[Footnote 9: A translation of Christopher Meiner's 'History of the
Female Sex', in four volumes, was published in London in 1808. Lapland
wizards, not witches, were said to raise storms by knotting pieces of
string, which they exposed to the wind.]
[Footnote 10: Richard Franz Philippe Brunck (1729-1803). His editions of
the 'Anthologia Græca', and of the Greek dramatists are among his best
known works. Compare Sheridan's doggerel--
"Huge leaves of that great commentator, old Brunck,
Perhaps is the paper that lined my poor 'Trunk'."]
[Footnote 11: Christian Gottlob Heyne (1729-1812) published editions of
'Virgil' (1767-1775), 'Pindar' (1773), and 'Opuscula Academica', in six
vols. (1785-1812).]
[Footnote 12: A lively dance for one couple, characterized by a peculiar
jumping step. It probably originated in Provence.]
[Footnote 13: Dancing girls--who do for hire what Waltz doth gratis.
[The Romaika is a modern Greek dance, characterized by serpentining
figures and handkerchief-throwing among the dancers. The Fandango
(Spaniards use the word "seguidilla") was of Moorish origin. The Bolero
was brought from Provence, circ. 1780.
"The Bolero intoxicates, the Fandango
inflames"
('Hist. of Dancing', by G. Vuillier-Heinemann, 1898).]]
[Footnote 14: For Morier, see note to line 211. Galt has a paragraph
descriptive of the waltzing Dervishes ('Voyages and Travels' (1812),
p.190).]
[Footnote 15: It cannot be complained now, as in the Lady Baussière's
time, of the "Sieur de la Croix," that there be "no whiskers;" but how
far these are indications of valour in the field, or elsewhere, may
still be questionable. Much may be, and hath been;[A] avouched on both
sides. In the olden time philosophers had whiskers, and soldiers
none--Scipio himself was shaven--Hannibal thought his one eye handsome
enough without a beard; but Adrian, the emperor, wore a beard (having
warts on his chin, which neither the Empress Sabina nor even the
courtiers could abide)--Turenne had whiskers, Marlborough
none--Buonaparte is unwhiskered, the Regent whiskered; "'argal'"
greatness of mind and whiskers may or may not go together; but certainly
the different occurrences, since the growth of the last mentioned, go
further in behalf of whiskers than the anathema of Anselm did
'against' long hair in the reign of Henry I.--Formerly, 'red'
was a favourite colour. See Lodowick Barrey's comedy of 'Ram
Alley', 1661; Act I. Scene I.
'Taffeta'. Now for a wager--What coloured beard comes next by the
window?
'Adriana'. A black man's, I think.
'Taffeta'. I think not so: I think a 'red', for that is most in
fashion.
There is "nothing new under the sun:" but 'red', then a 'favourite', has
now subsided into a favourite's colour. [This is, doubtless, an allusion
to Lord Yarmouth, whose fiery whiskers gained him the nickname of "Red
Herrings."]
[Sub-Footnote A: The paragraph "Much may be" down to "reign of Henry
I." was added in Revise 1, and the remainder of the note in Revise 2.]]
[Footnote 16: Madame Genlis (Stephanie Félicité Ducrest, Marquise de
Sillery), commenting on the waltz, writes,
"As a foreigner, I shall not take the liberty to censure this kind of
dance; but this I can say, that it appears intolerable to German
writers of superior merits who are not accused of severity of
manners,"
and by way of example instances M. Jacobi, who affirms that "Werther
('Sorrows of Werther', Letter ix.), the lover of Charlotte, swears that,
were he to perish for it, never should a girl for whom he entertained
any affection, and on whom he had honourable views, dance the waltz with
any other man besides himself."--'Selections from the Works of Madame de
Genlis' (1806), p. 65.
Compare, too, "Faulkland" on country-dances in 'The Rivals', act ii. sc.
I,
"Country-dances! jigs and reels! ... A minuet I could have forgiven
... Zounds! had she made one in a cotillon--I believe I could have
forgiven even that--but to be monkey-led for a night! to run the
gauntlet through a string of amorous palming puppies ... Oh, Jack,
there never can be but one man in the world whom a truly modest and
delicate woman ought to pair with in a country-dance; and even then,
the rest of the couples should be her great-uncles and aunts!"]
[Footnote 17: An anachronism--Waltz and the battle of Austerlitz are
before said to have opened the ball together; the bard means (if he
means anything), Waltz was not so much in vogue till the Regent attained
the acme of his popularity. Waltz, the comet, whiskers, and the new
government, illuminated heaven and earth, in all their glory, much about
the same time: of these the comet only has disappeared; the other three
continue to astonish us still.--'Printers Devil'.
[As the 'Printer's Devil' intimates, the various novelties of the age of
"Waltz" are somewhat loosely enumerated. The Comet, which signalized
1811, the year of the restricted Regency, had disappeared before the
Prince and his satellites burst into full blaze in 1812. It was (see
'Historical Record of the Life Guards', 1835, p.177) in 1812 that the
Prince Regent commanded the following alterations to be made in the
equipments of the regiment of Life Guards: "Cocked hats with feathers to
be discontinued, and brass helmets with black horsehair crests
substituted. Long coats, trimmed with gold lace across the front. Shirts
and cuffs to be replaced by short coatees," etc., etc. In the same
branch of the service, whiskers were already in vogue. The "new laws"
were those embodied in the "Frame-work Bill," which Byron denounced in
his speech in the House of Lords, Feb. 27, 1812. Formerly the breaking
of frames had been treated "as a minor felony, punishable by
transportation for fourteen years," and the object of the bill was to
make such offences capital. The bill passed into law on March 5, and as
a result we read ('Annual Register', 1812, pp. 38, 39) that on May 24 a
special commission for the rioters of Cheshire was opened by Judge
Dallas at Chester. "His lordship passed the awful sentence of death upon
sixteen, and in a most impressioned address, held out not the smallest
hope of mercy." Of these five 'only' were hanged.
Owing to the scarcity of silver coinage, the Bank of England was
empowered to issue bank-tokens for various sums (Mr. Hornem bought his
motto for 'The Waltz' with a three-shilling bank-token; see 'note' to
Preface) which came into circulation on July 9, 1811. The "new
ninepences" which were said to be forthcoming never passed into
circulation at all. A single "pattern" coin (on the obverse, 'Bank
Token, Ninepence, 1812') is preserved in the British Museum (see
privately printed 'Catalogue', by W. Boyne (1866), p.11). The "new
victories" were the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo (Jan. 17), the capture of
Badajoz (April 7), and the Battle of Salamanca (July 12, 1812). By way
of "new wars," the President of the United States declared war with
Great Britain on June 18, and Great Britain with the United States, Oct.
13, 1812. As to "new mistresses," for a reference to "'Our' Sultan's"
"she-promotions" of "those only plump and sage, Who've reached the
regulation age," see 'Intercepted Letters, or the Twopenny Post-bag', by
Thomas Brown the Younger, 1813, and for "gold sticks," etc., see
"Promotions" in the 'Annual Register' for March, 1812, in which a long
list of Household appointments is duly recorded.]]
[Footnote 18: Amongst others a new ninepence--a creditable coin now
forthcoming, worth a pound, in paper, at the fairest calculation.]
[Footnote 19: Robert Banks Jenkinson, second Earl of Liverpool, was
Secretary at War and for the Colonies from 1809 to 1812, in Spencer
Perceval's administration, and, on the assassination of the premier,
undertook the government. Both as Secretary at War and as Prime Minister
his chief efforts were devoted to the support of Wellington in the
Peninsula.]
[Footnote 20: "Oh that 'right' should thus overcome 'might!'" Who does
not remember the "delicate investigation" in the 'Merry Wives of
Windsor'?--
'Ford'. Pray you, come near; if I suspect without cause, why then make
sport at me; then let me be your jest; I deserve it. How now? whither
bear you this?
'Mrs. Ford'. What have you to do whither they bear it?--You were best
meddle with buck-washing."
[Act iii. sc. 3.]
[Footnote 21: The gentle, or ferocious, reader may fill up the blank as
he pleases--there are several dissyllabic names at 'his' service (being
already in the Regent's): it would not be fair to back any peculiar
initial against the alphabet, as every month will add to the list now
entered for the sweep-stakes;--a distinguished consonant is said to be
the favourite, much against the wishes of the 'knowing ones'.--['Revise']
[In the Revise the line, which is not in the MS., ran, "So saith the
Muse; my M----what say you?" The name intended to be supplied is
"Moira."
On Perceval's death (May 11 1812), Lord Liverpool became Prime Minister,
but was unable to carry on the government. Accordingly the Prince Regent
desired the Marquis Wellesley and Canning to approach Lords Grey and
Grenville with regard to the formation of a coalition ministry. They
were unsuccessful, and as a next step Lord Moira (Francis Rawdon, first
Marquis of Hastings, 1754-1826) was empowered to make overtures in the
same quarter. The Whig Lords stipulated that the regulation of the
Household should rest with ministers, and to this Moira would not
consent, possibly because the Prince's favourite, Lord Yarmouth, was
Vice-Chamberlain. Negotiations were again broken off, and on June 9
Liverpool began his long term of office as Prime Minister.
"I sate," writes Byron, "in the debate or rather discussion in the
House of Lords on that question (the second negotiation) immediately
behind Moira, who, while Grey was speaking, turned round to me
repeatedly, and asked me whether I agreed with him. It was an awkward
question to me, who had not heard both sides. Moira kept repeating to
me, 'It is 'not' so; it is so and so,'" etc.
(Letter to W. Bankes (undated), 'Life', p. 162). Hence the question, "My
Moira, what say you?"]
[Footnote 22:
"We have changed all that," says the Mock Doctor--'tis all
gone--Asmodeus knows where. After all, it is of no great importance
how women's hearts are disposed of; they have nature's privilege to
distribute them as absurdly as possible. But there are also some men
with hearts so thoroughly bad, as to remind us of those phenomena
often mentioned in natural history; viz. a mass of solid stone--only
to be opened by force--and when divided, you discover a _toad_ in the
centre, lively, and with the reputation of being venomous."
[In the MS. the last sentence stood: "In this country there is _one man_
with a heart so thoroughly bad that it reminds us of those unaccountable
petrifactions often mentioned in natural history," etc. The couplet--
"Such things we know are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the Devil they got there,"
which was affixed to the note, was subsequently erased.]]
[Footnote 23: Compare Sheridan's lines on waltzing, which Moore
heard him "repeat in a drawing-room"--
"With tranquil step, and timid downcast glance,
Behold the well-pair'd couple now advance.
In such sweet posture our first parents moved,
While, hand in hand, through Eden's bower they roved.
Ere yet the devil, with promise fine and false,
Turned their poor heads, and taught them how to waltz.
One hand grasps hers, the other holds her hip.
...
For so the law's laid down by Baron Trip."]
[Footnote 24: Lines 204-207 are not in the MS., but were added in a
revise.]
[Footnote 25: In Turkey a pertinent--here an impertinent and superfluous
question--literally put, as in the text, by a Persian to Morier, on
seeing a Waltz in Pera. [See 'A Journey through Persia', etc. By James
Morier, London (1812), p. 365.]
[Footnote 26: Richard Fitzpatrick (1747-1813), second son of John, first
Earl of Ossory, served in the first American War at the battles of
Brandywine and Germanstown. He sat as M.P. for Tavistock for
thirty-three years. The chosen friend and companion of Fox, he was a
prominent member of the opposition during the close of the eighteenth
century. In the ministry of "All the Talents" he was Secretary at War.
He dabbled in literature, was one of the authors of the 'Rolliad', and
in 1775 published 'Dorinda: A Town Eclogue'. He was noted for his social
gifts, and in recognition, it is said, of his "fine manners and polite
address," inherited a handsome annuity from the Duke of Queensberry.
Byron associates him with Sheridan as 'un homme galant' and leader of
'ton' of the past generation.]
[Footnote 27: William Douglas, third Earl of March and fourth Duke of
Queensberry (1724-1810), otherwise "old Q.," was conspicuous as a
"blood" and evil liver from youth to extreme old age. He was a patron of
the turf, a connoisseur of Italian Opera, and 'surtout' an inveterate
libertine. As a Whig, he held office in the Household during North's
Coalition Ministry, but throughout George the Third's first illness in
1788, displayed such indecent partisanship with the Prince of Wales,
that, when the king recovered, he lost his post. His dukedom died with
him, and his immense fortune was divided between the heirs to his other
titles and his friends. Lord Yarmouth, whose wife, Maria Fagniani, he
believed to be his natural daughter, was one of the principal legatees.]
[Footnote i:
'Henceforth with due unblushing brightness shine'.
['MS. M'.] ]
[Footnote ii:
'And weave a couplet worthy them and you.'
['Proof'.] ]
[Footnote iii:
'To make Heligoland the mart for lies'.
['MS. M'.]
[Footnote iv:
'As much of Heyne as should not sink the packet'.
['MS. M'.]]
[Footnote v:
'Who in your daughters' daughters yet survive
Like Banquo's spirit be yourselves alive.'
['MS. M.']]
[Footnote vi:
'Elysium's ill exchanged for that you lost'.
['MS. M.']]
[Footnote vii:
'No stiff-starched stays make meddling lovers ache'.
['MS. M'.]]
[Footnote viii:
'New caps and Jackets for the royal Guards'.
['MS. M.']]
[Footnote ix:
'With K--t's gay grace, or silly-Billy's mien'.
['MS. M.']
'With K--t's gay grace, or G--r's booby mien'.
['MS. erased'.]
[Footnote x:
'Sir--Such a one--with Mrs.--Miss So-so'.
['Revise'.]]
[Footnote xi:
'And thou my Prince whose undisputed will'.
[MS. M.]]
[Footnote xii:
'From this abominable contact warm'.
['MS. M.']]
[Footnote xiii:
'Some generations hence our Pedigree
Will never look the worse for him or me.'
['MS, erased'.]]