Appendices

Appendix I. The Rossetti Archive DTD for a RAD File. Appendix II. The Rossetti Archive RAD for Fitwilliam MS of "The House of Life" (excerpt). 44-1869_fizms This bound notebook volume titled The House of Life Sonnets has various manuscript and printed texts either written directly on the notebook leaves or (as separate small pieces of paper) pasted on the notebook sheets; all in the approximate order of the sonnets as they appeared in the 1881 volume Ballads and Sonnets. Most of the manuscripts are holograph, but there are copies by May Morris and by Charles Fairfax Murray, who acquired the volume after DGR's death. The manuscripts are typically pasted on the recto pages, with the opposite versos of the previous leaves being left blank. But often these blank leaves have a manuscript or other material. The manuscripts date from many different periods, but the volume was initially put together in a collaborative way by DGR and Charles Fairfax Murray in the fall of 1869. Later, in 1880, DGR used the volume to construct the 1881 text of "The House of Life" as it appeared in his Ballad and Sonnets volume. The pagination is uniformly given in small arabic numerals (upper right corner of each recto page); these appear to have been added by Murray. Many of the individual sonnet manuscripts bear other numbers which indicate DGR's efforts to define an order for the sonnets in the 1881 printing. DGR corrected the MS texts at two distinct periods: in 1869-70, and again in 1880-81. In each case he was preparing the texts for publication. The MS was used twice, once for printing the 1869-70 Poems texts, and again for printing the 1881 Poems and Ballads. holograph
The House of Life Part I. Youth and Change Part II. Change and Fate
Holograph. The first six lines, cancelled by DGR, originally made up the opening part of an introductory note that concluded with the words "quicken it" ; the next passage, which is the last four lines of the text, comprises a late addition.
In reprinting the fragmentary series of the House of Life, it seemed a more harmonious arrangement to exclude lyrics and retain sonnets only. A further number of these is now added, in great measure the work of earlier years. To speak in the first person is often to speak most vividly; but these emotional poems are in no sense occasional. The Life involved is life representative, as associated with love and death, with aspiration & forboding, or with ideal art and beauty. with hope, love, and death exist in the region of fact or of thought is a question indifferent to the Muse, so long only as her touch can quicken it. The present full series of theHouse of Life consists of sonnets only. It , since Of these it Among these will be evident that many now first added the work of earlier years. The last four lines are a draft text with running corrections in this line.
This to be used as introductory and printed in italics marginal directions to the printer, written at top May Morris transcript with DGR's corrections and additions The title in the MS is originally "The Sonnet", but this is here cancelled and the sonnet was not printed with a specific title by DGR; the title "Introductory Sonnet" was added later when WMR collected DGR's work and it has become traditional. The Sonnet A Sonnet is a moment's monument,- Memorial from the Soul's eternity thy To one dead deathless hour. Look that it be, Whether for lutral rite or dire portent, Of its own arduous fulness reverent: intricate Carve it in ivory or in ebony, As Day or Night prevail; and let Time see Its flowering crest impearled and orient. A sonnet is a coin, its face reveals whose The soul,- its converse, to what Power 'tis due:- Thy soul, its rear-type Thy soul, its rear-type Whether for tribute to the august appeals in Of Life, or dower in Love's high retinue, It serve; or, 'mid the dark wharf's' cavernous breath, world's In Charon's palm it pay the toll to Death. rear-foil mintage converse mint-type these are possible alternative readings, written below the poem Appendix III. The Rossetti Archive RAD for the British Library Copy of the First Trialbook (excerpt). bookplate: T. J. Wise bookplate This is the endpaper of the bound volume housing the document. blank page
POEMS. Privately Printed.
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[Most of these poems were written between 1847 and 1853; and are here printed, if not without revision, yet generally much in their original state. They are a few among a good many then written, but of the others I have now no complete copies. The "Sonnets and Songs" are chiefly more recent work.] D. G. R. 1869.
blank page B1 Page numbering is at center bottom. This page is actually the first of the volume's three sections. The section would eventually be headed "POEMS" on a separate half-title. <c>POEMS.</c> <c>Troy Town</c>* Helen knelt at Venus' shrine, (O Troy Town!) Saying, ‘A little gift is mine, A little gift for a heart's desire. Hear me speak and make me a sign! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) ‘Look, I bring thee a carven cup; (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!)

*Herodotus says that Helen dedicated to Venus a cup made in the likeness of her own bosom.

 Here begins the page numbering here at center top. ‘It was moulded like my breast; (O Troy Town!) He that sees it may not rest, Rest at all for his heart's desire, O give ear to my heart's behest! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Appendix IV. The Rossetti Archive RAD for the Princeton Copy of the First Trialbook (excerpt). bookplate: John A. Spoor This is the endpaper of the bound volume housing the document. Ornamented initials of Janet Camp Troxell This is the coversheet of the bound volume housing the document. Princeton University Library The Rossetti Collection of Janet Camp Troxell blank page
POEMS. Privately Printed.
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[Most of these poems were written between 1847 and 1853; and are here printed, if not without revision, yet generally much in their original state. They are a few among a good many then written, but of the others I have now no complete copies. The "Sonnets and Songs" are chiefly more recent work.] D. G. R. 1869.
blank page Page numbering is at center top. This page is actually the first of the volume's three sections. It would eventually be headed "POEMS" and have a half title page. <c>TROY TOWN.</c> Heavenborn Helen, Sparta's queen, (O Troy Town!) Had two breasts of heavenly sheen, The sun and moon of the heart's desire: All Love's lordship lay between. (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) Helen knelt at Venus' shrine, (O Troy Town!) Saying, ‘A little gift is mine, A little gift for a heart's desire. Hear me speak and make me a sign! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!) ‘Look, I bring thee a carven cup; (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!) ‘It was moulded like my breast; (O Troy Town!) He that sees it may not rest, Rest at all for his heart's desire, O give ear to my heart's behest! (O Troy's down, Tall Troy's on fire!)