Note aa — CANTO THE FIRST.
Reading edition
{21} Stanza ix. was the result of much elaboration. The first draft, which was pasted over the rejected stanzas (vide supra, p. 20, var. i.), retains the numerous erasures and emendations. It ran as follows:—
And none did love him though to hall and bower few could Haughty he gathered revellers from far and near An evil smile just bordering on a sneer He knew them flatterers of the festal hour Curled on his lip The heartless Parasites of present cheer, As if And deemed no mortal wight his peer Yea! none did love him not his lemmans dear To gentle Dames still less he could be dear Were aught But pomp and power alone are Woman's care But And where these are let no Possessor fear The sex are slaves Maidens like moths are ever caught by glare Love shrinks outshone by Mammons dazzling glare And Mammon That Demon wins his [MS. torn] where Angels might despair.