Linenotes

Title] The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere. In Seven Parts L. B. 1798: The Ancient Mariner. A Poet's Reverie L. B. 1800, 1802, 1805.

[Note.—The 'Argument' was omitted in L. B. 1802, 1805, Sibylline Leaves, 1817, and in 1828, 1829, and 1834.]

Part I] I L. B. 1798, 1800. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In Seven Parts. S. L., 1828, 1829.

It is an ancyent Marinere L. B. 1798 [ancient is spelled 'ancyent' and Mariner 'Marinere' through out L. B. 1798].

thy glittering eye L. B. 1798, 1800.

stopp'st thou] stoppest L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between and 13

But still he holds the wedding guest—
There was a Ship, quoth he—
'Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale,
Marinere, [Mariner! 1800] come with me.'

He holds him with his skinny hand—
Quoth he, there was a Ship—
Now get thee hence thou greybeard Loon!
Or my Staff shall make thee skip.

L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between and 55

Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind,
A Wind and Tempest strong!
For days and weeks it play'd us freaks—
Like chaff we drove along.

Listen Stranger! Mist and Snow,
And it grew wondrous cauld;
And Ice mast-high came floating by
As green as Emerauld.

L. B. 1798.

Between and 51

But now the Northwind came more fierce,
There came a Tempest strong!
And Southward still for days and weeks
Like Chaff we drove along.

L. B. 1800.

Lines 41-50 of the text were added in Sibylline Leaves, 1817. [Note. The emendation in the marginal gloss, 'driven' for 'drawn' first appears in 1893.]

clifts] clift S. L. [probably a misprint. It is not corrected in the Errata.]

Nor . . . nor] Ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

Like noises of a swound L. B. 1798: A wild and ceaseless sound L. B. 1800.

And an it were L. B. 1798: As if MS. Corr. S. T. C.

The Mariners gave it biscuit-worms L. B. 1798, 1800.

fog-smoke white] fog smoke-white L. B. 1798 (corr. in Errata).

Part II] II L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Second, S. L. 1828, 1829.

The Sun came up L. B. 1798.

And broad as a weft upon the left L. B. 1798.

Nor] Ne L. B. 1798.

mariners'] Marinere's L. B. 1798, 1800, S. L. 1817: Mariner's L. B. 1800.

a] an all editions to 1834.

[95-6]

om. L. B. 1798, 1800: were added in Sibylline Leaves.

Nor . . . nor] ne . . . ne L. B. 1798. like an Angel's head L. B. 1800.

The breezes blew L. B. 1798, 1800.

The furrow stream'd off free S. L. 1817.

[190:A] In the former editions the line was,

The furrow follow'd free:

But I had not been long on board a ship, before I perceived that this was the image as seen by a spectator from the shore, or from another vessel. From the ship itself, the Wake appears like a brook flowing off from the stern. Note to S. L. 1817.

nor . . . nor] ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

Nor] Ne L. B. 1798.

deep] deeps L. B. 1798, 1800.

well a-day] wel-a-day L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between and 149

I saw a something in the sky
No bigger than my fist;
At first it seem'd, &c.

L. B. 1798.

Between and 147

So past a weary time, each throat
Was parch'd and glaz'd each eye,
When looking westward, &c.

L. B. 1800.

[Lines 143-8 of the text in their present shape were added in Sibylline Leaves, 1817.]

Part III] III L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Third, S. L. 1828, 1829.

And still it ner'd and ner'd. L. B. 1798, 1800.

And, an it dodg'd L. B. 1798: And, as if it dodg'd L. B. 1800, S. L. 1817.

[157-60]

With throat unslack'd with black lips baked
Ne could we laugh, ne wail,
Then while thro' drouth all dumb they stood
I bit my arm, and suck'd the blood

L. B. 1798.

With throat unslack'd, &c. L. B. 1800, 1802, S. L. 1817.

Till I bit my arm and suck'd the blood L. B. 1800.

With throat unslack'd, &c. L. B. 1798, 1800, 1802, S. L. 1817.

[167-70]

She doth not tack from side to side—
Hither to work us weal.
Withouten wind, withouten tide
She steddies with upright keel.

L. B. 1798.

She steddies L. B. 1800, S. L. 1817.

straight] strait L. B. 1798, 1800.

neres and neres L. B. 1798, 1800.

her] her 1834, and also in 185 and 190.

Between 184-90

Are those her naked ribs, which fleck'd
The sun that did behind them peer?
And are those two all, all the crew,
That woman and her fleshless Pheere?

His bones were black with many a crack,
All black and bare I ween;
Jet-black and bare, save where with rust
Of mouldy damps and charnel crust
They're patch'd with purple and green.

L. B. 1798.

Are those her ribs which fleck'd the Sun
Like the bars of a dungeon grate?
And are those two all, all the crew
That woman and her mate?

MS. Correction of S. T. C. in L. B. 1798.

Are those her Ribs, thro' which the Sun
Did peer as thro' a grate?
And are those two all, all her crew,
That Woman, and her Mate?

His bones were black with many a crack

They were patch'd with purple and green.

L. B. 1800.

This Ship it was a plankless thing,
—A bare Anatomy!
A plankless spectre—and it mov'd
Like a Being of the Sea!
The woman and a fleshless man
Therein sate merrily.

His bones were black, &c. (as in 1800).

This stanza was found added in the handwriting of the Poet in the margin of a copy of the Bristol Edition [1798] of Lyrical Ballads. It is here printed for the first time. Note P. and D. W., 1877-80, ii. 36.

[193:A] those] these Errata, L. B. 1798.

[190-4.]

Her lips are red, her looks are free,
Her locks are yellow as gold:
Her skin is as white as leprosy,
And she is far liker Death than he;
Her flesh makes the still air cold.

L. B. 1798.

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were as yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
And she was far liker Death than he;
Her flesh made the still air cold.

L. B. 1800.

casting] playing L. B. 1798, 1800.

The game is done, I've, I've won S. L. 1817, 1828, 1839, 1834, 1844. The restoration of the text of 1798 and 1800 dates from 1852.

whistles] whistled L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between 198-218

A gust of wind sterte up behind
And whistled thro' his bones;

Thro the

holes of his eyes and the hole of his mouth
hole L. B. 1802, 1805

Half-whistles and half-groans.

With never a whisper in the Sea
Off darts the Spectre-ship;
While clombe above the Eastern bar
The horned Moon with one bright Star
Almost atween the tips.
[Almost between the tips. L. B. 1800.]

One after one by the horned Moon
(Listen, O Stranger! to me)
Each turn'd his face with a ghastly pang
And curs'd me with his ee.

Four times fifty living men,
With never a sigh or groan,

L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between 198-9 A gust of wind . . . half groans. S. L. (Page 15 erase the second stanza. Errata, S. L., p. [xi].)

Between 201-12

With never a whisper on the main
Off shot the spectre ship;
And stifled words and groans of pain

Mix'd on each murmuring
trembling

lip.

And we look'd round, and we look'd up,
And fear at our hearts, as at a cup,
The Life-blood seem'd to sip—

The sky was dull, and dark the night,
The helmsman's face by his lamp gleam'd bright,
From the sails the dews did drip—
Till clomb above the Eastern Bar,
The horned Moon, with one bright star
Within its nether tip.

Undated MS. correction of S. T. C. (first published 1893).

dew] dews S. L. 1817.

clomb] clombe S. L. 1817, 1828.

Part IV] IV. L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Fourth S. L. 1828, 1829.

The] Their L. B. 1798, 1800.

ancyent Marinere L. B. 1798.

[233-4]

Alone on the wide wide sea;
And Christ would take no pity on

L. B. 1798, 1800.

And a million, million slimy things L. B. 1798, 1800.

rotting] eldritch L. B. 1798: ghastly L. B. 1800.

And] Till L. B. 1798, 1800.

load] cloud S. L. (for cloud read load. Errata, S. L., p. [xi]).

Ne rot, ne reek L. B. 1798.

the curse] a curse 1828, 1829.

Like morning frosts yspread L. B. 1798.

Part V] V. L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Fifth S. L. 1828, 1829.

To Mary-queen L. B. 1798, 1800. given] yeven L. B. 1798.

awoke] woke (a pencilled correction in 1828, ? by S. T. C.).

The roaring wind! it roar'd far off L. B. 1798.

burst] bursts L. B. 1798.

were] are L. B. 1798.

The stars dance on between. L. B. 1798.

[317-24]

The coming wind doth roar more loud;
The sails do sigh, like sedge:
The rain pours down from one black cloud
And the Moon is at its edge.

Hark! hark! the thick black cloud is cleft,
And the Moon is at its side

L. B. 1798.

fell] falls L. B. 1798.

[327-8]

The strong wind reach'd the ship: it roar'd
And dropp'd down like a stone!

L. B. 1798.

nor . . . nor] ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

Between 344-5

And I quak'd to think of my own voice
How frightful it would be!

L. B. 1798.

[345-9]

om. in L. B. 1798, added in L. B. 1800.

The daylight dawn'd L. B. 1798.

sky-lark] Lavrock L. B. 1798.

Between 372-3

Listen, O listen, thou Wedding-guest!
'Marinere! thou hast thy will:
For that, which comes out of thine eye, doth make
My body and soul to be still.'

Never sadder tale was told
To a man of woman born:
Sadder and wiser thou wedding-guest!
Thoul't rise to-morrow morn.

Never sadder tale was heard
By a man of woman born:
The Marineres all return'd to work
As silent as beforne.

The Marineres all 'gan pull the ropes,
But look at me they n'old;
Thought I, I am as thin as air—
They cannot me behold.

L. B. 1798.

quietly] silently L. B. 1798, 1800.

down in] into L. B. 1798, 1800.

Part VI] VI. L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Part the Sixth S. L. 1828, 1829.

Withouten wave L. B. 1798.

[440-1]

een from theirs; Ne turn L. B. 1798.

[442-6]

And in its time the spell was snapt,
And I could move my een:
I look'd far-forth, but little saw
Of what might else be seen.

L. B. 1798.

lonesome] lonely L. B. 1798.

Nor . . . nor] Ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

O dream L. B. 1798, 1800.

Between 475-80

The moonlight bay was white all o'er,
Till rising from the same,
Full many shapes, that shadows were,
Like as of torches came.

A little distance from the prow
Those dark-red shadows were;
But soon I saw that my own flesh
Was red as in a glare.

I turn'd my head in fear and dread,
And by the holy rood,
The bodies had advanc'd, and now
Before the mast they stood.

They lifted up their stiff right arms,
They held them strait and tight;
And each right-arm burnt like a torch,
A torch that's borne upright.
Their stony eye-balls glitter'd on
In the red and smoky light.

I pray'd and turn'd my head away
Forth looking as before.
There was no breeze upon the bay,
No wave against the shore.

L. B. 1798.

Oh, Christ!] O Christ L. B. 1798, 1800.

oh!] O L. B. 1798, 1800.

But soon] Eftsones L. B. 1798.

Between 503-4

Then vanish'd all the lovely lights;
The bodies rose anew:
With silent pace, each to his place,
Came back the ghastly crew,
The wind, that shade nor motion made,
On me alone it blew.

L. B. 1798.

[205:A]

Then vanish'd all the lovely lights,
The spirits of the air,
No souls of mortal men were they,
But spirits bright and fair.

MS. Correction by S. T. C. in a copy of L. B. 1798.

makes] maketh (a pencilled correction in 1828, ? by S. T. C.).

Part VII] VII. L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Seventh S. L. 1829: The Ancient Mariner. Part the Seventh 1828.

marineres] mariners L. B. 1800.

That come from a far Contrée. L. B. 1798.

neared] ner'd L. B. 1798, 1800.

looked] look L. B. 1798, 1800, S. L.

Brown] The L. B. 1798, 1800, S. L. [for The read Brown. Errata, S. L. 1817, p. (xi)].

nor . . . nor] ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

What manner man L. B. 1798, 1800.

[582-5]

Since then at an uncertain hour,
Now ofttimes and now fewer,
That anguish comes and makes me tell
My ghastly aventure.

L. B. 1798.

agony] agency [a misprint] L. B. 1800.

That] The L. B. 1798, 1800.

Farewell, farewell] The comma to be omitted. Errata, L. B. 1798.

The Marinere L. B. 1798.