I am perfectly aware of the justice of your remarks, and am convinced that if ever the poem is published the same objections will be made in much stronger terms.  But, as it was intended to be a poem on Ariosto’s plan, that is to say on no plan at all, and, as is usual in similar cases, having a predilection for the worst passages, I shall retain those parts, though I cannot venture to defend them.  Under these circumstances I regret that you decline the publication, on my own account, as I think the book would have done better in your hands; the pecuniary part, you know, I have nothing to do with....  But I can perfectly conceive, and indeed approve your reasons, and assure you my sensations are not Archiepiscopal enough as yet to regret the rejection of my Homilies.

I am, Sir, your very obedient, humble servant,

BYRON.

“Next to these publishers,” proceeds Dallas, in his “Recollections of the Life of Lord Byron,” “I wished to oblige Mr. Murray, who had then a shop opposite St. Dunstan’s Church, in Fleet Street.  Both he and his father before him had published for myself.  He had expressed to me his regret that I did not carry him the ’English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.’  But this was after its success; I think he would have refused it in its embryo state.  After Lord Byron’s arrival I had met him, and he said he wished I would obtain some work of his Lordship’s for him.  I now had it in my power, and I put ’Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’ into his hands, telling him that Lord Byron had made me a present of it, and that I expected he would make a very liberal arrangement with me for it.

“He took some days to consider, during which time he consulted his literary advisers, among whom, no doubt, was Mr. Gifford, who was Editor of the Quarterly Review.  That Mr. Gifford gave a favourable opinion I afterwards learned from Mr. Murray himself; but the objections I have stated stared him in the face, and he was kept in suspense between the desire of possessing a work of Lord Byron’s and the fear of an unsuccessful speculation.  We came to this conclusion:  that he should print, at his expense, a handsome quarto edition, the profits of which I should share equally with him, and that the agreement for the copyright should depend upon the success of this edition.  When I told this to Lord Byron he was highly pleased, but still doubted the copyright being worth my acceptance, promising, however, if the poem went through the edition, to give me other poems to annex to ’Childe Harold.’”

Mr. Murray had long desired to make Lord Byron’s acquaintance, and now that Mr. Dallas had arranged with him for the publication of the first two cantos of “Childe Harold,” he had many opportunities of seeing Byron at his place of business.  The first time that he saw him was when he called one day with Mr. Hobhouse in Fleet Street.  He afterwards looked in from time to time, while the sheets were