[The Cenci, begun at Rome on the 14th of May, 1819, was finished at Villa Valsovano, half way between Leghorn and Monte Nero, about the middle of August, and printed at Leghorn in the same year, though not published in England till the spring of 1820. This first edition, usually described as an octavo volume, is in fact a quarto, being printed on small sheets of paper folded in four. It consists of title-page, Dedication pp. III to V, Preface pp. VII to XIV, fly-title with dramatis personæ on back, and pp. 4 to 104 of text. There is no printer's name on it. The second edition is an octavo,-with title, 2 pages of dedication, 11 pages of preface, fly-title with dramatis personæ, and text pp. 3 to 103. The title-page has an imprint at back, “London: Printed by C. H. Reynell, Broad Street, Golden Square," which is repeated at the end of the book. The title-pages of both editions are reproduced opposite. This is the one work of Shelley's whereof two editions were published during his lifetime; and there is perhaps firmer ground here for a text than in any other of his works. The first edition has a few errors of the press incidental to the Italian compositors' ignorance of English; but there was probably much less deviation from the MS. here than in the works printed in England, because the compositors would not know how to deviate; and Shelley's correspondence shews that he bestowed great care on the work. The second edition is far less suspect than most of the books printed in England in Shelley's absence, probably because it was printed from a slightly revised copy of the first edition, in which case there would not be the many questionable places that a MS. presents for a printer to exercise his ingenuity on. Still there are very numerous minute variations, in spelling and punctuation; and I suspect comparatively few of these were Shelley's own alterations. I have collated the two editions, following, as a rule, the first, as by far the most characteristic, but adopting, without specification, a few fresh pointings and spellings from the second, where they are decided improvements and commend themselves as authentic. Variations of pointing affecting the sense are noted, as are also the verbal variations between the two editions; and even the second, inferior as on the whole it seems to me, has as much claim to be considered authentic as any of the other books printed in England while Shelley was in Italy. The names of the speakers, in both first and second editions, stand abbreviated at the commencement of the first line of each speech: as a matter of convenience and perspicuity, I have followed Mrs. Shelley in giving the names in full and placing them over the centre of each speech. I am not aware that the MS. of The Cenci is extant.-H.B.F.] THE CENCI. A TRAGEDY, IN FIVE ACTS. By PERCY B. SHELLEY. ITALY. VERE STREET, BOND STREET, LONDON. |