which had been but for a short time, and through the
fault only of others, interrupted,--contains such a summary of the
chief events now passing round Lord Byron, as, with the assistance of
a few notes, will render any more detailed narrative unnecessary.

LETTER 547. TO MR. MURRAY.

"Missolonghi, February 25. 1824.

"I have heard from Mr. Douglas Kinnaird that you state 'a report of a
satire on Mr. Gifford having arrived from Italy, _said_ to be written
by _me_! but that _you_ do not believe it.' I dare say you do not,
nor anybody else, I should think. Whoever asserts that I am the
author or abettor of any thing of the kind on Gifford lies in his
throat. If any such composition exists it is none of mine. _You_ know
as well as any body upon _whom_ I have or have not written; and _you_
also know whether they do or did not deserve that same. And so much
for such matters.

"You will perhaps be anxious to hear some news from this part of
Greece (which is the most liable to invasion); but you will hear
enough through public and private channels. I will, however, give you
the events of a week, mingling my own private peculiar with the
public; for we are here a little jumbled together at present.

"On Sunday (the 15th, I believe,) I had a strong and sudden
convulsive attack, which left me speechless, though not
motionless--for some strong men could not hold me; but whether it was
epilepsy, catalepsy, cachexy, or apoplexy, or what other _exy _ or
_epsy_, the doctors have not decided; or whether it was spasmodic or
nervous, &c.; but it was very unpleasant, and nearly carried me off,
and all that. On Monday, they put leeches to my temples, no difficult
matter, but the blood could not be stopped till eleven at night (they
had gone too near the temporal artery for my temporal safety), and
neither styptic nor caustic would cauterise the orifice till after a
hundred attempts.

"On Tuesday, a Turkish brig of war ran on shore. On Wednesday, great
preparations being made to attack her, though protected by her
consorts[1], the Turks burned her and retired to Patras. On Thursday
a quarrel ensued between the Suliotes and the Frank guard at the
arsenal: a Swedish officer[2] was killed, and a Suliote severely
wounded, and a general fight expected, and with some difficulty
prevented. On Friday, the officer was buried; and Captain Parry's
English artificers mutinied, under pretence that their lives are in
danger, and are for quittin