The Variorum Edition of the Poetry of John Donne, Volume 7, Part 1: The Holy Sonnets

HSVex

HSVex Textual Introduction As is indicated on Figure 2 in the General Textual Introduction (p. lxii), that in NY3 is the sole manuscript copy of HSVex, and the poem never appeared among the seventeenth...century editions. Indeed, the very existence of this sonnet remained generally unknown until Edmund Gosse published it as part of his presentation of the entire NY3 sequence in 1899 (see the General Textual Introduction, pp. lxxixlxxx [fn. 19] and xc). Having been brought to light, of course, the poem has ap'" peared in all subsequent editions, always appended at the end of the previous 16 Holy Sonnets (however arranged) as the third of the 3 sonnets unique to the West... moreland manuscript (see Figure 6 on p. lxxvi). A prolific editor, Gosse took a considerably looser approach to his task than have most of his successors, and-as is shown in the Historical Collation-his printing of HSVex in 72 is unfaithful to the manuscript at numerous points, particularly with respect to punctuation. Indeed, he alters NY3's punctuation in some 16 instances, and the apparatus reports at least one change for every line in the poem except the second and fifth. Perhaps because he wishes to regularize the physical appearance of all the sonnets in the sequence, Gosse also abandons the manuscript's indentation pattern and prints all lines in the poem flush left. All twentieth...century editors also abandon the manuscript's indentation of the poem in favor of the left...aligned style that they follow for the first 16 sonnets, but no variation in the wording of the text appears among their editions. Textual Apparatus Copy...text: NY3. Texts collated: NY3 (f. [37v]); 72 (p. 371 ). Emendations of the copy...text: Heading: 19.] .-. Line 3 that] yt & 6 and] & 7 and] & 9 and] & 10 and] & 13 that] yt 14 with] wt HISTORICAL COLLATION Format: Indentations: II. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, I I, 13, 14 ind NY3; no ind 72 . Headings: .19. NY3. XIX 72 • I one:] -; 72. 86 4 and] I I with] wt HSVex Textual Introduction As is indicated on Figure 2 in the General Textual Introduction (p. lxii), that in NY3 is the sole manuscript copy of HSVex, and the poem never appeared among the seventeenth-century editions. Indeed, the very existence of this sonnet remained generally unknown until Edmund Gosse published it as part of his presentation of the entire NY3 sequence in 1899 (see the General Textual Introduction, pp. lxxixlxxx [fn. 19] and xc). Having been brought to light, of course, the poem has appeared in all subsequent editions, always appended at the end of the previous 16 Holy Sonnets (however arranged) as the third of the 3 sonnets unique to the Westmoreland manuscript (see Figure 6 on p. lxxvi). A prolific editor, Gosse took a considerably looser approach to his task than have most of his successors, and-as is shown in the Historical Collation-his printing of HSVex in 72 is unfaithful to the manuscript at numerous points, particularly with respect to punctuation. Indeed, he alters NY3'S punctuation in some 16 instances, and the apparatus reports at least one change for every line in the poem except the second and fifth. Perhaps because he wishes to regularize the physical appearance of all the sonnets in the sequence, Gosse also abandons the manuscript's indentation pattern and prints all lines in the poem flush left. All twentieth-century editors also abandon the manuscript's indentation of the poem in favor of the left-aligned style that they follow for the first 16 sonnets, but no variation in the wording of the text appears among their editions. Textual Apparatus Copy-text: NY3· Texts collated: NY3 (f. [37v])j 72 (p. 371). Emendations of the copy-text: Heading: 19.] .-. Line 3 that] y' & 6 and] & 7 and] & 9 and] & 10 and] & 13 that] y' 14 with] w' HISTORICAL COLLATION Format: Indentations: 11. 2, 3, 6, 7,10, II, 13, 14 ind NY3j no ind 72. Headings: .19. NY3· XIX 72. lone:] -j 72. 86 4 and] II with] w' 3 that] -, 72 • not] -, 72 • 4 vowes,] -/\ 72 • 6 forgott:] -, 72 • 7 hott,] -; 72 • 8 praying,] - /\ 72 • infinite,] - /\ 72 . 9 heauen] Heaven 72 . and] -, 72 • to day] -"-, 72. 10 prayers,] - /\ 72. Speaches] -, 72. God:] -; 72. II To morrow] - .. - 72. 12 away] -, 72. 13 Ague:] -, 72 • 14 dayes,] - /\ 72 • Subscriptions: none. VERBAL VARIANTS IN SELECTED MODERN EDITIONS Editions Collated: Q STU Z AA DO. Format: Indentations: no ind ~. Headings: XIX Q SOD. 19 T AA. Sonnet. Z. 3 (third group) U. HSVex 180 Holy 3 that...