The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-11-14
IN ADVANCE
Byron and Mary Chatworth.

land paid visit to Ncwstead Abbey, the
well known residence Of Lord Byron. In
speaking of the event, she touchingly and
beautifully alludcs to the love of the poet
for Mary Chatworth, thus:
"strangely sorrowful, almost aponisinrly
regreifnl, were the thoughts which swept
; away over my mind, wave after wave. and
shock my heart like a tempest as l stood in
the place where the young poet passed ma
ny hours of silent thought, or it may be Of
lonely wretchcdness. l never before so
deeply felt how passing mournful was the sto
ry Of Byron's first and only love. That Ma
ry Chatworth returned the passion of her
young poet lover, have not doubt; but
like the Montagues and Capulets, houses of
Chatworth and Byron were at feud Mary
had not the strength and truth of Juliet, AMI
so they were parted-a sensation, by far,
more piteous fot her, and more fatal to him
than death, amid the full summer brightness
of happy love. This, not Shak kspeare's, was
the true soul of tragedy. Might she rot
have redeemed even his wayward and er-
ring nature by the divinity of pure love
and steadfast faith! But it was not to be-.
Mary bestowed her hand upon man of
whom little better can be said than he rank
ed among the most eminent sportsmen OF
the day, lived, it is said, to weep wild tears
over the words which have linked her name
in sorrowful Immortality with her lovers,
and died in Observation-Disclosures at last. while
he, grown reckless and defiant, the very core
of his heart turned TO bitter ashes, forget
ting his God, and distrusting and despising
his brother, swept on in his glorious, shame
full sorrowful and stormy career, till the
shadows deepencd, and the long night closed
in" ... ...
The painful romauce here alluded to, is
well remembered by all who are familiar
mind by bHf,s nstGlitfss life chEbeat it REeYed upon
wing him to fits of excess, of gloom and Bit
rerncs, In which tenderness is mixed with
disappointment, and every worthy ambi-
ton cast down by agonizing recollections-
that indeed it was the undying source to
him of sorrow, none can doubt who has his
writings Who has forgotten his own des-
cription of his love for Mary Chatworth,
his marriage, and its consequences, in that
poem which Moore characterises as the
"most moumful, as well as picturesque sto-
~ of a wandering life, That ever came from
the pen and heart of man!"
a change Ger the spirit of my dceam-
The wanderer was returned-I saw him stand
| Before an altar with gentle bride. s.s
Her face was fair, but not that which made
The starlight ofhis boyhood-as he stood
Even at the altar, DER his brow there camc
The seif-Same aspect and the quiyering shock,
| That in the antique or tory shook
His bosom in its sol tud and then
As in that hour, II ONE 1t DER his face
The tablet OF unuttersbie thought ~
Was traccd-and then it faded as it came,
And he stood calm and quiet, and he spoke
The fitting VOWS, but heard not his own words
And ali things reeled around hin--h, could
| see sos
Not that which was-nor that which should
But the old mansion and the accustomed hall,
And the remembered chambers, and the place,
| The day. the hour, the sunshine, and the shade,
nthings pertaining to that place and hour,
dnd her. who was his destiny came back,
And thrust themselves between him and the
| light r- r ~ .,
"This touching picture" says Moore, -,
grees closely, in many of its circumstances.
with Lord Byron's own prose aceount of
the wedding, in his memoranda, in wAichhe
describes himself as waking on the norniug
of his marriage with the most melancholy
reflections on s,eing the wedding suit spread
before him. In the same mood heswander
cd about the grounds alone, Gill he, was sumsF
mOned for the ceremony, and found, for the
first time on that day, his bride and her fam.
lily. He knelt down, he repeated the words
after the Clergyman, but mist was before
his eyos-his thoughts were elsewhere; and
he was but awakened by the congratulations
of the bystandcrs to find that he was mar
ried."
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