26 — To the Hon. Augusta Byron

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

[Harrow, Wednesday, June 5, 1805.]

My Dearest Augusta, — 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

. Our first Speech day will be over ere this reaches you, but against the 2d you shall have timely notice. — I am glad to hear your illness is not of a Serious nature;

young Ladies

ought not to throw themselves in to the fidgets about a trifling delay of 9 or 10 years; age brings experience and when you in the flower of youth, between 40 and 50, shall then marry, you will no doubt say that I am a

wise man

, and that the later one makes one's self miserable with the matrimonial clog, the better. Adieu, my dearest Augusta, I bestow my

patriarchal blessing

on you and Lady G. and remain,

[Signature cut out.]

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