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allowed me to reprint these and to print the rest of the unpublished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.
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allowed me to reprint these and to print the rest of the unpublished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.
John Donne
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allowed me to reprint these and to print the rest of the unpublished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. Commission, Sixth Report_, p. 312, No. 118. With
Mr. Whitcomb's aid I was enabled to do this carefully, and he has
subsequently verified references. Another interesting manuscript
(_JC_) was lent me by Mr. Elkin Mathews, who has also put at my
disposal his various editions of the _Lives_ of Walton and other
books connected with Donne. Almost at the eleventh hour, Mr. Geoffrey
Keynes, of St.
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. Commission, Sixth Report_, p. 312, No. 118. With
Mr. Whitcomb's aid I was enabled to do this carefully, and he has
subsequently verified references. Another interesting manuscript
(_JC_) was lent me by Mr. Elkin Mathews, who has also put at my
disposal his various editions of the _Lives_ of Walton and other
books connected with Donne. Almost at the eleventh hour, Mr. Geoffrey
Keynes, of St.
