to reconquer her
liberty, or to become a dependence of the sovereigns of Europe, or to
return to a Turkish province; she has already the choice only of
these three alternatives. Civil war is but a road which leads to the
two latter. If she is desirous of the fate of Wallachia and the
Crimea, she may obtain it TO-MORROW; if that of Italy, THE DAY AFTER.
But if she wishes to become TRULY GREECE, FREE AND INDEPENDENT, she
must resolve TO-DAY, or she will never again have the opportunity,"
etc., etc.

Meanwhile, the Greek people became impatient for Lord Byron to come
among them. They looked forward to his arrival as to the coming of a
Messiah. Three boats were successively despatched for him and two of
them returned, one after the other, without him. On the 29th of
December, 1823, however, his Lordship did at last embark.

CHAPTER XLIII

Lord Byron's Conversations on Religion with Dr Kennedy

While Lord Byron was hesitating, in the Island of Cephalonia, about
proceeding to Greece, an occurrence took place, of which much has
been made. I allude to the acquaintance he formed with a Dr Kennedy,
the publication of whose conversations with him on religion has
attracted some degree of public attention.

This gentleman was originally destined for the Scottish bar, but
afterwards became a student of medicine, and entering the medical
department of the army, happened to be stationed in Cephalonia when
Lord Byron arrived. He appears to have been a man of kind
dispositions, possessed of a better heart than judgment; in all
places wherever his duty bore him he took a lively interest in the
condition of the inhabitants, and was active, both in his official
and private capacity, to improve it. He had a taste for circulating
pious tracts, and zealously co-operated in distributing copies of the
Scriptures.

Firmly settled, himself, in a conviction of the truth of
Christianity, he was eager to make converts to his views of the
doctrines; but whether he was exactly the kind of apostle to achieve
the conversion of Lord Byron may, perhaps, be doubted. His sincerity
and the disinterestedness of his endeavours would secure to him from
his Lordship an indulgent and even patient hearing. But I fear that
without some more effectual calling, the arguments he appears to have
employed were not likely to have made Lord Byron a proselyte. His
Lordship was so constituted in his mind, and by his temperament, that
nothing short