rs to
myself (February 20.) refers:--

"I am most anxious to know that you mean to emerge out of the
Liberal. It grieves me to urge any thing so much against Hunt's
interest; but I should not hesitate to use the same language to
himself, were I near him. I would, if I were you, serve him in every
possible way but this--I would give him (if he would accept of it)
the profits of the same works, published separately--but I would
_not_ mix myself up in this way with others. I would _not_ become a
partner in this sort of miscellaneous '_pot au feu_,' where the bad
flavour of one ingredient is sure to taint all the rest. I would be,
if I were _you_, alone, single-handed, and, as such, invincible."

While on the subject of Mr. Hunt, I shall avail myself of the
opportunity it affords me of introducing some portions of a letter
addressed to a friend of that gentleman by Lord Byron, in consequence
of an appeal made to the feelings of the latter on the score of his
professed "friendship" for Mr. Hunt. The avowals he here makes are, I
own, startling, and must be taken with more than the usual allowance,
not only for the particular mood of temper or spirits in which the
letter was written, but for the influence also of such slight casual
piques and resentments as might have been, just then, in their
darkening transit through his mind,--indisposing him, for the moment,
to those among his friends whom, in a sunnier mood, he would have
proclaimed as his most chosen and dearest.

LETTER 509. TO MRS. ----.

"I presume that you, at least, know enough of me to be sure that I
could have no intention to insult Hunt's poverty. On the contrary, I
honour him for it; for I know what it is, having been as much
embarrassed as ever he was, without perceiving aught in it to
diminish an honourable man's self-respect. If you mean to say that,
had he been a wealthy man, I would have joined in this Journal, I
answer in the negative. * * * I engaged in the Journal from good-will
towards him, added to respect for his character, literary and
personal; and no less for his political courage, as well as regret
for his present circumstances: I did this in the hope that he might,
with the same aid from literary friends of literary contributions
(which is requisite for all journals of a mixed nature), render
himself independent.

"I have always treated him, in our personal intercourse, with such
scrupulous delicacy, that I have forborne intruding advice