England's Celebrity, 1812-1816

England

England’s Celebrity 1812-1816

During this period, Lord Byron produced many works as shown throughout this case. The Giaour is a poem published in 1813 which tells the story of Leila, a turkish slave, who is in love with the ‘Byronic” hero, Giaour. The Bride of Abydos: A Turkish Tale was published December 2, 1813, it was highly praised and sold six thousand copies within a month. The Corsair, A Tale was written very quickly, with Byron writing nearly 200 lines a day. After publishing Corsair, Byron announced he was taking a serious break from writing. He wrote to Thomas Moore on the morning of April 9th 1814, “no more rhyme for - or rather from - me. I have taken my leave of that stage, and henceforth will mountebank it no longer…”. In the evening of April 9th 1814, a Gazette Extraordinary announced Napoleon's abdication. Byron was “bewildered and confounded” to the news of Napoleon’s abdication, which prompted him to write Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte on April 10th, 1814. He wrote its entirety in one day, sending it to his publisher, Murray, as a gift with instructions to publish it anonymously.

The Giaour: A Turkish Tale

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. The Giaour, A Fragment of a Turkish Tale. 1st published ed. London: Printed by T. Davison…for John Murray, 1813.

Byron Society Collection.

Franklin Mint Collectors Plate. Byron Society Collection.

The Bride of Abydos: A Turkish Tale

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. The Bride of Abydos: A Turkish Tale. 1st ed., 1st issue. London: Printed by T. Davison for John Murray, 1813.

Byron Society Collection.

Lara: A Tale, Jacqueline: A Tale

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. Lara, A Tale.; Jacqueline, A Tale. London: Printed for John Murray by T. Davison, 1814. First edition, first variant.

Rare Book Collection.

Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte. London: Printed for John Murray. By W. Bulmer. 1814.

Rare Book Collection.

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. The Corsair: A Tale. 1st (1st issue) ed. London : Printed by Thomas Davison, for John Murray, 1814. Autograph letter, signed, from Thomas Moore to James Power, dated Feb. 18, 1816, tipped in at front.

Rare Book Collection.

The Corsair: A Tale

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. The Corsair: A Tale. 1st (variant 2nd issue) ed. London: Printed by Thomas Davison…for John Murray, 1814.

Byron Society Collection.

Hebrew Melodies

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. Hebrew Melodies. 1st (1st issue) ed. London: Printed for John Murray, 1815.

Byron Society Collection.

Parian Portrait Bust of Byron. Byron Society Collection.

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Lord Byron, Hebrew Melodies, 1st.