"Dorant's Hotel, Albemarle Street, Feb. 11. 1808.
"My dear Harness,
"As I had no opportunity of returning my verbal thanks, I trust you
will accept my written acknowledgments for the compliment you were
pleased to pay some production of my unlucky muse last November,--I am
induced to do this not less from the pleasure I feel in the praise of
an old schoolfellow, than from justice to you, for I had heard the
story with some slight variations. Indeed, when we met this morning,
Wingfield had not undeceived me, but he will tell you that I displayed
no resentment in mentioning what I had heard, though I was not sorry
to discover the truth. Perhaps you hardly recollect, some years ago, a
short, though, for the time, a warm friendship between us? Why it was
not of longer duration, I know not. I have still a gift of yours in my
possession, that must always prevent me from forgetting it. I also
remember being favoured with the perusal of many of your compositions,
and several other circumstances very pleasant in their day, which I
will not force upon your memory, but entreat you to believe me, with
much regret at their short continuance, and a hope they are not
irrevocable,
yours very sincerely, &c.
"BYRON."
I have already mentioned the early friendship that subsisted between
this gentleman and Lord Byron, as well as the coolness that succeeded
it. The following extract from a letter with which Mr. Harness
favoured me, in placing at my disposal those of his noble
correspondent, will explain the circumstances that led, at this time,
to their reconcilement; and the candid tribute, in the concluding
sentences, to Lord Byron, will be found not less honourable to the
reverend writer himself than to his friend.
"A coolness afterwards arose, which Byron alludes to in the first of
the accompanying letters, and we never spoke during the last year of
his remaining at school, nor till after the publication of his 'Hours
of Idleness.' Lord Byron was then at Cambridge; I, in one of the upper
forms, at Harrow. In an English theme I happened to quote from the
volume, and mention it with praise. It was reported to Byron that I
had, on the contrary, spoken slightingly of his work and of himself,
for the purpose of conciliating the favour of Dr. Butler, the master,
who had been severely satirised in one of the poems. Wingfield, who
was afterwards Lord Powerscourt, a mutual friend of Byron and myself,
disabused him of the error into which he had been led, and this was
the occasion of the first letter of the collection. Our conversation
was renewed and continued from that time till his going abroad.
Whatever faults Lord Byron might have had towards others, to myself he
was always uniformly affectionate. I have many slights and neglects
towards him to reproach myself with; but I cannot call to mind a
single instance of caprice or unkindness, in the whole course of our
intimacy, to allege against him."
In the spring of this year (1808) appeared the memorable critique
upon the "Hours of Idleness" in the Edinburgh Review. That he had some
notice of what was to be expected from that quarter, appears by the
following letter to his friend, Mr. Becher.