According to Mr. Southey this immaculate king had no accusers save two from amongst the fiends, and they are too terrified by his presence to bear witness against him. These are the shades of Junius and John Wilkes, both of whom are immediately hurled away into sulphurous darkness.
After this George III is told by an angel that “there is none to arraign him,” which is scarcely surprising considering the summary manner in which Southey had disposed of the previous accusers.
The beatification of George follows, and he makes his triumphal entry into heaven, according to Southey, as the King of Glory! The poem was written in blank verse, and consisted of twelve cantos, whereas Lord Byron’s Vision of Judgment is written in rhyme, and can scarcely be styled a parody of Southey’s Vision. It is, besides, a rather lengthy production, and as every one has a copy of Byron’s works, it is unnecessary to insert it here. In his preface, Byron alludes to the inconsistencies of Southey’s life and opinions, and in the poem itself he causes Southey thus to describe his works to the Arch-angel Michael:
He said—(I only give the heads)—he said,
He meant no harm in scribbling; ’twas his way
Upon all topics; ’twas besides, his bread,
Of which he butter’d both sides; ’twould delay
Too long the assembly (he was pleased to dread),
And take up rather more time than a day,
To name his works—he would but cite a few—