MR.P[IT]T

mr.p[it]t

bycrookedarts,andactionssinister,

icameatfirsttobeaminister;

andnowiamnolongerminister,

istillretainmyactionssinister.

page116.twoepigrams.theexaminer,march22,1812.

theseepigramshavenosignature,butthesecondofthemwasreprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion"(1822)withlamb'ssignature,r.etr.,appended,andanotesayingthatitwaswritteninthelastreign,togetherwithanannouncementthatithadnotappearedinthechampion,butwasinsertedinthatcollectionattheauthor'srequest.byprincepsandtheheir-apparentismeant,ofcourse,theprinceofwales,afterwardsgeorgeiv.,whohadjustentereduponofficeasregent.theepigramsrefertohistransferofconfidence,ifsoitmaybecalled,fromthewhigpartytothemarquiswellesley,percevalandthetoryparty.thecircumstancethattheprinceofwaleswasalsodukeofcornwallisreferredtointhefirstepigram.thesecondoftheepigramsiscopiedintooneoflamb'scommonplacebookswiththetitle"ontheprincebreakingwithhisparty."

page116.thetriumphofthewhale.

theexaminer,march15,1812.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"signedr.etr.,withanotestatingthatithadnotappearedinthechampion,butwascollectedwiththeotherpiecesbytheauthor'srequest.

thesubjectoftheverseswas,ofcourse,thefirstgentlemanineurope.theexaminerwasneverover-niceinitstreatmentoftheprince,anditwasinthesameyear,1812,thatleighhunt,theeditor,andhisbrother,theprinter,ofthepaperwereprosecutedforthearticlestylinghima"libertine"andthe"companionofgamblersanddemireps"(whichappearedtheweekfollowinglamb'spoem),andwerecondemnedtoimprisonmentforit.lamb'slinescameverylittleshortofexpressingequallyobjectionablecriticisms;butverseisoftenprivileged.thelwall—andlamb—showedsomecourageinreprintingthelinesin1822,whentheprincehadbecomeking.talfourdrelatesthatlambwasinthehabitofcheckingharshcommentsontheprincebyotherswiththesmilingremark,"ilovemyregent."

ingalignani's1828editionofbyronthispiecewasattributedtohislordship.

page118.st.crispintomr.gifford.

theexaminer,october3and4,1819.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.

williamgifford(1756-1826),editorofthequarterlyreview,hadbeenapprenticedtoacobbler.lambhadanoldscoreagainsthimonaccountofhiseditorialtreatmentoflamb'sreviewofwordsworth'sexcursion,in1814,andothermatters(seenoteto"lettertosouthey,"vol.i.).writingtotheolliers,onthepublicationofhisworks,june18,1818,lambsays,inreferencetothissonnet:"imeditateanattackuponthatcoblergifford,whichshallappearimmediatelyafteranyfavourablementionwhichs.[southey]maymakeinthequarterly.itcan'tindecentgratitudeappearbefore."whenthesonnetwasprintedintheexamineritpurportedtohavereferencetothequarterly'streatmentofshelley'srevoltofislam,whichtreatmentleighhuntwasthenexposinginaseriesofarticles.

page118.thegodlike.

thechampion,march18and19,1820.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.

anothercontributiontothecharacterofgeorgeiv.,whohadjusteededtothethrone,andwasatthatmomentengageduponthetaskofdivorcinghiswife,carolineofbrunswick.theeighthlinemustbereadprobablywithamedicaleye.theconcludingthreelinesrefertogeorgeiii.'sinsanity.asapoliticalsatiristlambdisdainedhalfmeasures.

page119.thethreegraves.

thechampion,may13and14,1820.signeddante.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822,signeddanteandr.etr.reprintedinthelondonmagazine,may,1825,unsigned,withthenamesinthelastlineprintedonlywithinitialsanddashes,andthesub-title,"writtenduringthetime,nowhappilyalmostforgotten,ofthespysystem."

lambprobablyfoundacertainmischievouspleasureingivingtheselinesthetitleofoneofcoleridge'searlypoems.

thespysystemwasaprotectivemovementundertakenbylordsidmouth(1757-1844)ashomesecretaryin1817—aftertheludditeriots,thegeneraldisaffectioninthecountry,thistlewood'sspafieldsuprisingandthebreak-downoftheprosecution.curiousreadingonthesubjectistobefoundinthememoirsofrichmondthespy,andpetermackenzie'sremarksonthatbookanditsauthor,intait'smagazine.thespysystemculminatedwiththefailureofthecatostreetconspiracyin1820,whichcostthistlewoodhislife.thatplottomurderministerswasrevealedbygeorgeedwards,oneofthespiesnamedbylambinthelastlineofthispoem.castlesandoliverwereothergovernmentspiesmentionedbyrichmond.

line2.bedloe,oates…williambedloe(1650-1680)andtitusoates(1649-1705)wereassociatedaslyinginformersoftheproceedingsoftheimaginarypopishplotagainstcharlesii.

page119.sonnettomathewwood,esq.

thechampion,may13and14,1820.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.

matthewwood,afterwardssirmatthew(1768-1843),wastwicelordmayoroflondon,1815-1817,andm.p.forthecity.hewasoneoftheprincipalfriendsandadvisersofcarolineofbrunswick,georgeiv.'srepudiatedwife.hencehisparticularmeritinlamb'seyes.laterheadministeredtheaffairsofthedukeofkent,whosetrusteehewas,andhisbaronetcywasthefirstbestowedbyqueenvictoria.thesonnetcontainsanotheroflamb'sattacksoncanning.thisstatesman'smother,afterthedeathofgeorgecanning,herfirsthusband,in1771,tooktothestage,wheresheremainedforthirtyyears.canningwasatschoolateton.thecourseonwhichwoodwasadjuredtoholdwasthedefenceofqueencaroline;butcanning'soppositiontohercausewasnotsoabsoluteaslambseemedtothink.theministry,ofwhichcanningwasamember,hadpreparedabillbywhichthequeenwastoreceive£50,000annuallysolongassheremainedabroad.thekinginsistedondivorceornothing,anditwashisownrepugnancetothismeasurethatcausedcanningtotenderhisresignation.thekingrefusedit,andcanningwentabroadanddidnotreturnuntilitwasabandoned.

line11.pickpocketpeer.thiswouldbehenrydundas,viscountmelville(1742-1811),pitt'slieutenant,whowasimpeachedforembezzlingmoneyasfirstlordoftheadmiralty.hewasacquitted,butthatwasacircumstancethatwouldhardlyconcernlambwheninthismood.

page120.onaprojectedjourney.

thechampion,july15and16,1820.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.georgeiv.'svisittohanoverdidnot,however,occurtilloctober,1821.thisisentitledinayrton'sms.book(seebelow)"upontheking'sembarcationatramsgateforhanover,1821."

page120.songforthec——n.

thechampion,july15and16,1820.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.

asongforthecoronation,whichwasfixedfor1821.queencarolinereturnedtoenglandinjune,1820,stayingwithaldermanwood(seepage361)inordertobeonthespotagainstthatevent.meanwhilethedivorceproceedingsbegan,butwereeventuallywithdrawn.carolinemadeaforcibleefforttobepresentatthecoronation,onjuly29,1821,butwasrepulsedattheabbeydoor.shewastakenillthenextdayanddiedonaugust7."roy'swifeofaldivalloch"isthescotchsongbyannegrant.

page120.theunbeloved.

thechampion,september23and24,1820.reprintedinthepoeticalrecreationsof"thechampion,"1822.inthechampionthelastlinewasprecededby

place-and-heiress-huntingelf,

thereferencetoheiress-huntingtouchinguponcanning'smarriagetomissjoanscott,asisteroftheduchessofportland,whobroughthim£100,000.

line4.c——gh.robertstewart,viscountcastlereaghandsecondmarquisoflondonderry(1769-1822),foreignsecretaryfrom1812untilhisdeath.hecommittedsuicideinastateofunsoundmind.

line6.thedoctor.thiswasthenicknamecommonlygiventohenry

addington,viscountsidmouth.

line8.theirchatty,childishchancellor.johnscott,afterwardsearlofeldon(1751-1838),thelordchancellor.

line9.inliverpoolsomevirtuesstrike.robertbanksjenkinson,earlofliverpool(1770-1828),primeministeratthetime,andthereforeprincipalscapegoatforthedivorcebill.

line10.andlittlevan'sbeneathdislike.nicholasvansittart,afterwardsbaronbexley(1766-1851),chancelloroftheexchequer.

line12.h——t.thomastaylour,firstmarquisofheadfort(1757-1829),theprincipalfigureinacrim.con.casein1804whenhewassuedbyaclergymannamedmasseyandhadtopay£10,000damages.

page121.onthearrivalinenglandoflordbyron'sremains.

fromams.bookofwilliamayrton's.inthenewtimes,october24,1825,theversesfollowedthe"odetothetreadmill."theepigram,whichwasunsigned,thenranthus:—

thepoeticalcask

withchangeofclimatemannersalternot:

transportadrunkard—he'llreturnasot.

solordlyjuan,d——dtoendlessfame,

wentoutapickle—andcomesbackthesame.

lordbyron'sbodyhadbeenbroughthomefromgreece,forburialathucknalltorkard,in1824,andthecauseoftheepigramwasaparagraphinthenewtimesofoctober19,1825,statingthatthetubinwhichbyron'sremainscamehomewasexhibitedbythecaptainoftherodneyfor2s.6d.ahead;afterwardssoldtoacooperinwhitechapel;resoldtoamuseum;andfinallysoldagaintoacooperinmiddlenewstreet,whowasatthattimeusingitasanadvertisement.