"Ravenna, July 22. 1821.
"The printer has done wonders;--he has read what I cannot--my own
handwriting.
"I _oppose_ the 'delay till winter:' I am particularly anxious to
print while the _winter theatres_ are _closed_, to gain time, in
case they try their former piece of politeness. Any _loss_ shall be
considered in our contract, whether occasioned by the season or
other causes; but print away, and publish.
"I think they must own that I have more _styles_ than one.
'Sardanapalus' is, however, almost a comic character: but, for that
matter, so is Richard the Third. Mind the _unities_, which are my
great object of research. I am glad that Gifford likes it: as for
'the million,' you see I have carefully consulted any thing but the
_taste_ of the day for extravagant 'coups de théâtre.' Any probable
loss, as I said before, will be allowed for in our accompts. The
reviews (except one or two--Blackwood's, for instance) are cold
enough; but never mind those fellows: I shall send them to the
right about, if I take it into my head. I always found the English
_baser_ in some things than any other nation. You stare, but it's
true as to gratitude,--perhaps because they are prouder, and proud
people hate obligations.
"The tyranny of the Government here is breaking out. They have
exiled about a thousand people of the best families all over the
Roman states. As many of my friends are amongst them, I think of
moving too, but not till I have had your answers. Continue _your
address_ to me _here_, as usual, and quickly. What you will _not_
be sorry to hear is, that the _poor_ of the place, hearing that I
meant to go, got together a petition to the Cardinal to request
that _he_ would request me to _remain_. I only heard of it a day or
two ago, and it is no dishonour to them nor to me; but it will have
displeased the higher powers, who look upon me as a Chief of the
Coalheavers. They arrested a servant of mine for a street quarrel
with an officer (they drew upon one another knives and pistols),
but as _the officer_ was out of uniform, and in the _wrong_
besides, on my protesting stoutly, he was released. I was not
present at the affray, which happened by night near my stables. My
man (an Italian), a very stout and not over-patient personage,
would have taken a fatal revenge afterwards, if I had not prevented
him. As it was, he drew his stiletto, and, but for passengers,
would have carbonadoed the captain, who, I understand, made but a
poor figure in the quarrel, except by beginning it. He applied to
me, and I offered him any satisfaction, either by turning away the
man, or otherwise, because he had drawn a knife. He answered that
a reproof would be sufficient. I reproved him; and yet, after
this, the shabby dog complained to the _Government_,--after being
quite satisfied, as he said. _This_ roused me, and I gave them a
remonstrance which had some effect. The captain has been
reprimanded, the servant released, and the business at present
rests there."
* * * * *
Among the victims of the "black sentence and proscription" by which the
rulers of Italy were now, as appears from the above letters, avenging
their late alarm upon all who had even in the remotest degree
contributed to it, the two Gambas were, of course, as suspected Chiefs
of the Carbonari of Romagna, included. About the middle of July, Madame
Guiccioli, in a state of despair, wrote to inform Lord Byron that her
father, in whose palazzo she was at that time residing, had just been
ordered to quit Ravenna within twenty-four hours, and that it was the
intention of her brother to depart the following morning. The young
Count, however, was not permitted to remain even so long, being arrested
that very night, and conveyed by soldiers to the frontier; and the
Contessa herself, in but a few days after, found that she also must join
the crowd of exiles. The prospect of being again separated from her
noble friend seems to have rendered banishment little less fearful, in
her eyes, than death. "This alone," she says in a letter to him, "was
wanting to fill up the measure of my despair. Help me, my dear Byron,
for I am in a situation most terrible; and without you, I can resolve
upon nothing. * * has just been with me, having been sent by * * to
tell me that I must depart from Ravenna before next Tuesday, as my
husband has had recourse to Rome, for the purpose of either forcing me
to return to him, or else putting me in a convent; and the answer from
thence is expected in a few days. I must not speak of this to any
one,--I roust escape by night; for, if my project should be discovered,
it will be impeded, and my passport (which the goodness of Heaven has
permitted me, I know not how, to obtain) will be taken from me. Byron! I
am in despair!--If I must leave you here without knowing when I shall
see you again, if it is your will that I should suffer so cruelly, I am
resolved to remain. They may put me in a convent; I shall die,--but--but
then you cannot aid me, and I cannot reproach you. I know not what they
tell me, for my agitation overwhelms me;--and why? Not because I fear my
present danger, but solely, I call Heaven to witness, solely because I
must leave you."
Towards the latter end of July, the writer of this tender and truly
feminine letter found herself forced to leave Ravenna,--the home of her
youth, as it was, now, of her heart,--uncertain whither to go, or where
she should again meet Lord Byron. After lingering for a short time at
Bologna, under a faint expectation that the Court of Rome might yet,
through some friendly mediation [41], be induced to rescind its order
against her relatives, she at length gave up all hope, and joined her
father and brother at Florence.
It has been already seen, from Lord Byron's letters, that he had himself
become an object of strong suspicion to the Government, and it was,
indeed, chiefly in their desire to rid themselves of his presence, that
the steps taken against the Gamba family had originated;--the constant
benevolence which he exercised towards the poor of Ravenna being likely,
it was feared, to render him dangerously popular among a people unused
to charity on so enlarged a scale. "One of the principal causes," says
Madame Guiccioli, "of the exile of my relatives, was in reality the idea
that Lord Byron would share the banishment of his friends. Already the
Government were averse to Lord Byron's residence at Ravenna; knowing his
opinions, fearing his influence, and also exaggerating the extent of his
means for giving effect to them. They fancied that he provided money for
the purchase of arms, &c. and that he contributed pecuniarily to the
wants of the Society. The truth is, that, when called upon to exercise
his beneficence, he made no enquiries as to the political and religious
opinions of those who required his aid. Every unhappy and needy object
had an equal share in his benevolence. The Anti-Liberals, however,
insisted upon believing that he was the principal support of Liberalism
in Romagna, and were desirous of his departure; but, not daring to exact
it by any direct measure, they were in hopes of being able indirectly to
force him into this step."[42]
After stating the particulars of her own hasty departure, the lady
proceeds:--"Lord Byron, in the mean time, remained at Ravenna, in a town
convulsed by party spirit, where he had certainly, on account of his
opinions, many fanatical and perfidious enemies; and my imagination
always painted him surrounded by a thousand dangers. It may be
conceived, therefore, what that journey must have been to me, and what I
suffered at such a distance from him. His letters would have given me
comfort; but two days always elapsed between his writing and my
receiving them; and this idea embittered all the solace they would
otherwise have afforded me, so that my heart was torn by the most cruel
fears. Yet it was necessary for his own sake that he should remain some
time longer at Ravenna, in order that it might not be said that he also
was banished. Besides, he had conceived a very great affection for the
place itself; and was desirous, before he left it, of exhausting every
means and hope of procuring the recall of my relations from
banishment[43]."
[Footnote 41: Among the persons applied to by Lord Byron for their
interest on this occasion was the late Duchess of Devonshire, whose
answer, dated from Spa, I found among his papers. With the utmost
readiness her Grace undertakes to write to Rome on the subject, and
adds, "Believe me also, my Lord, that there is a character of justice,
goodness, and benevolence, in the present Government of Rome, which, if
they are convinced of the just claims of the Conte de Gamba and his son,
will make them grant their request."]
[Footnote 42: "Una delle principali ragioni per cui si erano esigliati i
miei parenti era la speranza che Lord Byron pure lascierebbe la Romagna
quando i suoi amici fossero partiti. Già da qualche tempo la permanenza
di Lord Byron in Ravenna era mal gradita dal Governo conoscendosile sue
opinione e temendosila sua influenza, ed essaggiandosi anche i suoi
mezzi per esercitarìa. Si credeva che egli somministrasse danaro per
provvedere armi, e che provvedesse ai bisogni della Società . La veritÃ
era che nello spargere le sue beneficenze egli non s'informava delle
opinioni politiche e religiose di quello che aveva bisogno del suo
soccorso; ogni misero ed ogni infelice aveva un eguale diviso alia sua
generosità. Ma in ogni modo gli Anti-Liberali lo credevano il principale
sostegno del Liberalismo della Romagna, e desideravano la sua partenza;
ma non osando provocarla in nessun modo diretto speravano di ottenerla
indirettamente."]
[Footnote 43: "Lord Byron restava frattanto a Ravenna in un paese
sconvolso dai partiti, e dove aveva certamente dei nemici di opinioni
fanatici e perfidi, e la mia immaginazione me lo dipingeva circondato
sempre da mille pericoli. Si può dunque pensare cosa dovesse essere qual
viaggio per me e cosa io dovessi soffrire nella sua lontananza. Le sue
lettere avrebbero potuto essermi di conforto; ma quando io le riceveva
era già trascorso lo spazio di due giorni dal momenta in cui furono
scritte, e questo pensiero distruggeva tutto il bene che esse potevano
farmi, e la mia anima era lacerata dai più crudeli timori. Frattanto era
necessario per la di lui convenienza che egli restasse ancora qualche
tempo in Ravenna affinchè non avesse a dirsi che egli pure ne era
esigliato; ed oltreciò egli si era sominamente affezionato a quel
soggiorno e voleva innanzi di partire vedere esausiti tutti i tentativi
e tutte le speranze del ritorno dei miei parenti."]
* * * * *