Text: Henry Buxton Forman, “The Bibliography of Edgar Poe,” Athenaeum (London, UK), whole no. 2545, August 5, 1876, p. 177, cols. 1-2

[page 177, column 1, continued:]

THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDGAR POE.

IN Mr. Ingram's most interesting paper, published in your impression of the 29th of July, there is [column 2:] one point on which those who care, as I do, about the bibliography of Poe, might be glad of further light. Mr. Ingram refers to “a period of great brilliancy inaugurated in February, 1845,” by ‘The Raven’; and in dealing with the volume published in November of the same year,’The Raven, and other Poems,’ he speaks of “earlier publications” of ‘The Raven,’ in which “there had been many variations and gradual changes.” Is it to be inferred, and is one culpably ignorant in not knowing, that there was a long series of editions of ‘The Raven’ by itself in the year 1845? If so, I feel sure there are others beside myself who would be glad to know about those editions.

Is it worth while to add to Mr. Ingram's note on the much-used epigraph from Martial, that the present poet laureate, as well as Poe, had the distinguished example of the poet laureate of 1827? In Southey's ‘Minor Poems’ (3 vols, 1823) the same motto is on the title-pages, only that Southey has, not Hee nos, as Tennyson has, but, as Poe has, —

Nos hac novimus esse nihil.

H. BUXTON FORMAN.