Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-15
06io Statesrrrarr.
Iord Rvron nnd EVis WIG.

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declared in his letters that the actual cause
of his separation from his wife was un-
known to himself. A brief recapitulation
of such facts as have transpired will give
the reader pretty correct idea of the un-
happy domestic relations of the great poet:
On the I'd of January, 1915, Lord Byron
then in his 9th ypar--was united in mar
riage to Miss Millbanke. On the 10th of
December of the same year Augusta Ada,
their child, was born. About six weeks
after Lady Byron left London on visit to
her father in Lecestershire, with the pn-
derstanding that her husband should short
ly join her. They parted in kindness
nay, in tender affection. On the journey,
Lady Byron wrote him an affectionate and
playful letter. -...a. .rt, III
Immediately after her arrival at the
paternal mansion, her father wrote to Lord
Byron to inform him that his daughter
would return to him no more; and the
husband and wife never met again.
Such are the bare facts of the case, and
for their explanation we are obliged to re-
sort to conjecture, and to glance at the
previous history of both parties.
At the time of bis marriage, Lord Byron
was a man of fashion, and addicted to the
vices of a man of fashion. We believe that
his errors in the latter respect were greatly
exaggerated; that in fact, he transgressed
against the laws of morality no more than
young men of rank usually do. But he
was a shining mark for the shafts of CAL
umny, and it was his lot to bear the fury of
resentment which common mortals cherish
toward those whose talents cast their pigmy
pretentions utterly into the shade. He was
not sensualist, in the correct sense of the
term. Biscuits and water often formed his
repast; his libations to Bacchus were un-
frequent, and seldom expensive, and he in
ured himself to fatigue by daily practice
in boxing and fencing. He was always
generous, scattering his money, when he
had any, with more than princely li6erality.
His income never exceeded more than four
thousand pounds sterling year, and taking
his whole life into the account, we believe
he gave away more than third of it. For
all that, he was not aPuritan. 1t was not
in his blood, in his position, or in his cir
cumstances to be so. We do not Justify his
departures from morality. On the con-
trary, we deplore them, knowing well that
in morality all men ought to be puritanic,
and that no degree OF temptation justifies
any degree of sin. Marriage was contln-
ually recommended to Byron as an IAN
tidote" to dissipation. At length he took
the prescription, and bitter dose it proved.
He proposed to Miss Millbanke and was re-
fused. They continued, however, to be on
very friendly terms, and to correspond.
He proposed a second time and was ac-
cepted. His friends protested against his
choice for two reasons: first, because she
was "toO straight-iaced," i. e., too good for
him and secondly, because her fortune
consisted chiefly in expectations. But sit
ting one day with friend, when refusal
from another lady had arrived, Byron said,
"You see, after all, that Miss Millbanke is
| to he the person; will write to her." He
wrote on the instant, and showed the letter
| to his friend, who, still demonstrating
against the choice, read it over, and re-
marked, swell, really, this is very pretty
letter; it is a pity it should not 60; | never
read prettier one." "Then it shall CO."
said Lord Byron. 1t did 90, and it sealed
his fate. Thus lightly are the words spoken,
thoughtlessly are the deeds done, which
make or mar our happiness for life.
| Miss Millbanke was the pattern daughter
of pattern country gentleman. An Eng
| lish country house of the pattern kind is a
place where peace and plenty, order and
regularity have taken up their abode. Life
| in it goes on with an unvarying round OF
duties and delights. From the master to
the scullion, each hinhabitant has and knows
| and keeps his place, yielding obedience to
those above him, but the yoke is easy and
the burden is light, because respect is
mingled with affection, and obedience is
rendered to loyalty. "Intellectual," as we
understand the word, the family are not
but in such home human nature has reach
ed as high point of harmonious develop
ment as it has attained on this planet al
any age. ,.'.... ......
| We have met with people who in some
| fn ha in
mates of pattern country house--mort
learned, for example, more open to new
ideas-but never any who seemed on the
whole more excellent. Miss Millbanke, as
we have just observed, was a pattern lady
of her class-virtuous, discreet, prudent
orderly, kind-formed to be a wise mother
of English children, and an admirable
mistress of an English home. She was moi
woman who could not see anything ro
mantle in lGiSOn, or anything interesting
in the seizure of furniture by the Sheriff
nor was she woman who could regard thu
glory of the poet as a set off against tht
faults of the man; OH the contrary, she
would consider-and rightly consder-tha
the possession of extraordinary talents
heightened the turpitude, Of moral delin
quency.
Nine times during the year that Lord anC
ticefs seized their furniture for debt. |
was reported about town that his eXtrava
CANT lordship had married an heiress, anC
his marriage was the signal for creditors II
come upon him in a swarm-irritating him
/ dismaying her. Lord Byron's connection
with the Drury Lane Theater gave rise to
a variety OF rumors which, though proba
bly, illfounded, were not of a nature to be
agreeable to the ears of wife. More hint
also that ceaseless annoyances from i'm
patient creditors occasionally induced hin
to steep his senses in the forgetfulnesg O
revel. The Countess Guiacoli confessed tt
a friend of ours, many years after, tina
Byron was troblesome man to live with
His mood was more changeable than th
weather melancholy, hilarious, peevish
savage, all in day and all without caus
4 --and there was no knowing how to TAX
him, n'Hi '.'p ~. GER Oa 20 7tg.l
4 Ali this, and perhaps more, Lady Byroi
had to endure --she who had been ali he
life accustomed to a state Of things as diff
ferent as can be conceived. She bore il
however, as far as we know, without re
pining, until, transferred t0her own sphere
she remarked the contrast, an affectiohat
and 0ficious mamma Mortified by tn
i tales her daughter brought of the "execu
tions" and green-room amolirs, probably
| persuaded her not to return. His pecunia
ry- difhchlties had reached their utmost
| and, TO use his own language, the blow cam
when he was standing alone on his hearth
with his household gods shivering arouhl
him, With anoble candor he wrote to Ton
Moore, a few days after: "There never we
better, a kinder, more amiable or agreeabl
being than Lady Byron. never had, no
can have, any reprsOach to make her Will