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

[To, The Honorable / Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & C o . Bankers. / Pall Mall. / London. /
Angleterre. // Inghilterra.]
A three-sheet postscript with the letter missing. Postmarked “DE 25, 1822”.
P.S. 2 d .
Since I wrote y e . enclosed I have seen Leigh H. who knows no more what to think than I do –
best for his brother about the D. J. s – – –
I enclose you a letter from Mr. J. H. at the risk of double postage – which of course (as on all business)
will be right to be charged to my banking account. – – You may “try back the deep lane” 109 of Pater
Noster and other rows – and – at any rate – we can but not publish. – and not publish as well without a
fair prospect. – If there were any Guarantee for H – or any other Man’s keeping a true account in
the mysteries of publication I would say well – and good – but there is no instance in their annals – &
without precedent we may distrust the future of those regular “on account of the Author”. – J. H.’s
Copyright {offer} – we cannot accept – because he has no capital, and if he could not pay –
nevertheless I would not persecute a poor man to make him poorer. – As to Murray’s intrigues – and
Ridgeway’s paltriness – they may
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surprize you – but not me. – – Murray will exert his whole chicane to ruin all publications of mine in
which he is not concerned – but I’ll fix him before we have done. – As to the rest – when I tell you that
two or three booksellers – refused the l st . & 2 d . Childe Harold – and no less than ten or twelve E. Bards
– it will show you what their Judgement is worth. – When it is generally known that you have seven
Cantos of the Continuation of a popular work to print in hand – mark – that this “will raise the waters.”
– At the worst it is but publishing on “own account” or not publishing at all, at least for the present. Is
the prior part of the work read and re-read or no? – You can ascertain that – if it is – let it be merely
understood that the remaining Cantos (supposing these as good in composition) will be for the fairest
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2 d .) and you will have offers. – If not – I will set up a printing office of my own – and publish them in
my own way. – Do not be discouraged – you see what a juggle the whole thing is – Murray selling
6000 & c . of Werner and struggling to prevent all other sales. – But I am sick of the subject and you will
be more so – and rightly. – – –
I pray you do not neglect my various requests on the subject of business – especially as I only require
my own – & not another’s. If we still dispose of these M.S.S. – well, – if not – patience – but all’s well
still. – –
I have as I said – a balance of three thousand three pounds 110 clear still of my own – at the end of the
year i.e. two thousand seven hundred in your bank – and six hundred & thirty pounds in that of Messrs.
Webb of Leghorn. – Of my own you will have some=
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=thing to receive in J y – and of Lady B.’s I know not – when – but something something – – some time,
or other. – – –
Of this or these I want only the account – and that the surplus (however small) may be laid out at low
interest – but safe security. – –The remaining debt (but small by y r . statement) may be liquidated by
degrees – according to the proportion received. – I can make my present surplus of three thousand three
hundred last two years – perhaps three – so that the whole of this year – – (i.e. 1823) may be allotted to
liquidation of debt – or saving of income. – – I have reformed my establishment – reduced my horses
from nine to four – and will go still further if necessary. – Servants & Sundries have been reduced in
proportion – it is my wish to keep floating in bank about a thousand
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3 d .) or two for any exigency – and to devote the rest to the acquisition of independence. – I will
discharge the remaining bet 111 only at the rate of two hundred {paid} per thousand {received;} – – this
109: “double back and hide” (foxhunting term).
110: B. means “three thousand three hundred pounds”.
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