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["By the way," writes Murray, Aug. 5, 1817 (Memoir, etc., i. 386), "Polidori has sent me his tragedy! Do me the kindness to send by return of post a delicate declension of it, which I engage faithfully to copy.']

[J. W. Polidori (1795-1821) was a young physician of Italian origin (his mother was a Rossetti), who was a short time in attendance on Byron. He fell into ill-health and committed suicide.]

[Sotheby published, in 1814, Five Tragedies, viz. "The Confession," "Orestes,' "Ivan,' "The Death of Darnley," and "Zamorin and Zama."]

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[George Hammond (1763-1853) held the office of Under-Secretary of State for Forcin Affairs. He is associated with the foundaana of the Anti-Jacobin and the Quarterly Recien |

[John Dent, M.P., a banker, was nicknamed "Dog Dent" because he was concerned in the introduction of the Dog-tax Bill in 1x)

[Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833), soldier, and diplomatist, published (January, 1815) a H tory of Persia.]

3 [W. R. Hamilton (1777-1850) was Secreta to Lord Elgin, and wrote a pamphlet on the "Elgin Marbles."]

4 [Madame de Staël's Considérations Revolution Française was offered to Murray June, 1816, and the sum of £4000 asked for

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80

A dying person in compunction
To try th' extremity of Unction.
But peace be with her! for a woman
Her talents surely were uncommon,
Her Publisher (and Public too)
The hour of her demise may rue
For never more within his shop he
Pray was not she interred at Coppet?
Thus run our time and tongues away;
But, to return, Sir, to your play:
Sorry, Sir, but I cannot deal,
Unless 'twere acted by O'Neill.
My hands are full-my head so busy,
I'm almost dead - and always dizzy;
And so, with endless truth and hurry,
Dear Doctor, I am yours,

JOHN MURRAY.

August 21, 1817.

90

Lines

[First published, Letters and Journals, 1830, ii. 139-141. 67-82 first published, Letters, 1900, iv. 161.]

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6.

But you've others, his betters, The real men of letters,

Your Orators

Wits

Critics

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And I'll bet that your Journal (Pray is it diurnal?)

Will pay with your luckiest hits.

7.

You can make any loss up
With "Spence" and his gossip,

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4

[Henry Gally Knight (1786-1846), a contemporary of Byron at Trinity College, Cambridge.]

2

[Phrosyne, a Grecian tale, and Alashtar, an Arabian tale, were published in 1817. Byron writes, September 4, 1817, "I have received safely, though tardily, the magnesia and toothpowder, Phrosine and Alashtar. I shall clean my teeth with one, and wipe my shoes with the other."]

3 [Sotheby's Farewell to Italy and Occasional Poems were published in 1818.]

4 [Observations, Anecdotes, and Characters of

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OF rhymes I printed seven volumes The list concludes John Murray's columns:

Of these there have been few transla tions 2

For Gallic or Italian nations;
And one or two perhaps in German
But in this last I can't determine.
But then I only sung of passions
That do not suit with modern fashions:
Of Incest and such like diversion
Permitted only to the Persians,
Or Greeks to bring upon their stages –
But that was in the earlier ages;
Besides my style is the romantic,
Which some call fine, and some cal
frantic;

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[Richard Belgrave Hoppner (1786-18-2) second son of John Hoppner, R.A., was appointed English Consul at Venice, October, 1814 quatrain was translated (see the following poez into eleven different languages - Greek. Lem Italian (also the Venetian dialect), German French, Spanish, Illyrian, Hebrew, Armenian. and Samaritan, and printed "in a small meat volume in the seminary of Padua."]

[A French translation of the Bride of Abetar appeared in 1816, an Italian translation of the Lament of Tasso in 1817. A German translan 4 of the entire text of Manfred was issued in 1819/

ile others are or would seem as sick repetitions nicknamed Classic. ⚫ my part all men must allow atever I was, I'm classic now. aw and left my fault in time, d chose a topic all sublime ondrous as antient war or hero en played and sung away like Nero, no sang of Rome, and I of Rizzo:

e subject has improved my wit so, he first four lines the poet sees art forth in fourteen languages! nough of seven volumes none before ould ever reach the fame of four, enceforth I sacrifice all Glory o the Rinaldo of my Story: ve sung his health and appetite; The last word's not translated right e's turned it, God knows how, to vigour) 1

1

Il sing them in a book that's bigger. h! Muse prepare for thy Ascension! nd generous Rizzo! thou my pension. February, 1818. [From an autograph MS. in the possession of Mr Murray, first published, 1903.]

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He writes as well as any Miss,

Has published many a poem;
The shame is yours, the gain is his,
In case you should not know 'em:

[Murray bought a half-share in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, in August, 1818.]

2 [Mrs. Rundell's Domestic Cookery, published in 1806, was one of Murray's most successful books.]

[The sixth edition of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1813) was "printed by T. Davidson, Whitefriars, for John Murray, Bookseller to the Admiralty and the Board of Longitude."] [For Fop's Alley, vide ante, p. 135.]

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