Page:The bibliography of Tennyson (1896).pdf/23

1831.] an edition, limited to fifty copies, was issued for private circulation in 1875, with a monograph by the author of "Tennysoniana."

This little volume was suppressed at the Poet's instigation by a decree of the Court of Chancery and is now very difficult to find. It contained twelve pages of preliminary matter (with title, contents, indicating the sources of the minor poems, and "a Monograph on 'The Lover's Tale,' a Supplementary Chapter to 'Tennysoniana (of which the second edition had not then been published), and sixty-four pages of text, of which forty-eight were occupied by the principal poem, and sixteen by the minor poems, not accessible elsewhere, except in the publications to which they were originally contributed. Some of the copies were done up in blue and white boards, entirely uncut; others were bound in vellum or half roan, with edges uncut and tops gilt; others remained loose or stitched, in the original sheets. But a large proportion of the copies were confiscated; and probably not more than twenty or two dozen were put into actual circulation.

A previous attempt, in the same direction, was made in the later months of 1870, but without title, table of contents, or monograph, and it lacked completeness in regard to the collection of Minor Poems, while including some others afterwards acknowledged and restored. This also was suppressed, at the instigation of the late Mr. B. M. Pickering.