[Footnote 159: Georgia.]
[Footnote 160: Mount Caucasus.]
[Footnote 161: Lord Elgin would fain persuade us that all the figures,
with and without noses, in his stoneshop, are the work of Phidias!
"Credat Judæus!" [R. Payne Knight, in his introduction to 'Specimens of
Ancient Sculpture', published 1809, by the Dilettanti Society, throws a
doubt on the Phidian workmanship of the "Elgin" marbles. See the
Introduction to 'The Curse of Minerva'.]]
[Footnote 162: [Sir William Gell (1777-1836) published the 'Topography
of Troy' (1804), the 'Geography and Antiquities of Ithaca' (1807), and
the 'Itinerary of Greece' (1808). Byron reviewed the two last works in
the 'Monthly Review' (August, 1811), ('Life', pp. 670, 676). Fresh from
the scenes, he speaks with authority. "With Homer in his pocket and Gell
on his sumpter-mule, the Odysseus tourist may now make a very classical
and delightful excursion." The epithet in the original MS. was
"coxcomb," but becoming acquainted with Gell while the satire was in the
press, Byron changed it to "classic." In the fifth edition he altered it
to "rapid," and appended this note:--"'Rapid,' indeed! He topographised
and typographised King Priam's dominions in three days! I called him
'classic' before I saw the Troad, but since have learned better than to
tack to his name what don't belong to it."]]
[Footnote 163: Mr. Gell's 'Topography of Troy and Ithaca' cannot fail to
ensure the approbation of every man possessed of classical taste, as
well for the information Mr. Gell conveys to the mind of the reader, as
for the ability and research the respective works display.
"'Troy and Ithaca.' Visited both in 1810, 1811."--B., 1816.
"'Ithaca' passed first in 1809."--B., 1816.
"Since seeing the plain of Troy, my opinions are somewhat changed as
to the above note. Cell's survey was hasty and superficial."--B.,
1816.]
[Footnote 164:
"Singular enough, and 'din' enough, God knows."
(B., 1816).]
[Footnote 165:
"The greater part of this satire I most sincerely wish had never been
written-not only on account of the injustice of much of the critical,
and some of the personal part of it--but the tone and temper are such
as I cannot approve."