hip, as those in his
concerning me. I hope, however, that friend will have more respect
for my memory than to imitate the taste of Mr Moore.

CHAPTER XXIX

Lord Byron in 1813--The Lady's Tragedy--Miss Milbanke--Growing
Uneasiness of Lord Byron's Mind--The Friar's Ghost--The Marriage--A
Member of the Drury Lane Committee--Embarrassed Affairs--The
Separation

The year 1813 was perhaps the period of all Lord Byron's life in
which he was seen to most advantage. The fame of Childe Harold was
then in its brightest noon; and in that year he produced The Giaour
and The Bride of Abydos--compositions not only of equal power, but
even tinted with superior beauties. He was himself soothed by the
full enjoyment of his political rank and station; and though his
manners and character had not exactly answered to the stern and
stately imaginations which had been formed of his dispositions and
appearance, still he was acknowledged to be no common man, and his
company in consequence was eagerly courted.

It forms no part of the plan of this work to repeat the gossip and
tattle of private society, but occurrences happened to Lord Byron
which engaged both, and some of them cannot well be passed over
unnoticed. One of these took place during the spring of this year,
and having been a subject of newspaper remark, it may with less
impropriety be mentioned than others which were more indecorously
made the topics of general discussion. The incident alluded to was
an extravagant scene enacted by a lady of high rank, at a rout given
by Lady Heathcote; in which, in revenge, as it was reported, for
having been rejected by Lord Byron, she made a suicidal attempt with
an instrument, which scarcely penetrated, if it could even inflict
any permanent mark on, the skin.

The insane attachment of this eccentric lady to his Lordship was well
known; insane is the only epithet that can be applied to the actions
of a married woman, who, in the disguise of her page, flung herself
to a man, who, as she told a friend of mine, was ashamed to be in
love with her because she was not beautiful--an expression at once
curious and just, evincing a shrewd perception of the springs of his
Lordship's conduct, and the acuteness blended with frenzy and talent
which distinguished herself. Lord Byron unquestionably at that time
cared little for her. In showing me her picture, some two or three
days after the affair, and laughing at the absurdity of it, he