Ashley MS A1896

'Poems and Ballads Second Series'.

1. 'The Last Oracle'; [1875-1876]. Early draft of ll. 85-96, written on one side only of a folio leaf of white wove paper. No watermark. The final text differs by only three words from that printed on p. 6 of the first edition. There are also two discarded lines. The MS. is entitled 'The Last Oracle', and at the head of the page is the note 'Embassy of Oribasus to Delphi shortly after Julian's accession, A.D. 361'. The note is followed by the text of the last oracle itself in Greek. This differs from the printed text in having Χαμαδισ for Χαμαι. In a letter to John Morley dated 1 Feb. 1876 Swinburne states that he has 'just finished' this poem. On the other side of the same leaf (f. 64b) is a draft of twelve lines of French prose, on a subject slightly resembling that of 'Nocturne'. f. 64a.

2. 'At a Month's End'; [1868?]-1870. Draft, quite heavily revised, of stanzas 3-16, 28, 31-33. Stanzas 3-16 are written on one side only (f. 65a) of a folio leaf of white laid paper, watermarked with the figure of Britannia, while stanzas 28 and 31-33 are written on one side only of a scrap of white laid paper, 114 x 178mm., with part of a watermark '[ ]nson / [ ]67' (f. 66a). The final text differs in the first half of stanza 16, l. 4, the last half of stanza 28, l. 4, and the first half of stanza 32, l. 4, and by three individual words, from that printed on pp. 37-41, 44-45 of the first edition. The final stanza differs throughout, except in the case of l. 3, which occupies the position of l. 1 in the draft, but the sense is the same. The draft is entitled 'At a Month's End' in another hand. The earliest mention of the poem in Swinburne's correspondence is in September 1870. It was first published in the Dark Blue for April 1871, with the title 'The End of a Month'. That version differs by one word only from that in Poems and Ballads Second Series, and by the omission of stanza 28. The verso of the folio leaf (f. 65b) is occupied by a draft of three stanzas, with two lines of another stanza, and two cancelled lines, of a poem on the subject of the Austrian occupation of Italy. The rhyme scheme (ABC ABC) and metre are the same as in the poem printed in the Bonchurch Edition, vol. II, pp. 287-288 as 'The Italian Mother'. Possibly this and the present draft are parts of one poem, or of two different poems both inspired by the Austrian victories at Custozza and Lissa in 1866. The paper used in the draft of 'The Italian Mother' (A1992, ff. 217-219) is watermarked '1865'. The verso of the smaller leaf (f. 66b) is occupied by the following draft lines:―

'When the Gods, watching woman melt in man,

Of two things fair made one thing too divine,

A girl-flower of that fountain whence began

The magic, wept out words flowing as wine

About the herms and garlands of some shrine.'

ff. 65-66b.

3. 'Sestina'; [1871]. Draft of the whole poem except the envoi, written on both sides of an octavo leaf of cream laid paper. No watermark. The final text differs by two words only from that printed on pp. 46-48 of the first edition. In a letter to Frederick Locker dated 15 Nov. 1871 Swinburne says, referring to 'Sestina', 'I send you a little poem that I have scribbled off this morning'. The poem was first published in Once a Week for 6 Jan. 1872. ff. 67, 67b.

4. 'A Vision of Spring in Winter'; [1873-1874?]. Early draft, heavily revised, written on both sides of two folio leaves of white laid paper. No watermark. One leaf (f. 68) is slightly larger than the other. As follows:― stanzas 1, 2 and 3, ll. 1-6, f. 68a; stanzas 3, ll. 7-12, and 4, f. 69a; stanza 5, f. 69b; stanzas 6 and 7, f. 68b inverted. The final text in the draft differs from that printed on pp. 135-l40 of the first edition in stanza 2, l. 2, and by six other words. Above stanza 1 there is a discarded line. The title 'A Vision of Spring in Winter' has been added, and the stanzas and pages numbered, in another hand. In a letter to John Morley dated 9 March 1875 Swinburne says 'Would you like to have my Vision of Spring in Winter (which came too late once before) in the next number?'. This suggests that the poem was written at latest during the winter 1873/1874, and possibly earlier. ff. 68-69b.

5. 'The White Czar'; [1877]. Draft of the introduction, written on one side only of a fragment of white laid paper, 153 x 113mm. Watermark 'J Alle[n] / Supe[rfine]. The final text of the draft differs from that printed on p. 189 in having 'it seems' for 'it seemed' and in beginning 'In a recent number of Macmillan's Magazine there appeared . . .'. The introduction is followed by the title 'An English Poet to the White Czar', and by the first line of the poem, both deleted. The poem was first published in the Glasgow University Magazine for Feb. 1878. f. 70a.

6. 'Nocturne'; [1871?]. In a letter to Frederick Locker, dated 18 Nov. 1871, Swinburne says 'You don't tell me what you think of the sestine yourself. I send you another attempt in French [Nocturne] ― a novelty I believe in the language. I shall want this copy again when done with (because of my var. lect.)'. This MS., the later of the two, does in fact contain a number of variants, and is complete, whereas the earlier (A1977 below), which is written on the same type of paper, lacks the envoi. It therefore seems likely that both MSS. date from 1871. In Jan. 1876 Swinburne was invited by Stéphane Mallarmé to contribute to La République des Lettres, and he submitted 'Nocturne', asking Mallarmé to correct any anglicisms he found. Mallarmé and Catulle Mendès made several suggestions and alterations, and the poem was published in La République des Lettres for 20 Feb. 1876. As follows:― Fair copy, written on both sides of an octavo leaf of white laid paper. No watermark. Alternative versions of some words and phrases are interlined, and in each case one version has later been deleted in pencil. Stanza 5, l. 6, has been quite heavily revised in ink. Opposite this line 'déchire' and 'la cire' have been written in pencil by another hand. The final text in the MS. differs from that printed on pp. 227-229 of the first edition by one and a half lines and two words. The poem is entitled 'Sestine'. The envoi is not, as in the printed text, entitled as such. ff. 71, 71b.

includes:

• f. 64 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'The Last Oracle', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1875-1876]: Autogr. draft of lines 85-96.
• f. 64b Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Prose passage by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1875-1876]: Fr.: Autogr. draft.
• f. 65b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Stanzas, beg. 'Never a leaflet of laurel', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1868?]-1870: Autogr. draft. Imperf.
• ff. 65, 66 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'At a Month's End', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1868?]-1870: Autogr. draft. Imperf.
• f. 66b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Lines, beg. 'When the Gods, watching woman melt in man', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1868?]-1870: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 67, 67b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Sestina', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1871]: Autogr. draft, lacking the envoi.
• ff. 68-69b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'A Vision of Spring in Winter', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1873-1874?]: Autogr. draft.
• f. 70 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Introduction to poem 'The White Czar' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1877]: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 71-71b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Nocturne' beg. 'La nuit écoute et se penche sur l'onde', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1871?]: Fr.: Autogr. fair copy.