The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals Volume I Part 5

Lloyd, Sr. The Ghost Shakespear.

Mr. Powys Tiresias Ex Horatio.

Sir Thomas Acland The Boil'd Pig Wesley.

Leveson Gower Ad Antonium Ex Cicerone.

Drury, Max. Earl of Strafford Hume.

2. JUNE 6, 1805.

There were no Speeches for May, 1805. Dr. Butler came to Harrow this year, after the Easter Holiday.--G.B. [1]

Doveton Canulcius Ex Livio.

Farrer, Sr. Medea Ex Ovidio.

Long Caractacus Mason.

Rogers Manlius Ex Sall.u.s.tio.

Molloy Micipsa Ex Sall.u.s.tio.

Lord Byron Zanga Young.

Drury, Sr. Memmius Ex Sall.u.s.tio.

h.o.a.re Ajax } Ex Ovidio.

East Ulysses } Leeke The Pa.s.sions: an Ode Collins.

Calvert, Sr. Galgacus Ex Tacito.

Bazett Catilina ad Consp. Ex Sall.u.s.tio.

Franks, Sr. Antony Shakespeare.

Wildman, Majr. Sat. ix., Lib. i. Ex Horatio.

Lloyd, Sr. The Bard: an Ode Gray.

3. JULY 4, 1805.

Lyon Piso ad Milites Ex Tacito.

East Cato Addison.

Saumarez Drances } Ex Virgilio, _aen._ xi Annesley Turnus } Calvert Lord Strafford's Hume.

Defence Erskine, Sr. Achilles Ex Homero, _Il._ xvi Bazett York Shakespeare.

Harrington Camillus Ex Livio.

Leeke Ode to the Pa.s.sions Collins.

Sneyd Electra Ex Sophocle.

Long Satan's Soliloquy Milton, _P.L._, b. iv Gibson Brutus } Ex Lucano.

Drury, Sr. Cato } Lord Byron Lear Shakespeare.

h.o.a.re Otho ad Milites Ex Livio.

Wildman Caractacus Mason.

Franks Wolsey Shakespeare.

Of Byron's oratorical powers, Dr. Drury, Head-master of Harrow, formed a high opinion.

"The upper part of the school," he writes (see 'Life', p. 20), composed declamations, which, after a revisal by the tutors, were submitted to the master. To him the authors repeated them, that they might be improved in manner and action, before their public delivery. I certainly was much pleased with Lord Byron's att.i.tude, gesture, and delivery, as well as with his composition. All who spoke on that day adhered, as usual, to the letter of their composition, as, in the earlier part of his delivery, did Lord Byron; but, to my surprise, he suddenly diverged from the written composition, with a boldness and rapidity sufficient to alarm me, lest he should fail in memory as to the conclusion. There was no failure; he came round to the close of his composition without discovering any impediment and irregularity on the whole. I questioned him why he had altered his declamation. He declared he had made no alteration, and did not know, in speaking, that he had deviated from it one letter. I believed him; and, from a knowledge of his temperament, am convinced that, fully impressed with the sense and substance of the subject, he was hurried on to expressions and colourings more striking than what his pen had expressed."

"My qualities," says Byron, in one of his note-books (quoted by Moore, 'Life', p. 20), "were much more oratorical and martial than poetical; and Dr. Drury, my grand patron (our head-master), had a great notion that I should turn out an orator, from my fluency, my turbulence, my voice, my copiousness of declamation, and my action. I remember that my first declamation astonished him into some unwonted (for he was economical of such) and sudden compliments before the declaimers at our first rehearsal."

For his subjects Byron chose pa.s.sages expressive of vehement pa.s.sion, such as Lear's address to the storm, or the speech of Zanga over the body of Alonzo, from Young's tragedy 'The Revenge'. Zanga's character and speech are famous in history from their application to Benjamin Franklin, in Wedderburn's speech before the Privy Council (January, 1774) on the Whately Letters (Stanhope's 'History of England', vol. v.

p. 327, ed. 1853):--

"I forg'd the letter, and dispos'd the picture, I hated, I despis'd, and I destroy."]

[Sub-Footnote A: Note, in Dr. G. Butler's writing, in the bound volume of Speech-Bills presented by him to the Harrow School Library.]

11.--To the Hon. Augusta Byron.

Burgage Manor, August 18th, 1804.

MY DEAREST AUGUSTA,--I seize this interval of my _amiable_ mother's absence this afternoon, again to inform you, or rather to desire to be informed by you, of what is going on. For my own part I can send nothing to amuse you, excepting a repet.i.tion of my complaints against my tormentor, whose _diabolical_ disposition (pardon me for staining my paper with so harsh a word) seems to increase with age, and to acquire new force with Time. The more I see of her the more my dislike augments; nor can I so entirely conquer the appearance of it, as to prevent her from perceiving my opinion; this, so far from calming the Gale, blows it into a _hurricane_, which threatens to destroy everything, till exhausted by its own violence, it is lulled into a sullen torpor, which, after a short period, is again roused into fresh and revived phrenzy, to me most terrible, and to every other Spectator astonis.h.i.+ng. She then declares that she plainly sees I hate her, that I am leagued with her bitter enemies, viz. Yourself, L'd C[arlisle]

and Mr. H[anson], and, as I never Dissemble or contradict her, we are all _honoured_ with a multiplicity of epithets, too _numerous_, and some of them too _gross_, to be repeated. In this society, and in this amusing and instructive manner, have I dragged out a weary fortnight, and am condemned to pa.s.s another or three weeks as happily as the former. No captive Negro, or Prisoner of war, ever looked forward to their emanc.i.p.ation, and return to Liberty with more Joy, and with more lingering expectation, than I do to my escape from this maternal bondage, and this accursed place, which is the region of dullness itself, and more stupid than the banks of Lethe, though it possesses contrary qualities to the river of oblivion, as the detested scenes I now witness, make me regret the happier ones already pa.s.sed, and wish their restoration.

Such Augusta is the happy life I now lead, such my _amus.e.m.e.nts_. I wander about hating everything I behold, and if I remained here a few months longer, I should become, what with _envy, spleen and all uncharitableness_, a complete _misanthrope_, but notwithstanding this,

Believe me, Dearest Augusta, ever yours, etc., etc.,

BYRON.

12.--To Elizabeth Bridget Pigot. [1]

Burgage Manor, August 29, 1804.

I received the arms, my dear Miss Pigot, and am very much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken. It is impossible I should have any fault to find with them. The sight of the drawings gives me great pleasure for a double reason,--in the first place, they will ornament my books, in the next, they convince me that _you_ have not entirely _forgot_ me. I am, however, sorry you do not return sooner--you have already been gone an _age_. I perhaps may have taken my departure for London before you come back; but, however, I will hope not. Do not overlook my watch-riband and purse, as I wish to carry them with me.

Your note was given me by Harry, [2] at the play, whither I attended Miss Leacroft, [3] and Dr. S----; and now I have sat down to answer it before I go to bed. If I am at Southwell when you return,--and I sincerely hope you will soon, for I very much regret your absence,--I shall be happy to hear you sing my favourite, "The Maid of Lodi." [4]

My mother, together with myself, desires to be affectionately remembered to Mrs. Pigot, and, believe me, my dear Miss Pigot, I remain, your affectionate friend,

BYRON.

P.S.--If you think proper to send me any answer to this, I shall be extremely happy to receive it. Adieu.

P.S.2d.--As you say you are a novice in the art of knitting, I hope it don't give you too much trouble. Go on _slowly_, but surely. Once more, adieu.

[Footnote 1: Elizabeth Bridget Pigot lived with her mother and two brothers on Southwell Green, in a house opposite Burgage Manor. Miss Pigot thus describes her first meeting with Byron ('Life', p. 32):--