the author appears to have thrown off with an effort as spontaneous as that of a tree resigning its leaves to the wind. But that noble tree will never more bear fruit or blossom! It has been cut down in its strength, and the past is all that remains to us of Byron. We can scarce reconcile ourselves to the idea-scarce think that the voice is silent for ever, which, bursting so often on our ear, was often heard with rapturous admiration, sometimes with regret, but always with the deepest interest:

"All that's bright must fade,

The brightest still the fleetest."

With a strong feeling of awful sorrow we take leave of the subject. Death creeps upon our most serious as well as upon our most idle employments; and it is a reflection solemn and gratifying that he found our Byron in no moment of levity, but contributing his fortune, and hazarding his life, in behalf of a people only endeared to him by their past glories, and as fellow-creatures suffering under the yoke of a heathen oppressor. To have fallen in a crusade for freedom and humanity, as in olden times it would have been an atonement for the blackest crimes, may in the present be allowed to expiate greater follies than even exaggerated calumny has propagated against Byron.'

CHAPTER XIV.

LORD BYRON'S residence in Italy had become irksome from various causes. The censures which had been passed-some of them just and earnest, others marked only by the petty malignity which distinguishes a certain description of critics-gave him pain, and, by their frequent recurrence, irritated him to an astonishing degree. He felt that he was declining in reputation, and he resolved to do something which should convince the world that, although there were moments when circumstances might prevent the full blaze of his powers from showing itself in unobscured brilliancy, the flame burnt still,. and would never be extinguished. The political state of Italy had given him great disgust; and he even thought of going to the United States of America. Perhaps the necessity of a change of scene to so active a spirit as bis was stronger than any other motive; but, whatever might have

induced the resolution, certain it is that, in the early part of 1828, he resolved to go to Greece:

In his

No one could accuse him of being a blind enthusiast. travels during his younger days he had imbibed a greater personal esteem for the character of the Turks than for that of their slaves. He may have persuaded himself that his personal endeavours and his pecuniary resources might possibly contribute to the liberation of Greece. No undertaking could interest him more strongly ; the object, the scene, the danger, were powerful incentives.

It appeared that no Christian power was likely to take part in the struggle of the Greeks. Most of the Europeans who went to their assistance had either perished, or, discontented, had abandoned them. It was generally believed that a powerful expedition was preparing on the part of the Turks; the eyes of all Europe were then turned, not towards the east, but the west. Spain alone occupied the public attention. Such a state of things would have made others desist: it stimulated Lord Byron,

In the mean time he received a letter from his friend Mr. Hobhouse, informing him of the interest that the English were beginning to take in favour of the Greeks; that a committee had been formed, many of whom were his friends; that Mr. Blaquiere had been sent into Greece to learn more exactly the state of affairs, and that he would touch at Genoa, to communicate with his lordship. In the middle of April Mr. Blaquiere arrived in company with Mr. Luriotti, afterwards Greek deputy in London.

They begged his lordship to concur with his other friends: he replied that he was fully disposed so to do, and to assist the cause not only with his means, but personally, if the Greeks would accept of his services, and if his going to Greece would be of any advantage to that country.

He then decided on as early a departure as possible.

Several accounts have already been made public respecting the few events which marked his lordship's residence in Greece. These accounts differ in some respects, but each of them contains some particu lars in which the others are deficient. The principal ones are, a highly intelligent and able article which appeared in the Westminster Review,' and which was commonly attributed to Mr. Hobhouse ; a narrative of Lord Byron's last journey into Greece, by Count Peter Gamba, the brother of the Countess Guiccioli; and a very interesting

volume, by the Honorable Colonel Leicester Stanhope, called Greece in 1823 and 1824.' From these several accounts, and some others of less note, we have compiled the history which follows of the latter part of Lord Byron's life, and of his lamented death; which will be found to contain every particular relating to those events.

The motives which induced Lord Byron to leave Italy and join the Greeks, struggling for emancipation from the yoke of their ignorant and cruel oppressors, are of so obvious a nature, that it is scarcely worth while to allude to them. It was in Greece that his high poetical faculties had been first most powerfully developed; and they who know the delight attendant, even in a very inferior degree, upon this intellectual process, will know how to appreciate the tender associations which, soft as the memory of buried love,' cling to the scenes and the persons that have first stimulated the dormant genius. Greece, a land of the most venerable and illustrious history, of a peculiarly grand and beautiful scener, inhabited by various races of the most wild and picturesque manners, was to him the land of excitement,-nevercloying, never-wearying, ever-changing excitement :-such must ne cessarily have been the chosen and favorite spot of a man of powerful and original intellect, of quick and sensible feelings, of a restless and untameable spirit, of warm affections, of various information,—and, above all, of one satiated and disgusted with the formality, hypocrisy, and sameness of daily life. It appeared to him that there was a good chance of his being useful in a country which he loved—a field of honorable distinction was open to him, and doubtless he expected to derive no mean gratification from witnessing so singular and instructive a spectacle as the emancipation of Greece.-A glorious career apparently presented itself, and he determined to try the event. When he had made up his mind to leave Italy for Greece, he wrote from Genoa to Mr. Trelawney, one of his most intimate friends and con. stant companions, then at Rome, saying,

Trelawney, you must have heard I am going to Greece; why do you not come to me? I am at last determined-Greece is the only place I ever was contented in-I am serious-and did not write before, as I might have given you a journey for nothing :—they all say I can be of great use in Greece. I do not know how, nor do they; but, at all events, let us try!'

He had, says this friend, who knew him well, become ambitious of a name, or rather by one great effort to wipe out the memory of those

deeds which his enemies had begun rather freely to descant on in the public prints; and to make his name as great in glorious acts as it already was by his writings.

Lord Byron embarked from Leghorn and arrived in Cephalonia in the early part of August, 1823, attended by a suite of six or seven friends, in an English vessel (the Hercules, Captain Scott), which he had hired for the express purpose of taking him to Greece. His lordship had

never seen any of the volcanic mountains, and for this purpose the vessel deviated from its regular course in order to pass the island of Stromboli. The vessel lay off this place a whole night in the hopes of witnessing the usual phenomena, when, for the first time within the memory of man, the volcano emitted no fire-the disappointed poet was obliged to proceed in no good humour with the fabled forge of Vulcan. Nothing happened,' says the Count Gamba, in his account of Lord Byron's last journey to Greece- nothing happened during our voyage. Lord Byron enjoyed excellent health, and was always in good spirits, He was generally on deck; and, as he never undressed to lie down, he often rose at night. He took his meals on deck. Fruit, cheese, and vegetables, as long as they kept fresh, formed his diet. He both read and conversed much. We were all cheerful; the presence of the Ionian adventurer alone gave us cause for uneasiness. The old Captain Scott, a plain honest sailor, frequently amused Lord Byron with his quaint observations.

'On the morning of the 3d of August we cast anchor in Argostoli, the principal port of Cephalonia.

Whilst waiting for answers to inquiries which he had dispatched to procure information from the Morea respecting the position of several Greek forces, we took a journey across the island of Cephalonia to Ithaca, leaving most of the servants, and every thing else, on board. The first day we reached St. Euphemia, one of the principal ports of the island on the side of Ithaca. An English magistrate, who resided there, politely offered us his hospitality. But notwithstanding a journey of six hours on mules, under a scorching sun, and over nearly impassable roads, Lord Byron was resolved to proceed on to Ithaca the same day. We crossed the narrow strait, between the two islands, in an open four-oared boat. The season, the time of day, and the beautiful views of the surrounding coasts, rendered our tour agreeable. Our boatmen landed us at Ithaca.

It was now near sunset: the town of Vathi was more than six miles distant, over a hilly road: we were eight in company, with some

luggage, and rather fatigued: no house, no sign of a human being, was to be seen. Lord Byron proposed passing the night in some of the many caves on the coast. We refreshed ourselves with some ripe grapes which grew upon the hill. Romantic adventures were displeasing to none of us, but it was to be feared less the night air might injure Lord Byron's health; for which reason, Mr. Hamilton Browne and myself ascended the hill, whilst the others were bathing. After an hour's walk we discovered a house in a recess, surrounded by trees. A boy was standing before the door, who, from his appearance and dress, did not appear to be a peasant. Mr. Browne asked him, in

Greek, if it were possible to find a guide to the town, and some mules? What was our agreeable surprise to hear an answer, in good Venetian, from a female within, that she would immediately call her husband, then in the field, and that we could certainly be provided with a mule and a servant. She then came out to us. Her appearance, though she was somewhat worn by years and domestic cares, was not unpleasing. Her husband had formerly been a merchant at Trieste; the house, and a small quantity of land, which they cultivated, remained to them after the wreck of their fortune. The husband appeared; and, though ignorant who we were, not only offered us the mule and servant, but every hospitality his house could afford. The way to the town being long and steep, and no other mules to be found, we gladly accepted the kind offer; and, returning, we found Lord Byron just come out of the water he refused the use of the mule, and walked up to the house, rather more than an hour distant.

'Our good host, a warm patriot, and formerly a rich merchant, entertained us for some time with accounts of the prowess of the Greeks, rivalling, as he said, the glory of their ancestors. He told us, also, the story of the misfortunes which had brought him to that solitude. He spread before us some excellent grapes, of various sorts, besides other fruit, and wine. It was one of those delightfully cool nights which, in such climates, fully repay us for the heat of the day. On one side were two high mountains, on the other the declivity of the hill which led to the shore where we had disembarked. On the summit of one of the mountains tradition places a castle, founded by Ulysses; and on the side a cave, where he deposited the presents of the Pheacians. Our host, who valued himself on his erudition, made us pay a trifle for his hospitality by obliging us to listen to his long antiquarian dis

sertations.

'Lord Byron, who delighted more in the beauties of nature thau is