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Turkey refused to accede to these proposals, but insisted upon impossible modifications. has therefore only herself to blame, and the European powers having, through the Vienna conference, pledged themselves to an arrangement which Russia accepted and Turkey alone, rejected, the said powers must feel that they can no longer in honour fend their material support to the disaffected Muhammadans." We have never shrunk fron expressing our opinion that 29 (991. 5. Britain and France would place themselves in a wrong position in entering upon a war in favour of a decrepit, barbarous race and an unenlightened faith, against a young and colossal Christian power. This feeling is only increased by a sense of the difficulties of the case. A cowardly, inefficient ally in the field, an incongruous, discordant population on all sides, an incapable, profligate administration to guide all, and an enemy with almost exhaustless resources to combat. The Anglo-French fleet is totally unequal, with such an ally and such odds, to bring the struggle to a successful issue for Muhammadanism. It is now acknowledged, even by those parties who would have had us go to war upon the first occupation of the princi palities by the Russians, that the result of that war war could never be the holding of Turkey in Europe. Its fate is decreed within its own bosom, and are those countries prepared to throw their whole power into the balance? Yet once begun it might be dangerous to the ultimate safety of all Europe to leave off in disgrace. In the presence of so imminent a danger, and in the presence of such manifest political perplexities, how much more. reasonable it would be for the four powers to wait their time for throwing their united influence into the balance to determine the future of the their united East; to see that the Tsar does not rule at once at St. Petersburg and at Constantinople; to assure the independence of the Danubian provinces, and to establish an independent Christian dynasty at Byzantium; in fact, to look after their own interests and the interest of all Europe that is not Russian, instead of hurrying into a hasty war for a bankrupt faith and race, from which, unless united in a common na common cause, they may not be able. to extricate themselves without difficulty or disaster. Such is the position Great Britain and France would be placed in almost inevitably after better, then, that they should stand in that position previous to war being commenced. They would at least have uninjured resources to back their diplomacy, unquestionable rights-those of a common interest, a common religion, and a common civilisation-would then be with them, and the sympathies of all mankind that is not Russian or Muhammadan would also be on their side. It got my291 {_0* 1 7162397 V1975 2 9. ufT -goo oft dtiz abiz yd obiz dopot of sbeat food 176d #gmb99301; sitsm dine odt mo esitileqiour sil: otni egoon to ni zahmeq mount sih di boqgore od or bobosan devout aberal do rotsqui se tent vind T Horwid not tire booktoum bed od midw godba o 76 sail bari sidled 99097stos od zd I song ston ady to sometq998 bororrogs 9d1 oeli és „non-omp ai qug lands oft ve but poor imod si beldeus ¡I .49mmolgth 16 Y॰)!(། Es dove est besib ol 92979.69 5d of ya of 12809 sk9998 or vsdmT bue girl not tuj big oldi moñod ti bonsab jog ya ni svig of sono te bansterd zomerol of lia to roroqu:& ads. [ .o$ saozóines oldemoпod way ¿d bożoqorq arsotopnerie gilt of months

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AN EVENT IN THE LIFE OF LORD BYRON.*

BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE UNHOLY WISH.'

I.

Ir was early on a summer's morning, many years ago, that a party of five or six persons, most of whom were in the bloom of youth, stood on the shores of the Adriatic Gulf, about to embark in a four-oared gondola, which was moored to its banks. Gondoliers-boatmen, as we should call them-bustled around. Some inspected the oars, some were getting the gondola in rowing order, some were standing guard over the provisions and other articles about to be stowed away in it; and one, whose countenance wore a peculiar expression, chiefly because it possessed but one eye, stood close to the principal group, waiting for orders.

Fore

It may be well to notice this group before proceeding further. most and most conspicuous of it was a man of distinguished appearance, and noble, intelligent features. He looked about thirty years of age, but he may have been a year or two older, or younger. His personal characteristics need not be more particularly described, since his fame has caused them to be familiar to most classes. It was Lord Byron.

A little away from him stood an Italian woman, young, and passably lovely. Her features were not classically beautiful, but the dancing blue eyes that lighted them up, and the profusion of fair ringlets that adorned them, rendered the face more than pleasing. There is no necessity for mentioning her name here: it has been coupled with Lord Byron's too long, and too publicly, for any familiar with the records of his life to be at a loss to supply the deficiency. To call her Madame la Contessa, will be sufficient for us. Her brother, the Count G., was standing near her but where was the old lord, her husband? Never you inquire where a lady's liege lord may be, when referring to Italy: be very sure that it is anywhere but by the side of his wife. Two more gentlemen completed the assemblage: one was the Marquis P.; the other a Frenchman, Monsieur H.; passing acquaintances of Lord Byron.

They had been staying for a few days at one of the inhabited islands of the Adriatic. It had been a suddenly-got-up little party of pleasure, having started one fine morning from Ravenna, in the gondola, and had proceeded by easy sails, now touching at one point, now at another, to the place where they were for the moment located. Their object this morning was to gain one of the uninhabited isles, spend the day on it, and return back in the evening. Some of these little solitary islands were luxuriant and beautiful, well worth the trouble of a visit, when within reach.

The gondoliers, the same who had accompanied them from Ravenna, continued their preparations for departure, but so dreamily and lazily, that only to look on would put a Thames waterman into a fever.

Lord

*It is believed by the author of these pages, that the incident they relate is scarcely, if at all, known in England. Yet this little episode in the career of Lord Byron is surely worthy of being recorded in the poet's own land, and in his native tongue. It is pretty generally known abroad, not only in Italy: the author has heard it spoken of more than once, and has also met with it, minutely detailed, in a French work. It occurred during the poet's last sojourn abroad.

Byron was accustomed to Italian idleness and Italian manners, nevertheless he would sometimes get impatient-as on this morning. He leaped into the gondola.

"Do you think we shall get away to-day if you go on at this pace ?" he cried, in Italian. "And who is going to be subjected to the sun's force through your laziness ?"

"The sun's force is not on yet, signor," one of the men ventured to

remonstrate.

66

"But it will be soon," was the answer of his lordship, with an Italian expletive which need not be translated here. Cyclops, hand in that fowling-piece: give it me. Mind the lines-don't you see you are getting them entangled. Madame la Contessa, what has become of your sketch-book ?"

She looked at him with her gay blue eyes, and pointed to the book in question, which he held in his hand. He laughed at his mistake, as he threw it down beside him in the boat.

"You are forgetful this morning," she observed.

"My thoughts are elsewhere," was his reply; "they often are. And more so to-day than ordinary, for I have had news from England." "Received news to-day!-here ?" was the exclamation.

"Yes. I left orders at Ravenna that if anything came it should be sent on here."

At length the party embarked. Count G. took his place at the helm, and the four others arranged themselves, two on either side.

"Which isle is it the pleasure of the signor that we make for ?" inquired one of the gondoliers, with a glance at Lord Byron.

He was buried in abstraction, and did not answer, but the Frenchman spoke.

"Could we not push on to Cherso ?"

"Cherso!" reiterated the count, opening his eyes to their utmost width. "Much you know, my dear friend, of the localities of these islands. It would take us twelve months, about, to get to Cherso in this gondola."

"They were telling us about the different merits of these isles last night. What do you say, mi-lord ?"

"I care nothing about it; only settle it between yourselves," was Lord Byron's listless reply.

"La

"Dio! but you are polite, all of you!" uttered the marquis. Contessa present, and you would decide without consulting her!" "If you ask me," rejoined the lady, "I should say the wiser plan would be to leave it to the men. They are much better acquainted with the isles than we are."

The men laid on their oars, and looked up.

"Where are we to steer to ?"

"To whichever of the islands within reach you think best," replied Lord Byron; and their oars again struck the water.

"You say you have had news from England," observed Count G. to Lord Byron. "Good, I hope."

"Nothing but newspapers and reviews."

"No letters?"

"None. Those I left in England are strangely neglectful of me.

Forgotten that I am alive perhaps. Well-why should they remember it?"

"The letters may have miscarried, or been detained."

"May! Out of sight, out of mind, G. Yet there are some one or two from whom I was fool enough to expect different conduct."

"What do the newspapers say?" inquired the signora.

"I have scarcely looked at them. There's the average dose of parliamentary news, I suppose; a quantum suf. of police

"No, no," she interrupted, "you know what I mean. say about you-the reviews ?"

What do they

"Complimentary, as usual," was the poet's reply. "I wonder," he continued, with a smile, half of sadness, half of mockery, "whether my enemies will ever be convinced that I am not quite a wild beast."

"You are bitter," exclaimed the countess.

66

Nay," he returned, "I leave bitterness to them. It is the epithet one of them honours me with, 'caged hyena.' Were it not for a mixture of other feelings, that combine to keep me away, I would pay old England a speedy visit, and convince them that a wild beast may bite, if his puny tormentors go too far. By Heaven! I feel at times half resolved to go !"

"Would you take such a step lightly?" inquired the countess.

"England and some of her children have too deeply outraged my feelings for me lightly to return to them," he replied.

"How is it that they abuse you? How is it that they suffer you, who ought to be England's proudest boast, to remain in exile?"

"Remain in exile!" was his ejaculation: "they drove me into it." "I have often thought," was her next remark, "that they could not know you, as you really are."

"None have known me," was his answer. "It is the fate of some natures never to be understood. I never have been, and never shall be." Lord Byron could not have uttered a truer word. Some natures never are and never can be understood. The deeply imaginative, the highly sensitive, the intellect of dreamy power; a nature of which these combined elements form the principal parts, can never be comprehended by the generality of the world. It knows its own superiority; it stands isolated in its own conscious pride. It will hold companionship with others, apparently but as one of themselves, in carelessness, in sociality, in revelry: but a still small consciousness is never absent from it, whispering, even in its most unguarded moments, that for such a nature there NEVER can be companionship on earth: never can it be understood, in life, or after death. And of such a one was Lord Byron's.

The lady by his side in the boat that day, remarking that his own countrymen could not have understood him, perhaps thought that she did; in fact, the observation would seem to imply it. The noble poet could have told her that she knew no more of his inward nature, his proud sad heart, his shrinking sensitiveness, than did those whose delusion she deplored. Of such men-and God in His mercy to themselves has vouchsafed that they shall be rare-there are two aspects, two natures; one for themselves, the other for the world: and they know that in all the ways and reakties of life, they are appearing, involuntarily, in a false character. You who are not of this few, who have been

you

141

An Event in the Life of Lord Byron. 19477 squiding evils me I spils noti blessed with a mind fitted to play its practical part in the drama of life, 'a will probably not understand this; neither can you understand the bitter feeling of isolation that forms part of such a nature at knowing it can never be understood, never be appreciated.

moda qit out Madame la Contessa, in answer to Lord Byron's last remark, spoke out with all the heat and fervour of her native land. "I should burn with impatience, I should scarcely live for fever," were the passionate words, "until I had convinced them of their error, and shown them that you are one to be loved and prized, rather than hated and shunned." A sad smile passed over the celebrated lips of Lord Byron. "It is not my fate," he said, in a tone that told of irony. Love as you call it-and I, were not destined by the stars to come into contact. Not one human being has ever looked upon me with an eye of love."

66

She interrupted him with a deprecatory exclamation

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"Never," he persisted; and if she could have read the dark feeling of desolation that his own words awoke within him, she would have mar velled at his careless aspect, and the light Italian proverb that issued from his lips. "Bacio di bocca spesso cuor non tocca."

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"But these wicked men in England who rail at, and traduce you," resumed the countess, "why don't you throw it back on their own evil hearts? You have the power within you.”

"I bide my time," was his answer. "If I live, they may yet repent. of the wrong they have done me."

"But if you die," cried the Italian, in her passionate impatience "if you die an early death?"

"Then God's will be done!" he answered, raising his straw hat, and leaning bareheaded over the side of the gondola, as he looked down at the water. They were much mistaken, those who accused Lord Byron, amongst other heinous faults, of possessing no sense of religion.,.

The gondoliers were applying themselves vigorously to their oars, and the party gave their minds up to the enjoyment of dreamy indolence, as they quickly glided over the calm waters of the Adriatic. At length they reached the island, one especially lauded by the men. The gondola was made fast to the shore, and Lord Byron, stepping out, gave his; hand to the countess. It was indeed a lovely place. Scarcely half a mile in length, and uninhabited, the green grass was soft as velvet; tall bushes, and shrubs of verdure, were scattered there, affording a shade from the rays of the sun; beautiful flowers charmed the eye; various birds flew in the air; a small stream of water, abounding in fish, ran through the land, and all seemed loveliness and peace.

The gondoliers proceeded to unload the boat. Two good-sized hampers, one containing wine, the other provisions, lines for fishing, guns, a book or two, the contessa's sketch-book, crayons, &c., were severally landed. Added to which, there were some warmer wrapperings

for the lady,, lest then night should 1, come on before their return; and
there was also a large cask of spring water, for although the island they
had landed on contained water, some of the neighbouring ones did not,
and when they started, the gondoliers did not know which they should
make for. The gondola was emptied of all, save its oars, and was left
secured to the bank.
19 clapt
Oct.-VOL. XCIX. NO. CCCXCIV.

L

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