Professor E. Dowden, LL.D., of Trinity College, Dublin, has added to previous obligations conferred on me in connexion with the present edition by allowing me the use of two small books belonging to him, in Crabbe’s handwriting (D.). One of these supplies the complete Tale of _The Deserted Family_, now for the first time printed (pp. 477–488). The other contains drafts of _Posthumous Tales_ VI-XVI and XXII; the more important variants offered by these are inserted in the list at the end of the present volume. From this MS. book are also taken the verses entitled _The Prodigal Going_ (p. 517). The originals of certain pieces contained in the present volume are to be found in a book belonging to Mrs Mackay, of Trowbridge, which she has with the utmost liberality placed at my service. This interesting portion of Mrs Mackay’s collection (M.) contains a series of proof-engravings of Corbould’s, Westall’s and other illustrations of certain among the earlier editions of Crabbe’s _Poems_. It also includes a draft of a portion of _The Sisters_ (_Tales of the Hall_, Bk. VIII; see Vol. II, and variants, _ib._), and the lines _To Lady Jersey_ (p. 435), in a version, of which the variants have been duly noted. From this book are taken the following poems: the stanzas called by me _The Flowers of the Spring_ (p. 508), of which I have ventured to transpose the last two, and the fragment which I have named _La Belle Dame sans Merci_ (p. 509). Both pieces are here printed for the first time. Mrs Mackay’s collection also contains, written on separate leaves, the blank-verse lines entitled by me _The Passionate Pilgrim_ (p. 496), which are subscribed “Crabbe,” and of which the handwriting in several respects resembles that in Crabbe’s autograph of _Midnight_ (see Vol. I), though less flowing than this; the couplets called by me _Sorrow_ (p. 496), which are not in the handwriting of Crabbe; and, finally, the lines _To the Hon. Mrs Spencer_ (p. 503), which are signed “Geo. Crabbe.”