"and leave itself unfurnished,"
is altered to "leave itself unfinished!" I confess I cannot see the slightest warrant for this change. The words—
"having made one,
Methinks IT should have power to steal both his,"
distinctly show that the author was alluding to the eye only, and not to the portrait and how could the eye (already made) describe itself as unfinished? Surely the sense is unfurnished, that is, unfurnished with its companion, or probably with the other accessories required to complete the portrait.
P. 119. has the line—
"And swearing 'til my very roof was dry,"
transmogrified into—
"And swearing 'til my very tongue was dry."
Now, why "this lame and impotent conclusion?" What can be a more common expression than the "roof of the mouth?" and it is just the part which is most affected by a sensation of dryness and pricking, after any excitement in speaking, whereas the tongue is not the member that suffers!