He is writing
apparently
from
the New World, from the Azores.
the New World, from the Azores.
John Donne
reported by Grosart.
They both have the strange reading 'cut
in bands' in l. 11, which as a fact is not even in _S_, from which
Grosart professes to derive it. The reading of all the MSS. , 'but in
his handes,' makes quite good sense. The Scot wants matter, except
in his hands, i. e. dirt, which is 'matter out of place'. The reading,
'writ in his hands', which Chambers reports after Grosart, is probably
a mistake of the latter's. Indeed his own note suggests that the
reading of _H-K_ is 'but in's hands'.
PAGE =417=. TO THE COUNTESSE OF HUNTINGTON.
It looks as if some lines of this poem had been lost. The first
sentence has no subject unless 'That' in the second line be a
demonstrative--a very awkward construction.
If written by Donne this poem must have been composed about the same
time as _The Storme_ and _The Calme_.
He is writing apparently from
the New World, from the Azores. But it is as impossible to recover the
circumstances in which the poem was written as to be sure who wrote
it.
PAGE =422=. ELEGIE.
ll. 5-6. _denounce . . . pronounce. _ The reading of the MSS. seems to
me plainly the correct one. 'In others, terror, anguish and grief
announce the approach of death. Her courage, ease and joy in dying
pronounce the happiness of her state. ' The reading of the printed
texts is due to the error by which _1635_ and _1639_ took 'comming'
as an epithet to 'terror' as 'happy' is to 'state'. Some MSS.
in bands' in l. 11, which as a fact is not even in _S_, from which
Grosart professes to derive it. The reading of all the MSS. , 'but in
his handes,' makes quite good sense. The Scot wants matter, except
in his hands, i. e. dirt, which is 'matter out of place'. The reading,
'writ in his hands', which Chambers reports after Grosart, is probably
a mistake of the latter's. Indeed his own note suggests that the
reading of _H-K_ is 'but in's hands'.
PAGE =417=. TO THE COUNTESSE OF HUNTINGTON.
It looks as if some lines of this poem had been lost. The first
sentence has no subject unless 'That' in the second line be a
demonstrative--a very awkward construction.
If written by Donne this poem must have been composed about the same
time as _The Storme_ and _The Calme_.
He is writing apparently from
the New World, from the Azores. But it is as impossible to recover the
circumstances in which the poem was written as to be sure who wrote
it.
PAGE =422=. ELEGIE.
ll. 5-6. _denounce . . . pronounce. _ The reading of the MSS. seems to
me plainly the correct one. 'In others, terror, anguish and grief
announce the approach of death. Her courage, ease and joy in dying
pronounce the happiness of her state. ' The reading of the printed
texts is due to the error by which _1635_ and _1639_ took 'comming'
as an epithet to 'terror' as 'happy' is to 'state'. Some MSS.
