March 25 1813: Byron’ Picture and a Lock of Hair

On March 25 1813, Lady Melbourne writes to Lord Byron. She appears to have found a way out of the delicate business of getting Byron his picture back from Lady Caroline Lamb. Caro had stolen Byron’s picture from John Murray and Byron wants it back. Caro now agrees to return the picture on the understanding that Lady Melbourne will have a copy made for her. She also wants a lock of Byron’s hair.  Byron will send her a lock not of his hair but a lock of Lady Oxford’s hair.

Dr Ld B. –  As you say, C[aroline] certainly prevents my dropping yr. Acquaintance, tho’ I beg once for all to state yt  if there was no Caroline in ye World – it is ye very last Acquaintance I should wish to drop – & never will unless I am drop’d –

She writes to me more reasonably to day, reproaches me with wishing to “leave her in the lurch”, as she can depend upon no one but me – this alludes to ye Picture & the Letters which she now says she will give up to me provided I will pledge my Word to have a copy taken of the Miniature – I have ans’d this by ye post to day, first stating that I never left any one in ye lurch in my life – (I am very tenacious of my honor – you see) & that if she chuses to give me the Picture on these conditions, they shall be fullfill’d before I trust it out of my possession – I neither ask’d for it nor seem’d anxious to have it, as yt would certainly have prevented her giving it me – she then bids me recollect the Hair & this is ye purpose of my writing – do send me some for the little bits, I took by force will not Satisfy her – & really when a Lady condescends to make Such a fuss, for such a trifle – it is not for a Gentleman to faire le difficile & really by yr reluctance to have yr Hair touched, or to part with any of it, – I am tempted to think there is some particular charm attached to it – & yt some of yr powers will be lessen’d, I will not say lost, if you granted all ye  requests of that sort made to you – something like Sampson She has sent me a copy of part of yr Letter, you told me she had sent you. What a wicked Man!!!!

13th of August – What is rather odd is, yt from a particular circumstance not connected with you, I know where we were on ye day – it was ye Night you had the Spasm at Mr Dicks – & I now discover that was a punishment for yr perjuries – but whether sent from Allah, or another person, – I can not pretend to determine – You must so often have taken them separately as yr philosophy on Similar Occasions, yt you may know, which punishes most Severely – next time take fever he’ll do you no harm – what a fool I am, but let me have my laugh while I can – & all this nonsense will make me too late for Dinner Yrs ever E M