Text: Richard Beale Davis, “Poe and Griswold,” Chivers' Life of Poe , 1952, pp. 69-73

[page 69:]

[Poe and Griswold]

A DARK MATTER MADE CLEAR

In the Memoir of Edgar A. Poe, by the Rev. Rufus W. Griswold in allusion to the marriage between him and Mrs. Sarah Hellen [[Helen]] Whitman — one of the most brilliant of New England's ladies — he makes the following very impertinent remarks;

They(130) were not married, and the breaking of the engagement affords a striking illustration of his character. He said to an acquaintance in New York, who congratulated with him upon the prospect of his union with a person of so much genius and so many virtues, — ”It is a mistake: I am not going to be married.” “Why, Mr Poe I understand that the bans have been published.” “I cannot help what you have heard, my dear Madam, but mark me, I shall not marry her.” He left town the same evening, and the next day was reeling through the streets of the city which was the lady's home, and in the evening — that should have been the evening before the Bridal — in his drunkenness he committed at her house such outrages as made necessary [page 70:] a summons of the Police. There was no insanity leading to indulgence: he went to New York with the determination thus to induce an ending of the engagement; and he succeded.°

* * * *

[The Rev.?](131) Rufus Wilmot Griswold is the editor of several [versions? of a book called “The Poets and Poetry of America”, and several other important works which I shall not now stop to mention. He is also the soi dissant Executive Editor of Edgar A. Poe's writings. From the brazen noise which this man has made in the world one would suppose that he was well qualified for his task — no matter what that might be. But what would this same person say were I to inform him of the no less important fact (the no less important fact than his being the Editor of the above-named works —) that he is not only incompetent to Edit any of the above-named works, but totally unconscious of the duties which he and every man who sets himself up as a Literary Executor, owe the dead. This is a duty — (the duty of speaking respectfully of his betters at least —) of which he can never divest himself.

Among the many specimens of false grammar and false syntax with which the work abounds, may be noticed the following; °“Corresponds in tone with that gathering of sham and absolute hypotheses, &c”; °“congratulated with him”, &c;” “unquestionable genius and capacities of greatness”, &c., &c.

In one place(132) he speaks of the utility of disobeying the following Moral Law when speaking of the dead, in direct defiance of what Sir James Puckle says in his °Gray Cap [page 71:] for a Green Head — De Mortuis nil nisi bonum; but at the same time, does not forget to embalm his dying name in the amber of Poe's immortality. This is a beautiful execution for an Executor — of a non-cupative will? (or what other kind of will did Poe have? ) — not unworthy of the genius of a professed Hangman.

[Editor's note: Chivers continues the discussion of Griswold's character in the following: (HEH HM 24240)]

Letter from Mrs Maria Clemm, the Mother-in-Law of Mr Poe[.] Mr Willis, in his Memoirs of Mr Poe, thus speaks of Mrs Clemm: (133)

The countenance of this lady, made beautiful and saintly with an evidently complete giving up of her life to privation and sorrowful tenderness, her gentle and mournful voice urging its plea, her long-forgotten but habitually and unconsciously refined manners, and her appealing and yet appreciative mention of the claims and abilities of her son disclosed at once the presence of one of those angels upon earth that women in adversity can be. [second clipping fragment: I If woman's devotion, born with a first love, and fed with human passion, hallow its subject, as it is allowed to do, what does not a devotion like this — pure, disinterested and holy as the watch of the invisible spirit — say for him who inspired it?

I shall make no apology for publishing the following beautiful and pathetic Letters from her:

°Milford, Dec. 13,th 1852. [sic]

Dear Sir,

I have received yours of the 11th, and think I had better reply to you at once. You ask why my dear Eddie, chose Griswold as his Executor[?](134) He did not. But this, with many [page 72:] other things, I can explain to you when I see you. I know Eddie's sister has nothing of his.(135) You remember in the Biography(136) of him, by Griswold, he mentions, among other falsehoods, Eddie's disgraceful conduct while in Providence, and when under an engagement of marriage,(137) with Mrs Sarah Helen Whitman?(138) I enclose you one of her letters to myself, which totally contradicts that assertion. Now, I do think when a man will condescend to lie about one thing, he will have little scruple to tell as many as he has done. If you can make use of the letter I enclose, I can have no objection. Nearly two years ago I received a very long letter from Dr John C. McCabe, of virginia [sic], and which I sent to Graham to publish, (at his own request) as he never did publish it, I presume he would return it to me, if you think you would like to have it[[.]] I will write to him for it, and send it to you.(139) Regarding your letters, I will make an effort to procure them for you. I hold no intercourse with Griswold myself, and(140) never answer a letter of his, but I will request a friend to ask him for them, I cannot express to you the pleasure it will give me to see you. I think I will not remain here much longer as the climate is so fatal to me, I suffer intensely with neuralgia, principally in my head. My friends in Louisiana say the climate there is delightful, and urge me so much to go to them, that I am very desirous to do so. Nothing but the want of means prevents me doing so immediately. I most gratefully thank you for your promise to assist me, and my motive in asking you was to enable me to make a few preparations previous to my leaving here.(141) I have been so sadly tossed about since my beloved children left me forever, that I will hail with transport a haven where I can be [page 73:] at peace. This I anticipate when I get with my loved southern friends.(142) & Yours s. When I shew you their letters urging me to go to them, you will not doubt their affection for me. There is a gentleman, (Benjamin, West, Ball,) now in Boston, and who holds some office in the custom house, that I wish you could see, he is a man of great genius, although utterly unpolished. He wrote last summer an article about Eddie, an [ dl expressed his opinion very freely, about the “Rev Rufus.” Do try to see him I think you will like him. If you wish me to get the article from Graham, write immediately. At all events let me here from you as often as you can make it convenient.

[[Footnotes]]

[The following footnote appears at the bottom of page 69:]

130 This paragraph, like the one above, is on a small sheet of blue paper. There are three badly obliterated lines preceding the quotation, apparently much the same as the introductory remarks quoted just above from the other sheet.

[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 70:]

131 This does not follow the preceding remarks in the Poe-Chivers Papers, but appears on the recto of a much mutilated and sometimes indecipherable separate sheet (HEH. HM. 2530).

132 Followed by the marked-through: “lays down the moral law for the guidance of men — or rather.”

[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 71:]

133 Two fragments of clipping follow.

134 The interrogation point is Chivers’. Mrs. Clemm had a period.

[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 72:]

135 This sentence is marked through by Chivers.

136 Chivers capitalizes the B in this word.

137 Chivers marked through the comma.

138 Chivers inserted the interrogation point in place of Mrs. Clemm's period.

139 Chivers marked through this sentence. Period and following capital replace Mrs. Clemm's comma.

140 and by Chivers replaces Mrs. Clemm's I.

141 The preceding four sentences were crossed out by Chivers.

[The following footnote appears at the bottom of page 73:]

142 The remainder of the letter, except the signature, is crossed out by Chivers.