Text: Burton R. Pollin, “The Broadway Journal: Notes (February 1845),” The Collected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. IV: Broadway Journal (Annotations) (1986), pp. 17-22 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 17, continued:]

18/11} For Poe's follow up of this rev., see p. 35 (a). Although Poe labeled this important article (from which he derived M 221) with a “P” and it was listed in the bibliographical index by Harrison, it was omitted in his ed. and in every other compilation. For Bulwer Lytton (1803-73), popular English dramatist, political figure, historical and romance novelist, see Br. Index, and M 221 specifically, since that article is closely adapted from this (19/46 through 20/43 [facsimile text]).

18/12} Actually, the only publisher was James W. Judd & Co., 1845, v-xi + 143 p. No other publisher was listed, in any of the catalogues consulted, as having anything to do with this ed. [page 18:] Cf. 18/34 below.

18/13} C. Donald Macleod (1821-65), prominent Presbyterian minister and writer, who studied for the ministry at Columbia College, took orders as an Episcopal priest at 28, and became a country rector; following this he left for Europe in 1850 for travel and study. After conversion to Roman Catholicism (as Xavier) he became editor of the St. Louis Ledger in 1857. Later professor of belles lettres and rhetoric in Ohio, he wrote histories of Mary, Queen of Scots, et al., a volume of poems, and a great deal of fugitive verse. See Francis S. Drake, Dictionary of American Biography (J.R. Osgood, 1872), p. 578; Nat. Cyclopaedia of Am. Bio., (J. T. White, 1891, 1907), 5.421.

Poe's assumption of Macleod's fame must be a result of Macleod's work having been published in the periodicals. There is no reason to assume much notoriety at this point. Cf. 54/55 below.

18/26} Intro. by Macleod, p. vii.

18/34} Poe is correct. Macleod must have used a comprehensive edition of 1836, published in Paris by Galignani (and probably not edited by Bulwer), for the English community there, as there exists no British collection prior to 1845.

Poe's cited edition of Macleod's collection is a mystery. The only traceable edition is not by Farmer & Daggers (see 18/11 [facsimile text]). He must have possessed a special issue released in the U.S. Its existence is verified on 35/19-20.

18/35} The statement concerning Macleod's age supports his identity as belonging to the man described above. Macleod's misspelling of “Alcolyte” for “Acolyte” on p. xi (q.v. on 18/57), followed by Poe or his typesetter, suggests his immaturity. Also note Macleod's arrangement of the collection:

I. Ballads and Descriptions (10 poems); II. Philosophical and Religious (18 poems); III. Songs and Lyrics (20 poems); IV. Misc.

The listing of Category II (above), highly unlikely for the worldly Bulwer (q.v. in DNB), points to the editorship of the Rev. Macleod.

18/50} This is a mere, brief selection, compared to the fullness of the Paris ed. (cf. 18/34).

18/57} Acolyte: typo is from the original Preface. [page 19:]

19/8} Actually, at this point there was no London edition of a collection by Bulwer (see 18/34).

19/26} This appears on p. v, with italics added.

19/28} Tremaine: L.: H. Colburn, 1852, 3 vols.; Phila., 1852, 3 vols., no pub. given. The author is Robert Plumer Ward (17651846), q.v. in M 221.

19/34} De Vere: L.: H. Colburn, 1827; Phil., 1827, Carey, Lea & Carey (see M 221).

19/46-58 [and 20/1-45]} This whole passage was adapted very closely for M 221, q.v. for explication of almost all names and titles given here (in notes c-f).

19/50} Jane Porter (1776-1850), author of romantic novels in the style of Scott. After her success in her native Scotland with a first novel, Thaddeus of Warsaw, 1803, her fame spread throughout the Continent in 1810 following the publication of The Scottish Chiefs. Her attempts at composing drama met with failure, however.

19/52} Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81) had already published Vivian Grey and The Young Duke among other novels.

20/10} Athens. Its Rise and Fall with views of the Literature, Philosophy, and Social Life of the Athenian People in 2 vols., 1837; vol. 1, vii-ix + 484 p.; vol. 2, xxx + 596 p. (cited in MM 117, 221).

20/19} Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-71), Parisian gentleman and liberal philosopher (the name is the Latinized form of Schweitzer, not a Swiss reference), who sought to rival Montesquieu. It is doubtful whether Poe actually studied his works. See M 221f for the Bulwer source of this quotation from De l‘Esprit.

20/32} James Crichton (1560?-82?), Scottish scholar credited with copious learning. His reputation supposedly rests on his travels to the Italian universities, where he discussed Scholastic doctrine and demonstrated great linguistic ability. It is speculated, however, that his accomplishments are largely invented by Thomas Urquhart (q.v, DNB). See MM 207, 221. [page 20:]

20/33} Harrison Ainsworth (1807-1896), British historical novelist, friend of Dickens and Thackeray, detested by Poe. See MM 12, 221.

20/54} “The III-omened Marriage,” pp. 33-76.

20/64-65} John Philpot Curran (1754-1817), Irish lawyer and judge. In spite of his Protestantism, he defended Irish radicals, advocated Pitt's measures limiting power of the regent, and refused intimidation with the aid of sarcastic wit. See M 95. For metaphor run mad see PCW for two more uses, one in BJ, 2.404.

21/5} Seigneur Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas (1544-1590), French poet, author of La Semaine (1578). This work, a biblical epic on the Creation, was influential and popular primarily abroad, where translations revealed a grandeur of range and vision, while omitting newly coined words, and mitigating his bizarre metaphors (En. Brit., 13th ed.). Cf. Pollin, “Du Bartas in Poe's Criticism,” Mi Q, 1969, 33.45-55; H 4.112, 9.67, 11.159, 259. Poe's view of him was consistently limited and unjustified.

21/12} ars celare artem: ars est celare artem — (true) art is to conceal art — a Latin proverb.

21/21} “Mazarin,” pp. 1-3, 42 lines. “André Chénier,” pp. 4-5, 44 lines (for A. Chénier, see Pin 64). “The Last Crusader,” pp. 97-9, 14 stanzas.

21/26} These lines appear on p. 5.

21/30} P. 5, collated thus: would / could prophet,

21/31-37} See “The Rationale of Verse” (1848), H 14.210, for a discussion of “acatalectic.” The first draft of “The Rationale” was published as “Notes on English Verse” in the 3/43 Pioneer. The first two paras. correspond exactly to the section above in the 1848 article, which describes “acatalectic” as mentioned in the BJ in 1845.

21/39} A song from George Colman the Younger's (17621836) Love Laughs at Locksmiths, act II (Bartlett).

21/47} P. viii. There is not a word about “Miss Bailey.” It is Poe's joke. [page 21:]

21/48} niaiseries: A Poe favorite, from the French (see too 4/42 above).

21/63} No Intro, or Preface, pages are numbered 5-84; title page also has quotation from La Bruyere in French. It is interesting to note that Poe's long analysis and condemnation of the book was observed scoffingly by The Town of 2/22/45 (see Poe Log for the date).

21/64} According to Hull, not one of Briggs' articles in the BJ concerning drama suggests imitation of the Elizabethans as a problem in American drama. Poe's article, “Does the Drama of the Day Deserve Support?” clearly helps to determine authorship of this piece. In the 1/9 Evening Mirror, Poe identified this type of imitation as an impediment to the development of an American drama, and that attitude is evident here (cf. 23/56-64 [facsimile text]).

22/7} P.27.

22/11} P.45.

22/14} Poe's mixed views on the Irish appear in M 102 and “Why the Little Frenchman” (TOM 462-70).

22/24-37} Found on p. 11. Poe makes minor changes (i.e. corrections).

22/43-50} From p. 14.

22/52} Found on p. 15.

22/69} Pp. 22, 23. Concerning J. T. Headley: See p. 206 [facsimile text] and Headnote to “The Cask of Amontillado” (TOM 1252).

23/29-30} Pp. 45-46.

23/42} Pp. 49-50.

23/44-55} From pp. 49-50.

23/60-64} From p. 52. [page 22:]

23/67} Chapter IX, pp. 61-69. For Poe's keen interest in this topic see 86 and 103-104.

23/75} Pub. of “The Raven” in American Review and Mirror (q.v. in TOM, Poems, 360).

23/81-82} “He hath not fed of the dainties that are bred of a book” (Love's Labour's Lost, 4.2.25).

24/1} Not totally by Poe, who probably wrote paras. 4-6, possibly also para. 3.

24/31} See “Anastatic Printing,” pp. 83-86.

24/44} See 84/55 for data.

24/51} This para. alone is probably by Poe. In the 2/15 BJ, 1.103-104, appeared Poe's bitter attack on publishers, “Some Secrets of the Magazine Prison-House.” It has been omitted from my text solely because it was included by TOM in his Tales (1205-10) as having “fictional narrative.” The Philadelphia Sun of 2/19 published a reply, obviously with the data on Graham and Cooper that Poe mentions in the para. See also 27/65-67 (for a further apology) and M 74c. Clearly Briggs regarded these two passages by Poe as inadequate, for he himself responded rather sharply to Poe's “Magazine Prison-House” article with a satirical sketch entitled “The American Authors' Union” (BJ of 4/12, 1.233-34), concerning effective measures to take against “publishers ... fattening on the heart's blood of authors.” The major personage is a “pale” poet whose “stylus” is an icicle, and whose speeches are full of typical Poe phrases. Although fairly good-natured, it could not fail to arouse some resentment in Poe himself.

24/59} See PD 23 for Poe on Cooper, for comments often unflattering.

24/60} See 27/64-9 for Poe's apology on this remark.