Introduction
This is a duplicate copy (dated 4 May 1881) of the third revise of Signature
N of the
Ballads and Sonnets
volume. It is without revisions, like a duplicate also at the Delaware Art
Museum library. An author's
copy, with revisions, of this signature is in the same location.
This proof was pulled because not all of DGR's corrections that were sent
with the first revise (printed on 28 April) made their way into the second
revise (printed on 3 May).
Textual History: Revision
Besides this duplicate copy of the third revise, the Delaware proofs include
the following: copy 1 and copy 2 of the first proof with
only eight sonnets printed; copy
1 and copy 2 of the
first revise (dated 28 April 1881 and numbered 1a and 1b respectively), both
with DGR's corrections throughout; copy
1 and copy 2 of the
second revise (dated 3 May 1881 and numbered 1a and 1b respectively), both
without revisions; an author's
proof (with corrections) and two uncorrected copies of the third
revise—this one and uncorrected copy 2), all dated 4
May 1881 and numbered 3c, 3a, and 3b respectively; an uncorrected and two corrected copies
of the fourth revise (corrected copy
1 and corrected copy 2),
all dated 6 May 1881 and numbered 4a, 4b, and 4c respectively; four copies
of the final proof, including WMR's
copy with his notes, DGR's
corrected copy, an uncorrected partial copy, and a copy with uncut sheets), all
undated and numbered 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d. Delaware also has the proof of the
cancel leaf (pages 185-186),
marked as such and with with DGR's correction. The British Library
proofs have another copy of revise proofs for this signature (dated 3 May).