"
Turning to the journal of Edward Williams (Shelley's _Prose Works_,
1880, iv.
Turning to the journal of Edward Williams (Shelley's _Prose Works_,
1880, iv.
Byron
It was not till December 23, 1823 (_Letters_, 1901, vi.
287),
two years after the play had been written, that he speaks of applying
the two or three hundred pounds which the copyright of _Werner_ might be
worth, to the maintenance of armed men in the service of the
_Provisional Government_. He could not have "purloined" and palmed off
as his own the duchess's version of Miss Lee's story in order to raise
money for a purpose which had not arisen. He had no intention at first
or last of presenting the copyright of _Werner_ to Murray or Hunt, but
he was willing to wait for his money, and had no motive for raising
funds by an illegal and dishonourable trick.
That Byron did _not_ write _Werner_ is, surely, non-proven on the
external and internal evidence adduced by Mr. Leveson Gower. On the
other hand, there is abundant evidence, both external and internal,
that, apart from his acknowledged indebtedness to Miss Lee's story, he
did write _Werner_.
To take the external evidence first. On the first page of Mrs. Shelley's
transcript of _Werner_, Byron inserted the date, "Dec. 18, 1821," and on
the last he wrote "[The End] of fifth act of the Drama. B. P[isa]. Jy
21. 1822.
"
Turning to the journal of Edward Williams (Shelley's _Prose Works_,
1880, iv. 318), I find the following entries:--
"December 21, 1821. Lord B. told me that he had commenced a tragedy from
Miss Lee's _German Tale_ ('_Werner_'), and had been fagging at it all
day. "
"January 8, 1822. Mary read us the first two acts of Lord B. 's
_Werner_. "
Again, in an unpublished diary of the same period it is recorded that
Mrs. Shelley was engaged in the task of copying on January 17, 1822, and
the eight following days, and that on January 25 she finished her
transcript.
Again, Medwin (_Conversations_, 1824, p. 409) records the fact that
Byron told him "that he had almost finished another play . . . called
_Werner_;" and (p. 412) "that _Werner_ was written in twenty-eight days,
and one entire act at a sitting. " It is almost incredible that Byron
should have recopied a copy of the duchess's play in order to impose on
Mrs.
two years after the play had been written, that he speaks of applying
the two or three hundred pounds which the copyright of _Werner_ might be
worth, to the maintenance of armed men in the service of the
_Provisional Government_. He could not have "purloined" and palmed off
as his own the duchess's version of Miss Lee's story in order to raise
money for a purpose which had not arisen. He had no intention at first
or last of presenting the copyright of _Werner_ to Murray or Hunt, but
he was willing to wait for his money, and had no motive for raising
funds by an illegal and dishonourable trick.
That Byron did _not_ write _Werner_ is, surely, non-proven on the
external and internal evidence adduced by Mr. Leveson Gower. On the
other hand, there is abundant evidence, both external and internal,
that, apart from his acknowledged indebtedness to Miss Lee's story, he
did write _Werner_.
To take the external evidence first. On the first page of Mrs. Shelley's
transcript of _Werner_, Byron inserted the date, "Dec. 18, 1821," and on
the last he wrote "[The End] of fifth act of the Drama. B. P[isa]. Jy
21. 1822.
"
Turning to the journal of Edward Williams (Shelley's _Prose Works_,
1880, iv. 318), I find the following entries:--
"December 21, 1821. Lord B. told me that he had commenced a tragedy from
Miss Lee's _German Tale_ ('_Werner_'), and had been fagging at it all
day. "
"January 8, 1822. Mary read us the first two acts of Lord B. 's
_Werner_. "
Again, in an unpublished diary of the same period it is recorded that
Mrs. Shelley was engaged in the task of copying on January 17, 1822, and
the eight following days, and that on January 25 she finished her
transcript.
Again, Medwin (_Conversations_, 1824, p. 409) records the fact that
Byron told him "that he had almost finished another play . . . called
_Werner_;" and (p. 412) "that _Werner_ was written in twenty-eight days,
and one entire act at a sitting. " It is almost incredible that Byron
should have recopied a copy of the duchess's play in order to impose on
Mrs.
