The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley Part 207

6.

But that no power can fill with vital oil That broken lamp of flesh. (3 2 17, 18.) The standard text (1821) has a Sh.e.l.leyan comma after oil (17), which Forman retains. Woodberry adds a dash to the comma, thus making that (17) a demonstrative p.r.o.noun indicating broken lamp of flesh. The pointing of our text is that of editions 1819, 1839, But that (17) is to be taken as a prepositional conjunction linking the dependent clause, no power...lamp of flesh, to the princ.i.p.al sentence, So wastes...kindled mine (15, 16).

7.

The following list of punctual variations indicates the places where our pointing departs from that of the standard text of 1821, and records in each instance the pointing of that edition:--

Act 1, Scene 2:--Ah! No, 34; Scene 3:--hope, 29; Why 44; love 115; thou 146; Ay 146.

Act 2, Scene 1:--Ah! No, 13; Ah! No, 73; courage 80; nook 179; Scene 2:--fire, 70; courage 152.

Act 3, Scene 1:--Why 64; mock 185; opinion 185; law 185; strange 188; friend 222; Scene 2:--so 3; oil, 17.

Act 4, Scene 1:--wrong 41; looked 97; child 107; Scene 3:--What 19; father, (omit quotes) 32.

Act 5, Scene 2:--years 119; Scene 3:--Ay, 5; Guards 94; Scene 4:--child, 145.

THE MASK OF ANARCHY.

Our text follows in the main the transcript by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley (with additions and corrections in Sh.e.l.ley's hand) known as the 'Hunt ma.n.u.script.' For the readings of this ma.n.u.script we are indebted to Mr.

Buxton Forman's Library Edition of the Poems, 1876. The variants of the 'Wise ma.n.u.script' (see Prefatory Note) are derived from the Facsimile edited in 1887 for the Sh.e.l.ley Society by Mr. Buxton Forman.

1.

Like Eldon, an ermined gown; (4 2.) The editio princeps (1832) has Like Lord E-- here. Lord is inserted in minute characters in the Wise ma.n.u.script, but is rejected from our text as having been cancelled by the poet himself in the (later) Hunt ma.n.u.script.

2.

For he knew the Palaces Of our Kings were rightly his; (20 1, 2.) For rightly (Wise ma.n.u.script) the Hunt ma.n.u.script and editions 1832, 1839 have nightly which is retained by Rossetti and in Forman's text of 1876. Dowden and Woodberry print rightly which also appears in Forman's latest text ("Aldine Sh.e.l.ley", 1892).

3.

In a neat and happy home. (54 4.) For In (Wise ma.n.u.script, editions 1832, 1839) the Hunt ma.n.u.script reads To a neat, etc., which is adopted by Rossetti and Dowden, and appeared in Forman's text of 1876. Woodberry and Forman (1892) print In a neat, etc.

4.

Stanzas 70 3, 4; 71 1. These form one continuous clause in every text save the editio princeps, 1832, where a semicolon appears after around (70 4).

5.

Our punctuation follows that of the Hunt ma.n.u.script, save in the following places, where a comma, wanting in the ma.n.u.script, is supplied in the text:--gay 47; came 58; waken 122; shaken 123; call 124; number 152; dwell 163; thou 209; thee 249; fashion 287; surprise 345; free 358.

A semicolon is supplied after earth (line 131).

PETER BELL THE THIRD.

Thomas Brown, Esq., the Younger, H. F., to whom the "Dedication" is addressed, is the Irish poet, Tom Moore. The letters H. F. may stand for 'Historian of the Fudges' (Garnett), Hibernicae Filius (Rossetti), or, perhaps, Hibernicae Fidicen. Castles and Oliver (3 2 1; 7 4 4) were government spies, as readers of Charles Lamb are aware. The allusion in 6 36 is to Wordsworth's "Thanksgiving Ode on The Battle of Waterloo", original version, published in 1816:-- But Thy most dreaded instrument, In working out a pure intent, Is Man--arrayed for mutual slaughter, --Yea, Carnage is Thy daughter!

1.

Lines 547-549 (6 18 5; 19 1, 2). These lines evidently form a continuous clause. The full stop of the editio princeps at rocks, line 547, has therefore been deleted, and a semicolon subst.i.tuted for the original comma at the close of line 546.

2.

'Ay--and at last desert me too.' (line 603.) Rossetti, who however follows the editio princeps, saw that these words are spoken--not by Peter to his soul, but--by his soul to Peter, by way of rejoinder to the challenge of lines 600-602:--'And I and you, My dearest Soul, will then make merry, As the Prince Regent did with Sherry.' In order to indicate this fact, inverted commas are inserted at the close of line 602 and the beginning of line 603.

3.

The punctuation of the editio princeps, 1839, has been throughout revised, but--with the two exceptions specified in notes (1) and (2) above--it seemed an unprofitable labour to record the particular alterations, which serve but to clarify--in no instance to modify--the sense as indicated by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley's punctuation.

LETTER TO MARIA GISBORNE.

Our text mainly follows Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley's transcript, for the readings of which we are indebted to Mr. Buxton Forman's Library Edition of the Poems, 1876. The variants from Sh.e.l.ley's draft are supplied by Dr.

Garnett.

1.

Lines 197-201. These lines, which are wanting in editions 1824 and 1839 (1st edition), are supplied from Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley's transcript and from Sh.e.l.ley's draft (Bos...o...b.. ma.n.u.script). In the 2nd edition of 1839 the following lines appear in their place:-- Your old friend G.o.dwin, greater none than he; Though fallen on evil times, yet will he stand, Among the spirits of our age and land, Before the dread tribunal of To-come The foremost, whilst rebuke stands pale and dumb.

2.

Line 296. The names in this line are supplied from the two ma.n.u.scripts.

In the "Posthumous Poems" of 1824 the line appears:--Oh! that H-- -- and -- were there, etc.

3.

The following list gives the places where the pointing of the text varies from that of Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley's transcript as reported by Mr. Buxton Forman, and records in each case the pointing of that original:--Turk 26; scorn 40; understood, 49; boat-- 75; think, 86; believe; 158; are; 164; fair 233; cameleopard; 240; Now 291.

THE WITCH OF ATLAS.

1.

The following list gives the places where our text departs from the pointing of the editio princeps ("Dedication", 1839; "Witch of Atlas", 1824), and records in each case the original pointing:-- DEDIC.--pinions, 14; fellow, 41; Oth.e.l.lo, 45.

WITCH OF ATLAS.--bliss; 164; above. 192; gums 258; flashed 409; sunlight, 409; Thamondocana. 424; by. 432; engraven. 448; apart, 662; mind! 662.

EPIPSYCHIDION.

1.

The following list gives the places where our text departs from the pointing of the editio princeps, 1821, with the original point in each case:--love, 44; pleasure; 68; flowing 96; where! 234; pa.s.sed 252; dreamed, 278; Night 418; year), 440; children, 528.

ADONAIS.

1.

The following list indicates the places in which the punctuation of this edition departs from that of the editio princeps, of 1821, and records in each instance the pointing of that text:--thou 10; Oh 19; apace, 65; Oh 73; flown 138; Thou 142; Ah 154; immersed 167; corpse 172; tender 172; his 193; they 213; Death 217; Might 218; bow, 249; sighs 314; escape 320; Cease 366; dark 406; forth 415; dead, 440; Whilst 493.

h.e.l.lAS.

A Reprint of the original edition (1822) of "h.e.l.las" was edited for the Sh.e.l.ley Society in 1887 by Mr. Thomas J. Wise. In Sh.e.l.ley's list of Dramatis Personae the Phantom of Mahomet the Second is wanting.

Sh.e.l.ley's list of Errata in edition 1822 was first printed in Mr. Buxton Forman's Library Edition of the Poems, 1876 (4 page 572). These errata are silently corrected in the text.

1.

For Revenge and Wrong bring forth their kind, etc. (lines 728-729.) '"For" has no rhyme (unless "are" and "despair" are to be considered such): it requires to rhyme with "hear." From this defect of rhyme, and other considerations, I (following Mr. Fleay) used to consider it almost certain that "Fear" ought to replace "For"; and I gave "Fear" in my edition of 1870...However, the word in the ma.n.u.script ["Williams transcript"] is "For," and Sh.e.l.ley's list of errata leaves this unaltered--so we must needs abide by it.'--Rossetti, "Complete Poetical Works of P. B. S.", edition 1878 (3 volumes), 2 page 456.

2.

Lines 729-732. This quatrain, as Dr. Garnett ("Letters of Sh.e.l.ley", 1884, pages 166, 249) points out, is an expansion of the following lines from the "Agamemmon" of Aeschylus (758-760), quoted by Sh.e.l.ley in a letter to his wife, dated 'Friday, August 10, 1821':-- to dussebes-- meta men pleiona tiktei, sphetera d' eikota genna.

3.

Lines 1091-1093. This pa.s.sage, from the words more bright to the close of line 1093, is wanting in the editio princeps, 1822, its place being supplied by asterisks. The lacuna in the text is due, no doubt, to the timidity of Ollier, the publisher, whom Sh.e.l.ley had authorised to make excisions from the notes. In "Poetical Works", 1839, the lines, as they appear in our text, are restored; in Galignani's edition of "Coleridge, Sh.e.l.ley, and Keats" (Paris, 1829), however, they had already appeared, though with the subst.i.tution of wise for bright (line 1091), and of unwithstood for unsubdued (line 1093). Galignani's reading--native for votive--in line 1095 is an evident misprint. In Ascham's edition of Sh.e.l.ley (2 volumes, fcp. 8vo., 1834), the pa.s.sage is reprinted from Galignani.

4.

The following list shows the places in which our text departs from the punctuation of the editio princeps, 1822, and records in each instance the pointing of that edition:--dreams 71; course. 125; mockery 150; conqueror 212; streams 235; Moslems 275; West 305; moon, 347; harm, 394; shame, 402; anger 408; descends 447; crime 454; banner. 461; Phanae, 470; blood 551; tyrant 557; Cydaris, 606; Heaven 636; Highness 638; man 738; sayest 738; One 768; mountains 831; dust 885; consummation? 902; dream 921; may 923; death 935; clime. 1005; feast, 1025; horn, 1032; Noon, 1045; death 1057; dowers 1094.

CHARLES THE FIRST.