The Slave (holograph manuscript) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 The Slave DGR 1835 holograph fair copy 3-6, 9-14, 21-34, [35] The text is written into the successive pages of a small notebook. Several pages are torn out (1-2, 7-8, 15-20) and a note by WMR is laid inside the front cover. DGR DGR South African National Gallery 4 1/2 x 3 3/4 in. Commentary
Introduction

This work is written into a small notebook that contains as well a quotation from Shakespeare's <hi rend="i">The Merchant of Venice</hi> (Portia's speech on “The quality of mercy”) and the beginning of a second drama, <hi rend="i">Aladdin</hi> . The Shakespeare passage was obviously initially intended to comprise a set that DGR headed “Beauties of Shakespeare”. The last few pages of the book contain some juvenile sketches, including several puppet theatre figures such as those he drew for the <hi rend="i">Arabian Nights</hi> series. The latter are confidently dated from 1840, which shows that DGR's interest in this kind of drawing, and in these kinds of romance tales, persisted throughout his earliest years.

The text of <hi rend="i">The Slave</hi> through page 10 is scripted in carefully decorative roman print characters, except for the stage directions which are in a cursive script. From page 11 the remainder of the manuscript is in cursive entirely. DGR makes no effort to preserve a standard play text design, so that the lines and speech headings all run on continuosly. The scene divisions in Act I are editorially derived whereas in Act II they are labelled by DGR.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

This small note by WMR is laid into the inside front cover of the booklet.

The slave was composed & written out by Gabriel at some such age as 6—I don't think he can have been 7—all the other matter in the booklet appears to be his. W.M.R 1905

&c. scripted at upper right [indecipherable] apparently two words <hi rend="c">The Slave!!!</hi> The entry beginning “Guards” appears inside a rectangular shape with an ornate double border, apparently designed to appear as a kind of embossed plaque. A vertical line divides the character names and the titles that follow into two columns. Each column ends with a series of progressively shorter centered horizontal lines. <hi rend="c">Dramatis<lb/>Personæ.</hi> -------------------

Don Manuel. A Spanish Lord. Traitor. an Officer. Slave. A Servant to Traitor Mortimer. an English knight. Guards Messengers &c.

Scene, Manuel's palace.

Traitor Solus Ho Slave give me my sword! Enter Slave. Sl. Here is your sword. Tr. Slave villain thou shalt die! Sl. O my lord have mercy! Tr. I will not slave! Slave falls on his knees. Sl. Down with|thy sword! Tr. Slave thou diest! Exeunt fighting.

ReEnter Slave with a bloody sword. Sl. I have wounded him! ho if thou be est alive. Come out and fight me! EnterTraitor. Tr. downSlave I dare thee on Coward thou diest! they fight Tr. Slave! Exeunt.

The final letter in the first line is obscured in the gutter. There is a small superscript circle following the final letter of “lord” in line 5.

Don Manuel solus Ma. Villains com[e] out to battle ho I say! Enter Soldiers. 1st So. My lord.?2nd. So. your grace? Tr. fight Cowards fight! Sol. Draw draw! Exeunt drawing their swords.

Act IId. Scene the Ist.

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Enter the Traitor, with a drawing sword in his hand. ------------------- Tr. Slave, come out! Enter Slave. Sl. I dare thee! no I do not—Enter Man- uel, With Soldiers. Ma. on soldiers here's the Traitor! So fight fight! Tr. down Soldier! Ma. Coward! Exeunt fighting. Sl. down Slave! Exit. Tr. V[?] Exit.

Act 2nd. Scene 2nd.

Enter Mortimer. Mor. Ho Villain! what news now? Enter a Messenger. Mes. my Lord the Traitor for thy noble cause! Exit. Traitor Passes over the stage, and Exit Mortimer.

The font style changes from block to script from here to the end. An inked rectangular block, showing through from the verso, partially obscures “to” in the third line.

Enter Manuel. Man. on Slave to battle ho!Enter Slave: Sl. down Manuel! Man. Coward Slave and villain! Sl. I dare thee on die Coward! Man. Traitor thou diest! draws. Sl. Coward! draws. beware! they fight.

The final word in the second line is obscured by an inked rectangular block.

Enter Guards armed. 1st. Ga. what ho [?].Who is there? 2nd. G. I. Guards hasten over the stage. Enter Traitor Tr. ho I have lost grievous

A vertical line comes after “Soldier” in the penultimate line.

thought! I will not lose away a- way falls on his sword and dies. Enter Mortimer. Mor. O! Who lies here? the Traitor bathed in blood. O! noble countryman! O! loving Soldier. I grieve for thee. O! brave companion!

I grieve for thee brave partner but yet I will not live to see thee thus stabs himself. O! I am slain. Dies. Enter Manuel and Slave fighting. Slave is slain and exit Manuel. the End.

A small shape consisting of two s-curves spreading up and out to each side from a central point, with a third line arched between them. The final letter in the eighth line is obscured in the gutter. Beauties of<lb/> Shakespeare. ----------------------- DGR copies out Portia's famous soliloquy from <hi rend="i">The Merchant of Venice</hi> Act IV scene 1. <hi rend="c">Portia to Shylock</hi>

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth, as thegentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. Itis twice blessed; It blessethhim that gives, and him thattakes. T'is mightiest in themightiest; it becomes. The throne[d] monarch better than his clown.His sceptre shows the forceof temporal power, The attributeto awe and majesty, Whereindoth sit the dread and fearof kings. But mercy is abovethis scepter'd sway, It is en--throned in the hearts of kings It is an attribute to God him--self; And earthly powerdoth then shew likest God.

When mercy seasons justice,Therfore, Jew, Though justicebe thy plea, consider this,—That, in the course of justice,none of us Should see salvation.We do pray for mercy;And that same prayer dothteach us all to renderThe deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much, To miti--gate the justice of thy plea;Which if thou follow, thisstrict court of VeniceMust needs give sentence'gainst the merchant there.

Merchant of Venice. Act 4th, Scene 1st.

 <hi rend="c">Aladdin.<lb/>or<lb/>The wonderful<lb/>Lamp. </hi> A line illustration that curves out into swirls at both ends, possibly to suggest the movement of smoke or some aerial being; below are six circles with a horizontal line above them. At the foot of the page is a second line illustration: a diamond with “feet” and a “head” of curved prongs and dramatic s-curves stretching out to both sides, possibly to suggest wings, with detail suggesting the movement of air similar to that of the other illustration.

by Gabriel Rossetti Painter of Playpictures.

Aladdin. ------------------- A line illustration depicting what may be a lamp: a shape that rises up to a central point (which is surrounded by “petals”) and curves out to each side, with a separate “foot” curving out behind to the left and an outgrowth with jagged ridges curving up to the right, which may represent spiralling smoke or the growth of a plant. A vertical line divides the character names and the names that follow them into two columns. -------------------

Sultana. Mrs Siddons. Aladdin.— Mr. Kemble. Sultan. Mrs Cobham. African Magician. Mr Kean Princess Badroulboudour. Mrs Kemble Aladdin's Mother. Mrs. Bland. Grand Vizier. Mr. King. African Magician's Brother. Mr. Hart. Genius of the Lamp. Mr. Fiers Genius of the Ring. Mr. Johnson. Fatima. Mrs. Powell. Grand Vizier's Son. Mr. Elton

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Officers, Eunuchs, Guards,Slaves, Servants, Jewellers, Heralds,Soldiers, Grooms, Genii, Attendants,Cupbearers, Musicians &c. &c. &c. &c.

 Writing on pages 26 and 27 follows hand-ruled lines.

Act 1.st. Scene 1st. Enter African Magician &Aladdin. Al. Where will you lead me? Mag. Into a bea[u] -tiful garden, where all sorts of fruits' grow. Al. Is't this? Mag. Nay, it is not. Al. What A small dotted oval, elongated vertically, has its center slightly below the final letters of “beautiful” in the second line. It appears to depict a face. It is split in two by a vertical line and its lower half is cleft into two smaller half ovals. A heavily inked triangular shape (filled) shows through from the verso behind the first four letters of “garden” in the second line. There are large erased characters on the two lines following the text. is't then? Mag. A much more beautiful garden than this. [?] YeA ?D

Various sketches: a filled triangular shape (possibly the impression of ink printed on the facing page); the head and neck of a man with a plumed headpiece, with larger versions of some of the curved shapes used to make up the illustration. Various sketches: a filled triangular shape (possibly the impression of ink printed on the facing page); three heads with elaborate headpieces; a full length soldier wielding a sword and shield, in a panelled costume and headpiece. The blotted impression of the inked figure from the facing page, depicting a full length warrior with plumed hat or helmet wielding a sword. Various sketches: a full length warrior with plumed hat or helmet wielding a sword, filled with ink; a further small figure with a sword on a distant horizon line. Various simple line sketches, including one that can be identified as a bird. The heavily inked image of the sword wielding figure shows through from the verso. Various sketches of an outdoor scene depicting a bird flying by a tree and what may be a crown. Various sketches of an outdoor scene depicting a bird flying by a tree. The heavily inked image of what may be a crown shows through from the verso. Various line marks and a sketch of a head in an elaborate plumed headpiece.