Scott's Lady of the Lake. Edited by W.J. ROLFE. With by James Russell Lowell

No. This is an advertisement from a publisher's catalogue, not a poem. It lists the school editions of Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake, which were edited by W.J. Rolfe. It shows up under Lowell's name in archival collections because it was included in a volume linked to him — probably one for which he wrote a preface or a critical introduction.

The Lady of the Lake (1810) is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott that unfolds in the Scottish Highlands. The poem weaves a tale of love, hidden identities, and clan disputes, focusing on the enigmatic Ellen Douglas, who resides on an island in Loch Katrine. It gained immense popularity and played a significant role in boosting 19th-century tourism in the Scottish Highlands.

William James Rolfe (1827–1910) was an American educator and editor from Massachusetts. He created numerous annotated editions of works by prominent English-language poets and playwrights, with a particular focus on Shakespeare, but he also edited texts by Scott, Tennyson, and Milton. For many years, his editions served as the standard classroom materials in American high schools.

In 19th-century American educational publishing, texts were frequently released in numbered pamphlet parts. A 'Double Number' indicated that the text was lengthy enough to occupy two standard pamphlet units, which explained the slightly higher price of 30 cents compared to the usual 15 cents for a single number.

School publishers of that time fiercely competed on price and flexibility. Teachers needed affordable solutions to equip entire classrooms, so publishers provided paper wrappers, linen bindings, and combo volumes that bundled two or three texts together. This range of options directly addressed the budget limitations faced by public school systems.

They are catalog item numbers that identify specific titles in Rolfe's Students' Series. This allows a teacher or school board to order by number instead of writing out the full titles. It's like a SKU code from the 19th century.

Publishers often included ads for their other titles on the last pages of books. If Lowell wrote an essay or introduction for one of Rolfe's editions, the publisher would add their complete catalogue in that same book. Later, when the book was digitized or catalogued, the ad was sometimes incorrectly credited to Lowell as the author.

Absolutely. Catalogs like this serve as primary sources for the history of reading and education. They reveal which poems were deemed essential for American students, what families typically spent on their children's schoolbooks, and how publishers marketed the British Romantic canon to a wider audience. This context is genuinely valuable for understanding how poems like The Lady of the Lake influenced 19th-century American literary culture.