Year: 1879




Lord Holland informs the world that
the poet pronounced his name Birron.
With all respect to his lordship must
express my doubts of bis accuracy. The
name is of Norman origin, and if the
poet varied from the accepted standard
the change would have been to a French
pronunciation. Speaking OF Byron,
am reminded that his funeral was sum-
mer incident, having occurred in July.
(Just 55 years ago.) and what is remark
able he was honored with three mortnary
services First at Missolonghi, where he
prayers were read and funeral service
was held in the church. The coffin was
then placed aboard vessel, bound for
England, amid a parting salute. On
arriving at London, after voyage of
nearly three months, the remains lay in
state for two days. Nine years had
elapsed since the poet had left his native
land, but his sorrowing friends were
sufficient in number to form respectable
attendance. The occasion, however. was
one of rather heartless character, as may
be inferred from Moore's statement.


Moore says when | approached the
house and saw the crowd assembled I felt
a nervous trembling which lasted until
the whole ceremony was finished.
thought indeed that should be ill., The
noise of the mob, the hustle of the un-
dertakers, and all the vulgar accompani-
ments of the ceremony, mixing with my
recollections of him who was gone, pro-
duced combined disgust and sadness
which was painful. There were but a
few respectable people in the crowd, and
the whole ceremony was not what it
should have been. We left the hearse as
soon as we got out of town, and return
ed home to get rid of my clothes and to
try to forget as much as possible the
wretched feelings / had experienced"
Such was Byron's London funeral How
sad and indeed how narrowing was the
contrast between the scenes of splendid
dissipation in which he had mingled in
that very city and the weary desolation
of his exit. His wife did not attend, and
absence of one whom he called:


"Ada, sole daughter of my house and
heart"


Moore saw but one woman present, W no
sat weeping in barouche, and this was
the sole exhibition of an emotional char
acter during the whole scene.


The distance from London to Noting
ham is little more than a hundred miles,
and on the 10th of July, five days after leav-
ing London, the third funeral took place.
A person who was present said that it at
tracted large concourse, and yet few of
the number were what might be termed
the respectable class. One man who was
a stranger showed profound grief, and
the same remark applied to Fletcher, the
poets valet. He had accompanied Byron
during his life in Italy and also in Greece,
and was thoroughly conversant with his
evil habits. While speaking ON this
mortuary subject, may refer to Moore's
visit to the Hucknall Church (which con-
tains the tomb, which was made in order
to enable him to write up the poets
biography. He found the church locked
and the parish clerk who had charge of
the key absent. A lady who was present
suggested that pane of glass be removed,
and this having been done small lad
was crowded through the orifce in order
to open one of the doors which was fast
ened by bolt. In this manner the party
entered the church. Moore was but little
affected until he stood over the vault,
when, as he says, Suddenly the picture
of what he had been and what he now
presented himself TO be, and a flood of
melancholy feeling passed over my heart"
Moore found an old man at Newstead
who informed him that during the funeral
of Byron's mother he and the poet were
engaged in boxing. The latter never dis
guised his dislike to his mother, with
whom he necessarily quarreled Her
death, according to tradition, was oe-
casioned by fit of rage. 1t may be
added that Byron never attended funerals,
and the only mortuary service in which
his name is mentioned was Shelley's
funeral pile.


No wonder lady was seen weeping in
barouche when the cortege left London.
Many woman was left to mourn over
that fascinating genius which held such
mastery over the heart. It is highly
probable that the lady referred to was
Miss Jane Clairmont,mother of the poets
best beloved daughter Allegra. The
latter was born in Italy after the poet had
finally left England, but the mother
afterwards returned to her native land.
She never married, but having survived
both her child and her father she after
ward removed to Florence, where she
died recently, having reached her eighty
eight year. Allegra was her fathers pet,
and was probably the only object that he
ever loved. She died in her sixth year,
and the poet sent her body from Italy to
England for interment. 1t is the only
instance of the corpse of child being
transported such a distance. The poet
requested that she should be buried in
the church of Harrow, the school where
he passed his happiest days, and this was
granted. Such are some OF the associa-
tions which July suggests.-Corr. Troy
(N. ~ Times.