Ashley MS 5256

'The Flogging Block': a burlesque heroic poem by A. C. Swinburne; circa 1862-1887. Autograph fair copy, with revisions, as follows:―

1. Prologue, written on one side only of five folio leaves of cream wove paper. Watermark 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.' ff. 2-6.

2. "Notes to 'The Flogging-Block' / By Barebum Birch[more]ingham / (Bertram Bellingham).", written on one side only of three folio leaves of cream wove paper. Watermark 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.'. ff. 7-9.

3. 'Eclogue I. Algernon's Flogging', written on both sides of four folio leaves of cream laid paper, watermarked 'Pirie / 1874' (ff. 12-15b), and on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'G C & Co / Superfine / 1877' (ff. 16-17b). ff. 12-17b.

4. Note to 'Algernon's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper. Watermark 'Sawston / 1876'. ff. 18, 18b.

5. 'Eclogue II. Reginald's Flogging', written on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1881' (ff. 19-20b), on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'J Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879' (ff. 21-22b), on both sides of a folio leaf of of blue laid paper, watermarked with the figure of Britannia (ff. 23, 23b), and on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'J Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879' (ff. 24-25b). ff. 19-25b.

6. 'Epilogue to Reginald's Flogging', written on both sides of three leaves of blue laid paper. Watermark 'J Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879' and figure of Britannia. ff. 26-28b.

7. 'Another Epilogue' [to Reginald's Flogging], written on both sides of a part folio leaf of blue wove paper. No watermark. ff. 29, 29b.

8. 'Reginald's Flogging', eighteen lines on the same subject, written on one side only of a folio leaf of blue laid paper. No watermark. f. 30.

9. 'Eclogue III. Percy's Flogging', written on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'J Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879' (ff. 31-32b), and both sides of four folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1881' (ff. 33-36b). ff. 31-36b.

10. 'Eclogue IV. Willie's Flogging', written on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1881' and figure of Britannia (ff. 37-38b), and on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked 'J Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879' (ff. 39, 39b). ff. 37-39b.

11. 'Eclogue V. Charlie's Flogging', written on both sides of eleven leaves of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1881' and figure of Britannia (ff. 40-41b, 43-44b, 50, 50b) and no watermark (ff. 42, 42b, 45-49b, 52, 52b), on both sides of a leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked 'Mayfield / Fine' (ff. 51, 51b), and on both sides of six leaves of cream wove paper, watermarked 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.' (ff. 53-58b). ff. 40-58b.

12. 'Eclogue VI. Edward's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of cream laid paper, watermarked with a seated female figure above 'A A & S' (ff. 59, 59b), on both sides of two folio leaves of grey laid paper, watermarked 'J & T H / KENT' and figure of Britannia (ff. 60-61b, conjoined), on both sides of two folio leaves of cream wove paper, unwatermarked (ff. 62-63b), and on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked with the figure of Britannia (ff. 64, 64b). ff. 59-64b.

13. 'Eclogue VII. Frank's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked with the figure of Britannia, but not the same paper as the preceding leaf (ff. 65, 65b), on both sides of two folio leaves of blue laid paper, unwatermarked (ff. 66-67b), on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked 'Mansfield / Fine' (ff. 68, 68b), on both sides of four folio leaves of blue laid paper, unwatermarked (ff. 69, 69b, 71-73b), on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1881' (ff. 70, 70b), on both sides of a folio leaf of cream wove paper, watermarked 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.' (ff. 74, 74b), and on one side only of a folio leaf of cream laid paper, watermarked 'A Pirie & Sons / 1873' (f. 75). ff. 65-75.

14. 'Eclogue VIII. Philip's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, unwatermarked (ff. 76, 76b), and on both sides of five folio leaves of cream wove paper, watermarked 'Hieratica / (a vegetable Parchment) / J. S & Co.' (ff. 77-81b). ff. 76-81b.

15. 'Frederick's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper, watermarked 'E Towgood / 1871'. ff. 83, 83b.

16. 'Edgar's Flogging', written on both sides of a folio leaf of cream laid paper, watermarked 'A Pirie & Sons / 1869' (ff. 84, 84b), on both sides of a folio leaf of grey laid paper, watermarked with the figure of Britannia (ff. 85, 85b), and on both sides of two folio leaves of cream laid paper, unwatermarked (ff. 86-87b). ff. 84-87b.

17. 'Rupert's Flogging / by Etonensis', written on both sides of of two folio leaves of cream laid paper. Watermark 'A Pirie & Sons / 1869'. ff. 88-89b.

18. 'Canto XII. Rufus's Flogging', written on both sides of two large folio leaves of blue wove paper. No watermark. ff. 90-91b.

19. List of the contents of 'The Flogging-Block', written on one side only of a folio leaf of blue laid paper. Watermark the figure of Britannia. The list does not correspond to the portions of 'The Flogging-Block' found in this MS. f. 92. On the verso are various masculine names, possibly intended for the heroes of further Eclogues. f. 92b

Also included are drawings in pencil by Simeon Solomon of various of the dramatis personae: 'The Eve of the Birching', f. 1b; Portraits of 'Fred. Hayley Aetat 17', 'Arthur Walston Aetat 14' and 'Frank Eliot age 13', together with the text of a dialogue between them, ff. 10b-11; 'Freddy' and another, apparently female, figure, f. 82b. Ashley Library Catalogue, vi, p. 48.

Folio; ff. v+92.

Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Burlesque poem, 'The Flogging Block', by Algernon Charles Swinburne: circa 1862-1887: Autogr. fair copy with revisions.