[Footnote 1: The 'Parenthetical Address', "By Dr. Plagiary," is a parody
by Byron of Dr, Busby's 'Address', the original of which will be found
in the 'Genuine Rejected Addresses', as well as parodied in 'Rejected
Addresses' ("Architectural Atoms"). On October 14 young Busby forced his
way on to the stage of Drury Lane, attempted to recite his father's
address, and was taken into custody. On the next night, Dr. Busby,
speaking from one of the boxes, obtained a hearing for his son, who
could not, however, make his voice heard in the theatre. Then another
"rejected" author tried to recite his composition, but was hooted down.
Order was restored by Raymond reminding the audience that the
Chamberlain's licence was necessary for all stage speeches. To the
failure of the younger Busby (himself a competitor and the author of an
"Unalogue" of fifty-six lines) to make himself heard, Byron alludes in
the stage direction to the 'Parenthetical Address'--"to be spoken in an
inarticulate voice by Master P." The 'Parenthetical Address' appeared
in the 'Morning Chronicle' for October 23, 1812. In the same issue was
printed a long statement by Dr. Busby, in which, after paying a
compliment to Byron's "poetical genius," he insisted that the Committee
of Drury Lane had broken faith by not choosing one of the addresses sent
in by competitors. (See references to Dr. Busby in 'Poems', vol. i. pp.
481 and 485, 'note' 1.) Dr. Thomas Busby (1755-1838) composed the music
for Holcroft's 'Tale of Mystery', the first musical melodrama produced
on the English stage (Covent Garden, November 13, 1802).
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