Failed to preserve the spurious Farce from shame.[1]
No matter, George continues still to write,[2]
Tho' now the name is veiled from public sight.
Moved by the great example, I pursue
The self-same road, but make my own review:60
Not seek great Jeffrey's, yet like him will be
Self-constituted Judge of Poesy.
A man must serve his time to every trade
Save Censure—Critics all are ready made.
Take hackneyed jokes from Miller,[3] got by rote,
- ↑ This ingenuous youth is mentioned more particularly, with his production, in another place. (Vide post, l. 516.)
"Spurious Brat" [see variant ii. p. 300], that is the farce; the ingenuous youth who begat it is mentioned more particularly with his offspring in another place. [Note. MS. M.] [The farce Whistle for It was performed two or three times at Covent Garden Theatre in 1807.]
- ↑ In the Edinburgh Review.
- ↑ [The proverbial "Joe" Miller, an actor by profession (1684-1738), was a man of no education, and is said to have been unable to read. His reputation rests mainly on the book of jests compiled after his death, and attributed to him by John Mottley. (First Edition. T. Read. 1739.)]
only daughter of Sir Ralph Milbanke, were Lady Byron's first cousins. William married, in 1805, Lady Caroline Ponsonby, the writer of Glenarvon. George, who was one of the early contributors to the Edinburgh Review, married in 1809 Caroline Rosalie Adelaide St. Jules. At the time of the separation, Lady Caroline Lamb and Mrs. George Lamb warmly espoused Lady Byron's cause, Lady Melbourne and her daughter Lady Cowper (afterwards Lady Palmerston) were rather against than for Lady Byron. William Lamb was discreetly silent, and George Lamb declaimed against Lady Byron, calling her a d——d fool. Hence Lord Byron's praises of George. Cf. line 516 of English Bards.]
