house he frequently spent his evenings: the gentleman facetiously remarked, that his servants complained that his Lordship left them nothing but crumbs to eat. Lord Byron felt the force of this irony, but instantly retorted, "Nathan, your progenitors would have been more grateful for such indulgencies in luxury, when traversing the wilderness with a baker's oven on their backs; with no other fuel than the heat of the sun to prepare their pastry :-a scanty portion of crust, Nathan."

On another occasion, the same gentleman made a remark, that his Brandy, No. 64. was fast disappearing, to which his Lordship replied, "it shall be like the widow's oil, that did not diminish by using;" and the next day sent a few gallons to replenish stock. This certainly enriched his cellar; but who with the common feelings of hospitality would have levied such a tax !!!

Lord Byron was a man of the greatest discernment and could penetrate the secret recesses of a mercenary

character; could meet him in his own way, without appearing to do so in the eyes of the individual.

The same honorable gentleman had a mistress, whom either from his zest, perchance, or from convenience in mercenary matters, he wished to entail as a personal property upon a more favorite swain: but his Lordship had too much commerce with the world to be made the dupe of his northern neighbour, though many attempts were made to effect that purpose. Finding every other effort vain, he adopted the expedient of resigning her to sing at his Lordship's rooms in the Albany, which were well adapted to the compass of her voice. Lord Byron had too much gallantry to refuse the proposal, when a Lady was in the case, but at the same time concealed his feelings, while remarking, "Nathan, I presume I have to acknowledge this favor to your choice; since from experience, you can scan the vocal powers, which is more your province than mine."

It may here excite the astonishment of the discerning

part of the community, how Lord Byron, possessed of keen discernment, could at all identify himself with a person of no decided character: but we must take into consideration, that the most contemptible animals serve to swell the numbers in a menagerie, without which, the selection would not be complete; and it is not a very distant period in history, when the kings and nobility of this country, considered their establishments incomplete, without an established jester, ready on all occasions to afford amusement to their visitors: and as Lord Byron dwelt much on the romantic, this individual may have supplied that desideratum in modern English domestic arrangements.

The jesters of the Kings and Barons of England, however, were men of talent and erudition; but as changes of times produce changes in sentiment, his Lordship probably wished to try the effect of contrast in that capacity, as he by no means selected a philosopher in the person of this nondescript.

This opinion is borne out, by a circumstance which

H

fell within the sphere of my own observation. I was on one occasion desirous of witnessing the performance of a new Pantomime at Covent Garden Theatre, but his Lordship interposed, by observing, "Nathan, don't go; I promise you better amusement over a bottle of Sanco's Sixty-Four. I am certain his manœuvrings will afford you greater entertainment, than the antics of any clown you can possibly witness at Covent Garden Theatre." (k)

(k) Although Lord Byron had a most thorough contempt for this insignificant coxcomb, yet being of mechanical utility to his Lordship, he was used merely as a convenience in pecuniary transactions, being quite an adept at pounds, shillings, and pence; and I sincerely believe perfectly honorable in those matters. Lord Byron, on the contrary, was by no means mercenary, indeed he was perfectly indifferent to worldly affairs, and held the individual in question in character of a steward, to keep a regular debtor and creditor account, without making the least infringement upon his pocket, and in this character Lord Byron sometimes facetiously called him his pecuniary friend.

Lord Byron at all times evinced, in the strongest manner, the highest respect for real merit, and valued mankind accordingly. Instead of giving a preference to empty titles and honors, these he only valued in proportion to the merits of the possessor; the poor, the rich, and all classes of the community were duly weighed in this scale, and with that exactness by which none but a man of clear intellect and shrewd discernment could decide.

The following anecdote, though apparently trivial, shews in what thorough contempt he held titles when the intellect of the party did not keep in the same high ground as his rank.

Lord Byron greatly admired Mr. Dowton the comedian, and paid him the most marked attention, shewing at once the respect he had for him as an open honest character, and his admiration of his transcendent merits as a performer. His Lordship