BYRON'S LETTERS TO DOUGLAS KINNAIRD ... - Get a Free Blog

Believe me my dear Byron
Yours faithfully
Douglas Kinnaird
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, November 18th 1822 (i):
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43453; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 35)
[To, The Honourable / Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & C o . Bankers / Pall Mall. / London.
Angleterre // Inghilterra.]
A single sheet.
Genoa. 9b re . 18 th . 1822.
My dear Douglas –
As I hear no further of y r . accident – I trust that all is well, and you also – I enclose an
{open} letter for M r . Deardon of Rochdale – which I request you to forward – and after perusing it to
do all you can to forward an accommodation – I want the lawsuit concluded or off my mind. – I will be
guided by any thing you think fair on the subject. – Pray – weigh this well – you can easily get the
requisite information. I enclose also a letter from Murray – who does not even allude to y r . accident –
which confirms me in the notion that it is not dangerous. – Both the epistles will explain themselves. –
y rs . ever
N. B.
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, November 18th 1822 (ii):
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43453; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 35)
[To, The Hon ble . Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & C o . Bankers / Pall Mall / London / Angleterre
// Inghilterra.]
A single sheet, which enclosed the previous item.
9 bre . 18 th . 1822.
Dear Douglas,
Since I wrote the enclosed I have received another letter from Murray 79 – which he had
directed to Pisa. – Of the truth of both you can judge as well as any one. – To me publication is a
matter of no great importance – and no outcry or diminution of popularity or extinction of it – will alter
my way of thinking. – The Juans shall either be published or not as you think proper. – I sent you six
Cantos in all – four first – and two since – between M. & the Hunts – I am in a dilemma – as a Man
always is – who wishes to do a good action. – You see that M. is frightened or pretends to be so 80 – so
– the truth comes out at length – – –
With regard to the letter to Dearden – I will act according to your advice.
y rs . ever
N. B.
P.S. – I hope that you will carry the insurance of L y . B’s life to, 15 – or 20000 £.S.D.
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, November 20th 1822:
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43453; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 37)
[To, The Honorable / Douglas Kinnaird. / Pall Mall. / London. // Honoured by Miss Kent.]
A two-sided sheet.
Genoa. 9bre. 20 th . 1822.
Dear Douglas,
The enclosed draft will be forwarded to you with this note of advice – by Miss Kent a
young lady who sent a draft for twenty five pounds to some of her relations in this Country. As they
had not occasion to use it – they wished to return it – but having some apprehensions of the post –
requested me to receive it and give a draft on your house for the amount which I have accordingly
79: Mu. to B., November 5th 1822. A hysterical letter (“I have received your Letter of the 24 Oct r in reply to wch
& to every other of the same kind I shall only reply that your suspicions are as groundless as they are unworthy of
you”).
80: B. has sent K. Mu.’s letter of October 29th 1822: “Mr Kinnaird sent me the 3 Cantos of Don Juan and with
them, very ungenerously I think, your angry Letter – having read it – I returned the MSS unopened – I
refrained from writing you expecting to find by a subsequent letter that nothing but momentary irritation could
have induced you to have penned it But, though I did before, the Preface & many extracts from the Poem – and I
declare to you, these were so outrage // ously shocking that I would not publish them – if you would give me your
estate – Title – & Genius – For heavens sake revise them, they are equal in talent to any thing you have written, &
it is therefore well worth while to extract what would shock the feeling of every man in the Country – & do your
name everlasting injury …” and so on.
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