The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-12

| trying to any friend of Lady Byron. Another
unworthy expression Of Mr. Moore's is, that
| of calling Lord Byron "a deserted husband
Let him read Lady Byron's remarks, and blot
out this absurdity from his volume. DIR.
| Lushington, versed in the harshept cases Of
| justihsble separation, and bound to admit
none of slight nature, thought that it was
| impossible she could live with him.
| You should have paused, Mr.. Moore, be-
fore You compelled any friend of Lady Byron
to bring out this truth.
| ut is further mistake on Mr. Moore's
part, and l can prove il TO be so, if proof
be necessary, to represent Lady Byron, in
the course of their courtship, as one inviting
her future husband to correspondence by let
ters after she had at first refused him. She
never proposed a correspondence. On the
contrary, he sent her message, after that first
refusal, stating that he meant to 90 abroad,
and to travel for some years in the East that
| he should depart with heart aching, but
not angry; and that he only begged verbal
assurance that she had still some interest
| in his happiness. Could Miss Millbanke, as
well-bred woman, refuss a courteous answer
| to such message She sent him verbal
message, which was merely kind and be-
coming, but which signifed no encourage
ment that he should renew his offer of mar
riage. After that message he wrote to her a
most interesting letter about himself-about
|
which il would have been uncharitable not
to have replied. The result was an insensibly
increasing correspondence, which ended in
| her being devotedly attached to him.
| About that time / occasionally saw
Lord Byron, and though L knew
less of him than Mr.. Moore, yet l sus-
pect / knew as much of him as Miss Milbanke
then knew. At that time, he was 80 pleasing
that if had had daughter with ample for
| tu Il hav fY11ot aI har IN,
marriage with Lord Byron.
Mr.. Moore at that period evidently under
stood Lord Byron better than either his future
bride or myself; but this speaks more for
| Moore shrewdness than for Byron's ingenu-
BUSINESS of character.
| "It is more for Lord Byrons sake than for
| his widow's that resort not to a more special
examination of Mr.. Moore's misconceptions.
! The subject would lead nae insensibly into
hateful disclosures against poor Lord Byron,
| who is more unfortunate in his rash defen-
| ders than his reluctant accusers. Happily his
own candor turns our hostility from himself
| against his defenders. 1t was only in way
ward and bitter remarks that he misrepre-
sented Lady Byron. He would have defended
himself irresistibly if Mr.. Moore had left only
his acknowledging passages. But Mr.. Moore
has produced Life of him which reflects
blame on Lady Byron-so dexterously that
more is meant than meets the ear. The
| almost universal impression produced by his
book is, that Lady Byron must be precise,
and wan unwarming spirit-a blue-stocking
of chilblained learning, piece of insensitiye
goodness. Who that knows Lady Byron will
| not pronounce her to be everything the re-
verse? Will it be believed that this person,
so unsuitably matched to her moody Lord,
has written verses that would do no discredit
to Byron himself-that her sensitiveness is
surpassed and bounded only by her good sense,
and that she is
Blest with temper, whose unclcuded ray
| Can make tomorrow cheerful as to-day
'She brought to Lord Byron beauty, man
ners, fortune, meekness, romantic affection,
and everything that ought to have made her
to the most transcendent man of genius
had he been aohdt he should ha0e 6eena-his
pride and his idol. speak not of Lady Byron
| in the common place manner of attesting char
acter, / appeal to the gifted Mrs. Siddons,
and Joanna Baillie, to Lady Charlie
mont, and to other ornaments of their sex,
whether am exaggerating in the least when
say, that in their whole lives they have
seen few beings SO intellectual and well-tem-
pered as Lady Byron. wish to be as in
genuous as possible in speaking of her Her
manner, have no hesitation to say, is cool
at the first interview, but is modestly, and
not insolently cool; she contracted it, / be-
ieve from being exposed, by her beauty and
large fortune IN youth, to numbers OF Su1tors,
whom she could not have otherwise kept at o
distance. But this manner could have had
no influence with Lord Byron, for it vanishes
on nearer acquaintance, and has no origin in
coldness. All her friends like her franhness
the better for being preceded by this reserve
! This manner, however, though not the
slightest apology for Lord Byron, has been
inimical to Lady Byron in her misfortunes
It endears her to her friends, but it piques
the Indifferent. Most odiously unjust, there
FORE is Mr.. Moores assertion that she has had
! the advantage of Lord Byron in public OPT
MON. Sheis, comparativelyspea unknown
to the world; for though she has many friends,
that is a friend in every one who knows her,
yet her pride, and purity, and misfortunes,
naturally contract the circle of her aequaint-
ance. There is something exquisitely unjust
in Mr.. Moore comparing her chance of popu-
larity with Lord Byron's the poet who can
command men of talents, putting even Mr.
Moore into the livery of his service, and
who has suborned the favor of almost all
women by the beauty of his person and the
voluptuousness of his verses. Lady Byron
has nothing to oppose to these fascinations
but the truth and Justice of her cause.
''You said, Mr.. Moore, that Lady Byron
was unsuitable to her Lord-the word is cum
ningly insidious, and may mean as much or
as little as may suit your convenience. But
if she was unsuitable, / remark that it tells
all the worse against Lord Byron. have not
read it in your book for l hate to wade
through it, but they tell me, that you have
not only warily deprecated Lady Byron, but
that you have described lady that would
have suited him. If this be true, it is the un-
kindest cut of ALTO hold up forid descrip-