Ashley MS 5262

'Songs Before Sunrise'. 'Hertha' by Algernon Charles Swinburne; [1869-1870]. Fair copy, with revisions and additions, written on one side only of four folio leaves of white laid paper, and on both sides of a further leaf, where twelve additional stanzas are written on the verso. Watermark 'A Pirie & Sons / 1869' and figure of Britannia. Stanzas 20-31 were added on f. 3b after the completion of the remainder of the MS. The text found in the MS. is identical with that printed on pp. 82-92 of the first edition, but throughout there are many alternative words and phrases interlined. The presence of compositors' names and other notes indicates that this MS. was used as printer's copy. On f. 5b it has been addressed by Swinburne to John Thomson, and subsequently re-addressed back to Swinburne at Henley. The postmark is Henley-on-Thames 27 Jan. 1870. Thomson was a mysterious figure who appears to have served occasionally as agent for Swinburne (see Lang, op. cit., i, 1959, pp. 314-315 note). In a letter to W. M. Rossetti dated 26 Oct. 1869 (Lang, op. cit., ii, 1959, pp. 43-47) Swinburne says 'I have begun (for my "Songs of the Republic") another mystic atheistic democratic anthropologic poem called "Hertha"; I send you a few lines as a sample'. There then follow extensive quotations from the poem. Pages [82?, the second digit is malformed]-92 of the page proofs for Songs before Sunrise, 1871, are inlaid in folio leaves (ff. 6-11). The verso of the first leaf is blank. Page 82 is signed G 2 as in the first edition.

Folio; ff. ii+11.

Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Hertha', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1869-1870: Autogr. fair copy with revisions and additions.