Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to William Wilson,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. III: Tales - part 02 (1902), 3:342-347

[page 342, continued:]

The text follows the Broadway Journal.

Griswold shows one verbal variation, and some others in spelling, punctuation, and accent.

This piece was sent to The Gift before its appearance in Burton's, judging by the words, “From The Gift 1840” prefixed to it in the magazine. The two states are not precisely alike, although

the variations are few. The tale as it appeared in the collection of 1840 has some few variations from both the states just mentioned.

It is not until the Broadway Journal state that we find careful and extensive revision.

Variations of Gentleman’ s Magazine from the text.

Motto, l. 1 of (o.) Chamberlayne (Chamberlain) page 298 l. 4 — for ... horror — (, for ... horror,) l. 8 — to (. To) l. 10 — and (o. d.) l. 18 mantle, (mantle. I shrouded my nakedness in triple guilt) l. 21 chance — (,) page 300 l. 1 fellowmen (fellow-men) l. 10-11 And ... suffered? (And therefore has he never thus suffered.) l. 15 the descendant [page 343:] (am come) l. 28 and, (o. c.) l. 33 life, (o. c.) l. 34 rambling ... house, (rambling, cottage-built, and somewhat decayed building) page 301 l. 3 ancient (ancient and inordinately tall) l. 8 deep (deep,) l. 9 , each (o. c.) l. 11 fretted (old, fretted,) l. 13 , at (o. c.) l. 21 locality (locality,) l. 25 irregular (irregular, and cottage-built) l. 26 a high (an enormously high) l. 32 neighbouring (neighboring) page 302 l. 9 vast, (o. c.) l. 9 , of late (o. c.) l. 12 , too (o. c.) l. 16 did ... inspire (it inspired) l. 19 hinges, (o. c.) l. 19 mystery, — (,) l. 20 more (far more) l. 30 indeed — (,) page 303 l. 1 house! (house) l. 3 windings — (,) l. 4 sub (sub-) l. 4 difficult (impossible) l. 13 here, (o. c.) l. 14 , in (o. c.) l. 22 sanctum (n. i.) l. 25 the “ (“the) l. 29 the “ (“the) l. 30 the “ (“ the) page 304 l. 1 length (length, meaningless gashes,) l. 8 , I (o. c.) l. 11 it; (,) l. 16 — even (,) l. 19 gray (grey) l. 24 exergues (n. i.) l. 28 holidays, (o. c.) l. 30 intrigues; — ( —) l. 34 siècle (o. a.) page 305 l. 1 ardor (ardency) l. 2 , soon, (o. c.) l. 3 slow, (o. c.) l. 4 ascendancy (ascendency) l. 5 myself; — (—) l. 5 a (one) l. 8 myself; — ( —) l. 9 ; for (,) l. 14 Wilson, (o. c.) l. 16 school- (o. h.) l. 17 class — (,) l. 20 indeed, (o. c.) l. 21 is (be) l. 26 ; — the (—) l. 31 ; since (,) page 306 l. 4 be (be utterly) l. 26 ; for (,) l. 28-30 namesake ... nativity, (namesake — a somewhat remarkable coincidence — was born on the nineteenth of January, 1811 — and this is precisely the day of my own nativity.) page 307 l. 1 quarrel (quarrel,) l. 4 on (upon) l. 5 on (upon) l. 11 formed (were formed) l. 11-12 a ... and (of a) l. 12 admixture; — (mixture —) l. 15 moralist (moralist fully acquainted with the minute springs of human action,) l. 19 us, (o. c.) l. 22 a (that of a) l. 23-24 endeavours (endeavors) l. 32 , arising (o. c.) l. 34 myself; — (—) page 308 l. 1 organs, (o. c.) l. 5 many; (,) l. 8 me, (o. c.) l. 9 solve, (—) l. 12 plebeian (plebeian,) l. 20 must, (o. c) l. 28 even singularly (not altogether unlike) l. 30 , which (o. c.) page 309 l. 5 schoolfellows (school-fellows) l. 6 ; but (,) l. 8 , can (for myself can) l. 14 were (, were) l. 29 endeavours (endeavors) l. 34 ; or (,) page 310 l. 2-3 ( ...) [page 344:] (o.) l. 6 toward (towards) l. 15 age (age,) l. 18 might (might,) l. 19 less frequently (more seldom) l. 21 hated (hated,) l. 21 despised (derided) l. 22 extreme (extreme,) l. 26 schoolmates (school-mates) page 311 l. 12-13 of ... been ... with ... me, (that myself and the being who stood before me had been) l. 13 — some (;) l. 19 large (enormously large) l. 21-22 ( ...) (o. par.) l. 25 ; although (—) l. 26 but (only) l. 29 One night (It was upon a gloomy and tempestuous night of an early autumn) l. 31 mentioned, (mentioned, that,) l. 33 bedroom (bed-room) l. 34 long been (been long) page 312 l. 6 lamp, (o. c.) l. 14 looked; — (,) l. 20 , indeed, (o.) l. 21 as if (as) l. 23 gazed; — (—) l. 26 name! (;) l. 27 person! (;) l. 31 , that (o. c.) l. 31 saw (witnessed) l. 31 , merely, (o.) page 313 l. 6 least (least,) l. 18 , engulfed (— engulfed) l. 18 at once (, at once,) l. 29 chambers (chamber) l. 29 night; (,) l. 32 and perhaps (, perhaps) l. 32 dangerous (dangerous,) l. 33 grey (gray) page 314 l. 3 wonted (intolerable) l. 6 voice ... without, (voice from without of a servant.) l. 9 wine (the potent Vin de Barac) l. 15 the (a) l. 15 semicircular (o. h.) l. 16 threshold (thresh- hold) l. 16 , I (o. c.) l. 17 and (and (what then peculiarly struck my mad fancy)) l. 18 kerseymere (cassimere) l. 20 perceive; (—) l. 21 Upon (Immediately upon) l. 29 ; but (—) l. 33 whispered (whispered,) page 315 l. 14 satisfied; (—) l. 16 academy (cap.) l. 22 outfit (outfit,) l. 24 heart, — (—) l. 32 Heroded (s. l. ) page 316 l. 4-5 estate, (o. c.) l. 12 honourable (honorable) l. 12 main (main,) l. 17 courses, (o. c.) l. 29 the (a) page 317 l. 3 colouring (coloring) l. 15 écarté (n. i.) l. 19 evening, (o. c.) l. 22 account (, account) l. 24 amount (amount of money) l. 26 — he (,) l. 27 well-feigned (o. h.) l. 31 toils; (—) l. 32 an (a single) l. 34 wine; (—) page 318 l. 21 all; (,) l. 22 silence (and unbroken silence) l. 29 heavy (heavy,) l. 34 , about (of about) page 319 l. 2 feel (n. i.) l. 6-8 , he ... bones, (— he ... bones —) l. 9 , I (o. c) l. 9 behaviour (behavior) l. 12 écarté (n. i.) l. 21 drop (dropping) l. 22 departed at once (at once departed) l. 25 little (but little) l. 28 all (all of) l. 28 court [page 345:] (court-) l. 29 écarté (n. i.) l. 32 honours (honors) page 320 l. 1 length (breadth) l. 3 breadth (length) l. 6 burst (outrageous burst) l. 6 this (this shameful) l. 8 , with (o. c.) l. 16 smile (smile,) l. 17 Indeed, (o. c.) l. 19 instantly (, instantly,) l. 23 by (, by) l. 29 an absurd degree of (a degree of absurd) l. 29 to (, to) page 321 l. 9 Preston; (,) l. 10 own; (,) l. 11 defiance; (,) l. 23 — at Berlin — (, at Berlin,) l. 32 then (now) page 322 l. 20 — in (,) l. 22 at (in) l. 23 Egypt, — (,) l. 25 days, — (,) l. 26 rival, — (,) l. 31 sentiment (sentiments) page 323 l. 8 — to hesitate — (o. d.) l. 16 Carnival (s. l. ) l. 24-25,( ...)(, ...,) l. 30 — At (o. d.) l. 32 whisper (n. i.) l. 34 absolute phrenzy (perfect whirlwind) page 324 l. 3 in ... own (like myself) l. 4-5 Spanish ... rapier, A ... face. (Large Spanish cloak, and a mask of black silk which entirely covered his features.) l. 11 stand!” — (,”) l. 12 ball-room (room) l. 12 ante- (o. h.) l. 13 adjoining — (,) l. 18 ; then (,) l. 22 power (the power) l. 27 that (this) l. 32 view? (.) page 325 l. 1-2 — mirror ... confusion — (mirror, it appeared to me,) l. 5-6 advanced ... gait. (, advanced, with a feeble and tottering gait, to meet me.) l. 9-13 His ... own! (Not a line in all the marked and singular lineaments of that face which was not, even identically, mine own! His mask and cloak lay, where he had thrown them, upon the floor.) l. 14 ; but (,) l. 16 said: (—) l. 18-19 to ... Hope! (dead to the world and its hopes.).

Variations of The Gift, 1840, from above.

Page 302 l. 5 slow (slow,) l. 30-31 first advent or final departure from school (advent ... thence) page 303 l. 9 inconceivable, (—) l. 18 , in (o. c.) page 304 l. 2 utterly (entirely) l. 12 , was (o. c.) page 305 l. 9 truth (fact) l. 30 a (, a) l. 34 companions (associates) page 306 l. 27 since (after) page 307 l. 20 and ... covert, ((and ... covert)) l. 24 endeavours (endeavors) page 308 l. 16 it (it,) l. 22 , grew, (o. c.) [page 346:] l. 29 rumour (rumor) page 309 l. 5 school (school-) l. 14 were (, were) l. 29 endeavours (endeavors) page 311 l. 3 demeanour (demeanor) l. 8 ; wild (—) l. 8 , and (o. c.) page 315 l. 21-22 furnished (furnishing) l. 28 ardour (ardor) page 316 l. 22 extravagance! (?) page 317 l. 3 colouring (coloring) l. 20 with (, with) l. 29 colour (color) page 318 l. 29 heavy (heavy,) page 319 l. 9 behaviour (behavior) l. 32 arrondé (arrondées) l. 33 honours (honors) page 320 l. 3 honour (honor) page 322 l. 20 honour (honor) page 324 l. 2 I (I had) l. 11 I stand (you stand) page 325 l. 20 thine (thine own.)

Variations of 1840 from Gentleman's Magazine.

Page 300 l. 28 and, (o. c.) page 301 l. 21 when (, when) l. 32 neighbouring (neighboring) page 302 l. 12 , too (o. c.) l. 20 for (for far) l. 25 fine, (o. c.) l. 26 any thing (anything) page 303 l. 4 sub-divisions (subdivisions) l. 25 the “ (“ the) page 304 l. 28 holidays, (o. c.) page 305 l. 2 , soon (o. c.) l. 3 , but (o. c.) page 306 l. 28 1809 (1811) page 307 l. 31 peculiarity, (o. c.) page 308 l. 1 organs, (o. c.) page 309 l. 3 himself), (,)) l. 5 schoolfellows (school-fellows) page 310 l. 26 schoolmates (school-mates) page 312 l. 6 , with (o. c.) page 313 l. 6 to (, to) l. 10 senses: (;) l. 18 , at once, (at once) page 315 l. 16 academy (cap.) page 316 l. 12 honourable (honorable) page 317 l. 20 altogether (altogether,) l. 27 well-feigned (o. h.) page 318 l. 1 palor (pallor) l. 34 entered, (o. c.) page 319 l. 8 bones, (—) l. 9 behaviour (behavior) l. 25 had (had but) page 320 l. 16 smile), (,)) page 322 l. 20 honour (honor) page 324 l. 10 shall (i.) page 325 l. 24 lay (lay,).

Variations of Griswold from the text.

[Motto]. Page 298 l. 1 of (o.) l. 2 Chamberlayne's (Chamberlain's) l. 8 forever (for ever) page 301 l. 32 neighbouring (neighboring) page 302 l. 11 laws (cap.) l. 33 holy days (holidays) page 304 l. 16 outré (o. a.) l. 34 [siècle] (o. a.) [page 347:] page 305 l. 8 Christian (s. l. ) l. 16 school (school-) l. 22-23 mastermind (master-mind) l. 26 ; — the (;) page 307 l. 23-24 endeavours (endeavors) page 308 l. 9 but, (o. c.) page 309 l. 29 endeavours (endeavors) page 310 l. 26 [connection] (connexion) l. 27 ; but (:) page 311 l. 13 me (me,) page 312 l. 19 these (these,) l. 21 in (, in) page 313 l. 18 engulfed (ingulfed) l. 33 grey (gray) page 314 l. 22 he (, he) page 315 l. 14 ; merely (—) l. 19 ; my (,) l. 21 went; (,) l. 22 , and (o. c.) l. 24 heart, — (—) page 316 l. 12 honourable (honorable) page 317 l. 3 colouring (coloring) l. 9 that (, that) l. 15 [écarté] (o. a.) l. 31 toils; (:) page 318 l. 2 say (say,) page 319 l. 9 behaviour (behavior) l. 12 [écarté] (o. a.) l. 24 — must (Must) l. 25 time (time given) l. 27 reprocured (re-procured) l. 29 écarté (o. a.) l. 32 arrondées (o. a.) page 321 l. 7 with (, with) l. 18 ere (, ere) page 322 l. 25 school (school-) page 323 l. 24 seeking, (o. c.) l. 30 — At (o. d.) l. 34 phrenzy (frenzy) page 324 l. 9 fury, (;) l. 13 — dragging (,).

All above are the Broadway Journal variations, except siècle (accent added by ED.)