In his introduction to this edition of Coleridge's Marginalia, the
late George Whalley wrote, "There is no body of marginalia--in English,
or perhaps in any other language--comparable with Coleridge's in range
and variety and in the sensitiveness, scope, and depth of his reaction
to what he was reading." The Princeton edition of the Marginalia, of
which this is the fifth volume, will bring together over eight thousand
notes, many never before printed, varying from a single word to
substantial essays. In alphabetical order of authors, the notes are
presented literatim from the original manuscripts whenever the annotated
volumes can be found. Each note is preceded by the passage of the
original text that appears to have provoked Coleridge's comment. Texts
in foreign languages are followed by translations.
The present volume comprises annotations on more than sixty books (from
Sherlock to "Unidentified"), including well-known works by Sir Philip
Sidney, Southey, Spinoza, Swift, and Tennyson. There are extensive notes
on texts by Heinrich Steffens, Emanuel Swedenborg, and Jeremy Taylor; on
two histories of philosophy by Thomas Stanley and W. G. Tennemann; and
also on the writings of St. Teresa of Avila. The subjects addressed
range from literature and philosophy through religion, politics,
history, and biography, to travel-writing and science.