The proof is clear evidence that it was printed using DGR's corrected proof copy of the Tauchnitz edition as copy text for the 1881 (compare the title page of the latter with the title page of this partial proof). These pages may well have been pulled as part of the partial first author's proof preserved separately in the Delaware library.

DGR revised the initial proofs for the front matter for this book twice. In addition to this fragmentary proof for pages i-iv, the Delaware Art Museum library has the uncorrected revise made from these pages. It also preserves four other partial sets of early proofs for this signature where one can track DGR's successive acts of revision, plus one complete final proof. The library has two copies (both partial) of the first author's proof, copy 1 andcopy 2, both with corrections, and two partial copies of the first revise, copy 1 and copy 2, both also with revisions. The Princeton Library has two further fragmentary proofs for ths signature, both corrected pages for the revise proof: copy 1 and copy 2.