unlike that of Marlow's, in his 'Faustus.' "The bed-scene is from 'Cymbeline;' the 66 66 song or serenade, a translation of Ophe lia's, in Hamlet;' and, more than all, "the prologue is from Job, which is the "first drama in the world, and perhaps "the oldest poem. I had an idea of writ 66 ing a 'Job,' but I found it too sublime. "There is no poetry to be compared "with it." I told him that Japhet's soliloquy in Heaven and Earth,' and address to the mountains of Caucasus, strongly resembled Faust's. 66 66 "I shall have commentators enough 'by and by," said he, "to dissect my thoughts, and find owners for them." "When I first saw the review of my ،، Hours of Idleness,' * I was furious; in "such a rage as I never have been in "since. “ I dined that day with Scroope Davies, "and drank three bottles of claret to "drown it; but it only boiled the more. "That critique was a masterpiece of low 66 wit, a tissue of scurrilous abuse. I re"member there was a great deal of vulgar “ trash in it which was meant for humour, "about people being thankful for what 66 they could get,'-' not looking a gift "horse in the mouth,' and such stable ex 66 66 6 pressions. The severity of The Quar terly' killed poor Keats, and neglect, "Kirke White; but I was made of differ * Written in 1808. "ent stuff, of tougher materials. So far "from their bullying me, or deterring me "from writing, I was bent on falsifying "their raven predictions, and determined "to shew them, croak as they would, that "it was not the last time they should hear "from me. I set to work immediately, "and in good earnest, and produced in a 66 66 year The English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.' For the first four days after "it was announced, I was very nervous "about its fate. Generally speaking, the "first fortnight decides the public opinion "of a new book. This made a prodigious impression, more perhaps than any of my works, except The Corsair.' 66 "In less than a year and a half it passed through four editions, and rather large ones. To some of them, contrary "to the advice of my friends, I affixed 66 my name. 66 The thing was known to be mine, and I could not have escaped any "enemies in not owning it; besides, it 66 was more manly not to deny it. There "were many things in that satire which I was afterwards sorry for, and I wished "to cancel it. If Galignani chose to re 66 print it, it was no fault of mine. I did my utmost to suppress the publication, "not only in England, but in Ireland. I "will tell you my principal reason for do 66 66 66 66 66 ing so I had good grounds to believe that Jeffrey (though perhaps really responsible for whatever appears in The Edinburgh,' as Gifford is for The Quar terly,' as its editor) was not the author of that article,—was not guilty of it. He "disowned it; and though he would not "give up the aggressor, he said he would “convince me, if I ever came to Scotland, who the person was. I have every rea 66 66 son to believe it was a certain lawyer, "who hated me for something I once said The technical language " of Mrs. "about minority pleas,'' plaintiffs,' "grounds of action,' &c. a jargon only "intelligible to a lawyer, leaves no doubt 66 in my mind on the subject. I bear no animosity to him now, though, inde 66 pendently of this lampoon, which does “him no credit, he gave me cause enough "of offence. "The occasion was this:-In my sepa"ration-cause, that went before the Chan“cellor as a matter of form, when the proceedings came on, he took upon himself 66 66 to apply some expressions, or make some "allusions to me, which must have been |