Correspondence of Lord Byron

Abstract

The English writer Robert Charles Dallas (1754–1824) was a relative by marriage of Lord Byron (1788–1824), with whom he maintained a 'frequent' correspondence between 1808 and 1814. As a friend and the editor of some of Byron's poems, Dallas had been entrusted with several of the poet's personal letters. First published in France in 1825, this book contains letters Byron wrote to his mother while travelling across Europe as a young man, his correspondence with Dallas, and Dallas' 1824 'Recollections' of the poet. It includes a long statement by Dallas's son, describing the disputes that arose between Dallas and Byron's executors concerning the publication of the letters. Intended by Dallas as a 'whole faithful memoir' of Byron's life during the period of their correspondence, this book provides a vivid portrait of the poet and reveals how he was perceived by a close, though much older, friend.