Volume II Part 68 (1/2)
[Footnote 5: Winifred Jenkins is the maid to Miss Tabitha Bramble, who marries Captain Lismahago, in Smollett's 'Humphrey Clinker'.]
[Footnote 6: Lord Foley and Scrope Davies.]
[Footnote 7: G. F. Cooke (1755-1812), from 1794 to 1800 was the hero of the Dublin stage, with the exception of an interval, during which he served in the army. On October 31, 1800, he appeared at Covent Garden as ”Richard III.,” and afterwards played such parts in tragedy as ”Iago”
and ”Shylock” with great success. In comedy he was also a favourite, especially as ”Kitely” in 'Every Man in his Humour', and ”Sir Pertinax MacSycophant” in 'The Man of the World'. His last appearance on the London stage was as ”Falstaff,” June 5, 1810. In that year he sailed for New York, and, September 26, 1812, died there from his ”incorrigible habits of drinking.”
Byron uses the word 'scurra', which generally means a ”parasite,” in its other sense of a ”buffoon.” 'Memoirs of George Frederic Cooke, late of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden', by W. Dunlap, in 2 vols., was published in 1813]
[Footnote 8: The original edition of 'Drunken Barnaby's Journal', a small square volume, without date, was probably printed about 1650. The author was supposed to be Barnaby Harrington of Queen's College, Oxford.
But Joseph Haslewood, whose edition (1818) is the best, attributed it to Richard Brathwait (circ. 1588-1673). The t.i.tle of the second edition (1716) runs as follows: 'Drunken Barnaby's Four Journeys to the North of England. In Latin and English Verse. Wittily and merrily (tho' near one hundred years ago) composed; found among some old musty books, that had a long time lain by in a corner; and now at last made publick. To which is added, Bessy Bell'.
”Drunken Barnaby” was also the burden of an old ballad quoted by Haslewood:
”Barnaby, Barnaby, thou'st been drinking, I can tell by thy nose, and thy eyes winking; Drunk at Richmond, drunk at Dover, Drunk at Newcastle, drunk all over.
Hey, Barnaby! tak't for a warning, Be no more drunk, nor dry in a morning!”]
[Footnote 9:
”A Persian's Heav'n is easily made-- 'Tis but black eyes and lemonade.”]
[Footnote 10: Pope's 'Imitations of Horace', Satire I. line 6.]
[Footnote 11: With Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster.]
[Footnote 12: The review of Madame de Stael's 'Germany' was by Mackintosh.]
323.--To John Murray.
August 26, 1813.
Dear Sir,--I have looked over and corrected one proof, but not so carefully (G.o.d knows if you can read it through, but I can't) as to preclude your eye from discovering some _o_mission of mine or _com_mission of y'e Printer. If you have patience, look it over. Do you know any body who can _stop_--I mean _point_-commas, and so forth? for I am, I hear, a sad hand at your punctuation. I have, but with some difficulty, _not_ added any more to this snake of a poem, which has been lengthening its rattles every month. It is now fearfully long, being more than a canto and a half of _C. H_., which contains but 882 lines per book, with all late additions inclusive.
The last lines Hodgson likes--it is not often he does--and when he don't, he tells me with great energy, and I fret and alter. I have thrown them in to soften the ferocity of our Infidel, and, for a dying man, have given him a good deal to say for himself.
Do you think you shall get hold of the _female_ MS. you spoke of to day?