Chapter LX: Letter 117: To Mr. William Bankes

"December 26.

"The multitude of your recommendations has already superseded my
humble endeavours to be of use to you; and, indeed, most of my
principal friends are returned. Leake from Joannina, Canning and
Adair from the city of the Faithful, and at Smyrna no letter is
necessary, as the consuls are always willing to do every thing for
personages of respectability. I have sent you _three_, one to
Gibraltar, which, though of no great necessity, will, perhaps, put
you on a more intimate footing with a very pleasant family there.
You will very soon find out that a man of any consequence has very
little occasion for any letters but to ministers and bankers, and
of them we have already plenty, I will be sworn.

"It is by no means improbable that I shall go in the spring, and if
you will fix any place of rendezvous about August, I will _write_
or _join_ you.--When in Albania, I wish you would enquire after
Dervise Tahiri and Vascillie (or Bazil), and make my respects to
the viziers, both there and in the Morea. If you mention my name to
Suleyman of Thebes, I think it will not hurt you; if I had my
dragoman, or wrote Turkish, I could have given you letters of _real
service_; but to the English they are hardly requisite, and the
Greeks themselves can be of little advantage. Liston you know
already, and I do not, as he was not then minister. Mind you visit
Ephesus and the Troad, and let me hear from you when you please. I
believe G. Forresti is now at Yanina, but if not, whoever is there
will be too happy to assist you. Be particular about _firmauns_;
never allow yourself to be bullied, for you are better protected in
Turkey than any where; trust not the Greeks; and take some
_knicknackeries_ for _presents_--_watches_, _pistols_, &c. &c. to
the Beys and Pachas. If you find one Demetrius, at Athens or
elsewhere, I can recommend him as a good dragoman. I hope to join
you, however; but you will find swarms of English now in the
Levant.

"Believe me," &c.

* * * * *

TO MR. MURRAY.

"February 20. 1813.

"In 'Horace in London' I perceive some stanzas on Lord Elgin in
which (waving the kind compliment to myself[60]) I heartily concur.
I wish I had the pleasure of Mr. Smith's acquaintance, as I could
communicate the curious anecdote you read in Mr. T.'s letter. If he
would like it, he can have the _substance_ for his second edition;
if not, I shall add it to our next, though I think we already have
enough of Lord Elgin.

"What I have read of this work seems admirably done. My praise,
however, is not much worth the author's having; but you may thank
him in my name for _his_. The idea is new--we have excellent
imitations of the Satires, &c. by Pope; but I remember but one
imitative Ode in his works, and _none_ any where else. I can hardly
suppose that _they_ have lost any fame by the fate of the _farce_;
but even should this be the case, the present publication will
again place them on their pinnacle.

"Yours," &c.

[Footnote 60: In the Ode entitled "The Parthenon," Minerva thus speaks:--

"All who behold my mutilated pile
Shall brand its ravager with classic rage;
And soon a titled bard from Britain's isle
Thy country's praise and suffrage shall engage,
And fire with Athens' wrongs an angry age!"
HORACE IN LONDON.
]

* * * * *

It has already been stated that the pecuniary supplies, which he found it necessary to raise on arriving at majority, were procured for him on ruinously usurious terms.[61] To some transactions connected with this subject, the following characteristic letter refers.

TO MR. ROGERS.

"March 25, 1813.

"I enclose you a draft for the usurious interest due to Lord * *'s
_protégé_;--I also could wish you would state thus much for me to
his Lordship. Though the transaction speaks plainly in itself for
the borrower's folly and the lender's usury, it never was my
intention to _quash_ the demand, as I _legally_ might, nor to
withhold payment of principal, or, perhaps, even _unlawful_
interest. You know what my situation has been, and what it is. I
have parted with an estate (which has been in my family for nearly
three hundred years, and was never disgraced by being in possession
of a _lawyer_, a _churchman_, or a _woman_, during that period,) to
liquidate this and similar demands; and the payment of the
purchase is still withheld, and may be, perhaps, for years. If,
therefore, I am under the necessity of making those persons _wait_
for their money, (which, considering the terms, they can afford to
suffer,) it is my misfortune.

"When I arrived at majority in 1809, I offered my own security on
_legal_ interest, and it was refused. _Now_, I will not accede to
this. This man I may have seen, but I have no recollection of the
names of any parties but the _agents_ and the securities. The
moment I can it is assuredly my intention to pay my debts. This
person's case may be a hard one; but, under all circumstances, what
is mine? I could not foresee that the purchaser of my estate was to
demur in paying for it.

"I am glad it happens to be in my power so far to accommodate my
Israelite, and only wish I could do as much for the rest of the
Twelve Tribes.

"Ever yours, dear R., BN."

[Footnote 61:

"Tis said that persons living on annuities
Are longer lived than others,--God knows why,
Unless to plague the grantors,--yet so true it is,
That some, I really think, _do_ never die.
Of any creditors, the worst a Jew it is;
And _that_'s their mode of furnishing supply:
In my young days they lent me cash that way,
Which I found very troublesome to pay."
DON JUAN, Canto II
]

* * * * *

At the beginning of this year, Mr. Murray having it in contemplation to publish an edition of the two Cantos of Childe Harold with engravings, the noble author entered with much zeal into his plan; and, in a note on the subject to Mr. Murray, says,--"Westall has, I believe, agreed to illustrate your book, and I fancy one of the engravings will be from the pretty little girl you saw the other day[62], though without her name, and merely as a model for some sketch connected with the subject. I would also have the portrait (which you saw to-day) of the friend who is mentioned in the text at the close of Canto 1st, and in the notes,--which are subjects sufficient to authorise that addition."

Early in the spring he brought out, anonymously, his poem on Waltzing, which, though full of very lively satire, fell so far short of what was now expected from him by the public, that the disavowal of it, which, as we see by the following letter, he thought right to put forth, found ready credence:--