is affixed to the last line. Only one copy is extant, that which was
purchased, in 1867, from the executors of R.C. Dallas, by the Trustees
of the British Museum. Even this copy has been mutilated. Pages 17, 18,
which must have contained the first version of the attack on Jeffrey
(see 'English Bards', p. 332, line 439, 'note' 2), have been torn out,
and quarto proof-sheets in smaller type of lines 438-527, "Hail to
immortal Jeffrey," etc., together with a quarto proof-sheet, in the same
type as 'British Bards', containing lines 540-559, "Illustrious
Holland," etc., have been inserted. Hobhouse's lines (first edition,
lines 247-262), which are not in the original draft, are included in
'British Bards'. The insertion of the proofs increased the printed
matter to 584 lines. After the completion of this revised version of
'British Bards', additions continued to be made. Marginal corrections
and MS. fragments, bound up with 'British Bards', together with
forty-four lines (lines 723-726, 819-858) which do not occur in MS. M.,
make up with the printed matter the 696 lines which were published in
March, 1809, under the title of 'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers'.
The folio and quarto sheets in Mr. Murray's possession ('MS. M.') may be
regarded as the MS. of 'British Bards; British Bards' (there are a few
alterations, e.g. the substitution of lines 319-326, "Moravians, arise,"
etc., for the eight lines on Pratt, which are to be found in the folio
MS., and are printed in 'British Bards'), with its accompanying MS.
fragments, as the foundation of the text of the first edition of
'English Bards, and Scotch Reviewers'.

Between the first edition, published in March, and the second edition in
October, 1809, the difference is even greater than between the first
edition and 'British Bards'. The Preface was enlarged, and a postscript
affixed to the text of the poem. Hobhouse's lines (first edition,
247-262) were omitted, and the following additional passages inserted,