Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-03-11
From the Baltimore Gazette.
LIFE OF BYRON.

S. We published few days ago extracts from
fthe Life of Byron, by Moore, which possessed
much interest as indicating the strength Of
the early impressions and the susceptible
Feelings of the poet. The work is thus dedi
cated-'To Sir Walter Scott, Baronet. these
volumes are inscribed, by his afectionate
friend Thomas Moore"
The following brief preface win explain the
design Of the author
"Preface.-In presenting these volumes to
the public, | should have felt, / own, consid
erable diffidence, from sincere distrust in
my own powers of doing justice TO such a
task, were not well convinced that there is in
she subject itself, and in the rich variety OF
3naterials here brought to illustrate it, de-
gree of attraction and interest which it would
be difficult, even for hands the most unskill-
!. full, TO extinguish. However amsntable were
The circumstances under which Lord Byron
became estranged from his country, to bis
long absence from England, during the most
Brilliant period of his powers, we are indebt-
ed for all those interesting letters which com
pose the greater part of the second volume of
This work, and which will be found equal il
not superior, in point of vigour, variety and
iiveliness, 20 any that have yet adorned this
Branch ofour literature.
"What has been said of Petrarch, that shis
correspondence and verses together afford the
4 progressive interest Of a narrative in which
the poet is always identified with the man,
will be found applicable, in far greater de-
q gree, to Lord Byron, in whom the literary
and personal characters were so closely in
U terwoven, that TO have left his works without
81 .x.,r Il, l..
q correspondence afford, would have been
che world''
d FURTHER EXTRACTS.
q The following account of Lord Byron's
private affairs on his return to England, in
8 1911, viii be new to most OF our readers
awe have seen from the letters written by
q him on his passage homeward, how far from
d cheerful or happy was the state of mind 10
4 which he returned. In truth, even for a dis
/ position of the most sanguine cast, there was
quite enough in the discomforts that now "a
waited him in England to sadden its hopes
and check its buoyancy ITO be happy at
home (says Johnson) is the ultimate result OF
all ambition. the end to which every enter
prise and labor tends!'' But Lord Byron had
no hone-at least none that deservedt this en-
dearing name. A fond family circle to ac-
company him with its prayers, while away.
and draw round him with listening eagerness
on his return, was what, unluckily, he never
knew, though with heart, as we have seen,
by nature formed for it. In the absence, too,
Of all that might cheer and sustain, he had
every thing to encounter that could distress
and humiliate To the dreariness of home
without affection, was added the burden oil
/ an establishment without means; and ne had
thus all the embarrassment OF domestic lie,
without its charms His affairs had, during
his absence, been suffered to fall into confu
sion, even greater than their inherent tenden
CIV to such a state warranted: There had
been the preceding year an execution on
Newstead, for a debt of sl500: owing to the
Messrs Brothers, Upholsterers, and circum-
etance told of the veteran Joe Murray on this
occasion, well deserves to be mentioned: 10
this faithful old servant, jealous OF the honor
of the Byrons, the sight of the notice OF sale,
posted upon tina Abbey door, could not be
otherwise than unsightly and intolerable
nuisance Having enough, however, oil the
4 fear of the law before his eyes, not to
q tear the writing down, he was at last forced,
4 as his only solitary expedient, to paste large
piece ofbrown paper on IT"
Lord Byron thought very little of the mer-
Its of Childe Harold, but promised himself
much fame from a Paraphrase of the art Of
Poetry composed by him while abroad
Though says Mr.. Moore, con every
thing that alter his arrival at the age OF man
hood he produced, some mark of them IN the
master-hand may he traced, yet, to print the
whole of his Paraphrase of Horace. which
extends to nearly 500 lines, would be at the
best but questionable compliment to his
memory. That the reader, however, may
be able to form some opinion of a perform
ance, which by an error of caprice or judg
ment, unexampled, perhaps, in the annals Of
literature author for time preferred to
the sublime rcasonings of Childe Harold;
shall here select few such passages from the
Paraphrase as may seem calculated to give
an i'd "a of its merits, and his defects
The opening of the Poem. is, with refer
ence to the original, Ingenious
'who would no, laugh, il Lawrence, hired Il
grace
His costly canvass with each fiatter'd face,
Abused his art, till Nature, with blush.
Saw cts grow centaurs underneath his brush
Or sh Juld soma linner join. for show or sale,
Amid of honor to mernsld's taiP
o. low OIbost las once the world has SEEM
Degrade Gods creatures in his graphic spleen
Not all that forced poIiseness whish defends