the necessity of
encountering such demands, to the trying expedient of parting with his
books,--which circumstance coming to Mr. Murray's ears, that gentleman
instantly forwarded to him 1500_l._, with an assurance that another sum
of the same amount should be at his service in a few weeks, and that if
such assistance should not be sufficient, Mr. Murray was most ready to
dispose of the copyrights of all his past works for his use.

This very liberal offer Lord Byron acknowledged in the following
letter:--

LETTER 231. TO MR. MURRAY.

"November 14. 1815.

"I return you your bills not accepted, but certainly not
_unhonoured_. Your present offer is a favour which I would accept
from you, if I accepted such from any man. Had such been my
intention, I can assure you I would have asked you fairly, and as
freely as you would give; and I cannot say more of my confidence or
your conduct.

"The circumstances which induce me to part with my books, though
sufficiently, are not _immediately_, pressing. I have made up my
mind to them, and there's an end.

"Had I been disposed to trespass on your kindness in this way, it
would have been before now; but I am not sorry to have an
opportunity of declining it, as it sets my opinion of you, and
indeed of human nature, in a different light from that in which I
have been accustomed to consider it.

"Believe me very truly," &c.

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

"December 25. 1815.

"I send some lines, written some time ago, and intended as an
opening to 'The Siege of Corinth.' I had forgotten them, and am not
sure that they had not better be left out now:--on that, you and
your Synod can determine. Yours," &c.

* * * * *

The following are the lines alluded to in this note. They are written in
the loosest form of that rambling style of metre which his admiration of
Mr. Coleridge's "Christabel" led him, at this time, to adopt; and he
judged rightly, perhaps, in omitting them as the opening of his poem.
They are, however, too full of spirit and character to be lost. Though
breathing the thick atmosphere of Piccadilly when he wrote them, it is
plain that his fancy was far away, among the sunny hills and vales of
Greece; and their contrast with the tame life he was leading at the
moment, but gave to his recollections a f