Add MS 45305

WILLIAM MORRIS LITERARY MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. IX (ff. 121). The Prologue, etc., to The Earthly Paradise. A small oblong note-book with clasp, written in pencil. Its roughness suggests composition while travelling. Ff. 1-8 and (reversing the volume) 121-98b contain notes and sketches, including a résumé or series of captions (ff. 108b-107b) for the Prologue (see below) and measurements and plans for stainedglass windows (ff. 120b-115b). This is the note-book described in Morris, i, pp. 400-401, and mentioned in a footnote in C.W., iv, p. ix. Contents:-

(1) Part of a draft, probably the first, of Morris's first version of the Prologue, in octosyllabic quatrains. This version, later completely rejected, is printed, from a more complete MS. not in this collection, as 'The Wanderers' in C.W., xxiv, pp. 87-170. The present MS. begins about half-way through the printed text at 'Then did we ask them whence we came' (p. 121) and follows it, with numerous minor variants, almost to the end. (For a MS. of the later version of the Prologue, see 37499.) ff. 9-73.

(2) Part of an early draft of 'The Story of Cupid and Psyche' (C.W., iv, pp. 4-73), from the beginning up to Psyche's union with Cupid. It is considerably shorter than the printed version, except for the song (ff. 92-95b) which is much longer than its printed equivalent (pp. 21-22), and is in octosyllabics. ff. 73b-98.

includes:

• ff. 111-110 (rev.) Heraldry: Notes on Welsh arms, by W. Morris: bef. 1896.