Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 66, No. 407, September, 1849

Possibly not.

NORTH

In the First Stanza what do we find?, An apostrophe – "Thou Clitumnus," not yet quite an Impersonation – a few lines on, an Impersonation of the Stream —

" – the purest God of gentlest waters!
And most serene of aspect, and most clear."

What is gained by this Impersonation? Nothing. For the qualities here attributed to the River-God are the very same that had already been attributed to the water – purity – serenity – clearness. "Sweetest wave of the most living crystal" – affects us just as much – here I think more than the two lines about the God. And observe, that no sooner is the God introduced than he disappears. His coming and his going are alike unsatisfactory – for his coming gives us no new emotion, and his going is instantly followed by lines that have no relation to his Godship at all.

TALBOYS

Why – why – I really don't know.

NORTH

I have mildly – and inoffensively to all the world – that is, to all us Four – shown one imperfection; and I think – I feel there is another – in this Stanza. "The sweetest wave of the most living crystal" is visioned to us in the opening lines as the haunt "of river nymph, to gaze and lave her limbs where nothing hid them," – and we are pleased; it is visioned to us, in the concluding line, as "the mirror and the bath for Beauty's youngest daughters " – and we are not pleased; or if we are, but for a moment – for it is, as nearly as may be, the same vision over again – a mirror and a bath!

TALBOYS

But then, sir —

NORTH

Well?

TALBOYS

Go on, sir.

NORTH

I am not sure that I understand "Beauty's youngest daughters."

TALBOYS

Why, small maidens from ten to twelve years old, who in their innocent beauty may bathe without danger, and in their innocent self-admiration may gaze without fear.

NORTH

Then is the expression at once commonplace and obscure.

TALBOYS

Don't say so, sir.

NORTH

Think you Byron means the Graces?

TALBOYS

He does – he does – the Graces sure enough – the Graces.

NORTH

Whatever it means – it means no more than we had before. A descriptive Stanza should ever be progressive, and at the close complete. To my feeling, "slaughters" had better been kept far away from the imagination as from the eyes. I know Byron alludes here to the Sanguinetto of the preceding Stanza. But he ought not to have alluded to it – the contrast is complete without such reference – between the river we are delighting in and the blood-named torrent that has passed away. Why, then, force such an image back, upon us – when of ourselves we should never have thought of it, and it is the last image we should desire to see?

TALBOYS

Allow me a few minutes to consider —

NORTH

A day. Will you be so good, Talboys, as tell me in ten words the meaning of – in the next Stanza – "keeps its memory of Thee"?

TALBOYS

I will immediately.

NORTH

To my mind – angler as I am —

TALBOYS

The Prince of Anglers.

NORTH

To my mind, two lines and a half about Fishes are here too much – "finny darter" seems conceited – and "dwells and revels" needlessly strong – and the frequent rising of "finny darters with the glittering scales" to me seems hardly consistent with the solemn serenity inspired by the Temple, "of small and delicate proportion" "keeping its memory of Thee," – whatever that may mean; – nor do I think that a poetical mind like Byron's, if fully possessed in ideal contemplation with the beauty of the whole, would have thought so much of such an occurrence, or dwelt upon it with so many words.

TALBOYS

I wish that finny darters with the glittering scales had oft leaped from out thy current's calmness, Thou Glenorchy, yesterday – but not a fin could I stir with finest tackle and Double-Nothings.

NORTH

That is no answer, either one way or another, to my gentle demur to the perfection of the stanzas. The "scattered water-lily" may be well enough – so let it pass – with this ob, that the flower of the water-lily is not easily separated from its stalk – and is not, in that state, eligible as an image of peace.

TALBOYS

It is of beauty.

NORTH

Be it so. But, is "scattered" the right word? No. A water-lily to be scattered must be torn– for you scatter many, not one – a fleet, not a ship – a flock of sheep, not one lamb. A solitary water-lily – broken off and drifting by, has, as you said, its own beauty – and Byron doubtlessly intended that – but he has not said it – he has said the reverse – for a "scattered" water-lily is a dishevelled water-lily – a water-lily no more – a dispersed or dispersing multitude of leaves – of what had been a moment before – a Flower.

TALBOYS