I cannot refrain, notwithstanding my fears of intrusion, from
mentioning to you a conversation which Lord
Byron had with H.R.H. the Prince
Regent, and of which you formed the leading subject. He was at
an evening party at Miss Johnson’s this week, when
the Prince, hearing that Lord Byron was present, expressed
a desire to be introduced to him; and for more than half an hour they conversed
on poetry and poets, with which the Prince displayed an intimacy and critical
taste which at once surprised and delighted Lord Byron.
But the Prince’s great delight was Walter
Scott, whose name and writings he dwelt upon and recurred to
incessantly. He preferred him far beyond any other poet of the time, repeated
several passages with fervour, and criticized them faithfully. He spoke chiefly
of the ‘Lay of the Last
Minstrel,’ which he expressed himself as admiring most of the
three poems. He quoted Homer, and even some
of the obscurer Greek poets, and appeared, as Lord Byron
supposes, to have read more poetry than any prince in Europe. He paid, of
course, many compliments to Lord Byron, but the greatest
was “that he ought to be offended with Lord B., for that he had
thought it impossible for any poet to equal Walter
Scott, and that he had made him find himself
mistaken.” Lord Byron called upon me, merely to
let off the raptures of the Prince respecting you, thinking, as he said, that
if I were likely to have occasion to write to you, it might not be ungrateful
for you to hear of his praises. It is remarkable that the Prince never
mentioned Campbell. I inquired
| 214 | MEMOIRS OF JOHN MURRAY |
