The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-08-19
MAGNANIMPrY OF A p0kT.

-
: From the Philadelphia Columbian Observer.
We cannot resist the strcng desire v,
feel, to do all honor to The one among III.
Mighty Bards," who feeling the disini,,
OF the godhead, teaches man TO soar Il
regions above the ,groveiling selfishness.
OF tho common concerns Of life. There
is trait Of grandeur and interest about
Byron, that prompts Us to preserve all
that belongs to him. In the following
letter, we behold, what we very rarely
meet with the magnanimity of a poet
and the generosity Of an heroic and noble
mind. Would to heaven that the enc
mics Of Byron possessed but one spsrk Of
his liberality and but one virtue of his
great and honorable heart.
"CAlN."
Letter from Lord Byron TO Mr.. Mu,.au.
Pisa, Feb. 3, 1922.
"Dear Sir-Attacks upon me were 10
be expected but perceive one upon
you in thc papers, which, confess ] did
not expect. How, or in what manner
you can be considered responsible for
what | publish, l am at loss to conceive.
If "Cain" be "blasphemous," Paradise
Lost is blasphemous; and the very words
OF the Oxford gentleman, EVIL, be thou
my good" are from that poem from the
mouth of Satan /; and is there any thing
more in shat of Luciier in the mystery (!
Cain is nothing more than drama, not
a piece of argument. IF Lucifer and
Cain speak as the frs. murderer and the
first rebel may be supposed to speak,
surely all the rest OF the personages talk
| also according TO their characters /; and
the sti onger passions have ever been per-
mitted to the drama. lbave even avoid.
ed introducing the Deity, as in scripture
(though Milton does, and not very wisely
either y bu, have adopted his angel, as
sent to Cain, instead on purpose 10 avoid
shocking any feeling on the subject, by
falling short Of, what all uninspiri,ed men
must fall shor, in, VIZ. giving an adequate
notion of the effect OF the presence ofJe-
hovah. The old mysteries introduced
him literally enough, and all this is
avoided in the new one.
| The attempt to bully you, because they
think j: will not succeed with me, seems
to me as atrocious an attempt as ever
disgraccd the times. What? when Glib.
bon's, Hume's Priestley's and Drum
mond's publishers have been allowed &c
rest in peace for seventy years, are YOU
TO be singled out for work OF fiction, moi
| of history or argument There must be
something at the bottom of this--some
private enemy of your own-it is ether
wise incredible.
! l can only say, Meme adsum qui
feci," that any proceedings directed a.
| gainst you, beg may be transferred to
me, who am willing, and ought to endure
them all /; that if you have los. money by
the publication will refund any, or all Of
the copyright that ! desire that you will
say, that both you and MIR. Clifford, re-
monstrated against the publication, as al
so Mr.. Hobhouse that alone occasion
ed it, and alone am the person who eth.
er legally or otherwise should bear the
burtheD. If they prosecute, will come
to England that is, if by meeting it in
my own person, can save yours. Let
me know--you sha'n't suffer for me, il
can help it. Make any use Of this let
ter which you please.
Yours ever, BYRON