5 8 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



been saved from the blunt, clumsy sabre of his 

 satire, which only mangles, but does not cut ; and 

 Byron himself not have been shown up by his 

 friend as a petulant coxcomb and a flash black- 

 guard. I cannot for a moment believe that Byron, 

 with all his faults, was the despicable character that 

 Medwin, soi-disant Byron's friend, and Angler in 

 Wales, represent him. 



SIMPSON. Take a cigar, Fisher, or you will lose 

 your temper ; and tell us calmly what scandal about 

 Lord Byron it is that moves your bile. 



FISHER. I might then tell you nearly all that is 

 said about him in the book. He is represented, on the 

 day that the author of the "Pleasures of Memory" 

 and of "Italy" was expected to call on him, order- 

 ing his bulldog and his monkey into the billiard- 

 room, where he intended to receive his visitor, for 

 the purpose of annoying him. When Mr. Rogers 

 entered, it is said the dog rushed furiously at him, 

 and was encouraged by Byron, while, without no- 

 ticing his visitor, he pretended to call the brute off. 

 At length he thought good to discover the cause of 

 the affray, to kick Tiger off, and press his " dear 

 friend" in his arms. to the great entertainment, 

 I conclude, if the story be true, of the toadeaters 

 present, who flattered and encouraged the noble 

 poet in his wayward follies as the price of their 

 admission to his society ; and who, when he was 

 in his grave, for the sake of dishonourable gain, 

 exposed and exaggerated his follies and his vices, 



