Beschreibung:

BYRON, George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron (1788-1824). Autograph letter signed to Mr [James] Cawthorn, Lisbon, 15 July 1809, one page, 4to (small paper loss from tear touching two words in fifth line, dust-stained), mounted on the inner side of a paper wrapper enclosing a manuscript copy of Sir Walter Scott's 'Remarks on the death of Lord Byron by Sir Walter Scott May 1824' and of Byron's last poem written at Missalonghi, inscribed by the copyist at the foot to 'Miss Pitt' and dated December 1827, 7½ pages, folio , ribbon ties in centre fold. Byron to his publisher, awaiting the second edition of English Bards and Scotch Reviewers : 'I presume your second edition is by this time completed, choose your own time for bringing it out but I should think the sooner the better. I wish you to forward me a copy addressed to me at Malta , if I have left the island it will be sent after me to Constantinople by my correspondents there'. Byron's biting attack on his early critics, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers: A Satire , had appeared at the end of March 1809 in a first edition of 1,000 copies, for which the publisher, Cawthorn, retained the profits. Byron's impatience to see the second edition had therefore a financial impetus, and indeed while ostensibly awaiting new material Cawthorn seems to have printed more copies of the first for his own advantage; a letter to Cawthorn from Constaninople on 1 July ('You have paid much attention to my desire that you would send a copy of the Second Edition of my Satire to Malta for me') indicates that the publisher had still not complied with his request, and in June 1810 Byron was to sum up the situation in a letter to Charles Dallas, 'I heard the other day that my Satire was in a third edition; that is but a poor progress, but Cawthorn published too many copies in the first'. Accompanied by Hobhouse, Byron had sailed from England two weeks before writing the present letter. He arrived at Constantinople in April 1810, and was back in London in July 1811.