Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-26
q ) l1.rll rnr rnr wnrrLiro INrELLIesNcER. ;,
BYRON.

[wRITsTEN FOR THE WHEELING INTELLlSANCEk.l
BYRON.
8
Although sneat several weeks at Geneva, du-
riag The SUMMER of 1916, while Lord Byron was
resident in tile neighborhood, had never the good
icftune, nor the opportunity to make his personal
Acquaintance, and should probably have failed,
had attempted it II was shortly after hismyste-
rious separation from Lady B. when he was some
what under a cloud, which his countrymen could
not penetrate; while his tastes and habits we're SO
much at variance with those of the stad and prim-
tive Genevese, as in great measure, to exclude
him from their society. The impression prevailed
that he was nduIgng in reckless dissipation, and
whether he Stunned the world, the world shnn-
ned him. the effect was the same, so far as his in-
teroourse with it was concerned. He yisited, &C.
casiona.ly, at Copet, where he was well received
by Madame de Stael, who remarked to me, that his
genius made amends for his moral delinquencles'
and, as he generally brought to her shrine some
poetic compliment, and was, withal, an important
accession 10 tie talent she delighted to assemble
about her, he proved always welcome guest. Al
her unions the circumstances and moralihes oil
social life seldom came under consideration OF dis
cuSSion. She sat at her table, as Pythonissa Ill
her temple, and her votaries expected and usually
received, from her olacles something beyond the
common places of existence. To these, often
listened, in wonder and admiration, but never
when Lord Byron CHANGED to be present, and met
with him but once, and then in so crowded and
mixed an assembly, that l could DO no more than
look upon him. Ia s.s..
Hentsch, the, Banker at Geneva, had invited me
10 make one of large party assembled at his villa
on the Lake, of fine Summers afternoon,to enjoy
the spectacle offs boat race, and other ceremonies
10 take place on its waters, on the occasion Of
some anniversary fete, the name Of which has es.
escaped my recollection, but celebrated there
yearly, with great zeal and display.
The exhibition was very gratifying; consisting OF
a number of boats, covered with tasteful awnings
and gurlanded with flowers and accompanied with
music, the effect of which was enhanced by its
passage over the smooth surface of the romantic
Lake, and reverbcration from the mountain scenery
around, a symphony from the deep, sounding i'll
the orchestra of nature. 1t engToSSed the company
completely, until it became whispered among them,
that Lord Byron present, when all eyes were
Immediately attracted 10 hiuI, as he stood, on the
waters brink, looking intently towards the con-
tending barges. by his side, was the celebrated
Italian, Doctor Poidori, whose diminutiYe stature
scarce reached to his Lordshipss shoulder, and re-
quired him to bow his head when he addressed him.
Tile pressure of the crowd about Lord B. soon made
him aware he the object Oftheir curiosity, and
turning deliberately round, towards the garden i'll
which we were assembled, and leaning his elbow
on the shoulder of his companion, he met our
sieadfast gaze if wholly unconscious it was di-
rected towards him. of the presence of any indi-
vidual but the Doctor, TO whom he addressed, c.
cnSionally, few words, in whisper, accompanied
by smiles which might well be called sardonic,
such smiles as, in his own language,
! Least beGt who weaIIthem mOst.''
| lie was of middle size, somewhat Squarely built,
and his figure, rather commonplace, than other
wise, had none of that rOundnesS, OF delcacy of
outline we are apt to associate with our ideas of
men in whom there is prepond rance OF intellec-
tual over physical capacity, especially with those
m whom imagination is all powerful. His lame
ness was not very apparent, nd The cause of ii,
distorted, or "club foot" which he shared in COM
mon with Talleyrand, and Sir Walter Scott /; "a
very remarkable coincidence in three of the most
prominent men OF the day,) was concealed by loose
trowsers of nankin, which nearly covered his shoes.
But his face was eminently handsome, and redeem
Grecian, and classic cast OF features: sharp, regu
lar and well defined, with nothing of "fat, con-
tented ignorance, looking down upon the world,'
about ii but of that character which exists in the
beau-ideal of the SCULPTOR and is rarely met with
in our intercourse with our kind. II not indica-
tive of divine thought, in religious sense it told
OF his own ETHEREAL creations,-of asphere, which
rendered him Indifferent to the animudversiuns, and,
apparently, to the motives of this.
His face was pale, his cheeks thin, and his gray
eyes rather Thoughtful than brilliant but his mouth
was peculiarly expressive of just such sentiments
as his pen has embodied and transmitted to immor
taliy. 1t is common to speak of the eye as the in
dex TO the volume within but, although this organ
may faithfully represent the desire, unguardedly
betray the agitation of the moment, it must yield
10 the mouth in permanent expression of the Spir-
it's secret trials and endurance-Age, which dim3
the former and tuIns its rays within, stamps upon
the latter, the ruling influences that have COM
pressed it in StelnneSs, or expanded, and rendered
it flexible by agreeable exercise and then, that
upper lip, where scorn and voluptuousness show
their signals, and tell Of baed PRIDE and satiated
indulgence, carries whit to the grave, its ndca-
tons, long after the eye has ceased to be lustrons
OF expressive AHIS' 1Hc iilItoL lCCSI'IhS anu III"
parting the impression of what's lovely, or other
wise, in nature, feeling, and crcums,ance, until
the mists of Tine have clouded lis surface, and
obscured its carnations. That, the channel through
which the placid stream has flowed, or the torrent
rolled, bearing in its smiling, rugged aspect, t.
the last, lenotement of the rapture 10 which it has
afforded outlet, or Of the angry, tumultuous pas
sions it has repreSsed, though not subdued.
Such, in their less amiable development, were
the mouth, and upper lip of Byron, and yet, there
was something irresstibly fascinating in their
tour, as ia thatof the entire face 10 which they
gave character and interest. Something rather
attractive than Iepuisive in the gloom that over
shudowed it-something mournful, as indicating