1813.] CURIOSITIEs of literature. But to-morrow at four, we will both play the Scurra, And you'll be Catullus, the Regent, Mamurra.1 209 Dear M.,-having got thus far, I am interrupted by **. 10 o'clock. Half-past 11. **** is gone. I must dress for Lady Heathcote's.-Addio. 292.-To John Murray. May 22nd, 1813. DEAR SIR,-I return the "Curiosities of Literature.” 2 Pray is it fair to ask if the " Twopenny Postbag" is to be reviewed in this No.? because, if not, I should be glad to undertake it, and leave it to Chance and the Editor for a reception into your pages. 66 Yours truly, P.S.-You have not sent me Eustace's Travels.3 "when neither mothers, nor husbands, nor rivals, nor gossips, were near my then idol, who was beautiful as the Statues of the Gallery "where we stood at the time). Sotheby, I say, had seized upon me by the button, and the heart-strings, and spared neither. "W. Spencer, who likes fun, and don't dislike mischief, saw my case, and, coming up to us both, took me by the hand and pathetically bade me farewell, 'for, said he, 'I see it is all over "with you." Sotheby then went away. Sic me servavit Apollo." 1. See Catullus, xxix. 3— 66 66 "Quis hoc potest videre, quis potest pati, Mamurram habere, quod Comata Gallia See also xli 4, xliii. 5 (compare Horace, Sat. i. 5. 37), and lvii. 2. 2. The first volume of Isaac Disraeli's Curiosities of Literature was published in 1791. The remaining volumes were published at intervals: vol. ii., 1793 ; vol. iii., 1817; vols. iv. and v., in 1823; vol. vi., 1834. 3. John Chetwode Eustace (circ. 1762–1815) published his Tour through Italy in 1813. VOL. II. P 293.-To John Murray. May 23rd, 1813. DEAR SIR,-I question whether ever author before received such a compliment from his master. I am glad you think the thing is tolerably vamped and will be vendible. Pray look over the proof again. I am but a careless reviser, and let me have 12 struck off, and one or two for yourself to serve as MS. for the thing when published in the body of the volume. If Lady Caroline Lamb sends for it, do not let her have it, till the copies are all ready, and then you can send her one. Yours truly, Μπαίρων. P.S.-H.'s book is out at last; I have my copy, which I have lent already. 294.-To John Murray. June 2, 1813. DEAR SIR,-I presented a petition to the house yesterday,1 which gave rise to some debate, and I wish you to favour me for a few minutes with the Times and Herald to look on their hostile report. 1. The petition was from Major Cartwright, and was presented June 1, 1813. (For Byron's speech, see Appendix II. (3).) Returning from the House, he called on Moore, and, while the latter was dressing for dinner, walked up and down the next room, "spouting "in a sort of mock heroic voice, detached sentences of the speech "he had just been delivering. 'I told them,' he said, 'that it was a most flagrant violation of the Constitution—that, if such things were permitted, there was an end of English freedom, and "that'But what was this dreadful grievance?' asked Moore. "The grievance?' he repeated, pausing as if to consider, 'oh, "that I forget."" 66 66 1813.] LORD THURLOW'S POEMS. 211 You will find, if you like to look at my prose, my words nearly verbatim in the M. Chronicle. BN. 295.-To Thomas Moore. MY DEAR MOORE,-"When Rogers "1 must not see the inclosed, which I send for your perusal. I am ready 1. In the late spring or early summer of 1813, Byron and Moore supped on bread and cheese with Rogers. Their host had just received from Lord Thurlow a copy of his Poems on Several Occasions (1813), and, in spite of protests by Rogers, Byron and Moore, in wild spirits, hunted through the volume to find absurdities. Byron lighted upon some lines to Rogers himself, "On the Poem "of Mr. Rogers entitled 'An Epistle to a Friend."" The first stanza ran thus "When Rogers o'er this labour bent, But when he began to read them aloud, he could not, for laughing, get beyond the first two words. Two or three times he tried, but always broke down, till he was joined by Moore in a fit of laughter which at last infected Rogers himself. The three were, as Moore tells the story, "in such a state of inextinguishable laughter, that, “had the author himself been of the party, I question much whether "he could have resisted the infection." A day or two afterwards, Byron sent Moore the lines given in Letter 295. On the same day he again returned to the subject, with the following additional lines, in which the last stanza of the same poem is the text : "Then, thus, to form Apollo's crown, "TO LORD THURLOW. I. "I lay my branch of laurel down.' "Thou 'lay thy branch of laurel down!' to fix any day you like for our visit. Was not Sheridan Keep to thyself thy wither'd bough, 2. "Then thus to form Apollo's crown.' 3. "Let every other bring his own.' "When coals to Newcastle are carried, And thou shalt have plenty to spare." Edward Hovell (1781-1829) succeeded his uncle in 1806 as second Baron Thurlow. He published several volumes of poetry: Poems on Several Occasions (1812); Ariadne, a Poem (1814); Carmen Britannicum, or the Song of Britain: written in honour of the Prince Regent (1814); Moonlight, a Poem (1814); The Sonnets of Edward, Lord Thurlow (privately printed, 1821); Angelica, or the Rape of Proteus, a Poem (1822). 1. Byron had met Sheridan and Moore at dinner with Rogers. In the course of the evening the conversation turned on the Address which Whitbread had written and sent in for the opening of Drury Lane. Like many of his competitors, he had introduced the Phoenix. "But Whitbread," said Sheridan, "made more of this *bird than any of them; he entered into particulars, and described "its wings, beak, tail, etc.; in short, it was a poulterer's description "of a Phoenix." 1813.] LORD THURLOW'S POEMS. 213 I. When Thurlow this damn'd nonsense sent, Nor men nor gods knew what he meant. 2. And since not ev'n our Rogers' praise To common sense his thoughts could raise— 3. 4. 5. To me, divine Apollo, grant-01 6. And thus to furnish decent lining, 296.-To John Hanson. June 3, 1813. DEAR SIR,-When you receive this I shall have left town for a week, and, as it is perfectly right we should understand each other, I think you will not be surprised at my persisting in my intention of going abroad. If the Suit can be carried on in my absence,-well; if not, it must be given up. One word, one letter, to Cn. |