Ashley MS 4357

'The Loyal Servant': an unfinished play by Algernon Charles Swinburne; [1857?]. Autograph fair copy, with a few revisions, written on both sides of sixty-one leaves of a quarto notebook, and on one side only of another (f. 62). The paper of the notebook, which is bound in the original marbled boards, is grey wove, ruled except in the case of ff. 1 and 2. No watermarks. Ashley Library Catalogue, vi, pp. 44-45. As follows:―

1. Title Page in imitation of a Jacobean printed play, with the date '1607' and Dramatis Personae (the verso is occupied by what is apparently a draft of the Dramatis Personae): The Loyal Servant; / a Tragie-Comedy. / As it hath been sundry times Acted / by the Children of the Kings Maiesties / Revels. / Written by T.S. / London: / Printed for William Apsley. / 1607. f. 1, 1b.

2. 'Actus Primus'. ff. 2-18.

3. 'Actus Secundus'. ff. 18b-30b.

4. 'Actus Tertius'. ff. 31-46b.

5. 'Actus Quartus'. ff. 46b-60.

6. 'Actus Quintus' (the act is unfinished). ff. 60b-62.

'The Loyal Servant' appears to be a second, and more successful, attempt by Swinburne at the theme found in the uncompleted 'Laws of Corinth'. Like 'The Laws of Corinth', 'The Loyal Servant' is written in Jacobean English, and pretends to be an edition of a genuine Jacobean printed play. The hand and ink suggest a date of circa 1857, and presumably the play was written soon after 'The Laws of Corinth' which it supersedes. Fragments of an early draft of Act I are found in the 'Hyperion' notebook (v. sub 4352) which contains works datable to 1857. 1857 is, moreover, exactly two hundred and fifty years after 1607, the date which appears on the title page.

Quarto; ff. i+62.

Drama ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Play, 'The Loyal Servant', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1857?]: Autogr. fair copy.