Notebook Page: Ashley A3840 Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of the British Library Love's Changes; and Memoranda Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1871 notebook texts 1 leaf with text of recto and verso British Library, Ashley Collection Ashley A3840 ruled white laid paper. None. Commentary
Introduction

This is a loose page torn from one of DGR's typical lined notebooks. The page is from a notebook that contained—like this page—heterogenous material, including household memoranda. The recto contains a draft version of the poem eventually titled “Pride of Youth” as well as the description for an interesting painting of the Virgin and Child, which DGR did not, however, execute. It also has a brief memo about a house safe. The verso has a long note by DGR about his early juvenile poem “Sir Hugh the Heron” .

Textual History: Composition

The page was probably disbound from DGR's notebook after DGR's death by his brother. It dates from 1871.

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Burnett, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.">The Ashley Catalogue</xref> </hi> I. 313.

Love's Changes Even as a child, of sorrow that we give The dead, but little in his heart can find, Since without need of thought in his clear mind Their turn it is to die & his to live:– Even so the winged New love smiles to receive Along his eddying plumes the whispering dawn's soft auroral ? soft-sorrowing wind, Nor forward glorying casts one look behind Where night-racks shrouds the Old Love fugitive. So change must be in every hour's recall, There is a change with in every hour's recall, And the last cowslip in the fields we see On the same day with the first corn-poppy. Alas for hourly change and yet Alas for all The loves that from his hand proud Youth lets fall Even as the beads of a told rosary! ---------------------------------------------------------------

For Safe. Turn key once to release handle. Then turn handle. Then turn key open.

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To paint Virgin & Child — child climbsup mother's bosom. Angels behind mighthold branches of the Tree of Life & Treeof Knowledge. In distance might be seenEden & flaming sword.

[Note on “Sir Hugh the Heron”]

I make this note after a conversation with a friend who had been reading in the British Museum, a ridiculous first attempt of mine in verse called “Sir Hugh the Heron,” which was printed when I was 14, but written, except the last page or two, at 12, as my family wd probably remember. When I was 14, my grandfather (who amused himself by having a small private printing-press) offered, I if I would finish it, to print it. I accordingly added the last precious touches two years after writing the rest. I leave this important explanation, as there is no knowing what fool may someday foist the absurd trash into print as a production of mine. It is curious & surprising to myself, as evincing absolutely no promise at all,—less than should exist even at 12. When I wrote it, the only po English poet I had read was Sir Walter Scott, as is plain enough in it. D. G. Rossetti.