Ashley MS A2104

Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; [1869].1. 'The Coming of Arthur'; 1869. Drafts of ll. 365-376, 388-412, and 414-421, written on one side only of five fragments of blue laid paper (f. 5: 57 x 94mm.; f. 6: 71 x 104mm.; f. 7: 60 x 131mm.; f. 8: 55 x 132mm.; f. 9: 90 x 109mm.). Watermark (ff. 8 and 9) crown above shield. The watermark indicates that ff. 8 and 9 once formed part of the same leaf. It is possible that f. 7 was also part of this leaf. As follows:―

a. Draft of ll. 365-368. The first line corresponds to ll. 364 and 365. The next three lines are identical, except for punctuation, with ll. 366-368. There follow three discarded lines. f. 5.

b. Draft of ll. 371-376. Below is another draft of ll. 372 (second half)-374, closer to, but not identical with, the printed version. f. 6.

c. Draft of ll. 388-393 (first half). The final text found in the draft is identical, with the exception of 'part' for 'pass' in l. 392, with that printed in the trial book The Birth of Arthur, 1869 (Ashley Library No. 2104 in the Department ot Printed Books). The trial book only differs from The Holy Grail, 1870, in l. 388. There follow two and a half deleted lines, corresponding to the sense of l. 404. f. 7.

d. Draft of ll. 393 (second half)-401. The final text found in the draft differs by eight words from the printed version. f. 8.

e. Draft of ll. 402-412 and 414-421. The final text found in the draft differs by five words from the printed version. There follow three deleted lines corresponding to the sense of ll. 414-421. f. 9.

2. 'Pelleas and Ettarre'; 1869 (for the date of composition see Sir Charles Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, 1949, pp. 381-382). Drafts of ll. 382-385, 403-411, 429-477, and 496-502, written on one side only of three fragments of blue laid paper, and on both sides of a further three (f. 10: 97 x 142mm.; f. 11: 64 x 137mm.; f. 12: 80 x 149mm.; f. 13: 72 x 127mm.; f. 14: 79 x 131mm.; f. 15: 73 x 132mm.). Watermark (ff. 10, 11, 12 and 14) 'E Towgood 1863'. As follows:―

a. Draft of ll. 382-385, 403-409 and 411. The first four lines of the draft are followed immediately by eight lines corresponding to ll. 403-409 and 411, of which the second is identical with l. 404, and the fifth and sixth are identical with ll. 407 and 408. Line 410 is not found in the MS., nor is it in the trial book or The Holy Grail, 1870. f. 10.

b. Draft of ll. 429-436. The final text found in the draft differs by two lines (432 and 434) and four words from the printed version. f. 11a.

c. Draft of ll. 437-446. The final text found in the draft differs by four lines (437-440) and six words from the printed version. In the case of 'about' in l. 445 the trial book agrees with this MS. Before 'sword' in l. 446 Tennyson has inserted '[ ]'. f. 12 a.

d. Draft of ll. 447-449, 452-457. Lines 452-457 follow directly on l. 449. f. 13.

e. Draft of ll. 458-464. Line 462 (first half) is followed by two and a half discarded lines, which are in turn followed by two lines identical with ll. 463 and 464, except for the inversion of two words. A line corresponding to one of the discarded lines in the MS. is found in the trial book. f. 14.

f. Draft of ll. 465-472, of which the first four lines are identical with ll. 465-468. f. 15.

g. Draft of ll. 473-476, of which the first and third lines and the last half line are identical with ll. 473, 475 and 476 (first half). f. 13b.

h. Draft of ll. 475-477. Another draft of the same passage as is found on f. 13b. Following a discarded line and a half are a line corresponding to l. 475, and two identical with ll. 476 and 477. f. 11b.

i. Draft of ll. 496-502. There are two forms of l. 499, one interlined above the other, the later of which is identical, except for one word, with the printed version. The last two lines and two words of the draft are identical with ll. 500 and 501, and the beginning of l. 502. f. 12b.

3. 'The Passing of Arthur'; 1869 (for the date of composition see Sir Charles Tennyson, op. cit., p. 382). Drafts of ll. 1-5, 50-80, 86, 95, 101-104, 108-117, and 452-462, written on one side only of three fragments of blue laid paper (f. 16: 58 x 109mm.; f. 18: 53 x 122mm.; f. 19: 78 x 107mm.), which appear to have once formed part of a single leaf, and on both sides of two octavo leaves of darker blue laid paper (ff. 17, 20). Watermarks 'E Towgood 1863' (ff. 16, 18 and 19), and '[Supe]rfine' with part of a [crowned shield?] (ff. 17, 20). The paper used for ff. 17 and 20, which seems to have been cut from larger leaves, appears to be the same as that used for 2079. As follows:―

a. Draft of ll. 1-5, 80, 86-88. The second to fifth lines of the draft are identical with ll. 2-5 of the printed version. They are immediately followed by a line corresponding to l. 80 and three lines identical, except for one word, with ll. 86-88. Lines 6-28 are not found in either the trial book or The Holy Grail, 1870. f. 16.

b. Drafts of ll. 50-78. These lines are not found in the trial book. (i) Cancelled draft of thirteen lines corresponding to ll. 50-64, six of the draft lines being identical with lines found in the printed version. f. 17a. (ii) Draft of six lines corresponding to ll. 65-72, the first two draft lines being identical with ll. 65 and 66 of the printed version. There is no equivalent in the draft to l. 68, which is equally not found in The Holy Grail, 1870. This draft follows immediately on (i). f. 17a. (iii) Draft of ll. 51-78, the final text of which differs by five words only from that printed in The Holy Grail, 1870. Line 68 is not found. ff. 17, 17b.

c. Draft of ll. 89-95, 101. The third and fourth lines of the draft are identical with ll. 91 and 92. The seventh line corresponds to l. 101, and the eighth differs by one word only from l. 95. f. 18.

d. Draft of ll. 103, 104, 108-117. The first two lines of the draft are identical with ll. 103 and 104. The remaining ten lines correspond to ll. 108-117 of the printed version, with which five of the draft lines are identical. f. 19.

e. Draft of ll. 452-462. These lines are not found in the trial book. (i) Draft of six lines corresponding to ll. 452, 356, 457 and 460-462. f. 20a; (ii) Draft of five and a half lines corresponding more closely to ll. 452-456. The third full line of the draft is identical with l. 454. f. 20b; (iii) Draft of six lines corresponding to ll. 457-462. The fifth line is identical with l. 461. f. 20b.

There are facsimiles of all the folios except 16, 18 and 19 in Ashley Library Catalogue, vii, between pp. 130 and 131.

includes:

• ff. 5-9 Poetry ENGLISH: Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson; Poet Laureate: Poem, 'The coming of Arthur', by Lord Tennyson: [1869]: Drafts of ll. 365-376, 388-412, 414-421.
• ff. 10-15 Poetry ENGLISH: Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson; Poet Laureate: Poem, 'Pelleas and Ettarre', by Lord Tennyson: 1869: Drafts of ll. 382-385, 403-411, 429-477, 496-502.
• ff. 16-20b Poetry ENGLISH: Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson; Poet Laureate: Poem, 'The Passing of Arthur', by Lord Tennyson: 1869: Drafts of ll. 1-5, 50-80,86-95, 101-104, 108-117, 452-462.