as elapsed since then, though it
has done away neither the injury nor the feeling of it, has, in many
respects, materially altered my situation; and the only object which I
have now in writing to your Lordship is to preserve some consistency
with that former letter, and to prove to you that the injured feeling
still exists, however circumstances may compel me to be deaf to its
dictates, at present. When I say 'injured feeling,' let me assure your
Lordship, that there is not a single vindictive sentiment in my mind
towards you. I mean but to express that uneasiness, under (what I
consider to be) a charge of falsehood, which must haunt a man of any
feeling to his grave, unless the insult be retracted or atoned for; and
which, if I did _not_ feel, I should, indeed, deserve far worse than
your Lordship's satire could inflict upon me." In conclusion I added,
that so far from being influenced by any angry or resentful feeling
towards him, it would give me sincere pleasure if, by any satisfactory
explanation, he would enable me to seek the honour of being henceforward
ranked among his acquaintance.[32]

To this letter, Lord Byron returned the following answer:--

LETTER 73. TO MR. MOORE.

"Cambridge, October 27. 1811.

"Sir,

"Your letter followed me from Notts, to this place, which will
account for the delay of my reply. Your former letter I never had
the honour to receive;--be assured, in whatever part of the world
it had found me, I should have deemed it my duty to return and
answer it in person.

"The advertisement you mention, I know nothing of.--At the time of
your meeting with Mr. Jeffrey, I had recently entered College, and
remember to have heard and read a number of squibs on the occasion;
and from the recollection of these I derived all my knowledge on
the subject, without the slightest idea of 'giving the lie' to an
address which I never beheld. When I put my name to the production,
which has occasioned this correspondence, I became responsible to
all whom it might concern,--to explain where it requires
explanation, and, where insufficiently, or too sufficiently
explicit, at all events to satisfy. My situation leaves me no
choice; it rests with the injured and the angry to obtain
reparation in their own way.

"With regard to the passage in question, _you_ were certainly _not_
the person towards whom I fe