You are most welcome to them as additions to the collected volumes, without any demand or expectation on my part whatever....

I am very glad that the handwriting was a favourable omen of the _morale_ of the piece; but you must not trust to that, as my copyist would write out anything I desired in all the ignorance of innocence--I hope, however, in this instance, with no great peril to either." The money, therefore, which Murray thought the copyright of the "Siege of Corinth" and "Parisina" was worth, remained untouched in the publisher's hands.

It was afterwards suggested, by Mr.Rogers and Sir James Mackintosh, to Lord Byron, that a portion of it (L600) might be applied to the relief of Mr.Godwin, the author of "An Enquiry into Political Justice," who was then in difficulties; and Lord Byron himself proposed that the remainder should be divided between Mr.Maturin and Mr.Coleridge.This proposal caused the deepest vexation to Mr.Murray, who made the following remonstrance against such a proceeding.
_John Murray to Lord Byron_.
ALBEMARLE STREET, _Monday_, 4 o'clock.
My Lord, I did not like to detain you this morning, but I confess to you that I came away impressed with a belief that you had already reconsidered this matter, as it refers to me--Your Lordship will pardon me if I cannot avoid looking upon it as a species of cruelty, after what has passed, to take from me so large a sum--offered with no reference to the marketable value of the poems, but out of personal friendship and gratitude alone,--to cast it away on the wanton and ungenerous interference of those who cannot enter into your Lordship's feelings for me, upon, persons who have so little claim upon you, and whom those who so interested themselves might more decently and honestly enrich from their own funds, than by endeavouring to be liberal at the cost of another, and by forcibly resuming from me a sum which you had generously and nobly resigned.
I am sure you will do me the justice to believe that I would strain every nerve in your service, but it is actually heartbreaking to throw away my earnings on others.

I am no rich man, abounding, like Mr.
Rogers, in superfluous thousands, but working hard for independence, and what would be the most grateful pleasure to me if likely to be useful to you personally, becomes merely painful if it causes me to work for others for whom I can have no such feelings.
This is a most painful subject for me to address you upon, and I am ill able to express my feelings about it.

I commit them entirely to your liberal construction with a reference to your knowledge of my character.
I have the honour to be, etc., JOHN MURRAY.
This letter was submitted to Gifford before it was despatched, and he wrote: _Mr.Gifford to John Murray_.
"I have made a scratch or two, and the letter now expresses my genuine sentiments on the matter.