New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-23
THE BYRON SCANDAL.
TIE sEPARATION.

daughter, Augusta Ada he treated her he himself ties
titles, with neglect and cruelty. The child born on
the 10th of December 1915 on the 9th Of the next month
Lady Byron received written request from her husband
that she should leave London Immediately Moore gives
the following account Of what followed:
II was few weeks after the latter communication
between us that Lady Byron adopted the resolution OF
parting from She bad left London at the latter end
of January on visit to her fathers house In Leicester
Shire, and Lord Byron in short tine to follow cr
They had parted m the utmost kindness She wrote MN
letter fun Of Ulaytuluess and affection on the ROAD
and immediately her arrival AZ kWkby Mallory. DE
father wrote TO acqualut lord Byron that she "oulu
return 10 him no more"
fuller explanation Of the affair is given in the state
ment Of Lady Byron published in $780, and quoted ny
Stowe She mentions that her departure was III ae-
cordance with her husbands commands. She thought
him insane-her impressions being derived, IN great
measure from the communications made 10 her by his
nearest relatives and personal attendant she herself hay
ing for some time little Of hn She consulted Dr
Baltic who without seeing his ordship ADVISED her' as
an experiment to treat him with all possible mildness
and couplasance That was the why she
wrote to him playful and tender strain. Aferward
she requested Dr. Baie and Dr. Washington to have an
interview with the poet for the purpose Of determining
his state OF mind Byrons account Of their Visit Is as
follows:
Ihad been shut up in dark street IN London, writing
"The siege of Cornh and had refused myself to every
till 1t was finished was surprised one aey 10y q
same time into nv room; did not know I'LL afterward
tb@ real niact Of their visit thought their questions
singular frivolous and somewhat impOrtunate, II not
ipiertipeit: hui what should have thought If had
known that they were sent to provide proofs OF my in
Sa3ty3 Ihave no doubt that my answers these ennis
sares iuteuOCaOns were not very rational o: oonsls
DR. Baic could not conscientlousy make out ceT'
thcate Bodlam, and perhaps the lawyer gave more
ward he had been told that always looked down when
svmpto1is equally inialbie particularly those that
marked the late kings case so strongly
In Don Juan" cauto l., stanza q, he describes the
affair agoln:
For Inez calld some druggists and physicians.
Aud tried 70 prove her loving lord was mdd'
But as he had some lucid nteImissyions
She next decided he was only bad;
Yet when they askd her for her dispositions,
No sort Of explanation could be had,
Save that her duty both TO man and God
Required this conduct-whch seem'd verv odd.
Lady Byron continues the story the following words,
not quoted by Mrs. stowe:
It has been argued that parted from Lord Byron IN
perfect harmony; that feelings, Incompatible win any
deep sense OF injury had dictated the letter which ad
dressed to him. ana mat my sentiments mus hp a
under the roof Of my parents I9ese assertions The
given after left Lord Byron by the persons IN
constant Intercourse with him, added 10 those DOUBTS
which had before transienty occurred 70 my mnu as 70
the reality Of the alleged disease and the reports OF ms
medical attendant we're far from estaGshing tne eHlS
of any thing like lunacy Under TINS uncertainty
deemed II right 10 communicate to my parents that
were consider Lord ByrOns past conduct as that OF
person OF sound MUD, nothing could induce me 10 return
TO him. It therefore appeared expedient b0th 20 them
and myself consult the ahles advisers For that OBJ
ect ard also 10 obtain still further information respect
ing appearances which seemed to indicate mental de-
was empowered by to take legal opinions on written
statement OF mine though had then reasons LOT reserv
ing part Of the from the knowledge even OF my
father aud mother Being convinced by the result OF
these injuries and by the of Lord ByrOns pro-
ceedngs the notion Of insanity an Illusion no
longer hrstaed authorize such measures as were ne
placed In his power Conformaby With this resolution,
my father wrote him the I'd OF February to pro
pose amicable separation LoTd BEr0n az nrS .e re-
jectcd this proposal; but when II was distinctly notnea
70 him. that if he persisted in his refusal recourse uS
be had ito legal measures lie agreed 10 sign aeeu Oh
separation Upon applying 10 Dr; Tco va" 10
state IN writing what he reeOected upon tins subject
received from Inn the following letter, by when Wli
manifest that my mother cannot have been actuate9
by any hostile or ungenerous motives towarus Loru
my DEAR LADY BYRON: can rely upon the accuracy
OF my memory for the following statement: Was oTg
naly conSueu oy Lax NotL On Sour det,iIad nv her
were such justified separation but they we're not OF
Indispensable on Lady Noers representation. deemed
areconeation with Lord Byron 9TSSsaOle ana sit
not Lady Noels part any exaggeratlon OF the facts
vent return to Lord Byron; certainly none ex-
pressed when I spoke Of reconciliation, When you
after my interview with Lady Noe-I was for the
hrst time informed ~ you OF aeI s g Sd m ree S
ing this additional information my opinion was entirely
changed considered RECOMMENDATION Impossible de,
oared my opinion aud added that such idea should
be entertained could not either professionally OF 9TH
very faithfully yours STEPHEN LUsHINGToS
"Great GeoTge,st Jan. 81, 1880"
Whatever the secret charge brought forward at this
interview may have been, it is evident that Dr. Lushng-
ton was persuaded its truth and its gravity. Lord
Byron always prOessed to be ignorant Of the motives Of
his wes conduct, and complained that neither she nor
her friends would make any specific charge which would
give him opportunity Of selvindcaton or atonement
He blamed himself severely for his general behavior,
praised his wife in the warmest terms and declared
that for a year he cherished the hope Of recon
citation. But later in life, when this hope had
left him. he manifested extremely bitter
feeling toward his wife, and sarzed her with great
ina ~ IfxVa
that he was sincere the expression Of these various
feelngs-n his hope Of reconciliation and in his subse
Quen bterness-it viii be very hard to believe that he
had really guilty Of the awful crime Of which he is
Still difficult will 1t be to reconcile with
th consciousness such guilt the following lines written
few months after the separation On hearing that
Lady Byron was III :"
Ihave had many foes but none like thee;
For ganst the rest myself I could defend
And be avenged or turn them into friend;
But thou in safe applicability
Hast uausbt 10 dread-in thy weakness shielded,
And in my love which hath but much yielded,
And spared for thy sake some should not spare
And thus upon the word-trust thy truth,
And the wild fame OF my ungoyern'd youth
on things that were not and on things that are
Even upon such basis hast thou built
monument. whose cement hath been guilt
The moral Clytemnestra Of thy Lord,
And hew'd down with an unsupported sword,
winch, but for this cold treason Of thy heart,
Aud found nOb!er duty than TO part
MRS. LEIGH
Mrs Leigh whose name is coupled with the poets in
this horrible story, his half sister and or
six years his senior father had run to the CONT
cent with the wife Of Lord Carmarhen and married
tady after the Marquis had obtained divorce from her.
Augusta the only fruit Of this union The poet
the offspring Of second marriage Brother and did
not know each otherindeed they rarely metunt after
Augustas marriage to Colonel Leigh Then there sprang
up between them very tender afec
ton, and Byron spoke Of her I" the