a moral duty, and love of virtue ("I love the virtues which I
cannot claim"), would have conquered every temptation. Judge, then, how
I must hate the creed which made him see God as an Avenger, not a Father!
My own impressions were just the reverse, but could have little weight;
and it was in vain to seek to turn his thoughts for long from that idee
fixe with which he connected his physical peculiarity as a stamp. Instead
of being made happier by any apparent good, he felt convinced that every
blessing would be "turned into a curse" to him. Who, possessed by such
ideas, could lead a life of love and service to God or man? They must,
in a measure, realize themselves. "The worst of it is, I do believe," he
said. I, like all connected with him, was broken against the rock of
predestination. I may be pardoned for referring to his frequent
expression of the sentiment that I was only sent to show him the
happiness he was forbidden to enjoy. You will now better understand why
"The Deformed Transformed" is too painful to me for discussion. Since
writing the above, I have read Dr. Granville's letter on the Emperor of
Russia, some passages of which seem applicable to the prepossession I
have described. I will not mix up less serious matters with these, which
forty years have not made less than present still to me.'

* * * * *

LADY BYRON TO H. C. R.

'BRIGHTON, April 8, 1855.

. . . . 'The book which has interested me most, lately, is that on
"Mosaism," translated by Miss Goldsmid, and which I read, as you will
believe, without any Christian (unchristian?) prejudice. The
missionaries of the Unity were always, from my childhood, regarded by me
as in that sense the people; and I believe they were true to that
mission, though blind, intellectually, in demanding the crucifixion. The
present aspect of Jewish opinions, as shown in that book, is all but
Christian. The author is under the error of taking, as the
representatives of Christianity, the Mystics, Ascetics, and Quietists;
and therefore he does not know how near he is to the true spirit of the
gospel. If you should happen to see Miss Goldsmid, pray tell her what a
great service I think she has rendered to us soi-disant Christians in
translating a book which must make us sensible of the little we have
done, and the much we have to do, to justify our preference of the later
to the earlier dispensation.' . . .

* * * * *

LADY B