The Bride's Prelude (and other Manuscripts) DGR 1 Princeton University Library, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections Original Autograph Manuscripts by Dante Gabriel Rossetti with Annotations by William Michael Rossetti DGR 1869?, 1871?, 1878 Corrected manuscripts and printed texts 5 leaves DGR DGR Princeton University Library, Taylor Collection 49323 Gold stamped blue leather by Sangorski and Sutcliffe white lined notebook paper COUPER 1869 (third leaf) 22 x 18cm the pages are torn from one of DGR's typical notebooks Commentary
Introduction

H. Buxton Forman put together this volume of DGR materials and had it handsomely bound.

The principal document is the three page initial section giving DGR's “Continuation” for “The Bride's Prelude” . DGR probably wrote this prose description of the conclusion of his poem in 1869 or 1871. According to WMR, it was written around 1878, but the watermark argues an earlier date. DGR's notations on page [4] seem to indicate his thoughts about the possible publication of the poem in his 1870 volume—an idea he came to reject.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

WMR first published the substance of this prose description in his 1886 collected <hi rend="i">Works</hi> (I. 515-516). WMR evidently edited this text in order to give it a readerly coherence (see the text as printed in his 1911 edition).

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

WMR, <hi rend="i">Works (1911)</hi> , 647-648

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTSBY DANTE GABRIELROSSETTI ---------------------- The first draft of the bride's prelude The advertisement of Dante and his circle Notes on the proportion of the head to various parts of the body Blank page. NB to write all this at full length in prose as a first step. DGR note to the text added at top of the page 2 WMR pagination Continuation.

E Urscelyn has become celebrated as asoldier of fortune selling his swordto the highest bidder, and inthis character reports reachAloyse & her family respectinghim. Aloyse now becomesenamoured of a young knightwho loves her deeply; thisleads, after fears & hesitations,to her confessing to him thestain on her life; he stillremains devoted to her. E Urscelyn now reappears;his influence as a soldierrenders a lasting bond withhim desirable to the brothersof Aloyse, much as they hatehim; and he, on his side, isbent on assuming an importantposition in the family to whichhe as yet only half belongs.

DGR uses this page for additions and revisions. It is written in pencil and the ink script from the reverse side (page 2 recto) can be seen through the paper, making the pencil marks very difficult to decipher. DGR writes “3” in the upper left hand corner of the page. Someone else has also written “4” in the upper left hand corner of the page. 3 WMR pagination

Ctn might go thus.Amelotte wd draw attention to the passing of thetime. Aloyse then says – There is much nowyou remember – how we heard that Urscelynhad become a soldier of fortune and how he returned here. You mustalso remember with the death of that youngknight at the tourney. Amelotte should thendescribe the event & say how well she re-members Urscelyn's bitter grief at themischance. Aloyse wd then tell her howshe herself was betrothed herself to the youngknight & how Urscelyn slew him intentio-nally. As the bridal procession appears, perhaps it might become apparent that the brothersmeant to kill Urscelyn when he has married her.

------------------------------------------

Along the left side of the following passage DGR has drawn a bracket and written the word “omit.” Not necesarily [sic]. Aloyse might have kepther 2nd love secret from her sister,who wd be cognizant of the accidental deathof the one knight by the hand of the other Erscelyn at the tourney, but not ofits terrible meaning.

The page has a large ink stain in the upper left hand corner which obscures the left-hand portion of six to seven lines. DGR has marked a vertical line alongside the left of the second paragraph and written “omit”. 3 WMR pagination

[He] therefore offers marriage toAloyse, supported by the will ofbrothers who moreover arefully aware of the blot theyhave to efface & which wouldfully disappear. At a tournament E Urscelyn succeeds in treacherouslyslaying the knight to whomAloyse has betrothed herself;and this death is followedin due course by the bridalto which the poem relates. Itwinds up with the descriptionsof the last preparations precedingthe bridal procession.

------------------------------

NB. It will be necessary tomove the return of Amelottefrom her convent to a moreadvanced stage of the poem,shortly before the wedding, asotherwise she must have beencognizant of much related.

-------------------------------

NB

Blank page with writing from reverse side visible. 3 WMR's pagination at top right

The narrative now first printed fragment called of The Bride's Preludewas written earlier than almost anything inthe present volume. To complete it nowseemed less worth while than other poems.Those who call for the writer's work. Some will may perhaps be willing to have it preservedthough the printing it as it stands needs some indulgence on their part.

This annotation is written by William Michael Rossetti lengthwise up the left side of the page. MS of 3 pages by DG Rossetti – shows the mode in which he wd havecompleted his poem The Bride's Prelude, if he had completed it atall – The substance of this MS. was published in his Collected Works,1886 – In the penciled portion, ending “the brothers meant to killUrscelyn” etc. – This termination of the poem was (I think) suggested toDGR by Swinburne.WMR. WMR's note to the manuscript as a whole. MS. of DG RossettiWMR(except the 4 top lines) This notebook page contains DGR's directions to the printer regarding the layout of advertisements. The notes are written vertically, running from the bottom of the page to the top; in addition, a scrap of paper with additional (cancelled) directions has been pasted to this page.

Will be published immediately A new edition, with additions Poems by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 8vo crown 8vo in an ornamental binding designed bound from the authors' design. by the author Price 12/.

----------------------

The sonnets of the House of Life originally printed in this volume having now been embodied with the full series appearing in “Ballads and Sonnets”, the space thus vacated is filled with first other matter now first published.

---------------------- ---------------------- This notebook page contains DGR's directions to the printer regarding the layout of advertisements. The notes are written vertically, running from the bottom of the page to the top; in addition, a clipping of a printed notice has been pasted to this page, with DGR's autograph corrections visible. ----------------------

Revised and Re-arranged Edition, crown 8vo. DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE; WITH THE ITALIAN POETS PRECEDING HIM (1100-1200-1300) A Collection of Lyrics Edited and translated in the Original Metres, BY DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI. This work includes a translation of Dante's Vita Nuova The Vita Nuova of Dante

I seem to have lost the proof sent of this, so correct the above.

 Blank page. This page contains DGR's notes on the proportion of the head to various parts of the body. height of heads ------------------------------ from chin to nipples 1 head ------------------------------ Nipples to navel 1 head ------------------------------ Navel to genitals 1 head ------------------------------ Genitals to mid-thigh 1 head ------------------------------ Mid-thigh to knee 1 head ------------------------------ Knees to bottom of calf 1 head ------------------------------ Bottom of calf to great toe 1 head ------------------------------ (Back View) Shoulders to bottom of scapula 1 head ------------------------------ Scapula to hips 1 head ------------------------------ Hips to rump 1 head ------------------------------ (head divided in 4 portions) Top of head to spring of hair 1 part ------------------------------ Spring of hair to top of nose 1 part ------------------------------ Top of nose to end of [nose] 1 part ------------------------------ End of nose to point of chin 1 part ------------------------------ This page contains DGR's notes on the proportion of the head to various parts of the body. In addition, WMR has written two notes at the page's bottom, running vertically and then horizontally. The arm from articulation of shoulder to that of wrist 2 heads ------------------------------ Wrist to end of middle finger 1 head ------------------------------ Leg from genitals to soul of foot 4 heads ------------------------------ Hand is as long as the face & divided in 3 nose lengths ------------------------------ Foot is 1 head in length ------------------------------ Length of ear extends from eyes to end of nose ------------------------------ Width of shoulders is 2 heads ------------------------------ MS of DG Rossetti WMR The Proportions of the H F to guide him in drawing. Blank page.