LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
Documents Biography Criticism
My Friends and Acquaintance
R. Plumer Ward VIII
Robert Plumer Ward to Peter George Patmore, 24 April 1824
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Preface
Vol I Contents
Charles Lamb I
Charles Lamb II
Charles Lamb III
Charles Lamb IV
Charles Lamb V
Charles Lamb VI
Charles Lamb VII
Charles Lamb VIII
Charles Lamb IX
Charles Lamb X
Thomas Campbell I
Thomas Campbell II
Thomas Campbell III
Thomas Campbell IV
Thomas Campbell V
Thomas Campbell VI
Thomas Campbell VII
Lady Blessington I
Lady Blessington II
Lady Blessington III
Lady Blessington IV
Lady Blessington V
R. Plumer Ward I
R. Plumer Ward II
R. Plumer Ward III
R. Plumer Ward IV
R. Plumer Ward V
R. Plumer Ward VI
Appendix vol I
Vol II Contents
R. Plumer Ward VII
R. Plumer Ward VIII
R. Plumer Ward IX
R. Plumer Ward X
R. Plumer Ward XI
R. Plumer Ward XII
R. Plumer Ward XIII
R. Plumer Ward XIV
R. Plumer Ward XV
R. Plumer Ward XVI
R. Plumer Ward XVII
R. Plumer Ward XVIII
R. Plumer Ward XIX
R. Plumer Ward XX
R. Plumer Ward XXI
R. Plumer Ward XXII
R. Plumer Ward XXIII
Horace & James Smith I
Horace & James Smith II
William Hazlitt I
William Hazlitt II
William Hazlitt III
William Hazlitt IV
William Hazlitt V
William Hazlitt VI
William Hazlitt VII
William Hazlitt VIII
Appendix vol II
Vol III Contents
William Hazlitt IX
William Hazlitt X
William Hazlitt XI
William Hazlitt XII
William Hazlitt XIII
William Hazlitt XIV
William Hazlitt XV
William Hazlitt XVI
William Hazlitt XVII
William Hazlitt XVIII
William Hazlitt XIX
William Hazlitt XX
William Hazlitt XXI
William Hazlitt XXII
William Hazlitt XXIII
William Hazlitt XXIV
William Hazlitt XXV
William Hazlitt XXVI
Laman Blanchard I
Laman Blanchard II
Laman Blanchard III
Laman Blanchard IV
Laman Blanchard V
Laman Blanchard VI
Laman Blanchard VII
Laman Blanchard VIII
R & T Sheridan I
R & T Sheridan II
R & T Sheridan III
R & T Sheridan IV
R & T Sheridan V
R & T Sheridan VI
R & T Sheridan VII
R & T Sheridan VIII
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“April 24, 1824.

“Dear Sir,—I was so desirous of losing no time in sending back the first volume of
20 R. PLUMER WARD.  
‘Tremaine,’ yesterday, that I wrote in too great a hurry. In particular, if your critical friend was really serious in what he said about ‘imputation,’ I ought to have explained more than I did what I meant by his being partial (for I cannot think I called him a panegyrist) in the —— Review. By partial, then, I did not mean partial to you, but to a work which he had himself, by his judicious emendations, contributed to form: perhaps I might say partial to Georgina, whose character he seemed to so much like. If he thinks I imputed to him that he would be a panegyrist contrary to his opinions and feelings, nothing can be more erroneous; and I beg you will lose no time in giving him this explanation. You see I continue to suppose him the Reviewer in the —— (indeed, am only confirmed by his letter in thinking so), and my respect for him makes me anxious to remove all notion from him that I could have meant anything derogatory to his perfect freedom of mind. Indeed, I cannot imagine yet that he can have been serious, but that some of the
  R. PLUMER WARD. 21
language he has used indicates something like an offended spirit.

“Upon consideration, I do not think that the emendations you have sent me (with the exception of those of the punctuation, which are most valuable) go far enough; and with the exception of Eugenia’s story, which you know I have entirely left to your friend’s discretion, I would wish my own castigations to be pursued in addition to his. * *

“”Wherever I have added any sentence giving a somewhat different turn to the ideas conveyed, I request it may be most exactly followed. You will, however, find this is scarcely anywhere done, except in one or two pages of the Bellenden House conversations—particularly in the description of Mrs. Neville, and in the chapter on Lord St. Clair previous to his offer to Greorgina. I have very particular reasons for wishing this to be most strictly complied with, and depend upon you exactly to second my wish.

“ * * I am glad your friend consents to have in the Bellenden House conversations and characters. But I do not think I mis-
22 R. PLUMER WARD.  
construed his objection to them originally. The words he used were—‘they are all great bores’—the honesty of which cured their brusquerie; but I could not collect that his dislike to them proceeded chiefly from their being of no consequence to the story. With great submission to him, they are even connected with the story, as developing much of both Georgina and Tremaine, for without them we should know nothing of his penchant for Miss Neville or Lady Gertrude. Lady Gertrude afterwards even connects with the story, and Mrs. Neville, too, in the affair of Melainie; and at any rate they, with Miss Lyttleton, absolutely give rise to the night conversation in the carriage on returning home—so critical to the heart of Georgina. * * *

“T.”