512 Ten Days' Quarantine: an Anecdote- [[MAY, 



tained his love sailed at daybreak ; he could not tell for what motives 

 he had infringed the severe harbour-laws, and encountered this heavy 

 penalty; but he lay for days in a wild and wakeful trance, raving about 

 his Carmela. 



To conclude this anecdote, it so chanced that the vessel had to combat 

 with a stout and lasting maestrale, or north-west wind, so common in 

 those seas, as the name would indicate ; and after buffeting about for 

 two or three days, it was driven back again to port, its crew dislodged, 

 and the captain and his family, on account of the equality of quarantine, 

 quartered in our part of the lazaretto. Something in the pitiable con- 

 dition of my patient, for I was his only nurse more, perhaps, in the 

 determined love of his daughter at last softened the captain's antipathy 

 to the man. He would occasionally visit him and show some sympathy 

 with his sufferings. Then he withdrew his refusal of permission to 

 Carmela to accompany him on these occasions. I cannot account for 

 the history of these changes ; but all I remember is, that the sick man 

 rapidly improved from that very moment ; and when he left me, it was 

 to take a voyage with the captain and his child, for the perfect restora- 

 tion of his health. 



LADY BYRON, CAMPBELL, AND MOORE. 



OUR readers will expect something from us on this battle of the books. 

 But we shall not harass them with going deep into the engagement. 



All the world knows by this time that Moore compiled from Lord 

 Byron's letters an amusing view of his life and opinions, which he had 

 the good sense to leave as he found them. The book was received, as it 

 ought, as no more than the showing of a very eccentric and vicious 

 noble lord, relative to his own conduct. Moore's labour was evidently 

 occupied most in cutting down furious libels against all mankind, and 

 particularly the noble lord's particular friends; it happening to be. the 

 good fortune of every man who had at any time served or assisted, or 

 even exhibited any remarkable attention to his lordship, to be marked 

 down for his especial ridicule and abuse; of which, we believe, the cor- 

 respondence which Moore is now washing, plaiting, and smoothing for 

 mankind, affords some brilliant examples. 



But the quarto had done its best or worst, and passed away ; the com- 

 piler was paid, and was busy with its brother quarto ; the blue-stockings 

 were pining over some other novelty ; the learned coteries, from Ken- 

 sington to Moorfields, were profound in some new pottery from Pompeii, 

 or some new traveller from the world's end; in short, Byron, the book, 

 the libels, and the "injured lady," were completely forgotten ; when 

 some evil spirit, in the shape of a passion for publication, came before 

 Lady Byron's soul, and urged her to the "necessity of vindicating her 

 father's and mother's humanity to her late husband !" 



The only point worth thinking of in this matter was the necessity. 

 And that there was no necessity for Lady Byron's defending her parents, 

 (as honest and unimportant a country gentleman and lady as ever ve- 

 getated,) is clear as the sun at noon-day. In some former observations we 

 allowed that the vindication was well composed, and that Lady Byron 

 was also entitled to write it, if she pleased. But we are quite satisfied 



