BYRON, George Noel Gordon, Baron. The Genuine Rejected Addresses, presented to the Committee of Management for Drury-Lane Theatre; preceded by that written by Lord Byron, and adopted by the Committee. FIRST EDITION, 1st issue. Printed & sold by B. McMillan. 1812
Contemp. full calf; later functional re-back, corners replaced. Armorial bookplate of William Marchbank. A good sound copy.
¶Randolph p.23; Wise I.70-1 & II.xxvi: without half title as issued, and with the imprint including "Martin, Holles-Street, Cavendish Square" at the foot of the titlepage. These 'genuine rejected addresses' are mostly pseudonymous, but include Horace Twiss and Alicia Lefanu. The Drury Lane Theatre, which had burnt down in 1809 and was due to reopen in October 1812, had an open contest for writing the address that would be read at the public opening. All entries were rejected, and Byron was commissioned to write something instead; several parodies were published in response including 'Rejected Addresses', 'A Sequel to Rejected Addresses', and 'Accepted Addresses'.