This on-line version of "The Devil's Thoughts" by Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was prepared as part of The Devil's Walk: A Hypertext Edition, edited by Donald H. Reiman and Neil Fraistat. "The Devil's Thoughts" was first published in The Morning Post and Gazetteer, 6 Sept 1799; this version, revised by Coleridge, is taken from The Poetical Works of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats. Complete in One Volume (Paris, A. and W. Galignani, 1829, pages 214-215). In our hypertext, we also include Southey's 1827 version, entitled "The Devil's Walk."

  The allegory here is so apt, that in a catalogue of various  readings obtained from collating the MSS. one might expect to find it noted, that for "LIFE" cod. quid habent, "TRADE." Though indeed THE TRADE, i.e. the bibliopolic, so called [series of Greek letters], may be regarded as LIFE sensu eminentiori; a suggestion, which I owe to a young retailer in the hoisery line, who on hearing a description of the net profits, dinner parties, country houses, etc. of the trade, exclaimed, "Ay! that's what I call LIFE now!" - - This "Life, our Death," is thus happily contrasted with the fruits of Authorship. - - Sic nos non mellifacmus Apes.

  Of this poem, which with the Fire, Famine, and Slaughter, first appeared in the Morning Post, the three first stanzas, which are worth all the rest, and the ninth, were dictated by Mr. Southey. Between the ninth and the concluding stanza, two or three are omitted as grounded on subjects that have lost their interest - - and for better reasons. See Apologetic Preface, vol. i.

  If any one should ask who General ___ meant, the Author begs leave to inform him, that he did once see a red-faced person in a dream whom by the dress he took for a General; but he might have been mistaken, and most certainly he did not hear any names mentioned. In simple verity, the Author never meant any one, or indeed any thing but to put a concluding stanza to his doggerel.

This on-line version of "The Devil's Thoughts" by Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was prepared as part of The Devil's Walk: A Hypertext Edition, edited by Donald H. Reiman and Neil Fraistat. "The Devil's Thoughts" was first published in The Morning Post and Gazetteer, 6 Sept 1799; this version, revised by Coleridge, is taken from The Poetical Works of S. T. Coleridge (London: W. Pickering; Boston: Hilliard, Grey, 1835, volume 2, pages 83-87). In our hypertext, we also include Southey's 1827 version, entitled "The Devil's Walk."

  The allegory here is so apt, that in a catalogue of various readings obtained from collating the MSS. one might expect to find it noted, that for "life " cod. quid. habent, "trade." Though indeed the trade, i.e. the bibliopolic, so called [series of Greek letters], may be regarded as Life sensu eminentiori; a suggestion, which I owe to a young retailer in the hoisery line, who on hearing a description of the net profits, dinner parties, country houses, &c. of the trade, exclaimed, "Ay! that's what I call Life now!" This "Life, our Death," is thus happily contrasted with the fruits of authorship. - - Sic nos non mellifacmus apes.

  Of this poem, which with the Fire, Famine, and Slaughter, first appeared in the Morning Post, the 1st, 2d, 3d, 9th, and 16th stanzas were dictated by Mr. Southey. See Apologetic Preface, vol. i.

  If any one should ask who General ___ meant, the author begs leave to inform him, that he did once see a red-faced person in a dream whom by the dress he took for a General; but he might have been mistaken, and most certainly he did not hear any names mentioned. In simple verity, the author never meant any one, or indeed any thing but to put a concluding stanza to his doggerel.