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.

LETTER 24.

TO MR. BECHER.

“Dorant’s Hotel, Feb. 26. 1803.

“My dear Becher,