A NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION, WITH DESCRIPTIVE LETTER-PRESS.

PUBLISHED BY SMITH, ELDER AND CO., CORNHILL.

PREFACE.

HOWEVER popular and well known an author may be, it is seldom that his admirers are so conversant with the whole of his works, as to enable their memory to seize at once on the intention of the painter, who attempts to illustrate them, or to recal immediately the particular incident which he designs to embody, especially when such illustrations embrace a very large range of subjects.

To the young the poems of Lord Byron are often a forbidden treasure. To those, who are young no longer, and whose tastes were formed before the advent of that poet, the popular admiration has seemed to be an alarming heresy in literature; and, like the long blinded "Ursel" of Walter Scott, they have closed their eyes against the light which has streamed on all around them. From the minds of the busy a thousand whirling thoughts have swept away the images which were once impressed there; and, even in the breast of the thoughtful, it often happens, that nothing remains of the past intellectual

banquet, but a vague and indistinct remembrance of the grief, and beauty and desolation described by the poet.

Of the numerous admirers of the "Byron Gallery," there has been, perhaps, scarcely one whose memory has not required a prompter to enable his understanding to partake of, and confirm the gratification of his pictorial taste; and this circumstance has induced the proprietors of the Work to append to each engraving some slight explanation of the subject illustrated : which, like a few notes of music - however rudely and unskilfully stricken-may recal the full and perfect, though half forgotten, melody, enjoyed in former years.

London, 1st March, 1838.