LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
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The Life of Lord Byron
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INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
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THE


LIFE


OF


LORD BYRON:






BY JOHN GALT, ESQ.











LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY,
NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
1830.
CONTENTS.
Page
Introduction 1
CHAPTER I.
Ancient descent—Pedigree—Birth—Troubles of his mother—Early Education—Accession to the title. 5
CHAPTER II.
Moral effects of local scenery; a peculiarity in taste—Early love—Impressions and traditions. 14
CHAPTER III.
Arrival at Newstead—Find it in ruins—The old Lord and his beetles—The Earl of Carlisle becomes the guardian of Byron—The poet’s acute sense of his own deformed foot—His mother consults a fortuneteller. 23
CHAPTER IV.
Placed at Harrow—Progress there—Love for Miss Chatworth—His reading—Oratorical powers. 31
CHAPTER V.
Character at Harrow—Poetical predilections at Cambridge—His Hours of Idleness. 39
CHAPTER VI.
Criticism of the Edinburgh Review. 41
viii CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER VII.
Effect of the criticism in the Edinburgh Review—English Bards and Scotch Reviewers—His satiety—Intention to travel—Publishes his Satire—Takes his seat in the House of Lords—Departs for Lisbon; thence to Gibraltar. 53
CHAPTER VIII.
First acquaintance with Byron—Embark together—The voyage. 59
CHAPTER IX.
Dinner at the ambassador’s at Cagliari—Opera—Disaster of Byron at Malta—Mrs. Spencer Smith. 65
CHAPTER X.
Sails from Malta to Prevesa—Lands at Patras—Sails Again—Passes Ithaca—Arrival at Prevesa—Salona—Joannina—Zitza. 70
CHAPTER XI.
Halt at Zitza—The river Acheron—Greek wine—A Greek chariot—Arrival at Tepellené—The vizier’s palace. 77
CHAPTER XII.
Audience appointed with Ali Pashaw—Description of the vizier’s person—My audience of the Vizier of the Morea. 82
CHAPTER XIII.
The effect of Ali Pashaw’s character on Lord Byron—Sketch of the career of Ali, and the perseverance with which he pursued the objects of his ambition. 88
CHAPTER XIV.
Leave Joannina for Prevesa—Land at Fanari-Albania—Byron’s character of the inhabitants. 93
CHAPTER XV.
Leave Utraikee—Dangerous pass in the woods—Catoona—Quarrel between the guard and primate of the village—Makala-Gouri—Missolonghi—Parnassus. 99
CHAPTER XVI.
Vostizza—Battle of Lepanto—Parnassus—Livadia—Cave of Trophonius—The fountains of Oblivion and memory—Chæronéa—Thebes—Athens. 104
CONTENTS. ix
Page
CHAPTER XVII.
Byron’s character of the modern Athenians—Visit to Eleusis—Visit to the Caverns at Vary and Keraéta—Lost in the labyrinths of the latter. 109
CHAPTER XVIII.
Proceed from Keraéta to Cape Colonna—Associations connected with the spot—Second hearing of the Albanians—Journey to Marathon—Effect of his adventures on the mind of the Poet—Return to Athens—I join the travellers there—Maid of Athens. 115
CHAPTER XIX.
Occupation at Athens—Mount Pentilicus—We descend into the caverns—Return to Athens—A Greek contract of marriage—Various Athenian and Albanian superstitions—Effect of their impression on the genius of the poet. 120
CHAPTER XX.
Local pleasures—Byron’s Grecian poems—His departure from Athens—Description of evening in the Corsair—The opening of the Giaour—State of patriotic feeling then in Greece—Smyrna—Change in Lord Byron’s manners. 126
CHAPTER XXI.
Smyrna—The sport of the Djerid—Journey to Ephesus—The dead city—The desolate country—The ruins and obliteration of the temple—The slight impression of all on Byron. 133
CHAPTER XXII.
Embarks for Constantinople—Touches at Tenedos—Visits Alexandria Troas—The Trojan plain—Swims the Hellespont—Arrival at Constantinople. 138
CHAPTER XXIII.
Constantinople—Description—The dogs and the dead—Landed at Tophana—The masterless dogs—The slave-market—The seraglio—The defects in the description. 146
CHAPTER XXIV.
Dispute with the ambassador—Reflections on Byron’s pride of rank—Abandons his Oriental travels—Re-embarks in the Salsette—The dagger-scene—Zea—Returns to Athens—Tour in the Morea—Dangerous illness—Return to Athens—The adventure on which the Giaour is founded. 153
x CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER XXV.
Arrival in London—Mr. Dallas’s patronage—Arranges for the publication of Childe Harold—The death of Mrs. Byron: his sorrow—His affair with Mr. Moore—Their meeting at Mr. Roger’s house, and friendship. 159
CHAPTER XXVI.
The libel in the Scourge—The general impression of his character—Improvements in his manners as his merit was acknowledged by the public—His address in management—His first speech in parliament—The Publication of Childe Harold—Its reception and effect. 168
CHAPTER XXVII.
Sketches of character—His friendly dispositions—Introduce Prince K——to him—Our last interview—His continued kindness towards me—Instance of it to one of my friends. 174
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A miff with Lord Byron—Remarkable coincidences—Plagiarisms of his Lordship. 180
CHAPTER XXIX.
Lord Byron in 1813—The Lady’s Tragedy—Miss Milbanke—Growing uneasiness of Lord Byron’s mind —The friar’s ghosts—The marriage—A member of the Drury-lane committee—Embarrassed affairs—The separation. 186
CHAPTER XXX.
Reflections on his domestic verses—Consideration of his works—The Corsair—Probabilities of the character and incidents of the story—On the difference between poetical invention and moral experience, illustrated by the difference between the genius of Shakspeare and that of Byron. 196
CHAPTER XXXI.
Byron determines to reside abroad—Visits the plain of Waterloo—State of his feelings. 204
CHAPTER XXXII.
Byron’s residence in Switzerland—Excursion to the Glaciers—Manfred founded on a magical sacrifice, not on guilt—Similarity between sentiments given to Manfred, and those expressed by Lord Byron in his own person. 211
CONTENTS. xi
Page
CHAPTER XXIII.
State of Byron in Switzerland—He goes to Venice—The fourth canto of Childe Harold—Rumination on his own condition—Beppo—Lament of Tasso—Curious example of Byron’s metaphysical love. 219
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Removes to Ravenna—The Countess Guiccioli. 225
CHAPTER XXXV.
Residence in Ravenna—The Carbonari—Byron’s part in their plot—The murder of the military commandant—The poetical use of the incident—Marino Faliero—Reflections—The Prophecy of Dante. 229
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The tragedy of Sardanapalus considered with reference to Lord Byron’s own circumstances—Cain. 235
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Removal to Pisa—The Lanfranchi Palace—Affair with the guard at Pisa—Removal to Monte Nero—Junction with Mr. Hunt—Mr. Shelley’s letter. 243
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Mr. Hunt arrives in Italy—Meeting with Lord Byron—Tumults in the house—Arrangements for Mr. Hunt’s family—Extent of his obligations to Lord Byron—Their copartnery—Meanness of the whole business. 249
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Mr. Shelley—Sketch of his life—His death—The burning of his body, and the return of the mourners. 255
CHAPTER XI.
The Two Foscari—Werner—The Deformed Transformed—Don Juan—The Liberal—Removes from Pisa to Genoa. 260
CHAPTER XLI.
Genoa—Change in the manners of Lord Byron—Residence at the Casa Saluzzi—The Liberal—Remarks on the poet’s works in general, and on Hunt’s strictures on his character. 268
xii CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER XLII.
Lord Byron resolves to join the Greeks—Arrives at Cephalonia—Greek factions—Sends emissaries to the Grecian Chiefs—Writes to London about the loan—To Mavrocordato on the dissensions—Embarks at last for Missolonghi. 273
CHAPTER XLIII.
Lord Byron’s conversations on religion with Dr. Kennedy. 280
CHAPTER XLIV.
Voyage to Cephalonia—Letter—Count Gamba’s address—Grateful feelings of the Turks—Endeavours of Lord Byron to mitigate the horrors of the war. 294
CHAPTER XLV.
Proceedings at Missolonghi—Byron’s Suliote brigade—Their insubordination—Difference with Colonel Stanhope—Imbecility of the plans for the independence of Greece. 300
CHAPTER XLVI.
Lord Byron appointed to the command of three thousand men to besiege Lepanto—The siege abandoned for a blockade—Advanced guard ordered to proceed—Lord Byron’s first illness—A riot—He is urged to leave Greece—The expedition against Lepanto abandoned—Byron dejected—A wild diplomatic scheme. 306
CHAPTER XLVII.
The last illness and death of Lord Byron—His last poem. 312
CHAPTER XLVIII.
The funeral preparations and final obsequies. 320
CHAPTER XLIX.
Character of Lord Byron. 324
Appendix. 331
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