editor's criticism completely." Probably the critic considered my
error as unaccountable as it was serious; and yet it could be fully
accounted for, though not fully excused. I had not been "a very hasty
reader of texts" in the sense indicated by "The Saturday Review." The
fact is that, not possessing a copy of "The Oxford and Cambridge
Magazine," I had referred to the book brought out by Mr. William
Sharp in 1882, "Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Record and a Study," in
which are given (with every appearance of care and completeness) the
passages of "The Blessed Damozel" as they appeared in "The Germ,"
with the alterations printed in "The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine."
From the latter, the line in question is given by Mr. Sharp as "Waste
sea of worlds that swam"; and I, supposing him to be correct (though
I allow that memory ought to have taught me the contrary), reproduced
that line to the same effect. "Always verify your references" is a
precept to which editors and commentators cannot too carefully
conform. Many thanks to the writer in "The Saturday Review" for
showing that, while I, and also Mr. Sharp, had made a mistake, my
brother had made none.

By W. M. Rossetti: "Review of the Strayed Reveller and other Poems,
by A." As we all now know, "A." was Matthew Arnold, and this was his
first published volume; but I, at the time of writing the review,
knew nothing of the identity of "A.," and even had I been told that
he was Matthew Arnold, that would have carried the matter hardly at
all further. I remember that, after I had written the whole or most
of this admiring review, I found that the volume had been abused in
"Blackwood's Magazine"; a fact of sweet savour to myself and other
P.R.B.'s, as we entertained a hearty detestation of that magazine,
with its blustering "Christopher North," and its traditions of
truculency against Keats, Shelley, Leigh Hunt, Tennyson, Ruskin, and
some others. I read "A.'s" volume with great attention, and piqued
myself somewhat upon having introduced into my review some reference
(detailed or cursory) to every poem in it. Possibly (but I hardly
think so) the critique was afterwards shortened, so as to bereave it
of this merit.

By Madox Brown (the etching) and by W. M. Rossetti (the verses):
"Cordelia." For the belated No. 3 of "The Germ" we were much at a
loss for an illustration. Mr. Brown offered to accommodate us by
etching this design, one of a series from "King Lear" which he had
dr