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V.A.16

Sixth Copybook of the Later Draft of the "Oxen of the Sun" (14) Episode: "VI" (1920)1

Material Description and Collation

The manuscript is a copybook in Joyce’s hand in black ink, with revisions and/or additions in pencil on all the inscribed pages, except p. [5r], which is all in ink, and pp. [1v] and [2v], which are all in pencil. It consists of 10 leaves (20 pages) of blue lined sheets, of which 7 pages are inscribed: [1v], [2r], [2v], [3r], [4r], [5r] and [6r] and the remaining pages are blank.

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 tan 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.13–15, 17 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 December 1987.


Title

Joyce wrote "VI" in the center of the label on the front cover recto and "(6)" in the 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]–[6r] "1"–"5"; the remaining pages are not numbered.


Contents

The manuscript is the sixth 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

It is continued on Buffalo MSS V.A.17 (382.17–385.06 / 14.0651–084), MS V.A.18 (385.07–394.27 / 14.0845–1109) and 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.16 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. [1r]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [1v] NA p. "23" 379.33 / 14.0529
p. [2r]: "1" pp. [5r]–[6r] pp. "23"–"24" 379.33–380.17 / 14.0529–0552
p. [2v] NA See pp. "24"–"25" Additional texts for p. [3r]
p. [3r]: "2" pp. [5v], [6r] and [7r] pp. "24"–"25" 380.18–381.09 / 14.0552–0582
p. [3v]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [4r]: "3" pp. [6v], [7r] and [8r] pp. "25"–"26" 381.09–31 / 14.0583–0605
p. [4v]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [5r]: "4" p. [8r] pp. "26"–"27" 381.31–382.17 / 14.0605–0630
p. [5v]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [6r]: "5" pp. [7v], [8r] and [9r] p. "28" 382.25–382.36 / 14.0638–0650
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. [8r]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [8v]: Blank NA NA NA
p. [9r]: Blank NA NA NA
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 with X s on all of the inscribed pages in red crayon, except pp. [1v] and [2v]. During conservation, therefore after the manuscript’s publication in the JJA , the versos of the blank leaves (pp. [1v], [6v], [7v], [8v] and [9v]), were marked "VI" in the bottom right corner in pencil. The cover is not marked.


Publication

This manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 14.087–094.


  1. La Hune, item 258.C; Slocum and Cahoon, item E.5.b.ix.