Edgar Allan Poe: His Life, Letters, and Opinions — John H. Ingram, 1880, volume II — reading text

last addition to the Poe biography is ‘An Original Memoir,’ by R. H. Stoddard, a gentleman of New York, who denounces Griswold, and then proceeds simply to surpass him in his own line; raking together such a mass of irrelevant gossip as we never read before.” During the last fifteen years the writer of the present biography has published, papers in vindication of Poe’s memory, but it was not until the beginning of 1874 that he was enabled to adduce more than a few isolated items in support of his theory of Griswold’s untrustworthiness. In January of that year he commenced a series of articles in the Mirror, on “New Facts” about the poet; in June the same year he contributed a still more exculpatory sketch to Temple Bar Magazine, and in the following October published a thorough vindication of Poe, as an introduction to the first volume of a complete edition of his works. In March 1875, he revised and abridged this sketch of “Edgar Allan Poe,” for the International Review, and in 1877 contributed a further revision of it, as an introduction to the Baltimore Memorial, a livre de luxe in every respect most creditable to the “Monumental City:” this handsome volume, besides other interesting and original matter, contained Colonel Preston’s pleasant reminiscences of his famous school fellow. In 1877, a New York edition of Poe’s poems was prefaced by “a New Memoir” by Mr. E. L. Didier, a gentleman who appears to have been collecting “Poeana” for some time past, and who, ultimately, came into possession of the present writer’s life of the poet: by aid of this he was enabled to compile “a New Memoir,” forgetting, however, in the hurry of publication, to acknowledge the chief source of his “much fresh and interesting information.” Mr. Francis Gerry Fairfield, a New York journalist, and the author of an innumerable number of “queer” papers on, from, and about Poe, thus briefly summarised his opinion on Mr. Didier’s book: — “Dear D—, in your biography of Poe, The real cause for me is, That what is true was published years ago, And what is new not true is: And the new poems that you tell about Upon the title-page, are all left out.” “The Last Days of Edgar Poe,” by Mrs. S. A. Talley-Weiss, was a noticeable contribution towards the poet’s biography that appeared in Scribner’s Magazine for March 1878. The present writer has ventured to avail himself of some portions of this account of Poe’s last few weeks life. Numerous other books and sketches bearing upon the subject of this biography might be mentioned, but beyond those already referred to here, or in the body of the work, few or any are of biographical value, although several might be cited as of critical worth, such as Dr. Landa’s “Noticias Biograficas de Edgard Poe,” prefixed to the 1858 Spanish collection of Poe’s tales, and Dr. W. Hand Browne’s clever analysis of “Eureka,” in the New Eclectic Magazine for 1868 , remarkable as the only known attempt to examine that scientific work scientifically. John H. Ingram, “Appendix G,” Edgar Allan Poe: Life, Letters, and Opinions (1880), pp. 297-303 APPENDIX A. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDGAR ALLAN POE. THE following account of the bibliography of Edgar Allan Poe is scarcely likely to prove complete, or exhaustive, although no efforts have been spared to make it both. Doubtless translations have appeared, and disappeared, without leaving any discoverable traces in the somewhat imperfectly-kept book registers of the past, whilst even distinct native publications — anonymous and pseudonymous — as well as various editions of Poe’s known works, may no longer be recognisable. Separate book publications only are referred to here; magazine, newspaper, and other ephemeral issues, have been ignored. A full account having been given in this “Life” of the volumes published during his lifetime, only a bare recital of their titles is now furnished. It may be mentioned that the poet’s name and works are well known in Poland, Hungary, and Russia, but whether by means of native or foreign versions, or by journals, or books, is unknown to us; in France and Spain Poe’s tales have been frequently published in the journals, ere feuilleton. AMERICAN. Tamerlane and Other Poems. Boston. 1827. 16mo. 40 pp. Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Baltimore. 1829. 16mo. 66 pp. Poems (Second edition.) New York. 1831. 16mo. 124 pp. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. New York. 1838. 12 mo. 252 pp. Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. Philadelphia. 1840. (1839.) 12mo. 2 vols, 243, 228 pp. The Conchologist’s First Book. Philadelphia. 1840. (1839.) 16mo. 166 pp. The Conchologist’s First Book. (Second edition.) Philadelphia. 1840. 12mo. 166 pp. Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. (Second edition.) New York. 1845. 16mo. 2 vols. Tales. New York. 1845. 12mo. 228 pp. The Raven and Other Poems. New York. 1845. 12mo. 92 pp. Eureka. A Prose Poem. New York. 1848. 8vo. 144 pp. (A second edition is stated to have been issued.) The Works. Tales, Poems, &c. New York. 1850. 12mo. 2 vols. pp. xx., 484, xxvi., 496. The Literati (with Memoir by R. W. Griswold). New York. 1850. 12mo. pp. iv., 6o8. (This book was issued as vol. iii of the Works.) The Works. New edition. New York. 1850. 12mo. 3 vols. The Works. New edition. New York. 1853, 12mo. 4 vols. (This “4 vol. edition” included “Arthur Gordon Pym,” and other hitherto unedited tales.) The Works. Fifteenth edition. New York. 1858. 12mo. 4 vols. (All later editions of The Works were only reprints of this collection until 1876, when additional pieces from the Edinburgh 1874-75 collection were included.) The Poetical Works (with Memoir). New York. 1858. large 8vo. (This Memoir, founded on Griswold’s, is ascribed to C. Briggs.) The Poetical Works (with Memoir). New York, 1859. 32mo. Editions of the Poetical Works, in all shapes and sizes, with or without memoir, illustrated or not, continued to issue from the press; the contents being as published in the first 1850 posthumous edition, unaltered and unadded to, until a collection in 1875, when the early lines “To Helen” were omitted, and eight of the juvenile, long-neglected pieces of the 1831 edition were added. In the “Memorial Edition” of 1876, (Memoir by J. H. Ingram,) “To Helen” reappeared; whilst seven of the 1831 pieces were again omitted: other slight variations occur in various editions now in circulation. BRITISH. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. London. 1838. 8vo. (A reprint, apparently, of the New York edition, and issued by the London branch of the New York firm.) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. London. 1841. 4to. (In the “Novelist’s Newspaper.”) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. London. 1859. 8vo, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. London. 1861. 8vo. (No. 3 of “The Shilling Series.) Several other editions of this romance have appeared in England, but cannot be traced. Tales. London. 1845. 8vo. (Reprint of New York Edition.) Tales and Sketches. London. 1852. 8vo. Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour. London. 1852. 8vo. 2 vols. Illustrated. (Two series, being vols. i. and ix. of the “Readable Books” library.) Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour. London. 1853. 8vo. 2 vols. Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour. Halifax 1855. 16mo (As a vol. of “The Cottage Library.”) Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour. London. 1864. 8vo The Works. London. 1872. 8vo. (This so-called edition of “The Works” does not contain more than about one-third of the Edinburgh collection: it is believed to have had a very large sale.) The Complete Works. (Memoir by J. H. Ingram.) Edinburgh. 1874-75. 8vo. 4 vo1s. pp. cxxii., 2176. The Raven and Other Poems. London. 1846. 16mo. (This is a reprint of the New York 1845 edition.) The Poetical Works. London. 1852. 12mo. Do. (Life by J. Hannay.) London. 1853. 8vo. Illustrated. The Poetical Works. London. 1856. 12mo. Do. (With Poems by Dana!) London. 1857. 12mo. Illustrated. The Poetical Works. (Memoir by C. Briggs?) London. 1858. (1857.) 8vo. The Poetical Works. London. 1858. 12mo. Do. do. 1859. 8vo. Do. do. 1860. 18mo. (Many reprints of these editions have been issued, some illustrated, some not, but only those below need be specified.) The Poetical Works. London. 1866. (With selections of his Sketches and Reviews, and with Life. One vol. of the “Library of Popular Authors.”) The Poetical Works. Edinburgh. 1869. 8vo. (“Original Memoir,” founded on Griswold. ) The Poetical Works. Edinburgh. 1869. 4to. Illustrated. The Raven. Glasgow. 1869. 24mo. The Poetical Works. London. 1871. 8vo. Illustrated. Do. Edinburgh. 1872. 12mo. Do. do. 1872. 8vo. Do. London. (?) (This last is one of “The Emerald Series;” the thirteenth thousandth was announced some short time ago. FRENCH. Histoires Extraordinaires. Paris. 1856. 12mo. Nouvelles Histoires Extraordinaires. Paris. 1857. 12mo. Aventures d’Arthur Gordon Pym. do. 1858. 12mo. Eureka. Paris. 1863. 12mo. Histoires Grotesques et Serieuses. Paris. 1865. 12mo. The above are Baudelaire’s world-famed translations of Poe’s works; they have gone through many editions, and have circulated by thousands; the dates of first publication only are given. “Les Contes d’Edgar Poe.” Paris. 1846? Nouvelles Choisies. Paris. 1853. 12mo. Contes Inedits. do. 1862. 12mo. Mille et Deuxième Nuit. Coulommiers. 1869. 4to. Illustrè. Le Corbeau. Traduit par S. Mallarmé. Paris. 1875. Large folio. Illustrè par E. Manet. (To this magnificent édition de luxe of Poe’s poetic chef d’œuvre, the following two works, by the same translator and illustrator, are announced as in preparation, but have not yet been published.) La Cité en la Mer. Paris. —— Les Poèmes d’Edgar Poe. Paris. —— GERMAN. Novellen von E. A. Poe. Illustrated. Leipzig. 1855-58. 2 vo1s. pp. 192, 192. (Issued in the “Familien-Bibliothek.”) Auagewählte Werke. Leipzig. 1853-58. 3 vo1s. pp. 200, 214, 197. (Issued in the “Amerikanische-Bibliothek,” as vols. xxxvii., xxxviii, and xcix.) Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour. Leipzig. 1855-56. 2 vols. (Vols. vi. and vii, of “The English Library.”) Select Works of E. A. Poe. With Memoir. Leipzig. 1854-58. 2 vols. (Vols. xiii, and xiv. of Dü’s Collection of American Authors.”) pp. 246, 280. Unbegreifliche Ereignisse and geheimniszvolle Thaten. Stuttgart. 1861. pp. 580. 8vo. Erstaunliche Geschichten and unheimdiche Begebenheiten. Stuttgart, 1859. pp. 456. Unheimliche Geschicken. Jena, 1879. pp. 164. 8vo. Der Rabe, die Glocken, and Lenore. Philadelphia. 1864. 16mo. Der Rabe. Mit einer biographischen Skizze. Philadelphia. 1869. 8vo. Illustrated. SPANISH. Historias Extraordinarias. Noticias por el Doctor Landa. Madrid. 1858. Historias Extraordinarias. Two Series. Madrid. 1859. 2 vols. (Forming 2 vols of the “Biblioteca de Viaje.”) Aventuras de Arturo Gordon Pym. Barcelona. 1863. 4to. ITALIAN. Racconti Incredibili. Illustrated. Milan. 1876. 8vo. Racconti. Milan. 1871 (Forming No. 38 of the “Biblioteca Nuova.”). AUSTRALIAN. Poetical Works. Melbourne. 1868. 8vo. John H. Ingram, “Index,” Edgar Allan Poe: Life, Letters, and Opinions (1880), pp. 305-312 “AL AARAAF”: i. 62, 70, 72, 75, 78, 104; ii. 38. Aldrich, Mr. J.: ii. 4, 9. Alexander’s Weekly Messenger: i. 165. Allan, Mr. John: i. 9-18, 20, 26, 53, 69, 88, 105, 110; ii. 231. Allan, Mrs.: i. 11-13, 40, 68; ii. 111, 197. Allan, Mrs. (the second): i. 88, 105; ii. 109, 114. Ambler, Dr. R. C.: i. 27, 28, 30. American Drama: ii. 26, 27, 30, 31. ″ Magazine Literature: ii. 21-23. ″ Metropolitan Magazine: ii. 199-200, 205, 211. ″ Museum: i. 153, 157, 243. ″ Stage, Dunlop’s History of: i. 7. ″ Review: i. 273, 280, 291; ii. 27, 30, 48, 105, 126, 204, 206. Anacreon: i. 103. Anastatic Printing: ii. 15-16. Ancestry of E. A. Poe: ii. 245-252. Andrè, Major: i. 83. “Annabel Lee”: i. 219; ii. 215. Annie: ii. 190-219, 239, 241, 243. Anthon, Professor C.: ii. 131, 140. “Antigone”: ii. 16-18. “April Nights”: ii. 168.