Canto II
Notes on
Stanza V.
“As Gordon.”
—Sir Alexander Gordon.
“And glorious Canning.”
—Lieut. Canning.
“The brave Delancey.”
—Sir W. Delancey.
Stanza XXI
“Moved by their prayers, the glorious chief.”
I have endeavoured throughout the whole of this Poem, to observe a strict impartiality between the British and French, and their commanders; not following the practice of some, who seem scarcely disposed to allow Buonaparte the character of a general; but these should consider, that the braver the troops, and the more experienced and skilful their leader, so much more is the glory of conquering them.
Footnotes
1 See The Lay of the Last Minstrel.
2 See Roderick Dhu’s Sacrifice in The Lady of the Lake.
3 See the Banquet at Holyrood Palace in Marmion, &c.
4 Bulbul, is the Persian nightingale.
5 Zel, is an Eastern instrument of martial music.
6 Shich-Eidar, see Note the First.
7 Azrail, is the Angel of Death.
8 Wine is forbidden by the Mahometan religion.
9 Sir R—— ——, an ancestor of Mrs. ——, was Lord Lieutenant of the county of —— in the reign of Elizabeth, and commanded the forces of that county at the time of the Spanish Armada.
10 Henry II.
11 Castor and Pollux.
12 Damon and Pythias.
13 David, whose friendship with Jonathan is so beautifully described in the Scriptures.
14 I am conscious that the metre of the following Translations is very different from that of the original; but it is my humble opinion, that it is utterly impossible to imitate the Version, and, at the same time, to preserve the spirit of the expression, and dignity of the idea; and it is really surprising that so many men of deep learning and judgment have attempted what was certain of failure: even Francis, who has done Horace more justice than any other translator, frequently, even in some of the sublimest odes, degenerates to a mere ballad singer. Were we, indeed, to make use of an irregular metre, it might, perhaps, be easy to translate the beauty, as well as the meaning; but, of all regular metres, I think our heroic is by far the best adapted for the grander odes.
15 For this poem the Author must crave peculiar indulgence; it was written at the desire of a lady, who asked him for his opinion of our living poets in verse, and was completed in a very short space of time, so that there are necessarily many faults in it: it would not, however, have been inserted, were it not for the particular wish of the lady for whom it was written.
16 The gardens of Adonis.
17 Æschylus, who may, I think, be called the Father of Tragedy, although Thespis was the first inventor of it.
Ignotum Tragicæ genus invenisse Camænæ,
Dicitur, et plaustris vexisse poëmata Thespis,
Quæ canerent agerentque peruncti fæcibus ora.
Post hunc, personæ pallæque repertor honestæ
Æschylus, et modicis instravit pulpita tignis,
Et docuit magnumque loqui, nitique cothurno.”
—Hor.
18 The nightingale is said to be particularly and faithfully attached to the rose tree.
19 Ponsonby is generally called the chieftain, or leader, throughout the whole battle.
20 Chrishna, is the Apollo of the Hindoo Mythology, and his smile is supposed to have been so bright as to have diffused an halo around his whole face.
21 “The griding sword with discontinuous wound
“Pass’d through him:——”
Milton.
22 “Through flames of sulphur and a night of smoke.”
Addison’s Campaign.
23 Shawe.