Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-09-04

cons'rant that any change of system wsnld occo
sion, even for day; but yet his amour pronre 10
wounded by any marks Of incivty or want of re-
sPect he meets with. Poor Byron, no 10 still
far from arriving at the philosophy that bo aims nj
ana thinks he has acquired, when the absence or
presence of person who is Indifferent to him
whatever his station in life may be, can occupy his
thoughts for u moment.
/ have observed in Byron n habit of ott,cb;nn
Importance To tritcs and vice versa turning s,r;
Gus events into ridcule he is extremely s,Dersti
tious and seems offended with those who cannot mr.
will not, partakc this weakness. lie has frequent
ly touched this subject and tauntingly observed
to me that must believe myself wiser than him
because was not superstitious. l answered. that
the vividncss of his Imagination, which was proved
by his works. furnished sufficient excuse for his SUI
Perstltion, which was caused by ovcr-excitement
OIL that faculty; but That J. lot being blessed by tho
comere tuc'dd o. Imagination, could have excuse
ior 'he camera obscurd, which looked on superst.
wi W oe' Inns did not however content him,
nu am sure no left me with lower opinion of my
faculties than before. To deprecate his anger I
observed That nature was so wise and good that
sue gave compensations TO all her offspring that
US 20 MN shc had given the brightest gift genius;
so TO those whom she had not so djst,n1u;sbed she
gave the less brilliant, but perhaps as useful pirt
OF PLAIN and unsophisticatcd reason. This did not
satsiy ms amour Propre. and he left me evidently
aiSPieosed at my want OF superstition. Byron is,
believe sincere in his belief in supernatural appear
ahces: he assumes grave and mysterious air when
lie taiks on the subject, which he is fond of doing
ana mas told me some extraordinary stories rela-
i've 20 mr. Shei!ey' who, he assures me, had
an an implicit belief in ghosts. He'aso told me that
MT Sheliey's spectre had appeared to a lady, walk
ing IN garden and he seemed to lay great stress
on tins. Though some of the wiscst of mankind.
as witness johnson, shared this weakness in com
mon with Byron, still there is sometime so unnsu
al In our matter of fact days in giving wav to Il
that was at first doubtful that Byron was serious
In his belief He is also supersttious about DAVIS,
and other trifing things,-believes in lucky and
QntuCkV davS--dlSIkpS nnbe all 1,
Friday, helping or being helped to salt at table,
sPng salt or oil, letting bread fall and breaking
mirrors In short, he gives way to thousand fan
,astleai notions, that prove that resprit
te Plus Jort has its weak side. Having de.
ciined riding with Byron one day. on the
pea OF gong to visit some of the Genoese
palaces and pictures, it furnished him with n
subject of attack at our next interview: he dc
clared that he never believed people serious in
their admiration of pictures, statues, sc. and that
those WHO expressed the most admiration were
"Amatori senza Amore, and Conoscitori senza Cog
nizlone." replied, that as l had never talked
TO hm OF pictures, hoped he would give me cred
IL Tor beng sincere in my admiration of them: but
ne was IN no humor 10 give me credit for any thing
on this occasion, as he felt that our giving pre-
terence to seeing sights, when we might have pass
ed the hours with him, not fattsring to his van
ity. should say that Byron was not either skill
ed IN or an admirer of works of art; he confessed
to me that very few had excited his
attention, and that to admire those h
had been forced to draw on his imapinat;on NJ
objects ottaste virtue he was equally regardless
and antiquities had interest for him; nav, no
carried this so far that he disbelicve the possibility
of their exciting interest in any one and said thai
lney merely served as excuses for indulginp the
vanity and ostentation of those who had no other
means OF exciting attention. Music he liked
tnough he was Judge of it; he often dwelt on
the power of association il possessed and declared
InaI the notes OF q well-known air could transport
him to distant scenes and events presenting objects
before him with vividness that quite banished
the present.-Perfumes, he said, produced the same
effect, though less forciby and, added he. with
ms mocklng smile often make quite sentiment
al.
Byron is of very suspicious nature; he breads
imposition on all points, declares that he forepoes
many things, from the fear of being cheated in the
purchase, and is afraid to give way to tho natural
impulses OF his character, lest he should be upcd or
mocked. This does not interfere with his CHARITIES
wnich are frequent and iberal but he has got into
a hablt OF calculating his most trifling person
al expenses, that is often Iudcrous and wonId in
England expose him to ridicule He INDUCES in a
seif-compacency when talking of his own defects
tat is amusing; and he is rather fond than reluctant
OF bringing them into observation. He saws that
money is wisdom, knowledge, and power all com
bined, and that this conviction is the only ono bc
mas IN common with all his counlrymen He
oweis wlth great asPerity on acquaintance to
whom he lent some money, and who has not repaid
him. f
byron seems to take peculiar pleasure in ridi
cuiing sentiment and romantic feelings; and vet
'io udy ditcr VIII betray both, to an extent that
appears impossible to be sincere to those who had
heard his previous sarcasms: that he ;s sincere
is evident as his eyes fill with tears his voice be-
comes tremulous, and his whole manner evinces
that ne feels what he says. All this appears so in
CONSISTENT that 1T destroys sympathy or if it does
not quite do that, 1t makes one angry with oneself
IoI giving way to 1t for one who is never two days
OF the same way of thinking, or at least express
ing himself. lie talks for effect, likes to excite
aStonlshment, and certainly destroys in the minds
OF his auditors all confidence in his stability of
character. This must L am certain be felt bv all
who have lived much in his society; and the i'm
preston is not satisfactory.
Talking one day of his domestic misfortunes
as he always called his separation from Lady Rv
ron, he dwet in sort of unmanly strain IF In
mehtatlon on 1T, that all present felt to be nm
worthy OF hmj and as the evening before had
heard tins habitude of bis commented on Inv nor
sons Indifferent about his feelings who even ridden
cuied his making II a topic of conversation with
mere acqnaintanccs, L wrote few lines in verse
expressive OF my sentiments, and handed it across
the table round which were seated as he was
sitting Tor his portrait. He then became red
ana pale, by turns, with anger, and threw them
uoWh on the table, with expression of connie
nance that is not to be forgotten The following
are Inc lines, which had nothing to Offend but thew
ala offend him deeply, and he did not recover his
temper during the rest of his stay:
AND canst thou bare thy breast TO vulgar eyes?
AND canst chou show the wounds that rankIe tbere2
Methought in noble hearts that sorrow lies
90 deep to suffer coorser minds to share.
The wounds inflicted by the bands W love-
cine hand that should have wardcd off each bIowS
are never healed, as aching hearts can prove
But sacred should the stream of sorrow flow
III friendships pity ques not real grief
Gan public pity soothe thy woes to sleep7-
N = , byron, spurn such vain, such weak relief,