The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-03
THE CHILD OF SIN"
More About the Byron Business-Th
Vilest Medley yet Published
The Story of Medora Leigh,
and Her abnormal
Propensities."

book Is issued by Bentley, and is edited by DIR.
Charles Mackay. The New York Tribune OF
Saturday gives the following review of the book
from advance sheets, and the story as IL is thus
epitiomlsed will be as much our readers will
care to know of this mess of flth:--
In "The True Story of Lady Byrons Life,
Mrs. Stowe wrote:-"There was an unfortunate
child of sin born with the curse upon her, over
whose wayward nature Lady Byron watched
with a mothers tenderness. She was the one
who could have patience when the patience of
every one else failed; and though the task was
difficult one, from the strange, abnormal pro-
pensities to evil in the subject OF it, yet Lady
Byron never faltered, and never gave over till
death took the responsibility from her hands,"
Many have supposed that this child like the
crime of which the child was assumed to be the
fruit, was only the phantom of a disordered
brain; but the writer of the article in the last
Quarterly Recje,c in a note on the passage we
have quoted made the following significant re-
mark:-"As the child was not what the context
may suggest, and has nothing to do with the
story, this paragraph is to the last degree wanton
and cruel rs every one who knows what that
child was must feel"
What that child was the book to which DIR.
Charles Mackay has lent his name processes to
reveal Incidentally it also undertakes to show
that Lady Byrons accusation against her hus-
band was unfounded, and to explain how that
accusation came to be made. We may warn our
readers at the start 1st, that supposing the mar
rative to be authentic, 1t proves nothing as to
the truth or untruth of the charge in controversy
though it opens some curious conjectures; and,
ID that evidence Is offered of its authenticity,
while several circumstances connected with the
publication suspicious Dr. Mackay in
forms us that he received the autobiography
from "a friend, among whose papers it had lain
unheeded for 26 years. He does not say who
his friend is; he does not distinctly inform
where his friend obtained the Ms. For the pre-
sent, he says, we must be content to know that
the friend is q Mr.. S., and that he came into
possession of the papers while he was endeavor-
ing to bring about a reconciliation between Lady
Byron and the unfortunate person whose story
they relate. This is about as unsatisfactory as
anything could well be; and we might reject the
book at once were it not for one or two circum-
stances which indirectly and imperfectly vouch
for it. 1t is clear, for instance, both from Mrs.
Stoves account and the comment of the we'll
informed writer in the Quarterly that there
was a child of Mrs. Leigh's upon whom
some sort of mystery rested; and in the narra-
tive here presented correspondence is mentioned
or quoted with various members of the Byron
family and other well-known persOns---corres
pondence which woNld be at once repudlated If
the story were mere book-makers fraud.
Passing over the shameful language which the
editor permits himself to use towards Mrs. Stowe
in the Introductory chapter; the calumnious and
utterly uncalled for remarks about American
''nigger-w -worshippers," Republicans, and
grim Puritans who plotted TO destroy the Union
as o means Of getting rid of slavery; and the
improbable resume of the whole Byron contro-
versy which fills nearly third of the literally
padded book, we come to the history of Me-
dora Leigh, the fourth daughter of Lord Byron's
sister.
In the summer of 1S43 twenty-seven years
after the separation of Lord and Lady Byron,
and nineteen years after the poets death, Me-
dora Leigh then twenty-eght years OF age,
came from Paris to London, accompanied by her
child, daughter of nine or ten. She IS des-
cribed as gOod-l0oking, lively, and agreeable
but in bad health and without money. Her eX-
penses in travelling had been betrayed by
retired English officer, Captain de B (an-
other anonymous witness), whose acquaintance
al,ah hoAr Aa . II In t1a SOuthn nf
where she lived for some time before going to
Paris. He found her destitute in the French
capital; he heard her story; he learned from
her lips that she was the daughter of Mrs
Leigh by Lord Byron, and until recently had
been treated with great kindness and liberality
by Lady Byron; and he urged her to go to
London and plead her cause in person with
her rich and powerful relatives, help
ing her out of his slender purse, and even
fnpporting her for some time after his arrival in
England. In London she had an interview with
law firm with which Captain de B. had deal
ingc. She wrote out the painful story of her
life, and convinced him of the truth of her
assertions. He had several interviews with
Lady Byron's legal advisers, DIR. Lushington and
Sir George Stephen, with view of bringing
about reconcalion. He failed in that he
failed, also, in an effort to induce the family to
refund what Captain de b had advanced.
But before we pursue this part of the history any
further, it will be convenient to disregard
DIR. Mackays order of narrative, and look at
the extraordinary autobiography which this
handsome woman of twenty-eight laid before
her COUNSEL
al am the fourth child OF family OF seven. My
eldest sister, Georgiana, married Mr.. Henry TreVa-
non, q distant cousin, in 1926, when i was eleven
years old. The marriage, which had met the appro-
baton OF no one except my mother, did not turn out
very happily, owing TO the smalness OF fortune and
the uneven temper OF both parties. was frequently
called in to keep them company, and in March, 1929
tafter they had been married three years. 1t de-
cided that L should accompany them to q country
house which had been placed at their disposal by
my aunt Annaoella, Lady Byron, during the time OF
my sisters approaching confinement The house
was in the neghborhOod of Canterbury.
'My sisters Illness before her confinement, was
the occasion OF my being left much alone with Mr.
TrevaniOn Indeed, / found myself thrown entirely
upon him for society. was with him both in doors
and out, by day and by night and was frequently
sent by my sister into his bedroom erTands, after
every one else In the house had retired rest Some
months passed In this manner, during which Mr..
Trevanion took advantage OF my youth and weak
ness, and effected my ruin, and found myself likely
TO become mother, by one mad ever dlsked Mr..
Trevanion, when made aware or my position, Inn
plOred me to tell GeOrglana the truth, and throw
him and myself upon her mercy. l did so. My
misery and my repentance appeared to move her
much and she blamed herself for having thrown me
so much In Henrys Cir TTeyanons) way was
but fifteen years OF age at this time--in the year
1890"
Mr.. and Mrs Trevanion carried the unfortu-
nate girl to Calais, and there she was prema-
turely delivered of child, which was left in
charge of o medical man, aud died at the age OF
three months. She went back to her mothers
house, concealiHg what had happened, and there
Trevanion seduced her again Mrs Leigh was
now taken into her confidence, and treated her
with great kindness. Mrs IreyaniOn was also
informed, and took her sister off to the country,
where, three months afterwards, that is, In June,
1881, she was surprised by visit from Colonel
Leigh. GeorgianA and Trevanion had informed
(N-Io. 81 Ios.I. E.fl