unpopularity, and the universal run of the period against my productions, since the publication of Mr. Murray's last volume. My talent (if I have any) does not lie in the kinds of composition which is (sic) most acceptable to periodical readers. By this time you are probably convinced of this fact. The 1. Reprinted from the Literary Guardian for 1831-2, vol. i. p. 233, revised with the original letter as printed in Sotheby's Sale Catalogue for July 18, 1900, pp. 84, 85. 2. The Blues was published in The Liberal, No. III. pp. 1-21. Journal, if continued (as I see no reason why it should not be), will find much more efficacious assistance in the present and other contributors than in myself. Perhaps also, you should, for the present, reduce the number printed to two thousand, and raise it gradually if necessary. It is not so much against you as against me that the hatred is directed; and, I confess, I would rather withstand it alone, and grapple with it as I may. Mr. Murray, partly from pique, for he is a Mortal-mortal as his publications, though a bookseller-has done more harm than you are fully aware of, or I either; and you will perceive this probably on my first separate publication, no less than in those connected with The Liberal. He has the Clergy, and the Government, and the public with him; I do not much embarrass myself about them when alone; but I do not wish to drag others down also. I take this to be the fact, for I do not recollect that so much odium was directed against your family and friends, till your brother, unfortunately for himself, came in literary contact with myself. I will not, however, quit The Liberal without mature consideration, though I feel persuaded that it would be for your advantage that I should do so. Time and Truth may probably do away this hostility, or, at least, its effect; but, in the interim, you are the sufferer. Every publication of mine has latterly failed; I am not discouraged by this, because writing and composition are habits of my mind, with which Success and Publication are objects of remoter reference—not causes but effects, like those of any other pursuit. I have had enough both of praise and abuse to deprive them of their novelty, but I continue to compose for the same reason that I ride, or read, or bathe, or travel-it is a habit. I want sadly Peveril of the Peak, which has not yet arrived here, and I will thank you much for a copy; I shall direct Mr. Kinnaird to reimburse you for the price. It will be useless to forward The Liberal, the insertion of which will only prevent the arrival of any other books in the same parcel. That work is strictly prohibited, and the packet which came by sea was extracted with the greatest difficulty. Never send by sea, it is a loss of four months; by land, a fortnight is sufficient. Yours ever, N. B. 1062.-To Mrs. [? Shelley]. *** [Undated.] I presume that you, at least, know enough of me to be sure that I could have no intention to insult Hunt's poverty. On the contrary, I honour him for it; for I know what it is, having been as much embarrassed as ever he was, without perceiving aught in it to diminish an honourable man's self-respect. If you mean to say that, had he been a wealthy man, I would have joined in this Journal, I answer in the negative. I engaged in the Journal from good-will towards him, added to respect for his character, literary and personal; and no less for his political courage, as well as regret for his present circumstances: I did this in the hope that he might, with the same aid from literary friends of literary contributions (which is requisite for all journals of a mixed nature), render himself independent. I have always treated him, in our personal intercourse, with such scrupulous delicacy, that I have forborne intruding advice which I thought might be disagreeable, lest he should impute it to what is called "taking "advantage of a man's situation." |