Letters and Journals of Lord Byron
Journal Entry: 28 March 1814
“Albany, March 28.
“This night got into my new apartments, rented of Lord Althorpe, on a lease of seven years. Spacious, and
room for my books and sabres. In the house, too, another
advantage. The last few days, or whole week, have been very abstemious, regular in
exercise, and yet very unwell.
“Yesterday, dined tête-à-tête at the Cocoa with Scrope
Davies—sate from six till midnight—drank between us one bottle of
champagne and six of claret, neither of which wines ever affect me. Offered to take
Scrope home in my carriage; but he was tipsy and pious, and I
was obliged to leave him on his knees, praying to I know not what purpose or pagod. No
headache, nor sickness, that night nor today. Got up, if any thing, earlier than
usual—sparred with Jackson ad sudorem, and have been much better in health than
for many days. I have heard nothing more from Scrope. Yesterday
paid him four thousand eight hundred pounds, a debt of some standing, and which I wished
to have paid before. My mind is much relieved by the removal of that debit.
“Augusta wants me to
make it up with Carlisle. I have refused every body
else, but I can’t deny her any thing;—so I must e’en do it, though I had as
lief ‘drink up Eisel—eat a crocodile.’ Let me see—Ward, the Hollands, the
Lambs, Rogers, &c. &c.—every body, more or less, have been trying for
the last two years to accommodate this couplet quarrel to no
purpose. I shall laugh if Augusta succeeds.
“Redde a little of many things—shall get in all my books
to-morrow—Luckily this room will hold them—with ‘ample room and verge, &c.
the characters of hell to trace.’ I must set about some employment soon; my
heart begins to eat itself again.
Scrope Berdmore Davies (1782-1852)
Byron met his bosom friend while at Cambridge. Davies, a professional gambler, lent Byron
funds to pay for his travels in Greece and Byron acted as second in Davies' duels.
Henry Richard Fox, third baron Holland (1773-1840)
Whig politician and literary patron; Holland House was for many years the meeting place
for reform-minded politicians and writers. He also published translations from the Spanish
and Italian;
Memoirs of the Whig Party was published in 1852.
Frederick Howard, fifth earl of Carlisle (1748-1825)
The Earl of Carlisle was appointed Lord Byron's guardian in 1799; they did not get along.
He published a volume of
Poems (1773) that included a translation
from Dante.
John Jackson [Gentleman Jackson] (1769-1845)
Pugilist; champion of England from 1795 to 1804, when he was defeated by Jem Belcher.
After retirement he established a school that became headquarters of the Pugilistic
Club.
Hon. Augusta Mary Leigh [née Byron] (1783-1851)
Byron's half-sister; the daughter of Amelia Darcy, Baroness Conyers, she married
Lieutenant-Colonel George Leigh on 17 August 1807.
Samuel Rogers (1763-1855)
English poet, banker, and aesthete, author of the ever-popular
Pleasures of Memory (1792),
Columbus (1810),
Jaqueline (1814), and
Italy (1822-28).
John Charles Spencer, third earl Spencer (1782-1845)
English politician, son of the second earl (d. 1834); educated at Harrow and Trinity
College, Cambridge, he was Whig MP for Northamptonshire (1806-34) and chancellor of the
exchequer and leader of the lower house under Lord Grey (1830).
John William Ward, earl of Dudley (1781-1833)
The son of William Ward, third Viscount Dudley (d. 1823); educated at Edinburgh and
Oxford, he was an English MP, sometimes a Foxite Whig and sometimes Canningite Tory, who
suffered from insanity in his latter years.
