Add MS 58802

Hon. Augusta Leigh née Byron: literary commonplace book; circa Aug. 1805 - Aug. 1848. English and French. The contents consist largely of copies of verses and epigrams by, together with extracts from, both contem-porary and earlier poets. The main work of transcription appears to have taken place between 25 Aug. 1805 (f. i) and circa 13 Dec. 1813 (f. 60), but the penultimate piece (f. 77) is docketed 'Ada Trevanion August 2nd 1848'. Nine poems (ff. 41v-42, 59, 62-62v, 63v-65v) are attributed to the compiler's half-brother George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron, by the addition either of his name or of the letter 'B' at the head: one leaf, between ff. 63 and 64, has been excised from this portion. The first lines are as follows: (i) 'Hush'd are the winds, & still the Evening gloom'. ff. 41v-42; ― (ii) 'Count o'er the joys thine hours have seen'. Extract from 'Euthanasia', ll. 33-36. f. 59; ― (iii) 'Weep Daughter of a Royal line'. f. 59; ― (iv) 'She walks in Beauty – like the night'.

ff. 62, 62v; ― (v) 'If that high world – which lies beyond'. f. 63v; ― (vi) 'It is the hour when from the boughs'. f. 64; ― (vii) 'I saw thee weep – the big bright tear'. f. 64v; ― (viii) 'Thy days are done – thy fame begun'. f. 65; ― (ix) 'The Harp the monarch minstrel swept'. f. 65v. See Lord Byron: The Complete Poetical Works, ed. Jerome J. McGann, 7 vols. (Oxford, 1980-1993). See

esp. vols. I, p. 458, and III, p. 391. In addition, the verses extracted from 'Euthanasia' are followed (f. 59) by an 'Answer' subscribed 'A N', while a

further anonymous set (f. 58v) was inspired by reading Childe Harold's Pilgimage.

Writers of other pieces include (ff. 1, 18v-19v, 31-31v) Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, (ff. 1v-2) Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Marchioness of Stafford, (ff. 3-4) Richard Cumberland, (ff. 5v-8v, 28v) Edward Jerningham, (ff. 15-15v) Ann Radcliffe, (f. 17v) Richard Brinsley Sheridan, (ff. 37v, 38v-39v) Amelia Opie, (ff. 48-50, 55v-56) Sir Walter Scott and (ff. 70, 70v) Margaret Baron-Wilson. Many of the remaining epigrams, verses and quotations are unattributed. Prose pieces include (f. 55) a panegyric on Lt.-Gen. Sir John Moore (d. 1809), taken from The Edinburgh Review. For a collection of poems partly by Byron that incorporates other compositions copied in the hand of Augusta Byron see Add. 31038. Ownership-inscription (f. i) 'Augusta Byron August 25th 1805.' in ink on verso of front flyleaf, and beneath in pencil 'Castle Howard'. Presented by R. G. Powell, Esq., in memory of Frank and Hilda Gordon, through the Friends of the National Libraries, 20 May 1975.

Paper; ff. i+79. Leaves excised at various points. 240 x 195mm. Wove paper bearing watermark 'i buttw 1798'. Contemporary binding of green calf over card, with compartment of single gilt rule on covers and gilt oval tools between false bands on spine. Large-comb endpapers.