Ashley MS 2609

'Like reptiles hatched from out the mud of Nile': sixteen lines of satire by Lord Byron, apparently intended for English Bards and Scotch Reviewers but never included in it; [1811?]. Autograph fair copy, with revisions, written on both sides of a quarto leaf of white wove paper. No watermark. Byron has written at the foot of the first page 'Erratum - for "weekly" read "weakly" in reference to line 11', and at the foot of the second page 'The "Miniature" edited by Master Rennell is an imitation of its better the "Microcosm". The original of the character of "Rusticus" in the former publication - chastised the Editor therefor in a very relentless manner. - - -'. The lines are an attack on Thomas Rennell (1787-1824), and on the periodical The Miniature which he conducted while at Eton. In 1811 Rennell became editor of the British Critic, a journal which represented his friends' and his own High Church views, and he may at that time have provoked Byron's wrath. The lines are printed in J. J. McGann, Lord Byron. The Complete Poetical Works, I, 1980, p. 264, where however 'Spawn' in line 2 is incorrectly printed 'spawn', 'Grubstreet' in line 3 is printed 'Grub Street', 'Dirt' in line 4 is printed 'Diet', and 'cudgelled' in line 14 is printed 'cudgeled'. Accompanying the MS. is that portion of T. J. Wise, A Bibliography of Byron, i, 1932, pp. 46-48 which contains the description of the MS. (f. ii). Ashley Library Catalogue, xi, pp. 14-15.

Satires ENGLISH: George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron; poet: Satirical lines, 'Like reptiles hatched from out the mud of Nile', by Lord Byron: [1811?]: Autogr. fair copy.