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of his genius, and, perhaps, his zeal for the cause of Greece, prevented him from giving his works that lima labor, that ultimate polish, which is so necessary to carry works down the stream of Time.

What a pity-that such a man,-at such an age,and with such bright prospects before him,—should see his sun overclouded, his day begloomed, and a premature night set in upon them all at once! Who but must feel for him? The heaviest of all misfortunes, domestic disquietude,—an uncongeniality of temper, which none of us can account for,-a something-that but too often embitters the marriage-state-drove him from his lady, his child,-his home,-his country,-nevernever to see them more !-An exile,—a wanderer himself,—his dearest hopes destroyed,—his bosom cheerless; -yet he comforts and assists the distressed, wherever he meets them, and of whatever country; and endeavours to confer that happiness on others, to which his own heart must for ever be a stranger. He embarks in as grand a cause as the world ever witnessed-the cause of freedom against oppression !-and he pursues it to the end of his short but glorious career!

Such was the man of whom we are about to give the following Biography, that which was drawn of himself, by his own hand, having been destroyed, to the no little disappointment of the public curiosity. It was announced, that such a production had been placed by the bard in the hands of his friend and brother-poet, Mr. Thomas

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Moore, for the express purpose of publication after his Lordship's decease. This publication, however, the family endeavoured to prevent: and that their efforts were finally successful, will appear from the following letter of Mr. Moore, which was inserted in some of the daily newspapers :

"SIR:

"In consequence of the many misconceptions that are abroad, with respect to the share which I have had in the destruction of " Lord Byron's Memoirs," I think it right to state the leading facts of that transaction to the public.

"Without entering into the respective claims of Mr. Murray and myself to the property in these Memoirs (a question which, now that they are destroyed, can be but of little moment to any one), it is sufficient to say that, believing the manuscript still to be mine, I placed it at the disposal of Lord Byron's sister, Mrs. Leigh, with the sole reservation of a protest against its total destruction—at least without previous perusal and consultation among the parties. The majority of the persons present disagreed with this opinion, and it was the only point upon which there did exist any difference between us. The manuscript was accordingly torn and burned before our eyes; and I immediately paid to Mr. `Murray, in the presence of the gentlemen assembled, 2,000 guineas, with interest, &c., being the amount of

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what I owed him upon the security of my bond, and for which I now stand indebted to my publishers, Messrs. Longman and Co.

"Since then, the family of Lord Byron have, in a manner highly honourable to themselves, proposed an arrangement, by which the sum thus paid to Mr. Murray might be reimbursed to me; but from feelings and considerations which it is unnecessary here to explain, I have respectfully, but peremptorily declined their offer.

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"I am, Sir,

"Your's, &c.

"THOMAS MOORE."

"May 26, 1824."

Such was the fate of that production of his Lordship, which was most anxiously looked for !—the destruction of which, was at once a flagrant injustice to his Lordship's memory, and a palpable and public wrong ;-for as his conduct had been so rigidly canvassed and emblazoned, called in question, and reprehended, and as, from motives of delicacy, through the fear of impeaching his dearest connexions, he had refused to justify, or offer any defence of himself while living; but had committed the candid examination of himself, his confessions, and contrition, to a posthumous memoir, bequeathed to the public; and we have it from unquestionable authority, that he most impartially examined himself—so b

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should the Bard's first, and last, and only appeal to the public tribunal, have been boldly and manfully brought before it. What if he had spoken freely of others? If it were truth, why disguise it? if false, let it be publicly confuted if to their discredit and dishonour-the exposition of vice is the best means to exterminate it: by publicly exposing drunkards, and debauchees, the Spartans learnt soberness, and chastity; and by one speaking unto the present generation from the dead, mayhap it would repent! The withholding of the work justifies, indeed, the conclusion, that it contained too many stern-told truths, little to the credit of his calumniators, and to those who constituted themselves judges upon it; that in fine their minds were too narrow to allow them to fulfil the wishes of the dead! wanting heart to grant him the fair opportunity of vindicating his character to posterity. Family consideration is but of trivial and secondary consideration to public claims. Let it be answered, what private interest is paramount to public right?-none-Lord Byron was public property; the work was by him bequeathed to posterity; it was public right, and, therefore, let the memoirs contain what they will, his testament should have been executed, and the memoirs have been given to the world as its own exclusive right, upon which family consideration could have no claim the non-fulfilment of this will remain to the latest posterity an indelible stain upon the probity, candour, and character of the self-constituted

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judges, who, to screen their characters, magnanimously determined upon the destruction of the work, which fairly and honestly criticized them; forgetting, however, that the very deed infers the nature of the opinions which Lord Byron held of them. As he bore silently and contentedly all the obloquy while he lived, so should he have been heard, and his character been vindicated when he was dead. Himself he examined impartially and truly; doubtless he would truly and impartially examine those of his contemporaries whom he might have occasion to speak of: the world, his friends, and his enemies, should therefore alike have received their reward. But it is gone-the Memoirs are lost to us,—and so is their noble author: and it becomes incumbent on the public at once to repair its loss, and to justify Lord Byron to posterity, in the best manner that it is able. It is with this view the view of paying that tribute, and doing that justice to his memory, which, strangely unnatural, his relatives have denied him-that we now step forward with our volumes of Biography, which, with the advantage of long personal acquaintance, we have compiled from most authentic and copious documents; and, since we are deprived of his self-written Memoirs, we must rest satisfied with the most circumstantial account of his Lordship, as such documents (and they indeed are all-sufficient), and with what his most intimate friends and his own writings, can offer, together with such particulars as be gleaned from the most

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