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

(Source: text from NLS Ms.43454; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 90-1)
[To, The Honorable Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & Co. Bankers. / Pall Mall / London. /
Angleterre. // Inghilterra.]
A two-side sheet with text in many places.
Genoa. J y . 27 th . 1823.
My dear Douglas –
Y rs of the 13 th . – Has Hanson’s bill since 1817 received any liquidation – is it the
2400 – that I have to pay? – – or the balance of 6–– or 700 – as mentioned in y r former letters as about
the whole now due. – Pray clear up this – an important point. – I enclose you a letter from young
Hanson on whose Contents you will have to decide – as I am always willing to go along with y r .
opinions, on that and other matters. – you see there will be a Spanish war. – As to publishing matters –
you can decide on them too – I shall not appeal from y r . tribunals – “to Philip fasting.” 124 – – –
Remember me to Hobhouse – – whose letter I have – he will have had a second from me by this time.
– ever y rs .
N. B.
Decide for me about the Kirby reference to the Arbitrators. I will abide by y r . [curls up right-hand
side:] decision – am I not tractable? [crosswise on left-hand side:] Will you ask young Hanson what
this Scotch discharge is? and what money is to be received upon it? he will tell ye fast enough if it is to
go to his bill. –
1:2 [above address:] I have not answered Hanson – and he knows nothing from me of our negociation
with Deardon. – This Spanish war will be preventive to selling out of the funds which I [below
address:] greatly regret, – as you may well suppose. – – –
Before investments you will of course deduct all you have paid for insurances & c . let me know what
half year’s fee exactly is – since the four thousand of Sir R. N. was placed in the funds also – Would
we were well out of them! – –
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, January 29th 1823:
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43454; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 92-3)
[To, The Honorable / Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & Co. Bankers. / Pall Mall. / London. /
Angleterre. // Inghilterra.]
Byron offers Kinnaird a political analysis of the way Don Juan is developing. The tears in the P.S.
manuscript seem to have occurred since Leslie Marchand’s time.
Genoa. J y . 29 th . 1823.
My dear Douglas,
By this post (in a packet separate from this letter – and insured at the office here –) I
remit to you the sum of twelve hundred pounds in your own circulars of August – which are untouched.
– Of this I would request you on receipt – to purchase Exchequer bills for one thousand pounds and
apply the other two hundred to liquidate the remaining claims. – This will make with the thousand of J y
6 th . from the funds – which you state as invested in Exchequer bills – two thousand. – –
You do not say what the actual halfyear’s amount from the funds – really is – the whole year was (or
(ought to have been) £2515 – – and since then – Sir R. N.‘s – payment of the four thousand must have
added something to the interest – how much in all I know not – but not to mistake – let us say – 2600
for the whole year – half year – 1300. – – The
1:2
balance then of the sum now remitted – added to that from the funds – will be after the exchequer
investments – five hundred pounds – the whole of which may go to pay off any debts of mine still
extant – i.e. of those you have stated – {as} Baxter – Hanson – or Mealey’s relict, – the very names of
the others are strange to me – nor will I recognize their claims till fully proved. – –
You mention two thousand now in your hands (from the trustees) from Kirkby – and a thousand to be
paid shortly. – Am I to understand by this – that fifteen hundred pounds of this Michaelmas rent of
1822 – comes to me? – or what – or how much? – If it be so – I could wish a thousand to be invested in
a third exchequer bill or other safe and easily reconvertible security – and the five hundred pounds
1:3
124: Valerius Maximus, Memorabilia VI 2.ext.1 (adapted: “‘ad Phillipum’ inquit, ‘sed sobrium’”).
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