The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals. Vol. 1

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THE WORKS

OF

LORD BYRON.



A NEW, REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.




Letters and Journals. Vol. I.
_____________________________






EDITED BY

ROWLAND E. PROTHERO.



1898.







PREFACE

Two great collections of Byron's letters have been already printed. In
Moore's 'Life', which appeared in 1830, 561 were given. These, in
FitzGreene Halleck's American edition of Byron's 'Works', published in
1847, were increased to 635. The first volume of a third collection,
edited by Mr. W. E. Henley, appeared early in 1897. A comparison of the
number of letters contained in these three collections down to August
22, 1811, shows that Moore prints 61, Halleck 78, and Mr. Henley 88. In
other words, the edition of 1897, which was the most complete so far as
it goes, added 27 letters to that of 1830, and 10 to that of 1847. But
it should be remembered that by far the greater part of the material
added by Halleck and Mr. Henley was seen and rejected by Moore.

The present edition, down to August 22, 1811, prints 168 letters, or an
addition of 107 to Moore, 90 to Halleck, and 80 to Mr. Henley. Of this
additional matter considerably more than two-thirds was inaccessible to
Moore in 1830.

In preparing this volume for the press, use has been also made of a mass
of material, bearing more or less directly on Byron's life, which was
accumulated by the grandfather and father of Mr. Murray. The notes thus
contain, it is believed, many details of biographical interest, which
are now for the first time published.

It is necessary to make these comparisons, in order to define the
position which this edition claims to hold with regard to its
predecessors. On the other hand, no one can regret more sincerely than
myself--no one has more cause to regret--the circumstances which placed
this wealth of new material in my hands rather than in those of the true
poet and brilliant critic, who, to enthusiasm for Byron, and wide
acquaintance with the literature and social life of the day, adds the
rarer gift of giving life and significance to bygone events or trivial
details by unconsciously interesting his readers in his own living
personality.

Byron's letters appeal on three special grounds to all lovers of English
literature. They offer the most suggestive commentary on his poetry;
they give the truest portrait of the man; they possess, at their best,
in their ease, freshness, and racy vigour, a very high literary value.

The present volume, which covers the period from 1798 to August, 1811,
includes the letters written Lord Byron from his eleventh to his
twenty-third year. They therefore illustrate the composition of his
youthful poetry, of 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers', and of the
first two cantos of 'Childe Harold'. They carry his history down to the
eve of that morning in March, 1812, when he awoke and found himself
famous--in a degree and to an extent which to the present generation
seem almost incomprehensible.

If the letters were selected for their literary value alone, it is
probable that very few of those contained in the present volume would
find a place in a collection formed on this principle. But biographical
interest also demands consideration, and, in the case of Byron, this
claim is peculiarly strong. He has for years suffered much from the
suppression of the material on which a just estimate of his life may be
formed. It is difficult not to regret the destruction of the 'Memoirs',
in which he himself intended his history to be told. Their loss cannot
be replaced; but their best substitute is found in his letters. Through
them a truer conception of Byron can be formed than any impression which
is derived from Dallas, Leigh Hunt, Medwin, or even Moore. It therefore
seems only fair to Byron, that they should be allowed, as far as
possible, to interpret his career. For other reasons also it appears to
me too late, or too soon, to publish only those letters which possess a
high literary value. The real motive of such a selection would probably
be misread, and thus further misconceptions of Byron's character would
be encouraged.

With one exception, therefore, the whole of the available material has
been published. The exception consists of some of the business letters
written by Byron to his solicitor. Enough of these have been printed to
indicate the pecuniary difficulties which undoubtedly influenced his
life and character; but it was not considered necessary to publish the
whole series. Men of genius ask money from their lawyers in the same
language, and with the same arguments, as the most ordinary persons.

The picture which the letters give of Byron, is, it is believed, unique
in its completeness, while the portrait has the additional value of
being painted by his own hand. Byron's career lends itself only too
easily to that method of treatment, which dashes off a likeness by
vigorous strokes with a full brush, seizing with false emphasis on some
salient feature, and revelling in striking contrasts of light and shade.
But the style here adopted by the unconscious artist is rather that in
which Richardson the novelist painted his pathetic picture of Clarissa
Harlowe.