Conversations on Religion, with Lord Byron
Lord Byron to James Kennedy, 10 March 1824
Missolunghi, March 10, 1824.
Dear Sir,
You could not disapprove of the motto to the Telegraph more than I did, and do; but
this is the land of liberty, where most people do as they please, and few as
they ought.
I have not written, nor am inclined to write, for that or for
any other paper, but have suggested to them, over
and
over, a change of the motto and style. However, I do not think that it will
turn out either an irreligious or a levelling publication, and they promise due
respect to both churches and things, i. e., the editors
do.
If Bambas would write
for the Greek Chronicle, he might
have his own price for articles.
There is a slight demur about Hato’s voyage, her mother wishing to go with her, which
is quite natural, and I have not the heart to refuse it; for even Mahomet made a law, that in the division of
captives the child should never be separated from the mother. But this may make
a difference in the arrangement, although the poor woman (who has lost half her
family in the war) is, as I said, of good character, and of mature age, so as
to render her respectability not liable to suspicion. She has heard, it seems,
from Prevesa, that her husband is no longer there. I have consigned your Bibles
to Dr. Meyer; and I hope that the said
Doctor may justify your confidence; nevertheless, I shall keep an eye upon him.
You may depend upon my giving the society as fair play as Mr. Wilberforce himself would; and any other
commission for the good of Greece will meet with the same attention on my part.
I am trying, with some hope of eventual success, to re-unite
the Greeks, especially as the Turks are expected in force, and that shortly. We
must meet them as we may, and fight it out as we can.
I rejoice to hear that your school prospers, and I assure you
that your good wishes are reciprocal. The
weather is so
much finer, that I get a good deal of moderate exercise in boats and on
horseback, and am willing to hope that my health is not worse than when you
kindly wrote to me. Dr. Bruno can tell
you that I adhere to your regimen, and more, for I do not eat any meat, even
fish.
Believe me ever yours,
Very faithfully and truly,
P.S.—The mechanics (six in number) were all pretty
much of the same mind. Brownbill
was but one. Perhaps they are less to blame than is imagined, since
Colonel Stanhope is said to have
told them, “that he could not positively say
their lives were safe,” I should like to know where
our life is safe, either here or any where else? With regard to a place of
safety, at least such hermetically-sealed safety as these persons appeared
to desiderate, it is not to be found in Greece at any rate; but Missolunghi
was supposed to be the place where they would be useful, and their risk was
no greater than that of others.
Mr. Brownbill (1824 fl.)
A tinsmith, one of the artisans who traveled to Missolonghi with William Parry and
departed soon afterwards.
Francesco Bruno (d. 1828 c.)
Byron's physician on his second expedition to Greece in 1823-24; he was afterwards in
Switzerland, and died at Naples.
Hatagèe (1824 fl.)
A Turkish girl of about nine years of age who Byron rescued while in Missolonghi and
proposed sending to Dr. James Kennedy for adoption; in the event, she was restored to her
father, Hussein Aga, a secretary to Yusuf Pasha.
James Kennedy (1793 c.-1827)
Scottish physician in the British forces; his experiences with Byron in Cephalonia were
published as
Conversations on Religion with Lord Byron
(1830).
Mahomet (570 c.-632)
Founder of the Muslim religion.
Johann-Jacob Meyer (1798-1826)
Swiss republican who edited
Hellenica Chronica; he died during the
siege of Missolonghi.
Leicester Fitzgerald Charles Stanhope, fifth earl of Harrington (1784-1862)
The third son of the third earl; in 1823 he traveled to Greece as the Commissioner of the
London Greek Committee; there he served with Byron, whom he criticizes in
Greece in 1823 and 1824 (1824). He inherited the earldom from his brother in
1851.
William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
British statesman, evangelical Christian, and humanitarian who worked for the abolition
of slavery. He was an MP for Yorkshire aligned with Fox and Sheridan.
Hellenica Chronica. (1824-26). A biweekly Greek language newspaper edited by Jean Jacques Meyer; most of the subscribers
lived outside of Greece.
Telegrafo Greco. (1824). An Italian newspaper published at Missolonghi; it was edited by Pietro Gamba.