New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-08
"THE MAID OF ATHENS
THE STORY OF BYRoNs POEM.

UNPUBLISHED SEVERAL YEARS.
rrp0n AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIKI TRIBUNE.
VIlIArRANCA, Nov. 3.-The recent announce
ment of the death of Mrs. Black. the reputed Maid
of Athens rendered famous by the association of
her name with Byrons beautiful poem bearing this
title reyives the interest which, through than
half century, the world has felt in whose per-
sonal charms, added TO her graces of mind and
heart would have caused her to be an object of adj
miration even if she had not been thus associated.
While spending season at Athens in the Autumn
of 1874 it was the writer's good fortune to be at the
same time with Mrs. Black guest in the hospitable
home of the Rev. DIR. Ill., who has resided iuAthens
more than 40 years, most Of which time he had
been the pastor and spiritual adviser OF Mrs. Black
and had rendered the last ministerial offices to three
of her beautiful boys who not spared to fulfill
in this life the promise of usefulness and honor
which they gave in their early youth Then and
there were obtained the well authenticated facts
which form the basis OF the following statement:
Byron arrived in Athens some time in the year
1910, and was in the 23d year of his age He
possessed such imperfect knowledge of classic Greek
as his preparatory schooling at Harrow, coupled
with his uncompleted course at Cambridge, might
afford to inspired with the spirit Of the classic
poets, but had no practical acquaintance with
modern Greek, language as unlike the ancient
Hellenic tongue modern Italian is unlike ancient
Athenian schOolboys translating from the one into
The other as an exercise in linguistic study.
The English traveller was at this time a rdra dris in
Athens and there being no public house for his ac
tommOdaton, Byron presented himself at the British
Consulate To inquire for lodgings. Here he found
courteous and gentlemanly Greek, who spoke broken
English and who gave the name of Maori, acting as
Consular Agent, for there was little need of Con
ml in that city of magnificent ruins so rarely visited
BY English travellers or English ships. Consul Macn
generously offered the young noble home under his
,wn roof and with his own family, which Byron the
more gladly accepted il him at once the ad-
santages of an ever-at-haud Interpreter and special
opportunity to study the character habits, aud Gus
toms of this interesting people.
Mr.. Maori had three daughters, Thereea, Catha-
me, and Maria, of the age respectively of ten,
light and FIVE years, all children of unusual beauty
and loneliness, TO whom their picturesque costume
added peculiar attractions in the eyes of the young
poet, who keenly susceptible TO the charms of
the purely Grecian cast Of features That he ad-
mired these children and sighted to converse with
Them best he could in their musical native tongue
no one viii venture to doubt; but that he ever
thought of them other than children no sensible
person will suggest. Even Theresa, the eldest, was
but little child.
Byron remained in Athens, and in the family OF
Mr. Maori, until the following Spring, when he
sailed for Istambol-COnstantino Meanwhile
his restless spirit had not been idle. Again and
again every inch II this historic ground had been
visited by him, from the blue Kgean to the plains
of Marathon and from the Eysian fields TO hOnoyed
Hymettus. Moreover, he explored every nook ana
corner of Athens, and no one who knows anything
Of Byron will suppose for a moment that he did not
find access TO many an Athenan home besides this
which he made his own, and make the acquaintance
of many a maid of Athens, the conventional
restraints which exclude foreigners from Grecian
homes TO the contrary notwithstanding. Byron
was a law unto HIMSELF and knew no other law
and as for conventionahGes, lie made his own, and
was subject 10 none else.
At Athens, as ever everywhere much of his indoor
life was spent IN his apartments; and here he
gave free scope at his genius and his inclina
ton carelessly and rapidly throwing of his literary
illusions with no special thought as to what would
become of them or whether they woud ever get
beyond the sheet upon which they were penned
Indeed 90 disappointed and disguised had he be-
come by the failure of his early attempts TO ind
favor among English Bards and Scotch Review
ersp that he had undertaken this " Pilgrimage of
Chlde Harold chiefly that he might escape the
shafts of adverse criticism He wrote not for Others
but for himself wrote because he enjoyed writing
In short because he could not help 1t. Never ID any
other has the proverb q" P0e,a aGsctur, non H."
did this necessity manifest itself in this land
of classic song. He might fail in the English
House of Lords as the advocate of the weaveTs of
Bir1ningh OF in Greece the leader of the Le-
panto ExpeditiOn, but here he was in his element.
He exhaled as ii poetry with ns every BREATH
and pad little attention to what became OF It, AS
consequence Of this literary productivity, when he
left Athens in the Spring of 1911 he left scattered
about his apartments many of the minor illusions
which had flown from his prolific pen dulng lns
,tay in that city. These Mrs. hacIi and the chill
dren gathered up prOmiscuously and slowed away
in an old barrel, with little thought to what they
might be more OF less than any other rubbish to be
stored away in the pantola5oa for whatever else 1t
has or has not, every house the world over must
have rubbish roOm-a general Teceive-all This
was the last which the Maori family saw OF knew
of Byron for many year indeed the last they ever
saw OF him personally.
Az the onening of the Greek Revolution of 1921
% Mr. Maori was driven out of Athens, and He'd
with his family to the Island of Corfu. Their house
hold effects were hastily packed and taken along
with them the barrel of Byronic scraps OF course
among the rest. At this time, as indicated by the
dates, the three daughters vergng upon woman
hood Theresa being u years of age, and Catharlne
and Maria 1s and 10 respectively.
Meanwhile Byron had returned 10 his native land
And had Qiyen 10 the world his "Childe Harold" his
"Giaour." his Bride of Abydos." Lara" The
Corsair.n Parasina" and "The Siege of Corinth,"
together with a number of minor poems, ana had
attained the very zenith of his literary glory. Inc
story of his fame had reached even the distant
Island of Corfu and found its way INTO the new
home of his former host and 1t was with feelings OF
peculiar pride that Mrs. Maori and her charming
daughters identified the name OF " the greatest OF
living poet" with that Of their atOretime guest.
81 fh. ln0.fr-