No More Learning

40 in 1908-9,
and of ? 30 in 1909-10, for the collation of manuscripts. Without this
it would have been impossible for me to collate, or have collated
for me, the widely scattered manuscripts in London, Petworth, Oxford,
Cambridge, Manchester, and Boston. Some of my expenses in this
connexion have been met by the Delegates of the Clarendon Press, who
have also been very generous in the purchase of necessary books, such
as editions of the Poems and the Sermons. At the outset of my work
the Governing Body of Christ Church, Oxford, lent me the copy of
the edition of 1633 (originally the possession of Sir John Vaughan
(1603-1674) Chief Justice of the Common Pleas) on which the present
edition is based, and also their copies of the editions of 1639, 1650,
and 1654. At the same time Sir Walter Raleigh lent me his copy of
the edition of 1669. At an early stage of my work Captain C. Shirley
Harris, of 90 Woodstock Road, Oxford, communicated with me about
Donne's use of the word 'Mucheron', and he was kind enough to lend me
both his manuscript, _P_, and the transcript which he had caused to be
made. By the kindness of Lord Ellesmere I was permitted to collate
his unique copy of the 1611 edition of the _Anatomy of the World_
and _Funerall Elegie_. While I was doing so, Mr. Strachan Holme, the
Librarian, drew my attention to a manuscript collection of Donne's
poems (_B_), and with his kind assistance I was enabled to collate
this at Walkden, Manchester, and again at Bridgewater House. Mr. Holme
has also furnished a photograph of the title-page of the edition of
1611. To the authorities of Trinity College, Dublin, and of Trinity
College, Cambridge, I am indebted not only for permission to collate
their manuscripts on the spot, but for kindly lending them to be
examined and compared in the Library at King's College, Aberdeen;
and I am indebted for a similar favour to the authorities of Queen's
College, Oxford. In Dublin I met Professor Edward Dowden, and no one
has been a kinder friend to my enterprise.
He put at my disposal his
interesting and valuable manuscript (_D_) and all his collection of
Donne's works. He drew my attention to a manuscript (_O'F_) in Ellis
and Elvey's catalogue for 1903. Mr. Warwick Bond was good enough to
lend me the notes he had made upon this manuscript, which ultimately
I traced to Harvard College Library. With Professor Dowden, Mr. Edmund
Gosse has given me the most generous and whole-hearted assistance.
He lent me, as soon as ever I applied to him, his valuable and unique
Westmoreland MS. , containing many poems which were not included in any
of the old editions. Some of these Mr. Gosse had already printed in
his own delightful _Life and Letters of John Donne_ (1899), but he has
allowed me to reprint these and to print the rest of the unpublished
poems for the first time. From his manuscript (_G_) of the _Progresse
of the Soule_, or _Metempsychosis_, I have also obtained important
emendations of the text. This is the most valuable manuscript copy
of this poem. It will be seen that Mr. Gosse is a very material
contributor to the completeness and interest of the present edition.

To the Marquess of Crewe I am indebted for permission to examine the
manuscript _M_, to which a note of Sir John Simon's had called my
attention; and to Lord Leconfield for a like permission to collate a
manuscript in his possession, of which a short description is given in
the _Hist. MSS.