Soothsay (British Library corrected copy) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of the British Library Commandments Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1870 April fair copy [i-xii],[1-17] British Library Ashley 3859 Written on one side only of two quarto leaves of ruled white laid paper, and on both sides of the next four quarto leaves. “J ALLEN & SONS SUPER FINE” Commentary
Introduction

This manuscript of the poem is written and heavily revised. The text is on sheets torn from one of DGR's typical notebooks. Also part of the manuscript, copied and then cancelled at the end of the principal poem, is a fair copy of DGR's sonnet on William Blake.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Bookplate mounted on inside front cover. “S673E” written in lower left corner of inside front cover.

THOMAS JAMES WISE HIS BOOK

BOOKS BRING ME FRIENDS WHERE'ER ON EARTH I BE, SOLACE OF SOLITVDE— BONDS OF SOCIETY!

“ASHLEY MS. 3859.” is stamped in the center of the top edge of this otherwise blank page. blank page

ROSSETTI (Gabriel Charles Dante).—Commandements[Soothsay]. A Poem. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 1871-1881.

Let no man ask thee of anything Not yearborn between Spring and Spring More of all worlds than he can know, Each day the single sun doth show. Etc.

The original holograph Manuscript, written upon nine quarto pages of white paper measuring 8 3/4 x 7 1/16 inches. Bound in red levant morocco by Riviere, together with an artistic title-page and a Portrait of the Author. Upon the reverse of the last page is a manuscript of the Sonnet on William Blake.

Commandments was the name originally given to the poem ultimately published under the amended title Soothsay. The present manuscript is of high importance, for it preserves no less than ten complete stanzas which still remain unpublished. The poem first appeared in Ballads and Sonnets, 1881, pp. 267-274. The holograph consists of twenty-four stanzas, only fourteen of which were printed in the volume of 1881. The stanzas of the manuscript actually number twenty-seven. But three of these represent the same stanza repeated with a varying text. There are also two versions of another. Here is a speciment of the cancelled verses. “I love” says this—“I yield control Even of all life to one dear soul.” Yet love, that in each kiss seals fast The first kiss, still forebodes the last. If to grow old, as the seer's tongue Hath said, in Heaven is to grow young.. Heaven-high, be sure, is Love's true goal. It is interesting to note that four of these lines (lines 3 to 6) were worked into the sonnet True Woman, Her Heaven, when in an amended form they serve as lines 1—2 and 13—14. Lancelot lay before the shrine: (The apple-tree's in the wood.) There was set Christ's very sign, The bread unknown and the unknown wine, That the soul's life for a livelihood Craves from his wheat and vine.

Preserved in a folding case by Riviere.

ROSSETTI (Gabriel Charles Dante).—After the German Subjuga- tion of France. A Sonnet. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 1871.

Lo the twelfth year—the wedding-feast come round With years for months—and lo the babe new-born; Out of the womb's rank furnace cast forlorn, And with contagious effluence seamed and crown'd. Etc.

The original holograph Manuscript, written upon one side of a quarto leaf of white paper measuring 8 1/8 x 7 1/8 inches. The sonnet was first printed composed in The Poems of D. G. Rossetti, 1904, p.34.

Preserved in a folding case by Riviere.

——— Proserpina. A Sonnet. By Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 1872.

Lungi la luce che in sù questo muro Rifrange appena, un breve istante scorta Etc.

The original holograph Manuscript, written upon one side of an octavo sheet of white paper measuring 7 1/8 x 4 3/8 inches. The Sonnet was composed in 1872, and was first printed (with some small variations in the text) in Ballads and Sonnets, 1881, p. 334.

Preserved in a folding case by Riviere.

——— The Death of Topsy. A Drama of the Future, in One

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Commandments

“Ashley 3859” is written in the center of the upper third of the page. British Library stamp in the center of the page. blank page 1 Commandments<ornlb>-----</ornlb> The wild waifs cast up by the sea With every season change must be Are diverse ever seasonably: In the waifs not up by the sea Even so the soul-tides still may land A different drift upon the sand But one the sea is evermore: And one be still, 'twixt shore and shore, As the sea's life, thy soul in thee. Let no man ask thee of anything Not yearborn between Spring & Spring. More of all worlds that he can know Each day the single sun doth show: A trustier gloss than thou canst give From all wise scrolls demonstrative, The sea doth sigh & the wind sing. Let no man awe thee on any height Of earthly kingship's mouldering might. The dust his heel holds meet for thy brow Hath all of it been what both are now; And thou and he may plague together A beggar's eyes in some dusty weather When none that is now knows sound or sight. blank page Crave thou no dower of earthborn things Unworthy Hope's imaginings. To have brought true birth of Song to be And to have won hearts of Poesy, Or anywhere in the sun or rain To have loved and been beloved again, Is loftiest reach of Hope's bright wings. “I love” says this,—“I yield control Even of all life to one dear soul:” Yet love, that in each kiss seals fast The first kiss, still forebodes the last. If to grow old (as the seer's tongue is to grow young Hath said) in Heaven is to grow young,— In Heaven, (as spake the Seërs tongue, Heaven-high, be sure, is Love's true goal. “I hate” says over and above,— “This is a soul that I might love.” None lightly says “my friend”; even so Be jealous of that name, “my foe.” An enemy for an enemy, But dogs for what a dog can be, Hold thou at heart: and time shall prove. blank page 3 3 Behold yon' slanderous satirist: Conceive what storehouse coil there must exist Of scorn within scorpions in his nature; when, For all his largesse unto Besides all venom cast o'er men Governed by Held in his constant contumely He keeps one little fungus that bosom snake needs must keep one snake whereby Himself in his own soul is hiss'd. Art thou a Dost vaunt thee Poet? Tow'rd the skies Canst hear anothers all other songs arise (As Mars syas heard Apollo's reed) And loathe them? Thus for thee, indeed, “To be an angel minister, And Or to lie howling”, are, sweet sir, But functional One function's twin varieties. Dost vaunt thou Poet?True Artist art thou? MusingGazing on The work another's hand mind has done, Its beauties first shall touch thy thought; And seeing what thyself hast wrought, Thou first shalt sigh, “Alas, how far Behind conception's guiding star!” True Artist elsewise thou art none. 4 There is an “x” before the stanzas on this page. A line connects the “x” to the space between the first and second stanzas of the facing page. The stanza number “6” is written in front of the third line of the third stanza of this page. 8 Whate'er by other's need is claim'd More than by thine, to him unblamed Resign it: and if he should hold What thou more than he more thou lack'st,—bread, gold, of gold Or bread or might any good whereby we live,— To Thee such substance let him give Freely: nor he nor thou be sham'd. Anomalies against all rules Acknowledge, though beyond the schools:— Those passionate states when to know true Some things, & to believe, are two; And that affectionary inexplicable incalculable sect When no amount of intellect Can [illegible] somehow save [illegible] from being fools:

6

Let thy soul strive that still the same Drain with thy soul each pearly gem Be early friendship's sacred flame. Distilled from Friendship's springtide stem 6 The affinities choose have strongest part In youth, and draw men heart to heart: Further in life, when clouds arise, As life wears on and and finds no rest, Their individualities in each breast Is Are tyrannous to sunder them. The corrected first two lines of the previous stanza are written vertically on the left margin of the page. 5 4 A line connects the space between the first and second stanzas of this page to an “x” before the stanzas on facing page. Grudge not the Critic's province cavil. Doubt, If so thou wilt, but spare to flout In answer; nor impugn thereby What he's proclaiming practically, In every word, the harsh strain through:— In good or ill word false or true:— To wit, that thou wast born to do What he was born to talk about.

7

In the life-drama's stern cue-call, A friend's a part well-prized by all: And if thou meet an enemy, What art thou that none such should be? Even so: but if the two parts run Into each other and grow one, Then comes the curtain's cue to fall.

5

Say, hast thou pride? How then may fit Thy mood with flatters' silk-spun wit? Haply the sweet voice lifts thy crest,— A breeze of fame made manifest. Nay, but then chaf'st at flattery? Pause: Be sure thy wrath is not because It makes thee feel thou lovest it. 6 There is an “x” just before each of the first two stanzas on this page. A line connects each “x” to the space after the last stanza on the facing page. There are two question marks written in the left margin beside the second and third stanzas on this page. The second stanza is numbered “4” at the end of the fourth line.

11

How callous seems beyond revoke The clock with its last listless stroke! How much too late at last length! !—to snatch A glance at the commencing forewarning watch, The thing thou hast not dared to do!. . . . Behold, this may be thus! Ere true It prove, arise and bear thy yoke. The wild waifs cast up by the sea Are diverse ever seasonably: Even so the soul-tides still may land A different drift upon the sand,4 But one the sea is evermore: And one be still, 'twixt shore & shore, As the sea's life, thy soul in thee. One First step in knowledge 'tis to grow Quite certain that thou dost not know: The next steps are thy toil to track Time's secrets round the zodiac: The last step, which perfecting the tale, To [illegible] find all of none avail, And even as thou didst come, to go. 5 Lines drawn from “X”s on the facing page indicate the space after the stanzas on this page as the insertion point for the stanzas on the facing page. Art thou vain-glorious? Vain-glory (Look to it well) is less to be Thine own work's high appraiser, than To abstract (as fatally it can) From thine inevitably true Knowledge of all that thou canst do, Thine ideal of what dwells in thee.

9

Strive that thy works prove equal: lest That work which thou hast done the best Should come to be to thee at length (Even as to Envy seems the strength Of others) hateful and abhorr'd,— Thine own above thyself made lord,— Of self-rebuke the bitterest.

10

Unto the man of yearning thought And aspiration, to do nought Is in itself almost an act,— Wild Being chasm-fire and cataract Of the soul's utter depths unseal'd. Yet woe to thee if once thou yield Unto the act of doing nought! Handwriting indicates that the stanzas on this verso were written at a different time than the stanzas on the recto. Since no insertion point is indicated for these stanzas, they are here numbered as if they belong before the stanzas on the recto. And if thy life do wear such pall As memory dreads to cope withal, Then, in that wrath which oft is grace Transfigured thou might shalt know God's face When And as the bitter sacrament In Of thine own body & blood, be leant Even on thy stubborn knees to fall Do still thy best, albeit the clue Be snapt of that thou strovest to:— Thy best, though toil gall of rancorous men Would shut all high things from thy ken:-- Thy best, though whom Hate had sworn were fain sworn to damn. Say,—such as I was made, I am, And did even such as I could do. Do still thy best, albeit the clue Be snapt of that thou strovest to: Do still thy best, though direful hate Should toil to leave thee desolate: Do still thy best, though whom Fate would damn. Say,—such as I was made, I am, And did even such as I could do. Do still thy best, albeit the clue Be snapt of that thou strovest to:— Thy best, though gall & direful hate Labour to leave thee desolate:— Thy best, whom these weave spells to damn. Say,—such as I was made, I am, And did even such as I could do. ———whom there for worst decry —————am I, 6

12

Let lore of man's Theology Be to thy soul what it can be: But know,—the Power that fashions man Measured not out thy little span For thee to take the meting-rod In turn, and so approve on God Thy science of Theometry.

+ 13

To God at best, to Chance at worst, Give thanks for good things, last as first. But windstrown blossom is that good Whose apple is not gratitude. Even if no prayer uplift thy face, Let the sweet right to render grace As thy soul's cherished child be nurs'd.

+ 14

Didst ever say, “Lo, I forget”? Such thought was to remember yet. As in a gravegarth, count to see The monuments of memory. Be this thy soul's appointed scope:— Gaze onward without claim to hope, Nor, gazing backward, brook regret. -=========- There are two slanted vertical lines drawn through the poem, as if to strike it out. William Blake.<lb/> (To Frederick Shields, on his sketch of Blake's work-room and<lb/> death-room, 3 Fountain Court, Strand.) This is the place. Even here the dauntless soul, The unflinching hand, wrought on; till in that nook, As on that very bed, his life partook New birth, and passed. 'Yon river's distant shoal, Whereto the close-built coiling lanes unroll, Faced his work-window, whence his eyes would stare, Thought-wandering, unto nought that met them there, But to the unfettered irreversible goal. This cupboard, Holy of Holies, held the cloud Of his soul writ and limned; this other one, His true wife's charge, full oft to their abode Yielded for daily bread the martyr's stone, Ere yet their food might be that b Bread alone, The words now home-speech of the mouth of God. --------- 7 T.J. Wise inserts here, for the next eight pages, the printed text of the poem as it appeared in the <hi rend="i">Ballads and Sonnets</hi> volume 7 page number added by T. J. Wise or someone else, not DGR <hi rend="c">SOOTHSAY</hi>. LET no man ask thee of anything Not yearborn between Spring and Spring. More of all worlds that he can know, Each day the single sun doth show. A trustier gloss than thou canst give From all wise scrolls demonstrative, The sea doth sigh and the wind sing. Let no man awe thee on any height Of earthly kingship's mouldering might. The dust his heel holds meet for thy brow Hath all of it been what both are now; And thou and he may plague together A beggar's eyes in some dusty weather When none that is now knows sound or sight. Crave thou no dower of earthly things Unworthy Hope's imaginings. To have brought true birth of Song to be And to have won hearts of Poesy, Or anywhere in the sun or rain To have loved and been beloved again, Is loftiest reach of Hope's bright wings. The wild waifs cast up by the sea Are diverse ever seasonably. Even so the soul-tides still may land A different drift upon the sand. 8 page numbering added bysomeone other than DGR But one the sea is evermore: And one be still, 'twixt shore and shore, As the sea's life, thy soul in thee. Say, hast thou pride? How then may fit Thy mood with flatters' silk-spun wit? Haply the sweet voice lifts thy crest, A breeze of fame made manifest. Nay, but then chaf'st at flattery? Pause: Be sure thy wrath is not because It makes thee feel thou lovest it. Let thy soul strive that still the same Be early friendship's sacred flame. The affinities have strongest part In youth, and draw men heart to heart: As life wears on and finds no rest, The individual in each breast Is tyrannous to sunder them. In the life-drama's stern cue-call, A friend's a part well-prized by all: And if thou meet an enemy, What art thou that none such should be? Even so: but if the two parts run Into each other and grow one, Then comes the curtain's cue to fall. Whate'er by other's need is claimed More than by thine,—to him unblamed Resign it: and if he should hold What more than he thou lack'st, bread, gold, 9 page numbering added bysomeone other than DGR Or any good whereby we live,— To thee such substance let him give Freely: nor he nor thou be shamed. Strive that thy works prove equal: lest That work which thou hast done the best Should come to be to thee at length (Even as to envy seems the strength Of others) hateful and abhorr'd,— Thine own above thyself made lord,— Of self-rebuke the bitterest. Unto the man of yearning thought And aspiration, to do nought Is in itself almost an act,— Being chasm-fire and cataract Of the soul's utter depths unseal'd. Yet woe to thee if once thou yield Unto the act of doing nought! How callous seems beyond revoke The clock with its last listless stroke! How much too late at length!—to trace The hour on its forewarning face, The thing thou hast not dared to do!. . . . Behold, this may be thus! Ere true It prove, arise and bear thy yoke. Let lore of all Theology Be to thy soul what it can be: But know,—the Power that fashions man Measured not out thy little span 10 page numbering added bysomeone other than DGR For thee to take the meting-rod In turn, and so approve on God Thy science of Theometry. To God at best, to Chance at worst, Give thanks for good things, last as first. But windstrown blossom is that good Whose apple is not gratitude. Even if no prayer uplift thy face, Let the sweet right to render grace As thy soul's cherished child be nurs'd. Didst ever say, “Lo, I forget”? Such thought was to remember yet. As in a gravegarth, count to see The monuments of memory. Be this thy soul's appointed scope:— Gaze onward without claim to hope, Nor, gazing backward, court regret.