Lord Byron
Lord Byron (1788-1824), British poet, born George Gordon Noel. He inherited his title in 1798 when the expected heir died. After travelling in Spain, Greece, and Albania, he achieved fame and popularity with the immensely successful Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812). In 1816, having separated from his wife amidst much scandal, he left England for Europe and befriended Shelley in Geneva. During his stormy and restless life he had many love affairs, including one with Lady Caroline Lamb. His later works include the satirical Don Juan (1818-24). In 1823 he set off to fight for Greek in-dependence from Turkey but, weakened by the long journey under bad conditions, he died of a fever soon after arriving.
“I am so changeable…such a strange melange of good and evil, that it would be difficult to describe me. There are two sentiments to which I am constant — a strong love of liberty, and a detestation of cant, and neither is calculated to gain me friends. Lord Byron in Lady Blessington, Conversations with Lord Byron (1832) “
