1813.] A DUEL AVERTED. 249 was a peer, the other a friend untitled, and both fond of high play ;-and one, I can swear for, though very mild, "not fearful," and so dead a shot, that, though the other is the thinnest of men, he would have split him like a cane. They both conducted themselves very well, and I put them out of pain as soon as I could. There is an American Life of G. F. Cooke,1 Scurra 'deceased, lately published. Such a book!-I believe, since Drunken Barnaby's Journal,2 nothing like it has drenched the press. All green-room and tap-room— 66 1. G. F. Cooke (1755-1812), from 1794 to 1800 was the hero of the Dublin stage, with the exception of an interval, during which he served in the army. On October 31, 1800, he appeared at Covent Garden as "Richard III.," and afterwards played such parts in tragedy as "Iago" and "Shylock" with great success. In comedy he was also a favourite, especially as Kitely" in Every Man in his Humour, and "Sir Pertinax MacSycophant" in The Man of the World. His last appearance on the London stage was as "Falstaff," June 5, 1810. In that year he sailed for New York, and, September 26, 1812, died there from his "incorrigible habits of drinking." 66 Byron uses the word scurra, which generally means a "parasite," in its other sense of a "buffoon." Memoirs of George Frederic Cooke, late of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, by W. Dunlap, in 2 vols., was published in 1813. 2. The original edition of Drunken Barnaby's Journal, a small square volume, without date, was probably printed about 1650. The author was supposed to be Barnaby Harrington of Queen's College, Oxford. But Joseph Haslewood, whose edition (1818) is the best, attributed it to Richard Brathwait (circ. 1588-1673). The title of the second edition (1716) runs as follows: Drunken Barnaby's Four Journeys to the North of England. In Latin and English Verse. Wittily and merrily (tho' near one hundred years ago) composed; found among some old musty books, that had a long time lain by in a corner; and now at last made publick. To which is added, Bessy Bell. "Drunken Barnaby" was also the burden of an old ballad quoted by Haslewood 66 'Barnaby, Barnaby, thou'st been drinking, I can tell by thy nose, and thy eyes winking; Hey, Barnaby! tak't for a warning, Be no more drunk, nor dry in a morning!" drams and the drama-brandy, whisky-punch, and, latterly, toddy, overflow every page. Two things are rather marvellous,-first, that a man should live so long drunk, and, next, that he should have found a sober biographer. There are some very laughable things in it, nevertheless; but the pints he swallowed, and the parts he performed, are too regularly registered. All this time you wonder I am not gone; so do I; but the accounts of the plague are very perplexing-not so much for the thing itself as the quarantine established in all ports, and from all places, even from England. It is true, the forty or sixty days would, in all probability, be as foolishly spent on shore as in the ship; but one likes to have one's choice, nevertheless. Town is awfully empty; but not the worse for that. I am really puzzled with my perfect ignorance of what I mean to do;-not stay, if I can help it, but where to go? Sligo is for the North; a pleasant place, Petersburgh, in September, with one's ears and nose in a muff, or else tumbling into one's neckcloth or pocket-handkerchief! If the winter treated Buonaparte with so little ceremony, what would it inflict upon your solitary traveller ?-Give me a sun, I care not how hot, and sherbet, I care not how cool, and my Heaven is as easily made as your Persian's.1 The Giaour is now a thousand and odd lines. "Lord Fanny "spins a thousand such a day," 2 eh, Moore ?-thou wilt needs be a wag, but I forgive it. Yours ever, BYRON. I. P.S.-I perceive I have written a flippant and rather "A Persian's Heav'n is easily made- 2. Pope's Imitations of Horace, Satire I. line 6. 1813.] REGRETS FOR NEWSTEAD. 251 cold-hearted letter! let it go, however. I have said nothing, either, of the brilliant sex; but the fact is, I am at this moment in a far more serious, and entirely new, scrape1 than any of the last twelve months,—and that is saying a good deal. It is unlucky we can neither live with nor without these women. I am now thinking of regretting that, just as I have left Newstead, you reside near it. Did you ever see it? do-but don't tell me that you like it. If I had known of such intellectual neighbourhood, I don't think I should have quitted it. You could have come over so often, as a bachelor, for it was a thorough bachelor's mansionplenty of wine and such sordid sensualities-with books enough, room enough, and an air of antiquity about all (except the lasses) that would have suited you, when pensive, and served you to laugh at when in glee. I had built myself a bath and a vault-and now I sha'n't even be buried in it. It is odd that we can't even be certain of a grave, at least a particular one. I remember, when about fifteen, reading your poems there, which I can repeat almost now,-and asking all kinds of questions about the author, when I heard that he was not dead according to the preface; wondering if I should ever see him-and though, at that time, without the smallest poetical propensity myself, very much taken, as you may imagine, with that volume. Adieu-I commit you to the care of the gods-Hindoo, Scandinavian, and Hellenic ! P.S. 2d. There is an excellent review of Grimm's Correspondence and Made. de Stael in this No. of the Edinburgh] R[eview].2 Jeffrey, himself, was my critic 1. With Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster. 2. The review of Madame de Staël's Germany was by Mackintosh. last year; but this is, I believe, by another hand. I hope you are going on with your grand coup-pray door that damned Lucien Buonaparte will beat us all. I have seen much of his poem in MS., and he really surpasses every thing beneath Tasso. Hodgson is translating him against another bard. You and (I believe Rogers,) Scott, Gifford, and myself, are to be referred to as judges between the twain, that is, if you accept the office. Conceive our different opinions! I think we, most of us (I am talking very impudently, you will think -us, indeed!) have a way of our own, at least, you and Scott certainly have. 323.-To John Murray. August 26, 1813. DEAR SIR,-I have looked over and corrected one proof, but not so carefully (God knows if you can read it through, but I can't) as to preclude your eye from discovering some omission of mine or commission of y Printer. If you have patience, look it over. Do you know any body who can stop-I mean point-commas, and so forth? for I am, I hear, a sad hand at your punctuation. I have, but with some difficulty, not added any more to this snake of a poem, which has been lengthening its rattles every month. It is now fearfully long, being more than a canto and a half of C. H., which contains but 882 lines per book, with all late additions inclusive. The last lines Hodgson likes-it is not often he does -and when he don't, he tells me with great energy, and I fret and alter. I have thrown them in to soften the ferocity of our Infidel, and, for a dying man, have given him a good deal to say for himself. 1813.] WE MUST END IN MARRIAGE. 253 Do you think you shall get hold of the female MS. you spoke of to day? if so, you will let me have a glimpse; but don't tell our master (not W's), or we shall be buffeted. I was quite sorry to hear you say you stayed in town on my account, and I hope sincerely you did not mean so superfluous a piece of politeness. Our six critiques-they would have made half a Quarterly by themselves; but this is the age of criticism. Ever yours, B. 324-To Thomas Moore. August 28, 1813. Ay, my dear Moore, "there was a time "—I have heard of your tricks, when "you was campaigning at the "King of Bohemy." 1 I am much mistaken if, some fine London spring, about the year 1815, that time does not come again. After all, we must end in marriage; and I can conceive nothing more delightful than such a state in the country, reading the county newspaper, etc., and kissing one's wife's maid. Seriously, I would incorporate with any woman of decent demeanour to-morrow-that is, I would a month ago, but, at present, Why don't you "parody that Ode?" 2-Do you think *** 1. Jerry Sneak, in Foote's Mayor of Garratt (act ii.), says to Major Sturgeon, "I heard of your tricks at the King of Bohemy." 2. "The Ode of Horace 66 "Natis in usum lætitiæ,' etc.; some passages of which I told him might be parodied, in allusion "to some of his late adventures 66 6 Quanta laboras in Charybdi! (Moore.) |