ch to the eyes of distant observers hung about him; while
the romantic notions, connected by some of his fair readers with those
past and nameless loves alluded to in his poems, ran some risk of
abatement from too near an acquaintance with the supposed objects of
his fancy and fondness at present. A poet's mistress should remain, if
possible, as imaginary a being to others, as, in most of the attributes
he clothes her with, she has been to himself;--the reality, however
fair, being always sure to fall short of the picture which a too lavish
fancy has drawn of it. Could we call up in array before us all the
beauties whom the love of poets has immortalised, from the high-born
dame to the plebeian damsel,--from the Lauras and Sacharissas down to
the Cloes and Jeannies,--we should, it is to be feared, sadly unpeople
our imaginations of many a bright tenant that poesy has lodged there,
and find, in more than one instance, our admiration of the faith and
fancy of the worshipper increased by our discovery of the worthlessness
of the idol.

But, whatever of its first romantic impression the personal character of
the poet may, from such causes, have lost in the circle he most
frequented, this disappointment of the imagination was far more than
compensated by the frank, social, and engaging qualities, both of
disposition and manner, which, on a nearer intercourse, he disclosed, as
well as by that entire absence of any literary assumption or pedantry,
which entitled him fully to the praise bestowed by Sprat upon Cowley,
that few could "ever discover he was a great poet by his discourse."
While thus, by his intimates, and those who had got, as it were, behind
the scenes of his fame, he was seen in his true colours, as well of
weakness as of amiableness, on strangers and such as were out of this
immediate circle, the spell of his poetical character still continued
to operate; and the fierce gloom and sternness of his imaginary
personages were, by the greater number of them, supposed to belong, not
only as regarded mind, but manners, to himself. So prevalent and
persevering has been this notion, that, in some disquisitions on his
character published since his death, and containing otherwise many just
and striking views, we find, in the professed portrait drawn of him,
such features as the following:--"Lord Byron had a stern, direct, severe
mind: a sarcastic, disdainful, gloomy temper. He had no light sympathy
with heartless cheerfuln