The Works of Lord Byron Volume III Part 16

[bk] {45} _Sympathetic Address to a Young Lady_.--[_Morning Chronicle_, March 7, 1812.]

[35] [The scene which begat these memorable stanzas was enacted at a banquet at Carlton House, February 22, 1812. On March 6 the following quatrain, ent.i.tled, "Impromptu on a Recent Incident," appeared in the _Morning Chronicle_:--

"Blest omens of a happy reign, In swift succession hourly rise, Forsaken friends, vows made in vain-- A daughter's tears, a nation's sighs."

Byron's lines, headed, "Sympathetic Address to a Young Lady," were published anonymously in the _Morning Chronicle_ of March 7, but it was not till March 10 that the _Courier_ ventured to insert a report of "The Fracas at Carlton House on the 22nd ult.," which had already been communicated to the _Caledonian Mercury_.

"The party consisted of the Princess Charlotte, the d.u.c.h.ess of York, the Dukes of York and Cambridge, Lords Moira, Erskine, Lauderdale, Messrs. Adams and Sheridan.

"The Prince Regent expressed 'his surprise and mortification' at the conduct of Lords Grey and Grenville [who had replied unfavourably to a letter addressed by the P.R. to the Duke of York, suggesting an united administration]. Lord Lauderdale thereupon, with a freedom unusual in courts, a.s.serted that the reply did not express the opinions of Lords Grey and Grenville only, but of every political friend of that way of thinking, and that he had been present at and a.s.sisted in the drawing-up, and that every sentence had his cordial a.s.sent. The Prince was suddenly and deeply affected by Lord Lauderdale's reply, so much so, that the Princess, observing his agitation, dropt her head and burst into tears--upon which the Prince turned round and begged the female part of the company to withdraw."

In the following June, at a ball at Miss Johnson's, Byron was "presented by order to our gracious Regent, who honoured me with some conversation," and for a time he ignored and perhaps regretted his anonymous _jeu d'esprit_. But early in 1814, either out of mere bravado or in an access of political rancour, he determined to republish the stanzas under his own name. The first edition of the _Corsair_ was printed, if not published, but in accordance with a peremptory direction (January 22, 1814), "eight lines on the little Royalty weeping in 1812,"

were included among the poems printed at the end of the second edition.

The "newspapers were in hysterics and town in an uproar on the avowal and republication" of the stanzas (_Diary_, February 18), and during Byron's absence from town "Murray omitted the Tears in several of the copies"--that is, in the Third Edition--but yielding to _force majeure_, replaced them in a Fourth Edition, which was issued early in February.

(See Letters of July 6, 1812, January 22, February 2, and February 10, 1814 (_Letters_, 1898, ii. 134, etc.); and for "Newspaper Attacks upon Byron," see _Letters_, 1898, ii. Appendix VII. pp. 463-492.)]

[bl] _Stanzas_.--[1812.]

[36] {48} [For allusion to the "Cornelian" see "The Cornelian," ["Pignus Amoris"], and "The Adieu," stanza 7, _Poetical Works_, 1898, i. 66, 231, 240. See, too, _Letters_, 1898, i. 130, note 3.]

[bm] {50} _To Samuel Rogers, Esq_.--[_Poems_, 1816.]

[37] ["Rogers is silent,--and, it is said, severe. When he does talk, he talks well; and, on all subjects of taste, his delicacy of expression is pure as his poetry. If you enter his house--his drawing-room--his library--you of yourself say, this is not the dwelling of a common mind.

There is not a gem, a coin, a book thrown aside on his chimney-piece, his sofa, his table, that does not bespeak an almost fastidious elegance in the possessor."--_Diary_, 1813; _Letters_, 1898, ii. 331.]

[38] [Compare Collins' _Ode on the Death of Mr. Thomson_--"In yonder grave a Druid lies."]

[39] {51} ["Mr. Elliston then came forward and delivered the following _Prize_ address. We cannot boast of the eloquence of the delivery. It was neither gracefully nor correctly recited. The merits of the production itself we submit to the criticism of our readers. We cannot suppose that it was selected as the most poetical composition of all the scores that were submitted to the committee. But perhaps by its tenor, by its allusions to Garrick, to Siddons, and to Sheridan, it was thought most applicable to the occasion, notwithstanding its being in part unmusical, and in general tame."--_Morning Chronicle_, October 12, 1812.]

[40] ["By the by, the best view of the said fire [February 24, 1809]

(which I myself saw from a house-top in Covent-garden) was at Westminster Bridge, from the reflection on the Thames."--Letter to Lord Holland, September 25, 1812, _Letters_, 1898, ii. 148.]

[bn]

_As flas.h.i.+ng far the new Volcano shone_ / _meteors_ _And swept the skies with_ { } _not their own_.

_lightnings_ /

/ _sadly_ or, _As flashed the volumed blaze, and_ { } _shone_ _ghastly_ / _The skies with lightnings awful as their own._-- [_Letter to Lord Holland, Sept_. 25, 1812.]

or, _As glared each rising flash, and ghastly shone_ _The skies with lightnings awful as their own_.-- [_Letter to Lord Holland, Sept_. 27, 1812.]

[bo] {52} / lava of the _Till slowly ebbed the_ { } _wave_.

_spent volcanic_ / / the burning or, _Till ebb'd the lava of_ { } _wave_, _that molten_ / _And blackening ashes mark'd the Muse's grave_.-- [_Letter to Lord Holland, Sept_. 28, 1812]

[bp] _That scorns the scythe of Time, the torch of Flame_.--[Letter to Lord Holland, Sept, 28, 1812.]

[bq] {53} _Far be from him that hour which asks in vain_ _Tears such as flow for Garrick in his strain;_ or, _Far be that hour that vainly asks in turn_ / crowned his _Sad verse for him as_ { } _Garrick's urn_.-- _wept o'er_ / [_Letter to Lord Holland, Sept_. 30, 1812.]

[41] [Originally, "Ere Garrick _died_," etc. "By the by, one of my corrections in the fair copy sent yesterday has dived into the bathos some sixty fathom--

'When Garrick died, and Brinsley ceased to write.'

Ceasing to _live_ is a much more serious concern, and ought not to be first; therefore I will let the old couplet stand, with its half rhymes 'sought' and 'wrote' [_vide supra, variant_ ii.] Second thoughts in every thing are best, but, in rhyme, third and fourth don't come amiss.... I always scrawl in this way, and smooth as much as I can, but never sufficiently."--Letter to Lord Holland, September 26, 1812, _Letters_, 1898, ii. 150.]

[br]

_Such are the names that here your plaudits sought,_ _When Garrick acted, and when Brinsley wrote_.--[MS.]

[42] {54} [The following lines were omitted by the Committee:--

"_Nay, lower still, the Drama yet deplores_ _That late she deigned to crawl upon all-fours_.

_When Richard roars in Bosworth for a horse_, _If you command, the steed must come in course_.

_If you decree, the Stage must condescend_ To soothe the sickly taste we dare not mend.

_Blame not our judgment should we acquiesce_, _And gratify you more by showing less_.

Oh, since your Fiat stamps the Drama's laws, Forbear to mock us with misplaced applause; _That public praise be ne'er again disgraced_, / brutes to man recall _From_ { } _a nation's taste;_ _babes and brutes redeem_ / Then pride shall doubly nerve the actor's powers, When Reason's voice is echoed back with ours."

The last couplet but one was altered in a later copy, thus--

"_The past reproach let present scenes refute_, _Nor s.h.i.+ft from man to babe, from babe to brute._"

"Is Whitbread," wrote Lord Byron, "determined to castrate all my _cavalry_ lines?... I do implore, for my _own_ gratification, one lash on those accursed quadrupeds--'a long shot, Sir Lucius, if you love me.'"--_Letter to Lord Holland_, September 28, 1812, _Letters_, 1898, ii. 156. For "animal performers," vide ibid., note 1.]

[43] [Lines 66-69 were added on September 24, in a letter to Lord Holland.]

[44] {55} [The original of Dr. Busby's address, ent.i.tled "Monologue submitted to the Committee of Drury Lane Theatre," which was published in the _Morning Chronicle_, October 17, 1812, "will be found in the _Genuine Rejected Addresses_, as well as parodied in _Rejected Addresses_ ('Architectural Atoms'). On October 14 young Busby forced his way on to the stage of Drury Lane, attempted to recite his father's address, and was taken into custody. On the next night, Dr. Busby, speaking from one of the boxes, obtained a hearing for his son, who could not, however, make his voice heard in the theatre.... To the failure of the younger Busby (himself a compet.i.tor and the author of an 'Unalogue' ...) to make himself heard, Byron alludes in the stage direction, 'to be spoken in an inarticulate voice.'" (See _Letters_, 1898, ii. 176; and for Dr. Busby, see _Poetical Works_, 1898, i. 481, 485.) Busby's "Address" ran as follows:--

"When energising objects men pursue, What are the prodigies they cannot do?

A magic edifice you here survey, Shot from the ruins of the other day!

As Harlequin had smote the slumberous heap, And bade the rubbish to a fabric leap.

Yet at that speed you'd never be amazed, Knew you the _zeal_ with which the pile was raised; Nor even here your smiles would be represt, Knew you the rival flame that fires our breast, 10 Flame! fire and flame! sad heart-appalling sounds, Dread metaphors that ope our healing wounds-- A sleeping pang awakes--and----But away With all reflections that would cloud the day That this triumphant, brilliant prospect brings, Where Hope reviving re-expands her wings; Where generous joy exults, where duteous ardour springs.

If mighty things with small we may compare, This spirit drives Britannia's conquering car, Burns in her ranks and kindles every tar.

Nelson displayed its power upon the main, And Wellington exhibits it in Spain; Another Marlborough points to Blenheim's story, And with its l.u.s.tre, blends his kindred glory. 40

In Arms and Science long our Isle hath shone, And Shakespeare--wondrous Shakespeare--reared a throne For British Poesy--whose powers inspire The British pencil, and the British lyre-- Her we invoke--her Sister Arts implore: Their smiles beseech whose charms yourselves adore, These if we win, the Graces too we gain-- Their dear, beloved, inseparable train; Three who their witching arts from Cupid stole And three acknowledged sovereigns of the soul: 50 Harmonious throng! with nature blending art!

Divine Sestetto! warbling to the heart For Poesy shall here sustain the upper part.

Thus lifted gloriously we'll sweep along, s.h.i.+ne in our music, scenery and song; s.h.i.+ne in our farce, masque, opera and play, And prove old Drury has not had her day, Nay more--so stretch the wing the world shall cry, Old Drury never, never soared so high.

'But hold,' you'll say, 'this self-complacent boast; 60 Easy to reckon thus without your host.'

True, true--that lowers at once our mounting pride; 'Tis yours alone our merit to decide; 'Tis ours to look to you, you hold the prize That bids our great, our best ambitions rise.

A _double_ blessing _your_ rewards impart, Each good provide and elevate the heart.

Our twofold feeling owns its twofold cause, Your bounty's _comfort_--_rapture_ your applause; When in your fostering beam you bid us live, 70 You give the means of life, and gild the means you give."

_Morning Chronicle_, October 17, 1812.]

[45] {57} [Busby's translation of Lucretius (_The Nature of Things_, a Didascalie Poem) was published in 1813. Byron was a subscriber, and is mentioned in the preface as "one of the most distinguished poets of the age." The pa.s.sage in question is, perhaps, taken from the Second Book, lines 880, 881, which Busby renders--

"Just as she quickens fuel into fire, And bids it, flaming, to the skies aspire."]

[46] {59} [The Leasowes, the residence of the poet Shenstone, is near the village of Halesowen, in Shrops.h.i.+re.]