Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to King Pest,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. II: Tales - part 01 (1902), 2:367-370

[page 367, continued:]

The text follows the Broadway Journal. Griswold has several verbal variations from the text.

The tale appears slightly revised in 1 840, and in a more extended way, in the Broadway Journal.

In the Messenger the tale is entitled King Pest the First | A Tale Containing an Allegory — By —.

It is introduced by two lines from Buckhurt's “Ferrex and Porrex.”

Variations of Southern Literary Messenger from 1840 (below).

Page 169 [Motto.] l. 1 gods (cap.) l. 22 , in (o. c.) l. 27 off (off,) page 170 l. 19 very (very identical) page 171 l. 9 Pest! (Pest! Pest! Pest!) l. 9 Plague (Fever) l. 25 , such (o. c.) page 173 l. 3 spirits (cap.) l. 3 goblins (cap.) l. 3 demons (cap.) l. 29 ankles (ancles) page 173 l. 13 war- (o. h.) l. 17 , by (o. c.) l. 18 stentorian (cap.) l. 23 momently (momentarily) page 174 l. 7 proved (, proved) page 175 l. 32 look (looked) page 176 l. 2 patronise (patronize) l. 8 degagé (o. a.) l. 9 arch (cap.) [not in text] l. 26 gaudy- (o. h.) l. 27 him (o.) page 177 l. 30 skull (scull) page 178 l. 31 Hugh, (o. c.) l. 33 winding- (o. h.) l. 34 skull (scull) page 179 l. 3 ; and (,) l. 9 Legs, (o. c.) l. 11 here, (o. c.) l. 11 : (.) l. 34 [page 368:] Pest (Pest,) page 180 l. 10 concerns, (o. c.) l. 10 alone, (o. c.) l. 18 — of (o. d.) l. 20 metropolis (cap.) l. 26 skull (scull) l. 34 , for (o. c.) page 181 l. 7 table, (o. c.) page 182 l. 31-32 the stage player (, the organ grinder) page 183 l. 2 assembly (junto) l. 3 shouted ( — shouted) l. 5 said (— said) l. 6 screamed (— screamed) l. 8 muttered (— muttered) l. 10 growled (— growled) l. 11 shrieked (— shrieked) l. 14 skull (scull) l. 26 the (the huge) page 184 l. 4 fire- (o. h.) l. 9 floated (sailed).

Variations of 1840 from the text.

Page 167 l. 1 one (one sultry) l. 1 night (night,) l. 2 October (August) l. 10 room, (room, it is needless to say,) page 169 l. 3 was (was also much the most ill-favored, and,) l. 3 time (time,) l. 4-5 and a half (pine inches) l. 9 thin (, wofully, awfully, thin) l. 10 drunk (sober) l. 11 sober (stiff with liquor) l. 1 cachinnatory (leaden) l. 23 converse (antipodes) page 170 l. 7 neighbourhood (neighborhood) l. 17 words, (o. c.) l. 29 allegorical (pithy) l. 31 disposed of (drank up) page 171 l. 5 the (the landlord and) l. 9 Plague (Pest) l. 13 Awe (s. l. ) l. 13 Terror (s. l. ) l. 14 Superstition (s. l.) page 172 l. 3 plague (cap.) l. 3 fever (cap.) l. 25 moral sense (all sense of human feelings) l. 26 was (was damp,) l. 30 Fallen (Rubbish of fallen) l. 32 ; — and (—) l. 32 the (the occasional) l. 32 light (and uncertain light) page 173 l. 5 — But (o. d.) l. 6 such as (like) l. 8 stuff! (,) l. 10 of (of the arch-angel) l. 11 grim (gigantic) l. 14 , still (—) l. 23 beams, (o. c.) l. 25 houses; (buildings,) l. 27-29 rubbish ... corpses, (putrid human corpses.) l. 29 The following note to paragraph ending “corpses.” occurs in 1840: [The description here given, of the condition of the banned districts, at the period spoken of, is positively not exaggerated.] l. 30 the (these) l. 31 tall (gigantic) page 174 l. 4 rushed ... open (burst open the pannels of the door) l. 6 After “curses,” insert: — It is not to be supposed, however, that the [page 369:] scene which here presented itself to the eyes of the gallant Legs and worthy Tarpaulin, produced at first sight any other effect upon their illuminated faculties than an overwhelming sensation of stupid astonishment. l. 8 ; but (—) l. 9 , in (o. c.) l. 11 sound (sounds) l. 16 jugs (grotesque jugs) l. 18 . This (— this) l. 25-26 as yellow as (yellower than the yellowest) l. 26 feature (feature of his visage) l. 30 superadded (superseded) page 175 l. 1 pall, (o. c.) l. 3 full (all full) l. 5 air; (,) l. 11 just (who had just been) l. 14 that of (in outline the shapeless proportions of) l. 17 full; (—) l. 22 indeed (indeed,) l. 31 mouth (jaws) l. 32 look (looked) page 176 l. 4 — His (o. d.) l. 7 appearance; (—) l. 8 wore (wore,) l. 8 dégagé (degage) l. 9 lawn; (—) l. 10 neck; (—) l. 11 mouth; (—) l. 13 and (and,) l. 15-16 a ... expression) (an expression rather doubtful) l. 19 reposed (hung down) l. 22 deposited upon (cocked up against) l. 26 surtout (surcoat) l. 27 him (o.) l. 31 , in (o. c.) l. 32 place, (o. c.) page 177 l. 1 ridiculous (ludicrous) l. 5 at (zs) l. 12-13 up ... at (, or depressed, as) l. 13 sound (sounds) l. 13 the ... cork, (bursting bottles increased, or died away, in the cellars underneath.) l. 19 Its (The) l. 19 piece (piece of the coffin) l. 24 ; but (—) l. 32 a (an enormous) l. 34 limb (limb,) page 178 l. 2 about (about in a singular manner,) l. 5 ignited (ignited and glowing) l. 10 ray (straggling ray) l. 11 At (It has been before hinted that at) l. 13 that (that proper) l. 14 leaning (having leant himself back) l. 15 wall (wall,) l. 31 ; while (—) l. 34 and (and,) page 179 l. 1 quaffed (drank it off) l. 9 interrupted (— interrupted) l. 10 serious, (—) l. 12 blue ruin (‘blue ruin’) l. 13 mate, (o. c.) l. 34 Pest (Pest and) page 180 l. 8 , continued (—) l. 8 he, (—) l. 23 all, (—) l. 23 , and (—) l. 25 ejaculated (— ejaculated) l. 28 said (— said) l. 29 Hugh, (—) l. 33 We (We,) page 181 l. 1 thee (you) l. 4 thy (your) l. 4 ye (you) l. 9-10 , replied (—) l. 19 have (am) l. 20 a full cargo (full up to the throat) l. 27 interrupted (— interrupted) page 182 l. 1 , interposed (—) l. 1 President, [page 370:] (president —) l. 12 shouted (— shouted) l. 14 wrinkles; (—) l. 15 bellows; (—) l. 16 fro; (—) l. 17 ears; (—) l. 18 fish; (— ) l. 19 chuckled (— chuckled) l. 20 excitation, (—) l. 20 ugh! (— ugh! —) l. 21 — I (,) l. 23 , said he, (— said he —) l. 23 marlin (marling) l. 25 of (o.) l. 28 (whom God assoilzie) (— whom God assoilzie —) l. 31 , but (o. c.) l. 32 player — (! — ) page 183 l. 15 high (high up) l. 15 let him fall (dropped him) l. 22 , however, (o. c.) page 184 l. 4-5 Piles ... about, (o.) l. 8 The man (Piles of death furniture floundered around. Skulls floated en masse — hearse-plumes nodded to escutcheons — the man) l. 11 rushed ... her (scudded out) l. 12 and ... Easy, (o.).

Variations of Griswold from the text.

Page 170 l. 7 neighbourhood (neighborhood) l. 12 fellow (fellow,) page 171 l. 32 neighbourhood (neighborhood) page 173 l. 5 — But (o. d.) l. 29 fleshly (fleshy) page 175 l. 3 — His (o. d.) page 176 l. 8 dégagé (degagé) page 180 l. 18 nare (nature) page 181 l. 9-14 impossibility (unpossibility) l. 19 different (various) l. 29 that (that,) page 182 l. 1 President (s. l. ) l. 20 without (, without) l. 32 player — (! —) l. 32 it's (its) page 184 l. 6 [méliée] (melée).