above all calculations of interest, made him despise all
considerations of ambition or of ease, exposed him to terrible party
warfare, to slander, and revenge; spurred him on to attack the great and
powerful whenever they turned aside from the path of virtue, justice, or
simplicity, and made him forget his nationality, that he might better
remember his humanity.

Meanwhile he never once yielded to any interest; and thus this innate
faculty, which might have been a virtue easily practiced, _became one of
heroic merit_.

We may safely assert that all his griefs through life owed their origin
to this rare quality; for perhaps he did not know sufficiently how to
reconcile it with a _certain amount_ of that social virtue called
prudence; whose office it is to keep silence when advisable, and not to
utter dangerous truths.

Certainly Lord Byron never showed that wisdom for himself which he knew
well how to practice for others; witness his conduct in Greece, where,
according to the account given by all who lived with him there at that
time, he displayed the utmost prudence, moderation, and ability.[203]

That social virtue of prudence, which, to our mind, is somewhat akin to
a defect, was wholly wanting in him in private life; yet it is a
necessary virtue in his country, and especially was so in his day.
England then was, in many respects, far from resembling the England of
our time. Liberty of opinion was certainly guaranteed by law; but then
there were the drawing-room tribunals; very unforgiving with regard to
certain truths, and little disposed to admire that inclination which
prompts superior minds not to conceal their real thoughts. The earth or
the universe might have been conceded as a field open to criticism, he
might express his true opinions on all points, provided only some few
books, and one island, called England, were excepted. Under show of
respect, absolute silence was required on these heads. They constituted
the ark of alliance; to speak ill of them was not permissible, and even
to praise was almost dangerous.

In the enchanted palace of "Blue beard" one single chamber was reserved;
and woe to him who penetrated therein.

Since then, a period of peace and prosperity, together with the effects
of time and travel, have greatly improved the noble character of the
English nation. In our day, pens, tongues, and consciences are less
strictly bound, and many truths may now be avowed without fear of
bringing