ing amongst the people in authority here, as well as in every other country, and some little squabbling for place and power, but they all unite against the common enemy. Love of liberty and execration of their barbarous oppressors actuate them. What they want, to ensure success and consolidate the Government, is money-money-money."

Lord Byron in his correspondence, however, continues to allude to these unfortunate differences, and is pleasant upon the gasconading which distinguishes the Greek of this day as it did the Greek of the age of Cleon. "C will tell you the recent special interposition of the Gods in behalf of the Greeks, who seem to have no enemies in heaven or earth to be dreaded but their own tendency to discord among themselves. But these too, it is to be hoped, will be mitigated; and then we can take the field on the offensive, instead of being reduced to the 'petite guerre' of defending the same fortresses year after year, and taking a few ships, and starving out a castle, and making more fuss about them than Alexander in his cups, or Buonaparte in a bulletin. Our friends have done something in the way of the Spartans, but they have not inherited their style.-Dec. 10, 1823."

Soon after the date of this letter the long desired squadron arrived in the waters of Messolonghi; and in a letter written three days after the date of the last, (Dec. 13th.) his Lordship says,

"I momentarily expect advices from Prince Mavrocordatos, who is on board, and has (I understand) despatches from the

legislative to me; in consequence of which, after paying the squadron, I shall probably join him at sea or on shore."

In the same light and agreeable manner in which he touches upon every subject, he proceeds to speak of the Committee supplies, which had been sent out to him as its agent; an office which he had taken upon himself with great readiness, and executed with considerable judgment and discrimination.

"The mathematical, medical, and musical preparations of the Committee have arrived in good condition, abating some damage from wet, and some ditto from a portion of the letterpress being spilt in landing (I ought not to have omitted the press, but forgot it at the moment-excuse the same); they are pronounced excellent of their kind, but till we have an engineer, and a trumpeter (we have chirurgeons already), mere 'pearls to swine,' as the Greeks are ignorant of mathematics, and have a bad ear for our music; the maps, &c. I will put into use for them, and take care that all (with proper caution) are turned to the intended uses of the Committee."

The

He speaks again of the supplies, however, with more pleasantry than foresight; for the very articles which he seems to have thought thrown away, proved of remarkable service, more particularly the trumpets. Turks are so apprehensive of the skill and well directed valour of the Franks, that even the supposed presence of a body of such troops, is sufficient to inspire a panic The Greeks, aware of this, have frequently put their enemy in disorder by sounding these same despised bugles. The Greeks know this weak side of the Turks.

so well, that they sometimes consider a collection of old European hats a piece of ammunition more effectual than much heavier artillery. The sight of a hat, if well-cocked, in the occidental fashion, espied among the Greek forces, is often as terrific as the sound of a trumpet.

"The supplies of the Committee are very useful, and all excellent in their kind, but occasionally hardly practical enough in the present state of Greece; for instance, the mathematical instruments are thrown away; none of the Greeks know a problem from a poker-we must conquer first, and plan afterwards. The use of the trumpets, too, may be doubted, unless Constantinople were Jericho; for the Hellenists have no ears for bugles, and you must send somebody to listen to them." He goes on, "We will do our best; and I pray you to stir your English hearts at home to more general exertion; for my part I will stick by the cause while a plank remains which can be honourably clung to-if I quit it, it will be by the Greeks' conduct—and not the Holy Allies, or the holier Mussulmans."

This determination never to desert the Greeks, as long as he could be of any service to them, is repeatedly expressed in his correspondence. He concludes a letter to his banker, in Cephalonia, on business, with this sentence, "I hope things here will go well, some time or other - I will stick by the cause as long as a cause exists, first or second."

Lord Byron had the more merit in the zeal and energy with which he espoused the interests of the Hellenic cause, for he had not suffered himself to be dis

gusted by the real state of things, when stripped of their romance by actual experience; and he was too wise to be led away by a blind enthusiasm. He seems

to have been actuated, in the main, for we must not expect perfection either in Lord Byron or the Greeks, by a steady desire to benefit a people who deserved the assistance and sympathy of every lover of freedom and the improvement of mankind. He speaks to this point himself; and here we may remark, as in almost every line he ever wrote, the total absence of cant,—which unfortunately colours the writings and conversations of almost every man who imagines himself to live in the eye of the world.

and myself are

"I am happy to say that acting in perfect harmony together: he is likely to be of great service both to the cause and to the Committee, and is publicly as well as personally a very valuable acquisition to our party, on every account. He came up (as they all do who have not been in the country before) with some high-flown notions of the 6th form at Harrow and Eton, &c. ; but Col. and I set him to rights on those points, which was absolutely necessary to prevent disgust, or perhaps return-but now we can set our shoulders soberly to the wheel, without quarrelling with the mud which may clog it occasionally. I can assure you that Col. and myself

are as decided for the cause as any German student of them all-but, like men who have seen the country and human life, there and elsewhere, we must be permitted to view it in its truth--with its defects as well as beauties, more especially as success will remove the former-gradually.-(Dec. 26, 1823.)"

Lord Byron had by this time yielded to the solicitations of Mavrocordatos, who repeatedly urged him in the most pressing manner to cross over to Messolonghi, and who offered to send, and did send, ship after ship to Cephalonia, to bring him over. He seems to have been chiefly delayed by the difficulty in procuring money for his Italian bills. His anxiety to procure supplies is a constant subject of his correspondence.

"I have written," he says, in a letter dated 13th Oct. 1823, "to our friend Douglas Kinnaird, on my own matters, desiring him to send me out all the further credits he can command (and I have a year's income and the sale of a manor besides, he tells me, before me); for till the Greeks get their loan, it is probable I shall have to stand partly paymaster, as far as I am ' good upon 'Change,' that is to say.-I pray you to repeat as much to him; and say that I must in the interim draw on Messrs. R— most formidably-to say the truth, I do not grudge it, now the fellows have begun to fight again: and still more welcome shall they be, if they will go on-but they have had, or are to have four thousand pounds (besides some private extraordinaries for widows, orphans, refugees, and rascals of all descriptions) of mine at one swoop,' and it is to be expected the next will be at least as much more, and how can I refuse if they will fight? and especially if I should happen to be in their company? I therefore request and require, that you should apprize my trusty and trustworthy trustee and banker, and crown and sheet anchor, Douglas Kinnaird the honourable, that he prepare all monies of mine, including the purchase money of Rochdale manor, and mine income for the year A. d. 1824, to answer and anticipate any orders, or drafts of mine, for