Page:Shelley, a poem, with other writings (Thomson, Debell).djvu/94

76 varies inversely as the square of the distance from the period of the text. Year by year even now some person may die, some document perish, from whom or which a precious ray of light might have been cast on some obscure point in the life or works of our Poet; and moreover, year by year the literary atmosphere is becoming in many important respects more and more unlike that which he inhaled and exhaled. Think how inestimable would have been critical editions of Shakespere within a couple of generations of his death!

Mr. Rossetti was first in the field, in 1870, with what may be termed his tentative edition in two volumes, a laborious and daring work, sweeping away many obstructions, unearthing and replacing various fragments, checking current texts by original editions or MSS., challenging incongruities real or apparent, testing the soundness of materials, correcting lapses, hazarding many alterations: in brief, attempting to restore, on paper (for "restorations" in books are fortunately not irreversible, like those in buildings and pictures), the manifold completed compositions as designed, if not in every point wrought out, by the artist; and succeeding, at any rate, by clear exposition and keen discussion, in putting many of the most difficult problems in a fair way for ultimate settlement, and pointing out the insolubility of the insoluble. Seven years later Mr. Forman completed his edition in four volumes, taking full advantage of various fresh discoveries and collations, profiting by the labours while rigorously checking the conclusions of his predecessor; and generally, though not quite consistently throughout, showing himself more conservative in staunch adherence to what are termed authorities, even when their claims to our allegiance are not beyond dispute. And now in this