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Document : 202

Title: Letter from Murray2 to Byron, 25 Sept 1822

Author(s): Murray, John

Albemarle St.

 Sept. 25th 1822
Dear Lord Byron

On my return from paying the last
offices to Allegra I found your letter of Aug 27-31 & this
day I have received a third dated Sept 10.

I did, certainly omit in the published Copies
of Cain the lines quoted by your Lordship. I could not venture
to give them to the public, and I even hoped that when their
omission should be discovered,  you would [¿] feel
surprise rather than dissatisfaction. I have so often and
so publicly acknowledged my obligation for the fame and profit
which I have gained by the publication of your writings, that
your Lordship cannot imagine that I am not sensible of
the heavy sacrifice which I should make in losing so in
valuable a friend, and it is  this circumstance alone
which has rendered my recent (not as you, I think, unjustly
term it "shuffling” & "timeserving” which would imply sinister
motives, for it is obvious than I have none but a regard to your
fame & my own character - but, certainly, I must allow,)
indecision - for this there would have, I think, been no occa
sion were you still in this country for then you would
have been more sensible to those public animadversions
which at present fall upon me. If you are so kind  so
 nobly generous to allow me the honour of continuing



to be the publisher of such of your writings as are of your former
glorious class — I shall feel more than ever gratefulBut,
I beg leave to repeat, that no adverse determination of yours
can diminish — at any time — my sense of obligation to you,
nor of the most sincere personal attachment — and as you
have avowed that, when an occasion offered you did not
find me mercenary or indesposed to practical gratitude I
trust that our mutual feelings will be such as to leave the door open
to a speedy renewal of the most delightful  con
nexion which I ever formed in my life; — but if you
should accede to my proposal it will really leave un
destroyed, a very considerable portion of my happiness.

With regard to my reception of Mr John Hurst whom
I was not aware that your Lordship had ever seen, he sent
up word that “a Gentleman” wished to deliver into my
own hands a letter from Lord Byron, & with instantane
ous joy, I went down to receive him — there I found Mr
Hurst & a person obviously brought there as a witness
 — He delivered the letter in the most [¿] & formal man
ner to me staring me, fully & closely in the face as if having
 administered a dose of arsnick he wished to see its minute [
] — & to all that I civilly & simply replied — with
the same assassin look, he ever repeated “are these
your words Sir — “is that your answer Sir” — “am I
to write these words to Lord Bryon” — in fact if you knew
the insulting behaviour of this man you would I am
sure excuse me for having directed my confidential



Clerk to tell him when he called again that he might
be assured that whatever papers Lord Byron directed
Mr Murray to send to him would be carefully and,
as speedily as possible delivered at his house, but that
personal intercourse was not agreeable & would not
be necessary. A friend of yours - My heart & soul are
& ever have been with any & every friend of yours - After
so long an interval it is not very extraordinary that some
of the Slips of letters to Pope Blackwood & co should have
been mislaid- but this man can make no allowances
but conceives that mystery, deceit or fraud, can be the only
[¿]- There have now been sent to him
[¿]

1. The Blues
2. -[Pulci]. Orig. & [Eng.]
3. -Francesca
4. Hints from Horace
5. Part of letter to Blackwood

yet wanting
I Armenian Epistles
II Lines on the Po (wch Mr Kinnaird has)
III remainder of Letter to Blackwood

all these, I know I have, & my papers are undergoing
diligent investigation to find them - The inclosed notice
has been just put into circulation - the association which
it unfolds, thus publicly - your friends will view with
regret.  I have received the very interesting Journal
which your Lordship was so good as to send me by your
most gentlemanly friend Lord Clair & it is deposited
in the Iron Box containing all your other papers,



I inclose  specimens of two editions of your
Lordships Works which I am printing in the most beauti
ful manner that modern art can effect - the best proof
of my honouring your Writings.  I have sent for
the Don Juan.


I open the letter to say that I called immediately upon Mr
Kinnaird - he is in Paris - but I saw that all your
Lordships packets had arrived safely.  I entreat you to believe
that I remain My Lord

Yours most sincerely & faithfully
John Murray

Milord
Milord Byron
Poste restante
Genoa

1822
Mr Murray
Lord Byron
Sept 25th
