I
There is a remarkable degree of consensus amongst those surviving
copies of Faulkner's 1739 Dublin octavo editions of the
Verses
which contain manuscript additions. Without being able to
prove
that Swift himself supplied the Notes, his modern editors assume that the
burden of internal evidence leans the other way, i.e. in all likelihood Swift
did supply the Notes because one can conceive of no other candidate in
Dublin at the time who could have done so. The specific impetus for my
discussion is two-fold: Irvin Ehrenpreis's recent comment that 'A careful
study of Swift's [sic] notes to the Verses would
be
a valuable work';[4] and secondly, a
previously unknown copy of Faulkner's 1739 Verses
containing
substantially all other examined manuscript additions plus two unique and
pertinent additions, the whole volume carefully matching manuscript notes
to the space Faulkner left blank in the printed text.[5] The latter tends to confirm
Ehrenpreis's hypothesis that Swift wrote the Verses to be
published after he died. This hypothesis
is presumably based on Swift's letter to Pope (1 May, 1733:
Correspondence, IV, 152) disclaiming all responsibility for
The Life and Genuine Character of Dr. Swift, and stating that
'the true one . . . is not proper to be seen till I can be seen no
more'.
[6]
Williams's reconstruction was based on Faulkner's Dublin octavo. He
filled in all of Faulkner's blanks, made forty minor emendations of
accidentals, corrected Faulkner's mis-prints, and introduced one substantive
and well-known error (l. 19: him/me). For this he collated the following:
his own copy of the 1739 Dublin Verses with Faulkner's
firstedition title page (now in Cambridge University Library and described
there and here as Williams 4101); his own copy of the
same with a
fifthedition title page (previously owned by Dowden, also now in
Cambridge and known as Williams 4102); a copy of
Faulkner's 1739
Verses completed in Forster's hand (Forster Collection,
Victoria
and Albert Museum Library, described here as LVA-F); and the Huntington
Library copy of Bathurst's second, London, folio edition of the poem
(1739), for which I adopt Foxon's designation (as for all additional copies
below), S922.[7] All have manuscript
additions.
Foxon gives five locations for copies of the 1739 Dublin
Verses (S926) with manuscript additions. I have compared six
copies with Faulkner's first-edition title page and one copy each of the
second and fifth Faulkner editions. They are:
- MoU Monash University copy of S926
- 4101 Williams's copy of S926, Cambridge
University
Library
- CSmH Huntington Library copy of S926
- LVA-F Forster Collection copy of S926
- ICN Newberry Library copy of S926
- TxU1-2 Humanities Research Centre, Texas,
copies of S926
and S927
- 4102 Williams's copy of S930, Cambridge
University
Library
The collation of all copies above is the same: 8° (in fours):
A
4, B-F4; pp.
1-4, 5-44, 45-48,
48 advt. All ms. additions are recorded below, i.e. additions made to both
the printed text of the poem (such as the filling in of blanks) and to the
printed (or blank spaces left for) notes. I have recorded all substantive
variants but ignored differences in punctuation, capitalisation, spelling,
spacing, and the use of contractions, except where they might conceivably
affect the sense. Line references are to Williams, Poems
(second edition, 1958), II, 553-572, and the left-hand column gives a
complete transcription from the previously unrecorded Monash copy, here
described as MoU.
| Williams line refs. |
MoU copy of S926 |
Variants in other S926s with MS. adds. |
| [A2] |
supposed [deleted with three rules] } |
| [A2] |
The Notes are printed against the Author's Judgment (not to say
Co¯ands) } |
[unique: unamended in all other copies |
| 53 |
|
I grieve to } |
| 77 |
|
And tho 'tis } TxU2 only |
| 135 |
|
But } |
| 179 |
|
And } |
| 180 |
Queen |
[all copies except TxU2 (blank) |
| 181 |
Queen |
[all copies except LVA-F, TxU1-2,
4102 (blank) |
| 183 |
then let him |
why let him [in all other copies: ICN as MoU |
| 184 |
the Medals were |
[all copies |
| 185 |
'em, 'tis true, but |
them I own; but (4101, CSmH,
4102) |
|
|
him, I own, but (LVA-F) |
|
|
I would send them (TxU1) |
|
|
them, 'tis true, but (TxU2) |
|
|
ICN as MoU |
| 185 |
|
LVA-F has marked these lines (as alternatives?) at line
185: |
|
|
I promis'd him, but that's the most |
|
|
I cannot send them to his ghost |
| 186 |
was the Princess |
was ye Princess (CSmH) |
|
|
was a Princess (LVA-F, TxU1-2) |
|
|
4101-2, ICN, as MoU |
| 187 |
the King |
the K--g (4101) |
|
|
a King (LVA-F, TxU1) |
|
|
TxU2 blank |
|
|
CSmH, ICN, 4102, as MoU |
| 189 n.
|
Scotch [vile deleted] |
an impudent Scotch (TxU1); unamended in all
other
copies |
|
|
ICN as MoU |
| 190 |
|
obert (all copies, except MoU, CSmH, TxU2,
4102:
blank) |
| 190 n.
|
she forgot them or thought them too dear. The Dean being in
Ireland sent Mrs. Howard a piece of Indian Plad, made in that Kingdom,
which the Queen seeing took from her & wore it her self, and sent to
the
Dean for as much as wou'd cloath her self & Children, desiring he
wou'd send the charge of it: He did the former, it cost thirty five pounds;
but he said he wou'd have nothing except the Medals. He went next
Summer to England, was treated as usual, and she being then Queen, the
Dean was promis'd a Settlement in England, but returned as he went, and
instead of favour or Medals, hath been ever since under her Majesties
displeasure. |
˜ they (CSmH) ˜ |
|
|
˜ & her Children (TxU2) ˜ |
|
|
˜ was the Summer following in ˜
(4101-2) |
|
|
˜ instead of receiving of her intended favours or ye ˜
(LVA-F, TxU2) |
| 191 |
|
[this note in all copies if he died (TxU1)
unamended in all
other copies |
| 192 |
ob |
[all copies except TxU2, 4102
(blank) |
| 192 n.
|
|
a mortal Enemy (TxU1: no great Friend
underlined: all other
copies unamended) |
| 192 n.
|
more. |
ICN as MoU (again is deleted): all other copies
unamended |
| 194 n.
|
Walpole ill his corruptions [him deleted] |
[all copies, except LVA-F (blank) |
|
|
ICN as MoU: all other copies unamended to represent his
(4101: a printed emendation) his Corruption
(TxU1):
all other copies have unamended MoU reading to expose his Corruption
(ICN, which also has ringed opposed his Measures, has added
a unique footnote: 'In another printed Copy it is became his mortal
Enemy' [See Bathurst S922 reading discussed below] |
| 196 n.
|
Walpole perfidiously [injuriously deleted] |
[all copies ICN as MoU |
|
King George |
[all copies |
|
Walpole |
[all copies, except LVA-F: Sir Robert Walpole |
| 200 n.
|
infamy [Shame deleted] |
ICN as MoU, TxU1: all other copies
unamended |
|
|
Poet Laureat TxU1: unique |
| 228 |
|
pray (TxU1: and underlined:
unique) |
| 239 |
lead |
[led changed to lead in all copies except LVA-F,
TxU1
|
| 272 |
Stephen Duck |
[all copies except CSmH: blank |
| 277 |
|
obert (LVA-F, TxU1, ICN only: all other copies
blank) |
| 277 n.
|
Walpole hires [hath deleted] |
CSmH, ICN, 4101-2, as MoU: all other copies
read
Walpole |
| 278 n.
|
|
Merit or [TxU1: inserted after both
in phrase
both Merit and Luck: unique ICN copy adds to the footnote
on
Henley: set up an Assembly for the Improvement of Oratory where he
makes Speeches at certain Times; the Auditors paying so much a Head. He
is half crazed & half a Dunce |
|
|
Sic in quibusdam MSS [unique |
| 281 n.
|
most [generally deleted: unique |
| 294 |
|
Jesus (LVA-F, TxU1, 4102 later
hand?) J----s (4101);
all other copies blank |
| 340 |
|
LVA-F and TxU2 only insert the following lines
after 1. 340:
And to her Majesty, God bless her, Wou'd speak as free as to her Dresser;
She thought it his peculiar whim, Nor took it ill as come from
him. |
| 345 |
Irish enate |
[all copies except TxU2: Bench or Senate |
| 345 n.
|
The Irish Parliament are reduc'd to the utmost degree of Slavery,
flattery, corruption & meaness of Spirit; the worse they are treated,
the
more fawning & servile they grow; under the greatest and most
contemptuous grievances they dare not complain, by which baseness &
tameness, unworthy of human creatures, the Kingdom is irrecoverably
ruin'd. |
ICN as MoU throughout note |
|
|
˜ unworthy human Creatures ˜(TxU1): all
other copies
blank |
| 360 |
|
gave [meant underlined: TxU1 only |
| 379 n.
|
after which England was never known to make so mean a figure in
Europe, the greatest preferments in the Church, in both Kingdoms, were
given to the most ignorant men; fanaticks were publickly caress'd; Ireland
utterly ruin'd and enslav'd, only great Ministers heaping up Millions; and
so affairs continue till this present 3d day of May 1732
& are likely
to go on in the same manner. |
[all copies have this note |
|
|
[LVA-F and TxU2 omit 'present' |
| 384 |
|
Rabble [Babel underlined: TxU1
only |
| 386 |
Senate Crown |
[all copies except TxU2: Senate + blank |
| 387 |
|
England's [all copies except MoU |
| 396 |
Slaves |
[all copies |
| 396 n.
|
Slaves |
[all copies |
| 408 n.
|
|
for [in underlined: TxU1
only |
| 413 |
|
those [they underlined: TxU1 only |
| 417 n.
|
hitshed |
[all copies |
| 422 |
|
or [nor underlined: TxU1
only |
| 427 |
|
Nor [Not underlined: TxU1 only |
| 428 |
Crown |
[all copies |
| 431 n.
|
|
Lords [Dutchess underlined: TxU1
only |
| 438 |
Lords |
[all copies |
| 439 n.
|
and tamely submitted to this infamous mark of Slavery, without the
least Resentment or Remonstrance. |
[all copies |
| 440 |
Peerage |
[all copies |
| 445 |
Biennial |
[all copies except CSmH: blank |
| 445 n.
|
Parliament, as they call it, in Ireland meet but once in two years,
and after giving five times more than they can afford, return home to
reimburse themselves by all Country Jobbs & oppression, of which
some
few only are here mention'd. |
Parliament (as they call it) CSmH, TxU1;
Parlement 4101;
Parliament (as they call it in Ireland) 4102 returned CSmH
only |
|
|
4101, CSmH as MoU Jobs & Oppressions
LVA-F, ICN,
TxU1-2, 4102
|
| 446 |
Votes |
[all copies |
| 447 |
Nation stripp'd |
[all copies, except TxU1, which gives |
|
|
Nation and Country as alternatives |
| 448 |
rob |
fleece (TxU1 only): all other copies as MoU,
except LVA-F:
blank |
| 449 |
thieves & Rapparees |
[in all copies, except LVA-F: Rogues and Rapparees, and
4102
gives both alternatives |
| 449 n.
|
(1) The Highwaymen in Ireland are, since the late Wars there,
usually call'd Rapparees; which was a name given to those Irish Soldiers
who in small parties us'd at that time to plunder the Protestants. |
[in all copies, except that TxU2 only has: who
used, at that
time, in small Parties |
| 452 |
Barrack |
[all copies |
| 452 n.
|
(2) The Army in Ireland is lodg'd in Barracks, the building and
repairing whereof, & other charges have cost a prodigious Sum to that
unhappy Kingdom. |
[in all copies. 4102 note added in a different
hand |
| 453 |
tax |
Ways (4101) |
|
|
Acts (TxU2) |
|
|
ICN copy blank. All other copies have Tax |
| 466 |
|
gibe (TxU1 only: jibe underlined) |
| 469 |
|
would he (TxU1 only: mov'd his Pity
underlined |
