Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-02
WELLS 8 COLL, 267 Main st.

one. Her condsct, however, was ire
proachable; but there was no sympathy
between their characters, anda separa.
tion took place. l have not seen her for
many years. When an occasion offered,
l was upon the point, with her consent,
of paying her q visit, when my sister,
who has always had more influence over
me than any one else, persuaded me not
to do it : For, said she, if you will go
you will fall in love again, and then there
will be q scene; one step will lead to
another, ct celia fera an eclat. etc. !
was guided by these reasons, and shortly
after l married, with what success it il
useless to say" sss
Now, itseems to US that the paragraphs
quoted above tend to establish the fol
lowing state of facts: Ia
That an affection subsisted between
Lord Byron and his sister more intense
than is ordinary between persons so rela-
ted. The beauty and strength of such q
tie have been the, panegyric Of poets
without eHd but yet, in the actual world
it rarely takes SO enduring form, or ex-
erts so much power as that between
Byron and Augusta. He left England
inl8l6, never to return, and never again
looked on his sisters face; and yet we
find him in 1928. seven years later, pay
iBg this lavish tribute to her moral beauty
and goodness in a letter to q com parative
stranger. 1t reads like spontaneous
outgush Of pure brotherly affection for a
deeply-loved sister from one whose heart
was full Of her.
That this letter assigns one reason not
hitherto generally known, why the love
between them was so great. This reason
was that they both tenderly cherished
the memory of their father. he had his
faults, many and grievous, but he had the
power of attaching his children to him.
The more the world attacked the reputa-
ton of the dead Captain Byrsn--as it
freely did after the son became notorious
the more the poet and Augusta rallied
TO his defense, and in standing by him
stood by each other. This was a mighty
bond between them. Besides this, it
should be remembered that they were
both orphans, and that Mrs. Leigh was
the nearest blood relative of Byron liy-
ing, and the only person on earth whose
love for him was unshsken to the last by
his immoralities aud the execratious Of
outraged society which followed him into
his farthest retreat. Whether she be-
lieved, or refused to credit the stories of
Byron's profiigacy is matter Of no con-
sequence here She clung to him with
,k-t kl;cl ,oraaoon pub.ok =. H. ..a.,x
ipg beauty of q sisters love.
That the influence of Augusta upon her
brother was an influence for good. Had
Lord Byron been guilty Of the monstrous
crime with his sister imputed to him by
Lady Byron in her failing years, and
now described by Mrs. Stoves piquant
and imaginative pen, 1t is scarcely cred
ible that he wouldshave said of her that
:" there is not a'more angelic being on
earth" Would he not rather have omit
tod all allusion to her than have so con.
spicuously challenged an inspection of
her characterf Ifconsumed with remorss
for bis own admitted ,ffenses, and always
speaking of himself in the most dispar-
aging terms, is it probable that be would
have voluntarily paid the highest possible
homage to the purity Of one with whom
he had committed the atrocious crime of
incest Jsdging from human nature we
shoIld say, No. This letter, we say, in
dicates that Augusta influence over him
was on the side of morality, for she ex-
erted herselfto dissusde him from visiting
Mrs. Masters MARY Chaworth), evidently
fearing. from her knowledge of her
brothers passionate and impulsive ma
ture, that wrong might come of it. Is it
likely that q woman who had committed
incest with him would be so very solicit
Gus fer his moral welfare, or that she
could have always had over him the pro-
digious influence which be ascribes to
herr This seems 10 usiimprobable-im-
possible. Rather would such brace Of
monsters have hatedand loathed each
other, after the first tumult of their guilty
passion was past. Pursning the path Of
crime upon which they. had taken 40 ter
rible start, We should expect to ind both
ofthem plungin & into the widest excesses
of vice in the efforts to seek oblivion Of
each other and of their mutual shame
But, on the contrary, Mrs. Leigh, to the |
day Of her dasth, uofar az history records,
led the life Of pattern wife and mother
and Mrs. Stoves horrible accusation is
the first whisper thlt the war.a has heard |
against her fair fame. Lord Byron, as
we all know, continued 10 foreign lands
the infamous career whichshe began on
Euglish soil, with a fresh desperation
easily explained by the circumstance of
bis quarrel with bis wife, and the hatred
and tccrn With yhica the Bnglish public,
IN ops Of its periodical 6ts OF morality"
As Macsulay says, visited him, aud which
brought into full play the defiant reckless
ness Of his natHre. !