1824. ] 
with Milton,” and wishing that his critics 
may “ find any points of comparison be- 
tween them.” In short, judging from this 
book, and from other circumstances also, 
it might almost be doubted whether Lord 
Byron, great and wonderful genius as he 
was, could be said, on many of the subjects 
he spoke and wrote about, to have any opi- 
nions at all: whether what are called so, 
were not frequently mere humours—whence 
their frequent contradictions and inconsis- 
tencies. Even his loye of liberty, ardent 
and vehement as it was, appears to have 
been more a sentiment than a_princi- 
ple—the restlessness of an impetuous, 
aspiring, and dissatisfied spirit, than a clear 
considerate estimate of the nature and 
value of human rights. Witness some of 
his conversations with Colonel Stanhope in 
Greece, and his hostility to the liberty of 
the press. The avowed aristocracy of 
his temper considered, and the egotism of 
his personal feelings, it may even be doubt- 
ed, after all, if the species of popular com- 
motion his threatful prophecies were per- 
petually pointing at, had really taken place, 
whether, after sounding himself the tocsin, 
he might not ultimately have been found in 
the camp of the Olligarcks. But this re- 
flection properly belongs to another and 
more valuable document, of which here- 
after. For the publication of the ‘“‘ Conver- 
sations”’ before us, we confess ourselves at 
a loss to find any other motive than that of 
making up a book which was sure to sell: 
unless it be the egotistical habit of gossip- 
ing and tittle tattling, whether with tongue 
or pen, about whomsoever, or whatsoever 
has a name or a fashion in the world. 
Certain it is, that the reputation of 
Lord Byron, either moral or intellectual, 
has nothing to gain from these conversa- 
tions ; nor have they even so many points 
or flashes of redeeming brilliancy, as we 
should have expected. Several of the 
habits, they reveal, are at least degrading ; 
some of the confessions not a little revolting ; 
and many of the opinions (respecting the 
sex in particular), to us disgusting. And as 
upon the whole they place the most potent 
genius, and greatest poet of his age upon a 
lower, rather than a higher, grade, it would 
have been wiser and kinder to have left 
us to make our estimate of him from his 
works, than to have called in the aid of the 
“* Conversations.” 
Recollections of the Life of Lord Byron, 
from the year 1808 to the end of 1814; exhi- 
biting his early Character and Opinions, de- 
tailing the Progress of his Literary Career, 
and including various unpublished passages 
of his®Works. Taken from authentic Docu- 
ments in the possession of the Author. Ry 
the late R. C. Dallas, Esq. To which is 
prefixed, an Account of the Circumstances 
leading to the suppression of Lord Byron’s 
Correspondence with the Author, and his 
Letters to his Mother, lately announced for 
publication.—Vere is title-page enough, or 
Literary and Critical Proémiunt. 
455 
the deuce is init; and enough have we 
also of the prefixed account, &c. Ninety- 
seven pages prosed through in the preli- 
minary statement on the hardship of pre- 
venting a book-maker from publishing the 
private and confidential correspondence of 
a celebrated character, as soon as the breath 
was out of his body, without consulting the 
feelings of friends or relations, whose 
names and circumstances must inevitably, 
in a certain degree, be implicated in the 
proposed disclosures. We know not what 
impression this tedious tale may make upon 
others ; but it has by no means disposed us 
to dissent from the proposition of the exe- 
cutor, Mr. Hobhouse, that no man of ho- 
nour and feeling could for a moment enter- 
tain such an idea. To the “ Recollec- 
tions,” however, we haye no such objec- 
tion: could they be relieved from the 
heavy sermonizing egotism which swells 
the bulk without augmenting the informa- 
tion ; an interesting volume of about one- 
third or fourth of the present bulk might 
be made from them, which might assist, in 
some degree, in elucidating the character, 
and the history of the progress of the 
character, which the disgusting “‘ Conver- 
sations,” if they have not discoloured, 
have, at least, almost exclusively, placed in 
the most unfavourable point of view. 
Even Mr. Dallas’s work, indeed, is no 
unqualified panegyric ; nor does it attempt 
to extenuate, either the moral defects, or 
the capricious passions and humours of 
the illustrious poet; but it traces them, 
judiciously, to the original source in the 
isolation of his childhood and early youth 
from the domestic endearments of relative 
association and intercourse ; and, through 
their progressive development by the in- 
toxicating influence of flattery and adula- 
tion. It is curious that with respect to 
the critical judgements in particular (favour- 
able or sarcastic) of his Lordship, m. this 
work, whieh we were looking. for,.-but 
which had not issued from the press; while 
we were writing the preceding article, Mr. 
Dallas should have taken essentially the 
same view that we have done ; i..e. that 
they were the language of his humowrs not 
of his opinions. 
“ Tt is impossible,’ says: he, ‘‘ not to 
erceive that his feelings rather than his 
judgment guided his pen; and, sometimes 
he seems indifferent whether it should con- 
vey praise or blame.” 
Mr. D. gives some curious instances of 
this from the variations in the different co 
pies of “ English Bards and Scotch Re- 
viewers.” Thus, among other instances, 
in the first copy Smyth is one of the dis- 
gracers of “hoary Granta,” and the re- 
deeming honour is ascribed alone to Hodg- 
son. 
j But 
“ Tho printer’s condescend the press to soil 
With odes by Smyth, and epic songs by Hoyle.” 
* For Granta’s name * 
Let Hodgeon’s genius plead, and save her fame!” 
