Byron wrote a bitter and undeserved satire on Rogers. This
conduct must have been motived by something or other."
Speaking of Rogers and Sheridan, he says,
"He certainly took pennyworths out of his friend's character. I sat
three hours for my picture to Sir Thomas Lawrence, during which the
whole conversation was filled up by Rogers with stories of Sheridan,
for the least of which, if true, he deserved the gallows. One
respected his committing a rape on his sister-in-law on the day of her
husband's funeral. Others were worse."
In politics Rogers was a Whig, in religion a Presbyterian. But
he meddled little with either. In private life he was as kindly in
action as he was caustic in speech. A sensitive man himself, he
studied to be satirical to others. When Ward condemned 'Columbus'
in the 'Quarterly Review', Rogers repaid his critic in the stinging
epigram:
"Ward has no heart, they say; but I deny it;
He has a heart, and gets his speeches by it."
Byron warmly admired Rogers's poetry. To him he dedicated 'The Giaour',
in
"admiration for his genius, respect for his character, and gratitude
for his friendship."
The 'Quarterly Review', in an article on 'The Corsair' and 'Lara',
mentions
"the highly refined, but somewhat insipid, pastoral tale of
'Jacqueline'."
Byron, on reading the review, said to Lady Byron,
"The man's a fool. 'Jacqueline' is as superior to 'Lara' as Rogers is
to me"
('Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers', p.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112