was a reckless,
dissipated spendthrift, who deserted his wife and child. Mrs. Byron
convulsively clasped her son to her one moment and threw the scissors
and tongs at him the next, calling him "the lame brat," in reference
to his club foot. Such treatment drew neither respect nor obedience
from Byron, who inherited the proud, defiant spirit of his race. His
accession to the peerage in 1798 did not tend to tame his haughty
nature, and he grew up passionately imperious and combative.

Being ambitious, he made excellent progress in his studies at Harrow,
but when he entered Cambridge he devoted much of his time to shooting,
swimming, and other sports, for which he was always famous. In 1809 he
started on a two years' trip through Spain, Greece, and the far East.
Upon his return, he published two cantos of _Childe Harold's
Pilgrimage_, which describe his journey.

This poem made him immediately popular. London society neglected its
old favorite, Scott, and eagerly sought out the handsome young peer
who had burst suddenly upon it. Poem after poem was produced by this
lion of society, and each one was received with enthusiasm and
delight. Probably no other English poet knew such instant widespread
fame as Byron.

Suddenly and unexpectedly this adulation turned to hatred. In 1815
Byron married Miss Milbanke, an heiress, but she left him a year
later. Although no reason for the separation was given, the public
fastened all the blame upon Byron. The feeling against him grew so
strong that he was warned by his friends to prepare for open violence,
and finally, in 1816, he left England forever.

His remaining eight years were spent mostly in Italy. Here, his great
beauty, his exile, his poetry, and his passionate love of liberty made
him a prominent figure throughout Europe. Notwithstanding this fame,
life was a disappointment to Byron. Baffled but rebellious, he openly
defied the conventions of his country; and seemed to enjoy the shock
it gave to his countrymen.

[Illustration: BYRON AT SEVENTEEN. _From a painting_.]

The closing year of his life shone brightest of all. His main
activities had hitherto been directed to the selfish pursuit of his
own pleasure; and he had failed to obtain happiness. But in 1823 Byron
went to Greece to aid the Greeks, who were battling with Turkey for
their independence. Into this struggle for freedom, he poured his
whole energies, displaying "a wonderful aptitude for managing the
complica