[BURPEE] CHARLES HEAVYSEGE 27 
final edition of Saul. There is also a rather elaborate analysis of the 
drama in an essay on “ Some Canadian Books,” in Ramsay’s One Quiet 
Day, a Canadian book. 
These notices (which might be supplemented by many others) may 
be taken as fairly representing the interest which Saul excited among 
those of his contemporaries best capable of judging. 
Nearly all the extracts from Heavysege’s works found in the differ- 
ent Canadian and American anthologies, are taken either from Saul, 
or from the Sonnets. Stedman gives several long extracts in his Vic- 
torian Anthology, and others will be found in Dewart’s Selections from 
Canadian Poets, Lighthall’s Songs of the Great Dominion, Rand’s 
Treasury of Canadian Verse, etc.* 
For the third (Boston) edition of Saul, Heavysege subjected his 
work to still further and more anxious revision, cutting out passages, 
or even entire scenes, adding new material where the action or plot 
seemed to demand it, enriching the phraseology, and generally putting 
into the drama the fruit of his latest thought, the best that was in him? 
Mr. William Boyd,? now of Manchester, Mass., but formerly a Mont- 
real printer, who prepared the “copy” for both the second and third 
editions, tells me that Heavysege wrote a stage version of Saul, at the 
request of a New York theatrical manager. Miss Charlotte Cushman 
was to have taken the part of Malzah, Saul’s evil spirit. Her death, 
shortly after the completion of the play, unfortunately killed the pro- 
duction. Heavysege had been paid for the manuscript, but always 
regretted that he had not the “copy” back again. 
The first act of the drama opens on the Hill of God, with the 
Philistine garrison adjacent. A number of demons are dancing. Zaph, 
their chief, stands apart, with Zepho, his messenger. Zepho announces 
the approach of the newly-anointed Saul, with a company of prophets 
and followers. They enter, the prophets chanting, the demons remain- 
ing as invisible spectators, and commenting with cynical mockery upon 
the lamentations of the prophets. 
From the very first it is instructive to note Heavysege’s emendations 
in the second and third editions of Saul. In the second edition he cut 

* Only sonnets are given by Lighthall and Rand, two being included in 
the former’s anthology, and four in the latter’s. 
Mrs. Harrison’s (‘‘Seranus’’) Canadian Birthday Book, contains eight 
short fragments, taken mainly from Saul. 
* Mr. William Boyd states :—‘ Mr. H. H. Clark, the literary proof-reader 
for Welch and Bigelow, Cambridge, Mass., I think touched up a little the 
third edition, of course with Heavysege’s consent, as it was going through 
his (Mr. C.’s) hands.” 
# The same who is referred to in the accompanying facsimile letter. 
