PREFACE TO THE POEMS.


The text of the present issue of Lord Byron's Poetical Works is based on
that of 'The Works of Lord Byron', in six volumes, 12mo, which was
published by John Murray in 1831. That edition followed the text of the
successive issues of plays and poems which appeared in the author's
lifetime, and were subject to his own revision, or that of Gifford and
other accredited readers. A more or less thorough collation of the
printed volumes with the MSS. which were at Moore's disposal, yielded a
number of variorum readings which have appeared in subsequent editions
published by John Murray. Fresh collations of the text of individual
poems with the original MSS. have been made from time to time, with the
result that the text of the latest edition (one-vol. 8vo, 1891) includes
some emendations, and has been supplemented by additional variants.
Textual errors of more or less importance, which had crept into the
numerous editions which succeeded the seventeen-volume edition of 1832,
were in some instances corrected, but in others passed over. For the
purposes of the present edition the printed text has been collated with
all the MSS. which passed through Moore's hands, and, also, for the
first time, with MSS. of the following plays and poems, viz. 'English
Bards, and Scotch Reviewers'; 'Childe Harold', Canto IV.; 'Don Juan',
Cantos VI.-XVI.; 'Werner'; 'The Deformed Transformed'; 'Lara';
'Parisina'; 'The Prophecy of Dante'; 'The Vision of Judgment'; 'The Age
of Bronze'; 'The Island'. The only works of any importance which have
been printed directly from the text of the first edition, without
reference to the MSS., are the following, which appeared in 'The
Liberal' (1822-23), viz.: 'Heaven and Earth', 'The Blues', and 'Morgante
Maggiore'.