Ashley MS A1926

'Poems and Ballads Third Series' by A. C. Swinburne; [1885?-1889].

1. 'To a Seamew'; 1886. Early draft of stanzas 4-8, l. 1, and 13-15, written on one side only of one folio leaf of blue laid paper (f. 126) and on both sides of another (f. 127). No watermark. Stanzas 4-8, l. 1, are on f. 126a, 13 and 14 on f. 127a and 15 on f. 127b. On f. 127a are a prose synopsis and lines, some cancelled, for two rejected stanzas. One of these rejected stanzas appears, deleted, on f. 8b of the fair copy (1913). It appears to have been used, before deletion, as stanza 15. Swinburne must, therefore, have returned to this draft in order to compose the present stanza 15, before copying it out in its turn on the other side of the leaf of the fair copy previously used for the deleted stanza. On f. 127b is the deleted signature 'A C Swinburne'. With the exception of 8 and 15 the stanzas are numbered in Swinburne's hand. The poem was first published in the English Illustrated Magazine for Oct. 1887. The final text found in the draft differs by one word only from that printed on pp. 63-65 and 68-69 of the first edition. ff. 126a, 127, 127b.

2. 'Baby-Bird'; [1888]. Fair copy, with revisions in stanzas 4 and 8, written on one side only of two octavo leaves of cream wove paper. Watermark 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.'. The text found in the fair copy is identical with that printed on pp. 88-90 of the first edition. The MS. is entitled 'Baby-Bird'. Another fair copy, incorporating the revisions made in this one, was sent by Swinburne to his sister Isabel. This is now Additional MS. 39217, ff. 65a, 66b. In a letter to his sister dated 16 Sept. 1888 Swinburne speaks of 'a tiny poem [Baby-Bird] made (most of it) on your birthday and touched up and completed on the fourteenth'. ff. 128, 129.

3. 'Night'; after 1879. Fair copy, written on one side only of a part folio leaf of blue laid paper, 187 x 197mm. Watermark '1879'. The text found in the fair copy is identical with that printed on p. 111. The MS. is entitled 'Night'. The poem was first published in Poems and Ballads Third Series. f. 130.

4. 'To Sir Richard F. Burton (On his translation of the Arabian Nights)'; [1885?]. Draft, written on one side only of an octavo leaf of white laid paper. The leaf having originally formed part of a single sheet the watermark is almost entirely missing. The final text found in the draft is identical with that printed on p. 131 of the first edition. The MS. is entitled 'To R. F. Burton / (Arabian Nights)'. Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights was published from 1885 to 1888. Swinburne's poem was first published in the Athenæum for 6 Feb. 1886. f. 135.

5. Fair copy of the Dedication as printed on p. v of Poems and Ballads Third Series; [1889?]. Written on one side only of a scrap of white wove paper, 167 x 123mm. No watermark. f. 134.

In addition there is included a letter (with front of envelope) from Swinburne to Andrew Chatto, 10 April 1889, concerning inaccuracies in the printing of Poems and Ballads Third Series. The letter is printed in C. Y. Lang, Swinburne Letters, v, 1962, pp. 262-263. ff. 131-132, 133.

Ballads ENGLISH: Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poems and Ballads (Third Series), by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1889: Autogr. drafts and copies of poems included in.

includes:

• ff. 126, 127, 127b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'To a Seamew', stanzas 4-7; 8, line 1; 13-15 and prose synopsis of two rejected stanzas, by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1886: Autogr. draft.
• ff. 128, 129 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Baby-Bird' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1888: Autogr. fair copy.
• f. 130 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'Night', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1879-1889].
• ff. 131-132, 133 Andrew Chatto, publisher: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Letter to Andrew Chatto from Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1889.
• f. 134 Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Dedication of 'Poems and Ballads, Third Series' by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1889?]: Autogr. fair copy.
• f. 135 Sir Richard Francis Burton, explorer and scholar: Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'To Sir Richard F. Burton (On his translation of the Arabian Nights)', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1885?]: Autogr. draft.