Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-27
Byron,s "Maid of Athens.n

Hon. j. NJ. Francis. American minister to
Greece, writes from Athens to discredit and ex
pose recent American edition of the old ro-
nance about Byron's maid of Athens" HIS
letter, printed in the Troy Times, states that he
has seen, in various American papers, pathetic
and highly colored appeal in behalf of the
"Maid," now an old woman, reported to be 10
years ole" says the romantic appeal, "but she
must be verging upon so, for it is 50 years
since the gallant poet was enchanted by her."
The representation is that she is in extreme pow
erty and needs help In this case, as in many 9th
ers, truth makes havoc of romance. Mr.. Fran
els quotes this late American edition Of the TO-
nance, and says:
"a very pretty story is this. 1t may be
pity to spoil 1t. But the truth OF history should
not be violated even 10 CRAFTY love Tor the
romantic The fact is, Byrou's Maid OF Athens
is myth. The maid was not an actual per-
sonality, but a creation of Byron's magma
ton. Here are the facts in the case, and they
may he accepted as truth: Lord Byron arrived
in Athens in $780, and renamed here eight
months. He lodged little while at the house
of Mrs. Maori, the wife of DIR. Nicholas Maori,
an Armenian who had acted rs consular agent
for Great Britain for some years, and when he
died the English government bestowed small
pension on his widow.
"Mrs. Maori had three daughters the eldest
of whom, Teresa, was born IN 1900, and conse-
quently was a child of about ten years of age
when Byron was staying at her mothers
house. Byron was always scribbIing verses on
bits of paper, which he often left carelesSly
about Those lines 10 "A Maid o. Athens ian
imaginary person, whose name, Zoe, a very
common feminine name everywhere in Greece
to the present day, signifies life,) were found by
Teresa and her sister, who were quite Ignorant
of their meaning. They had heard, however,
that Byron was an English lord, and the paper
remained in the family SIMPLY as relic of the
handsome lords visit aud sojourn under their
roof, particularly as the doors fame had eX-
tended even TO the then obscure Turkish village
of Athens.
''Ten years after Lord Byron's departure from
Athens the Greek revolutionary war broke out.
The Maori family fled to Corfu; the little girl
Teresa was then a fair Young lady of twenty
years of age. They became well known in Eng
lush society there. The scrubbed verses were
now shown 10 every one, an unpublished poem
of the great poet. Copies were eagerly sought,
and Miss Teresa Maori became the Zoe of the
young poet of 1910 in spite of chronology
"In 1929 Miss Maori married Mr.. James Black,
a very estim able man, not Scotchman, how
ever, as is alleged, but descended from Scotch
ancestors, the son of 1t. Col. Black. Our good
American friends, the Rev. DR.. Hill, and Mrs.
Hill. from the time of their arrival in Athens
with Mr.. and Mrs. Black, who enjoyed the per-
feet respect OF the best people here, including
the family OF Sir Edmund and Lady Lyons, (Sir
Edmund being the British minis ter, by whom
they were often received at dinner and at eve
ming parties. They had three sons and a daugh-
ter; the latter is still living with her widowed
mother, the sons died in youth.
"Mrs. Black, whose husband died at Meso.
longhi in January, 1868, where he was the Brit
ish vice consul, is now living here with her
daughter Caroline, much respected by all her
old acquain ances. Although left in compare
lively INDECENT circumstances, Mrs. B. manages
to live comfortably on her slender means. Mr..
Black had inherited some 5000 (S3000) from his
family jast before his death, which is invested
in English funds. English friends have not
quite forgotten her, and she receives from time
10 time pecunary tokens OF their regard. But,
worthy as she is, Mrs Black has no claim upon
the charitable, and makes no such claim, that
am aware of, as Bvron's "Maid of Athens" a
myth OF the poets imagination.
American and English travellers visiting this
classic city, bavlng heard that Byron's "Maid"
is living here, are naturally ANXIOUS to secure
introductioUs to the venerable lady. This pub.
licatipn OF veritable history may possibly have
the effect to check applications therefor, and at
the same time remove very general misappre-
bension concerning the cratic poets love for
'ZJe,' the Maid of Athens"