Ashley MS 5259

'Songs Before Sunrise'. 'An Appeal to England' by Algernon Charles Swinburne; 1867. Fair copy, with occasional revisions, written on both sides of a folio leaf of grey laid paper. No watermark. The stanzas are numbered 1-12, and the poem is signed and dated 'A. C. Swinburne / November 20th 1867'. The text found in the MS. differs from that printed on pp. 253-257 of the first edition only by having 'pray' for 'sway' in stanza 6, l. 1. Bound up with the MS. is the following additional material:―

a. Printed broadsheet: THE CONDEMNED FENIAN PRISONERS. [double rule] 'AN APPEAL TO ENGLAND', BY THE DISTINGUISHED POET, ALGERNON SWINBOURNE, AUTHOR OF 'POEMS & BALLADS', 'CHASTELARD', &c. [double rule]. Stet. SWINBOURNE. No imprint.

Collation: Broadsheet (256 x 160); 1 leaf.

Contents: p. 1 stanzas I-XII. in two columns, separated by a vertical double rule; dated November 20, 1867 beneath stanza Vl. p. 2 blank.

Paper: white wove unwatermarked.

Notes: The text of the broadsheet differs from that of the MS. in having 'of' for 'or' in stanza II, l. 2, 'blood-red' for 'bloodred' in stanza III, l. 4 and 'wine-press' for 'winepress' in stanza XI, l. 4. f. 2.

b. Printed poster advertising the broadsheet described above: THE CONDEMNED FENIANS. [double rule] AN APPEAL TO ENGLAND Lines by the distinguished Poet ALGERNON SWINBURNE. Author of 'Poems & Ballads', 'Chastelard', &c. [short double rule] SOLD AT ONE PENNY. 281 x 440. In the bottom right-hand corner is a note 'What is this Edwin Seaton Bookseller Manchester'. ff. 3-4 (the poster was folded before binding).

c. Printed cutting from the proofs of The Morning Star for 22 Nov. 1867, containing the text of 'An Appeal to England'. The poem is dated 'November 20, 1867'. The text given in the Star differs from that in the MS. only in having 'blood-red' for 'bloodred' in Stanza III, l. 4, and 'wine-press' for 'winepress' in stanza XI, l. 4. In a letter to W. M. Rossetti dated 28 Nov. 1867 (C. Y. Lang, op. cit., i, 1959, pp. 274-276) Swinburne says 'I wrote those verses on Wednesday afternoon ― on Thursday morning I took them to my friend Dr. Bird, with whom two days before I had talked of the thing as to be done, if possible ― left them with him, as a man knowing in the matter, for insertion where he thought best ― and found them in the Star on Friday'. f. 5.

d. Printed pamphlet: AN APPEAL TO ENGLAND AGAINST THE EXECUTION OF THE CONDEMNED FENIANS. BY ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE, Author of Poems and Ballads, Atlanta in Calydon, Chastelard, & c. MANCHESTER: REPRINTED FROM THE 'MORNING STAR'. 1867. No imprint.

Collation: 190 x 125: unsigned, [? 16], 6 leaves, pp. 1-5 6-11, 12.

Contents: p. 1 AN APPEAL. p. 2 blank. p. 3 title. p. 4 blank. pp. 5-11 text. p. 12 blank.

Running title: AN APPEAL. on pp. 6-11.

Paper: cream wove unwatermarked.

Binding: Slate blue paper. Front: [within single rules] identical with title page, except that SWINBURNE is followed by a stop, not a comma. Back: blank.

Notes: The text of the pamphlet differs from that of the MS. in having 'blood-red' for 'bloodred' in stanza III, l. 4, 'Soon' for 'Now' in stanza IV, l. 6, and 'wine-press' for 'winepress' in stanza XI, l. 4. This copy has been broken up, and the leaves inlaid in folio leaves, thus destroying the evidence as to the gathering or gatherings. The pamphlet is almost certainly one of Wise's forgeries (see John Carter and Graham Pollard, An Enquiry into the Nature of Certain Nineteenth Century Pamphlets, 1934, p. 292, and William B. Todd, ed., Thomas J. Wise Centenary Studies, 1959, pp. 294 f). The type used in the pamphlet is Carter and Pollard's type (C). There was formerly another copy of the pamphlet in Ashley MS. 1861, but this had been torn out before the collection reached the British Museum. ff. 6-13.

e. Letter from A. H. Dymond, manager of the Morning Star, to Swinburne, sending him payment for permitting 'An Appeal to England' to be printed in that newspaper; 24 Dec. 1867. f. 14a.

f. Printed broadsheet: [within single rules, with a printer's ornament at the four corners] [to the left] AN APPEAL TO ENGLAND. [short rule] By A. C. SWINBURNE. [short rule] (From the Morning Star.) [to the right] ENGLAND'S REPLY TO ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE, Esq., AS FAINTLY HEARD BY ONE OF HER CHILDREN. (From the Northern Daily Express.) No imprint.

Collation: Broadsheet (323 x 210): 1 leaf.

Contents: p. 1 the text of An Appeal in one column on the left, the text of England's Reply in one column on the right. Beneath the text of An Appeal is the date 'November 20, 1867' and beneath the text of England's Reply the date 'Newcastle, December 9, 1867 '. p. 2 blank.

Paper: pink laid paper, with the chain lines running horizontally 26mm. apart. Watermark 'A Pirie & Sons / 1867' running vertically.

Notes: The text of An Appeal in this broadsheet differs from that in the MS. only in having 'kingdom's' for 'kingdoms' in stanza I, l. 3, 'blood-red' for 'bloodred' in stanza III, l. 4, and 'wine-press' for 'winepress' in stanza XI, l. 4. f. 15.

Folio; ff. ii+15.

includes:

• ff. 1, 1b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'An Appeal to England', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1867: Autogr. fair copy with revisions.
• f. 2 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'An Appeal to England', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1867: Printed broadsheet.
• ff. 3-4 Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poster advertising the broadsheet of 'An Appeal to England' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1867]: Printed.
• f. 5 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'An Appeal to England', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1867: Printed cutting from the proofs of the 'Morning Star'.
• ff. 6-13 Poetry ENGLISH: Thomas James Wise, book collector: Forged pamphlet of A. C. Swinburne, 'An Appeal to England', by Thomas James Wise: 1867.
• f. 14a Alfred H. Dymond: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Letter to Algernon Charles Swinburne from Alfred H. Dymond: 1867.
• f. 15 Newspapers; Great Britain and Ireland. The Northern Daily Express: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: 'England's Reply to Algernon Charles Swinburne, Esq., as faintly heard by one of her children': 1867: Printed broadsheet.
• f. 15 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Broadsheet bearing 'An Appeal to England', and 'England's Reply' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1867: Printed.