Three Poe E-texts at the Virginia ETC v. the Harrison edition

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The Fall of the House of Usher"

Although the Virginia ETC header credits the e-text to the Oxford Text Archive, P-1855-A, the e-text actually comes from a second electronic version of the tale at the Oxford Text Archive, U*-1244-A, derived from the Penguin edition. The claim in the header of this e-text, "spell-check and verification made against printed text," refers to Vol. 3 of the Harrison edition, reprinted by AMS in 1979, but there are 42 variants between the Virginia ETC e-text and the Harrison edition, many of them substantial. Curiously, one error was introduced during the process of SGML encoding, when Béranger in the restored epigraph was rendered as Béanger, correct except for dropping the letter r.

Key: 

Page {e-text} [Harrison] 

273  {coer} [coeur] 
273  {Béanger} [Béranger] 
273  the shades of [the] evening 
273  upon the {blank} [bleak] walls 
274  fancies that crowded [upon me as I pondered. I was forced to fall back
     upon the unsatisfactory] conclusion
275  really knew {very} little of my friend. 
275  speculating upon {th} [the] possible influence 
279  that [abrupt, weighty, unhurried, and hollow-sounding enunciation 
     --that] leaden, 
279  perfectly {modulate gutteral} [modulated guttural] 
281  influence whose {suppositious} [supposititious] force 
281  although with {much} hesitation
281  the hopeless and [the] frail 
281  ancient race of {Ushers} [the Ushers]
281  without having {notice} [noticed] my presence
281  far more than [ordinary] wanness 
281  emaciated {finger} [fingers] through which {had} trickled many passionate tears
282  a gradual wasting away of the person, [and frequent although transient
     affections of a partially cataleptical character,] were 
282  the {usual} [unusual] diagnosis. 
283  From the {painting} [paintings] 
284  forcibly impressed with it, [as he gave it,] because, 
285  Along the ramparts plumed and {pallied} [pallid]
286  trespassed, under {certains} [certain] conditions
286  the method of {the} collocation of these stones 
286  and {here} I [here] started as he spoke,) 
289  the mental disorder of my friend. [His ordinary manner had vanished.] 
     His ordinary 
289  hurried, unequal, {an} [and] objectless step. 
290  swayed fitfully to and {from} [fro]
290  my very {hear} [heart] an incubus  
292  excitement which [now] agitated the hypochondriac
292  a {doughy} [doughty] heart
293  uplifted his mace {upright} [outright] 
293  so cracked, [and] ripped 
293  a conqueror {had} [hath] bin;
294  most {unusually} [unusual] screaming 
294  during the last few {minute} [minutes] 
295  removed the {carcas} [carcass] 
295  these {syllable} [syllables] passed my lips
296  yet I {dare} [dared] not -- I dared not speak!
296  blood upon her [white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle
     upon] every portion 
296  to and{from} [fro] upon the threshold
297  its shadows were{along} [alone] behind me. 
297  dank tarn at my feet {close} [closed] sullenly and silently 

"The Gold-Bug"

The Virginia ETC header credits the text to the Oxford Text Archive, P-1855-A, claims pagination and italics according to the Harrison edition, and records "two paragraphs added from this edition to the electronic text; see page 141, from 'I presume...'to '...of weather.')" But there are two more paragraphs in Harrison missing from the Virginia ETC version, a paragraph on page 106 and the cipher image on page 131, the "image omitted" deliberately there because of its heavy use of typographic symbols. In restoring the cipher image here, two substitutions are required: the single dagger is replaced by the exclamation point, and the double dagger is replaced by the plus sign. The Virginia ETC header claims "minimal spellcheck," a risky procedure in a tale so rich in dialect words and special typographic characters. This e-text contains more than 130 variants from the text in Vol. 5 of the Harrison edition.

Key: 

Page {e-text} [Harrison] 

98   {meber} [neber] feel half so hebby 
98   [you} [your] letting the birds burn 
98   "Never mind," {he} said [he] at length
100  a wallet, {placing} [placed] the paper 
101  more and more {adsorbed} [absorbed] 
101  {revery} [reverie], from 
101  my mind is got to be {barry} [berry] hebby 
101  to git mad {about} [bout] de matter 
102  to gib him {deuced} [d--d] good beating 
102  {looked} [look] so berry 
102  sich a {deuced} [d--d] bug 
103  paper and stuff {a} piece {of} [ob] it in he mouff -- dat was de way." 
103  that {you} [your] master was really bitten 
103  "I don't {think noffin'} [tink noffin] about it -- I nose it. 
104  what Massa Will sis {'pon me} [pon my] buying for 
104  debbil take me if I don't {b'lieve} [blieve]
105  Legrand had been {waiting} [awaiting] us 
105  some {enquiries} [inquiries] respecting his
106  Legrand's {concordance} [agreement]
106  and of the bug -- 
     ["My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly
     unwell, and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed,
     and I will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are
     feverish and"--] 
     "Feel my pulse," said he.
108  "dat {deuced} [d--d] bug" 
108  {journed} [journeyed] for about two hours
112  {'pon the} [pon de] limb by myself
112  you {drop} [let] that beetle [fall! -- ] I'll
112  if you will venture out on {that} [the] limb as far as 
113  a skull -- somebody bin {left} [lef] him 
113  "A skull, you say! -- very well {,} [!]
113   {dey} [dar] aint no eye {lef'} [lef]
113  "Yes, I {knows} [nose] dat -- {know} [nose] all bout dat --
113  tis my {lef'} [left] hand what I chops de wood 
114  be careful [and] not {to} let go your hold 
114  easy ting for to put {the} [de] bug fru de 
114  suffered to descend, was {not} [now] visible at 
114  thence {further} [farther] unrolled it
115  a zeal {worth} [worthy]
116  {toward} [towards] home. 
116  to the fullest {extend} [extent]
117  through which you {dropped} [let] the beetle [fall] -- here Legrand
     touched  
117  we must try [it] again." 
117  fancied [that] I saw
118  set to work with the {spade} [spades]. 
118  vagaries of thought {moust} [most] fully 
118  tore up the {mound} [mould] frantically 
118  dust of decayed {wollen} [woollen]
119  two strokes of {the} [a] spade 
119  a kind of {open} trellis-work 
119  there flashed {upward a glow and a glare} [upwards], from a confused
     heap of gold and of jewels, [a glow and a glare] that absolutely dazzled
120  de putty goole-bug! {the} [de] poor little goole-bug
120  what I boosed in {tat} [dat] sabage 
120  {Wore} [Worn] out as we were 
120  human nature to do more {immediately} [just then]
120  the hills immediately {afterward} [afterwards]
121  which, by good {lick} [luck]
121  leaving the {wholes} [holes] unfilled 
121  we deposited our {gold} [golden] burthens 
121  the first {faint} streaks of the dawn 
121  order {of} [or] arrangement. 
123  but {afterward} [afterwards] I called to mind 
124  sequence of {causes} [cause] and effect 
124  drawing {upon} [on] the parchment 
124  dismissed all {further} [farther] reflection 
125  which had flown {toward} [towards] him
125  {Upon} [On] my consenting
125  an old letter  {, when} [-- and then] my hand 
126  boat lying {upon the} [on a] sea-coast
126  could afford [but] a single result
127  apparent {upon} [on] the parchment
127  fire was blazing {upon} [on] the hearth
127  to light, {upon} [on] the parchment 
127  which I saw designed {upon} [on] it
127  to write {upon} [on] either paper or vellum 
128  written {upon} [on] cools
128  but, {upon} [on] persevering 
128  money is {to} [too] serious 
128  any especial {connection} [connexion]
128  I at once looked {upon} [on] the figure 
128  its position {upon} [on] the vellum 
129  effect {upon} [on] my fancy 
129  occurred {upon} [on] the sole day 
129  somewhere {upon} [on] the Atlantic coast
129  so {continuous,} [continuously]
129  and {afterward} [afterwards] reclaimed
129  their {presently} [present] unvarying form
130  with the skull {downward} [downwards]
131  {Upon} [On] taking it off, the whole 
131  between the death's head and the goat: 
[53++!305))6*;4826)4+.)4+);806*;48!860))
85;]8*:+*8!83(88)5*!;46(;88*96*?;8)*+(;485);
5*!2:*+(;4956*2(5*-4)88*;4069285);)6!8)
4++;1(+9;48081;8:8+1;48!85;4)485!528806*81(
+9;48;(88;4(+?34;48)4+;161;:188;+?;]
"But," said I, returning him the slip
131  awaiting me {upon} [on] my solution 
132  depend {upon} [on,] and are varied 
132  all difficulty {was} [is] removed 
132  The pun {upon} [on] the word 'Kidd' 
132  In such {cases} [case]
133  {Afterward} [Afterwards], the succession 
133  {etc} [&c]
133  {E}< [E however] predominates so remarkably
133  let us observe {it} [if] the 8
134  If we discover {a repetition} [repetitions]
134  {Upon} [On] inspection, we find 
134  assume that {;} [the semicolon] 
134  We know that the {;} [semicolon] 
136  {"It} ["To avoid confusion, it] is now time that we arrange our key, 
     as far as discovered, in a tabular form {, to avoid confusion}. 
136  no less than {eleven} [ten] of the most important letters 
136  in the devil's seat {forty} [twenty]-one degrees 
136  'bishop's {hostels'?}" [hotels?']"
137  in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat {forty}[--twenty]-one 
138  the summit {upon} [on] which I stood
139  the phrases, {'forty} ['twenty]-one degrees 
139  retain a seat {upon} [on] it 
139  {except} [unless] in one particular 
139  Of course, the {'forty} ['twenty]-one degrees 
139  angle of {forty[twenty]}-one degrees 
139  {"Upon} ["On] this discovery I was so sanguine 
139  the skull {upon} [on] the tree
139  search for {a} buried treasure.
140  I turned {homeward} [homewards] . 
140  glimpse of it {afterward} [afterwards], 
140  ledge {upon} [on] the face of the rock
141  deep-seated {impressions} [convictions]
141  insist {upon} [on] letting fall the bug
142  But [, the worst of] this labor concluded

"Ligeia"

The header erroneously attributes this e-text to the Oxford Text Archive, P-1855-A, but it actually derives from Oxford Text Archive, U*-1244-A. Although the text header claims the e-text has been "spell-checked," which apparently removed many of the nonsense words produced by digitization, 21 variants remain between the Virginia ETC version and the text in Vol. 2 of the Harrison edition.

Key: Page {e-text} [Harrison] 

249  {an} [and] the misty-winged Ashtophet
250  {gently} [gentle] prominence of the regions 
254  but less {know} [known]-- that delicious 
254  tides of the {most} gentle emotion 
255  That she {love} [loved] me I should not 
256  recognized the {principal} [principle] of 
256  At high noon {on} [of] the night 
256  she {bad} [bade] me repeat certain verses
257  leaping to her feet {an} [and] extending 
258  ordinarily falls [to] the lot of mortals. 
258  in the solemn {carving} [carvings] of Egypt, 
259  I {lead} [led] from the altar as my bride
261  current of {the} wind behind the draperies 
261  hatred {belong} [belonging] more to demon 
263  from {th} [the] censer, a shadow
264  a rapid change for {th} [the] worse 
264  Then rushed {back} upon me a thousand memories 
265  I therefore struggled {along} [alone] in my endeavors 
267  dead, {one} [once] again stirred 
267  {they} [the] eyelids 
268  Here {than} [then], at least