The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-06-12
poRTRAIT-LORD BYRON.

PoRTRAtT--LORD BYRON
4" All merit has n right 10 he recorded So
SAYS Iom Dawes in his outset of his Life of Gar
rlclt.--l he sentence smacks of Samuel Iohnson;
and perhaps il would have been more correct g.
say" All merit ought 10 be recorded ire
spoct tire collectors Of small anecdotes of great
mon james Boswell has been rdicncd Tor hi,
trivial anecdotes OF Johnson. Bnt what would
We not give for wo,l. equally trivial that should
trace the private lie aud conversation of Shals
peare
FIRST became acquainted with Lord Byron in
the year 1912, when the new nrnry lane Thea
tre opened. Tn. committee (of which he not
long after became mulnher) applied 10 him .,
all the world knows. for an opening address
none OF those advertised for being " M 10 the
mark. lie contributed il. aud Elliston spoke
II There was couplet IN 1t something like the
following -
You who heheld. with awe. the God of flames
Shake his red shadow oer the startled Thames "
quote from memory: the couplct was the first
on" that caught nv ear. on my entrance behind
the scenes. When my further acquaintance
with Lord BYRON authorised the freedom ask.
ed him whether he should not have used the re-
Election IN lieu of the word shadow and whe.
Their shadow could have a colour He answer.
ed with smile" To he sure it can. What
says Woodwork
" The swans IN sweet saint Mary's Lake
SWIM double; swan and shadow
There IS a shadow with a white body. black legs.
and yellow back did notpush the subject
When FIRST saw him, he VAS sitting in the Green
room of Dfury Lane lhcAtle, ON the right side
OF the FIRE place. Nlr. Whhrcad was standing
with his back In the fine with adv Elizabeth on
hIS arm, aud was congramlatmg Pope on his en-
easfmen' NJ that theatre. So many people has
risen into lie snce the departure of tha, extra
ordinary poet tha, an account. more minute than
any thM has yet appeared, Of his dress and per.
son, may, perhaps, interest. The figure of ord
bNton was about the middle size erect and
wen hfonoltonrdi with the exception of Que OF
his ieei, witch was uuncaird of about half il,
quahiht lhis deprived HIM of the spring in
thai hmf aud obliged him 10 use the Leo as ,rit
We awanaen one. His face was IN re expressly
ol hantenI than OF any other quality II w
void Of colour, and had met il on the Shout.
defs OF Mr. lrcmaine, should have Thought il
charactrristically disposed of His hair was
dark brown aud curly. aud seemed 10 he set of
with some unguent. He wore no whiskery his
eyes were light grey, aud rolled in their orbit in
very peculiar way, rs II they were surveying
Tue attitude ni the PERSON 10 whom he addressed
himself. Oh his dress the most remarkable mart
was ms cfaNat, II consisted OF a narrow slim of
white satsnct, and the shirt collar was rolled n.
Yer II. rather suspect he piqued himself on
the beauty of his throat For the rest he wore
a brown or hack coat. and in the morning white
Russia duck trowScrs, very wide with a broad
strap Under the foot The object of this was TO
vel Is much as possible tie mutilated limb. In
thu evening his trowSels were white lean. equal
" vide. He had a handsome eold-watch. and
lrh cham and seals of the same material
These were hooked INTO the third button of the
wa'sicoat and hung across in a semicircle :
when ant thing either tickled or troubled him
tas ms happencd generally dozen times IN the
course oi an EVENING" he would twirl his watch
key with nervous rapilitv.
dlned with Lord Byron a. Mr. Murrav's. in
A'henarie street; Sir John Malcolm, and two o.
thef gentlemen, whose names | have forgotten.
formed Inc party. Lord Byron at that time had
project offislting Persia, and asked Sir John
n"co'h' "hai he must do TO equip himself for
the Journey. " The first thing YOU must do. "
said the other. is 10 cut off your buttonsn fhe
wore blue coat with gilt buttons on that eve
ning) My buttons prav, WHY ," "Whv to
secure your life, Al cloth button in Persia NAV
get on pretty wet, but gilt metal would cause
you 10 be naylad and murdered The temnta.
ton is too greatp Perhaps tins induced the no.
Die poet 70 give up his scheme. | observed that
az dinner he ate nothing but turbot. which IN,
Sahsea with considerable quantity of yinee ar.
h' was hFeiy aud Jocose in his conversation
WI tendency TO sarcasm. | mentioned tine
'rnna OF the Naid and Magpie, which Miss Kei-
s'@ien's haa Just brought into great celeb. IL