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An uncut copy of the suppressed edition of Dreams, waking thoughts, and incidents , 1783

 File
MS. Beckford c. 40
Held at the Weston Library

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Contains a number of alterations in Beckford's hand to words and phrases, many of them not entered in the second copy (MS. Beckford c. 41), and some drafts of alterations to short passages, a few entered in the second copy. Pp. 135a-b (an inserted leaf) contain notes, not in Beckford's hand, about St. Bruno, with references to printed sources, and (p. 135b) a rough draft of a passage re-drafted in the second copy (c. 41, p. 136b). The end flyleaf and pastedown contain pencil notes - a few lines of prose, partly erased, and some lines of verse.

Dates

  • Creation: 1783

Extent

1 volume

Language of Materials

  • English

Shelfmark

MS. Beckford c. 40

Related Materials

Another copy, containing the two engravings missing from the Beckford copies, was bequeathed to the Bodleian by John Hodgkin in 1932 ([pr.bk.] Arch. H d. 14). Hodgkin's copy contains a letter from Beckford to George Clarke, 1833, and a note by Clarke on a flyleaf, giving the names of the owners of the 'four' surviving copies of the work, the rest of the impression having been 'purposely burnt at Fonthill in 1801'; only one of Beckford's copies is included in the list. The text was heavily revised by Beckford for inclusion in the first volume of Italy; with sketches of Spain and Portugal (2 vols., 1834). The original text was reprinted by Guy Chapman as vol. I of The travel-diaries of William Beckford, 2 vols. (Cambridge, 1928).

Physical Facet

Binding: Marbled boards, lacking spine, frontispiece and engraving of St. Bruno

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom