23 — To the Hon. Augusta Byron

[The Earl of Carlisle's, Grosvenor Place, London.]

Burgage Manor, April 23d, 1805.

My Dearest Augusta

, — I presume by this time, that you are safely arrived at the Earl's, at least I

hope

so; nor shall I feel myself perfectly easy, till I have the pleasure of hearing from yourself of your safety. I myself shall set out for town this day (Tuesday) week, and intend waiting upon you on Thursday at farthest; in the mean time I must console myself as well as I can; and I am sure, no unhappy mortal ever required much more consolation than I do at present. You as well as myself know the

sweet

and

amiable

temper of a certain personage to whom I am nearly related; of

course

, the pleasure I have enjoyed during my vacation, (although it has been greater than I expected) yet has not been so

superabundant

as to make me wish to stay a day longer than I can avoid. However, notwithstanding the dullness of the place, and certain

unpleasant things

that occur In a family not a hundred miles distant from Southwell, I contrived to pass my time in peace, till to day, when unhappily, In a most inadvertent manner, I said that Southwell was not

peculiarly

to my taste; but however, I merely expressed this in common conversation, without speaking disrespectfully of the

sweet

town; (which, between you and I, I wish was swallowed up by an earthquake, provided my

Eloquent mother

was not in it).

No

sooner had the unlucky sentence, which I believe was prompted by my evil Genius, escaped my lips, than I was treated with an Oration in the

ancient style

, which I have often so

pathetically

described to you, unequalled by any thing of

modern

or

antique

date; nay the

Philippics

against Lord Melville

were nothing to it; one would really Imagine, to have heard the

Good Lady

, that I was a most

treasonable culprit

, but thank St. Peter, after undergoing this

Purgatory

for the last hour, it is at length blown over, and I have sat down under these

pleasing impressions

to address you, so that I am afraid my epistle will not be the most entertaining. I assure you upon my

honour

, jesting apart, I have never been so

scurrilously

, and

violently

abused by any person, as by that woman, whom I think I am to call mother, by that being who gave me birth, to whom I ought to look up with 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,

stigmatized

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 cannot 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. I would be very sorry to have it discovered, as I have only one week more, for the present. In the mean time you may write to me with the greatest safety, as she would not open any of my letters, even from you. I entreat then that you will favour me with an answer to this. I hope however to have the pleasure of seeing you on the day appointed, but If you could contrive any way that I may avoid being asked to dinner by L'd C. I would be obliged to you, as I hate strangers. Adieu, my Beloved Sister,

I remain ever yours,

Byron

Footnote 1:

Henry Dundas (1742-1811), created Viscount Melville in 1802, Lord Advocate (1775-83), made himself useful to Lord North's Government as a shrewd, hard-working man of business, a ready speaker — in broad Scotch, and a consummate election agent. For twenty years he was the right-hand man of Pitt —

"Too proud from pilfered greatness to descend,
Too humble not to call Dundas his friend."

Not only was he Pitt's political colleague, but in private life his boon companion. A well-known epigram commemorates in a dialogue their convivial habits —

Pitt. "I cannot see the Speaker, Hal; can you?"

Dundas. "Not see the Speaker, Billy? I see two."

Melville, for a long series of years, held important political posts. He was Treasurer of the Navy (1782-1800); member of the Board of Control for India (1784-1802) and President (1790-1802); Home Secretary (1791-94); Secretary of War (1794-1801); First Lord of the Admiralty (1804-5). In 1802 a Commission had been appointed to examine into the accounts of the naval department for the past twenty years, and, in consequence of their tenth report, a series of resolutions were moved in the House of Commons (April, 1805) against Melville. The voting was even — 216 for and 216 against; the resolutions were carried by the casting vote of Speaker Abbott.

"Pitt was overcome; his friend was ruined. At the sound of the Speaker's voice, the Prime Minister crushed his hat over his brows to hide the tears that poured over his cheeks: he pushed in haste out of the House. Some of his opponents, I am ashamed to say, thrust themselves near, 'to see how Billy took it.'"

(Mark Boyd's

Reminiscences of Fifty Years

, p. 404.) Melville, who was heard at the bar of the House of Commons in his own defence, was impeached before the House of Lords (June 26, 1805) of high crimes and misdemeanours. At the close of the proceedings, which began in Westminster Hall on April 29, 1806, Melville was acquitted on all the charges. Whitbread took the leading part in the impeachment. See

All the Talents: a Satirical Poem

, by Polypus (E. S. Barrett) —

"Rough as his porter, bitter as his barm, He sacrificed his fame to M — lv — lle's harm."

Dialogue ii.

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