New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
Better that higher Hope. Faith. trust
Vague though it be-hOWeer uncertain,
Tban ~ haieve ito is but dust
LADY BLESSINGTON.
HER LIFE AND HER JOURNAL.

HER LIFE AND HER JOURNAL.
i '"i - BYRON 'o Win VII THE coi.NTEss OF
hnn n;isi 3D. To which MS is Preaxed contempt
rary Sketch of Lady Blessington by her Sis s,i
lion With Several Portraits engraved on steel
Up. Xiv. $40. Imported by charles ocrioher
Sons
\ recent book. the memoirs OF Mrs Newton
| Grassland shows that least orc watchful and
modes; woman who much Of Lady BLESSING
toms In ter home life In London could find no war
rant for the gossip that then current. II has
since been embalmed in biographies and other writ
ings and there Is certainly some reminiscence Oh II
I'm the brief introduction which has been preXed to
this new edition Of Lady Bessington's talks with
Byron Perhaps the editor could not help TINS IL
was hardly possible TO alude to the brilliant nos
pltality OF Lady Blessington while the Earl. her
husband was still alive. without thinking OF later
days. Nor II easy 10 compare her n" most
ass to Lady Holland without mentioning the iact
that " women G: rank and repute were met at
Lady Blesslngions house In earlier days they dis
appeared at last Eut the imagination Is ready with
some suggestive ideas on this point In the days
when Der husband was lavishng his fortune Tor
her pleasure the literary work which she ca couid
be ndulgently viewed as an anabie ecceh'ricitN'
especially a she gave the profits. which were not
large poor But the case was different
when. rs a widow, Lady Blessington had 10 de-
pend literary work for part Of her living There
is a forgotten sketch by Miss Edgeworth OF the
professional literary woman which shows plainly
what horror this novel creature excited In London
a Few decades ago. Thus We may guess thai. II
Lady Bessington had been budding angel, with
hap and wings Just coming 10 perfection. she
would sim have been subjected to some painful
baclibiing The stirnise ~ probable that she was
lust IA far from being angel as people gen
orally are. This. In view OF the circumstances.
made me worse FOR h"r.
She was n woman OF fine but arrogant manners.
In her childhood she had been lovely. and neg
lecied because her health was defective and her
family was barbarous. II f. wonder that she
survived the pitess treatment which she received.
Fortunately. she suffered more from words than
blows From he tender mercies OF a father whose
temper was a. ungovernable as his appetite for
drink. she transferred 10 those OF husband
Captain Farmer whose epllcptic tendencies
strengt hencl by rum. Frightened by the noise Of
the one she was beaten and bruised 10y the other
until she ran away and up life for herself
The mystery OF this portion OF her career has
never been penetrated. ana the editor OF the vol
uue In hand links story has been told because
there Is none T. tell. White Mrs. Farmer had been
considered an ugly child. she grew up beautiful
woman. whose good looks were heightened by what
her adml crs called genius. Her marriage with
the Earl - Blessington followed reasonably close
upon the death Of captain Farmer. and she came
Immediately into the enjoyment OF wealth. Then
always been rich and for pretending TO a delicate
nurture which she had never received The Earl
and the Countess attended In their travels
by train OF baggage and servants sufficient for a
regiment was observed b. sagacious French
man. ard "Miladr' seems 10 have developed rap
idly that skill In fault finding which In many cir
clcs is deemed the nfalliblc mark % superiority.
She recorded her fortitude In sleeping mat
trass nlled with husks Of the Indian corn at the
same time wondering what certain iedy's maid
would think OF such deed She deplo-cd the de-
cay OF cookery. and yet wondered that Byron
starved himself While her husband lived her
haughtiness condoned by her acquantances
Eui afcr his DEATH when she became
poor. The that said about Lady Bes-
sngion Gems to havr been occasioned by an !
unfortunate quest. II are 10 believe a I
sketch II Lady Blessing on both /
nh" and her husband had accepted the care F,
Of Count DOrsay from his dying mother and /
the Earl at his death had. perhaps. strengt hened
the obligations OF his widow. It a malicious
age. but why should the world now doubt the
surance given 10y IN. \. P'-the initials sug- /
she found in D'Orsay the son thar
nature had withheld from her."
There is one point which tells heavily In Count
DOrsay's favor though the editor Of this volume
barely mentions It, The Blessngtons. upon thei,
visit 10 Genoa. where Lord Byron lived. were ac-
rompanied by Orsay. They found the poet alert
10 every atom OF gossip md scandal that to
his ears from London. Though he was willing to
speak well Of people. he never missed their bad
traits. and apparently all suffered impartiay from
his tongue soon their backs were turned
Young D'Orsay had been keeping a journal He
had keen eye for foibes. and his work was
praised by Byron. who advised its publication. Ac-
'ordng to Lady Blcssington. he based his advice
ipon two reasons: THE first that II will be sure
o get known that he has written a plquant jour
nal and people will imagine 1t to be a malicious
al If "a plaxf I'M ,l,o
ish are prone to fancy the worst from conscious
less OF not merting much forbearance; the sec
ma reason Is that the impartial view OF their
oibes, taken by stranger who cannot be actri-
ted by any OF the little jcalousIes that influence
he members of their own coteres. might serve to
orrect them. But Byron's view to the harm
essncss and good temper OF the work Is hardly
o be trusted 1t might have been far less severe
nan his own satirical thruss and yet have been
nendurable to that CALLED jade" English So
iety. which had been punished by than one
ana In that generation If DOrsay's journal were ,
o mild. why should Byron have added after a ,
compliment TO the author. these words: Though
love my country, do not love my countrymen" ,
was az II he had said. II thank you for coming
my all In castigating these Phstines." There
no evidence to show that Count DOrsay tried G
nave his journal published. 1t disappeared and I
Ne natura! sunpostlon has always been that IL ,
ould come to light some time after all the per /
images to whom II referred had passed AWAY /
Ven this forbearance on the part OF D'Orsay con-
dering much that said about him. might a
waken respect Mr.. Cordy Jeanreson took this y
ew OF the case In his book. THE Real Lord h
yron.' He wondered what had bacorie OF this q
anuscript In which Byron took so much interest
nj even asked "Wi 1t be found two centuries v
ence In English libraries side by side with Gram q
ont Memoirs" But the present editor shows o
reference TO Maddens THE Literary Life Il
'd Correspondence OF the Countess of BLESSING h
~ that the journal burned by T. uthor. n
ow' That Is an act worthy OF fame At shows c
AT Count DOrsay did not cherish -will. He 81
ay have had large. ugly hands. This has been a.
M But his sense OF what kindly well p
just must have been well cultivated If he could y
are his enemies, the inference IL that he was g,
'ter than they thought. OF course there Is the Il