New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-13
RELICS OF LORD BYRON.
AN INTERESTING SALE IN LONDON.

AN INTERESTING SALE IN LONDoN.
AUGUSTUS COMMONPLACE BOoK-BYRoN's BiBLk-
HIS nAIR Ills SISTERS HAIR AND THE COUNTESS
GUICCIoIfs--HIs LETTER-BoX AND WkiIiNo
pEsK-orIIER RELICS SOLD THE SANK DAY
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIKI TRIBUNE
LONDON Feb. 1O-Seventy-one years after LORD
Byron saw and celebrated the " Maid OF Athens
swan the Helespont, and completed the first TWO
cantos of "Childe Harold" Messts. Sotheby, VIII
kinson a. Hodge cousgu to the prOsalc hammer
some Of the most interesting relics associated Win
his name. On this side Of the water people DO not
make much flourish of trumpets over such things
and one is not surprised to find only two modest
unassuming pages of catalogue devoted 10 the de-
scription of twenty-five different articles connected
more or less with the poet. The previous days SALE
by-the-by, comprised that portion of j. A. Mcneil
Whistlers property which was sold in liqnlda-
ton," consisting Of chIna cabinets objects oil ART
few etchincs and sketches. the well-knOwn picture
of Connie Gchrist, "AGirl IN Gold" exhibited al
the lcry lit sold for $500, and 'satlI.
cal Painting of a Gentleman called The Creditor
most extraordinary carlcature of one of Whistlers
accommodating creditOrs-more hend than mall
reminding one of Mephstopheles with the sardonic
replaced by the avaricious. This sold for $685. ard
was bought blythe creditor himself, perhaps! The
etchings realized the usual high prices, and bust
of Whistler by Boehm sold for $31 so
But TO return to Byron "The Relics" consisted
of the following articles I" portrait and descrIp-
ton of sailor who followed Lord Byron's funeral;
"COpies of letters, poetry and various correspond
ence of Mrs Leigh, and franks of noblemen and
correspondents of Mrs. Leigh u; Augusta Byrons
Common place Book, 1902 before her marriagel
with some Psalms in French said TO have been
written by Lord Byron-exerclse translations no
doubt written IN book used by brother and sister III
common; Augusta LelGhs Poetical Common
place Book" containing several of her brothers
poems volume of Newspaper cuttings relative
to Lord Byron" collected by Mrs. Leigh with dates
in her autograph; The Works of Byron" presen-
tation COPY from Mrs Leigh to her daughter
Emily, a set which had been sent to Mrs
Leigh by John Murray with a letter refer
ring to the publication of Moore's Life of
Byron,n in which Leigh Hunts book is
spoken of as that infamous publication y; " Two
Volumes of Byron's Poems," with autograph writ
ing by Sophia Byron; Lord Byron's Bible" bound
in red morocco, but much used which was gwen
to him by his sister aud has an autograph inscrip-
ton to that effect the title. and is dated Mareh
10. 1s16-a peculiar Bible, being in sections. not
chapters as specially described in Kennedys " Con-
yersations" D. 1856; Portraits of the Hon. Ada
Byron. by Sir T. Lawrence y IS Portrait of George
Leigh: "Watercolor MISUNDERSTANDING signed
Byron" proving that he much better poet
than artist though he was not to be despised at
drawing Necklace given by Lord Byron to Mrs.
Leigh -: ga Fragment of Lord ByronS Jacket, worn
bv him at Missolonghi. 1924 Nhe moths being ac-
countable for the rest also. the Albanian scarf
worn round his head both of which collectors
will recall as in his portrait in Albanian cos
tune, which was engraved as frontispece to Muir
rays beautifully illustrated edition of "Childe
Harold y; Lord Byron's Hair" inscribed Hair of
AS Ring; "a lock of Adas hair" inscribed
April II, 1924" in Mrs. LeigRs autograph; and
another paper of hair, inscribed Capelli della
Contesse Teresa Guiccio eli 'tagliati mel d
% Gugnio, 1928" in the autograph of the Countess
These three sacredy preserved relics Of hair had
been consigned for safer keeping to the interior of
an old snuff box, but the desecration was partially
softened by the fact that the snuff-bOx a very
ornamentay carved one. and had been the I'M
doubted property of Lord Byron himself GuccolIs
hair was much lighter than ByrOn's, inclinIng
TO gold. Byron's and Ada's were of il chestnut hue
Next came the crown of laurel and immorteles
that was placed on Lord ByrOn's coffin when lying in
state in Great GeorGe-st." which was sent to Eng
land on June l. 1924. by the Masonic Lodge OF
Athens the document concerning which is in the
u fish Museum "small mahogany box of Lord
ByrOn's" with crown and "B" on brass shield
and Lord Byron's letter-box," with his name on a
brass plate; his travelling plate chest" with
crown and "B" on pate-the plate long since
melted and turned into prosaic half crowns. Lastly.
and OF the greatest interest and importance. came
Lord Byron's Mahogany Writing Desk" with his
wafer stamp and ivory paper knife. and his auto
graph inside, as Byron, COnstantinOple
MAY 10. 1907; byron. Stamboul. July
4, 1902; byron, Athens, February z. $50"
and his name also in Greek, and three other SEN
fences These dates are associated with one of the
most import ant events in poetcal literature, namely,
the production of the first two cantOs OF Chide
Harold" Byron left England shortly after coming
Of age in 1909 and arrived in Athens on Christmas
Day after visiting Portugal and traversing Albania.
lie left Athens on the 9th of March, 1870 when he
wrote the exquisite stanzas beginning Maid of
Athens ere we part" the Maid of Athens being his
landladys daughter. On the way up the Helles
pont he accomplished his much vaunted feat of
swimming from Sestos to AbydOs and mentions
this achievement in four letters written the
day after his arrival In COnstantinOple, May
IA 1910. Had this collection been loudly and
largely advertised the figures would probably have
reached a much larger total. AS 1t was they foot
up roundly at $3.50 The hammer fell with con-
siderable applause upon the last article. which was
secured after Il sharp action by an American bidder
AT the same sale a lock of Nelson's hair,
cut one hour before his DEATH to be
given to Lady Hamilton, who gave IL
To Dr. Heavislde ian enthusiastic collector of such
nementoes, sold for S21 and very small piece
of Charles the Flrst's hair taken from his head at
the time of his examination IN 1901 (also Dr. Heavl-
side's) sold for 81 30. " Sic transit gloria mund"