LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
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Astarte: a Fragment of Truth
Theresa Villiers to Lady Byron, 9 July [1816]
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Introduction
Preface
Contents
I. Byron Characteristics
II. Three Stages of Lord Byron’s Life
III. Manfred
IV. Correspondence of Augusta Byron
V. Anne Isabella Byron
VI. Lady Byron’s Policy of Silence
VII. Informers and Defamers
VIII. “When We Dead Awake”
IX. Lady Byron and Mrs. Leigh (I)
X. Lady Byron and Mrs. Leigh (II)
XI. Byron and Augusta
Notes by the Editor
Appendix
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Knightsbridge.
Tuesday July 9th [1816].

No words can tell you my dear Lady Byron the comfort & relief which your last letter just arrived has afforded me—The extract which you sent me in your former one was, to my mind, anything but satisfactory—it was confession without penitence—& I thought I saw a fancied security of ignorance in all the world but you (of
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whose generous discretion she had no fear,) that would prevent any change of feeling or conduct, except towards you individually—& I will own to you that I found my feelings more changed towards her than I ever meant they should be—I felt that I could not answer for my forbearance if she should in conversation to me either express herself too warmly towards him, or too coldly towards you—& I was growing quite nervous at the thoughts of her return to Town—All this is done away completely by the perusal of your last letter—I think I am justified in saying very confidently that her mind was purity & innocence itself, & now her eyes are really opened as to the enormity she has been led into, her former feelings & principles will I really hope & believe return with double force—provided always—that he does not return—& that I trust is a very improbable event—Her having a just sense of gratitude to you is a great point in her favour—& the more she reflects on your unparalleled kindness to her the more it must increase daily. There is an expression in her last letter to me which struck me at the moment I read it but does so much more forcibly now—Speaking of her own grievances, & some that had lately occurred to us, she says “What a world this is! & yet I am quite unfit for the next”—it shows how much the horror of her past conduct is uppermost in her mind—& if it does but continue so, the next step must be to try with your kind assistance, to make herself more fit for the next—it is now in a good train & every letter of yours will do more and more good—I fancy she will be in town (at the Apartments in St. James’s) about next Saturday. I see her great anxiety is to come before Hobhouse goes.