Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LONDON, Jan 3, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A University College London librarian has discovered the only known manuscript of a poem by Lord Byron tucked inside a book by Samuel Rogers.
The 12-line poem about friendship and memory begins with "Absent or present still to thee" and was found inside an 1810 edition of "The Pleasures of Memory" by Samuel Rogers, librarian Susan Stead told the BBC.
"I knew Byron and Rogers were acquainted so thought it probably was authentic," she said.
The manuscript was dated April 12, 1812, and the poem appeared in a volume of collected poems four years later, the BBC said.
The book in which the manuscript was found was inscribed "The Right Hon.able The Lord Byron, from his obliged & faithful friend The Author."
Underneath is another inscription in different handwriting: "Afterwards returned by Lord Byron to Mr. Rogers with the lines written on the other side."
Stead said various Byron scholars have authenticated the manuscript.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
