Lord Byron’s third canto is considered as very inferior to the two former, so is the “Prisoner of Chillon” and the other poems published with it. There are occasional passages of merit and great traits of imagination and genius, but he is very obscure and writes too quick and very incorrectly. He is also become an imitator of the Lake school, and certainly will not find a place among our classic writers.
We are very angry here with Jeffrey for his proscription of Addison, Pope, and Swift in the article on the latter. It is written with great spirit and vigour and exhibits all Jeffrey’s talents, but is wholly deficient in judgment.
Lord Byron’s new poems (both the third canto of “Childe Harold” and the “Prisoner of Chillon”) have sold prodigiously, but the best judges all agree that they are clearly inferior to his former productions.
