111 — To R. C. Dallas.

February 7, 1809.

My Dear Sir, —

Suppose

we have this couplet —

Though sweet the sound, disdain a borrow'd tone,
Resign Achaia's lyre, and strike your own 1 :

or,

Though soft the echo, scorn a borrow'd tone,
Resign Achaia's lyre, and strike your own.

So

much for your admonition; but my note of notes, my solitary pun

2

, must not be given up — no, rather

"Let mightiest of all the beasts of chace
That roam in woody Caledon"

come against me; my annotation must stand.

We shall never sell a thousand; then why print so many? Did you receive my yesterday's note? I am troubling you, but I am apprehensive some of the lines are omitted by your young amanuensis, to whom, however, I am infinitely obliged.

Believe me, yours very truly,

Byron

.

Footnote 1:

  Dallas (February 6, 1809) objected to the rhyme in the couplet:—

"Translation's servile work at length disown,
And quit Achaia's Muse to court your own."

(For the corrected couplet, see

English Bards, etc

., lines 889, 890.)

Footnote 2:

  See

English Bards, etc.

, line 1016,

note

2.