The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals Volume II Part 82

363.--To John Murray.

Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, 1813.

Dear Sir,--For the sake of correctness, particularly in an Errata page, the alteration of the couplet I have just sent (half an hour ago) must take place, in spite of delay or cancel; let me see the _proof_ early to-morrow. I found out _murmur_ to be a neuter _verb_, and have been obliged to alter the line so as to make it a substantive, thus:

The deepest murmur of this life shall be No sigh for Safety, but a prayer for thee!

Don't send the copies to the _country_ till this is all right.

Yours, B.

364.--To Thomas Moore.

November 30, 1813.

Since I last wrote to you, much has occurred, good, bad, and indifferent,--not to make me forget you, but to prevent me from reminding you of one who, nevertheless, has often thought of you, and to whom _your_ thoughts, in many a measure, have frequently been a consolation. We were once very near neighbours this autumn; and a good and bad neighbourhood it has proved to me. Suffice it to say, that your French quotation [1] was confoundedly to the purpose,--though very _unexpectedly_ pertinent, as you may imagine by what I _said_ before, and my silence since. However, "Richard's himself again," [2] and except all night and some part of the morning, I don't think very much about the matter.

All convulsions end with me in rhyme; and to solace my midnights, I have scribbled another Turkish story [3]--not a Fragment--which you will receive soon after this. It does not trench upon your kingdom in the least, and if it did, you would soon reduce me to my proper boundaries.

You will think, and justly, that I run some risk of losing the little I have gained in fame, by this further experiment on public patience; but I have really ceased to care on that head. I have written this, and published it, for the sake of the _employment_,--to wring my thoughts from reality, and take refuge in "imaginings," however "horrible;" [4]

and, as to success! those who succeed will console me for a failure--excepting yourself and one or two more, whom luckily I love too well to wish one leaf of their laurels a tint yellower. This is the work of a week, and will be the reading of an hour to you, or even less,--and so, let it go----.

P.S.--Ward and I _talk_ of going to Holland. I want to see how a Dutch ca.n.a.l looks after the Bosphorus. Pray respond.

[Footnote 1: Moore wrote to Byron in 1813 an undated letter, in which the following pa.s.sage occurs:

"I am sorry I must wait till 'we are veterans' before you will open to me 'the story of your wandering life, wherein you find more hours _due to repentance_ ... than time hath told you yet.' Is it so with you, or are you, like me, reprobate enough to look back with complacency on what you have done? I suppose repentance _must bring up the rear_ with us all; but at present I should say with old Fontenelle, _Si je recommencais ma carriere, je ferais tout ce que j'ai fait_."]

[Footnote 2: Colley Cibber's 'Richard III', act v. sc. 3:

"Conscience, avaunt! Richard's himself again."]

[Footnote 3: 'The Bride of Abydos' was published December, 1813.]

[Footnote 4:

"Horrible imaginings."

'Macbeth', act i. sc. 3.]

365.--To Francis Hodgson.

Nov'r--Dec'r 1st, 1813.

I have just heard that _Knapp_ is acquainted with what I was but too happy in being enabled to do for you [1].

Now, my dear Hn., you, or Drury, must have told this, for, upon my own honour, not even to Scrope, nor to one soul, (Drury knew it before) have I said one syllable of the matter. So don't be out of humour with me about it, but you can't be more so than I am. I am, however, glad of one thing; if you ever conceived it to be in the least an obligation, this disclosure most fairly and fully releases you from it:

"To John I owe some obligation, But John unluckily thinks fit To publish it to all the nation, So John and I are more than quit."

And so there's an end of the matter.

Ward _wavers_ a little about the Dutch, till matters are more sedative, and the French more sedentary.

The 'Bride' will blush upon you in a day or two; there is _much_, at least a _little_ addition. I am happy to say that Frere and Heber, and some other "good men and true," have been kind enough to adopt the same opinion that you did.

Pray write when you like, and believe me,

Ever yours,

BYRON.

P.S.--Murray has _offered_ me a thousand guineas for the _two_ ('Giaour'