Astarte Syriaca Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 Astarte Syriaca Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1877 fair copy 1 small leaf British Museum Library, Ashley Collection Ashley 1420 Both sides of an octavo leaf of white paper. Joy[]/18[]. 18 x 11.2 cm Commentary
Introduction

This is one of T. J. Wise's typical small bound volumes housing a single DGR manuscript. The leaf seems to be from a letter, probably written either to Jane Morris or to DGR's brother.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Ashley 1420 Bookplate with standing female angel blowing trumpet and seated female angel. Between the two figures is a flowing banner on which is inscribed the owner's name. Below the figures and the owner's name is an inscribed poem.

THOMASJAMES WISEHIS BOOK

BOOKS BRING ME FRIENDS WHERE'ER ON EARTH I BE. SOLACE OF SOLITUDE- BONDS OF SOCIETY! $673B.32 Astarte Syriaca. Mystery: lo! betwixt the sun and moon Astarte of the Syrians: Venus Queen Ere Grecian Venus was. In silver sheen Her twofold girdle clasps the infinite boon Of bliss whereof the heaven & earth commune: And from her neck's inclining flower-stem lean Full-freighted lips, and eyes that of the unseen Have sight no power malignant dare impugn. Torch-bearing, her sweet ministers compel All thrones of light, beyond the sky and sea, The witnesses of Beauty's face to be: That face, of Love's all-penetrative spell Amulet, talisman and oracle,— Betwixt the sun and moon a mystery. These prose notes seem to indicate that the manuscript was part of a letter.

P.S. variation on lines 7 & 8—

Full-freighted lips, & eyes that see the unseen, With softly ominous favour opportune. --------------------------------------------

I am not sure that the aboveis not better—it is certainlymore musical. Give me youropinion at leisure—

 In this bound volume, Wise included the text from the fourth edition (1882) of DGR's <hi rend="i">Ballads and Sonnets</hi> , which has been omitted. Also omitted are two letters from May Morris to Wise, dated 9 March 1930 and 16 March 1930, offering the MS to Wise and stating that Rossetti had written it for her mother.