*V.A.17
*V.A.17: Seventh Copybook of the Later Draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" (14) Episode: "VII" (1920)
Material Description and Collation
The manuscript is a copybook in Joyce’s hand in black ink, except on pp. [1v], [3v] and [6v], which are all in pencil, and p. [2v] that is in pencil and revised in black ink. There are revisions and/or additions in pencil on all of the other inscribed pages, except p. [7v]. It consists of 10 leaves (20 pages) of blue lined sheets, of which 13 pages are inscribed and 7 pages are blank: [1r], [4v], [5v], [8v], [9v], [10r] and [10v].
As manufactured, the copybook was held together with 2 metal staples in the center vertical fold; they were 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.13–16 and 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 May 1988.
Title
Joyce wrote "VII" in the center of the label on the front cover recto and "(7)" in the top left corner of p. [2r], both in red crayon.
Measurements
Each leaf measures 20.3 x 14.8 cm.
Pagination
Joyce foliated the rectos of pp. [2r]–[7r] "1"–"6" and pp. [8r] and [9r] "7)" and "8)"; the remaining pages are not numbered.
Contents
The manuscript is the seventh part of the later complete draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" episode of Ulysses . The draft is continued from the following manuscripts:
| Manuscript | Ulysses Text 1922 (1992) / 1986 |
|---|---|
| Buffalo MS V.A.13 | 368.04–369.14 / 14.0071–0122 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.14 | 369.15–373.15 / 14.0123–0276 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/C | 373.16–377.11 / 14.0277–0428 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.15 | 377.12–378.16 / 14.0429–0473 |
| NLI MS 36,639/11/D | 338.17–379.32 / 14.0474–0528 |
| Buffalo MS V.A.16 | 379.32–382.36 / 14.0529–0650 |
This draft is continued on Buffalo MS V.A.18 (385.07–394.27 / 14.0845–1109), NLI MS 36,639/11/E (394.28–403.09 / 14.1110–1439) and is concluded on 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.17 Page | Corresponding Text on the Earlier Manuscript V.A.12 | Corresponding Text on the Later "Oxen of the Sun" Rosenbach Manuscript | Ulysses Text 1986 / 1922 (1992) |
|---|---|---|---|
| p. [1r]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [1v] | >NA | See pp. "28"–"29" | Additional texts for p. [2r] |
| p. [2r]: "1" | >pp. [8v]–[9r] | pp. "28"–"29" | 382.37–383.26 / 14.0651–0679 |
| p. [2v] | >NA | See pp. "29"–"31" | Additional texts for p. [3r] |
| p. [3r]: "2" | >pp. [9v]–[10r] | pp. "29"–"31" | 383.26–384.18 / 14.0679–0709 |
| p. [3v] | >NA | p. "32" | 384.34-37 / 14.0727–0730 |
| p. [4r]: "3" | >pp. [9v]–[11r] | pp. "31"–"32" | 384.18–385.06 / 14.0710–0736 |
| p. [4v]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [5r]: "4" | >pp. [10v]–[12r] | pp. "32"–"33" | 385.06–28 / 14.0736–0760 |
| p. [5v]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [6r]: "5" | >pp. [11v]–[13r] | pp. "33"–"34" | 385.29–386.14 / 14.0760–0785 |
| p. [6v] | >NA | p. "34" | 386.15 / 4.0785–0786 |
| p. [7r]: "6" | >pp. [12v]–[13r] and [14r] | pp. "34"–"35" | 386.14–387.01 / 14.0785–0809 |
| p. [7v] | >NA | See pp. "35"–"37" | Additional texts for p. [8r] |
| p. [8r] | >pp. [14r] & [13v] | pp. "35"–"37" | 387.01–25 / 14.0809–0835 |
| p. [8v]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [9r] | >NA | p. "37" | 387.25–34 / 14.0835–0844 |
| p. [9v]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [10r]: Blank | >NA | NA | NA |
| p. [10v]: 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 all of the text on all of the inscribed pages with X s in red crayon. During conservation, therefore after the manuscript’s publication in the JJA , the recto of each leaf was marked "V. A. 17. 1"–"V. A. 17. 10" in the bottom right corner in pencil. The back cover recto is also marked "V. A. 17." in pencil.
Publication
This manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 14.097–110.