New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-05


destruction of the memoirs, though he had gwen
CO, 900 for them. and had no guarantee that this
could be recovered But perhaps the most SIM
gular circumstance in this account is that NOBODY
appears TO have read the memoirs carefully
or thoroughly. Tie two or three who dipped
into them found many scandalous passages ana
all concerned after family council held at MUIR
rays, agreed upon the destruction, which was
carried out on the spot. Murray's statement OF
the whole case, written two days after the event,
will be found deeply interesting, though somewhat
long:
John Murray to Mr. r. Wilmot Horton1
Albermarlc Street. May le, 1924. -.
Dear Sir: On my return home last night l
found your letter, dated the 9TH, calling on me
for specific answer whether | acknowledged the
accuracy of the statement of Mr. Moore, communl-
Gated in 1t. However unpleasant it is to me, your
rcquisition of specific answer obliges me to say
that cannot, by any means, admit the accuracy
of that statement; and in order TO explain to
you how Mr.. M0ore's misrepresentation may
have arisen, and the ground upon which my as
sertion rests, / feel it necessary TO trouble you
with n statement Of all the circumstances OF the
case, which will enable you TO Judge for yourself
Lord Byron haying made Mr. Moore .a present sent
to Messrs. Longman d Co., who, however, declined
TO purchase them. Mr.. Moore then made me a
similar offer, which l accepted and in November,
TO me by Lord Byron and Mr. Moore, with all
legal technicalities, in consideration OF sum or
1000 guineas which, on the execution OF the
agreement by Mr.. Moore, l paid TO him. Mr.:
Moore also covenanted, in consideration oil the said
sum- to act as editor of the Memoirs, and to supply
an account of the subsequent events OF Lord
ByrOn'S life ETC.
Some months after the execution Of this assign
ment, Mr. Moore requested me, as great personal
favor to himself and to Lord Byron, to enter into
a second agreement by which l should resign
the absolute property which had in the Memoirs
and give Mr.. Moore and Lord Byron, or any OF
their friends, power OF redemption curing the
life of Lord Byron AS the reason pressed upon
me for this change was that their friends thought
there were some things in the Memoirs that might
he injurious TO both, / did not hesitate 10 make
this alteration at Mr. Moores request nest ana, ae
deed was executed, stating that Whereas Lord
Byron and Mr.. Moore are now inclined 10 wish
the said work not to be pqblsned, IL Is at
that. il either Of them shall, during the life OF
the said Lord Byron, repay the 2,OoV g1ineas 10
Mr.. Murray. the latter shall deliver the Memoirs !;
but that, if the sum be not repaid during the
lifetime of Lord Byron, Mr.. Murray shall be at
full liberty to print and publish the said Memoirs
within three months after the death OF the SAID
Lord Byron / need hardly call your particular
attention to the words, carefully inserted twice
over in this agreement, which limited its exist.
ence to the lifetime of Lord Byron; the reason
of such limitation was obvious ana natural,
namely that although consented 20 restore i. the
work while Lord Byron should be alive to direct
the Interior disposal of it, would by no means
consent to place it after his death at the disposal
i must now observe that had never been
able to obtain possession of the original assign
ment, which was my sole lien on this property,
although had made repeated apphcations 10 Alr.
Moore TO put me into possession Of the deed which
was stated to be in the hands of Lord I5yron's
banker. Feeling. l confess, in some degree alarmed
at the withholding of the deed, ana dlssatlshed
at Mr.. Moore's iDattention TO my interests in
this particular. wrote urgently TO him IN March,
1928, to procure me the deed. and at the same
time expressed my wish THAT the second agree
CHI thqr no cancelled
cuted.
Finding this application unavalling, and becom-
ing, by the greater lapse Of time, still more DOUBT
full as TO what the intentions Of the parties might
be, /. in March, 1924, repeated my demand to
Mr.. Moore in a more peremptory manner, and was
in consequence at length put into possession OF
the original deed But, not being at all satisfied
with the course that had been pursued toward me.
repeated to Mr.. Moore my uneasiness at the
terms on which | stood under the second agree
ment. and renewed my request to him that he
would either cancel it, or execute its provisions
by the immediate redemption of the work, in
order that l might exactly know what my rights
in the property were. He requested time TO
reconsider this proposition. In day or two he
called and told me that he would adopt the latter
alternative, namely the redemption of the Memoirs
las he had found @ whG we're 6s Tfs e
he promised to conclude the business on the first
day Of his return to town. by paying the money
and giving up the agreement. MI. Moore dld re-
turn TO town. but did not, that have heard OF,
take any proceedings for inSurlng his life. lie
positively neither wrote nor called upon me, as
he had promised to do Though he was generally
accustomed TO make mine one OF his first houses
of CALI did he take any other step, that |
am aware of. TO show that he had any recol,
lection of the conversation which had passed
between us previous to his leaving town, until
the death of Lord Byron had ipsO factO. can
celled the agreement in question, and completely
restored my absolute rights over the property of
the Memoirs.
You will, therefore. perceive that there
was no verbal agreement in existence be-
tween Mr.. Moore and me-, at the time
the Memoirs to he destroyed. Mr.. Moore might
undoubtedly during Lord Byr0n's life have
obtained o. possession Of the Memoirs oiovd he
neglected or delayed to give effect to our verbal
agreement, which, as well as the written instrll-
ment TO which it related being cancelled by the
death Of Lord Byron, there was no reason what
sOever why | was not at that instant perfectly
Il liberty to dispose of the Ms. as ] thought
proper. Had l considered only my own interest
as tradesman ] would have announced the work
for immediate publication, and j cannot doubt
that under all the circumstances the public curl
very considerable profit beyond the large sum ]
originally paid for them; but YOU yourself are, |
think able TO do me the justice of bearing wit
ness that looked at the case with no such feel
ings. and that my regard for Lord Byrons memory
and my respect for his surviving family made me
more anxious that the Memoirs should be i'm
mediately destroyed, since it was surmised that
the publication might be injurious to the former
and painful 10 the latter,
AS myself scrupulously RETAINED from looking
into the Memoirs, cannot, from my own knowl-
edge, say whether such an opinion Of the contents
was correct or not: it was enough for me that
the friends of Lord /and Lady Byron united in
wishing for their destruction Why Mr.. Moore
should have wished to preserve them | did not
nor will inquire; but having satisfied myself
that he had no right whatever in them, ] was
happy in having an opportunity of making by a
pecuniary sacrifice on my part, some return for
the honor, and ! must add, the profit which ]
had derived from Lord Byrons patronage and
ness that-although | could not presume TO i'm
pose an obligation the friends Of Lord Byron
or Mr.. Moore by refusing to receive the repay
ment of the 1000 guineas advanced by me- yet
| had determined on the destruction Of the Memoirs
without any previous agreement for such payment
and YOU know the Memoirs were actually de-
stroyed without any stipulation on my part. but
even with declaration that | had destroyed
my own private property and therefore had no
claim upon any party for remuneration
remain, dear sir, your faithful servant,
JOHN MURRAY