The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals Volume II Part 27

8, St. James's Street, February 25, 1812.

MY LORD,--With my best thanks, I have the honour to return the Notts, letter to your Lordship. I have read it with attention, but do not think I shall venture to avail myself of its contents, as my view of the question differs in some measure from Mr. Coldham's. I hope I do not wrong him, but _his_ objections to the bill appear to me to be founded on certain apprehensions that he and his coadjutors might be mistaken for the "_original advisers_" (to quote him) of the measure. For my own part, I consider the manufacturers as a much injured body of men, sacrificed to the views of certain individuals who have enriched themselves by those practices which have deprived the frame-workers of employment. For instance;--by the adoption of a certain kind of frame, one man performs the work of seven--six are thus thrown out of business.

But it is to be observed that the work thus done is far inferior in quality, hardly marketable at home, and hurried over with a view to exportation. Surely, my Lord, however we may rejoice in any improvement in the arts which may be beneficial to mankind, we must not allow mankind to be sacrificed to improvements in mechanism. The maintenance and well-doing of the industrious poor is an object of greater consequence to the community than the enrichment of a few monopolists by any improvement in the implements of trade, which deprives the workman of his bread, and renders the labourer "unworthy of his hire."

My own motive for opposing the bill is founded on its palpable injustice, and its certain inefficacy. I have seen the state of these miserable men, and it is a disgrace to a civilized country. Their excesses may be condemned, but cannot be subject of wonder. The effect of the present bill would be to drive them into actual rebellion. The few words I shall venture to offer on Thursday will be founded upon these opinions formed from my own observations on the spot. By previous inquiry, I am convinced these men would have been restored to employment, and the county to tranquillity. It is, perhaps, not yet too late, and is surely worth the trial. It can never be too late to employ force in such circ.u.mstances. I believe your Lordship does not coincide with me entirely on this subject, and most cheerfully and sincerely shall I submit to your superior judgment and experience, and take some other line of argument against the bill, or be silent altogether, should you deem it more advisable. Condemning, as every one must condemn, the conduct of these wretches, I believe in the existence of grievances which call rather for pity than punishment. I have the honour to be, with great respect, my Lord, your Lordship's

Most obedient and obliged servant,

BYRON.

P.S.--I am a little apprehensive that your Lordship will think me too lenient towards these men, and half a _frame-breaker myself_.

227.--To Francis Hodgson.

8, St. James's Street, March 5, 1812.

MY DEAR HODGSON,--_We_ are not answerable for reports of speeches in the papers; they are always given incorrectly, and on this occasion more so than usual, from the debate in the Commons on the same night. The _Morning Post_ should have said _eighteen years_. However, you will find the speech, as spoken, in the Parliamentary Register, when it comes out.

Lords Holland and Grenville, particularly the latter, paid me some high compliments in the course of their speeches, as you may have seen in the papers, and Lords Eldon and Harrowby answered me. I have had many marvellous eulogies [1] repeated to me since, in person and by proxy, from divers persons _ministerial_--yea, _ministerial!_--as well as oppositionists; of them I shall only mention Sir F. Burdett. _He_ says it is the best speech by a _lord_ since the "_Lord_ knows when,"

probably from a fellow-feeling in the sentiments. Lord H. tells me I shall beat them all if I persevere; and Lord G. remarked that the construction of some of my periods are very like _Burke's!!_ And so much for vanity. I spoke very violent sentences with a sort of modest impudence, abused every thing and every body, and put the Lord Chancellor very much out of humour: and if I may believe what I hear, have not lost any character by the experiment. As to my delivery, loud and fluent enough, perhaps a little theatrical. I could not recognize myself or any one else in the newspapers [2].

I hire myself unto Griffiths, and my poesy [3] comes out on Sat.u.r.day.

Hobhouse is here; I shall tell him to write. My stone is gone for the present, but I fear is part of my habit. We _all_ talk of a visit to Cambridge.

Yours ever,

B.

[Footnote 1: For Byron's speech, February 27, 1812, see Appendix II.

(i).] Grenville said,

"There never was a maxim of greater wisdom than that uttered by the n.o.ble lord [Byron] who had so ably addressed their lordships that night for the first time"

('Hansard', vol. xxi. p. 977). Moore quotes a pa.s.sage from Byron's 'Detached Thoughts':

"Sheridan's liking for me (whether he was not mystifying me I do not know, but Lady Caroline Lamb and others told me that he said the same both before and after he knew me) was founded upon 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers'. He told me that he did not care about poetry (or about mine--at least, any but 'that' poem of mine), but he was sure, from 'that' and other symptoms, I should make an orator, if I would but take to speaking, and grow a parliament man. He never ceased harping upon this to me to the last; and I remember my old tutor, Dr.

Drury, had the same notion when I was a 'boy'; but it never was my turn of inclination to try. I spoke once or twice, as all young peers do, as a kind of introduction into public life; but dissipation, shyness, haughty and reserved opinions, together with the short time I lived in England after my majority (only about five years in all), prevented me from resuming the experiment. As far as it went, it was not discouraging, particularly my 'first' speech (I spoke three or four times in all); but just after it, my poem of 'Childe Harold' was published, and n.o.body ever thought about my 'prose' afterwards, nor indeed did I; it became to me a secondary and neglected object, though I sometimes wonder to myself if I should have succeeded."]

[Footnote 2: Byron, writing to John Hanson, February 28, 1812, says:

"Dear Sir,--In the report of my speech (which by the bye is given very incorrectly) in the 'M[orning] Herald', 'Day', and 'B[ritish] Press', they state that I mentioned 'Bristol', a place I never saw in my life and knew nothing of whatever, nor 'mentioned' at all last night. Will you be good enough to send to these 'papers' 'immediately', and have the mistake corrected, or I shall get into a sc.r.a.pe with the Bristol people?

"I am, yours very truly,

"B."]

[Footnote 3: 'Childe Harold', Cantos I., II.]

228.--To Lord Holland.

St. James's Street, March 5, 1812.

MY LORD,--May I request your Lordship to accept a copy of the thing which accompanies this note [1]?

You have already so fully proved the truth of the first line of Pope's couplet [2],

"Forgiveness to the injured doth belong,"

that I long for an opportunity to give the lie to the verse that follows. If I were not perfectly convinced that any thing I may have formerly uttered in the boyish rashness of my misplaced resentment had made as little impression as it deserved to make, I should hardly have the confidence--perhaps your Lordship may give it a stronger and more appropriate appellation--to send you a quarto of the same scribbler. But your Lordship, I am sorry to observe to-day, is troubled with the gout; if my book can produce a _laugh_ against itself or the author, it will be of some service. If it can set you to _sleep_, the benefit will be yet greater; and as some facetious personage observed half a century ago, that "poetry is a mere drug," [3]

I offer you mine as a humble a.s.sistant to the _eau medicinale_. I trust you will forgive this and all my other buffooneries, and believe me to be, with great respect,

Your Lordship's obliged and sincere servant,

BYRON.

[Footnote 1: 'Childe Harold' was published March 1, 1812. Another copy of 'Childe Harold' was sent to Mrs. Leigh, with the following inscription: