A. Bouazza: Just two small corrections. The quoted stanza from
Don Juan is number XLII (42), and the name should be Dudů, a “u” with an
accent grave.
In his EO Commentary (volume II, p. 479), VN points out
that Byron rhymed "Souvaroff-lover of" and "Suwarow-sorrow"
instead of the correct "Suvorov-more of." In a MS note (reproduced by VN in his
EO Commentary, II, p. 478) Pushkin says that Byron
made other, more important mistakes, describing Russia in
Don Juan. I hope Lord Byron's shade will pardon me my slips (and
thanks to Abdel for correcting them).
Btw., "this usque ad Russkum" mentioned
in Ada (1.38) by Demon ('I suspect
your uncle has a cache behind the solanders in his study and keeps there a finer
whisky than this usque ad Russkum') reminds me of
Mouskin-Pouskin, as Byron misspells Musin-Pushkin in Don Juan
(Canto VII). The Counts Musin-Pushkin are distantly related to the plain
Pushkins. In My Pedigree (1830) the poet says that he is a plain
Pushkin, not Musin. In Post Scriptum to My Pedigree Pushkin quotes
Bulgarin ("Figlyarin") who "decided" that the poet's black grandfather* Hannibal
was bought for a bottle of rum.
*actually, maternal great-grandfather
Alexey Sklyarenko