Fugitive Pieces and Reminiscences of Lord Byron

by this snarling critic.-Quere: had he not better have kept any further allusion to Miss K

from

the public mind? "Bœotum in crasso jurares aëre natum." (e)

This Quixotic commentator lastly affects to be under serious apprehension for the opinion of the public respecting Lord Byron, in consequence of an anecdote or two, in which his Lordship has paid a gentlemanly compliment to a lady. "Mr. Nathan represents his Patron and friend," saith this sapient critic, as a most silly and flippant personage; and as Lord Byron has been hitherto unknown to the public in this light, we hope our quotations may not be found tedious: his Lordship subsequently appears a solemn coxcomb; next as theatrical and affected: and lastly as a complete fool." In reference to this seeming alarm for the new character in which Lord Byron may appear, I trust I shall be excused the liberty of

(e) I crave pardon for reminding my readers that the people of the Greek province of Bœotia were proverbially remarkable for their stupidity.

applying to the critic, the old saying "Hæredis fletus sub personâ risus est."

Respecting the one false accent which this grovelling critic has, even with Ninety-eight eyes less than Argus, so miraculously discovered in One Hundred and Twenty-four pages, it may be necessary to bring to the recollection of this rusty-brained gentleman, the pains taken with him to ensure, (by a proper management of breath) a correct reading of the poetry, and how to avoid the imperfect accentuation, at a time when his sole happiness seemed centered in the attempt to sing with his base-toned voice, the bass of this then "beautiful glee:" besides which, if he had taken the trouble to look at page seventeen, he would most assuredly, without the aid of Diogenes's lantern, have discovered that Mr. Nathan took upon himself the liberty of adding two notes to correct the one false accent alluded to, at the risk of injuring the original melody. (ƒ)

(f) See the Music of the Hebrew Melodies, No. 1, page 17.

It would have been well also for the paper-skulled musician, who has meanly lent his services to the selfdubbed critic in this voyage of discovery, if he had read a little more, before he ventured to find fault with matters beyond his comprehension, for

"So modern 'pothecaries taught the art,
By doctor's bills, to play the doctor's part;
Bold in the practice of mistaken rules,
Prescribe, apply, and call their masters' fools."

It is however natural that this souffre douleur of a flat should be startled at the appearance of a sharp in any shape or form, more especially when in company with an offspring of this musical idiot: for whether from blindness or the wilful desire to make right wrong, (as fools are sometimes capable of becoming knaves) he has contrived, in the given example of the sharp sixth, to introduce a monster in the shape of a note of his own creation!-More of this anon!!!

Sir,

I have the honor to subscribe myself,

Your's, obediently,

I. NATHAN.

CONTENTS.

SHE Walks in Beauty

Critical Remarks and Observations on 'She Walks in Beauty'

Anecdote of Lord Byron respecting 'She Walks in Beauty,'—

to whom the lines were addressed-his delight at seeing

them placed first in the arrangement of the original pub-

lication-his attachment to his sister-the anxiety he be-

trayed whenever this composition was executed in her