'"
[12] There was a considerable amount of humour in it. Among the articles
offered for sale in the toy-shop is, "the least box that ever was seen
in England," in which nevertheless, "a courtier may deposit his
sincerity, a lawyer may screw up his honesty, and a poet may hoard up
his money."
[13] This introduction to popularity reminds us of the poet Lover, who
would never have been so well known had not Madame Vestris, when in want
of a comic song, selected "Rory O'More," which afterwards became so
famous. The celebrated enigma on the letter H was also produced by a
suggestion accidentally made overnight, and developed before morning by
Miss Fanshawe into beautiful lines formerly ascribed to Byron.
[14] A girl, who had been unfortunate in love.
[15] Byron showed his love of humour even in some of these early
effusions, speaking of his college he says:
"Our choir would scarcely be excused,
Even as a band of raw beginners:
All mercy, now, must be refused
To such a set of croaking sinners.
If David, when his toils were ended
Had heard these blockheads sing before him,
To us his psalms had ne'er descended;
In furious mood, he would have tore 'em."
[16] The saying "He that fights and runs away, shall live to fight
another day," is as old as the days of Menander.
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