Fourth Copybook of the Later Draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" (14) Episode: "IV" (1920)1
The manuscript is a copybook in Joyce’s hand all in black ink, with pencil revisions and additions only on pp. [2r] and [3r]. Though the original pagination has been maintained, the manuscript now consists of only 8 leaves (16 pages) of blue lined sheets, of which 2 pages are inscribed with text: pp. [2r] and [3r]; pp. [4r] and [5r] are only paginated but otherwise blank and all the remaining pages are blank. A blank sheet (2 leaves or 4 pages: pp. [1r] [1v], [10r] and [10v]) that was originally part of this manuscript is no longer with the manuscript in the Buffalo Joyce Collection.
As manufactured, the copybook was held together with a metal staple in the center vertical fold; it was removed for conservation purposes and the manuscript was disbound. It has a faded gray paper cover; on its front recto is printed a double border with floral ornaments at the corners. Within the border is a printed box enclosing the printed words "QUADERNO | di | [dotted rule]" and at the bottom, within a printed box breaking the border, is printed: "N. 3". On the back cover verso is printed: "ORARIO DELLE LEZIONI | [table] | TAVOLA PITAGORICA | [table]". The insides of the cover are blank. Although they vary in certain physical details, this copybook is of a similar kind as Buffalo MSS V.A.13, 14 and 16–18 and NLI MSS 36,639/11/C, 11/D & 11/E. The cover and each sheet of the manuscript were cleaned, de-acidified and individually encapsulated in December 1987.
Joyce wrote "IV" in the center of the label on the front cover recto and "(4)" in the top left corner of p. [2r], both in red crayon.
Each leaf measures 20.3 x 14.8 cm.
Joyce foliated the rectos of pp. [2r]–[4r] "1"–"4"; the remaining pages are not numbered.
The manuscript is the fourth part of the later complete draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" episode of Ulysses . The draft is continued from Buffalo MS V.A.13 (368.04–369.14 / 14.0071–0122), MS V.A.14 (369.15–373.15 / 14.0123–0276) and NLI MS 36,639/11/C (373.16–377.11 / 14.0277–0428) and is continued in 5 further copybooks and 3 loose leaves (NLI MS 36,639/11/F) as follows:
| Manuscript | Ulysses Text 1922 (1992) / 1986 |
|---|---|
| NLI MS 36,639/11/D | 378.17–379.32 / 14.0474–0528 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.16 | 379.32–382.36 / 14.0529–0650 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.17 | 382.37–387.34 / 14.0651–0844 |
| Buffalo MS V.A18 | 387.35–394.27 / 14.0845–1109 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/E | 394.28–403.09 / 14.1110–1439 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/F | 403.10–407.07 / 14.1440–1591 |
The text on each page of this manuscript is as follows:
| MS V.A.15 Page | Corresponding Text on the Earlier Manuscript V.A.12 | Corresponding Text on the Later "Oxen of the Sun" Rosenbach Manuscript | Ulysses Text 1922 (1992) / 1986 |
|---|---|---|---|
| p. [2r]: "1" | pp. [2r]–[3r] | pp. "19"–"20" | 377.12–32 / 14.0429–0451 |
| p. [2v]: | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [3r]: "2" | pp. [3r]–[3v] | pp. "20"–"21" | 377.33–378.16 / 14.0451–0473 |
| p. [3v] | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [4r]: "3": Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [4v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [5r]: "4": Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [5v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [6r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [6v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [7r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [7v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [8r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [8v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [9r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [9v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
Joyce wrote this manuscript between early February and 20 March 1920 during his post World War I stay in Trieste.
Joyce crossed through all of the text with X s on both of the inscribed pages in red crayon. During conservation, therefore after the manuscript’s publication in the JJA , the versos of pp. [6]–[9] were marked "IV" in the bottom left corner in pencil. The cover is not marked.
This manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 14.081–085.