Troy Town (draft manuscript, U. of British Columbia) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 Troy Town Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1869 September early draft manuscript 5 leaves written on rectos, with some text on the verso of leaf 3 DGR DGR U. of British Columbia Library, The Penkill Papers 5-1 The manuscript was originally owned by William Bell Scott. 19.5 x 11.6cm The text is written in pencil. Commentary
Introduction

This is the first (pencil) draft of the poem, written while DGR was staying at Penkill with William Bell Scott in the summer of 1869. DGR wrote this text in August and early September, about the same time as he was writing <xref doc="a.20-1869.f30.raw"> <hi rend="i">Eden Bower</hi> </xref> . Not all of the received text is in this first rendering, but the poem is still substantially the same work we have. The poem was first set in type in the First Trial Book, which DGR received early in October 1869.

An interesting feature of this manuscript appears at the foot of the first page, where DGR writes a possible three-line refrain for Lilith in <xref doc="a.20-1869.f30.raw"> <hi rend="i">Eden Bower</hi> </xref> . DGR did not decide to include this refrain, though it is quite an effective piece of work.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Burden for Lilith Time is old Fold on fold She I make is wintry cold forBurden for Lilith—Time is oldFold on foldShe I make is wintry cold DGR here writes a possible burden for <xref doc="a.20-1869.f30.raw"> <hi rend="i">Eden Bower</hi> </xref> , which he was writing at the same time as this poem. It was never incorporated into that poem. Troy Town Fair Helen came to Venus shrine, (O Troy Town!) Saying, A little gift is mine, She said A little gift for a heart's desire. Hear me speak & make me a sign! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Fair Helen came to Venus' shrine, (Alas, Troy Town) She said, a little gift is mine, A little gift for a heart's desire. Hear me speak & make me a sign! (Troy Troy's is down, Alas Alas tall Troy's on fire!) Look, I bring thee a carven cup, you golden (O Troy Town!) See it here as I hold it up, Shaped it is to the heart's desire, Fit to fill when the gods would sup. [?] (O Troy's down, [?] Tall Troy's on fire!)The (deleted) original of received line 19 was heavily revised before being struck out. None of it is decipherable in the image. It was moulded like my breast; I have shaped it (O Troy Town!) [?] He that sees it may not rests, Bliss ? never Rest at all for his heart's desire, Never rest O give ear to my heart's request! poor (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) See my breast how like it is; (O Troy Town!) See it bare for the air to kiss! Is the cup to thy heart's desire? Lo O the breast let Love make his! him [?] (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) This stanza was transcribed after the succeeding one, but DGR here marks it to be placed before the other stanza. Lo each breast is an apple sweet! (O Troy Town!) Once an apple stirred the beat Of thy heart with the heart's desire, Say, who brought it then to thy feet? Answer knelt with (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) They that claimed it then were three: sought (O Troy Town!) For thy sake two hearts did he Make forlorn of the heart's desire. Do for him as he did for thee! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Mine are apples grown to the south, Here ripe (O Troy Town!) Grown to taste in the days of drouth, Taste and waste to the heart's desire: in the days of drouth Mine are apples meet for his mouth! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Here are apples for his mouth (O Troy Town!) Grown to taste in the days of drouth, Taste and waste to the heart's desire: When the wind is warm in the south, (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) DGR wrote this deleted stanza first, after stanza 5 of this manuscript, and then deleted it. This is the verso of page 3, here numbered 4. There is only one barely legible line of six words on the page. The third word may be “grass.” Venus looked on Helen's gift, (O Troy Town!) Looked & smiled with subtle drift, Knew the work of her heart's desire: There thou kneel'st for love to lift! Saw her kneel whom must (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Venus looked in Helen's face, (O Troy Town!) Knew far off an hour and place, another [?] Fires lit from the heart's desire; Laughed and said,Thy gift hath grace! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Cupid looked on Helen's breast, (O Troy Town!) Saw the aching heart its guest, burning Saw the flames of the heart's desire; heat There his arrow stood confess'd. (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!)The words “stood” and “confess'd” in received line 82 have been underlined (separately) with a straight-edge. The marks are almost certainly non-autograph. Cupid took another dart, (O Troy Town!) Fledged it for another heart, Winged the shaft with the heart's desire, Drew the string and said Depart! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Paris turned upon his bed, [?] (O Troy Town!) Turned upon his bed and said, Dead at heart with the heart's desire,— O to clasp her golden head! hold my Helen's (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!)