University of Virginia Library

New Texts of Marvell's Satires: II
by
A. S. G. Edwards

It seems clear that we are still at some remove from a definitive text of Marvell's poems. Most important, there are still further manuscript texts to be evaluated which, since they were apparently unknown to Marvell's editors, may have some bearing on the construction of any finally authoritative text. Recently R. M. Schuler and I drew attention to one such manuscript, Princeton MS. AM 14401, containing texts of Marvell's satires.[1] In the following note I would like to draw attention to a number of further apparently hitherto unexamined texts of Marvell's satires existing in manuscripts in the Portland collection now in Nottingham University Library.[2]

There are in the Portland collection five manuscripts containing such apparently unnoticed versions of Marvell's satires. MS. PwV 40 has the largest number of such texts, containing copies of "The Statue-in-Stocks-Market," "Nostradamus, a Prophecy," "Upon the Statue at Charing Cross," and Britannia and Rawleigh." MS. PwV 299 contains "Last Instructions to a Painter." And MSS. PwV 301-303 are all copies of "Further Advice to a Painter." In the notes that follow I will offer a brief discussion of each of these manuscripts, a full list of each of their variant readings from the standard edition of Marvell's poems, and a discussion of the significance of these variants insofar as that can be determined in the light of published variants.[3]

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PwV 40 is a large manuscript miscellany containing versions of a number of poems by (among others) Rochester, Etheredge, Sackville, Saville and Dryden. It can be linked on the evidence of content and possibly also of hand with another miscellany volume, the so-called Gyldenstolpe manuscript. This latter manuscript was "evidently compiled in England in late summer of 1680."[4] It seems likely that PwV 40 also belongs approximately to the same period. Certainly none of the poems in it which I have been able to date are later than 1680. And the Marvell poems it contains all can be reliably shown to have been composed during the period April 1673-July 1675.[5] It seems likely then that all the texts in this manuscript are relatively early. Variant readings and notes on each of the Marvell poems in Portland now follow.

i) "On the Statue Erected by Sir Robert Viner" (here titled "Stocks Market Statute" (pp. 158-60). Text in Margoliouth/Legouis, pp. 188-190; variant readings in Lord, p. 468. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

The text clearly has some relationship with the group Portland Miscellany MS., designated CC by Lord, and the printed editions of Poems on Affairs of State (1689) (Lord's f) and (1697) (Lord's o). It shares eight readings (1, 6, 9, 12, 14, 25, 31, 57) common to all these texts. In addition it shares another three readings with f and o alone (45, 51(2)). And there are four agreements solely with o (5(2), 54(2)) and one (60) solely with Portland. The evidence

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ii) "Nostradamus' Prophecy" (titled "Nostradamus a Prophecy"), pp. 171-2. Text in Margoliouth/Legouis, pp. 178-179; variants in Lord, p. 459. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

Comparison with the collations in Lord reveals a high number of unique readings in Portland. There is virtually no significant agreement with other manuscripts. Portland shares two readings (7, 11) with Osborn Chest II, no. 13 (Yale) and two with the printed editions of Poems on Affairs of State (1689) (Lord's f) and (1697) (Lord's m). But the general implication of the variant readings in Portland seems to suggest an independently derived early text, one that is therefore potentially of value in establishing Marvell's text.

iii) "The Statue at Charing Cross" (titled "Vpon the Statue at Charing Cross Charles the first"), pp. 173-174. Text in Margoliouth/Legouis, pp. 199-201; variants in Lord, p. 469. The full list of the variant readings is as follows:

Once again there is a large number of apparently unique variants. In a few cases (e.g. 10, 36) Portland can be shown to agree with the group Taylor 1, Folger Library m.b. 12, Bod. Don. b. 8 and B.L. Harley 7315. But the evidence is inconclusive. Portland seems to be an independently derived text.

iv) "Britannia and Rawleigh," pp. 179-85. Text in Margoliouth/Legouis, pp. 194-99; variants in Lord, pp. 464-5. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

1. thy . . . resign] thou didst thy breath resign 3. 'um] them 5. Scottish] Scotich 10. Ah!] Oh! 11. by] in 12. slumbers] slumber 14. knowes] know 16. sufferings] suffares 17. Howard] Leigh 17. a bribe] bribes 18.] Till Osborns golden cheats I shall detect. 19. this] his 20. Till] A 22. till2] and 23. make] maks 24. own] once. 24. Masters] Martyrs 24. Progeny] pogany [sic] 29. I'th] Ins 30. his2] and 31. Indies] adds and 32. Leviathans] Leviathan 33. Fayry] fairly 34. place] room 34. Lewis Changling] Changling

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Lewis 36. scales] scale 36. the2] a 37. dangers] danger 38. try'd] strive 38. these two] them too 39. turnd] read 41. Learning Tyrants] handling Tyrant 43. Tudors] Juder [?] 43. reign] race 44. power] powers 46. she] they 46. the] her 47. endless] & less 49. Check] cheqd 50. represt] suprest 51. Passions] passion 53. Countryes] Country 54. confirm] conform 54. cure] care 56. How] Ther 57. up] om. 57. triumphall] Bright Celestiall 58. and] or 61. in] within 62. Arm] hand 64. the] our 65. Towry] Tawny 66. From] An 67. lou'd] lowd 68. lusts, Horrour] Lust, tortures 69. From] She from 69. she] om. 69. bright] om. 71. And] Then 74. vertues] virtue 74. the] by 76. of the] to brave 77. the] their 77. and] their 80. the2] they 82. by] this 83. the] they 84. arts] acts 85. deify] defy 86. of] to 87. To] And 87. those] all that 88. Heavens] Heaven 88. heavens self youl] heaven you shall 89. they will] make them 90. their] the 90. in] of 94. Glory] power 96. those] these 96. Armes] arme 97. charmes] charme 100. I] I'le 103. she] you 107. disguis'd (oh shame)] oh! shame disguisd 108. up] all 113. head] age 114. and] was 114. a] the 115. send] sent 116.] And Sad State did to his care commend 119. sits] he sitt 120. by's] by 125. Pagod] Piggotts 127. one] our 128. Fiend] Ffaignd 131. Oh] Ah 131. Poyson'd] poinsnous 133. try] strive 135. thought] thoughts 139. knows] know 141. too long in vain] in vaine too long 142. Stuart] Steward 147. oyl] Juce 147. the] his 149. Tyrants] Tyrant 150. Must] Shall 150. their] the 151. elect] adds of 153. stinking Scottish brood] Standing Scottch blood 154. for] & 156. To] adds to 157. sage] sea 158. the] they 159. those] their 159. Patterns] pattern 160. loudmouthed fame] lasting name 164. corrupcions] corruption 166. the] their 167. owe] awe 168. Flattery] flatter 168. and] or 170. Osbornes] Osborn 171. Acte's] Arteria 172. Yeld to all] Who yeild to 173. Sidnies, Talbots] Talbotts, Sydnies 174. Blake, Candish, Drake] Drake, Cavendish, Black 177. fierce] bright 177. brave] bright 180. me] them 180. tears] fears 182. will fleeting] shall healing 187. by] in 188. lead chaind] bear slaind 189. pull] put 191. thy] my 192. the Heavens] and heven 194. tyrant] serpent 194. ground] earth

There is some agreement with B.L. Harley 7317 as evidenced by seventeen common readings (10, 17, 24, 39, 43, 57, 62, 68, 77(2), 84, 94, 113, 147, 172, 189, 194). But on only one of these occasions (94) is the agreement exclusive to Portland and Harley 7317, although on eight other occasions (43, 57, 84, 113, 171, 173, 189, 194) Harley 7317 is the only other manuscript that agrees—the other texts involved are the printed editions of Poems of Affairs of State for 1689 and 1697 (Lord's e and m). The text of "Britannia and Rawleigh" is the most puzzling of those in Portland. And a number of its readings appear demonstrably incorrect (e.g. 24, 33, 44, 46, 47, 54, 65). Other categories of variant reading (e.g. those involving changes in word order, substitution of equivalent words and phrases and minor additions) suggest an intrusive scribal intelligence unwilling to follow copy faithfully. It is conceivable that Portland could reflect a revised text of Marvell's poem deriving directly from the author. But I remain generally dubious about the potential authority of its readings.

PwV 40 is an interesting manuscript in relation to the text of Marvell's satires. Its variant readings do not generally fall into patterns suggesting clear textual links with other extant manuscripts. For this reason, and given that the manuscript is an early one, it would seem likely that any definitive edition of Marvell's poems will need to take account of PwV 40.

The other four Portland manuscripts—PwV 299, 301-303—all contain only single works, their Marvell poems. The first of these, PwV 299, a booklet

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The existence of this text of "Last Instructions . . ." is of particular interest since manuscript copies of it are relatively rare. Indeed, Margoliouth in his first edition of the Poems did not know of any and based his text essentially on a printed edition of 1689.[6] Lord knew of two manuscripts, one in the Osborne collection at Yale and Bodleian Eng. poet. d. 49, his copy text. There is some agreement between the Bodleian and Portland manuscripts—see e.g. 40, 42, 137, 817. But a collation of the two manuscripts reveals a number of significant divergences. In the great majority of the cases of divergence, Portland agrees with the 1689 edition used as copy text by Margoliouth/ Legouis.[7] There seem grounds for an hypothesis that Portland may have been based on a printed edition. Such an assumption is strengthened by aspects of the physical appearance of the Portland manuscript. Many of the proper names as well as other phrases are scribally differentiated in small capitals (instead of the usual cursive), presumably to reflect a typographic distinction between roman and italic. But the printed edition may not have been the sole source for the Portland copy. There are a few readings which are unique to Portland.[8] And Portland prints in full names which are indicated by dashes in the 1689 edition.[9] It would seem either that the Portland scribe supplemented his copy by reference to another source, a manuscript textually close to the Bodleian one, or that he was working from a corrected copy of the 1689 printed edition, corrected by reference to a source close to the Bodleian manuscript.

The final three manuscripts, PwV 301-303, also contain only single texts of the same poem "Further Advice to a Painter." PwV 301 is a folded sheet. The text is in Margoliouth/Legouis, pp. 176-177; variants are in Lord, pp. 456-457. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

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There seems no especially significant agreement with any other manuscript. Indeed, the only textual link seems to be with Douce 357, with which Portland shares two readings (33, 35). In addition, lines 25-6 occur only in two manuscripts, Douce and National Library of Scotland Advocates 19.1.12. In general, little importance seems to attach to its variant readings, which seem of minor significance.

Portland PwV 302 is a single sheet. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

Once again there is some agreement with Douce 357 (see e.g. 33(2), 35). Indeed the two texts differ at very few points. Since Douce was the copy text for both Margoliouth/Legouis and Lord this close textual connection seems to establish Portland as a text of some potential authority, since it does not seem to derive directly from Douce.

PwV 303 is a single folded sheet. The full list of variant readings is as follows:

Here the readings tend to show a significant degree of agreement with the group Bodleian Don. b. 8 and Osborn Chest II, no. 3 (Yale). There are five readings common to all three texts (13-16, 21, 25-26, 49, 59-64). Several of these readings (e.g. 13-16, 25-26, 59-64) are also shared with B. L. Add. 23722. In two other significant substantive readings (29, 55) Portland and the B. L. manuscript also agree. One would venture to hypothesize that Portland is possibly an independently derived text from the common source(s) of these other three manuscripts.

Lord noted in the course of preparing his Poems on Affairs of State edition "the difficulty of making a complete collection of manuscripts."[10] Doubtless further texts of Marvell's poems will come to light in future years to add, with the Portland manuscripts, further grist for the editor's mill. But it is only by continuing the search with the care and diligence that marked Professor Lord's own labours that we will move towards the prospect of a fully authoritative text of Marvell's satires.

Notes