New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03

"A D.. and Scotch Reviewers in the nervous
n . r the Hints from Horace in the even.
a .,,r..,ic flow Of The Curse of Minerva. in the
,sk incjsive satire Of THE Waltz which FOUR
nrodnc;jors close Mr. Coln,idgc's first volume on
,be brief transitional period between Byrons
4 youth and prime. He was ins0len', II Is true
q. - ,,.,e also 4 spirit in revolt hurried on by
an imuulse as nexorable as force of nature;
ond Il ne repels 10y the crudties Of his early
writings or hy the insuifcrahlc manners OF his
vor,bfu relations with family. guardian. private
( ,r,.pds and business acGuain;ances. the blame
mus, rest upon The conflict between his waken-
,nc ,anius and ihe circumstances Of his life and
time.
We recognize this in turning To the letters.
MFR Prothcro prints many more than were given
BY his predecessors. In this first volume alone.
which brings the chronology down to August 80.
1911 h. includes l6N letters cor an addition Of
107 70 Moore. 90 to Halleck and 81 to Mr. Hen
lev" for The same period The additions are not
all importaut-indeed some Of them are trivial
enouch-hut here. in the volume Of poetry.
the perfection Of the critical machinery afforded
bv a really full text. adequately edited and an
notatci lends the reader new confidence in
forming an impression Of the poets character.
1t is not altogether pleasant impression. as We
have already suggested. He oifends inc, ssantly.
and t is difficult TO excuse him. especially where
his treatment of his mother is concerned When
h. talks II Mrs. Byron furiosa" to his friend
Pgot as though she were nothing more nor less
than his malignant enemy; when he addresses
the lady herself in terms scarcely ore amiable,
he seems not only cruel but vulgar and perhaps
excuses are frankly impossible. Suppose the
poet and his mother could not agree like lambs
In a meadow" AT all events Mrs. Byron made
heavy sacrifices for her son. Il am allowed 900
q year, a Servant and Horse he writes from
Cambridge to his half sister Augusta, 80 feel
as independent as German Prince who CONS
his Cash or a Cherokee who coins no Cash
all, but enjoys what is more precious. Lib
erty." He owed all this to his mother, who had
freely passed over TO him an income to which
she entitled and which she needed. This
makes the reader shrink from the light hearted
brutality Of the next sentences in the letter. Il
talk in rapture OF that Goddess Liberty be-
cause my amiable Mama was 50 dcspotic. Des-
potc az she was she still could not have been
more of trial 10 him than ne was 10 her lie
goes TO describe the summary manner in
which he has just resented her charge Of dis
honesty against his valet He thought ii insult
Ing. Il would not turn off my servant twhom
had not the least reason TO distrust, and who
ter at her suggestion from some caprice she had
taken into her head" The caprice" turned out
to be founded on facts and ultimately the ser
want transported. The incident is char
acteristic one surmises that good many OF
Mrs Byron's "caprces" justified by events,
that good deal Of her sons lordly and head
strong behavior was not. Decidedly he is not to
be excused" But he can be explained, and in
the explanation lies the Byronism Of Byron, the
essence of his genius and work.
Inseparable from the method Of publishing an
edition like the present, month by month or
even at longer intervals. is the disadvantage TO
the reader OF feeling that his analysis cannot
Justly proceed beyond the chronological limit
Of the nstalment before him. yet we have said
enough to show that Byron's early poems and
letters, though intrinscally OF varied merit, are
always characteristic and instructive. They re-
mind every page OF that conflict to which
We have referred. and point to the fiery, high
spirited. tempestuOus descent upon life which
landed Byron in scores Of unpleasant situations
a man, in hundreds Of technical blemishes ar
q pOet-and brought him his fame This was
the Byronism Of ByrOn-not the rolling OF
shirt-collar or any other OF the external details
Of a pose, but ebullience OF passion, reck-
less, aggressive handling of the materials OF
poetry which meant first and last, al absorb
ton Of them into the poets own experience
Sante- Beuye, examining the work Of Alfred de
Musset, remarks that "ccs furieux clans,
ces cellars dc chacur ct dc prtcocc orage, seem
to promise a Byron to France. The cpithets are
happy. ICES furieux clans" these furious and
yet marvellousy elastic gallant and brilliant
leaps Of Byrons poetry into ternpcsts OF emo