THE LIFE OF LORD BYRON. BY JOHN GALT, ESQ. FOURTH EDITION. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. UPON considering all that has been written about this work, the author has not seen that any additional light can justly be said to have been elicited. Only one error in conjecture has been pointed out, and it was corrected as soon as possible. Had this been professedly a personal biography of Lord Byron, the size might have been increased of each succeeding edition by new materials; and perhaps it is in the author's power to offer explanations of incidents which the reader may still think left in obscurity. His object, however, was to describe only those features of character in which the public ought to feel any interest, and he conceives that this has been fairly done; but that it should ever have been imagined he had any cause, at any time, to regard Lord Byron with other feelings than those due to his station, talents, and manners, gives him unaffected pain. He can only pity the individual who has been mean enough to allege, that during the composition he was actuated by sentiments allied to antipathy or resentment; but a habit of misrepresentation, even in sport, is apt to become contemptible, and to forfeit the respect which friendship would manifest by favour, and true candour ever entertains for genius. The individual alluded to may chew the cud of knowing that he is appreciated at his worth. The author felt throughout that he was giving to the world an account of what he really did know of a great man, and the idea which he had been led to form of his mind and dispositions-a difficult task, which he has endeavoured to execute, as far as it was in his power, with the impartiality that belongs to posterity. In writing the life of a public man, such as Lord Byron undoubtedly was, the author thought that he should confine himself to what had been previously given to the world concerning his Lordship, adding what he had himself observed. By adhering to this rule nothing injurious could be done to the memory he was ambitious to assist at embalming. A public character, like public events, cannot be properly described by contemporaries. The only course that contemporaries have it in their power to pursue, is to add their personal knowledge to that of others. From the materials thus accumulated, posterity alone can construct the proper work. It was no part in the plan of this undertaking to controvert the statements of others, but only to take such of them as were either generally admitted to be well founded, or were not satisfactorily disapproved and this has been faithfully accomplished. 66 In alluding in the preface to the first edition to the bastardy in the line of the Newstead Byrons, the expression, a baton sinister," was used in a figurative sense. Whatever mark of blemish in their blood may have been carried in consequence of the bastardy, they had an heraldic right to change their arms when ennobled; and their shield is now pure. To conclude, the author is not much addicted to speaking of his works, or of heeding them after publication, but he is better acquainted with the domestic affairs of the Byrons than seems to be supposed, owing to a very plain cause. Many years ago he wrote the life of Admiral Byron in the Lives of the Admirals, in which he was assisted by Lord Byron himself, and, though it may seem a boast, he was then better acquainted with the family history than his Lordship. 12th November, 1830. |
