The new "Mystery" was
revised by Gifford and printed, but withheld from month to month, till,
at length, "the fire kindled," and, on the last day of October, 1821,
Byron instructed John Hunt to "obtain from Mr.
revised by Gifford and printed, but withheld from month to month, till,
at length, "the fire kindled," and, on the last day of October, 1821,
Byron instructed John Hunt to "obtain from Mr.
Byron
.
that the sons of God saw
the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them
wives of all which they chose. "
"And woman wailing for her demon lover. "
Coleridge [_Kubla Khan_, line 16]
INTRODUCTION TO _HEAVEN AND EARTH_.
_Heaven and Earth_ was begun at Ravenna October 9, 1821. "It occupied
about fourteen days" (Medwin's _Conversations_, 1824, p. 231), and was
forwarded to Murray, November 9, 1821. "You will find _it_," wrote Byron
(_Letters_, 1901, v. 474), "_pious_ enough, I trust--at least some of
the Chorus might have been written by Sternhold and Hopkins themselves
for that, and perhaps for the melody. " It was on "a scriptural
subject"--"less speculative than _Cain_, and very pious" (_Letters_,
1901, v. 475; vi. 31). It was to be published, he insists, at the same
time, and, if possible, in the same volume with the "others"
(_Sardanapalus_, etc. ), and would serve, so he seems to have _reflected_
("The moment he reflects, he is a child," said Goethe), as an antidote
to the audacities, or, as some would have it, the impieties of _Cain_!
He reckoned without his publisher, who understood the temper of the
public and of the Government, and was naturally loth to awaken any more
"reasonable doubts" in the mind of the Chancellor with regard to whether
a "scriptural drama" was irreverent or profane.
The new "Mystery" was
revised by Gifford and printed, but withheld from month to month, till,
at length, "the fire kindled," and, on the last day of October, 1821,
Byron instructed John Hunt to "obtain from Mr. Murray _Werner: a Drama_,
and another dramatic poem called _Heaven and Earth_. " It was published
in the second number of _The Liberal_ (pp. 165-206), January 1, 1823.
The same subject, the unequal union of angelic lovers with the daughters
of men, had taken Moore's fancy a year before Byron had begun to
"dramatize the Old Testament. " He had designed a long poem, but having
discovered that Byron was at work on the same theme, he resolved to
restrict himself to the production of an "episode," to "give himself the
chance of . . . an _heliacal rising_," before he was outshone by the
advent of a greater luminary. Thanks to Murray's scruples, and the
"translation" of MSS. to Hunt, the "episode" took the lead of the
"Mystery" by eight days. The _Loves of the Angels_ (see _Memoirs_, etc. ,
1853, iv. 28) was published December 23, 1822. None the less, lyric and
drama were destined to run in double harness. Critics found it
convenient to review the two poems in the same article, and were at
pains to draw a series of more or less pointed and pungent comparisons
between the unwilling though not unwitting rivals.
the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them
wives of all which they chose. "
"And woman wailing for her demon lover. "
Coleridge [_Kubla Khan_, line 16]
INTRODUCTION TO _HEAVEN AND EARTH_.
_Heaven and Earth_ was begun at Ravenna October 9, 1821. "It occupied
about fourteen days" (Medwin's _Conversations_, 1824, p. 231), and was
forwarded to Murray, November 9, 1821. "You will find _it_," wrote Byron
(_Letters_, 1901, v. 474), "_pious_ enough, I trust--at least some of
the Chorus might have been written by Sternhold and Hopkins themselves
for that, and perhaps for the melody. " It was on "a scriptural
subject"--"less speculative than _Cain_, and very pious" (_Letters_,
1901, v. 475; vi. 31). It was to be published, he insists, at the same
time, and, if possible, in the same volume with the "others"
(_Sardanapalus_, etc. ), and would serve, so he seems to have _reflected_
("The moment he reflects, he is a child," said Goethe), as an antidote
to the audacities, or, as some would have it, the impieties of _Cain_!
He reckoned without his publisher, who understood the temper of the
public and of the Government, and was naturally loth to awaken any more
"reasonable doubts" in the mind of the Chancellor with regard to whether
a "scriptural drama" was irreverent or profane.
The new "Mystery" was
revised by Gifford and printed, but withheld from month to month, till,
at length, "the fire kindled," and, on the last day of October, 1821,
Byron instructed John Hunt to "obtain from Mr. Murray _Werner: a Drama_,
and another dramatic poem called _Heaven and Earth_. " It was published
in the second number of _The Liberal_ (pp. 165-206), January 1, 1823.
The same subject, the unequal union of angelic lovers with the daughters
of men, had taken Moore's fancy a year before Byron had begun to
"dramatize the Old Testament. " He had designed a long poem, but having
discovered that Byron was at work on the same theme, he resolved to
restrict himself to the production of an "episode," to "give himself the
chance of . . . an _heliacal rising_," before he was outshone by the
advent of a greater luminary. Thanks to Murray's scruples, and the
"translation" of MSS. to Hunt, the "episode" took the lead of the
"Mystery" by eight days. The _Loves of the Angels_ (see _Memoirs_, etc. ,
1853, iv. 28) was published December 23, 1822. None the less, lyric and
drama were destined to run in double harness. Critics found it
convenient to review the two poems in the same article, and were at
pains to draw a series of more or less pointed and pungent comparisons
between the unwilling though not unwitting rivals.
