Oh! wonder-working Lewis! monk, or bard, Whether he spin poor couplets into plays, Moravians, rise! bestow some meet reward in On dull devotion-lo! the Sabbath bard, Sepulchral Grahame, pours his notes sublime In mangled prose, nor e'en aspires to rhyme; what-Breaks into blank the Gospel of St. Luke,† And boldly pilfers from the Pentateuch; And, undisturb'd by conscientious qualms, Perverts the Prophets, and purloins the Psalms.‡ To crown with honor thee and Walter Scott; Who in soft guise, surrounded by a choir hush'd? 'Tis Little! young Catullus of his day, For thee, translator of the tinsel song, Behold!-ye tarts! one moment spare the text Hayley's last work, and worst-until his next; "For every one knows little Matt's an M. P."-See a poem to Mr. Lewis, in The Statesman, supposed to be written by Mr. Jekyll. In the original manuscript, "Mend thy life." The reader, who may wish for an explanation of this, may refer to "Strangford's Camoens," page 127, note to page 56, or to the last page of the Edinburgh Review of Strangford's Camoens. $ Fustian; in the first edition, nonsense. It is also to be remarked, that the things given to the public as poems of Camoens are no more to be found in the original Portugese, than in the Songs of Solomon. Hail, Sympathy! thy soft idea brings [years.§ A thousand visions of a thousand things, Whether thou sing'st with equal ease, and grief, "Breaks into mawkish lines each holy book.” Mr. Grahame has poured forth two volumes of cant, under the name of "Sabbath Walks," and "Biblical Pictures." § Still whimpering through threescore of years.-Thas altered in the fifth edition. The original reading was, "Dissolved in thine own melting tears." Whether thou sing'st, &c.-This couplet, in all the editions before da fifth, was printed, "Whether in sighing winds thou seek'st relief, Or consolation in a yellow leaf." See Bowles's Sonnets, &c.-" Sonnet to Oxford," and "Stands on hearing the Bells of Ostend." "Awake a louder," &c., &c., is the first line in Bowles's "Spirit of Discovery;" a very spirited and pretty dwarf epic. Among other exquisite lines we have the following: "A kiss Stole on the list'ning silence, never yet Here heard; they trembled even as if the power," &c., &c. That is, the woods of Madeira trembled to a kiss, very much astonished, as well they might be, at such a phenomenon, [Misquoted and misunderstood by me; but not intentionally. It was noj the "woods," but the people in them who trembled-why, Heaven only knows-unless they were overheard making the prodigious smack.—MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. 458 Where all discoveries jumbled from the flood, And gravely tells-attend, each beauteous miss!-- tt Another epic! Who inflicts again The episode above alluded to is the story of "Robert a Machin" and "Anne d'Arfet," a pair of constant lovers, who performed the kiss above mentioned, that startled the woods of Madeira. t "Stick to thy sonnets, man 1-at least they sell : Or take the only path that open lies For modern worthies who would hope to rise: " Thus Bowles may triumph o'er the shade of Pope. In the first edition, the observations on Bowles ended with these lines, which were written by a friend of Lord Byron, and omitted when the satire was published with the author's name. The following fifty-five verses, containing the conclusion of the passage on Bowles, and the notices of Cottle and Maurice, were then printed for the first time. Curl is one of the heroes of the Dunciad, and was a bookseller. Lord Fanny is the poetical name of Lord Hervey, author of "Lines to the Imitator of Horace." § Lord Bolingbroke hired Mallet to traduce Pope after his decease, because the poet had retained some copies of a work by Lord Bolingbroke, (the Patriot King,) which that splendid, but malignant genius, had ordered to be destyd. Des the critic, and Ralph the rhymester. "Silence, ye wolves! while Ralph to Cynthia howls, Dunciad. See Bowles's late edition of Pope's works, for which he received three tt Another epic!-Opposite this passage on Joseph and Amos Cottle, Lord Byron has written, "All right." • Hothouse. [Borotian Cottle, rich Bristowa's boast, As Sisyphus against the infernal steep With broken lyre, and cheek serenely pale, His hopes have perish'd by the northern blast: Yet say! why should the bard at once resign 1816. • Fresh fish from Helicon !" Helicon" is a mountain, and not a fab pond. It should have been "Hippocrene."-MS. note by Lord Byron ↑ Your turtle feeder's verae, &c.—This couplet was altered in the fifch edition. It originally stood: "Too much in turtle Bristol's sons delight, Too much o'er bowls of sack prolong the night." Mr. Cottle, Amos, Joseph, I don't know which, but one or both, once "Alfred," (poor Alfred! Pye has been at have published a pair of epics. sellers of books they did not write, and now writers of books that do not sell, He had not sung of Wales, nor I of him.-I saw some letters of this him too!) "Alfred," and the "Fall of Cambria.” fellow (Joseph Cottle) to an unfortunate poetess, whose productions, which the poor woman by no means thought vainly of, he attacked so roughly and bitterly, that I could hardly resist assailing him, even were it unjust, which is not-for verily he is an ass.-MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. Mr. Maurice hath manufactured the component parts of a ponderos quarto upon the beauties of "Richmond Hill," and the like:-it also takes New, and the parts adjacent. in a charming view of Turnham Green, Hammersmith, Brentford, Old and Poor Montgomery ! though praised by every English Review, has bee of considerable genius: his "Wanderer of Switzerland," is worth a thousand bitterly reviled by the Edinburgh. After all, the bard of Sheffield is a mis "Lyrical "ads," and at least fifty "degraded epics." See Lord Byron's letter to Mr. Murray, June 13, 1913, volume 2 Aged or young, the living or the dead, Health to immortal Jeffrey! once, in name, His scribbling toils some recompense may meet, Health to great Jeffrey! Heaven preserve his life, • Arthur's seat; the hill which overhangs Edinburgh. ↑ And raise this Daniel to the judgment-seat.-Too ferocious-this is mere insanity. MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. Nay last, not least, on that portentous morn, Flow'd all the Canongate with inky streams; The field, and saved him from the wrath of Moore; 66 'My son," she cried, "ne'er thirst for gore again, Boast of thy country, and Britannia's guide? -Oat-fed phalanx-So altered in the fifth edition. The origina. reading was, "ranks illustrious," ↑ His lordship has been much abroad, is a member of the Athenian Society, and reviewer of "Gell's Topography of Troy." Mr. Herbert is a translator of Icelandic and other poetry. One of the principal pieces is a "Song on the Recovery of Thor's Hammer; "the translation is a pleasant chant in the vulgar tongue, and endeth thus: "Instead of money and rings, I wot, The hammer's bruises were her lot, Thus Odin's son his hammer got." The Rev. Sydney Smith, the reputed author of Peter Plymley's Letters, and sundry criticisms. Mr. Hallam reviewed Payne Knight's "Taste," and was exceedingly severe on some Greek verses therein: it was not discovered that the lines ↑ Can none remember, &c.-All this is bad, because personal.-MS. note were Pindar's till the press rendered it impossible to cancel the critique, which by Lord Byron. 1816. In 1806, Messrs. Jeffrey and Moore met at Chalk-Farm. The duel was prevented by the interference of the magistracy; and, on examination, the balls of the pistols were found to have evaporated. This incident gave Docasion to much waggery in the daily prints. I am informed that Mr. Moore published at the time a disavowal of the statements in the newspapers, as far as regarded himself; and in Justice to him I mention this circumstance. As I never heard of it before, I cannot Fiate the particulars, and was only made acquainted with the fact very lately.-November 4, 1811. I The Tweed here behaved with proper decorum; it would have been highly reprehensible in the English half of the river to have shown the mallest symptom of apprehension. This display of sympathy on the part of the Tolbooth (the principal prison in Edinburgh), which truly seems to have been most affected on this occasion, is much to be commended. It was to be apprehended, that the many unhappy criminals executed in the front might have rendered the edifice more callous. She is said to be of the softer sex, because her delicacy of feeling on this day was truly feminine, though, like most feminine impul ses, perhaps a little selfish. still stands an everlasting monument of Hallam's ingenuity. The said Hallam is incensed because he is falsely accused, seeing that he never dineth at Holland House. If this be true, I am sorry-not for having said so, but on his account, as I understand his lordship's feasts are preferable to his compositions.-If he did not review Lord Holland's performance, I arr. glad, because it must have been painful to read, and irksome to praise it. I. Mr. Hallam will tell me who did review it, the real name shall find a place in the text; provided, nevertheless, the said name be of two orthodox musical syllables, and will come into the verse: till then, Hallam must stand for want of a better. TPillans is a tutor at Eaton, • The Hon. G. Lambe reviewed "Beresford's Miseries," and is moreover author of a farce enacted with much applause at the Priory, Stanmore; and damned with great expedition at the late theatre, Covent Garden. It was entitled, "Whistle for it." tt Damn'd like the devil, devil-like wil amn.-The line stood, in all editions before the fifth, "As he himself was damn'd shall try to damn." • Hallam's. The tute ended here in the first edition. While grateful Britain yields the praise she owes Then prosper, Jeffrey! pertest of the train Illustrious Holland! | hard would be his lot, • Mr. Brougham, in No. XXV. of the Edinburgh Review, throughout the article concerning Don Pedro de Cevallos, has displayed more politics than policy; many of the worthy burgesses of Elingburgh being so incensed at the infamous principles it evinces, as to have withdrawn their subsbriptions." It seems that Mr. Brougham is not a Pict, as I supposed, but a Borderer, and his nume is pronounced Broom, from Trent to Tay :-So be it. ↑ I ought to apologize to the worthy deities for introducing a new goddess with short petticoats to their notice: but als! what was to be done? I could not say Caledonia's genius, it being well known there is no such genius to be found from Clackmannan to Cathness; yet without supernatural agency, how was Jeffrey to be saved? The national "kelpies" are too unpoetical, and the "brownies," and "gude neighbors" (spirits of a good dispostion) refused to extricate him. A goddess, therefore, has been called for the purpose; and great ought to be the gratitude of Jellrey, seeing it is the only communication he ever held, or is likely to hold, with any thing heavenly. Then prosper, Jeffrey! &c.-This paragraph was introduced in the fifth didon. 1 See the color of the back binding of the Edingburgh Review. Illustrious Holland! hard would be his lot, Bad enough, and on mistaken grounds too.-MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. And, grateful for the dainties, &c.-In all editions before the fifth, this touplet was printed, "And grateful to the founder of the fenɛt, Declare his landlord can translate at least." • Lord Holland has translated some specimens of Lope de Vega, inserted in his life of the author? both are bepraised by his disinterested guests. • Their subscriptions.-Here followed in the first edition, "The name of inis personage is pronounced Broom in the south, but the truly northern and musical pronunciation is Brougham, in two syllables.” Breathes o'er the page her purity of soul, Reforms each error, and refines the whole. Now to the drama turn-oh! motley sight! And common-place and common sense confounds? While Kenny's "World"-ah! where is Kenny's wit? Tires the sad gallery, lulls the listless pit; } Who but must mourn, while these are all the rage, • Certain it is, her ladyship is suspected of having displayed her mazka wit in the Edinburgh Review. However that may be, we know, from good authority, that the manuscripts are submitted to her perusal—no doubt, for our rection. In the melo-drama of Tekeli, that heroic prince la clapt into a barrel on the stage; a new asylum for distressed heroes. All these are favorite expressions of Mr. Reynolds, and prominent in bis comedies, living and defunct. "While Kenny's "World,"-ah! where is Kenny's wit ?— Thus corrected in the fifth edition. The lines were originally printed, Mr. T. Sheridan, the new manager of Drury-lane theatre, stripped the tragedy of Bonduca of the dialogue, and exhibited the scenes as the spectacio of Caractacus.--Was this worthy of his sire, or of himself? Siddons lives to tread.-In all editions previous to the fifth, "Kemble lives to tread." • Mr. Greenwood is, we believe, scene-painter to Drury-lane theatresuch, Mr. Skeffington is much indebted to hirn. tt Mr. Skeffington is the illustrious author of the "Sleeping Beauty;" The conclusion of the note was substituted for the above in the second and some comedies, particularly "Maids and Bachelora:” Baculauri bə adition. culo magis quam lauro digni. Then let Ausonia, skill'd in every art To sanction vice, and hunt decorum down: The song from Italy, the step from France, With art the charms which nature could not spare; Oh! blest retreats of infamy and case, Twirl her light limbs, that spurn the needless veil; Each maid may give a loose to genial thought, Let Angiolini bare her breast of snow, Strain her fair neck, and charm the listening throng! Or hail at once the patron and the pile There the hired eunuch, the Hesperian choir, • "Stares;" first edition, "keepa." + Nakili and Catalina require little notics-for the visage of the one, and the zalary of the other, will enable us long to recollect these amusing vagabonds. Besides, we are still lack and blue from the squeeze on the first night of the lady's appearance in trousers. Whet not your scythe. From Lord Byron's correction in 1816. In the former editions, “Raise not your, scythe." Against the six concluding lines of this paragaph the author has written-"Good." Or hail at once the patron and the pile.-The following seventy lines to "as for the smaller fry," &c., were first inserted in the second edition. To prevent any blunder, such as mistaking a street for a man, I beg leave to state, that it is the institution, and not the duke of that name, which is here alluded to. A gentleman, with whom I am slightly acquainted, lost In the Argyle Rooms several thousand pounds at backgammon. It is Lut Justice to the managers in this instince to say, that some degree of disapproltion was manifested: but why are the implements of gaming allowed in a place devoted to the society of both sexes? A pleasant thing for the wives or daughters of those who are blest or cursed with such connections, to hear the billard-tables rattling in one room, and the dice in another! That this is the ense I myself can testify, as a late worthy member of an institution which ma terially affects the morals of the higher orders, while the lower may not even nove to the sound of a tabor and fiddle without a chance of indictment for riotous behavior. Each swain may teach new systems, or be taught; Begun in folly, ended in disgrace; While none but menials o'er the bed of death, The mangled victim of a drunken brawl, Truth! rouse some genuine bard, and guide his hand I knew the late Lord Falkland well. On Sunday night I beheld him presiding at his own table, in all the honest pride of hospitality; on Wednes day morning, at three o'clock, I saw stretched before me all that remained o courage, feeling, and a host of passions. He was a gallant and successful officer: his faults were the faults of a sailor-as such, Eritous will forgive him. He died like a brave man in a better cause: for had he fallen in like manner on the deck of the frigate to which he was just appointed, his last Petronius "Arbiter elegantiarum" to Nero, "and a very pretty fellow in moments would have been held up by his countrymen as an example te his day," as Mr. Congreve's " Old Bachelor" gaith of Hannibal. • True. It was Billy Wy who lost the money. I knew him, and was a subscriber to the Argyle at the time of the event.-MS. note by Lord Byron. 1916. succeeding heroes. § To fight my course through passion's countless host.-Yes: and a precious chase they led me.-MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. What art thou better, meddling foo!?-Fool enough, certainly then, and no wiser since.-MS. note by Lord Byron. 1816. |