1811.]

APOLOGY OR RETRACTATION.

63

hostile. On the contrary, my whole thoughts were engrossed by one, whom I had reason to consider as my worst literary enemy, nor could I foresee that his former antagonist was about to become his champion. You do not specify what you would wish to have done : I can neither retract nor apologise for a charge of falsehood which I never advanced.

In the beginning of the week, I shall be at No. 8, St. James's Street.-Neither the letter nor the friend to whom you stated your intention ever made their appearance.

Your friend, Mr. Rogers, or any other gentleman delegated by you, will find me most ready to adopt any conciliatory proposition which shall not compromise my own honour,-or, failing in that, to make the atonement you deem it necessary to require.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

BYRON.

203.-To R. C. Dallas.

8, St. James's-Street, 29th October, 1811.

DEAR SIR, I arrived in town last night, and shall be very glad to see you when convenient.

Yours very truly,

BYRON.

204.-To Thomas Moore.

8, St. James's Street, October 29, 1811.

SIR, Soon after my return to England, my friend, Mr. Hodgson, apprised me that a letter for me was

1. For Samuel Rogers, see p. 67, note 1.

2. Moore had replied, accepting Byron's explanation, and adding,

in his possession; but a domestic event hurrying me from London immediately after, the letter (which may most probably be your own) is still unopened in his keeping. If, on examination of the address, the similarity of the handwriting should lead to such a conclusion, it shall be opened in your presence, for the satisfaction of all parties. Mr. H. is at present out of town;-on Friday I shall see him, and request him to forward it to my address.

With regard to the latter part of both your letters, until the principal point was discussed between us, I felt myself at a loss in what manner to reply. Was I to anticipate friendship from one, who conceived me to have charged him with falsehood? Were not advances, under such circumstances, to be misconstrued,—not, perhaps, by the person to whom they were addressed, but by others? In my case such a step was impracticable. If you, who conceived yourself to be the offended person, are satisfied that you had no cause for offence, it will not be difficult to convince me of it. My situation, as I have before stated, leaves me no choice. I should have felt proud of your acquaintance, had it commenced under other circumstances; but it must rest with you to determine how far it may proceed after so auspicious a beginning.

66

I have the honour to be, etc.

"As your Lordship does not show any wish to proceed beyond the rigid formulary of explanation, it is not for me to make any "further advances. We Irishmen, in businesses of this kind, seldom "know any medium between decided hostility and decided friend"ship; but, as any approaches towards the latter alternative must now depend entirely on your Lordship, I have only to repeat that “I am satisfied with your letter, and that I have the honour to be," etc., etc.

66

1811.]

THE RIGHT HAND OF FRIENDSHIP.

65

205.-To Thomas Moore.1

8, St. James's Street, October 30, 1811.

SIR,-You must excuse my troubling you once more upon this very unpleasant subject. It would be a satis faction to me, and I should think to yourself, that the unopened letter in Mr. Hodgson's possession (supposing it to prove your own) should be returned in statu quo to the writer; particularly as you expressed yourself "not "quite easy under the manner in which I had dwelt on its "miscarriage."

A few words more, and I shall not trouble you further. I felt, and still feel, very much flattered by those parts of your correspondence, which held out the prospect of our becoming acquainted. If I did not meet them in the first instance as perhaps I ought, let the situation I was placed in be my defence. You have now declared yourself satisfied, and on that point we are no longer at issue. If, therefore, you still retain any wish to do me the honour you hinted at, I shall be most happy to meet you, when, where, and how you please, and I presume you will not attribute my saying thus much to any unworthy motive.

I have the honour to remain, etc.

206.-To R. C. Dallas.

8, St. James's Street, October 31, 1811.

DEAR SIR, I have already taken up so much of your time that there needs no excuse on your part, but

1. "Piqued," says Moore (Life, 144), "at the manner in which "my efforts towards a more friendly understanding were received," he had briefly expressed his satisfaction at Byron's explanation, and added that the correspondence might close.

VOL. II.

F

a great many on mine, for the present interruption. I have altered the passages according to your wish. With this note I send a few stanzas on a subject which has lately occupied much of my thoughts. They refer to the death of one to whose name you are a stranger, and, consequently, cannot be interested. I mean them to complete the present volume. They relate to the same person whom I have mentioned in Canto 2nd, and at the conclusion of the poem.

I by no means intend to identify myself with Harold, but to deny all connection with him. If in parts I may be thought to have drawn from myself, believe me it is but in parts, and I shall not own even to that. As to the Monastic dome,1 etc., I thought those circumstances would suit him as well as any other, and I could describe what I had seen better than I could invent. I would not be such a fellow as I have made my hero for all the world.

Yours ever,

B.

207.-To Thomas Moore.

8, St. James's Street, November 1, 1811.

SIR, AS I should be very sorry to interrupt your Sunday's engagement, if Monday, or any other day of the ensuing week, would be equally convenient to yourself and friend, I will then have the honour of accepting his invitation. Of the professions of esteem with which

1. Childe Harold, Canto II. stanza xlviii.

2. Rogers has left an account of this dinner. "Neither Moore nor myself had ever seen Byron when it was settled that he should "dine at my house to meet Moore; nor was he known by sight to Campbell, who, happening to call upon me that morning, "consented to join the party. I thought it best that I alone should