The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-20 00:00:00

LADY BYRON'S LETTER to MR. MOORE.

REMARKS OCCASIONED BY MR. MOORE'S
NOTICES OF LORD BYRON'S LIFE.
[We copy the following interesting document from the
Literary Gazette of this day. It will be doubtless read
with great attention by all classes of readers.]
There is no portion of the life of Lord Byron which
oas more excited public curiosity and discussion than the
painful event of his separation from his lady, followed as it
wax by the relinquishment of his native country. With-
out intruding on the privacics of life, it is therefore with
some degree of satisfaction that we find ourselves in a si-
tuation to lay some explanation of this matter before our
readers, by reprinting the following letter, which Lady
Byron tine addressed to Mr. Moore, as a commentary upon
certain passages in the first volume of his Memoirs, re-
cently published. It is a moderate but meaning docu-
ment, and must give rise to much cogitation :
" I have disregarded various publications in which
facts within my own knowledge have been grossly misre-
pieeented ; but I am called upon to notice some of the Er-
roneous statements proceeding from one who claims to
he considered as Lord Byron's confidential and authorised
friend. Domestic details ought not to be intruded on the
public attention : if, however, they are so intruded, the
persons affected by them have a right to refute injurious
charges. Mr. Moore has promulgated his own impres-
sions of private events in which I was most nearly con-
cerned, as if he possessed a competent knowledge of the
subject. Having survived Lord Byron, I feel increased
reluctance to advert to any circumstances connected with
the period of my marriage; nor is it now my intention
to disclose them, further than may be indispensably re-
quisite for the end I have in view. Self-vindica-
tion is not the motive which actuates me to make
this appeal, and the spirit of accusation is un-
mingled with it; but when the conduct of my
parents is brought forward in a disgraceful light, by the
passages selected from Lord Byron's Letters, and by the
remarks of his biographer, I feel bound to justify their
characters from imputations which I know to be false.
The passages from Lord Byron's Letters, to which I refer,
are the aspersion on my mother's character, p. 648,
1. 4 My child is vary well, and flourishing, I hear ;
bat I must see also. I feel no disposition to resign it to
the. contagion of its grandmother's society.' The asser-
tion of her dishonourable conduct in employing a spy,
p. 615, I. 7, &a. A Mrs. C. (now a kind of house-
keeper and spy of Lady N.'s), who, in her better days,
WM a washer-woman, is supposed to be—by the learned
—very mush the occult cause of our domestic discrepancies.'
The seeming exculpation of myself, in the extract, p. 646,
with the words immediately following it—' Her nearest
relatives are a ;' where the blank clearly implies
something too offensive for publication. These passages tend
t" throw suspicion on my parents, and give reason to ascribe
the separation either to their direct agency, or that of offici-
son spies' employed by them. * From the following part of
the narrative, p. 642, it must also be inferred that an un-
dne influence was exercised by them for the accomplish-
ment of this purpose. It was in a few weeks after the
latter communication between us (Lord Byron and Mr.
Moore), that Lady Byron adopted the determination of
petting from him. Site bad left London at the latter end
of January, on a visit to her father's house, in Leicester-
shire, and Lord Byron was in a short time to follow her.
They had parted in the utmost kindness,—she wrote him
a letter full of playfulness and affection, on the road ; and
immediately on her arrival at Kirkby Mallory, her fa-
ther wrote to acquaint Loid Byron that she would
eturn to him no more.' In my observations upon
!his statement I shall, as far as possible, avoid touch-
ing en any matters relating personally to Lord Byron
and myself. The facts are :—I left London for Kirkby
lllallory, the residence of my father and mother, on the
lath of January, 1816. Lord Byron had signified to
me in writing (Jan. 6th) his absolute desire that I should
leave London en the earliest day that I could conveniently
fix. It was not safe for me to undertake the fatigue of a
journey sooner than the lath. Previously to my de-
parture, it had been strongly impressed on my mind, that
Lord Byron was under the influence of insanity. This
opinion was derived in a great measure from the commu-
nications made to me by his nearest relatives and personal
attendant, who had more opportunities than myself of
observing him during the latter part of my stay in town.
It was even represented to me that be was in danger of
destroying himself. With the concurrence of his family
I had consulted Dr. Baillie as a friend (Jan. Sth) re-
specting this supposed malady. On acquainting him with
the state of the case, and with Lord Byron's desire that
I should leave London, Dr. Baillie thought that my absence
might be advisable as an experiment, assuming the fact
of mental derangement; for Dr. Baillie, not having had
access to Lord Byron, could not pronounce a positive opi-
nion on that point. He enjoined that in correspondence
with Lord Byron I should avoid all but light and soothing
topics. tinier these impression., I left London, deter-
mined to follow the advice given by Dr. Baillie. What-
ever might have been the nature of Lord's Byron's con-
duct toward' me from the time of in marriage, yet,
supposing him to he in a state of mental alienation, it was
not for me, nor for any person of common humanity, to
manifest, at that moment, a sense of injury. On the day
of my departure, and again on my arrival at Kirkby,
January 16th, I wrote to Lord Byron in a kind
and cheerful tone, according to those medical direc-
tions. The last letter was circulated, and employ-
ed as a pretext for the charge of my having been
subsequently influenced to deseit't my husband. It
has been argued, that I -parted from Lord Byron
in perfect harmony ; that feelings incompatible with any
deep sense of injury bad dictated the letter which 1 ad-
dressed to him; and that my sentiments must have been
changed by persuasion and interfereoce, when I was under
the roof of my parents. These assertions and inferences
are wholly destitute of foundation. When I arrived at
Kirkby Mallory, my parents were unacquainted with the
existence of any causes likely to destroy my prospects of
happiness; and when I communicated to them the opinion
which had been formed concerning Lord Byron's state of
mind, they were most anxious to promote his restoration
by every means in their power. They assured those relations
who were with him in London, that they would devote
their whole case and 'attention to the alleviation of his
malady,' and hoped to make the best arrangements for his
comfort, if he could be induced to visit them. With these
intentions my mother wrote on the 17th to Lord Byron,
inviting him to Kirkby Mallory. She had always treated
him with an affectionate consideration and indulgence,
which extended to every •little peculiarity of his feelings,
Never did an irritating word escape her lips in her whole
intercourse with him. The accounts given me after I left
Lord Byron by the persons in constant intercourse with
him, added to those doubts which had before transiently
occurred to my mind, as to the reality of the alleged
disease; sad the reports of his medical attendant were far
from establishing the existence of any thing like lunacy.
Under this uncertainty, I deemed it right to communicate
to my parents, that if I were to consider Lord Byron's past
conduct as that of a person of sound mind, nothing could
induce me to return to him. It therefore appeared expe-
dient both to them and myself to consult the ablest advisers.
For that object, and also to obtain still further information
respecting the appearances which seemed to indicate mental
derangement, my mother determined to go to London.
She was empowered by me to take legal opinions on a
written statement of mine, though I had then reasons for
reserving a part of the case from the knowledge even of
my father and mother. Being convinced by the result of
these inquiries, and by the tenor of Lord Byron's proceed-
ings, that the notion of insanity was an illusion, I no
longer hesitated to authorise such measures as were ne-
cessary, in order to secure me from being ever again placed
in his power. Conformably with this resolution, my father
wrote to him on the 2d of February, to propose an
amicable separation. Lord Byron at first rejected this
propose , I • but when it was distinctly notified to him, that
if ke persisted in his refusal, recourse must he had to legal
measures, he agreed to sign a deed of separation. Upon
applying to Dr. Lushington, who was intimately acquainted
with all the circumstances, to state in writing what he
recollected upon this subject, I received from him the
following letter, by which it will be maident that my
mother cannot have been actuated by any hostile or un-
generous motive towards Lord Byron.
" My dear. Lady Byron,-1 can rely upon the accu-
racy of my memory for the following statement. I was
originally consulted by Lady Noel on your behalf, whilst
you were in the country; the circumstances detailed by
her were such as justified a separation, but they were not
of that aggravated description as to render such a measure
indispensable. On Lady Noel's representation, I deemed
a reconciliation with Lord Byron practicable, and felt most
sincerely a wish to aid in effecting it. There was not on
Lady Noel's part any exaggeration of the facts • nor, so
far as I could perceive, any determination to Prevent a
return to Lord Byron : certainly none was expressed when
I spoke of a reconciliation. When yon came to town in
about a fortnight, or perhaps more, after my filet inter-
view with Lady Noel, I was for the first time informed by
you of facts utterly unknown, as I have no doubt, to Sir
Ralph and Lady Noel. On receiving this additional in..
formation my opinion was entirely changed : I considered
a reconciliation impossible. I declared my opinion, and

w " The officious spies of his privacy," p. 650.
3 " Tito clouted liusband," p, 661,