The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-06-02
THE REAL LORD BYRON.
Boaon Iranse rsps.


 Bosson IransersEs.i
 Few people will take up real V life of Lord Byron with the expectation ot finding an eGff,ing narrative. and these few will be sadly disappointed m this book of Mir. eaffreson's for Ii describes 6wi,h almost brutal English frankness Thoroughly y,clons life. IL IS catalogue Elf amours, book 10 ru, beside the :. Memoirs of the Lady of Quality in Smolle,,'s :. peyegrine Pickie.' Mir. leaf ireson. It is true. eNssgerases nothing against his hero, and even defends him with success against the worst crime. the hidcous charge of unnatural sin which Mrs Stowe brought forward a few years ago, but he tells the story with such fui- ness ,ha, its foulness is only too apparent. Considering how public the poets life vas, and how much his nearest friends talked and wrote about him-Tom Moore Leigh Hunt, Mime. Guieeioli. .dy Byron and the res,--it IS singular ,o tind how mistaken the current idea oi nirl IS IT many respects.
 After all that has been written about him. readers have st.li to learn the qual- ,tles of his temper, the real iailings of his
 
 and even the mos, conspicuous points ot his personal appearance. They have been ,augh; ,o regard him as a man Of mysteries. tortured by crimes too terrible for confession. and guaroing secrets too sevolt,ng fc. aYowal. whist m simple truth he went through fife. from first to las;. with his heart and all it's fraiities upon his sleeve obseured only by his l. d. .E...x his friends 9; any expense. Who has not been wonted to ponder on the habitual melancholy of the man who Tn his brighter time brimmed over with frolic, and even in the sadness of his closing years made the world ring with laughter. and delighted in practical jokes? Who has no, heard of his gloomy brow. black locks, dark eyes and club foot: And yet his fice was no: more remarkable for the beauty of his features than for the bright ness of its smiles: his hair, light chest nut in childhood, never darkened 10 the deepes, brown of auburn: his eyes were gray-blue, and he had not a club foot.
 l. is unnecessary 10 rehearse Mir. leaf iresoas tale sf the scandals of the wild ancestors of whom there was little that was conspicuous but their vices. It is enough 10 know that the poets father Mad lack Byron vas like the rest, iigh,-hear,e6 spendthrifI and fascinating liocrsine in hts youth, a consemptible wreck Tn h,s fail. d man who broke the heart of every woman who trusted him. and ended his life, if his son may be trusted (which Mr. jeafreson does no; concedel by suicide. ike the poets ma ternal grandfather. Byron's mother was
 dumpy young woman. with large wais., .iord complexion ana homely features" Her temper was violent. and she died in a n, of rage over an upholster- CTS bill. Her manners were vulgar, and she drank to excess. She could not even speak good English. and wrote il in a style that in this politer age would be diseredi,able 10 q wa,ting-woman. She quarrelied so violently with her husband and her son ,has she drove them both from her. "A more eNasperating and injurious ruler for a sensitive and some times violently passionate child canno; be imagined ,E1n this vehement and un- disciplined woa an, who fell daily into as many fits of Ill temper as there are hours in the day, ard rarely passed a week wi.hou; a wIll outbreak of hysterical rage. Abundani.y lavish of kisses to the child when he was IT her good s-aees. she was no less lavish O: blows when he incurred her cay rieiosis displeasaxe.' in one of her its of wild rage she ssere a: him for a lame brat i'll the ohiid's face turned white wiih suffering. and he turned away saying. '' ! was bo<ra so, mother"
 With such a father if is not altogether surprising that the boy had little respect for women. With such mother. the 6,s Of V olence in which he tore his clothes and stamped On his wa,ok are easily e.- p.iceble.
 Ire final separation, whea Byron was eighteen. came from an ecceRric attempt on ms mothers par1 to enforce her views xith a poker. but tnese had 6een many miserable quarreis befose-
 An eSzally farc.czi and truthful story IS told o< ;he ~ay in which one of the Sou.hwek apotaec4ries received early in- ,elli seace af a more than unusually ye kcnenf combat. frnm which each ot the txo heiligesen,s withdrew ~ith strong feeling that she other would commit sui eide before ,he morning. Having good reason to think his mother siolen, and mad enough to do ali her words im piled, Byron wenf oa to the aposhecary the same nigh., and beggsi him Q. 70 account,