The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-06-10
Mr.. Sonthy's Reply 10 Lord Byron.
From the London Traveller.
20 MIN RnrrAu
TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,-Having seen in the newspapers
| note relating to myself, extracted from
recent publication of Lord Byron's,
| request permission to reply through the
medium of your Journal:
leone at once to his lordship's charge
against me, blowing away the abuse with
which it is frothed,& evaporating strong
acid in which it is suspended. The resi-
dunn then appears to be that "Mr. Sou.
they, on his return from Switzerland, in
1917, scattered abroad calumnies, know
ing them to be such, against lord Byron
and Others" To this reply with di.
rect and positive denial.
If had been told in that country that
Lord Byron had turned Turk, or Monk
OF La Trappe that he had furnished a
haram, or endowed a hospital, 1 might
have thought the account, which ever it
had been, possible, and repeated it ac-
cordingly passing it as it had been taken,
IN the small change Of conversation, for
no more than it was worth. In this manner
| might have spoken of him, as of Baron
u erambe, the Green May, Indian Jug
slers, or any other 6gurante Of the time
being. There was no reason for any par.
ticular delicacy on my part, In speaking
of his lordship and, indeed, 1 should
have thought any thing which might have
been reported of him, would have injured
his character as little as the story which
so greatly annoyed Lord Keeper Gull.
ford, that he had a rhinoceros. He may
ride rhinoceros and though every body
body would stare, no one would won
der. But making no enquiry concern
ing him, when l was abroad, because
l felt no curiosity, heard nothing,
and had nothing, to repeat. When l
spoke of wonders to my friends and ac-
quaintance on my return, ii was of the fly-
ing tree atAlpuachet, e the eleven thou
sand virgins at Cologne--not of lord By
ron, L sought for no stalcr subject than
st. Ursula.
Once,and once only, in connection with
Switzerland, have alluded to his lord
ship; and as the passage was curtailed
| in the press, take this opportunity of
restoring it. In the quarterly review,
| speaking incidentally of the Jungfrau, /
! said, Sit was the scene where Lord By
| ron's Manfred met the devil and bulIied
him-though the devil must have won
| his cause before any tribunal in this world,
or the next, if he had not pleaded more
feebly for himself, than his advocate. in
cause OF canonization, ever pleaded for
| him."
! With regard to the sothers,' whom his
iordship accuses me OF calumniating,
suppose he alludes to party of his friends,
| whose names found written in the AL.
bum. at Mont ADVERT, with an avowal of
Atheism annexed, in Greek, and an indig-
nant comment, in the same language, un-
derneath it. Those names, with that
avowal and the comment, transcribe d in
my note book, and spoke of the circnm-
stance on my return. If had published
1t, the gentleman in question would not
have thought himself slandered, by having
that recorded of him which he has so Of
ten recorded of himself.
| The many opprobious appelIations
which lord Byron has bestowed on me |
leave as l find them, with the praises
which he has bestowed on himself.
| How easily is noble spirit discern'd
| From harsh and sulphurous matter, that flies out
In contumelies, makes noies, and stinks
b. johnson.
But am accustomed to such things so
tar from irritating me are the enemies
who use such weapons, that when hear
OF their attacks, it is some satisfaction to
think they have thus employed the ma
lightly which must have been employed
somewhere,& could not have seen direct
ed against any person whom it could posi-
bly, modest or iDjure less. The viper,
however venomous in purpose, is harms
less,in effect, while it is biting at the file
1t is seldom, indeed, that waste a word
or thought, upon those who are perpe-
tuaily assailing me. But abhorring, as
do, the personalities which disgrace our
current literature, and averse from con-
troversy as | ar, both by principle and
Inclination, | make no profession Of non
resistance. When the offence, and the
offender are such as to call for the whip
and branding iron; it has been both seen
and felt that can infiict them.
Lord Byiob's present exacerbation is
evidently produced by an inhiction OF this
knd-not by hearsay reports of my con-
ysrsation, four years ago, transmitted him
from England. The cause may be found
IN certain remarks upon the Satanic
school of poetry, contained in my pre-.
lace to the Vision Of Judgment. Wen
would it be for lord Byron if he could
look back upon any Of his writing, with
as much satisfaction as shall always do