V.A.13
First Copybook of the Later Draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" (14) Episode: "I" (1920)
Material Description and Collation
The manuscript is a copybook in Joyce’s hand, all in black ink, with revisions and/or additions in ink and pencil on pp. [6r] and [7r]. Though the original pagination has been maintained, the manuscript now consists of only 6 leaves (12 pages) of blue lined sheets, of which 3 pages are inscribed with text (pp. [6r], [7r] and [8r]) and there is a single addition in pencil on p. [6v]; the remaining pages are all blank: pp. [3r], [3v], [4r], [4v], [5r], [5v], [6v], [7v], and [8v]. The two further blank sheets (4 leaves or 8 pages: pp. [1r] [1v], [2r], [2v], [9r], [9v], [10r] and [10v]) that were originally part of this manuscript were used for testing purposes during the conservation process and are 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 lavender 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.14–18 and NLI MSS 36,639/11/C, 11/D and 11/E. The cover and each sheet of the manuscript were cleaned, de-acidified and individually encapsulated in May 1988.
Title
Joyce wrote "I" in the center of the label on the front cover recto in red crayon.
Measurements
Each leaf measures 20.3 x 14.8 cm.
Pagination
Joyce foliated the rectos of pp. [6r], [7r] and [8r] "1)"–"3)" in pencil in the left margins, usually in the bottom corner; the remaining pages are not numbered.
Contents
The manuscript is the first part of the later complete draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" episode of Ulysses . The draft is continued in 8 further copybooks and 3 loose leaves (NLI MS 36,639/11/F) as follows:
| Manuscript | Ulysses Text 1922 (1992) / 1986 |
|---|---|
| Buffalo MS V.A.14 | 369.15–373.16 / 14.0123–0276 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/C | 373.17–377.12 / 14.0277–0428 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.15 | 377.13–378.16 / 14.0429–0473 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/D | 378.17–379.32 / 14.0474–0528 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.16 | 379.33–382.36 / 14.0529–0650 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.17 | 382.37–387.34 / 14.0651–0844 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.18 | 387.35–392.06 / 14.0845–1109 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/E | 392.07–403.09 / 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
| V.A.13 Page | Corresponding Text on the Earlier Buffalo MS V.A.11 | Corresponding Text on the Later "Oxen of the Sun" Rosenbach Manuscript |
Ulysses Text 1922 (1992) / 1986 |
|---|---|---|---|
| p. [3r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [3v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [4r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [4v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [5r]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [5v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [6r]: "1" | pp. [1r]–[3r] | pp. "4"–"5" | 368.04–19 / 14.0071–0087 |
| p. [6v] | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| p. [7r]: "2" | pp. [3r]–[4r] | p. "5" | 368.19–36 / 14.0087–0106 |
| p. [7v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
| p. [8r] "3" | [4r]–[4v] | pp. "5"–"6" | 368.37–369.14 / 14.0107–0122 |
| p. [8v]: Blank | NA | NA | NA |
Dating
Joyce wrote this manuscript between early February and 20 March 1920 during his post World War I stay in Trieste.
Other Markings
Joyce crossed through pp. [6r], [7r] and [8r] with a diagonal line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner in red crayon. During conservation, therefore after the manuscript’s publication in the JJA , the recto of each leaf was marked "V. A. 13. 3"–"V. A. 13. 8" in the bottom right corner in pencil. The back cover recto is also marked "V. A. 13." in pencil.
Publication
The manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 14.059–064.