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Lord Byron and his Times: http://lordbyron.org
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As it is no part of a manly disposition to use insulting epithets to an unknown enemy, who may, perhaps, have resolved to remain unknown, I shall not, at present, bestow any upon you. Long as you remain concealed, you are a nonentity; and any insults offered by me to a person in that situation might probably not be felt to carry with them any degradation to him, and certainly would not be felt as conferring any triumph upon me.
It is probable, however, that you will come forward from your
concealment, when you feel that you cannot continue in it without the consciousness
of cowardice. I,
I have no wish to apply epithets of insult to you till I know who you are. If you suppose yourself to have any claim to the character of a gentleman, you will take care that I be not long without this knowledge. I remain,
The Note which I understand to have been forwarded to
you by my Publisher, will have explained why I did not receive your communication
till within these few hours.
If you be not a principal conductor or supporter of be highly unjustifiable, and of which you denied
all knowledge, upon your honour—If you be not the Author of a most abusive
attack on your friend
The cause, besides, in which I have engaged is a pub-shall be redeemed.
Do not think that I shall be deterred, by any threat, from discharging the duty I
have thus imposed on myself, or that I shall be so weak as, by a premature avowal
of my name, to deprive myself of the means.
Prove to the satisfaction of the Public that the charges which I
have made are unfounded, or that they do not apply to you—Or, as you yourself
ask of then renewed, shall be,
P. S.—As Lockhart