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IX.A.2.

IX.A.2: Miscellaneous Manuscripts: Loose Sheets: "Work in Progress"/Finnegans Wake Reading Notes (1929)


Material Description and Collation

The manuscript consists of 8 sheets of double-spaced typewritten black ribbon top (original) copies; the versos are blank.


Titles

The collection of notes is headed "The History of Hitchin." on p. [1] and there is also the heading "The Manor.", the title of book’s first chapter; p. [3] is headed "The Church"; p. [4]: "The Priory."; p. [5] "The Poor."; p. [6] "The Highways and Byways."; p. [7] "Merchants of Bristol." and p. [8] is headed "Pirates.".


Measurements

The manuscript measures 27.0 x 20.9 cm.


Pagination

As the only continuation of notes from a previous page, p. [2] is numbered "- 2 -"; the other sheets are not numbered.


Contents

The manuscript contains notes prepared for Joyce from Reginald L. Hine’s The History of Hitchin (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1927). The extracts are preceded by the page numbers from Hine’s book. Joyce transcribed the notes from here in Buffalo MS VI.B.29.126(f)–127(c).


Dating

This typed extract of notes was probably prepared for Joyce in mid 1929.


Other Markings

There are additions on pp. [3] and [4] in black ink.


Publication

This manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 3.394–401. Also see The ‘Finnegans Wake’ Notebooks at Buffalo VI.B.29, edited by Vincent Deane, Daniel Ferrer and Geert Lernout, particularly pp. 8, 125 and 126.


Notes

There is a perforation in the upper left corners of all the sheets, where the sheets were held together by a fastener; the fastener has been removed for conservation purposes and is no longer with the manuscript. There is light foxing on all of the sheets and rust stains from a paper clip on p. [7].