No More Learning

He scarcely
amended the text at all. In 1820, however, he pruned and improved it
throughout; so that between this poem, as recast in 1820 (and reproduced
almost 'verbatim' in the next two editions of 1827 and 1832), and his
happiest descriptions of Nature in his most inspired moods, there is no
great difference. But, in 1836, he altered it still further in detail;
and in that state practically left it, apparently not caring to revise
it further. In the edition of 1845, however, there are several changes.
So far as I can judge, there is one alteration for the worse, and one
only. The reading, in the edition of 1793,

In these lone vales, if aught of faith may claim,
Thin silver hairs, and ancient hamlet fame;
When up the hills, as now, retreats the light,
Strange apparitions mock the village sight,

is better than that finally adopted,

In these secluded vales, if village fame,
Confirmed by hoary hairs, belief may claim;
When up the hills, as now, retired the light,
Strange apparitions mocked the shepherd's sight.

It will be seen, however, from the changes made in the text of this
poem, how Wordsworth's observation of Nature developed, how thoroughly
dissatisfied he soon became with everything conventional, and discarded
every image not drawn directly or at first hand from Nature.

The text adopted in the present edition is, for the reasons stated, that
which was finally sanctioned by Wordsworth himself, in the last edition
of his Poems (1849-50). The earlier readings, occurring in previous
editions, are given in footnotes; and it may be desirable to explain the
way in which these are arranged. It will be seen that whenever the text
has been changed a date is given in the footnote, 'before' the other
readings are added. This date, which accompanies the reference number of
the footnote, indicates the year in which the reading finally retained
was first adopted by Wordsworth. The earlier readings then follow, in
chronological order, with the year to which they belong; [12] and it is
in every case to be assumed that the last of the changes indicated was
continued in all subsequent editions of the works. No direct information
is given as to how long a particular reading was retained, or through
how many editions it ran. It is to be assumed, however, that it was
retained in all intermediate editions till the next change of text is
stated. It would encumber the notes with too many figures if, in every
instance in which a change was made, the corresponding state of the text
in all the other editions was indicated.
But if no new reading follows
the text quoted, it is to be taken for granted that the reading in
question was continued in every subsequent edition, until the date which
accompanies the reference figure.

Two illustrations will make this clear. The first is a case in which the
text was only altered once, the second an instance in which it was
altered six times. In the 'Evening Walk' the following lines occur--

The dog, loud barking, 'mid the glittering rocks,
Hunts, where his master points, the intercepted flocks.

And the footnote is as follows:

1836.
That, barking busy 'mid the glittering rocks,
Hunts, where he points, the intercepted flocks; 1793.

In the light of what has been said above, and by reference to the
Bibliography, it will be seen from these two dates that the original
text of 1793--given in the footnote--was continued in the editions of
1820, 1827, and 1832 (it was omitted from the "extract" of 1815); that
it was changed in the year 1836; and that this reading was retained in
the editions of 1843, 1845, and 1849.

Again, in 'Simon Lee', the lines occur:

But what to them avails the land
Which he can till no longer?

And the following are the footnotes:

1845.
But what avails the land to them,
Which they can till no longer? 1798.

"But what," saith he, "avails the land,
Which I can till no longer? 1827.

But what avails it now, the land
Which he can till no longer? 1832.

'Tis his, but what avails the land
Which he can till no longer?