77 — To John Hanson
July 20th, 1807.
Sir, — Your proposal to make Mrs. Byron my
Treasurer
is very kind, but does not meet with my approbation. Mrs. Byron has already made more
free
with my
funds
than suits my convenience & I do not chuse to expose her to the Danger of Temptation.
Things will therefore stand as they are; the remedy would be worse than the Disease.
I
wish you would order your Drafts payable to me and not Mrs. B. This is worse than Hannibal Higgins
; who the Devil could suppose that any Body would have mistaken him for a
real personage?
& what earthly consequence could it be whether the Blank in the Draft was filled up with
Wilkins, Tomkyns, Simkins, Wiggins, Spriggins, Jiggins
, or
Higgins?
If I had put in
James Johnson
you would not have demurred, & why object to Hannibal Higgins? particularly after his
respectable Endorsements
. As to Business, I make no pretensions to a Knowledge of any thing but a Greek Grammer or a Racing Calendar; but if the
Quintessence
of information on that head consists in unnecessary & unpleasant delays, explanations, rebuffs, retorts, repartees, & recriminations, the House of H. & B. stands pre-eminent in the profession, as from the Bottom of his Soul testifies
Yours, etc., etc.,
Byron
.
P.S — Will you dine with me on Sunday Tête a Tête at six o'clock? I should be happy to see you before, but my Engagements will not permit me, as on Wednesday I go to the House. I shall have Hargreaves & his Brother on some day after you; I don't like to annoy Children with the
formal
Faces of
legal
papas.
Footnote 1:
The point of the allusion is that Byron had endorsed one of Hanson's drafts with the name of "Hannibal Higgins," and had been solemnly warned of the consequences of so tampering with the dignity of the law.
