Blake, William. Poetical works: a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letter-press originals; with variorum readings and bibliographical notes and prefaces by J. Sampson. *$3.50. Oxford.
“‘Blake’s final version is uniformly adopted as the text, while all earlier or cancelled readings are supplied in foot-notes.’ All the poems are arranged exactly as they are found, and each group is given, as far as is known, in chronological order. The two main MS. sources, the Rossetti and the Pickering MSS., are now printed for the first time from careful and accurate transcripts, made by the present owner, Mr. W. A. White of Brooklyn, N. Y.”—Ath.
“If it be desirable to possess a scholarly and complete edition of Blake, it would be impossible to imagine anything more suitable to the purpose than the edition before us.”
+ + Acad. 69: 1325. D. 23, ’05. 830w.
“Mr. Sampson’s edition of Blake is a masterpiece of editing and Blake, of all modern English poets, was most in need of a good editor.”
+ + Ath. 1906, 1: 100. Ja. 27. 2150w.
“We cannot be too grateful for this beautiful and scholarly edition of the great mystic.”
+ + Dial. 40: 160. Mr. 1, ’06. 110w.
“Mr. Sampson has compiled texts, compared different readings, grasped and illuminated obscure points, with all the tact and insight of the born commentator. His book should become the standard authority for all Blake students.”