Ashley MS 1371

''Sing Song'': a volume of 121 nursery rhymes by Christina Rossetti; 1869?, 1870. Autograph fair copies, with revisions, written on one side only of one hundred and twenty six octavo leaves of cream laid paper. No watermark. Signed with the address ''56 Euston Square N.W.'' on f. 127. Each rhyme is illustrated in pencil and red crayon by Christina. The majority of the poems are written on reader''s slips for the New English Dictionary, of which W. M. Rossetti was a voluntary sub-editor, but ff. 7, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 29, 31, 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 56, 81, 87, 97, 100, 114, 123 and 124 are a different paper. There appear to be three reasons for this. The rhymes are numbered in two series, the earlier, in red crayon, running from 1-108, and the later, in ink written over the crayon, from 1-121. Thirteen rhymes, nos. 11, 12, 14, 17, 27, 29, 33 or 34, 36, 38, 92, 109, 118, and 119, have therefore been added later. On 2 March 1871, moreover, Christina wrote to F. S. Ellis, her publisher, a letter (Add. MS. 41130, ff. 174, 174b) in which she asked him to return twenty-two of the rhymes which were missing. He appears to have been unable to find five of them (nos. 5, 11, 13, 42, 73 in the red numeration) for these have been rewritten on the later paper and renumbered 5, 10, 15, 51, 82. In addition nos. 27, 67, 85 in the red numeration have been rewritten on the later paper and renumbered 33 or 34, 76, 95. First printed in Sing-Song, 1872. Ashley Library Catalogue, ix, p. 111.

Octavo; ff. ii+127.

Christina Georgina Rossetti, poet: Poetry ENGLISH: Nursery rhymes, ''Sing Song'', by Christina Georgina Rossetti: 1869?, 1870: Autogr. fair copies; illus.