Shelfmark
Km.5.11(03)
Author
Title
English bards, and Scotch reviewers: a satire. / By Lord Byron..
Publication, distribution, etc.
London: : Benbow, printer and publisher, Castle Street, Leicester Square., 1821..
Physical description
69, [3] p. ; 15 cm. (12mo)
Note
Pirated edition.
Note
Consists of 1050 lines, "ingenuous" spelled correctly in footnote on p. 10. "Preface to the third edition," p. [3]-5. Contains poems "Farewell" and "Enigma" on p. [71-72] at end.
Note
One of several pirated editions of Byron's satirical poem printed in England after 1816. First published in 1809 as a riposte from Byron to a stinging review in The Edinburgh Review of his first published volume of poetry "Hours of Idleness", four authorised editions of the poem were printed by his publisher James Cawthorn between 1809 and 1811 to meet the large popular demand. However, by 1812, after contemplating but rejecting the publication of a fifth edition, Byron decided to suppress the poem, and switched his patronage to the publisher John Murray, which led to Cawthorn continuing to print spurious editions of "English Bards" in defiance of his instructions, without payment to the author. In 1816 Byron was granted an injunction preventing Cawthorn from continuing to print the work, but piracies by Cawthorn and others continued to appear. William Benbow (1784-c.1852) was a political radical, who had set up in business in London in 1820 as a bookseller and publisher of pornography. During his relatively brief, but eventful, career as a bookseller and publisher, he regularly found himself in trouble with the law due to his relaxed attitude towards the laws of libel and copyright.
Provenance
Circular bookstamp of Eton College Library on title page verso.
Provenance
19th century ownership inscription on front flyleaf: E. B. Dudding.
Binding
19th century plain brown paper wrapper. Housed in red cloth box numbered "6" with other works by Byron.
Subject
English satire.
Subject
English poetry 19th century.
Added entry--name
Benbow, William, b. 1784 - ? publisher.
Added entry--place
England London.
Identifier
B46900