Life of Lord Byron Volume V Part 17

I don't understand that _yielding_ sensitiveness. What I feel (as at this present) is an immense rage for eight-and-forty hours, and then, as usual--unless this time it should last longer. I must get on horseback to quiet me. Yours, &c.

"Francis I. wrote, after the battle of Pavia, 'All is lost except our honour.' A hissed author may reverse it--'_Nothing_ is lost, except our honour.' But the horses are waiting, and the paper full.

I wrote last week to you."

LETTER 427. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, May 19. 1821.

"By the papers of Thursday, and two letters of Mr. Kinnaird, I perceive that the Italian gazette had lied most _Italically_, and that the drama had _not_ been hissed, and that my friends _had_ interfered to prevent the representation. So it seems they continue to act it, in spite of us all: for this we must 'trouble them at 'size.' Let it by all means be brought to a plea: I am determined to try the right, and will meet the expenses. The reason of the Lombard lie was that the Austrians--who keep up an Inquisition throughout Italy, and a _list of names_ of all who think or speak of any thing but in favour of their despotism--have for five years past abused me in every form in the Gazette of Milan, &c. I wrote to you a week ago on the subject.

"Now I should be glad to know what compensation Mr. Elliston would make me, not only for dragging my writings on the stage in _five_ days, but for being the cause that I was kept for _four_ days (from Sunday to Thursday morning, the only post-days) in the _belief_ that the _tragedy_ had been acted and 'unanimously hissed;' and this with the addition that _I_ 'had brought it upon the stage,'

and consequently that none of my friends had attended to my request to the contrary. Suppose that I had burst a blood-vessel, like John Keats, or blown my brains out in a fit of rage,--neither of which would have been unlikely a few years ago. At present I am, luckily, calmer than I used to be, and yet I would not pa.s.s those four days over again for--I know not what[38].

"I wrote to you to keep up your spirits, for reproach is useless always, and irritating--but my feelings were very much hurt, to be dragged like a gladiator to the fate of a gladiator by that '_retiarius_,' Mr. Elliston. As to his defence and offers of compensation, what is all this to the purpose? It is like Louis the Fourteenth, who insisted upon buying at any price Algernon Sydney's horse, and, on his refusal, on taking it by force, Sydney shot his horse. I could not shoot my tragedy, but I would have flung it into the fire rather than have had it represented.

"I have now written nearly three _acts_ of another (intending to complete it in five), and am more anxious than ever to be preserved from such a breach of all literary courtesy and gentlemanly consideration.

"If we succeed, well: if not, previous to any future publication, we will request a _promise_ not to be acted, which I would even pay for (as money is their object), or I will not publish--which, however, you will probably not much regret.

"The Chancellor has behaved n.o.bly. You have also conducted yourself in the most satisfactory manner; and I have no fault to find with any body but the stage-players and their proprietor. I was always so civil to Elliston personally, that he ought to have been the last to attempt to injure me.

"There is a most rattling thunder-storm pelting away at this present writing; so that I write neither by day, nor by candle, nor torchlight, but by _lightning_ light: the flashes are as brilliant as the most gaseous glow of the gas-light company. My chimney-board has just been thrown down by a gust of wind: I thought that it was the 'Bold Thunder' and 'Brisk Lightning' in person.--_Three_ of us would be too many. There it goes--_flash_ again! but

"I tax not you, ye elements, with unkindness; I never gave ye _franks_, nor _call'd_ upon you;

as I have done by and upon Mr. Elliston.

"Why do you not write? You should at least send me a line of particulars: I know nothing yet but by Galignani and the Honourable Douglas.

"Well, and how does our Pope controversy go on? and the pamphlet?

It is impossible to write any news: the Austrian scoundrels rummage all letters.

"P.S. I could have sent you a good deal of gossip and some _real_ information, were it not that all letters pa.s.s through the Barbarians' inspection, and I have no wish to inform _them_ of any thing but my utter abhorrence of them and theirs. They have only conquered by treachery, however."

[Footnote 38: The account given, by Madame Guiccioli, of his anxiety on this occasion, fully corroborates his own:--"His quiet was, in spite of himself, often disturbed by public events, and by the attacks which, princ.i.p.ally in his character of author, the journals levelled at him. In vain did he protest that he was indifferent to those attacks. The impression was, it is true, but momentary, and he, from a feeling of n.o.ble pride, but too much disdained to reply to his detractors. But, however brief his annoyance was, it was sufficiently acute to occasion him much pain, and to afflict those who loved him. Every occurrence relative to the bringing Marino Faliero on the stage caused him excessive inquietude. On, the occasion of an article in the Milan Gazette, in which mention was made of this affair, he wrote to me in the following manner:--'You will see here confirmation of what I told you the other day! I am sacrificed in every way, without knowing the _why_ or the _wherefore_. The tragedy in question is not (nor ever was) written for, or adapted to, the stage; nevertheless, the plan is not romantic; it is rather regular than otherwise;--in point of unity of time, indeed, perfectly regular, and failing but slightly in unity of place. You well know whether it was ever my intention to have it acted, since it was written at your side, and at a period a.s.suredly rather more _tragical_ to me as a _man_ than as an _author_; for _you_ were in affliction and peril. In the mean time, I learn from your Gazette that a cabal and party has been formed, while I myself have never taken the slightest step in the business. It is said that the author read it aloud!!!--here, probably, at Ravenna?--and to whom? perhaps to Fletcher!!!--that ill.u.s.trious literary character,'" &c. &c.--"Ma per la sua tranquillita era suo malgrado sovente alterata dalle publiche vicende, e dagli attachi che spesso si direggevano a lui nei giornali come ad autore princ.i.p.almente. Era invano che egli protestava indifferenza per codesti attachi. L'impressione non era e vero che momentanea, e purtroppo per una n.o.bile fierezza sdegnava sempre di rispondere ai suoi dettratori. Ma per quanto fosse breve quella impressione era per a.s.sai forte per farlo molto soffrire e per affliggere quelli che lo amavano. Tuttoci che ebbe luogo per la rappresentazione del suo Marino Faliero lo inquict pure moltissimo e dietro ad un articolo di una Gazetta di Milano in cui si parlava di quell' affare egli mi scrisse cos--'Ecco la verita di ci che io vi dissi pochi giorni fa, come vengo sacrificato in tutte le maniere seza sapere il _perche_ e il _come_. La tragedia di cui si parla non e (e non era mai) ne scritta ne adattata al teatro; ma non e per romantico il disegno, e piuttosto regolare--regolarissimo per l' unita del tempo, c mancando poco a quella del sito. Voi sapete bene se io aveva intenzione di farla rappresentare, poiche era scritta al vostro fianco e nei momenti per certo piu _tragici_ per me come _uomo_ che come _autore_,--perche _voi_ eravate in affanno ed in pericolo. Intanto sento dalla vostra Gazetta che sia nata una cabala, un part.i.to, e senza ch' io vi abbia presa la minima parte. Si dice che _l'autore ne fece la letlura!!!_--qu forse? a Ravenna?--ed a chi? forse a Fletcher!!!--quel ill.u.s.tre litterato,'" &c. &c.]

LETTER 428. TO ME. MOORE.

"Ravenna, May 20. 1821.

"Since I wrote to you last week I have received English letters and papers, by which I perceive that what I took for an Italian _truth_ is, after all, a French lie of the Gazette de France. It contains two ultra-falsehoods in as many lines. In the first place, Lord B.

did _not_ bring forward his play, but opposed the same; and, secondly, it was _not_ condemned, but is continued to be acted, in despite of publisher, author, Lord Chancellor, and (for aught I know to the contrary) of audience, up to the first of May, at least--the latest date of my letters. You will oblige me, then, by causing Mr. Gazette of France to contradict himself, which, I suppose, he is used to. I never answer a foreign _criticism_; but this is a mere matter of fact, and not of _opinions_. I presume that you have English and French interest enough to do this for me--though, to be sure, as it is nothing but the _truth_ which we wish to state, the insertion may be more difficult.

"As I have written to you often lately at some length, I won't bore you further now, than by begging you to comply with my request; and I presume the 'esprit du corps' (is it 'du' or 'de?' for this is more than I know) will sufficiently urge you, as one of '_ours_,'

to set this affair in its real aspect. Believe me always yours ever and most affectionately,

"BYRON."

LETTER 429. TO MR. HOPPNER.

"Ravenna, May 25. 1821.

"I am very much pleased with what you say of Switzerland, and will ponder upon it. I would rather she married there than here for that matter. For fortune, I shall make all that I can spare (if I live and she is correct in her conduct); and if I die before she is settled, I have left her by will five thousand pounds, which is a fair provision _out_ of England for a natural child. I shall increase it all I can, if circ.u.mstances permit me; but, of course (like all other human things), this is very uncertain.

"You will oblige me very much by interfering to have the FACTS of the play-acting stated, as these scoundrels appear to be organising a system of abuse against me, because I am in their '_list_.' I care nothing for _their criticism_, but the matter of fact. I have written _four_ acts of another tragedy, so you see they _can't_ bully me.

"You know, I suppose, that they actually keep a _list_ of all individuals in Italy who dislike them--it must be numerous. Their suspicions and actual alarms, about my conduct and presumed intentions in the late row, were truly ludicrous--though, not to bore you, I touched upon them lightly. They believed, and still believe here, or affect to believe it, that the whole plan and project of rising was settled by me, and the _means_ furnished, &c.

&c. All this was more fomented by the barbarian agents, who are numerous here (one of them was stabbed yesterday, by the way, but not dangerously):--and although when the Commandant was shot here before my door in December, I took him into my house, where he had every a.s.sistance, till he died on Fletcher's bed; and although not one of them dared to receive him into their houses but myself, they leaving him to perish in the night in the streets, they put up a paper about three months ago, denouncing me as the Chief of the Liberals, and stirring up persons to a.s.sa.s.sinate me. But this shall never silence nor bully my opinions. All this came from the German Barbarians."

LETTER 430. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, May 25. 1821.

"Mr. Moray,

"Since I wrote the enclosed a week ago, and for some weeks before, I have not had a line from you: now, I should be glad to know upon what principle of common or _un_common feeling, you leave me without any information but what I derive from garbled gazettes in English, and abusive ones in Italian (the Germans hating me as a _coal-heaver_), while all this kick-up has been going on about the play? You SHABBY fellow!!! Were it not for two letters from Douglas Kinnaird, I should have been as ignorant as you are negligent.

"So, I hear Bowles has been abusing Hobhouse? If that's the case, he has broken the truce, like Morillo's successor, and I will cut him out, as Cochrane did the Esmeralda.

"Since I wrote the enclosed packet, I have completed (but not copied out) four acts of a new tragedy. When I have finished the fifth, I will copy it out. It is on the subject of 'Sardanapalus,'

the last king of the a.s.syrians. The words _Queen_ and _Pavilion_ occur, but it is not an allusion to his Britannic Majesty, as you may tremulously imagine. This you will one day see (if I finish it), as I have made Sardanapalus _brave_, (though voluptuous, as history represents him,) and also as _amiable_ as my poor powers could render him:--so that it could neither be truth nor satire on any living monarch. I have strictly preserved all the unities. .h.i.therto, and mean to continue them in the fifth, if possible; but _not_ for _the stage_. Yours, in haste and hatred, you shabby correspondent! N."

LETTER 431. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, May 28. 1821.

"Since my last of the 26th or 25th, I have dashed off my fifth act of the tragedy called 'Sardanapalus.' But now comes the copying over, which may prove heavy work--heavy to the writer as to the reader. I have written to you at least six times sans answer, which proves you to be a--bookseller. I pray you to send me a copy of Mr.

_Wrangham_'s reformation of '_Langhorne_'s Plutarch.' I have the Greek, which is somewhat small of print, and the Italian, which is too heavy in style, and as false as a Neapolitan patriot proclamation. I pray you also to send me a Life, published some years ago, of the _Magician Apollonius_ of Tyana. It is in English, and I think edited or written by what Martin Marprelate calls '_a bouncing priest_.' I shall trouble you no farther with this sheet than with the postage. Yours, &c. N.

"P.S. Since I wrote this, I determined to enclose it (as a half sheet) to Mr. Kinnaird, who will have the goodness to forward it.

Besides, it saves sealing-wax."

LETTER 432. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Ravenna, May 30. 1821.

"Dear Moray,