speedily, otherwise public affairs will be at a standstill here. I have undertaken to pay the Suliotes for a year, to advance in March 3000 dollars, besides, to the Government for a balance due to the troops, and some other smaller matters for the Germans, and the press, &c. &c. &c.; so what with these, and the expenses of my suite, which, though not extravagant, is expensive, with Gamba's d-d nonsense, I shall have occasion for all the monies I can muster; and I have credits wherewithal to face the undertakings, if realised, and expect to have more soon. now. "Believe me ever and truly yours," &c. On the morning of the 22d of January, his birthday, the last my poor friend was ever fated to see, -he came from his bedroom into the apartment where Colonel Stanhope and some others were assembled, and said with a smile, "You were complaining the other day that I never write any poetry This is my birthday, and I have just finished something which, I think, is better than what I usually write." He then produced to them those beautiful stanzas, which, though already known to most readers, are far too affectingly associated with this closing scene of his life to be omitted among its details. Taking into consideration, indeed, every thing connected with these verses,—the last tender aspirations of a loving spirit which they breathe, the self-devotion to a noble cause which they so nobly express, and that consciousness of a near grave glimmering sadly through the whole, there is per haps no production within the range of mere human composition round which the circumstances and feelings under which it was written cast so touching an interest. "JANUARY 22D. "ON THIS DAY I COMPLETE MY THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR. 1. "'Tis time this heart should be unmoved, Yet though I cannot be beloved, "My days are in the yellow leaf; The flowers and fruits of love are gone; "But 'tis not thus - and 'tis not here Such thoughts should shake my soul, nor now, Or binds his brow. 6. "The sword, the banner, and the field, 7. "Awake! (not Greece - she is awake!) "Seek out-less often sought than found "We perceived," says Count Gamba, "from these lines, as well as from his daily conversations, that his ambition and his hope were irrevocably fixed upon the glorious objects of his expedition to Greece, and that he had made up his mind to 'return victorious, or return no more.' Indeed, he often said to me, 'Others may do as they please-they may go but I stay here, that is certain. The same determination was expressed in his letters to his friends; and this resolution was not unaccompanied with the very natural presentiment that he should never leave Greece alive. He one day asked his faithful servant, Tita, whether he thought of returning to Italy? Yes,' said Tita: if your Lordship goes, I go. Lord Byron smiled, and said, No, Tita, I shall never go back from Greece either the Turks, or the Greeks, or the climate, will prevent that."" LETTER 540. TO MR. CHARLES HANCOCK. “ Missolonghi, February 5. 1824. "Dr. Muir's letter and yours of the 23d reached me some days ago. Tell Muir that I am glad of his promotion for his sake, and of his remaining near us for all our sakes; though I cannot but regret Dr. Kennedy's departure, which accounts for the previous earthquakes and the present English weather in this climate. With all respect to my medical pastor, I have to announce to him, that amongst other fire-brands, our firemaster Parry (just landed) has disembarked an elect blacksmith, intrusted with three hundred and twenty-two Greek Testaments. I have given him all facilities in my power for his works spiritual and temporal; and if he can settle matters as easily with the Greek Archbishop and hierarchy, I trust that neither the heretic nor the supposed sceptic will be accused of intolerance. 9 66 By the way, I met with the said Archbishop at Anatolico (where I went by invitation of the Primates a few days ago, and was received with a heavier cannonade than the Turks, probably,) for the second time (I had known him here before); and he and P. Mavrocordato, and the Chiefs and Primates and I, all dined together, and I thought the metropolitan the merriest of the party, and a very good Christian for all that. But Gamba (we got wet through on our way back) has been ill with a fever and cholic; and Luke has been out of sorts too, and so have some others of the people, and I have been very well, except that I caught cold yesterday, with swearing too much in the rain at the Greeks, who would not bear a hand in landing the Committee stores, and nearly spoiled our combustibles; but I turned out in person, and made such a row as set them in motion, blaspheming at them from the Government downwards, till they actually did some part of what they ought to have done several days before, and this is esteemed, as it deserves to be, a wonder. "Tell Muir that, notwithstanding his remonstrances, which I receive thankfully, it is perhaps best that I should advance with the troops; for if we do not do something soon, we shall only have a third year of defensive operations and another siege, and all that. We hear that the Turks are coming down in force, and sooner than usual; and as these fellows do mind me a little, it is the opinion that I should go, firstly, because they will sooner listen to a foreigner than one of their own people, out of |