1813.] TRAINING TO DINE WITH SHERIDAN. 239 sequestration at Mayfield Cottage. You will find, on casting up accounts, that you are my debtor by several sheets and one epistle. I shall bring my action;-if you don't discharge, expect to hear from my attorney. I have forwarded your letter to Ruggiero;1 but don't make a postman of me again, for fear I should be tempted to violate your sanctity of wax or wafer. Believe me, ever yours indignantly, 316.-To Thomas Moore. BN. July 28, 1813. Can't you be satisfied with the pangs of my jealousy of Rogers, without actually making me the pander of your epistolary intrigue? This is the second letter you have enclosed to my address, notwithstanding a miraculous long answer, and a subsequent short one or two of your own. If you do so again, I can't tell to what pitch my fury may soar. I shall send you verse or arsenic, as likely as any thing,-four thousand couplets on sheets beyond the privilege of franking; that privilege, sir, of which you take an undue advantage over a too susceptible senator, by forwarding your lucubrations to every one but himself. I won't frank from you, or for you, or to you may I be curst if I do, unless you mend your manners. I disown you-I disclaim you-and by all the powers of Eulogy, I will write a panegyric upon you -or dedicate a quarto-if you don't make me ample amends. P.S.-I am in training to dine with Sheridan 2 and 1. I.e. Samuel Rogers. 2. In his Detached Thoughts Byron has noted the following impressions of Sheridan : "In society have met Sheridan frequently: he was superb! Rogers this evening. I have a little spite against R., and will shed his "Clary wines pottle-deep." This is "He had a sort of liking for me, and never attacked me, at least "to my face, as he did every body else-high names, and wits, "and orators, some of them poets also. I have seen him cut up "Whitbread, quiz Madame de Staël, annihilate Colman, and do "little less by some others (whose names, as friends, I set not down) "of good fame and ability. Poor fellow! he got drunk very "thoroughly and very soon. It occasionally fell to my lot to pilot "him home-no sinecure, for he was so tipsy that I was obliged to "put on his cocked hat for him. To be sure, it tumbled off again, "and I was not myself so sober as to be able to pick it up again. "The last time I met him was, I think, at Sir Gilbert Elliot's, "where he was as quick as ever-no, it was not the last time; the "last time was at Douglas Kinnaird's. I have met him in all "places and parties-at Whitehall with the Melbournes, at the "Marquis of Tavistock's, at Robins's the auctioneer's, at Sir "Humphry Davy's, at Sam Rogers's,-in short, in most kinds of company, and always found him very convivial and delightful. 66 "I have seen Sheridan weep two or three times. It may be that "he was maudlin; but this only renders it more impressive, for who "would see "From Marlborough's eyes the tears of dotage flow, "Once I saw him cry at Robins's the auctioneer's, after a splendid "dinner, full of great names and high spirits. I had the honour of "sitting next to Sheridan. The occasion of his tears was some "observation or other upon the subject of the sturdiness of the "Whigs in resisting office and keeping to their principles: Sheridan "turned round: Sir, it is easy for my Lord G. or Earl G. or "Marquis B. or Lord H. with thousands upon thousands a year, "some of it either presently derived, or inherited in sinecure or "acquisitions from the public money, to boast of their patriotism "and keep aloof from temptation; but they do not know from what "temptation those have kept aloof who had equal pride, at least "equal talents, and not unequal passions, and nevertheless knew not "in the course of their lives what it was to have a shilling of their own.' And in saying this he wept. 66 "There was something odd about Sheridan. One day, at dinner, "he was slightly praising that pert pretender and impostor, Lyttelton (the Parliamentary puppy, still alive, I believe). I took the 'liberty of differing from him; he turned round upon me, and "said, 'Is that your real opinion?' I confirmed it. Then said "he, Fortified by this concurrence, I beg leave to say that it, in "fact, is my opinion also, and that he is a person whom I do absolutely and utterly despise, abhor, and detest.' He then launched out into a description of his despicable qualities, at some length, "and with his usual wit, and evidently in earnest (for he hated 66 66 1813.] WAITING FOR A PASSAGE. 241 nearly my ultimate or penultimate letter; for I am quite equipped, and only wait a passage. Perhaps I may wait a few weeks for Sligo, but not if I can help it. "Lyttelton). His former compliment had been drawn out by some "preceding one, just as its reverse was by my hinting that it was "unmerited. "I have more than once heard him say, 'that he never had a 'shilling of his own.' To be sure, he contrived to extract a good "many of other people's. "In 1815 I had occasion to visit my lawyer in Chancery Lane; "he was with Sheridan. After mutual greetings, etc., Sheridan "retired first. Before recurring to my own business, I could not "help inquiring that of Sheridan. 'Oh,' replied the attorney, 'the "usual thing! to stave off an action from his wine-merchant, my "client.'-"Well,' said I, 'and what do you mean to do?'-'Nothing "at all for the present,' said he: 'would you have us proceed "against old Sherry? what would be the use of it?' and here he "began laughing, and going over Sheridan's good gifts of con"versation. "Now, from personal experience, I can vouch that my attorney "is by no means the tenderest of men, or particularly accessible to "any kind of impression out of the statute or record; and yet "Sheridan, in half an hour, had found the way to soften and seduce "him in such a manner, that I almost think he would have thrown "his client (an honest man, with all the laws, and some justice, "on his side) out of the window, had he come in at the moment. "Such was Sheridan! he could soften an attorney! There has "been nothing like it since the days of Orpheus. "One day I saw him take up his own Monody on Garrick.' "He lighted upon the Dedication to the Dowager Lady Spencer. "On seeing it, he flew into a rage, and exclaimed 'that it must "be a forgery, that he had never dedicated any thing of his to such "a damned canting bitch,' etc., etc.-and so went on for half an "hour abusing his own dedication, or at least the object of it. If "all writers were equally sincere, it would be ludicrous. "He told me that, on the night of the grand success of his School "for Scandal he was knocked down and put into the watch-house "for making a row in the street, and being found intoxicated by the "watchmen. Latterly, when found drunk one night in the kennel, "and asked his name by the watchmen, he answered, 'Wilberforce.' "When dying he was requested to undergo 'an operation.' He "replied that he had already submitted to two, which were enough "for one man's lifetime. Being asked what they were, he answered, "having his hair cut, and sitting for his picture.' "I have met George Colman occasionally, and thought him "extremely pleasant and convivial. Sheridan's humour, or rather "wit, was always saturnine, and sometimes savage; he never laughed "(at least that I saw, and I watched him), but Colman did. If I had VOL. II. R 317.-To John Murray. July 31, 1813. DEAR SIR,-As I leave town early tomorrow, the proof must be sent to-night, or many days will be lost. If you have any reviews of the Giaour to send, let me have them now. I am not very well to day. I thank you for the Satirist, which is short but savage on this unlucky affair, and personally facetious on me which is much more to the purpose than a tirade upon other peoples' concerns.3 Ever yours, B. "to choose, and could not have both at a time, I should say, 'Let "me begin the evening with Sheridan, and finish it with Colman.' "Sheridan for dinner, Colman for supper; Sheridan for claret or "port, but Colman for every thing, from the madeira and champagne "at dinner, the claret with a layer of port between the glasses, up "to the punch of the night, and down to the grog, or gin and water, "of daybreak ;-all these I have threaded with both the same. "Sheridan was a grenadier company of life guards, but Colman a "whole regiment-of light infantry, to be sure, but still a regiment." 2. "Potations pottle-deep.”—Othello, act ii. sc. 3, line 54. 3. In the Satirist (vol. xiii. pp. 150, 151) is an article headed "Scandalum Magnatum," with the motto from Rejected Addresses— "With horn-handled knife, 66 To kill a tender lamb as dead as mutton." "A short time back (say the newspapers, and newspapers never "say the thing which is not) Lady H. gave a ball and supper. Among the company were Lord B-n, Lady W-, and Lady C. "L-b. Lord B., it would appear, is a favourite with the latter Lady; on this occasion, however, he seemed to lavish his atten"tion on another fair object. This preference so enraged Lady C. "L. that, in a paroxysm of jealousy, she took up a dessert-knife, "and stabbed herself. The gay circle was, of course, immediately plunged in confusion and dismay, which, however, was soon suc"ceeded by levity and scandal. The general cry for medical assist'ance was from Lady W-d: Lady W-d!!! And why? Because "it was said that, early after her marriage, Lady W- also took a "similar liberty with her person for a similar cause, and was, there'fore, considered to have learned from experience the most effica"cious remedy for the complaint. It was also whispered that the 66 66 1813.] A CABIN ON THE BOYNE. 243 318.-To John Wilson Croker.1 Bt. Str., August 2, 1813. DEAR SIR,-I was honoured with your unexpected and very obliging letter, when on the point of leaving London, which prevented me from acknowledging my obligation as quickly as I felt it sincerely. I am endeavouring all in my power to be ready before Saturday -and even if I should not succeed, I can only blame my own tardiness, which will not the less enhance the benefit I have lost. I have only to add my hope of forgiveness for all my trespasses on your time and patience, and with my best wishes for your public and private welfare, I have the honour to be, most truly, Your obliged and most obedient servant BYRON. 319.-To John Murray. If you send more proofs, I shall never finish this infernal story-"Ecce signum"-thirty-three more lines "Lady's husband had most to grieve, that the attempt had not fully "succeeded. Lady C. L. is still living. "The poet has told us how 'Ladies wish to be who love their "Lords; but this is the first public demonstration in our times to "show us how Ladies wish to be who love, not their own, but others' "Lords. "Better be with the dead than thus,' cried the jealous “fair; and, casting a languishing look at Lord B-, who, Heaven knows, is more like Pan than Apollo, she whipt up as pretty a "little dessert-knife as a Lady could desire to commit suicide with, "And stuck it in her wizzard.' "The desperate Lady was carried out of the room, and the affair "endeavoured to be hushed up," etc., etc. 1. J. W. Croker (1780-1857), the "Wenham" of Thackeray, the "Rigby" of Disraeli, and the "Con Crawley" of Lady Morgan's Florence Macarthy, had been made Secretary to the Admiralty in 1809. At his request Captain Carlton of the Boyne, "just then "ordered to re-enforce Sir Edward Pellew" in the Mediterranean, "had consented to receive Byron into his cabin for the voyage." |