Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/132

 Davies." Byron described his own miniature as "a picture of my upright self, done for Scrope B. Davies, Esq." Prints of it were made about a year later.

Davies and Byron used to have boxing bouts in the latter's rooms and sometimes "gentleman" Jackson, the pugilist, was a third in these encounters. It was on one of these occasions that Holmes made the acquaintance of Scrope. When sitting for his portrait Davies told the story of a dangerous incident in his life. "A small thin man but extremely handy with his fists," his appearance on one of the wharves on the Thames attracted the attention of some of the coal-heavers. They began to make fun of the dapper little gentleman dressed in the height of fashion. Chaff was returned with chaff, threats followed on retorts, and Davies was soon confronted by a huge bargee, one blow from whose fist would have settled the diminutive dandy. He lunged, Davies warded the blow, and at once struck him with all his force in the wind. "He instantly fell all in a heap. His friends crowded round thinking he was dead and I took to my heels" says Davies "and ran for my life." (Life of Holmes, by Alfred T. Storey, pp. 55, 59.)

Lady Morgan recounts an incident that happened in Scrope's rooms. One fine morning "Mr. Lovett of Lismore of literary notoriety" sauntered into them and threw himself on a sofa. The room was filled with books which Davies explained were left by Byron on his departure and had not yet been arranged. Lovett took up some of the volumes and among them was Vathek. "Oh you must lend me this, I have never read it" was his delighted exclamation. Eagerly turning over the leaves he came across a manuscript addressed to lady Caroline Lamb. It was the poem, with the bitter lines, beginning


 * "Thou false to him, thou fiend to me."