Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to Berenice,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. II: Tales - part 01 (1902), 2:313-318

[page 313, continued:]

The text follows the Broadway Journal. Griswold has a number of variations from Broadway Journal, but these are confined to punctuation and spelling.

1840 shows slight revision from Southern Literary Messenger. The next state (Broadway Journal) is carefully revised from 1840. Numerous changes were made in phraseology and punctuation, and one gruesome passage of some length omitted entirely.

Variations of Southern Literary Messenger from the text.

Page 16 l. 2 as (like) l. 4 , — as (,) l. 5 as (like) l. 6 beauty (cap.) l. 7 peace (cap.) l. 7 sorrow? But (sorrow ? But thus it is. And) l. 8 evil (cap.) l. 8 good (cap.) l. 9 joy (cap.) Add at end par. I. I have a tale to tell in its own essence rife with horror — I would suppress it were it not a record more of feelings than of facts. l. 11 ecstasies (ecstacies) l. 13 ; that (—) l. 15 gray (grey) l. 17 ; and (;) l. 19-20 chiselling (chiseling) page 17 l. 9 ? — let (. Let) l. 10 mystify (o. c.) l. 12 sounds, (o. c.) l. 13 excluded; (:) l. 14 unsteady; (—) l. 15 , too (o. c.) l. 16 it (, it) l. 17 [page 314:] from (, as it were, from) l. 19 , at (o. c.) l. 19 fairy- land (o. h.) l. 24 is (n. i.) l. 29 commonest (common) l. 32 existence, (—) page 18 l. 2 halls. ( ) l. 3 (o. b.) l. 6 — I (.) l. 11 gray (grey) l. 16 sylph (cap.) — I (.) l. 3 , and (o. c.) l. 4 ; hers, (. Hers) l. 5 hill-side l. 17 its (her) l. 20 simoom (cap.) l. 24 identity (very identity) page 19 l. 4 and (and, aggravated in its symptoms by the immoderate use of opium,) l. 6 momently (momentarily) l. 7 most (most singular and) l. 8 , if (—) l. 8 it, (—) l. 9 of (of the nerves immediately affecting) l. 9 in (, in) l. 11 ; but (—) l. 16 and (, and, as it were,) l. 16 , in (o. c.) l. 17 ordinary (common) l. 19 riveted (rivetted) l. 19 on (upon) l. 20 book; (—) l. 22 ; to (—) l. 24 fire; (—) l. 25 flower; (—) l. 29 by means of (in a state of) l. 30 ; — such ( — Such) l. 34 anything (any thing) page 20 l. 1 — The (o. d.) l. 6 . It (By no means. It) l. 9 instance, (o. c.) l. 15 entirely (utterly) l. 20 in (in, so to speak,) l. 31 and (, and) l. 34 Amplitedine Beati Regni (amplitudine beati regni) page 21 l. 1 Dei; (—) l. 1 work, (o. c.) l. 2 God; (—) l. 3 paradoxical (unintelligible) l. 15 alteration (fearful alteration) l. 18 abnormal (morbid) l. 20 in any degree (by any means) l. 31 — in (, and in) page 22 l. 2 feelings (feelings,) l. 4 gray (grey) l. 9 , earthy, (— earthly —) l. 14 yet (yet,) l. 15-16 called to mind (knew) l. 20 year, — (,) l. 22 Halcyon, — (,) l. 22 (. . .) (o.) l. 24 I saw that (o.) l. 27 gray (grey) l. 28-29 caused ... outline? (caused it to loom up in so unnatural a degree ?) l. 29 tell, (tell. Perhaps she had grown taller since her malady.) l. 29 spoke (spoke, however,) page 23 l. 2 sinking (, sinking) l. 3 breathless (breathless,) l. 4 with (and with) l. 4 riveted (rivetted) l. 7 the (her) l. 9 jetty (golden) l. 10-11 innumerable ... yellow, (ringlets now black as the raven's wing,) l. 13-14 , and ... pupil-less (o.) l. 14 shrank (shrunk) l. 16 parted; (:) l. 16 in (, in) l. 17 the teeth (n. i.) l. 27 enamel — (enamel — not a line in their configuration) l. 32 me; (,) page 24 l. 5-6 For — (desire [page 315:] (o.) l. 11 light. (—) l. 12 . I (—) l. 12 . I (—) l. 13 I (—) l. 14 . I ( — and) l. and, (o. c.) l. 20-24 Des ... reason, (o.) l. 34 a (a wild) page 25 l. 2 voices, (o. c.) l. 3 and (, and) l. 3 arose (arose hurriedly) l. 4 saw standing (there stood) l. 5 , who (; and she) l. 6-7 She ... epilepsy (Seized with an epileptic fit she had fallen dead) after par. I. insert: —

With a heart full of grief, yet reluctantly, and oppressed with awe, I made my way to the bed-chamber of the departed. The room was large, and very dark, and at every step within its gloomy precincts I encountered the paraphernalia of the grave. The coffin, so a menial told me, lay surrounded by the curtains of yonder bed, and in that coffin, he whisperingly assured me, was all that remained of Berenice. Who was it asked me would I not look upon the corpse? I had seen the lips of no one move, yet the question had been demanded, and the echo of the syllables still lingered in the room. It was impossible to refuse; and with a sense of suffocation I dragged myself to the side of the bed. Gently I uplifted the sable draperies of the curtains. As I let them fall they descended upon my shoulders, and shutting me thus out from the living, enclosed me in the strictest communion with the deceased. The very atmosphere was redolent of death. The peculiar smell of the coffin sickened me; and I fancied a deleterious odor was already exhaling from the body. I would have given worlds to escape — to fly from the pernicious influence of mortality — to breathe once again the pure air of the eternal heavens. But I had no longer the power to move — my knees tottered beneath me — and I remained rooted to the spot, and gazing upon the frightful length of the rigid body as it lay outstretched in the dark coffin without a lid. God of heaven! — is it possible? Is it my brain that reeled — or was it indeed the finger of the enshrouded dead that stirred in the white cerement that bound it? Frozen with unutterable awe I slowly raised my eyes to the countenance of the corpse. There had [page 316:] been a band around the jaws, but, I know not how, it was broken asunder. The livid lips were wreathed in a species of smile, and, through the enveloping gloom, once again there glared upon me in too palpable a reality, the white and glistening, and ghastly teeth of Berenice. I sprang convulsively from the bed, and, uttering no word, rushed forth a maniac from that apartment of triple horror, and mystery, and death.

Page 25 l. 4 myself (myself again) l. 16 intervened (had intervened) l. 18 replete (rife) l. 23 vain; (—) l. 26-27 I — whispering (o.) l. 28 me, (o. c.) l. 30 box (box of ebony) l. 30 was of (was a box of) l. 31 , for it was (, it being) l. 34 , upon (o. c.) page 26 l. 1 thing were (were things) l. 4 but (, but) l. 4 ones (words) l. 6 , curas (o. c.) page 26 Note translated at bottom of page in Southern Literary Messenger as follows: — My companions told me I might find some little alleviation of my misery, in visiting the grave of my beloved. l. 8-9 become congealed (congeal) l. 15 disturbing (heard in) l. 17 sound; — (—) l. 19 body (body discovered upon its margin — a) l. 20 , still (—) l. 20 , still ( —) l. 21 garments; (—) l. 23 ; — it (— but it) l. 25 ; — I (—) l. 26 minutes; — (—) l. 27 box (ebony box) l. 28 open; (,) l. 28 and, (o. c.) l. 29 from (from out) l. 31-32 thirty-two small, (many) l. 32 ivory-looking (glistening).

Variations of 1840 from above.

Page 16 l. 6 beauty (cap.) l. 7 peace (cap.) l. 7 But (But thus it is. And) l. 8 good (cap.) l. 8 good (cap.) l. 9 joy (cap.) page 17 l. 12 sounds, (o. c.) l. 15 gray (grey) l. 16 it (it,) l. 17 from (, as it were, from) l. 19 , at (o. c.) page 18 l. 16 sylph (cap.) l. 24 identity (very identity) page 19 l. 6 momently (momentarily) l. 7 most (most singular and) l. 9 in (, in) l. 16 , in (o. c.) l. 20 book; (—) page 20 l. 15 , entirely (utterly) l. 34 Italian, (o. c.) l. 34 Curio, (o. c.) l. 34 De (s. l. ) page 21 l. 1 [page 317:] work, (o. c.) l. 2 God; (—) l. 31 — in (,) page 2 l. 4 gray (grey) l. 22 spoke (spoke, however,) l. 23 , uplifting my eyes, (o. c.) l. 29 tell (tell. Perhaps ... malady) page 23 l. 4 with (and with) l. 16 in (, in) l. 26 on (upon) l. 27 enamel — (enamel — not a line in their configuration) l. 29 spoke (spoke, however,) page 24 l. l. 23-24 Des ... reason, (o.) page 25 l. 5 ; and (,) [, who (text)] page 26 l. 4 but (, but) l. 4 ones (words) l. 5-6 no trans, in 1840 l. 15 disturbing (heard in) l. 29 from (from out) l. 32 small (many).

Variations of Griswold from text.

Page 16 l. 4 , — as (—) l. 7 a (, a) l. 11 ecstasies (ecstacies) l. 11 are (are,) page 17 l. 2 , there (—) l. 4 resolutions (revolution) l. 11 aerial (aerial) l. 12 sad — (;) l. 14 shadow, (—) l. 19 fairy-land (o. h.) l. 24 reverie (revery) l. 24 that (, that) l. 32 turn, — (,) l. 33 — but (.) page 18 l. 1 I (, I) l. 3 I (I,) l. 3 she (she,) l. 4 hers (her's) l. 5 mine (mine.) l. 6 — I (; I,) l. 7 body (, body) l. 8 she (she,) l. 8 life (life,) l. 1 Ah! (,) l. 15 Oh (Oh,) l. 16 Oh (Oh,) l. 17 Oh! (Oh) l. 17 — and (. And) l. 19 — a (,) l. 19 — fell (,) l. 20 frame, (;) l. 20 simoom (simoon) l. 25 went, (! —) l. 25 was (is) l. 26 Berenice, (!) page 19 l. 1 time (time,) l. 7 ascendancy (ascendency) l. 18 hours (hours,) l. 19 , or (o. c) l. 20 for (, for) l. 21 in (, in) l. 22 , or (o. c.) l. 23 for (, for) l. 23 night (night,) l. 26 monotonously (, monotonously,) l. 30 in; — (;) page 20 l. 1 — The (o. d.) l. 13 day dream (day-dream) l. 14 or (, or) l. 16 case (case,) l. 22 reverie (revery) l. 34 Italian (Italian,) l. 34 Curio, (o. c.) l. 34 de (cap.) page 21 l. 2 the “ (“The) l. 3 sentence (sentence,) l. 4 est: (,) l. 23 frequently (, frequently) l. 23-24 bitterly (bitterly,) page 22 l. 5 trelissed (trelised) l. 6 night, (—) l. 9 — not (;) l. 10 — not (;) l. 11 not — (;) l. 12 yet (yet,) l. 20 year, — (—) l. 23 But (But,) l. 24 eyes, (o. c.) l. 30 word, (;) page 23 l. 2 and (and,) l. 6 being, (o.c.) l. 11 now (, now) l. 14 pupil-less (o. h.) l. 31 every where (everywhere) page 24 l. 6 phrensied (frensied) 1 15 in [page 318:] imagination (, in imagination,) l. 17 Mad'selle (Mademoiselle) l. 17 Sallé (o. a.) l. 18 que (cap.) l. 18 [étaient] (o. a.) l. 20 [étaient] (o. a.) l. 20-21 ah (ah,) l. 20-21 ideés (o. a.) l. 29 roam; (—) l. 30 , and (—) l. 31 a (, as) page 25 l. 3 , or (o. c.) l. 3 and, (, and) l. 6 more, (!) l. 14 that (, that) l. 15 sun (sun,) l. 17 — at (,) l. 28 me, (—) l. 28 what (cap.) page 26 l. 5 Zaiat, (: —) l. 6 Why (Why,) l. 10 , and (— and,) l. 17 ; — and (5) l. 20 , still palpitating, (— still palpitating —) l. 23 band; — (:)1. 25 wall; — (!) l. 26 minutes; — (:) l. 28 in (, in) l. 28 tremor (tremor,) l. 32 white (white,).