The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-24
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

MY RBooLLRcTI0Ns OF LORD BYRON. BY the
Countess Guicoion Published by Harper
& Brothers. Received from Turner Brothers
4 Co. and Clsxton, Remsen & Haffslfnger.
This is the work for which rumor has been
preparing the public for many months. The
woman who gained celebrity by Haison with
one OF the great poets Of the age sits down In
her old age to tell the world what she thought
Of him; and the world, albeit Byron occupies
but little Of its attention at the present day,
awaits with curious interest the expected
opening Of old and almost forgotten scandals,
In the hope that some Of the mysteries Oh the
poets life may at last be brought TO ngnt'
The world will be doomed to DISAPPOINTMENT
for Byron's inamoratG tells absolutely nothing
new, and her work is just such one as
suoh woman might be expected to write
All, or nearly all, the facts in IL
are compiled from the various sources with
which the public are quite as familiar as the
Countess Guiooioli. The work is the grooming
of weak and vain old woman, who remem-
bers with satisfaction rather than shame the
sins of her youth, and is pervaded
by a querulous spirit of fault-fnd-
ing with those who have written about
Byron In any other than the most bsati-
fc spirit, with his family, friends, and un-
happy wife-about whom it is evident that the
Countess Guiccioli knows absolutely nothing,
and is not able to judge even if she did
know. 1t is sugar-and-watery sort of vindi-
cation of Byron's life and works, which is
weakest just where vindioation is most needed.
In spite of all this the book is one of much
interest. It gives comprehensive sketch of
Byron's career, and even II it were more
trashy than it is, the very natural curiosity
to. see what the woman who seemed to have
the frmest hold upon his affections has to
say about him would secure for it a multi
tude of readers. AS a specimen of the book
we quote as follows from the chapter on "The
Constanoy of Lord Byron -
The constancy of heart that he sho we'd in
friendship, was it equally his in matters of love
anything, Lord Byron possessed the first condi-
fion towards constancy in love. Contrary to
those unstable persons who say that they cease
to love, for the simple reason that they have
already loved too much, it might rather be said
OF Lord Byron that he still loved on only be-
cause he had loved. In all his poems he has
idealized fidelity and constaucy in love. All
the heroes of his poems are faithful and con-
slant, from Conrad, Lara, Seim, all those of
the Oriental poems OF his youth, up to those of
mis- latter, life, to his Biblical mysteries. Even
the angels, the seraphim, in that beautiful
noem. written shortly before his death, Heaven
. "rtb," prefer suffering TO inconstancy-to
and ne- rather than return there without
forfeit heaven -aiu the arGhapgel Raphael
their beloved. In v" ~anhm to come back
presses the two amorous se, the two Sis
TO the celestial sphere, to abandon .
ters, and menaces them. Samiasa replies:-
ut may not be.
we nave chosen, ana Will endure'
The poet gives it to be understood that they
will be punlshed; which forms the moral OF the
piece. Don Juan himself refuses the love OF a
beautiful sultana, from fidelity to the remem-
brance of his Haidee; and when, after wards, he
does yield, he seems to bear with, rather than
to have sought success. One feels that this
idealiZation of fidelity and constancy really has
its source in Lord Byron's heart, and not In his
Imagination. Still however, the chiet and
gndeniable proof must be drawn Nom bis own
fife.
The first condition for Judging any one in4
partially with regard to Inconsistency in love, Is
not only to know the facts and real circum-
stances connected with an intimacy, but espe-
cially to know the nature of the sentiment to
which the name of love has been applied. We
are aware that, at fifteen years OF age, Lord
Byron's heart was already under the influence
of young girl of eighteen. The mere dlspro-
portion of age prevents such an affection from
offering any grounds on which to examine his
capability of being constant. 1t is well known
how much suffering this early passion caused
him. The object of it, after denying him no
token of reciprocal love that was innocent,
giving him her picture, agreeing to meetings,
receiving all the spontaneous, innocent, con.
6ding tenderness OF his young and ardent
heart, left him in the lurch one line day, on
account OF his youth, in order to marry a
fashionable, vulgar man. And thus did she
destroy the charm which governed his heart:
Precocious reflection, with its accompaniment
of knowledge, agitatiDg, confusing, tnro wins e
young souls on the road to error, succeeded to
his enchantment. He then began (at slxteenl
to talk of vanished illusions; aud, Tor want OF
something better, allowed himself to be carried
away and to lead the ordinary university lite.
He evidently only did what others did; but he
was made of different materials; and while they
though ht this dissipation very natural, and tran
quill in their inferiority, believed themselves
innocent, he alone disapproVed of his own con-
duct and blamed it. The better to escape all
1his, he went in search OF fOrgettulness amid
the fIesh breezes of ocean, across the Pyrenees,
after two years. travelling, on his return to
England, his soul all love, his heart burning
with an infinite ardor, through that intoXlca
tion of success which weakens, through that
eagerness for emotion caused by his vivaciJy oil
mind, and even by a sort of psychological
curiosity, Lord Byron did fall into new attach.
ments. And these attachments, not being of q
nature that could stand the trial of reflection,
caused him to give up known for unknown
objects. But his soul was ever agitated, in
commotion, and, even when ne changed it was
Through necessity rather than caprice. In order
10 escape once more from himself, from tht
allurements of the senses, from the effects O
Abe enthusiasm which his personal beauty anG
his genius excited among women, he resolved
to take refuge in an indissouble tie, in til
formed by duty, not love. Perhaps he nigh
beauty of the sacrifice. His soul was quite
capable of 1t. But destiny pursued him IN hi
choice, and rendered ii impossible, To hi
misfortune, he married Miss Millbank; Agai,
1.sla 81 H. lxN nnNI hat 3 hi