Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824 -- Last years; Poets, English -- 19th century -- Biography
'I saw a man of about five feet seven or eight, apparently forty years
of age. As was said of Milton, Lord Byron barely escaped being short
and thick. His face was fine, and the lower part symmetrically
moulded; for the lips and chin had that curved and definite outline
that distinguishes Grecian beauty. His forehead was high, and his
temples broad; and he had a paleness in his complexion almost to
wanness. His hair, thin and fine, had almost become grey, and waved in
natural and graceful curls over his head, that was assimilating itself
fast to the "bald first Cæsar's." He allowed it to grow longer behind
than it is accustomed to be worn, and at that time had mustachios
which were not sufficiently dark to be becoming. In criticizing his
features, it might, perhaps, be said that his eyes were placed too
near his nose, and that one was rather smaller than the other. They
were of a greyish-brown, but of a peculiar clearness, and when
animated possessed a fire which seemed to look through and penetrate
the thoughts of others, while they marked the inspirations of his own.
His teeth were small, regular, and white. I expected to discover that
he had a club-foot; but it would have been difficult to have
distinguished one from the other, either in size or in form. On the
whole, his figure was manly, and his countenance handsome and
prepossessing, and very expressive. The familiar ease of his
conversation soon made me perfectly at home in his society.'
Trelawny's description is as follows:
'In external appearance Byron realized that ideal standard with which
imagination adorns genius. He was in the prime of life, thirty-four;
of middle height, five feet eight and a half inches; regular features,
without a stain or furrow on his pallid skin; his shoulders broad,
chest open, body and limbs finely proportioned. His small
highly-finished head and curly hair had an airy and graceful
appearance from the massiveness and length of his throat; you saw his
genius in his eyes and lips.'
Trelawny could find no peculiarity in his dress, which was adapted to the
climate. Byron wore:
'a tartan jacket braided--he said it was the Gordon pattern, and that
his mother was of that race--a blue velvet cap with a gold band, and
very loose nankin trousers, strapped down so as to cover his feet. His
throat was not bare, as represented in drawings.'
Lady Blessington, who first saw Byron in April of the following year, thus
describes him:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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