Melville's Marginalia Online

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Melville@200

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Spine

Front matter

Front board

Front pastedown (inscribed)

Top left corner] institutional pencil inscription:
"*41-6024".
Upper to lower leaf] ink inscription, with pencil underlines:
"'In life he appears as a true
Philosopher—as a wise man in the highest
sense. He stands firm to his point; he
goes on his way inflexibly; and while he
exalts the lower to himself, while he makes
the ignorant, the poor, the sick, partakers of
his wisdom, of his riches, of his strength, he, on
the other hand, in no wise conceals his divine
origin; he dares to equal himself with God;
nay, to declare that he himself is God.
In this manner he is wont from
youth upwards to astound his familiar
friends; of these he gains a part to his
own cause; irritates the rest against
him; and shows to all men, who are
aiming at a certain elevation in doctrine
and life, what they have to look for from
the world.
And thus, for the nobler portion
of mankind, his walk and conversation are
even more instructive and profitable than
his death; for to those trials every one is
called, to this trial but a few.'"

Commentary

Front pastedown (inscribed)

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See Brian Yothers' critical introduction to Melville's marginalia in this copy for a discussion of this excerpt and its source, independently identified by James Duban ("'Visible Objects'" 1) and Clare Spark (164) as Thomas Carlyle's translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Travels (Sealts No. 230).

Front free endpaper (inscribed, with institutional label)

Upper left corner] pencil notation:
"C. H. 2".
Upper right corner] undeciphered pencil inscription.
Upper leaf] aborted ink inscription.
Upper leaf] pencil notation:
"Luke 10, 30
(Jericho)".
Middle leaf] institutional gift label.

Commentary

Front free endpaper (inscribed, with institutional label)

close window

Melville's inscription, "C. H. 2," refers to his second voyage around Cape Horn to the Pacific Ocean in 1860 aboard the Meteor, captained by his brother Thomas Melville—his first voyage around the cape having occurred in 1841 during his early whaling voyage aboard the Acushnet. Luke, chapter 10, verse 30 (119.2:43-120.1:5 below), commences the parable of the good Samaritan who helps a man beaten and robbed in Jericho after a priest and a Levite pass the victim by.

Front free endpaper verso (inscribed)

Upper leaf] pencil inscription:
"From Aunt Jean (Melville)
1846."

Commentary

Front free endpaper verso (inscribed)

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The maiden name of Melville's Aunt Jean Wright has been added parenthetically in the hand of Melville's wife, Elizabeth Shaw Melville. The final three letters in Melville's inscription of "Jean" overwrite a partially erased sequence of letters.

Title

Contents

Matthew (pp. 3-56)

Unmarked pages 3-4

003

004

005 (marked)

2:28-29] pencil underlines.
2:30-32] pencil diagonal score or stray mark.
2:32-36] pencil arced score.

Unmarked pages 6-7

2:39] pencil x.

Top margin] stray pencil marks
1:23-30] pencil arced score and pencil x.
2:7-12] pencil arced score and pencil x.
2:14-32] pencil arced score and pencil x.
2:33-44] pencil arced score and pencil x.

010 (marked)

1:1-3] pencil double arced score.
1:4-7] pencil crossed x's.
1:12-17] pencil score.
1:43-45] pencil score.
2:1-3] pencil score.
2:32-34] pencil score.

011 (marked)

2:15-27] pencil wavy score.

012

013 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] annotation cut from page.
2:8-10] pencil x.
Bottom margin] annotation cut from page.

Unmarked pages 15-17

1:26-28] pencil score.
2:41-43] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 19-21

2:22-25] pencil score.

023 (marked and annotated)

1:7] pencil checkmark.
1:36-44] pencil score.
2:1-7] pencil score.
2:18-21] pencil annotation:
"The
Sea."

024 (marked)

1:8-10] pencil arced score.
1:8-11] pencil x.
1:10-12] pencil arced score.

025 (marked)

2:1-2] pencil score.
2:4-10] pencil score.
2:7-10] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 26-27

026

027

028 (marked)

2:41-43] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 29-30

029

030

031 (marked)

1:8-39] pencil score.
2:37-41] pencil score.

032

033 (marked)

2:26-30] pencil wavy score.

Unmarked pages 34-38

2:12-21] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 40-42

test

1:39-43] pencil score.
2:18-20] pencil arced score.

044

045 (marked)

1:11-20] pencil bracket and arced score.

046 (marked)

2:37-39] pencil score.
2:38-39] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 47-51

052 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] pencil annotation:
"This is ironical".
1:1-6] pencil score and x.
1:2-3] pencil underlines.

Unmarked pages 53-54

053

054

055 (marked)

2:9-10] pencil score.

056

Mark (pp. 57-92)

Unmarked pages 57-83

1:39-43] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 85-92

Luke (pp. 93-152)

Unmarked pages 93-96

1:33-37] pencil score.
1:39-41] pencil score.
2:9-11] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 98-106

2:21-23] pencil triple score.

Unmarked pages 108-127

2:10-17] pencil brackets.
2:18-19] pencil score and underlines.

Unmarked pages 129-138

Top margin] pencil triple cross-checks.
2:25-38] pencil score, double cross-checks, and single check.

Unmarked pages 140-145

1:33-36] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 147-148

147

148

149 (marked)

2:32-33] pencil checkmark.
2:33] pencil underline.

150

151 (marked)

1:34-37] pencil double score.

152

John (pp. 153-195)

Unmarked pages 153-154

153

Unmarked pages 152-154

154

155 (marked)

2:26-31] pencil arced score.

156

157 (marked and annotated)

1:39-44] pencil score and annotation:
"D".

158 (marked and annotated)

1:27-31] pencil score and annotation:
"D".

159 (marked and annotated)

1:34-38] pencil score and x.
Bottom margin] erased pencil x and annotation:
"A partisan hope here."

(enhanced image)

Unmarked pages 160-161

160

161

162 (marked and annotated)

1:10-16] pencil arced score and annotation:
"J".
1:32-36] pencil arced score and annotation:
"D".
2:23-24] pencil arced score.
2:24-25] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 163-165

1:30-34] pencil score.
2:40-42] pencil arced score.

167 (marked)

2:13-16] pencil arced score.

168

169 (marked)

1:25-29] pencil diagonal score.
1:43-44] pencil double score.
2:1-2] pencil score.

170 (marked)

1:13-15] pencil score.

171 (marked and annotated)

1:37-44] pencil score.
Page heading] pencil x.
2:1-22] pencil broken score.
2:34-37] pencil arced score and scored circle.
Bottom margin] pencil scored circle and annotation:
"This leading question seems evaded in the
following verses."

172

173 (marked)

1:22-24] pencil double arced score.
1:35] pencil strike-out.
1:37] pencil question mark.

174 (marked and annotated)

1:15] pencil underline.
1:15-17] pencil arced score and x.
2:32-36] pencil score.
2:34-35] pencil underlines.
2:35-36] pencil double underlines.
2:36] pencil circle, filled in.
Bottom margin] erased pencil x and annotation (4-5 words).

(enhanced image)

175 (marked and annotated)

1:25-36] pencil score, converted to a bracket by subsequent strokes.
1:25-36] pencil annotation:
"See the fly leaf at the end."

Unmarked pages 176-177

176

177

178 (marked)

2:9-11] pencil arced score.
2:9-18] pencil score.

179 (marked)

2:1-4] pencil arced score.

180 (marked)

2:9-13] pencil arced score.

181 (marked)

2:1-12] pencil score.

182 (marked and annotated)

1:17-23] pencil score and x, with unidentified blue marking (lightly inscribed or erased) alongside lines 17-18.
Bottom margin] pencil x and erased annotation (13-14 words).

(enhanced image)

183 (marked)

2:9-10] pencil score and triple cross-checks.

184

185 (marked)

1:1-4] pencil score.
1:35-38] pencil arced score.
1:41-44] pencil arced score.
2:1-2] pencil score.

186 (marked)

1:17-21] pencil diagonal score.

Unmarked pages 187-192

1:22-23] pencil underlines.
1:23-24] pencil checkmark.

194 (marked)

1:9-14] pencil score.
1:17] pencil underline.
1:17-18] pencil triple cross-checks.

195

Acts (pp. 196-254)

Unmarked pages 196-199

196

Unmarked pages 196-197

197

198 (marked)

2:19-22] pencil diagonal score.

199

200 (marked)

2:15-21] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 201-218

Top margin] stray pencil mark.2:2-4] pencil wavy score.

Unmarked pages 220-231

232 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] pencil checkmark.
1:44] pencil x and underline.
Bottom margin] pencil x and annotation:
"Aratus".

Unmarked pages 233-254

Romans (pp. 255-277)

1:1-11] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 257-258

257

258

259 (marked)

2:36-39] pencil double score.
2:40-43] pencil x.

Unmarked pages 260-264

2:25-31] pencil wavy score.
2:32-35] pencil wavy score.

266 (marked and annotated)

1:15-26] pencil score and x.
Bottom margin] erased pencil x and annotation (7-8 words):
"Th[?en] [—?—] [—?—] [?work] — but what t[?hen]?"

(enhanced image)

267 (marked and annotated)

1:39-43] pencil x.
2:11-13] pencil x.
Bottom margin] erased pencil annotation (3 words):
"[—?—] [—?—] [?again]."

(enhanced image)

268 (marked)

2:35-39] pencil arced score and x.
Bottom margin] pencil x.

Unmarked pages 269-271

269

Bottom margin] stray pencil mark.

270

271

272 (marked and annotated)

2:7-11] pencil x.
2:7-22] pencil score.
2:23-30] pencil x and arced score.
2:31-42] pencil wavy score and x.
Bottom margin] erased pencil annotation (15-16 words).

(enhanced image)

273

274 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] pencil checkmark and annotation:
"The only kind of Faith—one's own."
1:14-19] pencil arced score and x.
2:4] pencil checkmark.
2:4-5] pencil underlines.

Unmarked pages 275-277

275

276

277

I. Corinthians (pp. 278-299)

Unmarked pages 278-280

1:39-42] pencil arced score.
2:34-35] pencil checkmark.

282 (marked)

1:9-14] pencil arced score.

283 (marked)

2:25-26] pencil checkmark.
2:30-31] pencil checkmark.

284 (marked)

1:25-29] pencil arced score.

285

286 (marked and annotated)

2:37-38] pencil underline and x.
Bottom margin] pencil x and erased annotation (18-19 words):
"Th[?e] [—?—] [—?—] [—?—] [—?—] [—?—] [?uncertain]
[?which] [—?—] [—?—] [—?—] [—?—.] I too am
uncertain [—?—] [—?—] [—?—]".

(enhanced image)

Unmarked pages 287-292

Unmarked pages 287-292

292

293 (marked)

2:9] stray pencil mark.
2:25-28] pencil triple cross-checks.
2:29] pencil bracket and partial bracket.

294 (marked)

1:1-2] pencil checkmark.
1:8] pencil checkmark.
1:11-12] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 295-296

295

296

297 (marked)

1:39-41] pencil diagonal score.

Unmarked pages 298-299

298

299

II. Corinthians (pp. 300-314)

Unmarked pages 300-314

Galatians (pp. 315-322)

315 (marked)

2:30-33] pencil double score.

316 (marked and annotated)

1:2-3] pencil score and erased annotation:
"True."

(enhanced image)

Unmarked pages 317-319

1:18-20] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 321-322

321

322

Ephesians (pp. 323-330)

Unmarked pages 323-324

323

324

325 (marked)

2:10-33] pencil wavy score.
2:29-32] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 326-330

Philippians (pp. 331-335)

Unmarked pages 331-335

Colossians (pp. 336-340)

Unmarked pages 336-340

I. Thessalonians (pp. 341-345)

Unmarked pages 341-345

II. Thessalonians (pp. 346-348)

Unmarked pages 346-348

346

347

348

I. Timothy (pp. 349-354)

Unmarked pages 349-354

II. Timothy (pp. 355-358)

Unmarked pages 355-358

Titus (pp. 359-361)

360 (marked and annotated)

1:13-16] pencil score.
1:14] pencil underline and x.
Bottom margin] pencil x and annotation:
"Epimenides".

361

Philemon (p. 362)

362

Hebrews (pp. 363-378)

363 (marked)

2:14-18] pencil score.
2:24-27] pencil score.

364

365 (marked)

2:12-13] pencil arced score.
2:41-44] pencil arced score.

Unmarked pages 366-378

James (pp. 379-384)

Unmarked pages 379-380

379

380

381 (marked)

2:32-35] pencil arced score and checkmark.

382 (marked)

1:3-7] pencil diagonal score.
1:6-7] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 383-384

383

384

I. Peter (pp. 385-390)

Unmarked pages 385-390

II. Peter (pp. 391-394)

391

392 (marked)

2:26-28] pencil scores.

Unmarked pages 393-394

393

394

I. John (pp. 395-400)

Unmarked pages 395-400

II. John (p. 401)

III. John (p. 402)

Jude (p. 403)

Revelation (pp. 404-431)

Unmarked pages 404-417

2:22-23] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 419-428

1:6-10] pencil double score.
1:12-16] pencil score.
1:18-25] pencil score.
1:26-31] pencil score.

430 (marked and annotated)

1:10-25] pencil wavy score and x.
1:32-38] pencil score.
2:16-20] pencil score.
Bottom margin] erased pencil x and annotation (2-3 words).

(enhanced image)

431 (marked and annotated)

2:27-33] erased pencil strike-outs.
Bottom margin] annotation cut from page.

(enhanced image)

Commentary

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Each textual line of the passage at 2:27-33 (Revelation 22.19) was here crossed out with horizontal pencil lines, with six vertical lines and two crossed diagonal lines likewise applied to this verse. The scissored-out portion of the bottom margin of the page indicates the crossed-out passage also prompted an annotation, now lost.

431 verso

Psalms (pp. 1-112)

Title

Title verso

2.003 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] red pencil annotation:
"p. 37."
1:21-23] pencil score.
1:34-38] pencil diagonal score.
2:15-19] pencil diagonal score.

2.004 (marked)

1:9-11] pencil score altered to border.
2:2] pencil double underline.
2:9-10] pencil double scores altered to border.

2.005 (marked)

1:8] pencil underline.
1:14] pencil underline.
1:20-22] pencil underlines.
1:23] pencil underline.
2:13-15] pencil triple arced score.
2:20-22] pencil score.
2:34] pencil triple cross-checks.
2:40-41] pencil underlines.

2.006 (marked)

2:19] pencil triple cross-checks.
2:33-36] pencil inner arced scores.
2:37-43] pencil score.

2.007 (marked)

1:41-43] pencil score.
2:40-43] pencil score.

2.008 (marked)

1:19-22] pencil score.
1:23-26] pencil score.
1:27-31] pencil score.
1:32-34] pencil double score.
1:38-45] pencil score.

2.009 (marked)

1:34-37] pencil score.
1:38-42] pencil score.

2.010 (marked)

1:10-12] pencil score.
2:4-7] pencil scores.

2.011 (marked)

1:29-32] pencil diagonal score.
1:30-31] pencil underlines.

2.012 (marked)

1:6-8] pencil triple cross-checks.
1:41-44] pencil score.
2:1-23] pencil wavy score.

2.013

2.014 (marked)

1:27-45] pencil arced score.
2:29-31] pencil score.

2.015

2.016 (marked)

1:7-11] pencil score.
1:28-31] pencil score.
2:23-25] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 17-19

2.017

2.018

2.019

2.020 (marked and annotated)

1:37-40] pencil double score.
2:35-38] pencil score.
2:43-45] pencil x.
Bottom margin] pencil crossed x's and annotation:
"The storm begins in Lebanon
& ends in Kadesh.—Stanley."

2.021 (marked and annotated)

1:9] pencil x and annotation:
"Petra."
2:1-2] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 22-24

2:38-44] pencil score.

2.026 (marked)

1:10] pencil double underline.
1:31-35] pencil score.

2.027 (marked)

1:35] blue pencil double cross-checks.
2:34] pencil double underline.
2:35] pencil underline.

Unmarked pages 28-37

2.038 (marked and annotated)

2:12-15] pencil x and annotation:
"This is the chief of Rome
seven
Peniten[tia]l
Psalms".
2:23-27] pencil score.
2:32-33] pencil score.
2:35-37] pencil score.

2.039 (marked)

1:35-39] pencil score.

2.040

2.041 (marked)

1:7-8] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 42-63

Top margin] pencil triple cross-checks.
2:9] pencil underline.
2:9] pencil triple cross-checks superimposed over checkmark.

2.065 (marked)

1:19-24] pencil score and arced score.

2.066 (marked)

2:37-39] pencil double arced scores.

Unmarked pages 67-98

1:13-14] pencil double score.
2:10-13] pencil arced score.

2.100 (marked)

1:27-31] pencil score.
2:18-19] pencil underlines.

2.101 (marked)

1:31-34] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 102-112

Back matter

Rear free endpaper (inscribed)

Upper leaf] ink inscription:
"'Who well considers the Christian
religion, would think that God
meant to keep it in the dark
from our understandings, and make
it turn upon the motions of our
hearts'
St: Everemont."

Commentary

Rear free endpaper (inscribed)

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Melville here quotes from "Of Religion" in Charles de Saint Evremond's epistle "To the Mareschal de Créqui, who asked the temper of my Mind, and my Thoughts of all things in my old Age." The translation of Saint Evremond consulted by Melville is unidentified.

Rear free endpaper verso (inscribed)

Upper leaf] erased pencil annotation of 5 lines and approximately 27 words.

(enhanced image)

Rear pastedown (inscribed, with institutional label)

Top right corner] institutional label.
Middle leaf] ink inscription:
"'If we can conceive it possible that the
creator of the world himself assumed the form
of his creature, and lived in that manner for
a time upon earth, this creature must seem
to us of infinite perfection, because sus-
ceptible of such a combination with his maker.
Hence, in our idea of man there can be
no inconsistency with our idea of God; and
if we often feel a certain disagreement with
Him and remoteness from Him, it is but the
more on that account our duty, not like
advocates of the wicked Spirit, to keep our
eyes continually on the nakedness and
wickedness of our nature; but rather
to seek out every property and beauty, by
which our pretension to a similarity with
the Divinity may be made good.'"

Commentary

Rear pastedown (inscribed, with institutional label)

close window

Melville's source for this excerpt, Thomas Carlyle's translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Travels (Sealts No. 230), is independently identified by James Duban ("'Visible Objects'" 1) and Clare Spark (164).

Rear board

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