Shelley's Prometheus Unbound - A Variorum Edition

Shelley's Prometheus

Unbound

A VARIORUM EDITION

SHELLEY'S

Prometheus Unbound A

VARIORUM EDITION

EDITED BY Lawrence

John Zillman

19S9 University of Washington Press

SEATTLE

Copyright 1959 by the University of Wanhington

!**

Second printing, with corrections, 1960

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number* 50-90M

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMEfilCA

Preface IT WAS EAULY in my work on the present volume that I read the comment of George S. Hillard (1345) with respect to the 1805 Henry James Todd edition of Spenser's works; "This is what is technically called a variorum . edition, containing a reprint of all the labours of the previous editors. There is a great deal of learned rubbish in it; much trouble is often wasted ,

.

in elucidating what is plain, and really difficult points are frequently passed by in silence" (Hillard, Spenser* I, v-vi). It soon became evident that Shelley, like Spenser, was not without his 9'

tribute of "learned rubbish, which may have led Douglas Bush to suggest that "one of the worst things about Shelley is the effect he has on his

admirers; nearly all of them are reduced to a common denominator, of which the outward evidence is perhaps a wild glitter in the eye" (Mythology, p. 156) But in the case of Pronmtlieus Unbound* at least, the judg-

ment of Kenneth Neil Cameron is, in the main, both true and pertinent; "The divergence of [the views on Prometheus Unbound] results, it should be emphasized, not from critical caprice but from genuine difficulty. Pmmethem Unbound is unquestionably one of the most profound and subtle of the great English poems. And difference and divergence in its interpretation are notas might at first appear- leading us farther from it but closer to it" ("Shelley Scholarship/' p 100). Too frequently, however, the "difference and divergence" in interpretation available to the student are those of a few major names only, and to suggest, as does Bennett Weaver, that for critical comment on Prometheus

Unbound we must "follow the way of the books for there are few articles drama" (Rom&ntic Poets, p. 187), is to overlook a fertile body of smaller, but certainly not always minor, studies or brief comments whose impact on our understanding of the poem, and of the changing written on this

attitudes toward

it, is negligible only because they are in large part incomprehensive variorum treatment of the full range of these writings would appear to be the corrective to this situation. For, although

accessible,

A

vii

viii

Matthew Arnold in 1888 could argue that "Shelby i not a classic, various readings are to be no ted with earnest attention" ("Shelley*" p, 206), the need for such a treatment was evident to Swinburne some twenty years earlier. He wrote: It is

seldom that the work of a scholiast

has been. The

first

is



noon wanted an

collected edition of his works

in Shell** y*n

had many gapn and

E 167-68 in any degree a reasoned system on theory forms of human life Dr 169-70 Nothing can equally well be excan pressed in prose, but is tedious Dr equally well be expressed E 170 E

M

&

154-55 the specific

158-59 Let

[170]

&E

& &E &E

153 Shakespeare

thier

[165]

sitions solely to the direct enforcement of reform, or that I consider them in any degree as containing a

[E.33F]

is,

that I shall be

company Dr

M

&

151-52 between Virgil and Horace not in the draft. 153-57 between Dryden is deleted in the draft and the remainder of the sentence not present; instead (undeleted) : all great writers of a contemporary epoch. 154 each has a [specific] generic 155-56 similarity

[is]

be

158 Draft at first: / am twitted with E: [Concede to me] this opportunity Then Let above [me] and a caret after opportunity directing to be conceded to me above the acknowledging [who] that 162 explain [But] For 163 Following good company in the draft Shelley wrote and deleted: Plato, Lord Bacon, Milton. < sic > Rousseau 166 31 r opens with of [that] reform, inforcement of [that] of [that] reform, The reduplication resulted from the start of a new page after the first [that] 167 A caret after degree directs to as containing a above the line.

line,

127

Preface

My

rogatory in verse. purpose has hitherto been simto the familiarize highly refined imagination of the ply more select classes of poetical readers with beautiful idealisms of moral excellence; aware that until the

mind can love, and admire, and trust, and hope, and endure, reasoned principles of moral conduct are seeds cast upon the highway of life which the unconscious

i

[175]

passenger tramples into dust, although they would bear the harvest of his happiness. Should I live to accomplish what I purpose, that is, produce a syste-

[180]

matical history of what appear to me to be the genuine elements of human society, let not the advocates of

and superstition flatter themselves that I should take /Eschylus rather than Plato as my model. The having spoken of myself with unaffected freeinjustice

[E.330

r ]

171-73 They are attempts to familiarize the imagination of poetical readers familiarise

M

174-75 excellence. Until the mind Dr E admire trust 175 love hope 176 endure to what end would you propose principles of moral conduct?

&

&

&

&

They are

Dr

&

177

seeds thrown

life,

[185]

Dr

M

180-81 systematical developement E systematic Fs 2 180 propose R < purpose > 182 sources of our human society E E 184 model. E 183

R

&

above [rather] 172 familiarize the [imagination ofpo] highly See draft variant reading above. 176 endure, [that] reasoned unknown not in the draft. After life the draft had at first: & the 177-96 which 17.L-73 simply

.

.

.

hungry passenger tramples 180-84 31 r

is

almost

the

< sic > on to dust.

illegible at this point,

but appears

to

havefbeen written and

corrected as follows: that

produce a systematical

is,

what appear to me to be development of [the principles which the genuine [elements of] sources of should regulate human life], let not the our human society injustice

advocates of [despotism]

& superstition

flatter

[assure] themselves that I

should

[Euclid] ^Eschylus take [Euclid] rather than [^Eschylus] as Plato

The

two

last

human

society '

injustice

not

my model. r

on 30 sources of uncertain, but I believe defensible. For our Freeman read and of human .society and erroneously placed it after after let was crowded in when assure was changed to flatter

lines are

181 appears in Shepherd.

.

128

Preface

dom will need little apology with the candid; and let the uncandid consider that they injure me less than their own hearts and minds by misrepresentation. talents a person may possess to amuse and instruct others, be they ever so inconsiderable, he is yet bound to exert them: if his attempt be ineffectual,

Whatever

[190J

the punishment of an unaccomplished purpose have been sufficient; let none trouble themselves to let

heap the dust of oblivion upon they

raise will betray his grave

his efforts; the pile

which might otherwise

[1951

have been unknown.

186 187 188 189 191

candid,

&

E

me, E & minds, by misrepresentation;

amuse or E them;

E

A

E

193 sufficient, E 194 efforts. The 195 grave, 196 unknown E

E

M

E

ineffectual

186-88 These lines too are so nearly in draft state that they should be reproduced: let with the

apology

[to a]

the

who

candid, [mind]

&

[those

consider that they

uncandid [may speak as they pies] less than

are]

will] injure [not] me, [but] their own hearts minds, by [calumny] misrepre

&

sentation;

187 The changes in this line were made, apparently later, with a different pea. 189 may possess above [has] 191-92 These lines developed as follows: to exert them; [if he cannot amuse]

attempt if his [efforts]

be ineffectual

let

the punishment of an [ace] unaccomplished

purpose [attempt] have been sufficient, let none attempt said purpose were substituted, apparently later, with a different pen. 193 none at first no one one was then deleted and no changed to none

194 his

Beginning with The pile a sharp-pointed pen, seemingly either of those used above, was employed, probably at a later time. 195 betray [the spot] his grave The words is [already trembling upon] are written weakly and poorly below the last line of this paragraph. different

[hopes] efforts.

from

DRAMATIS PERSONS.

r [LI 18 ]

PROMETHEUS. DEMOGORGON. JUPITER.

THE EARTH. OCEAN. APOLLO.

MERCURY, HERCULES. ASIA

}

PANTHEA

>

IONE

)

OCEANIDES.

THE PHANTASM OF JUPITER. THE SPIRIT OF THE EARTH. SPIRITS OF THE HOURS. SPIRITS.

ECHOES.

FAWNS.

FURIES.

D.P. Prometheus Jupiter

The Earth Mercury Hercules [Panthea]

Asia

)

Panthea) lone )

Oceanides

The Phantasm of Jupiter The Spirit of the Earth The Spirits of the Hours The Echoes Fawns Furies Spirits

The

Spirit of the

Moon. M-Fr

Fauns. MP-Fr

Prometheus Unbound/a Lyrical Drama/D. P. <etc. > on 18 r. The bracket joining Panthea and lone has a light mark added at the top that I believe was intended to include Asia as the third of the Oceanides.

The Spirits of the Hours inserted later. Fawns added later, in pencil. Dramatis Personae not given in Alexander or Dickinson; given without change from 1820 in Shepherd.

PROMETHEUS UNBOUND.

KIM*

ACT

E-i i8 v]

I.

SCENE, A RAVINE OF ICY ROCKS IN THE INDIAN CAUCASUS. PROMETHEUS is DISCOVERED BOUND TO THE PRECIPICE. PANTHEA AND IONE ARE SEATED AT HIS FEET. TIME, NIGHT. DURING THE SCENE, MORNING SLOWLY BREAKS.

MONARCH of Gods and Daemons, and all Spirits But One, who throng those bright and rolling worlds Which Thou and I alone of living things PRO.

Behold with

Made

sleepless eyes! regard this Earth multitudinous with thy slaves, whom thou

[5]

Requitest for knee-worship, prayer, and praise, And toil, and hecatomhs of broken hearts, With fear and self-con tempt and barren hope.

Whilst me, who

am

thy

foe, eyeless in hate,

SD Scene Night A Ravine E Prometheus E precipice Panthea & lone E feet.

&

E

and demons and all spirits Fs Daemons & E Daemons Fr Spirits

One

R

one, Fr

& rolling Worlds E SD

Act

19 r

On

R Earth, FT 6 prayer E prayer and praise Fs 7 toil Fs hecatombs E 8 self contempt barren hope; E hope: R hope;WALFr me R hate R 9 While Fs

&

&

1 gods

20neFs

&E

3 thou R 4 eyes E eyes, Fr earth Fs

R

&

&

[During the scene morning slowly breaks]. Zupitza suggested, I think correctly, that the deletion was merely to clear 19 r for the translation of the /OTI, a part of which is on this page. Except as noted, in all subsequent editions, as well as in E (where they are centered and normally unpunctuated), names of characters are written out in the blank verse as well as in the lyric sections. Night above dash. 1 of Daemons and S of Spirits at first small letters. I alone of living things, regard / Made 2-4 At first: . . rotting Worlds / Which Thou multitudinous etc. Shelley may have noted that line 3 was a hexameter; in any event 1.

:

D

&

.

he drew a vertical line between things and its comma to mark the line end, and inserted the received line 4 between the original lines, leaving a space with an inverted caret as a guide for regard (see illustration, facing p. 141). Freeman read the end line and inverted caret as parentheses, but the context does not justify this. 6-7 The commas after praise and hearts are quite faint and did not reproduce effectively in the illustration facing p. 141,

131

Prometheus Unbound

132

Hast thou made reign and triumph, to thy scorn, own misery and thy vain revenge. Three thousand years of sleep-unsheltered hours,

[10]

O'er mine

And moments

aye divided by keen pangs

they seemed years, torture and solitude, Scorn and despair, these are mine empire. More glorious far than that which thou surveyest From thine unenvied throne, 0, Mighty God! Till

[E.1 19

V ]

Almighty, had

I

[15]

deigned to share the shame

tyranny, and hung not here Nailed to this wall of eagle-baffling mountain, Black, wintry, dead, unmeasured; without herb, Insect, or beast, or shape or sound of life.

Of

[E.120

thine

Ah me!

r ]

ill

[20]

pain ever, for ever!

alas, pain,

No [E.1 19

V

I

]

change, no pause, no hope! Yet I endure. ask the Earth, have not the mountains felt?

[25]

ask yon Heaven, the all-beholding Sun, Has it not seen? The Sea, in storm or calm, I

&E HOerE

scorn Fo

10

&E

revenge, Fs .

Fo2 >

revenge.... AL revenge .

Fr revenge. 12 Three-thousand .

A < scorn, .

E

.

.

13 moments, E 14 seem E A Fr

& despair

R2

years

hours

E

&E

Fs

Fr

E

despair

M

pain, pain, ever,

W WL RW

Fs R D H R Fs Fr empire: empire: 17 throne oE oh mighty Fs H L Fr Mighty God! R2 L 18 Almighty 15

E

20 eagle baffling mountain E 21 herb E E Fs Fr 22 Insect E Fs life 23 Ah me, alas, pain, pain ever forever! Ah me, alas! Ah me! alas! Fs J

24 hope!

R

yet

forever!

endure

I

E

WL

hope!

yet Fr

25 Earth Fs 26 Heaven E Fr Sun E 27 seen, the E the Fr calm E

Running act heads: ACT I. SCENE I. in 1820. 10 Hadst in Koszul. 14 Freeman defended seem inasmuch as "the 'moments' are

still

continuing" (Text,

p. 42).

these are mine empire, is at the 15 Scorn & despair [more glorious than thy throne] bottom of 19 r separated from the Ion translation by a curved line. Forman noted the need for a trisyllabic pronunciation and wondered whether empery might not have been used (the MS showed that it was not). 16-17 19V has a 2 at top center. Shelley started to number his pages, but stopped ,

at 6.

19V opens with:

More glorious far than [thine unenvied throne Of gold & blood, are these] o Mighty God! the revision

at the top of 20 r

survey* st in Shepherd. 21 I of Black at first a Freeman conjectured a start on Bare 23-24 Insertion marks indicate location. 26 Heaven above [Sky] is

27 The punctuation

.

after seen is uncertain.

A comma or

semicolon

is

present.

The

ACT

133

I

[E.120

Heaven's ever-changing Shadow, spread below, Have its deaf waves not heard my agony?

r ]

Ah me!

alas, pain,

pain ever, for ever!

'

[30]

The crawling glaciers pierce me with the spears Of their moon-freezing chrystals, the bright chains

V [E.1 19 ]

Eat with their burning cold into my bones. Heaven's winged hound, polluting from thy His beak in poison not his own, tears up

My heart;

[E.1

and shapeless

sights

[35]

come wandering

by,

The ghastly people of the realm of dream, Mocking me: and the Earthquake-fiends are charged To wrench the rivets from my quivering wounds When the rocks split and close again behind: While from their loud abysses howling throng The genii of the storm, urging the rage Of whirlwind, and afflict me with keen hail. And yet to me welcome is day and night,

20V]

28 ever changing Shadow, spread E below ever changing shadow, Fr

W

R L shadow, 29 it's E 30 no punctuation E me,

shadow Fs

alas! pain, pain, ever,

forever!

lips

WL

32 crystals; 33 bones, E

R

forever

&

Fs

W

42 Genii R Storm, 43 44 Day & Night E Fr night; R

E

R

&E

M Fs R W A L Fr bones;

35 it's own, E its Fr 36 & E by E 37 Dream, R2 Fr 38 me & E me; Fr 40 E behind; E

W

alas!

[40]

R

Day and

Night,

dot of the semicolon (if such it is) may he the hottom of a question mark. The upper part of this mark appears to be deleted, although the deletion is not firm and may be an ink splatter. Freeman read semicolon. It may be either question mark, semicolon, or

comma.

28 Heaven's above [It's] which Zupitza noted as over something else, identified by Freeman as In Zupitza noted Heaven's in different ink. below[?] 29-30 These lines, with insertion marks, are above and below the added lines 23-24. 35 Freeman defended its on a conjectured transfer of the opening His in error, and because its gives a more specific reference (Text, p. 43) 37 The [shapele] ghastly dream[s], Following 37 are the canceled [Where thou descendst each night with open eyes In torture, for a tyrant seldom sleeps, .

Thou

lines:

never;]

Locock read When thou descend* $t r 38 Mocking me as a substitute for [Thou never;] is on 20 opposite line 37. V 39 20 has a centered 3 at the top. 36 Shelley's original line count, above wounds 42 genii above [spirits] Zupitza said genii is in different ink, but it appears to be the same as that used in the middle of the page, where either the pen became defective or a coarser pen was used for nine lines, beginning with line 44. 44 Freeman noted And even on 21 r under a word of the Ion translation. He con-

Possibly descend? st

,

,

jectured a possible alternative for

And yet of

this line.

Prometheus Unbound

134

Whether one breaks the hoar frost of the morn, Or starry, dim, and slow, the other climbs The leaden-coloured east; for then they lead The wingless, crawling hours, one among whom As some dark Priest hales the reluctant victim

[45]

Shall drag thee, cruel King, to kiss the blood From these pale feet, which then might trample thee

[50]

they disdained not such a prostrate slave. Disdain! Ah no! I pity thee. What ruin Will hunt thee undefended thro' the wide Heaven! If

How

will

soul, cloven to its

thy

like a hell within!

I

depth with

terror,

[55]

speak in grief,

Gape Not exultation, for I hate no more, As then ere misery made me wise. The curse Once breathed on thee I would recall. Ye Mountains, [E.121

V

Whose many- voiced Echoes, through the mist Of cataracts, flung the thunder of that spell! Ye icy Springs, stagnant with wrinkling frost,

]

W

45 hoar-frost R Fo L &slow 46 Or, R dim and slow Fs E slow Fr 47 East; E Fs Fr 48 Thier < sic > wingless crawling Hours, E Their A L J Fr wingless R Fr L whom Hours, R L Fr 49 As L priest Fs R 53 Disdain? ah no I pity thee what Ruin E Disdain? Fs A Fr Ah, Ruin L thee what Ruin Fr 54 thro wide E Fs H-Fr through heaven! Fs R

W

W

W

M

[60]

55 terror E 56 Hell E L Fr grief E Fr 57 Exultation, E exultation; R more E Fs Fr wise 58 then, E A L then; Fr wise: the Curse L Curse E Fr 59 mountains E mountains, Fs 60 Echoes thro E echoes Fs Echoes R 61 cataracts Fs R spell; E Fr 62 Springs E Fr springs, Fs E Fr

48 Locock preferred the E reading since "Each day and night leads " of 'wingless, crawling Hours.' 55 ah over alas and no inserted above and between ah and /

its

own

the

frost

train

1

Forman conjectured the omission of the on the basis rhythm ("the irregularity of measure is unlike Shelley") and sense ("Shelley uses Heaven for the empire of the Gods [as here, at 1.373, and II.iv.46], and the heaven 54 Locock, in

error, read thro

of

.

,

when he means merely the

sky"). But G. H. Clarke felt that "the crowding haste of the line accords happily with its meaning." Note that Foster as early as 1845 had

omitted the without comment, possibly a typographical error. 58 The dot that led Freeman to read then; rather than then, is an ink spatter at the end of the t crossing. 59 Once above [Then] mountains on 21 r , for lack of space here. 58 Shelley's line count (in error for 57, the count before additions were made) is at the bottom right corner of the page. He carried this error to text line 498. 60 21r has a centered 4 at the top. Forman noted that through in 1820 was an exception to Shelley's general practice. shift in

meaning.

Dole omitted the hyphen, with a resultant

ACT

I

135

.

Which

vibrated to hear me, and then crept

Shuddering thro' India! Thou serenest Air, Thro' which the Sun walks burning without beams! And ye swift Whirlwinds, who on poised wings Hung mute and moveless o'er yon hushed abyss, As thunder, louder than your own, made rock The orbed world! If then my words had power, Though I am changed so that aught evil wish Is dead within; although no memory be Of what is hate, let them not lose it now! What was that curse? for ye all heard me speak.

[65]

[70]

FIRST VOICE: FROM THE MOUNTAINS. Thrice three hundred thousand years O'er the Earthquake's couch we stood:

We

[75]

men

convulsed with fears, trembled in our multitude,

Oft, as

SECOND VOICE: FROM THE

SPRINGS.

Thunder-bolts had parched our water, We had been stained with bitter blood,

And had run mute, 'mid shrieks

E.1 22*]

of slaughter,

[8QJ

Thro' a city and a solitude.

63&E

73 speak

64 through India; Thou serenest Air E through Air

W

M

65 Through

India; thou Fr

E

M

sun Fs

thou

R

beams,

EFr 66 the swift R2 Whirlwinds E R 67 & E oer E abyss E 68 thunder E Fr own E Fr if R world!- L 69 world if E R power Fr power, 70 Though E Fr 71 within, E R Fr within! A E Fr hate, R 72 hate

E

from the Mountains E 75 Oe'r<sic>the Earthquakes E L Fr stood; E 76 Oft E Fr fears E Fr R 77 multitude: SD 24 Voice from the Springs E 78 Thunderbolts E M-Fr [Fo A] 79 blood E 80 had ran <sic>mute E mute Fr Fr slaughter slaugter<stc>E solia solitude! E 81 Through R solitude! Fr tude:

SD

I 8.* Voice,

W

M &

W

T of Thou at first a small Thou [pure] with serenest Air below [pure] The change appears to have been made at once. 73 Woodberry noted that an otherwise unidentified Greenwood conjectured me. Speak! 74 For Shelley's patterns of lyric indentation in E see Appendix H.

64

[