93 — To J. Ridge
[Mr. Ridge, Newark.]
Dorant's Hotel, February 21st, 1808.
Mr. Ridge, — Something has occurred which will make considerable alteration in my new volume.
You
must
go back
and
cut out
the whole
poem
of
Childish Recollections
. Of course you will be surprized at this, and perhaps displeased, but it must be
done
. I cannot help its detaining you a
month
longer, but there will be enough in the volume without it, and as I am now reconciled to Dr. Butler I cannot allow my satire to appear against him, nor can I alter that part relating to him without spoiling the whole. You will therefore omit the whole poem. Send me an
immediate
answer to this letter but
obey
the directions. It is better that my reputation should suffer as a poet by the omission than as a man of honour by the insertion.
Etc., etc.,
Byron
.
Footnote 1:
For "Childish Recollections," see
Poems
, vol.i. p.101. A previous letter, written to Ridge from Dorant's Hotel, January 9, 1808, illustrates the rapidity with which Byron's moods changed. In this case, the lines on "Euryalus" (Lord Delawarr: see page 41,
1) were to be omitted:—
"Mr. Ridge, — In Childish Recollections omit the whole character of Euryalus, and insert instead the lines to Florio as a part of the poem, and send me a proof in due course.
"Etc. etc.,
"Byron.
"P.S. — The first line of the passage to be omitted begins 'Shall fair Euryalus,' etc., and ends at 'Toil for more;' omit the whole."
