Ballads and Sonnets (1881), proof Signature F (Delaware Museum, early proof fragment) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 Text courtesy of The Delaware Art Museum Ballads and Sonnets Dante Gabriel Rossetti F. S. Ellis Chiswick Press, C. Whittingham and Co. London 1881 April 7 (circa) proof 79-80 DGR Library, Delaware Art Museum 10 point; 6 point leading roman 17 2 cm 3.8 cm 2 cm 2.5 cm 19 x 12.8cm (crown octavo) Commentary
Introduction

This leaf is a single revise page made after the first revise proof of Signature F. The latter shows DGR calling for a revision on page 80 that he failed to include in the first author's proof. Also, page 79 of the latter has two author revisions that appear in this revise. All of these corrections come into the second state of the first revise proof which is part of the British Library proofs.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

The library of the Delaware Art Museum has three complete sets of proofs for this signature: a copy of the first author's proof (dated Apr 81 and numbered 1), a complete copy of the second revise (dated 14 Apr 81 and numbered 4), and a copy of the final proof (dated 22 Apr and numbered 5). In addition to this loose page proof, the museum also has an incomplete copy of what appears to be the first revise (unnumbered and undated), an incomplete copy of the second revise (dated 14 Apr and numbered 3), and an incomplete copy of the third revise (undated, unnumbered). The British Library proofs include a complete undated copy of the first revise (numbered 2).

Printing History

Reception History

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

An instant shriek that sprang to the shock As the ship's keel felt the sunken rock. 'Tis said that afar—a shrill strange sigh— The King's ships heard it and knew not why. Pale Fitz-Stephen stood by the helm 'Mid all those folk that the waves must whelm. A great King's heir for the waves to whelm, And the helpless pilot pale at the helm! The ship was eager and sucked athirst, By the stealthy stab of the sharp reef pierc'd: And like the moil round a sinking cup, The waters against her crowded up. A moment the pilot's senses spin,— The next he snatched the Prince 'mid the din, Cut the boat loose, and the youth leaped in. A few friends leaped with him, standing near. “Row! the sea's smooth and the night is clear!” “What! none to be saved but these and I?” “Row, row as you'd live! All here must die!” Out of the churn of the choking ship, Which the gulf grapples and the waves strip, They struck with the strained oars' flash and dip. 'Twas then o'er the splitting bulwarks' brim The Prince's sister screamed to him.