Ashley MS A4381

'Euthanatos'; [1881]. Draft, written on one side only of three half leaves of blue folio laid paper. Watermark figure of Britannia and 187[3 or 5?]. Of these half leaves ff. 106 and 108 originally formed an entire leaf, and appear still to have been one when the draft was written. The poem is dated 4 February 1881 in the printed text. The stanzas are numbered in Swinburne's hand. The final text found in the MS. differs from that printed on pp. 231-233 of the first edition by one word only. The poem was first published in the Athenæum for 11 June 1881. The versos of the three leaves (ff. 106b, 107b, 108b) are occupied by a fair copy, with revisions, of that part of Swinburne's essay 'Tennyson and Musset' which is printed on p. 249, l. 23 - p. 250, l. 30, of Miscellanies, 1886. The final text found in the MS. differs from the printed text by three words only. On f. 106b, at the beginning of the passage, is the note in Swinburne's hand '('Tennyson & Musset'―To be returned with proof)'. The essay was first published in the Fortnightly Review for Feb. 1881.

The MS. is accompanied by a letter from Mrs Sabine Greville to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], dated 'Thursday 3d' [Feb. 1881], announcing the death of her mother Mrs Thellusson, in whose memory 'Euthanatos' was written (ff. 109-110b).

includes:

• ff. 106, 107, 108 Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Euthanatos', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1881]: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 106b, 107b, 108b Essays English: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Essay, 'Tennyson and Musset' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1881]: Autogr. fair copy. Fragm.
• ff. 109-110b Mrs Maria Thellusson: Mrs Sabine Greville, daughter of Mrs Thellusson: Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Letter to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from Mrs Sabine Greville announcing death of Mrs Maria Thellusson: [1881].