The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-05-26
The Home of Lord BYRON.

The Home of Lord Byron.
If ever any of my fellow prisoners should
have the good luck to visit England land who
knows what may happen), and they should
find themselves near the town of Noting
ham, it would more than repay them for
time and trouble if they were to hire team
and drive along the Mansfield road some
eight miles till they came to the Abbey of
Newstead lying on the borders of Sher-
wood Forest made famous by the gallant
outlaw Robin Hood. Here with his merry
men the rObber chief held court under the
greenwood tree, lived on the latest of the
kings deer, robbed the rich to give to the
poor. cared not for sheriff or soldier. king
or lord parsOn or priest, but held unbounded
sway amid the grand old oaks of Sherwood.
You can still drive for miles beneath those
oaks and there is one so large you can drive
coach and four through it. Newstead
Abbey, the home of Lord Byron. is one of
the many beautiful estates in that neighbour
hood of
Parks with oaks and chestnut shady,
Parks with ordered gardens great,
Ancient home of lord and lady,
Built for pleasure and for state.
1t would be hard to- say how old the Alb
bey is, but at one time it was undoubtedly
the home of some order of monks or friars.
1t is long. low building with large and
gabled windows, the front looking out on a
beautiful clear lake with small islands on
which are placed miniature forts (put there
by ByrOn's grandfather). The grounds are
beautifully laid out and surrounded by trees;
and you may see the tree with the initials
of Byron and Mary Chaworth cut in it,
and it was there that they used to meet,
and though the lovely Mary was older than
Byron he fell madly in love with her. But
she married Mr. Musters. and it is said
that the youthful lord never got over his at
tachment. He turned mOrose, critical and
quarrelsOme, wrote bad poetry, made
friends with his grOOms and pOrters. lived
unhappily with his mother and cared so lit
tie for her that it is said he had sparring
match with one of his grOOms while she lay
dead in the house. Byron made few friends
at that time. his only companion being a
large Newfoundland dog. When it died he
erected monument to it's memory, said
that he never had but one friend and "here
he lies" The monument has since been
struck by lightning, and superstitious peo
pie say that it was judgment from
heaven.
10 ScG lIlSluO CIlC uOuSc you Ill uSt DISK W
see. the housekeeper. Ii you are lucky she
will show you through. and you will see
large, low rooms with oak ceilings and pan
eled walls covered with tapestry, huge fire
places and secret cupboards. On the floor
of one of the rooms you will be struck by
the sight of an enormous lion skin. It is
the skin of the same lion that so nearly
killed DR.. Livingstone. Mr.. Webb, the
present owner of Newsstand. was travelling
in Africa at the time and he shot the lion
as it stood over Livingstone, having knocked
him down and broken his arm. You will
also see there skull with gold rim made
into drinking cup. Byron used to drink
his wine from it, and it is supposed to be
the skull OF some old monk, which was
found in the garden of the Abbey. There
are many relics of Byron still in the house,
too numerous for me to mention here.
When l think of that beautiful old Abbey
wonder why Byron could not be happy
there. Perhaps it was because he was too
near his tickle Mary, or perhaps it was his
naturally uneasy temperament that caused
him to leave so beautiful home. marry a
woman he did not love. leave her. leave
England, 60 abroad, fall in love with other
mems wives. dissipate to a frightful degree.
join the Greeks in their struggle for free
dom. catch fever, and die in the prime of
life away from friends and home, with no
one near him but his valet. who brought
home his body. He is buried in Hucknall
Torkard Church not far from Newstead.
A simple stone is all that marks the spot
for have seen it. q. b.