LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
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The Last Days of Lord Byron
Contents
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
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Preface
‣ Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Appendix
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THE

LAST DAYS

OF

LORD BYRON:

WITH HIS

LORDSHIP’S OPINIONS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

PARTICULARLY ON THE

STATE AND PROSPECTS OF GREECE.


BY WILLIAM PARRY,

MAJOR OF LORD BYRON’S BRIGADE, COMMANDING OFFICER OF ARTILLERY,
AND ENGINEER IN THE SERVICE OF THE GREEKS.

“Lord Byron awoke in half an hour. I wished to go to him, but I had not the heart.
Mr. Parry went, and Byron knew him again, and squeezed his hand, and tried to
express his last wishes.”—Count Gamba’s Narrative.



LONDON:
PRINTED FOR KNIGHT AND LACEY,
PATERNOSTER-ROW;
AND WESTLEY AND TYRRELL, DUBLIN.
MDCCCXXV.
 
CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
Voyage To Greece.—First Interview with Lord Byron.

Public Meeting in London in behalf of the Greeks—My services engaged by Mr. Gordon—His generous offer—Unaccountable delay of the Committee—Mr. Gordon retracts—Formation of a small Brigade—Terms of my agreement—Sail from the River—Arrival at Malta—Delay there, and at Corfu—Arrival at Dragomestri—Send the Stores to Missolonghi—Arrival there—Meeting with Colonel Stanhope—Take up my Quarters in Lord Byron’s House—Introduction to Lord Byron—His kind manner, and warm reception of me—His appearance—Furniture of his room—Conversation. 1.

CHAPTER II.
Lord Byron’s Situation in Greece.—His First Illness.

First labours in Greece—Lord Byron wholly occupied with the affairs of that country—Is surrounded with difficulties
xviCONTENTS
—His complaints of delay and disappointment—Offended with Mr. Blaquiere’s treatment—Has no friends in Greece—Supplies money for the Brigade—The arsenal is paved—Prince Mavrocordato asks money of Lord Byron—The Prince’s treatment of me—Conduct of the foreign officers—Are a great burthen to Lord Byron—One of them resigns his commission—Lord Byron does not agree with Colonel Stanhope—His objections to establishing a newspaper—Complete the removal of the Stores—Immoderate expectations of the Greeks—Death of Sir Thomas Maitland—Opinions as to his government—Find some of the Stores damaged—Alterations necessary in the guns—Applications to Lord Byron for pecuniary assistance—His opinion of Mavrocordato—His Lordship’s confidence in me increases—He becomes my pupil—Gives me the control over his expenditure—Weekly expense—Difficulty in obtaining money—Lord Byron’s first illness—Treatment by the doctors. 22.

CHAPTER III.
Death of Lieutenant Sass.

Plan for fortifying Missolonghi—Lord Byron’s method of paying the expense—Dissensions—Method of the Greeks to get money from Lord Byron—Source of the dispute between Byron and Stanhope—Hopes of capturing a Turkish brig of war—Lord Byron’s humane orders and rewards as to the prisoners—The brig destroyed—Negligence of the Greeks in preparing for their defence—Proposal for having gun-boats—Lieutenant Sass enters the Hellenic Legion—Taken prisoner—His sufferings—
CONTENTSxvii
Is released by an English gentleman—Returns home—Sent out to Missolonghi by the Greek Committee—Appointed a Lieutenant in Lord Byron’s Brigade—His death—Meeting of the Suliote chiefs at Lord Byron’s—The mechanics frightened—Resolve to leave Greece—Receive money to return to England—Sum they cost the Greek Committee—Work they performed. 47.

CHAPTER IV
Lord Byron as General and Commissioner.

Mutiny among the Suliotes—The mechanics embark for Xante—Shock of an Earthquake—Superstitious custom of the Greeks—Mutiny amongst the Germans—Lord Byron’s Corps disbanded—Is re-organized—Business of the Laboratory—Lord Byron’s Suliote guard—His dog Lyon—His guard attend him in his rides—Specimen of the state of Missolonghi—Lord Byron’s daily occupations—His food, and manner of living—His partiality to curious weapons—State of the weather—Requisitions by Ulysses and General Londa—Improper articles in Newspapers—Colonel Stanhope goes to Athens—His requisitions—Proceedings in March—An alarm of plague—Discipline of the Brigade—Must pay the Greeks for doing their own work—Divisions among the Greek chieftains—Lord Byron invited to quit Missolonghi—Colocotroni wishes to get him into the Morea—Opposing views of Mavrocordato—His hopes of effecting a union of the chiefs—Prospect of a Congress at Salona—Lord Byron obliged again to interfere about a Newspaper—
xviiiCONTENTS
Receives the freedom of Missolonghi—Numerous applications to him for money—Further defence of Missolonghi—Desertions from Colocotroni’s forces—News of the Greek loan—Plan for the campaign—Difficulties of Lord Byron’s situation in Greece.68.

CHAPTER V.
Second Illness, and Death of Lord Byron.

Weather in April—Attack on Missolonghi, by Cariascachi—Misconduct of our soldiers—Duels—A spy in Lord Byron’s household—Endeavours to estrange Lord Byron from Mavrocordato—Conduct of some Englishmen—Rumour of breaking up the establishment at Missolonghi—Irritation of Lord Byron—Is prevented leaving Missolonghi—News of the loan—Lord Byron rides out for the last time—My opportunities of being with Lord Byron—Opportunities enjoyed by others—Count Gamba—Fletcher—Dr. Bruno—Deplorable state and confusion of Lord Byron’s household—Proofs of the authenticity of the Narrative—Lord Byron seriously ill—Agrees to leave Missolonghi—Preparations for this purpose—Prevented by the Sirocco wind—Confined to his bed—Is delirious—The doctors think there is no danger—Sirocco continues—His forlorn condition—Is bled—Continued delirium—A consultation of physicians—Previous treatment of Lord Byron condemned—Bark administered to him—Is sensible for the last time—Lies in a stupor for twenty-four hours—His Death—Author’s opinion as to the causes of his Death—Lord Byron’s prodigious disappointment—
CONTENTSxix
Flattering manner in which he was invited to Greece—What he expected to perform—Remarks on the physician’s statements—Other disasters in Greece—Its independence not promoted by our interference.101.

CHAPTER VI.
Occurrences after Lord Byron’s Death.

I am taken ill—Go to Zante—Grief in Greece at Lord Byron’s Death—Great affliction at Missolonghi—Proclamation of Prince Mavrocordato—Lord Byron’s Papers—Arrival of the Florida, and the Loan—Count Gamba’s description of the Ceremonies at Missolonghi—Arrival of Colonel Stanhope at Zante—Lord Byron’s Body conveyed to England—Its Arrival—The Funeral—Anecdote of a Sailor—Time and place of Interment. 135.

CHAPTER VII.
Traits of Character in Lord Byron.

Lord Byron’s partiality for practical jokes—Mode of curing ill-timed gallantry—An artificial earthquake—His shooting amusements—Greek scolds—His motley regiment—His description of it—Punishment of polygamy—Lord Byron’s frankness—Tells Prince Mavrocordato I had abused him—Adventure with the Turkish women—Anecdote of a Greek peasant woman. 151.

xx CONTENTS
CHAPTER VIII.
Lord Byron’s Opinions and Intentions with respect to Greece.

His injunctions to speak the truth as to Greece—His anxiety not to be instrumental in deluding the people of England—Claims the cause of Greece has on our sympathy—Country and people of Greece—Disadvantage of their character as insurgents—No plan or system amongst them—What form of government they should adopt—A federation of states—People give energy to government—Presidents of the Greek government—Peasantry—Poverty and intelligence of the Greeks—Greece might spread a revolution to Hindostan—Character of the Greek chiefs—Lord Byron’s final intentions as to Greece—Purity of his ambition.167.

CHAPTER IX.
Lord Byron’s Opinions.

Of the Greek Committee—Mr. Blaquiere—Honorary Secretary Bowring—Colonel Stanhope—Mr. Gordon—Subjects for Don Juan—Opinion of Missolonghi—Sir Francis Burdett—Patriotic Committees—Mr. Bentham’s Cruise—Author’s Introduction to him—His breakfast and dinner hour—Source of a mistake—Adventures with him—Byron a Carbonaro—A reverend opponent of Lord Byron—His detestation of hypocrites—Favourable opinion of mechanics—Mode of welcoming him at Anatolica—His opinions on religion—On forms of government
CONTENTSxxi
—The United States of America—Belief in ghosts and presentiments—Anecdote of the late Queen—His opinion of marriage—Of Lady Byron—Mr. Southey—Sir Walter Scott—Mr. Cooke, the actor. 180.

CHAPTER X.
Lord Byron, Colonel Stanhope, and Mr. Bentham.

Reasons for noticing Colonel Stanhope’s attack on Lord Byron—Nature of this attack—Probable reason why Lord Byron’s Friends have not defended him—Circumstances of the case—Lord Byron’s reasons for his conduct—His attacks on Mr. Bentham—Their amount—Colonel Stanhope anxious to obtain Mr. Bentham’s favour—Source of the Greek Committee’s want of confidence in Lord Byron—Unjustifiable time of Colonel Stanhope’s attack—Criterion for deciding betwixt them—Colonel Stanhope’s expenses in Greece—To what purpose directed—His unpleasant interference—Wants to rule in Greece—What he effected—Comparison between the consequences of his Departure and Lord Byron’s Loss—Consistency of the two Gentlemen—Lord Byron only zealous for the Welfare of Greece—His faults traced to his birth and education—Apology for some of his Errors.225.

CHAPTER XI.
Conduct of Colonel Stanhope and of The Greek Committee to the Greeks.

Important consequences of Colonel Stanhope’s proceedings—
xxiiCONTENTS
His attacks on me—The Greek Committee invited to investigate them—He engages in opposition to the Greek government—Goes to Greece to regenerate it—His qualities for a legislator—Greece to be regenerated on Mr. Bentham’s principles, and by force—Engages individuals to write against the British government, and implicates the Committee and the Greeks in the same hostility—Does what he can to involve them in disputes with the Holy Alliance—His favourable opinion of Mavrocordato—Attachment of the Greeks to the Prince—Change in Colonel Stanhope’s opinion—Source of the change—His abuse of the prince—The prince opposes his whims—Former situation of Odysseus—An object of suspicion to the Government—Is favoured by Captain Trelawney and Colonel Stanhope—Sudden change in the opinion of the latter—Odysseus flatters Colonel Stanhope—The Colonel wants to put power into his hands—Intrigues to break up the brigade—Suspicions entertained of Colonel Stanhope—Intercepted letter of Sophianopulo—Capt. Trelawney’s recommendation to break up the brigade—Colonel Stanhope’s order for this purpose—In what respect opposed to the wishes of Lord Byron—Letter of Mavrocordato—Colonel Stanhope sets up a new race of Pachas—Colonel Stanhope’s right to break up the brigade questioned—Formed by Lord Byron, and placed by him and the Committee under Prince Mavrocordato—My instructions on this head—Insulting language of Colonel Stanhope—Source of our authority for being in Greece—Conclusion that Colonel Stanhope had no right to break up the brigade—His improper mode of transmitting orders for this purpose—Cessation of my services under the
CONTENTSxxiii
Greek Committee—Charge against Colonel Stanhope of injuring the Greek cause, and insulting the memory of Lord Byron proved—His injudicious conduct as to the war—Anger of the Greeks—His encouragement to adventurers—In what manner the Committee are to blame for approving Colonel Stanhope’s proceedings—Vote of approbation—Conclusion. 266.




Appendix and Illustrative Letters p. 319.
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.


Portrait of Lord Byron—Frontispiece.
Lord Byron’s House at Missolonghi—To face page 68.
Lord Byron attended by his Suliote Guards—To face page 72.
Lord Byron on his death bed—To face page 187.
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