The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-03-30
Byron and Mary Chawor,h.

Grace Greenwood in her late visit TO England
paid visit to Newsiead Abbey, the well known
residence OF Lord Byron. 10 speaking of the
event she touchiEgly ard beautifully aIIudes to
the love of the poet for Mary Chaworth, thus:
"Slrangry sorrowlul, almost agonizingIy re.
gretIul, were the thoughts which swept over my
mind. wave after wave, and shook my heart like
a tempest as stood in the place where the young
poet passed many hours OF silent thoughts, it may
be of lonely wretchedness. | never before so
deeply I+lt how passing mournful vas the story OF
ByroD's first and only -cve. That Mary Chawort h
reiurced the passion OF her young poet lover have
not doubt; but like The MoDtagues and Capulrts,
the houses Of Chaworlh and Byron were al feud.
Mary had not the strength and truth of Juliet, and
so they were Partcd-a sensation by far more
pitcous for her, and more fatal to him. than death
amid the full summer brig ghness Of happy love-
This, not Shakspeare's, was the true-souI Of
tragedy. Might she not have redeemed even his
wayward and erring nature, by The divinity OF
pure love and n seadfast faith But it was to be-
Mary bestowed her hand upon man of whom
little better can be said lha2 he ranked, "among
the most eminent sDortsmen of the day'-iHed,
il is said, to weep Wild over the words which
have linked her name in sOrrowlul immortality
with her lovers, and died in broken heartedness
at last, while he grown reckless, restless and de-
fiant, the very core OF his heart turned to bitter
despisIng his brother, swept on his glorious,
shameful, sOrrOWtul and stormy career, ill the
shadows deepened, and the long night closed n."
The pnintul romance here alluded to, is we'll
remembered by all who are familiar with Byron's
life. That it preyed upon q mind by nature
sensitive aad morbid, driving him to fits of excess,
Ct gloom and bitterness, in which tenderness is
mixed with disappointment, and every worthy
ambition cast down by agonizing recoeclions-
that indeed i was the undying source to him oi
sorrow, none can doubt who have pondered his
writings. Who has forgotten his own description
Of his love for Mary Chaworlh, his marriage and
It's consequences, in that poem which Moore char
"cter;Zes as "Ihe most mournu, as well as pic.
turesque story Of wandering life, that ever came
from the pen and heart of rAan?'
81 change oor the spirit of my cream
The wandcrcr returned-I saw him stand
Before altar with 4 gentle bride.
Her face vas fair, bit was not that which made
The starlight of his boyhood--as he stood
Even at the altar, DER his brow there
The sefsa1c aspect and the quivering shock,
Thai in the antique oralory shook.
His losonl ia is so!itCGe,-and them
Is in that hoGr, moment DER his face
TIE tablet of unuterable thoughts
Was tIaced--and then it faded it came.
= nd he stood calm and quiet, and he SPOKE
The fitting vows, bat heard not his words,
Ana all things recled around i,im-he could
Net tina! which was, that which should have BEEN
Bat the old mansion and the accustomed hail.
And the remembered chambers, ard the place,
The day, the hour, the sunshine and the shade,
= L things pertaining TO that place and hour,
and her who his destiny, came back,
And thrust themselves between him and the light"
"This touching picture" says Moore, "agrces
closely in many G! its Circumstance with Lord
ByroE's own prose account q the wedding. in his
memoranda; in which he describes himself as
waking on the morning OF his marriage with the
most melancholy reflections, on seeing his wedding
suit spread before him. In the same mood he
wandered about the grounds alone, till he was
summoned for The ceremony, and found, for the
first time, on that day, his bride and her f3mIy
He kn"it down, be repeated the words after the
clergyman, but a mis-, was before his eyes
his thoughts were eI<ew here; aud be was but
awakened b. the congratulations OF TIE bys;anders
Ia find that he was married.