“A general interest having been excited touching the fate of Lord Byron’s Memoirs, written by himself, and reports confused and incorrect having got into circulation upon the subject, it has been deemed requisite to signify the real particulars.
“The manuscript of these Memoirs was purchased by Mr. Murray, in the year 1821, for the sum of two thousand guineas, under certain stipulations, which gave him the right of publishing them three months after his Lordship’s demise. When that event was authenticated, the manuscript consequently remained at Mr. Murray’s absolute disposal, and a day or two after the melancholy intelligence reached London, Mr. Murray submitted to the near connections of the family that the manuscript should be destroyed. In consequence of this, five persons, variously concerned in the matter, were convened for discussion upon it.
“As these Memoirs were not calculated to augment the fame of the writer, and as some passages were penned in a spirit which his better feelings since had virtually retracted, Mr. Murray proposed that they should be destroyed, considering it a duty to sacrifice every view of profit to the reputation of the noble author, by whose confidence and friendship he had been so long honoured. This proposal of Mr. Murray’s was strongly opposed, and he again urged it with increased zealousness, renouncing even every claim to indemnification for what he had paid, in order to obviate objections as far as he possibly could.
“The result has been, that, notwithstanding some
opposition first offered, he obtained the desired
decision, and the manuscript was forthwith committed to the flames. Mr. Murray, notwithstanding
his renunciation of every claim to repayment of the purchase-money,
was immediately reimbursed in the purchase-money by Mr. Moore, although
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