in the first instance, and Earl Grey in the event of Sir Francis's declining the nomination. Sir Francis knows Leicestershire and the property, is a friend of mine, tolerably opinionated, and a man of talents and integrity. I trust that he will accept the trust.

I have also requested Mr. Kinnaird to insure Lady Byron's life for me for ten thousand pounds, which is necessary on account of my having the life interest in her only. Do not omit to urge this to him. I will pay him

Wentworth, and her mother, Miss Milbanke had certain prospects. But the settlement made no reference to these prospects, and both Lord Wentworth and Sir Ralph Milbanke were free to leave their property as they chose. Byron, therefore, did not marry an heiress. Lord Wentworth, however, who died in April, 1815, left his property to Lady Milbanke, for her life, and at her death to Lady Byron. Lady Noel died at Kirkby Mallory, January 22, 1822, aged seventy. Byron, therefore, inherited the whole property by right of his wife. But one of the terms of the separation provided that this property should be divided by arbitrators. Lord Dacre was arbitrator for Lady Byron, Sir F. Burdett for Byron, and half the income was allotted to the wife and half to the husband.

The following undated letter from Sir F. Burdett to Douglas Kinnard, probably written early in 1816, shows his warm admiration for Byron :

"Sunday Morning.

"DEAR KINNAIRD,-I shall be in Town Wed. or Thursd. "When the mayfly appears we will make a party: Davies I think "can do everything. He must fish for the whale. The Cook's terms "are reasonable enough if he is a good, and, above all, a clean one.

"I have no patience with your saying poor Byron. If any man "in the world has shower'd upon him all that God and Nature can "bestow, it is Byron. Poor Byron! What! the foremost man "of all this World!' arces attigit igneas! Conspiracy! he will "shake it off, 'like dewdrops from the lion's mane.' Even if he "were in the wrong, what an amende honourable his 'Farewell!' "In my opinion those lines are worth all he ever wrote, and do "him, in every way, infinite credit. She must be strangely per"verted in intellect not to be satisfied with the light in which he "places her. She can never place herself in one half so advan tageous, and not to be soften'd must be 'curs'd with a mind "unknowing how to yield.'

"But never let us, who wish him well-and would I were entitled "to say more-talk of Poor Byron.

"Yours in haste,

"F. BURDETT."

either by a deduction from my present Bankers account with the house of Ransom & Co., or by the same from the first new balance in my favour.

I have also stated to him the proposition for the Rochdale Market-tolls, and request you and him to make the best bargain you can for me.

I should hope that my presence in England is not now requisite, as I could wish to have things settled and my remaining debts liquidated before re-visiting that country.

You will of course put my referee in possession of all the information and claims upon my part to a just portion of my right in the estate.

I am very glad to hear such good news of your family, and especially of your hopes of becoming a Grandfather —a young one you are, by the way.

Believe me, ever and very truly yours,

NOEL BYRON.

Send me out a Seal and directions about the Noel arms, and how I am to adopt or quarter them?

P.S. You will of course have a proper statement in the papers to prevent mistakes. Send me licence.

I need not request you to write to me with report of progress.

Remember me to Charles and all your family.

976.-To Thomas Moore.

Pisa, February 19, 1822.

I am rather surprised not to have had an answer to my letter and packets. Lady Noel is dead,' and it is

1. "I have just heard," said Byron, "of Lady Noel's death. I "am distressed for poor Lady Byron ! She must be in great

not impossible that I may have to go to England to settle the division of the Wentworth property, and what portion Lady B. is to have out of it; all which was left undecided by the articles of separation. But I hope not, if it can be done without,--and I have written to Sir Francis Burdett to be my referee, as he knows the property.

Continue to address here, as I shall not go if I can avoid it at least, not on that account. But I may on another; for I wrote to Douglas Kinnaird to convey a message of invitation to Mr. Southey to meet me, either in England, or (as less liable to interruption) on the coast of France.1 This was about a fortnight ago, and I have not yet had time to have the answer. However, you shall have due notice; therefore continue to address to Pisa.

My agents and trustees have written to me to desire that I would take the name directly,2 so that I am, Yours very truly and affectionately,

NOEL BYRON.

"affliction, for she adored her mother. The world will think I am "pleased at this event, but they are much mistaken. . . I have "written a letter of condolence to Lady Byron-you may suppose "in the kindest terms,-beginning, 'My dear Lady Byron,'-If we "are not reconciled, it is not my fault! . I have agreed to "leave the division of the property to Lord Dacre and Sir Francis "Burdett. . . . I shall not interfere, nor make any suggestion or "objection, if they award Lady Byron the whole."-Medwin, Conversations of Lord Byron, vol. i. pp. 151-153.

1. Moore notes in his Diary for March 4, 1822 (Memoirs, etc., vol. iii. p. 331), "Received a letter from Lord Byron, who signs "himself now Noel Byron. He has called out Southey, as I ex"pected he would, and he has done right; no man should suffer "such a letter as Southey's, signed with his name, to pass without "this sort of notice. Lord B. ought not to have brought it upon "himself, but having done so, there was but this left for him. "Neither will there any harm result from it, as Southey, I am sure, "will not meet him."

2. In the London Gazette, dated "Whitehall, March 2, 1822,"

P.S.-I have had no news from England, except on business; and merely know, from some abuse in that faithful ex and de-tractor Galignani, that the clergy are up against Cain. There is (if I am not mistaken) some good church preferment on the Wentworth estates; and I will show them what a good Christian I am, by patronising and preferring the most pious of their order, should opportunity occur.

M. and I are but little in correspondence, and I know nothing of literary matters at present. I have been writing on business only lately. What are you about? Be assured that there is no such coalition as you apprehend.1

appeared the following: "The King has been pleased to grant "unto the Right Honourable George Gordon Baron Byron, of "Rochdale, in the county palatine of Lancaster, and to Anne"Isabella Baroness Byron, his wife, His royal license and authority, "that they may, in compliance with a clause contained in the last "will and testament of Thomas, late Viscount and Baron Went. "worth, of Nettlested, in the county of Suffolk, deceased, the "maternal uncle of the said Anne-Isabella Baroness Byron, take "and use the surname of Noel only, and also bear the arms of Noel "only; and that the said George-Gordon Baron Byron may sub"scribe the said surname of Noel before all titles of honour," etc.

1. "The following extracts from my previous communication to "him," says Moore (Life, p. 553), "will explain what this means : "I heard some days ago that Leigh Hunt was on his way to you "with all his family; and the idea seems to be, that you and "Shelley and he are to conspire together in the Examiner. I cannot "believe this, and deprecate such a plan with all my might. "Alone you may do anything; but partnerships in fame, like those "in trade, make the strongest party answerable for the deficiencies "or delinquencies of the rest, and I tremble even for you with such "a bankrupt Co.-****. They are both clever fellows, and “Shelley I look upon as a man of real genius; but I must again say, that you could not give your enemies (the *'S, et hoc genus omne") a greater triumph than by forming such an unequal "and unholy alliance. You are, single-handed, a match for the "world-which is saying a good deal, the world being, like Briareus, a very many-handed gentleman,-but, to be so, you must stand "alone. Recollect that the scurvy buildings about St. Peter's "almost seem to overtop itself."

66

"I was strongly advised by Tom Moore, long ago," said Lord

977.-To Thomas Moore.

Pisa, February 20, 1822.1

Your letter arrived since I wrote the enclosed. It is not likely, as I have appointed agents and arbitrators for the Noel estates, that I should proceed to England on that account, though I may upon another, within stated. At any rate, continue you to address here till you hear further from me. I could wish you still to arrange for me, either with a London or Paris publisher, for the things, etc. I shall not quarrel with any arrangement you may please to make.

I have appointed Sir Francis Burdett my arbitrator to decide on Lady Byron's allowance out of the Noel estates, which are estimated at seven thousand a year, and rents very well paid,-a rare thing at this time. It is, however, owing to their consisting chiefly in pasture lands, and therefore less affected by corn bills, etc., than properties in tillage.

Believe me yours ever most affectionately,

NOEL BYRON.

Between my own property in the funds, and my wife's in land, I do not know which side to cry out on in politics.

There is nothing against the immortality of the soul in Cain that I recollect. I hold no such opinions ;

Byron, "not to have any connection with such a company as Hunt, Shelley, and Co. ; but I have pledged myself, and besides could "not now, if I had ever so great a disinclination for the scheme, 'disappoint all Hunt's hopes."-Medwin, Conversations, etc., vol. i. pp. 121, 122.

1. The preceding letter was enclosed in this.

2. Moore, writing to Byron, February 9, 1822, had said— "Cain, to be sure, has made a sensation; and, grand as it is, I "regret, for many reasons, you ever wrote it. . . . For myself, "I would not give up the poetry of religion for all the wisest results "that philosophy will ever arrive at. Particular sects and creeds