LETTERS. LETTER I. TO MISS PIGOT OF SOUTHWELL. "Burgage Manor, August 29, 1804. personæ,'-St. Dominie defend me from such a scene! Seriously, your mother has laid me under great obligations, and you, with the rest of your family, merit my warmest thanks for your kind contrivance at my escape from Mrs. Byron furiosa.' "I received the arms, my dear Miss Pigot, and "Oh! for the pen of Ariosto to rehearse, in epic, am very much obliged to you for the trouble you the scolding of that momentous eve, or rather, let have taken. It is impossible I should have any me invoke the shade of Danté to inspire me, for fault to find with them. The sight of the drawings none but the author of the 'Inferno' could properly gives me great pleasure for a double reason,-in the preside over such an attempt. But, perhaps, where first place, they will ornament my books; in the the pen might fail, the pencil would succeed. What next, they convince me that you have not forgotten a group!-Mrs. B. the principal figure; you cramme. I am, however, sorry you do not return sooner ming your ears with cotton, as the only antitode to -you have already been gone an age. perhaps total deafness; Mrs. in vain endeavoring to may have taken my departure for London before mitigate the wrath of the lioness robbed of her you come back; but, however, I will hope not. Do whelp; and last. though not least, Elizabeth and not overlook my watch-ribbon and purse, as I wish Wousky,-wonderful to relate!—both deprived of to carry them with me. Your note was given me their parts of speech, and bringing up the rear in by Harry, at the play, whither I attended Miss Lyon mute astonishment. How did S. B. receive the inand Dr. S ; and now I have sat down to answer telligence? How many puns did he utter on so fait before I go to bed. If I am at Southwell when cetious an event? In your next inform me on this you return, and I sincerely hope you will soon, for point, and what excuse you made to A. You are very much regret your absence,-I shall be happy to hear you sing my favorite, The Maid of Lodi. probably by this time tired of deciphering this hieroglyphical letter;-like Tony Lumpkin, you will My mother, together with myself, desires to be pronounce mine to be a dd up and down hand. affectionately remembered to Mrs. Pigot, and be- All Southwell, without doubt, is involved in amazelieve me, my dear Miss Pigot, I remain your affec-ment. Apropos, how does my blue-eyed nun, the tionate friend, "BYRON. fair **? is she 'robed in sable garb of wo?' I "P.S. If you think proper to send me any answer to this, I shall be extremely happy to receive it. Adieu. "P.S. 2d. As you say you are a novice in the art of knitting, I hope it don't give you too much trouble. Go on slowly, but surely. Once more, adieu." LETTER II. TO MR. PIGOT. "MY DEAR PIGOT, "16 Piccadilly, August 9, 1810. Many thanks for your amusing narrative of the last proceedings of my amiable Alecto,* who now begins to feel the effects of her folly. I have just received a penitential epistle, to which, apprehensive of pursuit, I have despatched a moderate answer, with a kind of promise to return in a fortnight-this, however, (entre nous,) I never mean to fulfil. Her soft warblings must have delighted her auditors, her higher notes being particularly musical, and on a calm moonlight evening would be heard to great advantage. Had I been present as a spectator, nothing would have pleased me more; but to have come forward as one of the dramatis Ilis Mother. Her recent violence of temper had compelled him to fly to London. "Here I remain at least a week or ten days; previous to my departure you shall receive my address, but what it will be I have not determined. My lodgings must be kept secret from Mrs. B.; you may present my compliments to her, and say any attempt to pursue me will fail, as I have taken measures to retreat immediately to Portsmouth, on the first intimation of her removal from Southwell. You may add, I have now proceeded to a friend's house in the country, there to remain a fortnight. "I have now blotted (I must not say written) a complete double letter, and in return shall expect a monstrous budget. Without doubt, the dames of Southwell reprobate the pernicious example I have shown, and tremble lest their babes should disobey their mandates, and quit in dudgeon their mammas on any grievance. Adieu. When you begin your next, drop the lordship,' and put Byron' in its place. Believe me yours, &c. LETTER III. TO MISS PIGOT. "MY DEAR BRIDGET, "BYRON." "London, August 10, 1906. "As I have already troubled your brother with more than he will find pleasure in deciphering, you are the next to whom I shall assign the difficult tle. By the enclosure of a second jingle of rhyme, employment of perusing this second epistle. You you will probably conceive my muse to be vastly will perceive from my first, that no idea of Mrs. B.'s prolific; her inserted production was brought forth arrival had disturbed me at the time it was written; a few years ago, and found by accident on Thursday not so the present, since the appearance of a note among some old papers. I have recopied it, and, from the illustrious cause of my sudden decampment adding the proper date, request it may be printed has driven the natural ruby from my cheeks,' and with the rest of the family. I thought your senticompletely blanched my wo-begone countenance. ments on the last bantling would coincide with This gunpowder intimation of her arrival, (confound mine, but it was impossible to give it any other her activity!) breathes less of terror and dismay than garb, being founded on facts. My stay at Worthing you will probably imagine from the volcanic tempera- will not exceed three weeks, and you may possibly ment of her ladyship, and concludes with the com- behold me again at Southwell the middle of Sepfortable assurance of all present motion being pre- tember. * * * * * vented by the fatigue of her journey, for which my "Will you desire Ridge to suspend the printing blessings are due to the rough roads and restive of my poems till he hears further from me, as I quadrupeds of his majesty's highways. As I have have determined to give them a new form entirely. not the smallest inclination to be chased round the This prohibition does not extend to the last two country, I shall e'en make a virtue of necessity, pieces I have sent with my letters to you. You will and, since, like Macbeth, They've tied me to the excuse the dull vanity of this epistle, as my brain is stake, I cannot fly,' I shall imitate that valorous a chaos of absurd images, and full of business, tyrant, and bear-like fight the course,' all escape preparations, and projects. 6 being precluded. I can now engage with less disad- "I shall expect an answer with impatience ;-bevantage, having drawn the enemy from her en- lieve me, there is nothing at this moment could trenchments, though, like the prototype to whom I give me greater delight than your your letter." have compared myself, with an excellent chance of being knocked on the head. However, lay on, Macduff, and d-d be he who first cries, hold, enough. "I shall remain in town for, at least, a week, and expect to hear from you before its expiration. I presume the printer has brought you the offspring of my poetic mania. Remember, in the first line, to read loud the winds whistle,'* instead of round,' which that blockhead Ridge has inserted by mistake, and makes nonsense of the whole stanza. Addio!-Now to encounter my Hydra. Yours ever.' LETTER IV. TO MR. PIGOT. LETTER VI. TO MR. PIGOT. "London, August 18, 1800. ing, and write merely to request you will send that "I am just on the point of setting off for Worthidle scoundrel Charles, [his groom,] with my horses immediately; tell him I am excessively provoked he has not made his appearance before, or written to inform me of the cause of his delay, particularly as I supplied him with money for his journey. On no pretext is he to postpone his march one day longer, and if, in obedience to the caprices of Mrs. B., (who I presume is again spreading desolation through her little monarchy,) he thinks proper to disregard my positive orders, I shall not, in future, "DEAR PIGOT, consider him as my servant. He must bring the "This astonishing packet will, doubtless, amaze surgeon's bill with him, which I will discharge imyou, but having an idle hour this evening, I wrote mediately on receiving it. Nor can I conceive the the enclosed stanzas, which I request you to deliver reason of his not acquainting Frank, [his valet,] to Ridge, to be printed separate from my other com- with the state of my unfortunate quadrupeds. Dear positions, as you will perceive them to be improper Pigot, forgive this petulant effusion, and attribute for the perusal of ladies; of course, none of the fe- it to the idle conduct of that precious rascal, who, males of your family must see them. I offer a instead of obeying my injunctions, is sauntering thousand apologies for the trouble I have given you through the streets of that political Pandemonium, in this and other instances. Yours truly.' "London, Sunday, midnight, August 10, 1806. LETTER V. TO MR. PIGOT "Piccadilly, August 16, 1806. I cannot exactly say with Cæsar, Veni, vidi, vici: however, the most important part of his laconic account of success applies to my present situation; for, though Mrs. Byron took the trouble of 'coming' and seeing,' yet your humble servant proved the victor. After an obstinate engagement of some hours, in which we suffered considerable damage, from the quickness of the enemy's fire, they at length retired in confusion, leaving behind the artillery, field equipage, and some prisoners: their defeat is decisive of the present campaign. To speak more intelligibly, Mrs. B. returns immediately, but I proceed, with all my laurels, to Worthing, on the Sussex coast; to which place you will address (to be left at the post-office) your next epis * See Hours of Idleness, page 413. Nottingham. Present my remembrances to your family and the Leacrofts, and believe me, &c. "P.S. I delegate to you the unpleasant task of despatching him on his journey-Mrs. B.'s orders to the contrary are not to be attended to; he is to proceed first to London, and then to Worthing, without delay. Every thing I have left must be sent to London. My Poetics you will pack up for the same place, and not even reserve a copy for yourself and sister, as I am about to give them an entire new form: when they are complete, you shall have the first fruits. Mrs.B. on no account is to see or touch them. Adieu." LETTER VII. TO MR. PIGOT. "Little Hampton, August 26, 1806. "I this morning received your epistle, which 1 was obliged to send for to Worthing, whence I have removed to this place, on the same coast, about eight miles distant from the former. You will probably not be displeased with this letter, when it for the purpose of explaining (as far as possible, informs you that I am 30,000l. richer than I was at without involving some old friends of mine in the our parting having just received intelligence from business) the cause of my behavior to him during my lawyer that a cause has been gained at Lancas- my last residence at Harrow, (nearly two years ago, ter assizes,* which will be worth that sum by the which you will recollect was rather 'en cavalier. time I come of age. Mrs. B. is doubtless acquainted Since that period I have discovered he was treated of this acquisition, though not apprized of its exact with injustice, both by those who misrepresented value, of which she had better be ignorant; for her his conduct, and by me in consequence of their sugbehavior on any sudden piece of favorable intelli-gestions. I have therefore made all the reparation gence is, if possible, more ridiculous than her de- in my power, by apologizing for my mistake, though testable conduct on the most trifling circumstance with very faint hopes of success; indeed I never of an unpleasant nature. You may give my com- expected any answer, but desired one for form's pliments to her, and say that her detaining my ser- sake; that has not yet arrived, and most probably vant's things shall only lengthen my absence; for never will. However, I have eased my own conunless they are immediately despatched to 16 Pic- science by the atonement, which is humiliating cadilly, together with those which have been so long enough to one of my disposition, yet I could not delayed belonging to myself, she shall never again have slept satisfied with the reflection of having, behold my radiant countenance illuminating her even unintentionally, injured any individual. I have gloomy mansion. If they are sent, I may probably done all that could be done to repair the injury, appear in less than two years from the date of my and there the affair must end. Whether we renew present epistle. our intimacy or not is of very trivial consequence. "Metrical compliment is an ample reward for my "My time has lately been much occupied with strains; you are one of the few votaries of Apollo very different pursuits. I have been transporting a who unite the sciences over which that deity pre-servant,* who cheated me,-rather a disagreeable sides. I wish you to send my poems to my lodgings event; performing in private theatricals; publishin London immediately, as I have several altera- ing a volume of poems, (at the request of my tions and some additions to make; every copy must friends, for their perusal ;) making love and taking be sent, as I am about to amend them, and you shall physic. The last two amusements have not had soon behold them in all their glory. I hope you the best effect in the world; for my attentions have have kept them from that Upas tree, that antidote been divided among so many fair damsels, and the to the arts, Mrs. B. Entre nous,-you may expect drugs I swallow are of such variety in their compoto see me soon. Adieu. Yours ever.' LETTER VIII. TO MISS PIGOT. "MY DEAR Bridget, "I have only just dismounted from my Pegasus, which has prevented me from descending to plain prose in an epistle of greater length to your fair self. You regretted in a former letter, that my poems were not more extensive; I now for your satisfaction announce that I have nearly doubled them, partly by the discovery of some I conceived to be fost, and partly by some new productions. We shall meet on Wednesday next; till then, believe me yours affectionately, sitions, that between Venus and Esculapius I am LETTER X. TO MR. PIGOT. "BYRON." "Southwell, Jan. 13, 1807. "I ought to begin with sundry apologies, for my own negligence, but the variety of my avocations in “BYRON. prose and verse must plead my excuse. With this "P. S. Your brother John is seized with a poetic epistle you will receive a volume of all my Juvenilia mania, and is now rhyming away at the rate of published since your departure: it is of considerathree lines per hour-so much for inspiration! bly greater size than the copy your possession, Adieu!" LETTER IX. TO THE EARL OF CLARE. "MY DEAREST CLARE, Southwell, Notts, February 6th, 1807. , your * * * in which 1 beg you will destroy, as the present is much more complete. That unlucky poem to my poor Mary has been the cause of some animadversion from ladies in years. I have not printed it in this collection, in consequence of my being pronounced a most profligate sinner, in short, a 'a young Moore,' by friend. I believe in general they have been favorably received, and surely the age of their author will preclude severe criticism. The adventures of my life from sixteen to nineteen, and the dissipation into which I have been thrown in London, have given a voluptuous "Were I to make all the apologies necessary to tint to my ideas, but the occasions which called forth atone for my late negligence, you would justly say my muse could hardly admit any other coloring. you had received a petition instead of a letter, as it This volume is vastly correct and miraculously would be filled with prayers for forgiveness; but in- chaste. Apropos, talking of love, * * stead of this, I will acknowledge my sins at once, "If you can find leisure to answer this farrago of and I trust to your friendship and generosity rather unconnected nonsense, you need not doubt what than to my own excuses. Though my health is not gratification will accrue from your reply to yours perfectly reestablished, I am out of all danger, ever, &c." and have recovered everything but my spirits, which are subject to depression. You will be astonished to hear I have lately written to Delawarre, * In a suit undertaken for the recovery of the Rochdale property. • His valet, Frank. The "Mary "here mentioned was not the heiress of Annesrey, nor the Mary "of Aberdeen. The verses in the Hours of Idleness, entitled, Mary, on receiving her picture," were addressed to her. "To |