endeavored, and at length succeeded, to convince him that Colonel M- was too good and honorable a man to do any thing spiteful or ill-natured, and that he never spoke ill of him; which seemed to gratify him. He told me that Colonel M-’s sister was the intimate and confidential friend of Lady Byron, and that through this channel I might be of great use to him, if I would use myinfluence with Colonel M-, to make his sister write to Lady Byron for a copy of her portrait, which he Colonel had long been most anxious to possess. M-, after much entreaty, consented to write to his sister on the subject, but on the express condition that Lord Byron should specify on paper his exact wishes; and I wrote to Lord Byron to this effect, to which letter I received the following answer. I ought to add, that in conversation told Lord Byron that it was reported that Lady Byron was in delicate health, and also that it was said she was apprehensive that he intended to claim his daughter, or to interfere in her education; he refers to this in the letter which I copy. [1]
Talking of literary women, Lord Byron said that Madame de Staël was certainly the cleverest, though not the most agreeable woman he had ever known. "She declaimed to you instead of conversing with you," said he, "never pausing
- ↑ Here follow the letters in Moore's Journal, pp. 644-6.
