As far as it went, it was
not discouraging, particularly my 'first' speech (I spoke three or
four times in all); but just after it, my poem of 'Childe Harold' was
published, and nobody ever thought about my 'prose' afterwards, nor
indeed did I; it became to me a secondary and neglected object, though
I sometimes wonder to myself if I should have succeeded."]
[Footnote 2: Byron, writing to John Hanson, February 28, 1812, says:
"Dear Sir,--In the report of my speech (which by the bye is given very
incorrectly) in the 'M[orning] Herald', 'Day', and 'B[ritish] Press',
they state that I mentioned 'Bristol', a place I never saw in my life
and knew nothing of whatever, nor 'mentioned' at all last night. Will
you be good enough to send to these 'papers' 'immediately', and have
the mistake corrected, or I shall get into a scrape with the Bristol
people?
"I am, yours very truly,
"B."]
[Footnote 3: 'Childe Harold', Cantos I., II.]
* * * * *
228.--To Lord Holland.
St. James's Street, March 5, 1812.
MY LORD,--May I request your Lordship to accept a copy of the thing
which accompanies this note [1]?
You have already so fully proved the truth of the first line of Pope's
couplet [2],
"Forgiveness to the injured doth belong,"
that I long for an opportunity to give the lie to the verse that
follows. If I were not perfectly convinced that any thing I may have
formerly uttered in the boyish rashness of my misplaced resentment had
made as little impression as it deserved to make, I should hardly have
the confidence--perhaps your Lordship may give it a stronger and more
appropriate appellation--to send you a quarto of the same scribbler.
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