Browning, Robert

PROOF WITH EXTENSIVE AUTOGRAPH CORRECTIONS THROUGHOUT, including occasional textual revisions, corrections to spellings, punctuation, and typography, with a note to the printer ("I must see this again. RB"), 20 pages, 8vo, brown morocco gilt by Riviere & Son with floral border and a field of roses and bees surrounding the motto "The flower for me the honey for thee", spine gilt in six compartments, gilt dentelles

Sale, Sotheby's London, 14 June 1890, lot 98; Stuart M. Samuel, MP; his sale, Sotheby's London, 1 July 1907, lot 15, to Hornstein; John Whipple Frothingham, bookplate

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A HEAVILY REVISED SET OF PROOFS. Bells and Pomegranates was the general title given to a series of cheaply printed pamphlets - eight in all - of Browning's early works published in the 1840s; five of these, including Colombe's Birthday, were plays, although they were written for the page rather than the stage. This proof reveals this pamphlet, at least, to have been produced by a very lax printer. It abounds with errors: one proper name is wrongly spelt throughout ("Manfroy" for "Maufroy"), there are misreadings (e.g. "fine" for "find"), misspellings (e.g. "miseseries"), and little care appears to have been taken over punctuation and capitalisation. The vast majority of Browning's numerous corrections deal with these errors in typesetting but he also took the opportunity to make some revisions to the text, such as improving the line "Sole man I think it worth my pains to watch" to "pays my pains to watch". Given the extensive nature of the revisions required, it is unsurprising that Browning insisted on seeing a second proof, asking that this proof be returned to him with two revises.