Letter from J. W. H. Pritchard to Mary Anne Rawson (English MS 414/63)
My dear Madam
The best emendations
that I can think of you will
perceive by comparing the passages
below with Miss W.'s M. S. S. I
should certainly begin at the
fourth Stanza, & head the piece
thus:
Voice from the Land of
Bondage
X X X X X X X
A sound arose &c. ––– ––
The fifth line I would write
thus, (–a real improvement –)
"And thus it – spake – answered." –– ––––
(leaving out "to a nations quest"
which I fancy is downright nonsense)
The remaining line thus (the mark under
the words denote those altered, & of course are not [intended?] for [?])
Think ye that Slavery, which can conform
Man to the image of a brute, doth bring
'Neath its dominion but the outward form
In limb & sinew only hath he been
The broken, bruised reed wh ye have seen?
Stanza 5. line 3.
I have throbbed,––have toiled & struggled to behold,
I would omit the next stanza
beginning "Tis something glorious &c"
& supply its place, & connection thus
X X X X X X X
O that a thrilling voice like this might come
From Eastern Isles, & reach us in our home!*
(where, by the bye, we shall be comfortably
seated to listen to it).
Some of the verses are
certainly in Miss W.'s best style
and not at all contemptible,
but I think that the Emendations
I have suggested would be of
real advantage to the piece,
& in adopting them or others
that you may think of I feel
sure that you will be consulting
the Lady's reputation as a Poet.
I remain, Dear Madam,
Yours very faithfully
J.W.H. Pritchard
Attercliffe.
Dec. 26th 1833.
On looking over the first
three stanzas I do not see
how they can be altered so as
to render them tolerable either
in verse or prose.