memoranda we find the following confession. "I took my gradations in the vices with great promptitude; but they were not to my taste for my early passions, though violent in the extreme, were concentrated, and hated division or spreading abroad. I could have left or lost the whole world with or for that which I loved; but though my temperament was naturally burning, I could not share in the common libertinism of the place without disgust." In this confession there is much accurate delineation. His "temperament was naturally burning :"-it was; and his breast, like the boiling volcano, could not be tranquil till its fires were discharged. The awakening energy of his passions, therefore, like the vehemence of a giant suddenly aroused from his slumbers, was both startling and terrific; and as his genius was a concentrated one, a terrible portraiture of their workings might morally be expected, even as, physically, rays of heat are most intense when converged to a single point.

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To this power indeed-so strongly manifested in Byron-of being able to ensure continuity to thoughts and feelings, as inclination prompts—we may partially attribute the fact of the gigantic faculties of the poet being employed in giving birth to those singular and inexcusable inconsistences which have so frequently been noted in his moral cdaracter. It is the nature of the human mindas all, of active consciousness, must know that it is subject to be biassed at different periods, by different and even opposite sentiments; and that these feelings-so far from resulting always from the will-are for the most part involuntary, and suggested by unforeseen and uncontrolable circumstances. a mind thus concentrated, one darkened passion casts a gloom over every other one glow of friendly feeling illumines the whole heart; every sentiment, in short, be it melancholy or joyous, either peoples the mind with sombre apparitions and distrustful apprehensions, or reflects a benign influence over all its manifestations. This sympathizing energy, therefore conferring additional strength and emotion, whether it be to aid the spiritualizing tendency of poetry, or pamper still more the appetite that hankers for merely human and sensual gratification-may

In

serve, I think, to throw farther light over the varied career of Byron. It may explain, in a measure, his fretting dispositionhis splenetic, yet his proudly majestic temper: it may unravel the labyrinth of his eccentric conduct: and it may divulge the secret of the irregular appearance of the sun of his irradiated genius, which-like the star that ruled his destiny—though lovely at one time as any bosomed by space, and free and regular in its course; became at others-when the hour of fearful anger and defiance arrived

"A pathless comet and a curse,

The menace of the universe!"

But, whether this explanation be admitted or not, the fact is still the same, that our poet seemed constantly to be the prey of two conflicting natures; the one-unearthy and immortal, fostering the breath that "stirred" within, and ever craving in wild but vain aspirations for something purer and more perfect than actual life affords; the other-humiliating and degrading as the former was exalting, and so far unworthy a mind like Byron's that it seemed to be controled by no purifying principle, or else to be, scorpion-like. enraged at the imaginary desires of the better nature, which were ever bringing on disappointment and distrust. It is, however, almost as impossible to complain of the co-existence of these warring elements, as it is to regret the alternate cloudiness and sunshine, which bring verdure and fertility to the earth; for it was to such a combination of sentiment-quickened by unparalleled versatility and an undying sense of injury—that we are indebted for that grand and sublime harmony of character, the powers of which were contemplated by the world at one time with sensations ef wonder, and at another with dismay: as if indeed, it knew not whether the gifted talents of the mighty one, were of good er evita

• See Manted voice si tite sevgicht spipi,

For desk 'e mosnië enevre giore e vrai nM,
Nyut mysgneux, level, Ingah zu Deinou,
Qui que sex Syred, bet su didi gene
„Gime de ex cutepris a stuntge tamque,”

Notwithstanding, however, the occasional misapplication of his powers, the native superiority of Lord Byron's intellect was ever prominently and proudly conspicuous. No obstacles relaxed its efforts, no difficulties arrested its progress. Time and place it regarded with indifference; and, whereas circumstances and situations were unceasingly at the helm of his passions-now directing their energies to the destruction of accredited opinions, and the subversion of all moral structures—and now, as when in Greece, urging on a noble spirit to humanize the system of atrocious warfare, in attempting the temporal redemption of his fellows, and to embrace even martyrdom in a cause so gloriousover his intellect they had no control, but, on the contrary, they were so universally subservient, as to ever afford opportunities for the display of its arbitrary and undiminished ascendency. We may compare, indeed, the intellect of Byron to the mirror, to which he likened the unforsaking heart; every object presented to it, when undivided, it reflected back perfect.; and when distracted even as the glass that multiplied the more it was broken his mind but enlarged itself with continual reproductions, and became more and more amply manifested as new ideas were suggested, and as the million colours of his fancy were blended into one variegated but consistent hue. To expect, then, that an intellect so gigantic-impelled to action as the Bard himself has told us by a perfervidum ingenium, an overheated temperament -in the exercise of its illimitable capabilities should "illumine the splendid" and not "darken the gloomy," or that it should be conversant with all that is "elegantly little," and not grasp all that is "awfully vast," would be to expose a lamentable ignorance of human nature.

Still the narrow soul will shudder while contemplating his darker characters; but the man of mind will detect, in the varied imaginings of the poet, a true and comprehensive knowledge of our nature. A feeling of awe creeps over the former, and he deprecates the delineation as the imprint of lawless extravagance -as the result of licentious depravity: the latter, however, venerates the severity of the sketch, yet laments the wild association