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LORD BYRON LORD BYRON. Although so much has already been written about Lord Byron, including the most trivial anecdotes of his childhood I will venture to let one of mine take its chance with the public, along with its many predecessors, some true, some doubtless fabricated, and if mine lacketh good telling, the truth of it nust make amends for the style; for I have always thought with the great satirist Boileau, " I n'y a rien beau que le vrai, le vrai seul est aimable." I have already had occasion to speak frequently of his Lordship, and recollections are continually recurring to my mind of by-gone years, when I felt honoured by the notice which he conferred upon me. Yes: I cannot omit this trait of his personal courage, which might have been of very serious consequence; and though it may seem told merely to in- troduce his name, n'importe, I shall not hesitate to insert it; having, in fact, been present at the occurrence. In the year 1806, one night in the month of July, I was seated with Lord Byron in the last row of the front boxes, at Coleman's Theatre; the heat was so intense as to oblige us to keep the box-door open during the intervals of the acts, when a young man, with a blustering air and noli me tangere look, intruded himself on the same seat. As soon as the curtain drew up, his Lordship told him, in a firm yet polite manner, that the box was already full; he nevertheless tenaciously persisted in keeping his place: some words ensued, but seeing that he was still determined to maintain his position, Lord Byron, being next the door, pushed him sans cérémonie into the lobby. Having watched his behaviour, and hearing him 6