The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-22


very must have been utter ruin and expulsion from
civilized society. From henceforth this damning,
% ss S w; became o sre uolos vet na
him with remorse and anguish and insane dread OF
detection. Two years after his refusal by Miss
Mbanke his various friends. seeing that from some
cause he was wretched, pressed marriage upon him.
Marriage has often been represented as the proper
goal and terminus OF Wild aud dissipated career.
mission OF good women to receive wandering
prodIgals with ali the rags ana dsgraces Of their
old life upon them and put rings on their hands and
shoes on their feet and introduce hem cl othed and
IN their right minds, to an honorable career In
society. Marriage was therefore universally recon-
meuded to Lord Byron by his numerous friends and
we'll wlshers; and 30 he determined TO marry, ana
in an hour OF reckless desperation. sat down and
wrote proposals to two ladies. One was declined.
The other. which was accepted, was 10 Miss Mil
banKe. The world knows well that he had the gin
OF expression, and win not be surprised that he
wrote q very beautiful letter. and that the woman
who had already learned 10 love him fell NJ once
into the snare.
Her answer was a frank, Outspoken av0wal or her
love for him, giving herself to him heart and nand.
rated that he could receive such letter without
emotion or practice such unralrness Onla loving,
trusting heart without pangs OF remSrse. He had
rOusly expected to be accepted and the discovery
the treasure OF affection which ne had secured was
like vision OF lost heaven to soul In hell. But.
nevertheless in his letters written ABOUT the engage
ment, there are SUFFICIENT evidences that his selflOve
was astsrsd at the Prs1es5Se accorded hun BY 30
sought He mentions with an air Of complacency
that she had employed the last TWO years In refusing
she loved him, admitting that 1t was an old attach.
ment on his part he dwels on her virtues with sort
E ABOUT hs % VERY cSsr
acterlstc OF the man who skinned ever the deepest
abysses with the ligntest jests Before the world,
s1S 70 s as 81 The & Part q h
secret that lay cold at the bottom OF his heart When
he went to visit Miss Milbanke's parents as her &C
eoA lava oho afr tnnk vwlt md
appearance; she saw him moody and gloomy, evil
IDENTITY wrestling with dark and desperate thoughts,
should be- She sought an interview ' with him
alone, and told him that she had observed
that ne was not happy in the engagement, and mag
unanimously added That II on review he found he
had been mistaken in the nature OF his feelings she
would immediately release him. and they should re-
his feelings Lord byron tainted away.
There Is no reason 20 doubt that Byron was, as ne
relates In hla Dream, profoundly aRonized and agi-
tated when he stood before Gods altar with the
trusting young creature whom he was leading to q
fate awfully tragic yet 1t was not the memory OF
ing memory, that Overshadowed that hour. The mo-
ment the carriage doors were shut upon the BRIDE
groom and the bride the paroxysm Of remorse and
despair-unrepentan remOrse and angry despair
broke forth upon her gentle head. "You might
have saved me from this, madam. You had all IN
your own power when | offered myself to you
drst Then you might have made me what you
pleased; but now you will nnd mat you have mar
rted devil"
Not at once did the full knowledge OF the dreadful
reality into which she mad entered come upon the
avowals OF the first hours Of their marriage tnat
there was q dreadful secret OF guilt, tnat ByrOns
SOU wa s9tn n VIII v Ego o. Prs ana tna ne
was ready to do and dare all Tor him. Yet bravely
she addressed herself to the task OF soothing and
pleasing and calming the man whom she had taken
'f0r better or worse" Young and gifted with pc.
culiar air OF refined and spiritual beauty graceful in
every movement, possessed Of exquisite taste per.
COmnQn1On mia mind In all the htDhpr w
OF literary culture, and with that infinite pliability to
all his varying. capricious moous which true love
alone can give; bearing in her hand prtncely for
tune, which, with q woman's uncacuiating gene
rosity. was thrown at his feet there Is no wonder
the lists with the very devil himself and fight with
woman's weapons Tor the heart OF her husband.
MOMENT OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MADE PA.
TENT.
But there came an hour of revelation an hour
when, IN manner which left no KIND Of room for
doubt Lady Byron saw the full depth OF the abyss Of
iniamy which ner marriage was expected 10 cover
ana understood that she was expected to be the
cloak and accomphce OF this infamy. Many women
would have been utterly crushed by such dis
closure; some would have ned from him imme-
diately and exposed and denounced the crime.
womanhood died out OF her heart there within
her, stronger, purer and brighter that immortal
love Of which Jesus spoke and which holds the one
wanderer OF more account than the ninety and nine
that went not astray She would neither leave her
husband nor betray him, nor yet would she for
moment Justify his sin; and hence came two years
OF convulsive struggle, IN which sometimes for a
then the evil one returned with sevenlod vehe-
mence. Lord Byron argued his case with himself
and with her with All the sOphisries OF his powerful
mind. He repudiated Christianity as authority, as
serted the right OF every human being to follow
what he called "the impulses OF nature" subse-
quently he introduced into one OF HIS dramas the
reason by which he justified himself in incest.
THE EFFECT on LADY BYRoN-sAD HOME SCENES
her SSd had the son not oay Of an
angelic woman. but of strong, reasoning man. It
was the writer's lot to know her at period when
she formed the personal acquaintance OF many OF the
very first minds OF England; but, among all with
whom this experience brought her IN connection,
there was none who impressed her so strongly as
Lady Byron. There was an almost supernatural
power Of moral divination, q grasp OF the very
highest and most comprehensive things that made
her h0htest opinions singuarly impressive. No
doubt this result was wrought out great degree
from the anguish and conflict OF these two years.
Aimighty God. she wres9Iea and strasaled ' with
fends OF darkness for the redemption OF her nus
bands soul. She followed him through all mis- So
phstlcal reas0nings with keener reason. She be-
sought and implored, In the name OF his better
nature, and BY all the glorious things that ne was
capable OF being and dong; ana she mad Just power
enough TO convulse and SNAKE aud agonize. not
| power enough TO subdue
BIRTH or A cHILD-Tgs NOBLE FATHER AT HIS
wa. when th S slase VSY' a,ars between her
| self and her husband seemed darkest and most
hopeless that the only chd OF this union was
born Lord Byron's treatment OF HIS wife during
the sensitive period that preceded the birth or this
child, aud during her confinement, was marked by
paroxysms OF humanity brutality, tor which the only
possible charity on ner part waa the superstition OF
insanity Moore sheds significant light on this
period by telling Us that about this time Byron was
often drunk day after day with Sheridan. There had
been insanity In the family, and this was the plea
which Lady Byron's love put In for him. A day or
two after the birth OF his child Lord Byron came
suddenly into Lady Byron's room ana told her that
her mother was dead Ii was utter alsehoOd, but
II was only one OF the many nameless injuries and
cruelttes by which he expressed his hatred OF ner
short time after her confinement she was informed
by him in a note that as soon she was able to
travel she must gothat he could not and would not
longer have her about hun; and when her child was
only Ave weeks Old he carried his threat OF expulsion
into effect.
THE sEPARATrOS-LADY BYROS5 ACCOUNT.
Here We viii insert briefly Lady BYron's own
accountable only one she ever gave to the public
OF this separation. The circumstances under which
TINS brlei story was written are affecting. Lord
Byron was dead. The whole account between him
ana her was closed forever In this world Moore's
Lie" mad been prepared, containing simply and
soiey Lord Byron's own version Of their story.
Moore sent this version 10 Lady Byron. and re-
quested 10 know If she had any remarks to make
upon II. In reply she sent brief statement TO
hl--the first and only thar had from