The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-17

" 10 HlShhblu liNAh v - A'N W vs.
been inserted for their literary value alone. A
strong biographical interest, however. they
undoubtedly have. They illustrate the cir
stamstances under which Byron composed
his youthful poetry, the English Bards and
Scotch Reviewers" the first two cantos OF
"Childe Harold" and they carry his his
tory down to the eve OF that morning OF March.
1872. when he awoke and found himself famous
81 TO an extent which to the present generation
seems almost incomprehensible. They show
that between his mother and himself there OK
listed. in spite OF frequent and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
areal affection. and they attest the warmth OF
his regard for his half-sister. Augusta. which
lost nothing from the rarity OF their personal
intercourse. Tho volume also introduces to us
the only two men among Byron's contempo-
raries. namely. Lord Clare and Hobhouse. Who
remained his lifelong friends. Viewed collec-
lively. the letters now printed add much to the
truth and completeness OF Byron's portrait and
constitute the best substitute for the Men,
oirs' In which the poet himself intended that
his story should be told. l
~ /. ...
The editor, naturally, begins with an account
Of Byron's parents. His mother. Catherine
Gordon Of eight, who was born In 1765. and
died In 1911. was descended. on the paternal
side. from Sir William Gordon Of eight. the
third son OF George. second Earl OF Huntly
and Chancellor OF Scotland. by Arabella Stew
art. daughter OF James I. Of Scotland. In the
seventh generation from Sir William Gordon.
the feudal stronghold Of eight passed to an
heiress, Mary Gordon. who married Alexander
Davidson Of Newton. He assumed his wife's
name. and had by her q son.. Alexander Cor
don, who married Margaret Duff OF Craigs-
ton. a cousin Of the first Earl OF Fife. Their
eldest son. George. married Catherine 1nnes
OF Rosteburn, and. by her. became the
father Of Catherine Gordon. afterward Mrs.
Byron. Both her parents dying early.
Catherine was brought up at Banff
by her grandmother. commonly called Lady
eight. a penurious. ~illiterate woman. who.
however. was careful that her granddaughter
should be better educated than herself. Thus.
for the second time. eight. which. with other
property. was worth about f24.000. passed to
an heiress. Miss Catherine Gordon was proud
of her ancestry. and. even when other charms
had vanished. was vain OF her arms and hands.
When Stewartson painted her portrait in 1908
she taxed his patience by her anxiety to have a
particular turn in her elbow exhibited in the
most pleasing light. She was awkward in her
movements, provincial in her accent and man
ner; her temper. in later life at least. was un-
governable; her language. when excited,
unrestrained; her love Of gossip insatia-
bic. How far her defects OF temper may
have been produced by her husbands Ill
treatment and her hard struggle with poverty
Mr.. Prothero docs not undertake to say. 1t is
certain that she had many good qualities. For
example, she bore the ruin OF her fortunes
with good sense. dignity. and composure. She
lived on a miserable pittance without running
into debt pinched herself in order to give her
son n liberal supply OF money; was warm
hearted and generous to those In distress. She
was fond OF books. subscribed to q book club.
copied passages which struck her in the course
of her reading. collected all the criticisms on
her sons poetry. made shrewd comments upon
them. and correspondent with her friends on
literary subjects.
1t was at Bath. in 1855. that Miss Catherine
Gordon. then 20 years OF age. met and mar
ried Capt. John Byron. Born at Plymouth in
1755. John Byron was tho eldest son OF Admi
raj the Hon. John Byron, by his marriage with
Sophia Trevanion of Carhais. In Cornwall. The
Admiral. who was the next brother to William,
fifth Lord Byron. was distinguished naval
oflcer. whose narrative Of his shipwreck in the
Wager was published in 17G8. His eldest son,
John Byron, educated at Westminster and q
French military academy. entered the Guards
and served in America. A spendthrift. agam.
bier and a profligate scamp, disowncd by his
father. In 1888. ne ran away with Lady Car
marthen. Baroness Conyers In her own right
and wife Of Francis. Marquis Of Carmarthen
and afterward fifth duke Of Leeds. Lady Car.
marthen was promptly divorced by her hus
band. after which she married Capt. Byron. anC
the pair lived In Paris. whore were born to then
= son and a daughter. both OF whom died II
infancy. and a third child. Augusta, the poets
half-sister. who subsequently married hel
first cousin. Col. George Leigh. In 1884 Lad!
Conyers died. and Capt. Byron returned tx
England. a widower. over head and ears in debt
and In search OF an heiress. The next year. a
we have said. he married Catherine Gordon
who. at the end Of eighteen months. found her
self stripped Of her property and reduced TO tn,
income derived from $4,000. which. itself. wa
subject to an annuity payable to her grand
mother. On Jan. %. 1888. Mrs. Byron Gordon
(her husband had assumed her namel CAV
birth to her only child. George Gordon. after
ward sixth Lord Byron. Three years afterwar,
her husband died, and. in 1903. her sons grea
uncle. the fifth Lord Byron. also died. whereof
George Gordon, then 10 years old, succeede,
TO the title and estates.
II.
In one OF the first letters printed in this vol
ume. and dated May. 1903, Byron. then at Hal
row. asks his mother to tell Sheldrake. u scien
tilc bootmaker in the Strand. to make hast
with his shoes. This ullusion to the poet
lameness, as to which there have been man
contradictory assertions, furnishes the text fo
h long ~footnote. in which tho editor has cor
densed all the accessible information on tn
subject. Byron seems 10 have suffered wit
. whit would now be described us infantile para
ysis. which affected the inner muscles OF I'll
right leg and foot. and rendered him permt
nently lame. Writing May 81. l79l. to Mr.
Leigh, Mrs. Byron says: 4" Georges foot turf
inward. and it is the right foot: he wall
quite on the side OF his foot" In 17QS the chi
was placed under the care OF Lavender, a trus
maker at Nottingham. and in the followir
year he was taken to London in order to col
suit DIR. Baillle. by whom he was attended uni
the end Of 1892. Special appliances were mac
for the boy by Sheldrake. who. I'M the Lane
for 1927. describes Lord Byron's Case" ri
ing an illustration Of the foot. His accou
does not tally in all respects. however. wi