Melville's Marginalia Online

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Melville@200

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Spine

1.Front matter

Front board

Front pastedown (inscribed)

Lower leaf] ink notation with pasted object:
"This moss was gathered in Salem,
and therefore I place it here
for a frontispiece.
P. S. It may be objected
that this is sea-moss;—but
then it only went to sea—like
many young mortals—in its youth,
and to my certain knowledge has
been ashore ever since."
Bottom right corner] pencil notation:
"August
1850".

Commentary

Front pastedown (inscribed)

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The pencil addition of "August 1850" would appear to be Melville's recollection of when the "sea-moss" was pasted to this leaf and could have been inscribed by him at any time between August, 1850, and hisdeath in September 1891.

Front free endpaper

Top right corner] bookseller's pencil inscription:
"$ 1.25".

Front free endpaper verso (autographed)

Upper leaf] ink autograph inscription:
"H. Melville.
from Aunt Mary. Pittsfield. July 18, 1850".

Commentary

Front free endpaper verso (autographed)

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In the Mosses review, Melville describes the volume as being given to him by his cousin "Cherry," but the Aunt Mary referenced here is most likely Mary Anna Augusta Melville, the widow of Melville's Uncle Thomas. The pinholes beneath the inscription indicate that something was pinned to this leaf (NN PTPP 240, 663-664).

Front flyleaf

Front flyleaf verso (inscribed)

Upper leaf] pencil notation:
"July 4.Born 1804".

Commentary

Front flyleaf verso (inscribed)

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In the copies of works he admired, Melville regularly inscribed the authors' birth and death dates, as well as other key dates in their careers.

Title

Printer's imprint

The Old Manse (pp. 1-31)

Unmarked pages 1-9

4-5] pencil score.

1.010 (marked)

Melville quoted from the marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 241).

1.011 (marked)

2-4] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 12-15

26-27] pencil underlines.
26-28] pencil checkmark.
30-32] pencil score.

1.017 (marked)

1-2] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 18-19

7-10] pencil score.

26-30] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 22-25

2-4] pencil score.
13-14] pencil checkmark.
15-32] pencil broken score.

Commentary

1.026 (marked)

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Melville quoted from the second marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 241).

Unmarked pages 27-31

The Birth-Mark (pp. 32-51)

Unmarked pages 32-33

1.032

1.033

1.034 (marked)

30-32] pencil score.
31] pencil underline.

1.035

1.036 (marked)

5-9] pencil score.
16-20] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 37-39

22-26] pencil score.

26-27] pencil score.
31-32] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 42-43

1.042

1.043

1.044 (marked)

7-11] pencil score.
26-27] pencil score.
32-33] pencil checkmark.

1.045 (marked)

1-5] pencil score.
2] pencil underline.

Unmarked pages 46-47

1.046

1.047

1.048 (marked)

7-9] pencil score and checkmark.
21-25] pencil score.

1.049 (marked)

10-11] pencil underlines.

1.050

1.051 (marked and annotated)

8-24] pencil score.
Bottom margin] pencil annotation:
"The moral here is wonderfully fine".

A Select Party (pp. 52-68)

1.052

1.053 (marked)

2-6] pencil enclosure.

1.054 (marked)

23-33] pencil score.

1.055 (marked)

28-31] pencil wavy score.

Unmarked pages 56-57

1.056

1.057

1.058 (marked)

4-14] pencil score.
13-14] pencil stray mark.
27-29] pencil checkmark.

1.059 (marked)

23-24] pencil checkmark.

1.060 (marked)

11-33] pencil score.
19-21] pencil triple score.

Commentary

1.060 (marked)

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Melville quoted from the first marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 252).

Melville quoted from the second marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 253).

1.061 (marked)

1-5] pencil score.

1.062

1.063 (marked)

3-6] pencil score.
29-32] pencil score.

1.064 (marked)

5-7] pencil score.
8-10] pencil score.

1.065

1.066 (marked)

10-14] pencil score.
12-13] pencil triple score.

Unmarked pages 67-68

1.067

1.068

Young Goodman Brown (pp. 69-84)

Unmarked pages 69-76

19-22] pencil score.

1.077 (marked)

Melville quoted from the marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 251).

Unmarked pages 78-80

21-23] pencil score.

4-5] pencil score and underlines.

Commentary

1.082 (marked)

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Melville quoted from the marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 251).

Unmarked pages 83-84

1.083

Top margin] stray ink mark.

1.084

Rappaccini's Daughter (pp. 85-118)

27-32] pencil score.

10-13] pencil score.

24-26] pencil score.

8-12] pencil score.

25-30] pencil score.

6-18] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 93-96

12-15] pencil score.
27-28] pencil score.

1.098 (marked)

18-19] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 99-106

2-4] pencil checkmark.

1.108 (marked)

32-33] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 109-110

1.109

1.110

1.111 (marked)

17-18] pencil checkmark.

1.112 (marked)

32-33] pencil checkmark.

1.113 (marked)

1] pencil underline.

1.114 (marked)

9-11] pencil score.

1.115 (marked)

10-12] pencil triple score.

1.116

1.117 (marked)

1-3] pencil checkmark.

1.118 (marked)

13-14] pencil triple scores at inner and outer margins.
22-23] three erased pencil checkmarks.

(enhanced image)

Mrs. Bullfrog (pp. 119-127)

1.119 (marked)

12-14] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 120-127

Fire-Worship (pp. 128-136)

Unmarked pages 128-129

1.128

1.129

1.130 (marked)

30-33] pencil arced score.

Commentary

1.130 (marked)

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Melville quoted the marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 241-242).

1.131 (marked)

1-9] pencil arced score.

Commentary

1.131 (marked)

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Melville quoted the marked passage in his Mosses review (NN PTPP 241-42).

Unmarked pages 132-135

Bottom margin] pencil annotation:
"Most admirable".

Buds and Bird-Voices (pp. 137-146)

1.137 (marked)

20-21] pencil score.

1.138

1.139 (marked)

5] pencil underline.

Unmarked pages 140-146

Monsieur du Miroir (pp. 147-158)

Unmarked pages 147-149

10-11] pencil underlines.

1.151 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] pencil x and annotation:
"Here there was an interval in the
composition of this admirable piece."
1-2] pencil x.

Commentary

1.151 (marked and annotated)

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As shown in this image, Melville's inscription includes the following revisions.

Line 2: admirable Piece] admirable P<e>iece

1.152 (marked)

22-25] pencil checkmark.
24] pencil underline.

1.153 (marked and annotated)

11-12] pencil score and annotation:
"Exquisite".
21-25] pencil wavy score and annotation:
"What
can be
finer."

1.154 (marked)

28-30] pencil checkmark.

1.155 (marked and annotated)

Top margin] pencil x and annotation:
"What a revelation."
2-4] pencil x.
3] pencil underline.
9] pencil checkmark or stray mark.
11-12] pencil score.
13-14] pencil brackets and circled x.
Bottom margin] pencil circled x and annotation:
"This trenches upon the uncertain
and the terrible."

Commentary

1.155 (marked and annotated)

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Melville's annotation in the bottom margin includes the following revisions:

Line 1: This trenches upon] This trenche{s} upon

1.156 (marked)

4] pencil underline.
4-6] pencil double score.
7] pencil underline.
7-12] pencil score.
14-15] pencil score.

1.157 (marked)

8-9] pencil checkmark.

1.158 (marked)

1-3] pencil score.
15-17] pencil score.
25-26] pencil score.
31-33] pencil score and triple cross-checks.

The Hall of Fantasy (pp. 159-172)

Unmarked pages 159-165

2-5] pencil checkmark.
16-17] pencil checkmark.
23-26] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 167-168

1.167

1.168

1.169 (marked)

3-6] pencil checkmark.
22-25] pencil score.

1.170

1.171 (marked)

26-29] pencil checkmark.

1.172

The Celestial Railroad (pp. 173-192)

Unmarked pages 173-183

13-16] pencil score.
30-32] pencil score.

1.185 (marked)

20-21] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 186-188

1.186

1.187

1.188

1.189 (marked and annotated)

2-10] pencil wavy score and x.
10] pencil underline.
Bottom margin] pencil x and annotation:
"Nothing can be finer than this."
"May 1865".

Commentary

1.189 (marked and annotated)

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"May 1865" is added beneath the x and annotation in the bottom margin.

1.190 (marked)

15-18] pencil score.

1.191

1.192 (marked)

13-14] pencil underlines.
22-23] pencil triple crosschecks.

The Procession of Life (pp. 193-207)

Unmarked pages 193-196

24-27] pencil score.
29-31] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 198-199

1.198

1.199

1.200 (marked)

1-6] pencil wavy score.
6-8] pencil underlines.
6-9] pencil score.
11-20] pencil wavy score.
28-31] pencil checkmark.

1.201 (marked)

4-6] pencil checkmark.
24-25] pencil underlines.

1.202 (marked)

23-24] pencil score.

1.203 (marked)

11-12] pencil score.
21-24] pencil double wavy score.

1.204

1.205 (marked)

7-9] pencil checkmark.

1.206

1.207 (marked)

27-31] pencil wavy score.

2.Front matter

2.Contents (marked and emended)

2] pencil caret and strike-through with annotation:
"Serpent".

Commentary

2.Contents (marked and emended)

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Melville made a similar correction in the fair copy manuscript of the Mosses review, (NN PTPP 667).

2. Contents verso

The New Adam and Eve (pp. 1-21)

2.[001] (marked)

3-14] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 1-2

2.002

2.003 (marked)

24-26] pencil checkmark.
29-30] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 4-6

15-19] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 8-18

8-17] pencil score.
13-15] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 20-21

2.020

2.021

Egotism; Or The Bosom Serpent (pp. 22-37)

Unmarked pages 22-30

19-33] pencil score.
27-29] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 32-34

2-5] pencil arced score.

2.036

2.037 (marked)

17-18] pencil checkmark.

The Christmas Banquet (pp. 38-58)

Unmarked pages 38-39

2.038

2.039

2.040 (marked)

8-10] pencil checkmark.

2.041 (marked)

1-4] pencil wavy score.
15-21] pencil score.
21-22] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 42-44

3-5] pencil score.

4-6] pencil checkmark.

2.047

2.048 (marked)

18-28] pencil broken score.

2.049 (marked)

12-13] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 50-53

26-28] pencil score.

28-29] pencil checkmark.
29] pencil underline.

2.056

2.057 (marked)

29-33] pencil score.

2.058 (marked)

1-8] pencil score.

Drowne's Wooden Image (pp. 59-73)

Unmarked pages 59-63

7-11] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 65-66

2.065

2.066

2.067 (marked)

30-32] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 68-73

The Intelligence Office (pp. 74-89)

Unmarked pages 74-85

14-20] pencil score.

5-15] pencil enclosure.
25-32] pencil arced score.

Commentary

2.087 (marked)

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Melville quoted the second marked passage in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 250).

2.088 (marked)

21-24] pencil score.
25-32] pencil score.

2.089

Roger Malvin's Burial (pp. 90-112)

Unmarked pages 90-97

9-10] pencil checkmark.
13-16] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 99-108

6-7] pencil underlines.
19-24] pencil wavy score.

Unmarked pages 110-112

2.110

2.111

2.112

P.'s Correspondence (pp. 113-132)

Unmarked pages 113-116

25-31] pencil score.

5-7] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 119-123

25-31] pencil arced score.

Unmarked pages 125-129

32-33] pencil score.

1] pencil score.

Earth's Holocaust (pp. 133-155)

Unmarked pages 133-148

18-19] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 150-155

The Old Apple-Dealer (pp. 156-163)

Unmarked pages 156-160

6] pencil score.

14-15] pencil enclosure.

2.162

2.163 (marked)

1-5] pencil wavy score.
10-12] pencil score.

The Artist Of The Beautiful (pp. 164-191)

Unmarked pages 164-170

15-20] pencil triple wavy score.

2.172

2.173 (marked)

26-27] pencil score.

2.174 (marked)

6-8] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 175-178

13-14] pencil score.
16-17] pencil score.
24-26] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 180-191

A Virtuoso's Collection (pp. 192-211)

Unmarked pages 192-196

8-9] pencil checkmark.

2.198 (marked)

2-4] pencil score.
29-31] pencil checkmark.

Unmarked pages 199-201

17-18] pencil checkmark.

2.203

2.204 (marked)

1-2] pencil checkmark.
29-31] pencil score.

2.205 (marked)

1-3] pencil wavy score.
16-18] pencil wavy score.

Unmarked pages 206-207

2.206

2.207

2.208 (marked)

21-23] pencil score.
24-26] pencil score.

Unmarked pages 209-210

2.209

2.210

2.211 (marked)

1-9] pencil wavy score.

Back matter

Rear free endpaper verso (inscribed)

Upper to lower leaf] pencil notations:
"Shenstone's Schoolmistress p. 207.
————//———— //————
Angular house, Indian loop-
holes.—Old Locust trees.
Vines [?overrunning] the eaves & gutters,
————//———— //————
"Masonic Mirror & Symbolical Chart."
"Solomon's temple" Interior of the Holy of
Holies—looked like a pantry.
The brazier of brass—big trough. &c &c &c

Ruth .iv & vii—Shoe—Squares, compases,
levels, trowels, hammers, aprons, hour-glasses,
bee-hives, spades, swords, books, joined hands, keys,
pens, chisels, candlesticks.
—Compass & square crossed upon an open
book—".

Commentary

Rear free endpaper verso (inscribed)

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Melville's notes on this leaf are divided into three sections by his characteristic separators, horizontal lines separated by pairs of vertical slashes.

In the first section, he took note of Hawthorne's allusion to "The School Mistress," a poem by William Shenstone (1714-63), in "A Virtuoso's Collection."

The second section is an early draft of the description of the "fine old farmhouse" in the opening paragraph of the Mosses review (NN PTPP 239).

The third section is notes taken on the pamphlet Masonic Mirror and Symbolic Chart (Sealts No. 351.1)

The second word in line 5 is ambiguous: possible readings, with varying degrees of omission and elision, include "overrunning" (NN Journals 606), "covering" (Cowen, 1.627) or "circling."

In line 8, Cowen reads "triangle" for "trough" (1.627).

As shown in this image, Melville's inscription includes the following revisions.

Line 3: Old Locust trees] Old <l> Locust trees
Line 11: hands, keys,] hands, {keys,}
Line 12: {pens, chisels, candlesticks.}
Line 13: —Compass & square] —Compas{s} & square

Rear pastedown (inscribed and with institutional label)

Upper leaf] partially erased pencil notation:
"Developable parts".—Secret properties—
I had formerly read "Twice Told Tales".
[— ? —] [— ? —] [—— ? ——]".
Upper leaf] institutional label.
Bottom right corner] pencil initials:
"E. M. M."

(enhanced image)

Commentary

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The first line of this inscription contains notes for the next to last paragraph of the Mosses review (NN PTPP 253).

Melville also makes reference to having read Twice Told Tales in the Mosses review (NN PTPP 249) but confessed in a February 12, 1851 letter to Duyckinck that he "had not read but a few of them before" (NN Correspondence 181).

Beneath these notes for Melville's review "Hawthorne and His Mosses" is a second erased inscription that is partially covered by the Houghton Library label.

The initials "E.M.M." in the bottom right corner are those of Melville's granddaughter Eleanor Melville Metcalf, who donated this volume to Harvard's Houghton Library in 1937.

Rear board

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