The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley Part 209

11.

Nor searing Reason with the brand of G.o.d. (9, line 48.) Removed from the text, "Poetical Works", 1839 (1st edition), by Mrs.

Sh.e.l.ley, who failed, doubtless through an oversight, to restore it in the second edition. See Notes 3, 6, and 9 above.

12.

Where neither avarice, cunning, pride, nor care, etc. (9, line 67.) The editio princeps reads pride, or care, which is retained by Forman and Woodberry. With Rossetti and Dowden, I follow Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley's text, "Poetical Works", 1839 (both editions).

NOTES TO QUEEN MAB.

1.

The mine, big with destructive power, burst under me, etc. (Note on 7 67.) This is the reading of the "Poetical Works" of 1839 (2nd edition). The editio princeps (1813) reads burst upon me. Doubtless under was intended by Sh.e.l.ley: the occurrence, thrice over, of upon in the ten lines preceding would account for the unconscious subst.i.tution of the word here, either by the printer, or perhaps by Sh.e.l.ley himself in his transcript for the press.

2.

...it cannot arise from reasoning, etc. (Note on 7 135.) The editio princeps (1813) has conviction for reasoning here--an obvious error of the press, overlooked by Mrs. Sh.e.l.ley in 1839, and perpetuated in his several editions of the poems by Mr. H. Buxton Forman. Reasoning, Mr. W.M. Rossetti's conjectural emendation, is manifestly the right word here, and has been adopted by Dowden and Woodberry.

3.

Him, still from hope to hope, etc. (Note on 8 203-207.) See editor's note 10 on "Queen Mab" above.

1.

A DIALOGUE.--The t.i.tles of this poem, of the stanzas "On an Icicle", etc., and of the lines "To Death", were first given by Professor Dowden ("Poetical Works of P. B. S.", 1890) from the Esdaile ma.n.u.script book.

The textual corrections from the same quarter (see footnotes pa.s.sim) are also owing to Professor Dowden.

2.

ORIGINAL POETRY BY VICTOR AND CAZIRE.--Dr. Garnett, who in 1898 edited for Mr. John Lane a reprint of these long-lost verses, identifies "Victor's" coadjutrix, "Cazire", with Elizabeth Sh.e.l.ley, the poet's sister. 'The two initial pieces are the only two which can be attributed to Elizabeth Sh.e.l.ley with absolute certainty, though others in the volume may possibly belong to her' (Garnett).

3.

SAINT EDMOND'S EVE. This ballad-tale was "conveyed" in its entirety by "Cazire" from Matthew Gregory Lewis's "Tales of Terror", 1801, where it appears under the t.i.tle of "The Black Canon of Elmham; or, Saint Edmond's Eve". Stockdale, the publisher of "Victor and Cazire", detected the imposition, and communicated his discovery to Sh.e.l.ley--when 'with all the ardour natural to his character he [Sh.e.l.ley] expressed the warmest resentment at the imposition practised upon him by his coadjutor, and entreated me to destroy all the copies, of which about one hundred had been put into circulation.'

4.

TO MARY WHO DIED IN THIS OPINION.--From a letter addressed by Sh.e.l.ley to Miss. .h.i.tchener, dated November 23, 1811.

5.

A TALE OF SOCIETY.--The t.i.tles of this and the following piece were first given by Professor Dowden from the Esdaile ma.n.u.script, from which also one or two corrections in the text of both poems, made in Macmillan's edition of 1890, were derived.

A LIST OF THE PRINc.i.p.aL EDITIONS OF Sh.e.l.lEY'S POETICAL WORKS,

SHOWING THE VARIOUS PRINTED SOURCES OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS EDITION.

1.

(1) Original Poetry; : By : Victor and Cazire. : Call it not vain:--they do not err, : Who say, that, when the poet dies, : Mute Nature mourns her worshipper. : "Lay of the Last Minstrel." : Worthing : Printed by C.

and W. Phillips, : for the Authors; : And sold by J. J. Stockdale, 41, Pall-Mall, : And all other Booksellers. 1810.

(2) Original : Poetry : By : Victor & Cazire : [Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley : & Elizabeth Sh.e.l.ley] : Edited by : Richard Garnett C.B., LL.D. : Published by : John Lane, at the Sign : of the Bodley Head in : London and New York : MDCCCXCVIII.

2.

Posthumous Fragments : of : Margaret Nicholson; : Being Poems Found Amongst the Papers of that : Noted Female who attempted the Life : of the King in 1786. : Edited by : John Fitz-Victor. : Oxford: : Printed and sold by J. Munday : 1810.

3.

St. Irvyne; : or, : The Rosicrucian. : A Romance. : By : A Gentleman : of the University of Oxford. : London: : Printed for J. J. Stockdale, : 41, Pall Mall. : 1811.

4.

The Devil's Walk; a Ballad. Printed as a broadside, 1812.

5.

Queen Mab; : a : Philosophical Poem: : with Notes. : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley. : Ecrasez l'Infame! : "Correspondance de Voltaire." : Avia Pieridum peragro loca, nullius ante : Trita solo; iuvat integros accedere fonteis; : Atque haurire: iuratque (sic) novos decerpere flores. : Unde prius nulli velarint tempora nausae. : Primum quod magnis doceo de rebus; et arctis : Religionum animos nodis exsolvere pergo. : Lucret. lib. 4 : Dos pou sto, kai kosmon kineso. : Archimedes. : London: : Printed by P. B. Sh.e.l.ley, : 23, Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square. : 1813.

6.

Alastor; : or, : The Spirit of Solitude: : and Other Poems. : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley : London : Printed for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, Pater-:noster Row; and Carpenter and Son, : Old Bond Street: : By S.

Hamilton, Weybridge, Surrey : 1816.

7.

(1) Laon and Cythna; : or, : The Revolution : of : the Golden City: : A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. : In the Stanza of Spenser. : By : Percy B. Sh.e.l.ley. : Dos pou sto, kai kosmon kineso. : Archimedes. : London: : Printed for Sherwood, Neely, & Jones, Paternoster-:Row; and C.

and J. Ollier, Welbeck-Street: : By B. M'Millan, Bow-Street, Covent-Garden. : 1818.

(2) The : Revolt of Islam; : A Poem, : in Twelve Cantos. : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley. : London: : Printed for C. and J. Ollier, Welbeck-Street; : By B. M'Millan, Bow-Street, Covent-Garden. : 1818.

(3) A few copies of "The Revolt of Islam" bear date 1817 instead of 1818.

(4) 'The same sheets were used again in 1829 with a third t.i.tle-page similar to the foregoing [2], but with the imprint "London: : Printed for John Brooks, : 421 Oxford-Street. : 1829."' (H. Buxton Forman, C.B.: The Sh.e.l.ley Library, page 73.)

(5) 'Copies of the 1829 issue of "The Revolt of Islam" not infrequently occur with "Laon and Cythna" text.' (Ibid., page 73.)

8.

Rosalind and Helen, : A Modern Eclogue; : With Other Poems: : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley. : London: : Printed for C. and J. Ollier, : Vere Street, Bond Street. : 1819.

9.

(1) The Cenci. : A Tragedy, : In Five Acts. : By Percy B. Sh.e.l.ley. : Italy. : Printed for C. and J. Ollier, : Vere Street, Bond Street. : London. : 1819.

(2) The Cenci : A Tragedy : In Five Acts : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley : Second Edition : London : C. and J. Ollier Vere Street Bond Street : 1821.

10.

Prometheus Unbound : A Lyrical Drama : In Four Acts : With Other Poems : By : Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley : Audisne haec, Amphiarae, sub terram abdite?

: London : C. and J. Ollier Vere Street Bond Street : 1820.

11.

Oedipus Tyrannus; : or, : Swellfoot The Tyrant. : A Tragedy. : In Two Acts. : Translated from the Original Doric. : --Choose Reform or civil-war, : When thro' thy streets, instead of hare with dogs, A CONSORT-QUEEN shall hunt a KING with hogs, : Riding on the IONIAN MINOTAUR. : London: : Published for the Author, : By J. Johnston, 98, Cheapside, and sold by all booksellers. : 1820.

12.

Epipsychidion : Verses Addressed to the n.o.ble : And Unfortunate Lady : Emilia V-- : Now Imprisoned in the Convent of -- : L' anima amante si slancia fuori del creato, e si crea nel infinito : un Mondo tutto per essa, diverso a.s.sai da questo oscuro e pauroso : baratro. Her Own Words.

: London : C. and J. Ollier Vere Street Bond Street : MDCCCXXI.

13.

(1) Adonais : An Elegy on the Death of John Keats, : Author of Endymion, Hyperion etc. : By : Percy B. Sh.e.l.ley : Aster prin men elampes eni zooisin eoos. : Nun de thanon, lampeis esmeros en phthimenois. : Plato.

: Pisa : With the Types of Didot : MDCCCXXI.

(2) Adonais. : An Elegy : on the : Death of John Keats, : Author of Endymion, Hyperion, etc. : By : Percy B. Sh.e.l.ley. : [Motto as in (1)]