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

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1:4 [above address:] myself good for any thing – if I {had not been} detested by the
English. – – You see I know this better than you – for when you wrote {to} me in raptures with the
success!! of “Heaven and Earth” I told you that your joy was kind but premature. – You can tell me
nothing of hostile or oppressive [below address:] from the English – which I have not contemplated –
and such is my feeling towards their national meanness – that I would not wish it otherwise – except as
far as it gives my friends pain. – – –
But Courage! – I’ll work them. – – –
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, February 27th 1823:
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43454; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 110-11)
[To, The Hon ble Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & Co. Bankers. / Pall Mall. / London. /
Angleterre. // Inghilterra.]
Byron refuses to have The Age of Bronze published in The Liberal. He hasn’t enough paper to say all
he wishes.
[across top of first side:] P.S. – You need not send proofs of the Age of Bronze – only correct them
carefully – I shall want proofs of the remaining cantos of D.J. – 9 10 11 12. –
Genoa. F y . 27 th . 1823.
My dear Douglas – Many thanks for y rs . of y e . 14 th . – It is strange that in your three last you never even
allude to my answer to Deardon (enclosed with his letter to me) which I forwarded to you on the 23 d . of
J y . and which required particular notice as upon it depends a good deal. – Have they arrived? – I
insured the letter at the office here? – – – – I should be very willing to pay Baxter 135 off – but how? – I
cannot leave myself bare – all my views have been disappointed. – From the Noel property – only 900
– in all – as yet – – and of that 600 for insurances. – Hanson and others have had a good deal of the rest
including the Rochdale money. – Baxter must wait – at least a year – for I see little for my subsistence
– but my own economy of last year. – From literature – I have derived nothing. – Murray lies – when
he says he loses by Werner 136 – did he not sell 6000? – now make all deductions whatever for trade
price – to the trade – & c . & c . how can he have lost? – And supposing that he had – are the eight and
twenty years of’ Copyright nothing?
1:2
Will he say that he will not be able to sell it with my other works? – But he is capable of anything – we
are well rid of him – but I’ll expose him before all’s over. – – – –
As to the D.J.s – they must be published and take their chance. – I wish the “Age of Bronze” to be
published alone and immediately – – and on no account to go into “the Liberal”. – The publisher to
account to you for the proceeds. – Recollect – it has a copyright. – – I wish also that you would state to
M r . J. H. that as long as I thought “the Liberal” could be of service to him and to his brother – I was
happy to conduce to it – though I opposed it from the beginning – knowing how it would end – but that
as it answers little to them – and is highly injurious to me in every way – I wish to retire from it. – They
will carry it on as well without me. – For his next number he has a translation from Pulci of mine
which he may have if he pleases – but the Age of Bronze
1:3
I wish to appear alone – – you may choose him or what publisher you please. – – – – – –
With regard to Hanson – if you do not stop the law=proceedings – he will have another bill in no time –
is it the outstanding balance which is 600 or what? – is this after the payment of the 500 R. Money – or
before? – Of Lushington’s account I can chiefly understand that out of £4314 – I have received £900 –
– very equitable I dare say – but certainly a scanty half of 6000 a year. – – – –
Do not think I blame you. – or indeed any body – but I am out of luck on all sides; – it don’t much
matter – for my health is far from good – and will not probably last very long. –
I Confess I could wish {that} something was done with Deardon – what will he give for the Manor? – –
– It must produce something – I am anxious to get a few thousand pounds together – to pay off
remaining debt – and invest any little remnant – –
135: B. still hasn’t paid Baxter for his Napoleonic coach.
136: Mu. says this in no surviving letter to B.: in fact he sold 4,900 copies of Werner’s first edition, and made
£547 2s 10d profit, which was shared £364 15s 3d to B., and £182 7s 7d to himself (Murray ledger p.289).