The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals Volume II Part 41

Will this do better? The metaphor is more complete.

Till slowly ebb'd the {_lava of the_/spent volcanic} wave, And blackening ashes mark'd the Muse's grave.

If not, we will say "burning wave," and instead of "burning clime," in the line some couplets back, have "glowing."

Is Whitbread determined to castrate all my _cavalry_ lines [1]? I don't see why t'other house should be spared; besides it is the public, who ought to know better; and you recollect Johnson's was against similar buffooneries of Rich's--but, certes, I am not Johnson. [2]

Instead of "effects," say "labours"--"degenerate" will do, will it? Mr.

Betty is no longer a babe, therefore the line cannot be personal. Will this do?

Till ebb'd the lava of {_the burning_}/{that molten} wave [3]

with "glowing dome," in case you prefer "burning" added to this "wave"

metaphorical. The word "fiery pillar" was suggested by the "pillar of fire" in the book of Exodus, which went before the Israelites through the Red Sea. I once thought of saying "like Israel's pillar," and making it a simile, but I did not know,--the great temptation was leaving the epithet "fiery" for the supplementary wave. I want to work up that pa.s.sage, as it is the only new ground us prologuizers can go upon--

This is the place where, if a poet s.h.i.+ned in description, he might show it.

If I part with the possibility of a future conflagration, we lessen the compliment to Shakspeare. However, we will e'en mend it thus:

Yes, it shall be--the magic of that name, That scorns the scythe of Time, the torch of Flame, On the same spot, etc., etc.

There--the deuce is in it, if that is not an improvement to Whitbread's content. Recollect, it is the "name," and not the "magic," that has a n.o.ble contempt for those same weapons. If it were the "magic," my metaphor would be somewhat of the maddest--so the "name" is the antecedent. But, my dear Lord, your patience is not quite so immortal--therefore, with many and sincere thanks, I am,

Yours ever most affectionately.

P.S.--I foresee there will be charges of partiality in the papers; but you know I sent in no _Address_; and glad both you and I must be that I did not, for, in that case, their plea had been plausible. I doubt the Pit will be testy; but conscious innocence (a novel and pleasing sensation) makes me bold.

[Footnote 1: The lines which were omitted by the Committee ran thus:

"'Nay, lower still, the Drama yet deplores That late she deigned to crawl upon all-fours.

When Richard roars in Bosworth for a horse, If you command, the steed must come in course.

If you decree, the Stage must condescend'

To soothe the sickly taste we dare not mend.

_Blame not our judgment should we acquiesce, And gratify you more by showing less_.

Oh, since your Fiat stamps the Drama's laws, Forbear to mock us with misplaced applause; _That public praise be ne'er again disgraced, From_ {brutes to man recall}/{_babes and brutes redeem} a nation's taste_; Then pride shall doubly nerve the actor's powers, When Reason's voice is echoed back by ours."

The last couplet but one was altered in a subsequent copy, thus:

"'The past reproach let present scenes refute, Nor s.h.i.+ft from man to babe, from babe to brute'."

On February 18, 1811, at Covent Garden, a troop of horses were introduced in 'Bluebeard'. For the manager, Juvenal's words, "_Lucri bonus est odor ex re Qualibet_" ('Sat'. xiv. 204) may have been true; but, as the dressing-room of the equine comedians was under the orchestra, the stench on the first night was to the audience intolerable. At the same theatre, April 29, 1811, the horses were again brought on the stage in Lewis's 'Timour the Tartar'. At the same theatre, on the following December 26, a live elephant appeared. The novelty had, however, been antic.i.p.ated in the Dublin Theatre during the season of 1771-72 (Genest's 'English Stage', vol. viii. p. 287). At the Haymarket, and Drury Lane, the introduction of live animals was ridiculed. 'The Quadrupeds of Quedlinburgh' was given at the Haymarket, July 26, 1811, as a burlesque on 'Timour the Tartar' and the horses. The Prologue, by Colman the Younger, attacks the pa.s.sion for German plays and animal actors:

"Your taste, recover'd half from foreign quacks, Takes airings, now, on English horses' backs; While every modern bard may raise his name, If not on _lasting praise_, on _stable fame_."

At the Lyceum, during the season 1811-12, 'Quadrupeds, or the Manager's Last Kick', in which the tailors were mounted on a.s.ses and mules, was given by the Drury Lane Company with success. It was this introduction of animal performers which Byron wished to attack.]

[Footnote 2: The following are the lines in Johnson's 'Prologue' to which Byron refers:

"Then crush'd by rules, and weaken'd as refined, For years the power of Tragedy declined; From bard to bard the frigid caution crept, Till Declamation roared, whilst Pa.s.sion slept.

Yet still did Virtue deign the stage to tread, Philosophy remained though Nature fled.

But forced, at length, her ancient reign to quit, She saw great Faustus lay the ghost of Wit; Exulting Folly hailed the joyous Day, And Pantomime and Song confirmed her sway.

But who the coming changes can presage, And mark the future periods of the Stage?

Perhaps if skill could distant times explore, New Behns, new Durfeys, yet remain in store; Perhaps, where Lear has raved, and Hamlet died, On flying cars new sorcerers may ride; Perhaps (for who can guess th' effects of chance?) Here Hunt may box, or Mahomet may dance."

John Rich (circ. 1682-1761) was the creator of pantomime in England, which he introduced at Lincoln's Inn Fields in April, 1716, and in which, under the stage name of Lun, he played the part of Harlequin. At Lincoln's Inn Fields, January 29, 1728, he produced 'The Beggar's Opera', which, after being refused at Drury Lane, made "Gay 'rich', and Rich 'gay'." "Great Faustus" probably alludes to the war between the two theatres, and the rival productions of 'Harlequin Dr. Faustus' at Drury Lane in 1723, and of 'The Necromancer, or the History of Dr. Faustus' at Lincoln's Inn Fields in December of the same year. On December 7, 1732, Rich opened the new theatre at Covent Garden, of which he remained manager till his death in 1761.]

[Footnote 3: The form of this couplet, as printed, is as follows:

"Till blackening ashes and lonely wall Usurp'd the Muse's realm, and mark'd her fall."]

255.--To Lord Holland.

September 28.

I have altered the _middle_ couplet, so as I hope partly to do away with W.'s objection. I do think, in the present state of the stage, it had been unpardonable to pa.s.s over the horses and Miss Mudie [1], etc. As Betty is no longer a boy, how can this be applied to him? He is now to be judged as a man. If he acts still like a boy, the public will but be more ashamed of their blunder. I have, you see, _now_ taken it for granted that these things are reformed. I confess, I wish that part of the _Address_ to stand; but if W. is inexorable, e'en let it go. I have also new-cast the lines, and softened the hint of future combustion, and sent them off this morning. Will you have the goodness to add, or insert, the _approved_ alterations as they arrive? They "come like shadows, so depart," [2] occupy me, and, I fear, disturb you.

Do not let Mr. W. put his _Address_ into Elliston's hands till you have settled on these alterations. E. will think it too long:--much depends on the speaking. I fear it will not bear much curtailing, without _chasms_ in the sense.

It is certainly too long in the reading; but if Elliston exerts himself, such a favourite with the public will not be thought tedious. _I_ should think it so, if _he_ were not to speak it.

Yours ever, etc.

P.S.--On looking again, I doubt my idea of having obviated W.'s objection. To the other House allusion is _non sequitur_--but I wish to plead for this part, because the thing really is not to be pa.s.sed over.

Many afterpieces of the Lyceum by the _same company_ have already attacked this "Augean _Stable_"--and Johnson, in his prologue against "Lunn" (the harlequin manager, Rich),--"Hunt,"--"Mahomet," etc. is surely a fair precedent. [3]

[Footnote 1: For the horses, see p. 156, 'note' 1. Miss Mudie, another "Phenomenon," with whom the Covent Garden manager hoped to rival the success of Master Betty, was announced in the 'Morning Post', July 29, 1805, as the "Young Roscia of the Dublin Stage." She appeared at Covent Garden, November 23, 1805, in the part of "Peggy" in 'The Country Girl', Miss Brunton being "Alithea," C. Kemble "Harcourt," and Moody "Murray."

Being hissed by the audience, she walked with great composure to the front of the stage, and said, as reported in the 'Morning Post'

(November 25, 1805)