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WAITING FOR A PASSAGE.

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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.

66

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,

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

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A CABIN ON THE BOYNE.

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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."

enclosed! to the utter discomfiture of the printer, and, I fear, not to your advantage.

B.

320.-To John Murray.

Half-past two in the morning, Aug. 10, 1813.

DEAR SIR,-Pray suspend the proofs, for I am bitten again, and have quantities for other parts of the bravura.

Yours ever,

B.

P.S.-You shall have them in the course of the day.

321.-To James Wedderburn Webster.

August 12, 1813.

MY DEAR WEBSTER,—I am, you know, a detestable correspondent, and write to no one person whatever; you therefore cannot attribute my silence to any thing but want of good breeding or good taste, and not to any more atrocious cause; and as I confess the fault to be entirely mine-why-you will pardon it.

I have ordered a copy of the Giaour (which is nearly doubled in quantity in this edition) to be sent, and I will first scribble my name in the title page. Many and sincere thanks for your good opinion of book, and (I hope to add) author.

Rushton shall attend you whenever you please, though I should like him to stay a few weeks, and help my other people in forwarding my chattels. Your taking him is no less a favor to me than him; and I trust he will behave well. If not, your remedy is very simple; only don't let him be idle; honest I am sure he is, and I believe good-hearted and quiet. No pains has been

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LORD YARMOUTH.

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spared, and a good deal of expense incurred in his education; accounts and mensuration, etc., he ought to know, and I believe he does.

I write this near London, but your answer will reach me better in Bennet Street, etc. (as before). I am going very soon, and if you would do the same thing-as far as Sicily-I am sure you would not be sorry. My sister, Mrs. L. goes with me-her spouse is obliged to retrench for a few years (but he stays at home); so that his link boy prophecy (if ever he made it) recoils upon himself.

I am truly glad to hear of Lady Frances's good health. Have you added to your family? Pray make my best respects acceptable to her Ladyship.

Nothing will give me more pleasure than to hear from you as soon and as fully as you please.

Ever most truly yours,

322.-To Thomas Moore.

BYRON.

Bennet Street, August 22, 1813.

As our late-I might say, deceased-correspondence had too much of the town-life leaven in it, we will now, paulo majora, prattle a little of literature in all its branches; and first of the first-criticism. The Prince is at Brighton, and Jackson, the boxer, gone to Margate, having, I believe, decoyed Yarmouth to see a milling in that polite neighbourhood.1 Mad. de Stael Holstein has

1. The fight, in which Harry Harmer, "the Coppersmith" (17841834), beat Jack Ford, took place at St. Nicholas, near Margate, August 23, 1813.

Francis Charles Seymour Conway, Earl of Yarmouth (1777-1842), succeeded his father as second Marquis of Hertford in 1822. The colossal libertinism and patrician splendour of his life inspired Disraeli to paint him as "Monmouth" in Coningsby, and Thackeray as "Steyne" in Vanity Fair. He married, in 1798, Maria Fagniani, claimed as a daughter by George Selwyn and by "Old Q.," and