The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-05-08
Murray AND BYRON.
Interesting Matter About the Gre"' Lon
don Publisher and the Crest
English Poet.
THE SCOTCH REVIEWER
~. Y. SUM-

ncoplc NAV get their fill Of it i'll the two
stout volumes containing the Nem0er and
CORRESPONDENTS of John Murray by SAM
rEL SMILES. The editors experience III
dealing with biographical material IS well
known, and he has never had more cop
ious and fruitful data at his disposal. The
John MURRAY in question is, OF course,
the second of that name whose publish
inc functions brought him into more or
less intimate relations with Byron al
ter Scott Colerdgc, Souihey, Campbell
Clifford the elder Disraeli, and, in Short
with almost all the English men OF
letters who attained any distinction dur
inc the first half of this century.
1t appears that the origin of Murray 5
connection with Byron was as follows
Lord Byron had made his relative, Mr'
Dallas, present of the MS. of the hrst
two cautos of "Childe Harold" and allow
cd him to make arrangements for their
publication. ,,.
OF Bvron's personal appearance about
this time-the epoch Of the rupture win
Lady Caroline Lamb and of his marriage
with Miss Minbankc-wc get the loilo"
ing impression at first hand: u can re-
collect" saws Murray, "seeing Lord Byron
IN Albcmarle street. So far as | can re-
member, lie appeared to me rather snort
man with handsome countenance, re-
markable for the fine, blue veins when
ran over his pale, marble temples. ne
wore many rings on his myers ana
brooch in his shirt front. which was en-
broidcred. When lie called he used 10 ne
dressed in black dress coat Gas we should
now call it, with gray and sometimes
nankeen trousers, his shirt opened az inc
neck. Lord Byron's detormity III his 1901
was very evident, especially as no wake"
dowt. stairs. He carried stick. Alter
Scott and he had ended their conversation
! in the drawing room it was curious
sight to see the two greatest poets OF the
aGe-both lamc-stumping down stairs
side bv side. They continued to meet IN
Albcmarlc street nearly every day, ana
remained together some two or three hours
at 4 time. Lord Byron dincd several
times ut Albcmarlc street; on one of thesc
occasions he met Sir John Malcolm, who
was all the more interesting to him DC
cause of his intimate kpowledgc OF Persia
and of India. After dinner Sir john
observed to Lord Byron how surprised ne
was to find him SO full OF gayety and en-
pertaining conversation. Byron repieu,
.Perhaps you see me now 1T my best.
Sonnet mes, though not often, Byron read
passages from his poems 10 Ty father
| Hi. voice and manner were very imprcs'
siye: his voice, in the deepest tones, bore
some resemblance 10 that Of Mrs. SD
dons. Let us anticipate little by
showing how Byron struck another mem
ben Of the Murray clan some ten years
later, not long before his death. At this
time Byron had been rescued by the
Countess Guiccioli from tho horrible deg
ration in which he had been living IN
Venice. MY Lord Byron is not tall, but
Of moderate stature. lie is rather STOUT
than thin; he is considered handsome; L
have heard him called very handsome and
he certainly has very coEely features, but
his countcnancc is not on the Roman or
(, (;recian model Of elegance; it IS round
and full. and might be called merely
agreeable in difereut person. The
emotions, however, of his poeiical spirit
animate and bcautify his face. His eye
has the expression Of q man OF genius.
| He wears his hair rather longer than Is
the present custom Of gentlemen, though
in him it is not emphasizing; it is just long
enough to curl gratefully: The defect in
one of his feet is so well copcealed by his
dress that 1t Is not observable when he
SITS or stands
Not long after the publication OF the
first two cantos Of "Childc Harold" Byron
wrote to Murray: have a poem on
'waltzing, Of which make YOU q prcscnt;
but it must be anonymous" 1t was nat
ural enough that Byron should detcst Il
diversion whose oppnrtanities he could
appreciate but which he could noe share.
1t was equally to be expected that this
particular poem would not be we'll rcceiv-
ed hr 2cnplc in the world. Such proving
to be the easy, sac author was ANXIOUS
about it. 81 hear: he wrote ~ Murray,
'ihat certain malicious publication on
! waltzng' is attributed to me. This re-
| port suppose YOU will take care TO con-
tralict, as the aAIhor, t q4 sHre. will not
like that should wear his cap and helis.
The fl Of Inspiration Was nov on Byron.
In May. 1913. appeared "lhe 6laonr'
and while correcting It's suggestive edi-
tons, he wrote in four nights his second
| Turkish story, "Zulcika," attcrwurd known
as The Bride of Ahydos." Six thousand
copies Of the latter poem were, We are
told by Murray's biosrapher, sold within
month Tho :.!(Qrfair' was Byron's
next production, wrlttch yth great
ychemcncc, literally struck of at a heat
at the rate of about 200 lines day-a
circumstance Moore thought without a
| parallel u ihe history Of genius. Or this
poem Murray records in LITTER to Byron
that he sold on the day Of publication--a
thing at that time unprccedented-l0,0 900
copies,
IT will be remembered that Clifford had
fooiishly been credited via causing the
death of Keats and there is no doubt that
Byron, who had been made to smart by
Jeffrey for the Hours of Idlcncss," was
solictuous to have the good opinion Of
the somewhat cynical editor Of the Quar-
terly: H. got the goblet of his wishes
dlru up and running ayey il the follow.
ing letter from Murray II eatlel to-day"
said Murray, upon Clifford, and as soon
as the gentleman who was present had
gone and he was ready to begin upon
your business, he fell back in his largest
armchair and exclaimed: pom my
honor, Murray, Lord Byron is q most cx-
traordinary man. The new edition OF bis
roem contains passages Of exquisite, ex-
fraotalnAry ttiiesnty 4 .recollect now that
he SAID That THEY astonjaA4d hinr), equal
TO ANYTHING chat lave ever read What
is lie bout? Would he not collect all his