house (as for all other kindness) in case my health should require my removal; but I cannot quit Greece while there is a chance of my being of any (even supposed) utility; there is a stake worth millions such as I am, and while I can stand at all, I must stand by the

cause.

When I say this, I am at the same time aware of the difficulties and dissensions and defects of the Greeks themselves, but allowances must be made for them by all reasonable people.

Believe me, yours ever and truly,

N. B.

I am not aware that I shall require further monies immediately, but if I draw further on my Correspondents for a couple of thousand pounds more or less by and bye I wish to know previously whether you could negociate the Bills; my chief, indeed nine tenths of, my expenses here are solely in advances to or on behalf of the Greeks and objects connected with their independence.

1. "At this time (February 14th)," says Parry, who kept the accounts of Byron's disbursements, "the expenses of Lord Byron "in the cause of the Greeks did not amount to less than two thou"sand dollars per week in rations alone" (Last Days, p. 40). Elsewhere (ibid., p. 95) Parry says that "applications were made to "Lord Byron about the end of March, for money to the amount of "50,000 dollars in one day. . . . The Greeks seemed to think he "was a mine from which they could extract gold at their pleasure. "One person represented that a supply of 20,000 dollars would "save the island of Candia from falling into the hands of the Pacha "of Egypt; and there not being that sum in hand, Lord Byron "gave him authority to raise it if he could in the Islands, and he "would guarantee its repayment. I believe this person did not

"succeed."

1143-To Charles Hancock.

Messolonghi, March 10, 1824.

SIR,-I have sent by Mr. J. M. Hodges a bill drawn on Signor C. Jerostatti for three hundred and eighty-six pounds, on account of the Hon. the Greek Committee, for carrying on the service at this place. But Count Delladecima sent no more than two hundred dollars until he should receive instructions from C. Jerostatti. Therefore I am obliged to advance that sum to prevent a positive stop being put to the laboratory service at this place, etc., etc.

I beg you will mention this business to Count Delladecima, who has the draft and every account, and that Mr. Barff, in conjunction with yourself, will endeavour to arrange this money account, and, when received, forward the same to Missolonghi.

I am, Sir, yours very truly.

So far is written by Captain Parry; but I see that I must continue the letter myself. I understand little or nothing of the business, saving and except that, like most of the present affairs here, it will be at a stand-still if monies be not advanced, and there are few here so disposed; so that I must take the chance, as usual.

You will see what can be done with Delladecima and Jerostatti, and remit this sum, that we [may] have some quiet; for the Committee have somehow embroiled their matters, or chosen Greek correspondents more Grecian than ever the Greeks are wont to be.

Yours ever,

NL. BN.

P.S.-A thousand thanks to Muir for his cauliflower,

the finest I ever saw or tasted, and, I believe, the largest that ever grew out of Paradise, or Scotland. I have written to Dr. Kennedy about the newspaper1 (with which I have nothing to do as a writer, please to recollect and say). I told the fools of conductors that their motto would play the devil; but, like all mountebanks, they persisted. Gamba, who is any thing but lucky, had something to do with it; and, as usual, the moment he had, matters went wrong. It will be better, perhaps, in time. But I write in haste, and have only time to say, before the boat sails, that I am ever

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Yours,

N. BN.

P.S.-Mr. Findlay is here, and has received his

money.

1. The Greek Telegraph was a weekly polyglot newspaper, bearing the motto from Homer's Odyssey (Book xvii. lines 322, 323)— Ημισυ γάρ τ' ἀρετῆς ἀποαίνυται εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

• Ανέρος, εἶτ ̓ ἂν μιν κατὰ δούλιον ἦμαρ ἕλῃσιν.”

The editors invited contributions in any language. The prospectus is printed by Gamba in his Narrative (pp. 305-307) in an amended form, and not as originally written by Stanhope. Writing to Bowring, March 30, 1824, he says (Greece, etc., p. 157), "The "prospectus of the Greek Telegraph has appeared. When I wrote "it, I had no idea that the motto, 'The world our country, and "doing good our religion,' would have been objected to, or I would "(if I could) have selected a better." Gamba was one of the editors (Millingen, Memoirs, p. 113), and Kennedy quotes two letters from him, asking for contributions from him or Professor "Bamba," i.e. Vambas (see Conversations, p. 392). According to Parry (Last Days, p. 191), Byron said that he only "subscribed to "the paper to get rid of Stanhope's importunities, and, it may be, "keep Gamba out of mischief; at any rate, he can mar nothing "of less importance."

2. George Finlay (1799-1875), the historian of Greece, joined Byron at Cephalonia in November, 1823. Fresh from Germany, full of anecdotes of Goethe, he delighted his host. At Metaxata Finlay met Kennedy, and heard with astonishment the Doctor's lectures on Byron's life, vanity, and useless talents (Kennedy's Conversations, p. 232, and Stanhope's Greece in 1823 and 1824, p. 516). From

1144.-To James Kennedy.1

Missolonghi, March to, 1824.

DEAR SIR,-You could not disapprove of the motto to the Telegraph more than I did, and do; but this is a land of liberty, where most people do as they please, and few as they ought.

I have not written, nor am inclined to write, for that or for any other paper, but have suggested to them, over and over, a change of the motto and style. However,

Argostoli, Finlay made his way to Athens, and thence, at the end of February, 1824, to Mesolonghi. For the next month he was constantly with Byron, riding with him by day, and sitting in his room at night. Parry (Last Days, p. 259) speaks of Byron walking "backwards and forwards in his apartment for hours together, "talking rapidly and almost incessantly the whole time with Mr. "Findlay or Mr. Fowke, or some other person of the same light "and frivolous cast." Millingen (Memoirs, p. 95) says that Finlay was one of the Englishmen who refused to join Byron's artillery brigade, of which Parry was appointed Major, on account of Parry's ignorance of artillery. On March 20, 1824, he was sent by Byron with letters to Stanhope, Trelawny, and Odysseus. Though beaten back by storms, he started again when Byron's fatal illness had begun. Before Stanhope left Greece, Finlay had undertaken (Greece in 1823 and 1824, p. 185) to plead the Greek cause in America. But the plan was abandoned, and he joined Odysseus in the expedition to the Morea. With one short interval, he made Greece his home, and devoted his life to her service. His History was originally published in four sections (1844-61). After his death at Athens, in 1875, the work was republished (1877) under the title of A History of Greece from its Conquest by the Romans to the Present Time-B.C. 146 to A.D. 1864. To this edition is prefixed a short autobiography. The most interesting part of Stanhope's Greece, etc., is Finlay's sketch of Byron as he knew him (pp. 510-529).

་་

66

I. About this time," writes Kennedy (Conversations on Religion, pp. 289, 290), “his boat, or felucca, came to Argostoli, on board "which was Mr. Hodges, who brought a prospectus of the Greek "Telegraph. As from the motto and style of the prospectus there was an appearance of radicalism, and an air of irreligion, we all "expressed our apprehension to Mr. Hodges, and our regret at such "a proceeding. Mr. Hodges said, if we thought so, I ought "to write to Lord Byron on the subject. .. I complied with this "suggestion, and addressed a letter to his lordship, stating our "reasons for disapproving of the motto, and the prospectus.' this letter Byron replied.

To

I do not think that it will turn out either an irreligious or a levelling publication, and they promise due respect to both churches and things, i.e. the editors do.

If Bambas' would write for the Greek Chronicle, he might have his own price for articles.

There is a slight demur about Hato's voyage, her mother wishing to go with her, which is quite natural, and I have not the heart to refuse it; for even Mahomet made a law, that in the division of captives, the child should never be separated from the mother. But this may make a difference in the arrangement, although the poor woman (who has lost half her family in the war) is, as I said, of good character, and of mature age, so as to render her respectability not liable to suspicion. She has heard, it seems, from Prevesa, that her husband is no longer there. I have consigned your Bibles to Dr. Meyer; and I hope that the said Doctor may justify

3

1. Neophytos Vambas, who had spent five years in Paris, was formerly one of the Professors at the College at Scio, afterwards a Professor at the College at Corfu, and at this time keeping a school in Cephalonia. Finlay speaks of him (History of Greece, vol. vi. p. 173) as a scholar and patriot, but also a pedant and a visionary. Without knowledge of character and ignorant of active life, he was more fitted for a professorship than a politician. As a teacher, on the other hand, his career was "honourable to himself and useful "to his country, for he cultivated the moral and religious feelings as "well as the intellects of his pupils, and formed some of the best, "if not the ablest, men of his time." Vambas translated, with Kennedy's help, several pieces from the Quarterly Review, which were contributed to the Greek Chronicle (Kennedy's Conversations, p. 285). Stanhope wrote, inviting him to come to Athens, and conduct "a free press" there (Greece, etc., p. 129). Vambas, who called upon Byron at Metaxata, had been refused admittance, Byron thinking, as he told Kennedy (Conversations, p. 304), that Vambas was "a common priest" and a "wild democrat." See also Gamba's Narrative, p. 109.

2. In Book XVI. chap. v. of the Hedaya (trans. Hamilton, p. 462) the following "declaration of the prophet " is quoted: "Whosoever "causes a separation between a mother and her children shall him"self on the day of judgment be separated from his friends by God." 3. "The box," wrote Dr. Meyer to Kennedy, March 4, 1824