Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-07-25
ERoM zNGLIsH PAPERS.
Received at the office Of the Ne1c- York
ARasrSc0n.
LORD BYRON.


A few days ago we stated that, after
a hasty perusal of the last publication
of Lord Byron, it appeared to US to con-
tain all his peculiar characteristics, both
good and cad: more deliberate peru.
sal has confirmed as in this opinion.
What his excellencies are, we need
scarcely mention: an original turn of
thought, great vigor of expression, and
uncommon facility and sweetness of de-
scription wherever woman is the theme.
His faults are as obvious: his originate
ty is disgraced by the most revolving
paradsxes: his strength frequently de.
generates into .coarseness, and his no.
ton of female excellence seems always
taken fl ON the voluptiousness of the
harem, pr the exaggeration of stilted
tragedy The great talents of Lord
Byron it would be absurd to deny or
dispute; but we believe there is no au-
shor, living or dead, who with such ia.
Tents and such legitimate means of ac-
quiring fame, has had recourse to such
devious and affected modes of attrac-
ting attention. He seldom ventures to
meet his reader on the fair ground of
common sense or natural feelings. He
almost always thinks it necessary to
prize or startls him at the very outset, as
if to prevent too critical an examina-
iion Of his .pretensions Thus in Childe
Harold he thought proper to be very
melancholy and proAigate. In the Cor
sair, Lara, &c. he was the admirer of
thieves and murderers in Don Juan
he was unfeeling and indecent: and
now be borders on the blasphemous,
slough, as he quantity expresses it, he
strives not to break "the bounds of spi.
ritual politensss." Lord Byron calls
himself and is thorough aristocrat in
haughtiness Of temper and fastidious.
ness of taste: but is there not some.
thing extremely vulgar in descending
to such tricks and quackeries for fixing
the notice of the publicP We certain.
l. are ready to allow that in whatever
way Lord Byron should choose to APP
pear before the literary world, he has
excellencies which must ensure high
reputation but we must also declare
that hitherto, with scarcely one excsp.
ton. he has not shown himself in that
fair and unaffected guise which alone is
worthy of a man of genius. He does,
indeed, appear TO have weaned himself
from one of his most offensive and vul.
gar propensities-we mean that of abu-
sing his wife, but he still retains his
love of paradox. and his affection for all
the weak and guilty parts of human ma
ture. e
His present publication consists of
three dramas - SGrdanapalus, The
FOscari, and Cain: of these, the Eos
cara bears scarcely any marks of the,
writer's undoubted powers it is tame
and prosaic, never poetical, and not a.
bove once rising to eloquence. The
SGrdanapaIuS is full of beautiful pas.
sages; and the Cain is, we think, the
pest poem which has yet issued from
his brain. But in both plays the ex-
travagant love of paradox deforms all
most every scene. This SardanapG.
luS, as ne appears in history, is a mere
sensualist: In Lord Byron's tragedy he
is still q sensualist, but he is also, what
was never yet compatible with the ha
bit of sensualisy, pattern of reasona
bleness and benevolence, all tenderness
and disinteresteduess, and absolutely o.
verficwiDg with the milk ofhuman kind
ness. If Lord Byron had been content
with showing thst the Assysiaa Mon
e