veneration and respect, but whom I am sorry I cannot love or admire. Within one little hour, I have not only heard myself, but have heard my whole family, by the father's side, stigmatised in terms that the blackest malevolence would perhaps shrink from, and that too in words you would be shocked to hear. Such, Augusta, such is my mother; my mother! I disclaim her from this time, and although I annot help treating her with respect, I cannot reverence, as I ought to do, that parent who by her outrageous conduct forfeits all title to filial affection. To you, Augusta, I must look up, as my nearest relation, to you I must confide what I cannot mention to others, and I am sure you will pity me; but I entreat you to keep this a secret, nor expose that unhappy failing of this woman, which I must bear with patience. would be very sorry to have it discovered, as I have only one week more, for the present. In the meantime you may write to me with the greatest safety, as she would not open any of my letters, even from you.

(1805, April 23. Letter 23, to the Hon. Augusta Byron, Vol. I., p. 60.)

I shall certainly be most happy again to see you, notwithstanding my wise and Good mother (who is at this minute thundering against Somebody or other below in the Dining Room), has interdicted my visiting at his Lordship's [i.e. Lord Carlisle's] house, with the threat of her malediction, in case of disobedience, as she says he has behaved very ill to her; the truth of this I much doubt, nor should the orders of all the mothers (especially such mothers) in

MRS BYRON "CERTAINLY MAD"

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the world, prevent me from seeing my Beloved Sister after so long an Absence.

(1805, April 25. Letter 24, to the Hon. Augusta Byron, Vol. I., p. 65.)

At last you have a decent specimen of the dowager's talents for epistles in the furioso style. You are now freed from the shackles of her correspondence, and when I revisit her, I shall be bored with long stories of your ingratitude, etc., etc. She is as I have before declared certainly mad (to say she was in her senses, would be condemning her as a Criminal), her conduct is a happy compound of derangement and Folly. I had the other day an epistle from her; not a word was mentioned about you, but I had some of the usual compliments on my own account. I am now about to answer her letter, though I shall scarcely have patience, to treat her with civility, far less with affection, that was almost over before, and this has given the finishing stroke to filial, which now gives way to fraternal duty. Believe me, dearest Augusta, not ten thousand such mothers, or indeed any mothers, Could induce me to give you up. No, No, as the dowager says in that rare epistle which now lies before me, "the time has been, but that is past long since," and nothing now can influence your pretty sort of a brother (bad as he is) to forget that he is your Brother.

(1805, June 5. Letter 26, to the Hon. Augusta Byron, Vol. I., p. 66.)

I have just received a Letter from my Mother, in which she talks of coming to Town about the com

B

mencement of our Holidays. If she does, it will be impossible for me to call on my Sister, previous to my leaving it, and at the same time I cannot conceive what the Deuce she can want at this season in London. I have written to tell her that my Holidays commence on the 6th of August, but however, July the 1st is the proper day. I beg that if you cannot find some means to keep her in the Country that you at least will connive at this deception which I can palliate, and then I shall be down in the country before she knows where I am. My reasons for this are, that I do not wish to be detained in Town so uncomfortably as I know I shall be if I remain with her; that I do wish to see my Sister; and in the next place she can just as well come to Town after my return to Notts, as I don't desire to be dragged about according to her caprice, and there are some other causes I think unnecessary to be now mentioned. If you will only contrive by settling this business (if it is in your power), or if that is impossible, not mention anything about the day our Holidays commence, of which you can be easily supposed not to be informed. If, I repeat, you can by any means prevent this Mother from executing her purposes, you will greatly oblige.

(1805, July 8. Letter 29, to John Hanson, Vol. I., p. 68.)

Well, my dearest Augusta, here I am, once more situated at my mother's house, which together with its inmate is as agreeable as ever. I am at this moment vis-à-vis and tête-à-tête with that amiable personage, who is, whilst I am writing, pouring forth

AUGUSTA BYRON'S "INGRATITUDE”

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complaints against your ingratitude, giving me many oblique hints that I ought not to correspond with you, and concluding with an interdiction that if you ever after the expiration of my minority are invited to my residence, she will no longer condescend to grace it with her Imperial presence. You may figure to yourself, for your amusement, my solemn countenance on the occasion, and the meek lamblike demeanour of her Ladyship, which, contrasted with my saintlike visage, forms a striking family painting, whilst in the background, the portraits of my Great-grandfather and Grandmother, suspended in their frames, seem to look with an eye of pity on their unfortunate descendant, whose worth and accomplishments deserve a milder fate. I am to remain in this Garden of Eden one month, I do not indeed reside at Cambridge till October, but I set out for Hampshire in September where I shall be on a visit till the commencement of the term. In the mean time, Augusta, your sympathetic correspondence must be some alleviation to my sorrows, which however are too ludicrous for me to regard them very seriously; but they are really more uncomfortable than amusing. (1805, August 6. Letter 31, to the Hon. Augusta Byron, Vol. I., p. 72.)

I have at last succeeded, my dearest Augusta, in pacifying the dowager, and mollifying that piece of flint which the good Lady denominates her heart. She now has condescended to send you her love, although with many comments on the occasion, and many compliments to herself. But to me she still continues to be a torment, and I doubt not would

continue so till the end of my life. However, this is the last time she ever will have an opportunity, as, when I go to college, I shall employ my vacations either in town; or during the summer I intend making a tour through the Highlands, and to Visit the Hebrides with a party of my friends, whom I have engaged for the purpose. This my old preceptor Drury recommended as the most improving way of employing my Summer Vacation, and I have now an additional reason for following his advice, as I by that means will avoid the society of this woman, whose detestable temper destroys every Idea of domestic comfort. It is a happy thing that she is my mother and not my wife, so that I can rid myself of her when I please, and indeed, if she goes on in the style that she has done for this last week that I have been with her, I shall quit her before the month I was to drag out in her company, is expired, and place myself anywhere, rather than remain with such a vixen. As I am to have a very handsome allowance, which does not deprive her of a sixpence, since there is an addition made from my fortune by the Chancellor for the purpose, I shall be perfectly independent of her, and, as she has long since trampled upon, and harrowed up every affectionate tie, It is my serious determination never again to visit, or be upon any friendly terms with her. This I owe to myself, and to my own comfort, as well as Justice to the memory of my nearest relations, who have been most shamefully libelled by this female Tisiphone, a name which your Ladyship will recollect to have belonged to one of the Furies. You need not take