OUR FATHER. SLEEPS: IT IS THE HOUR WHEN THEY
WHO LOVE US ARE ACCUSTOM'D TO DESCEND
THROUGH THE DEEP CLOUDS OER ROCKY ARARAT:

LONDON. PUBLISHED BY J. MURRAY, 1831.

THE

WORKS

OF

LORD BYRON.

IN SIX VOLUMES.

VOL. V.

LONDON:

JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET.

MDCCCXXXI.

EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT

ΤΟ

HOURS OF IDLENESS.

LORD BYRON first appeared as an author in November, 1806, when he printed a collection of poems for distribution among his friends. The first copy of this volume, which is a thin quarto, was presented to Mr. Becher, who immediately perceived, on looking over its pages, that some of the contents were by no means of a descrip-tion to reflect credit on their author; and at his friendly suggestion the whole impression, with the exception of two, or, at the most, three copies, was committed to the flames. After the destruction of this volume, Lord Byron directed the collection to be reprinted, with the omission of the objectionable poems. This edition, which was confined to a hundred copies, and, like its predecessor, designed for private circulation, was proceeded in

so quickly, that at the end of about six weeks, January, 1807, it was ready for delivery. The volume was entitled "Poems on Various Occasions," and was printed at Newark by S. and J. Ridge: the author's name was not given. The dedication was, "To those friends at whose request they were printed, for whose amusement or approbation they were solely intended, these trifles are respectfully dedicated by the author." Immediately following the dedication was this notice: "The only apology necessary to be adduced in extenuation of any errors in the following collection is, that the author has not yet completed his nineteenth year. December 23, 1806." The approbation which this volume received from the friends to whom it was submitted induced Lord Byron to come more immediately before the public; and in the latter end of May, 1807, this collection, with considerable alterations, the omission of some poems, and the addition of others, was reprinted and published, under the title of " Hours of Idleness, a Series of Poems original and translated, by George Gordon, Lord Byron, a Minor.” This volume was also printed at Newark. In the four editions of this work, which rapidly succeeded each other, many variations are found: several cor