Memoir of John Murray
Sharon Turner to John Murray, November 1819
The truth about ‘Don Juan’ seems to be this. Shadwell, in settling the bill with
Downer’s name, went carefully through the poem.
He afterwards took it with him to Westminster, and I think has expressed not
only his own opinion, but that of some others at the Chancery bar; for he has
apologised for not returning it to me, because S. had borrowed it. His decided
tone that the Court will not let the copyright be invaded has much struck me,
and the more because in the case of ‘Wat Tyler’ he told me that he thought
that book could not be supported. His general opinions are also not favourable
to Lord B., and his taste ![]()
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is highly moral. Yet, though he disapproves of the passages, he is
remarkably sanguine that they do not furnish sufficient ground for the
Chancellor to dissolve the injunction.
He says the passages are not more amatory than those of many books of which the
copyright was never doubted. He added that one great tendency of the book was
not an unfair one. It was to show in Don
Juan’s ultimate character the ill effect of that
injudicious maternal education which Don
Juan is represented as having received, and which had operated
injuriously upon his mind. He repeated to me several times that, as far as it
was possible to foresee an event, he could not doubt of this. You have now all
that I have heard before you. My own opinion has been always that of doubt. Yet
Shadwell’s confidence makes me doubt my doubt.
If I could, I would suppress it altogether in every form, but it can only do
more mischief to let cheap editions be circulated.
Ever yours,
Whatever becomes of this, I think your idea of getting
Lord B. to prune and replace highly laudable, provided he will do it
effectually.
John Murray II (1778-1843)
The second John Murray began the
Quarterly Review in 1809 and
published works by Scott, Byron, Austen, Crabbe, and other literary notables.
John Scott, first earl of Eldon (1751-1838)
Lord chancellor (1801-27); he was legal counsel to the Prince of Wales and an active
opponent of the Reform Bill.
Sir Lancelot Shadwell (1779-1850)
Chancery court barrister and vice-chancellor of England (1827-1850); he was at Eton with
Francis Hodgson.
Sharon Turner (1768-1847)
Attorney, historian, and writer for the
Quarterly Review; he wrote
History of the Anglo-Saxons, 4 vols (1799-1805).
George Gordon Byron, sixth Baron Byron (1788-1824)
Don Juan. (London: 1819-1824). A burlesque poem in ottava rima published in installments: Cantos I and II published in
1819, III, IV and V in 1821, VI, VII, and VIII in 1823, IX, X, and XI in 1823, XII, XIII,
and XIV in 1823, and XV and XVI in 1824.
