Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-10-02
CHA RLOTTESVILLE.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1879.
SIX ETCHES FROM THE PORTFOLIO OF
A SEXAGENARIAN.
LORD BYRON AT BRUSSELS.


A SEXAGENARIAN.
LORD BYRON AT BRUSSELS.
L must not omit, in my recolectons, to
me ntion the high qualification had in pas.
sing few. days in the society of the Illus
rious Byron. In his transit to Italy in
Aug gust, 1916, he visited Brussels (where
was resIding) accompanied by DR.. Poll
dori. The moment heard of his arrival
| W aited on him, and was received with
the greatest cordiaiity and kindness. "He
had no pleasure" he said, equal to that
Of ,eeting friend Of his mothers. and of
his early age" had not seen hin, for
four teen years. when he was al Harrow.
81 at Il he age of fifteen. found much less
q char tge IN his appearance than there gen.
erall J is from youth to manhood !; the gen.
eral expression ofhis countenance had be-
com very like his mother's-a beautiful
mild and intelligent eye, fringed with
long and dark lashes; and expansive and
mol lie forehead, over which hung in thick
cu sters his rich brown natural curIs
w hat living representation of Beat,ie's
mi nstrel He looked the inspired poet !!
Nome OF the many prints have seen oe
hinli are either like, or do him Justice.
j N our conversation Of three hours. he
we at over the FRANKS and adventures of
his boyish days. Till the age of seven. he
INV ed at Banff with his mother. NV eldest
SON, of nearly the same age, was his
c.hool-'ellow, and he was frequently invi-
Ted by my brother, the pastor OF the town:
with whom my boy was living to pass a
holiday at the parsonage: all this he per-
from plum-tree, into which he had climb.
ed to get at some pears on wall "The
minister's wife, said he, ".blabbed to nv
mother, thinking | might have been hurt ::
and the ola red-nosed doctor, whose name
have forgotten, was sent for, who insisted
on bleeding me, in spite of screams and
tears, which had at command, for was
complete spoiled child, as dare say you
knew. At last he produced the lancets,
OF which | had great horror, having seen
them used to bleed my nurse, ani decla-
red IT he touched me would pull his
nose. This, it seems, was tender point
with the Doctor, and he gave the bleeding
up, condemning me to be ted on water
Cruel, and to be put to bed; these orders
| disposed of by throwing the medicine
sut OF the window, and as soon as the
Doctor had taken his departure got out
cot bed and made my appearance in the
fariour. My mother, finding that there
was nothing the matter with me, gave me
tea and bread and butter, which prefer
red to brochan you see, have not for
got all my Scotch"
He put me in mind Of what he called
my kindness IN lending him pretty DO
ny, and of my accompanying him to ride
IN Hyde Park. "That," said his Lord.
ship, &C. was fourteen years ago, when I
came to spend the holidays with my poor
mother, | remember your pony was very
handsome, and a fast gailoper, and that
we raced, and that beat you, of which
was not little proud. have wonder.
tfad recollection of the little events of my
fearly days, and warm feeling for the
ifriends of my youth"
He told me that he was desperately in
love with Miss M-D--when he was
nine years old, and we met" he said,
" at the dancing school," he made many
inquiries about her, and if she was still as
handsome. "She is year older than {:
i saw her only once after | left Aberdeen,
"bCu was dOOut anu OH nv
way to the Highlands with my mother {;
for had a cough, and was sent to drink
goats whey on the banks of the Dee.
The first verses | ever wrote were in
praise Of her beauty. know she is hap
PLY married, which I rejoice at" All
this he said with much feeling.
This conversation was 80 interesting,
ahat on my returning home, put it on pa
per. As he proposed visiting Waterloo
on the following morning, | offered my
services as his cicerone, which were gra-
ciously accepted, and we set out at an
early hour, accompanied by his cOmpag-
non de yOydgc. The weather was propi-
tious, but the poets spirits seemed de-
pressed, and we passed through the gloc-
my forest of Soignies without much con-
vcrsation. As the plan OF the inspection
OF the field had been left to me, ordered
our position to drive to Mont ST. Jean,
without stopping at Waterloo. We got
out at the Monuments. Lord Byron ga