"But what of that?
It is only the roue Byron that speaks!" Is a kind, a generous action of the man mentioned?
"Yes, yes!" comments the sage; "but only remember the atrocities of 'Don Juan:' depend on it, this, if it be true, must have been a mere freak of caprice, or perhaps a bit of vile hypocrisy." Salvation is thus shut out at either entrance: the poet damns the man, and the man the poet.
'Nobody will suspect us of being so absurd as to suppose that it is possible for people to draw no inferences as to the character of an author from his book, or to shut entirely out of view, in judging of a book, that which they may happen to know about the man who writes it.

The cant of the day supposes such things to be practicable; but they are not.
But what we complain of and scorn is the extent to which they are carried in the case of this particular individual, as compared with others; the impudence with which things are at once assumed to be facts in regard to his private history; and the absolute unfairness of never arguing from his writings to him, but for evil.
'Take the man, in the first place, as unconnected, in so far as we can thus consider him, with his works; and ask, What, after all, are the bad things we know of him?
Was he dishonest or dishonourable?
had he ever done anything to forfeit, or even endanger, his rank as a gentleman?
Most assuredly, no such accusations have ever been maintained against Lord Byron the private nobleman, although something of the sort may have been insinuated against the author.

"But he was such a profligate in his morals, that his name cannot be mentioned with anything like tolerance." Was he so, indeed?
We should like extremely to have the catechising of the individual man who says so.

That he indulged in sensual vices, to some extent, is certain, and to be regretted and condemned.

But was he worse, as to such matters, than the enormous majority of those who join in the cry of horror upon this occasion?
We most assuredly believe exactly the reverse; and we rest our belief upon very plain and intelligible grounds.