1153.-To the Earl of Clare.1

Missolonghi, March 31, 1824.

MY DEAREST CLARE,-This will be presented to you by a live Greek deputy, for whom I desiderate and solicit your countenance and goodwill. I hope that you do not forget that I always regard you as my dearest friend and love you as when we were Harrow boys together; and if I do not repeat this as often as I ought, it is that may not tire you with what you so well know.

I

I refer you to Signor Zaimie, the Greek deputy, for all news, public and private. He will do better than an epistle in this respect.

I was sorry to hear that Dick had exported a married woman from Ireland, not only on account of morals but monies. I trust that the jury will be considerate. I thought that Richard looked sentimental when I saw him at Genoa, but little expected what he was to land in. Pray who is the lady? The papers merely inform us by dint of asterisks that she is somebody's wife and has children, and that Dick (as usual) was the intimate friend of the confiding husband. It is to be hoped that the jury will be bachelors.

Pray take care of yourself Clare, my dear, for in some of your letters I had a glimpse of a similar intrigue of yours. Have a care of an éclat. Your Irish juries lay

1. Reprinted from the Daily Chronicle for April 19, 1900. For the Earl of Clare, see Letters, vol. i. p. 116, note 1, and vol. v. P. 455. His brother, "Dick," Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon (17931864), succeeded him as third, and last, Earl of Clare, in 1851. The lady to whom Richard Fitzgibbon was attached was Mrs. Diana Moore, whose marriage with Mr. Crosbie Moore was dissolved in 1825. The Dublin jury gave £6000 damages against Fitzgibbon, June 3, 1824. She married Mr. Fitzgibbon at Dunkirk in 1825, and again (January 9, 1826) in London. Their only son, Viscount Fitzgibbon, was killed in the Balaclava charge.

it on heavy; and then besides you would be fixed for life with a second-hand épouse, whereas I wish to see you lead a virgin heiress from Saville Row to Mount Shannon.

Let me hear from you at your best leisure, and believe me ever and most truly, my dearest Clare,

Yours,

NOEL BYRON.

P.S.-The Turkish fleet are just bearing down to blockade this port; so how our deputy is to get by is a doubt, but the island boats frequently evade them.

The sight is pretty, but much finer for a limner than a lodger. It is the Squadron from the Gulf of Corinth (Hooke-Gulf of Lepanto); they (the Greeks, I mean) are all busy enough, as you may suppose, as the campaign is expected to commence next month. aforesaid I refer you for news to the bearer.

But as

1154-To

April 1, 1824.

SIR, I have the honour to reply to your letter of this day. In consequence of an urgent, and, to all appearance, a well-founded complaint, made to me yesterday evening, I gave orders to Mr. Hesketh to proceed to

1. Reprinted from Gamba's Narrative, pp. 234, 235. The letter was written in the following circumstances to a Russian, or, as Byron says, a Prussian, serving in Byron's brigade. At midnight, March 31, a Greek inhabitant of Mesolonghi implored Byron's protection against one of the foreign auxiliaries. According to the Greek's statement, the man, being quartered in his house, returned home drunk, broke open the door, drew his sword, and frightened the family. Byron sent an officer and a file of soldiers to arrest their comrade, who complained of the time and manner of his arrest. Byron's reply to the protest is given above.

your quarters with the soldiers of his guard, and to remove you from your house to the Seraglio; because the owner of your house declared himself and his family to be in immediate danger from your conduct; and added, that that was not the first time that you had placed them in similar circumstances. Neither Mr. Hesketh nor myself could imagine that you were in bed, as we had been assured of the contrary; and certainly such a situation was not contemplated. But Mr. Hesketh had positive orders to conduct you from your quarters to those of the artillery brigade; at the same time being desired to use no violence; nor does it appear that any was had recourse to. This measure was adopted because your landlord assured me, when I proposed to put off the inquiry until the next day, that he could not return to his house without a guard for his protection, and that he had left his wife and daughter, and family, in the greatest alarm; on that account putting them under our immediate protection; the case admitted of no delay. As I am not aware that Mr. Hesketh exceeded his orders, I cannot take any measures to punish him; but I have no objection to examine minutely into his conduct. You ought to recollect that entering into the auxiliary Greek corps, now under my orders, at your own sole request and positive desire, you incurred the obligation of obeying the laws of the country, as well as those of the service.

I have the honour to be, etc.,

1155-To Samuel Barff.

N. B.

[April 3.]

DEAR SIR, I received your letter by Sig. Tricupi. By the Sciot you will or ought to receive a long letter,

and one also from Cap. Parry. I trust that you have also received my letter explaining why I have declined accepting Mr. Dunn's Bill, as I wish the statement to be repeated to him. We have the Turkish Squadron blockading the Port. A third Greek Deputy, Sig. Zaimi, is in the Town on his way to England, and a quarrel (not yet settled), between the citizens and some of Kariascachi's people,' which has already produced some

rows.

I keep my people quite neutral; but have ordered them to be on their guard. Some days ago we had an Italian private soldier drummed out for thieving. The German officers wanted to flog him; but I flatly refused to permit the use of the stick or whip, and delivered him. over to the Police. Since then a Prussian Officer rioted in his lodgings; and I put him under arrest, according to the code. This, it appears, did not please the German Confederation: but I stuck by my intent, and have

1. Karaiskaki, the Greek leader in districts round Agrafa, who had been (Finlay, History of Greece, vol. vi. p. 322) receiving medical help in Cephalonia, left Argostoli, December 8, 1823, to cross with Millingen (Memoirs, pp. 34-37) to Mesolonghi. In Ithaca they parted company, Karaiskaki remaining on the island (ibid., p. 43), while Millingen crossed over alone. Subsequently Karaiskaki established himself at Anatolikon. His nephew was wounded in a quarrel with some Mesolonghiot boatmen (ibid., p. 122), and, on April 1, 1824, Karaiskaki, to obtain redress, seized two of the primates of Mesolonghi and the island of Vasiladi. In this demand for vengeance he was supported by Giavella's clan of Suliots. Mavrocordatos suspected him of a plot to deliver the islands and Mesolonghi to the Turks, and letters found on Volpiotti, a Greek and intimate friend of Karaiskaki, seemed to confirm the charge. Vigorous measures were adopted. Vasiladi was retaken; the primates were rescued: a number of troops were marched into Mesolonghi ; and a military commission was appointed to try Karaiskaki, who was found guilty and ordered to leave Anatolikon. It is probable that Karaiskaki's plans did not go beyond an intrigue with Kolokotrones, and a design for the overthrow of Mavrocordatos (see Parry's Last Days, p. 102; Gamba's Narrative, pp. 236-247 ; and Millingen's Memoirs, pp. 125, 126).

VOL. VI.

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