Add MS 45303

WILLIAM MORRIS LITERARY MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. VII (ff. i + 27). The Man who never Laughed Again (C.W., v, pp. 159-204). It is not clear whether Morris's note on the original wrapper (f. i)-'First copy of man who'-refers to art. 1 or 2, or both. Contents:-

(1) A draft corresponding, with many minor differences and occasional rearrangement of stanzas, to the text as printed; from 'Each side the door thereof rose-garlands hung' (C.W., vi, p. 160) to the end. ff. 1-17.

(2) A draft of over 700 lines, later almost completely rejected, concerning Bahram's life in the land beyond the door before the arrival of the Queen's Ship. It is discussed by May Morris in C.W., v, pp. xxv-xxxi, where some is printed from 45299, ff. 28-42, a later and shorter version. The song, '0 winter, 0 white winter, wert thou gone' (ff. 26-26b), which is out of its proper sequence, is closer to the text printed as 'The Two Sides of the River' (from Poems By The Way) in C.W., ix, pp. 135-138, than to the shorter version printed by May Morris in C.W., v, pp. xxvii-xxix. The text beg. 'And still as each new flamer drew anear' and ends 'There round its staff he saw the banner rolled', followed by the above-mentioned song. ff. 18-26b.

(3) A copy, in the hand of May Morris, of part of the poem printed as 'On the Edge of the Wilderness' (from Poems By The Way) in C.W., ix, pp. 146-148. It differs in minor points from the text on f. 23b of the present MS. f. 27. The MS. belonged to Philip Webb and later Emery Walker (see Brit. Mus. Quart., xiv, 1939-1940, p. 9). Red morocco binding by Katharine Adams.

Katharine Webb, d 1952 née Adams; bookbinder: Bound: bef. 1952.

Bindings ENGLISH: Red morocco, gilt-tooled, by K. Adams: 20th cent.

includes:

• f. 27 May Morris, alias Mary; daughter of William Morris: Poems of her father, copied by: n.d.