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

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It is not true that I ever did – will –
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would – could or should write a satire against Gifford – or a hair of his head – and so tell M r . Murray. –
–
I always considered Gifford as my literary father – and myself as his “prodigal Son” – and if I have
allowed his “fatted calf” to grow to an Ox before he kills it on my return – it is only because I prefer
beef to veal. – –
I shall be very glad to hear a good account of Hunt’s – and {of} all other accounts – for we have
expences here – I assure you – and I may require my Rochdale as well as Kirkby Mallory proceeds –
not omitting my funded products – for aught I know – unless they get (the Greeks that is to say) their
loan – and perhaps even then. I must do the thing properly and handsomely – and so far I have
succeeded in supporting
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the Government of Western Greece for the present which would otherwise have been dissolved – but
Stanhope and Parry can tell you the particulars. – If you have got the eleven thousand and odd pounds
– (as you say you expected on 9 bre . 23 d . shortly to receive them) these – with what I had in hand – and
my income for the current year – to say nothing of contingencies from H t ’s proceeds – or others – will
or might enable me to keep “the sinews of war” 160 properly strong. – If the Deputies are honest fellows
– and obtain the loan – they will repay the £4000 (as agreed upon) advanced in l0 bre . – and even then –
I shall save little or indeed less than little – since I am maintaining the whole machine nearly (in this
place at least) at our own cost. – But – let the {Greeks} but succeed – and I don’t care for myself.
y rs . ever
N Bn
P.S. from Byron to Douglas Kinnaird, late February 1824:
(Source: Ms. NLS TD 3079, f.71; not in 1922 II; not in BLJ; not mentioned as a forgery in BLJ XI)
[Postmark “2 APR” // via d’Otranto // OTRANTO // AUTRICHE PAR DUNQUERQUE // To The
Honourable / Douglas Kinnaird. / Messrs Ransom & C o . Bankers. / Pall Mall East. / London. /
Angleterre. // Inghilterra. // N. B. // Zante 26 February 1824 Opened by our Quarantine office, resealed
& forwarded by your most obedient Servant – Samuel Barff]
Unpublished. The postage material on the envelope is very convincing, except for the big gap between
the February quarantine notification from Samuel Barff and the April postmark.
P.S. I request you to send me out more letters of Credit with all convenient speed and opportunity. –
Remember me to all friends and above all believe neither the Good nor the evil you may hear of Greece
as yet – none of them have as yet hit on the right place of the cause and consequences. – –
I am trying to find it out –
Parry and Stanhope are likely to be correct – each according to his feelings – that is to say; – but we
have not yet got to the real sources of events.
Douglas Kinnaird to Byron, from London, February 23rd 1824:
(Source: text from NLS 43456)
My dear Byron,
Will you enable me to give an answer to M r Jones – I have promised him to forward the
enclosed for your perusal – I can of course know nothing of the transaction & cannot say a word upon
it 161 – Yours Vy truly
Douglas Kinnaird
Pall Mall East
Feby 23 – 1824
[1:2 blank.]
160: A phrase from Bacon, On the True Greatness of Kingdoms.
161: Jones proposed to take out an insurance policy on the life of Miss Massingberd: see B. to K., April 9th 1823.