Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-25
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
THE WORKS OF LORD BYRON.

NeU Edition. bot. FIlL. London, 1889.
The great interest which the preceding volume
Of Lord Byron's works--being the FIRST OF his
poetical wrings-has excited, will, we think, be
increased by the one now before US. containing as
it does the whole romance Of Glide Harold, the
most original and frlcitous Of al the great poets
serious efforts The following is the Editors &C.
count Of this remarkable poem.-La. Gaz.
"The first canto was commenced, as Lord By.
ron 5 diaries inform US, at Joannina in Albania,
on the Slst of October, 1909; anu the second
was finished on the 18th Of March, in the sue
ceeding year at Smyrna. These two cantos, az
ter having received nuniberess corrections and
additions in their progress through the press,
we're first published in London in March 1919.
md immediately placed their author on level
with the very highest names OF his age. The i'm
preston they created was more uniform, decis-
i've. and triumphant, than any that had been wit.
messed in this country for at least two genera
ITEMS. l awoke one morning. he says, and
found myself famous In truth. he had fixed
himself, at single bound, on summit, such az
no English poet had ever befure attained but az
ter a long succession Of painful and comparative.
" neglected efforts. Those who wish to anal,se
with critical accuracy.th the progress Of Lord Bv-
ron in his art, must OF course, interposc t.!eir
study of various minor pieces. TO be cO.nprnms-
ed in the ninth volume OF this series, between
their perusua of the first and second cantos OF
Chiide Harold, and that of The third. which was
finished at Diodati, near Geneva, in July 1916,
| and records the authors mental experiences dur
ins his perauhuiauons OF Netherlands. the Rhine
Country, and Switzerland in that and the two
precedngs months--the poetical autobiography
of perhaps. the most melancholy period OF MS
not less melancholy than glorious life,-that in
which the Wounds of domestic misery. that had
driven him from his native laod, were yet green.
| and bleeding at the touch. This canto was pub
lished by itself, in August, 1916; and, notwith.
| standing at once the proverbial hazard of CONT
nuations. aud the obloquy which envious exaS-
seration had at the time attached to Lord BY.
ron's name. was all but universally admitted to
have mure than sustained the elevation Of the orr
ginal flight Of Childe Harold.
| A lust and generous article, by SIR Walter
Scott, in the Quarterly Reviw, not only silsnced
the few cavillers who had ventured to challenge
the inspiration of this magnificent canto. but had
a more powerful influence than Lord Byron,
gratefully as he acknowledged it, seems TO have
been aware of, in rebuking. the harsh prejudi-
ces which had unfortunately gathered about some
essential points Of his personal character. The
fourth, and by far the longest cauto, in itself no
doubt the srandest exertlon of Lord Byron's ee-
MUS, appears to have occupied the nearly undi-
vided labOur Of half year. 1t was begun at
Venice, in June 1917 aud finished in the same
city, in January 1918; and being shortly after.
wards published in London, carried the authors
fame TO the utmost height it ever reached. 1t is
at once the most flowing, the most energetic, and
the most solemn of all his pieces; and would Of
facfo s,f NO
wing Election that dictated for the sole inscrip.
lion of his tombstone-'H Here lies the Author
of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. '-lt has been
our object to DO now for this great work, az far
as our means might permit, what the author him
self would. Of course, have wished to do for 1t,
had nc survived to see It produced IN such form
of publication as the present. We have endea-
| vnrrd 20 equip il with such body OF Notes and
Illustrations as may render its oft en- evanescent
hints Ineligible throughout to the general read
err, Of what must already consider as new
generation From Lord Bvrnn's own Letters
and Diaries. the writings Of Sir John Cam
Hobhouse. the truest and slncerest as well as
abest of his friends. 20 whom the fourth cantO
is Dedicated in terms Of the most touching kind
ness and manly respect,-and from various other
sources,-we nave collected whatever seemed
necessary TO explain the historical and statistical
illusions of the poeticai pilgrim; and, though
b, n0means desirious 1T Oversoading his pages
with merely critical remarks, we have not heslla-
ted to quote here aad there peculiarly striking
observation, called forth by some signal specl.
men of grandeur Of thought Or grace oflansuage
ere yet the first impression OF such beauties had
been dimmcd by familiarity. from such c"tempo-
raries as Sir Walter Scott. Sir Eegrton Bridges,
Mr.. Jeffrey, or Professor Wilson The original
Ms. has furnished many paris !eetiones, which
may probably be interesting to an extensive class
of the poets readers. One. and the most inpor-
tant, in order to avoid repetitions on the margin.
we mention once for all here: in the first draught
Of the opening cantos, the hero ia uniformly
.Chiide Burun'
Some splendid fragments, which the author me-
yer worked into the texture Of his piece, will al
so be found in nis notes to this edition; nor at
ter the lapse Of twenty years, will any one. it is
presumed, complain that We have printed in like
manner certain complete stanzas, which Lord
Byron was induced to withhold from the public,
onIy nv tenderness for the feelings of individuals