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

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amount – and {are} eventually secure – as I have property to cover all {their claims} a thousand or five
thousand times over – whether I survive or not, – you must really not be complying with every
pretension of these fellows – till I know better whether they are {well} founded. – – – –
As to Rochdale – as you do not condescend [Ms. tear: “to”] favour me with the slightest information
on the subject – that I may be enabled to stop the process – I am a good deal puzzled what to say – but I
have neither time nor inclination to scold about it – and am besides much
very much y rs .
N. B.
P.S. – If the present time is let slip by
for the publication of the D.J.s –
it is so much lost; – do not
listen to the Cabal – that will pass
by and bye – and they are {only} mystifying you to bully me. –
2:2 [above address:] P.S. I have your letter of Credit for two thousand pounds untouched – and it is
only for Tuscany – though I could get money on it here. – I have also a thousand in Circulars still –
Fifteen hundred I converted the other day – as the Exchange was temptingly in favour – and at the
same time likely to alter. – If you send me an [below address:] extended Credit on Italy and the Levant
– I shall return you the Letter (for the £2000) untouched as is just and proper. – – I have 17000 –
Francs {too} – (for the Gold exchanged last year) in Webb’s bank in Leghorn – all this is sufficient for
my own private expences – and more – but if I go up into Greece – I wish to have as great a command
of monies of mine as I can – that I might be of some use to the Cause – and you know [curls round and
ascends the right-hand side:] that Cash is the Sinew of war as indeed of most other things – love
excepted [inverted around top of sheet:] and occasionally of that too. –
Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, from Genoa, April 21st 1823:
(Source: text from NLS Ms.43454; not in 1922 II; BLJ X 154-5)
[To, The Honorable Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom and C o . / Pall Mall. Bankers. / Pall Mall East /
London. / Angleterre. // Inghilterra.]
This letter is in eight sections: three sides of paper, two sections of the address side, and three
marginal notes.
April 21 st . 1823.
My dear Douglas –
By all means send the power of Attorney for you sole – or – in case of my going up to
the Levant – from whence our correspondence must be slow and uncertain – suppose you make it for
you and Hobhouse – lest any accident should occur (you rough rider you!) when I might be for months
without any person able or willing to act for me – during my absence. – – Send me also correct
instructions for the signature – and then you can control and regulate and get me out of lawyers’ hands
and bills, – you surely know that it is now eight years – I have striving to extricate my affairs from
Chancery Lane – and Hobhouse can tell you the same thing. – – – –
With regard to the Juans (you will have the tenth by this time) and The Island – and the rest (I mean
those published – but not disposed of as to Copyright) you could perhaps arrange with Wright
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or some one else – for the purchase of the copyrights of the whole – they would form five – six or rnore
volumes to rnatch with the former works. – H. writes that he has sold in a week – about 2000 of the
Age & c . – which will at least pay its’ expences; – you will be able to judge from this matter the truth of
Murray’s averment about Werner – of which he sold 6000. – He ought to make a deposit {of
Werner} for the Copyright {of Werner} – recollect {that} it lasts {for} eight and twenty years. – – At
Paris – 400 copies sold – pay the expence of publishing a work – how this may be in London – I know
not. – – –
There is a trickery in these things – no one can understand – though we see and feel it. –
After the expences of the Age – are settled – the fair way will be for the publisher and author to divide
the surplus – if any. – – –
Much they will probably not have to divide – because the work is temporary – and the price
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