It was during his Lordship’s residence at Monte Nero, that an event took place—­his junction with Mr Leigh Hunt—­which had some effect both on his literary and his moral reputation.  Previous to his departure from England, there had been some intercourse between them--Byron had been introduced by Moore to Hunt, when the latter was suffering imprisonment for the indiscretion of his pen, and by his civility had encouraged him, perhaps, into some degree of forgetfulness as to their respective situations in society.—­Mr Hunt at no period of their acquaintance appears to have been sufficiently sensible that a man of positive rank has it always in his power, without giving anything like such a degree of offence as may be resented otherwise than by estrangement, to inflict mortification, and, in consequence, presumed too much to an equality with his Lordship—­at least this is the impression his conduct made upon me, from the familiarity of his dedicatory epistle prefixed to Rimini to their riding out at Pisa together dressed alike—­“We had blue frock-coats, white waistcoats and trousers, and velvet caps, a la Raphael, and cut a gallant figure.”  I do not discover on the part of Lord Byron, that his Lordship ever forgot his rank; nor was he a personage likely to do so; in saying, therefore, that Mr Hunt presumed upon his condescension, I judge entirely by his own statement of facts.  I am not undertaking a defence of his lordship, for the manner in which he acted towards Mr Hunt, because it appears to me to have been, in many respects, mean; but I do think there was an original error, a misconception of himself on the part of Mr Hunt, that drew down about him a degree of humiliation that he might, by more self-respect, have avoided.  However, I shall endeavour to give as correct a summary of the whole affair as the materials before me will justify.

The occasion of Hunt’s removal to Italy will be best explained by quoting the letter from his friend Shelley, by which he was induced to take that obviously imprudent step.

“Pisa, Aug. 26, 1821.

“My dearest friend,—­Since I last wrote to you, I have been on a visit to Lord Byron at Ravenna.  The result of this visit was a determination on his part to come and live at Pisa, and I have taken the finest palace on the Lung’ Arno for him.  But the material part of my visit consists in a message which he desires me to give you, and which I think ought to add to your determination—­for such a one I hope you have formed—­of restoring your shattered health and spirits by a migration to these ’regions mild, of calm and serene air.’