"The Bard. A Pindaric Ode"

• Archive Work ID: poems.bapo
• Uniform Title: "The Bard. A Pindaric Ode" [e-text]
• First Line: 'Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!
• Language: English
• First Published: 1757
• References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 18-24; Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 177-200
• Summary: Begun late in 1754 and initially abandoned by August 1755, then taken up again, completed and revised, between May and August 1757. Gray sent the earlier parts of the poem in letters to Thomas Wharton, dated 6 August 1755 (ll. 1-56), and to Richard Stonhewer, dated 21 August 1755 (ll. 63-100), the latter part (ll. 111-144) to William Mason, dated [24 or 31] May 1757. First published, as "Ode II." in Odes by Mr. Gray (1757), 12-21.

7 Manuscripts:

• • Archive MS ID: mss.0014 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: Bard
  • Date: 21 August 1755
  • Physical Description: 1 page, 204 mm x 160 mm; autograph, partial [2 lines]
  • Language: English
  • Location: MS Egerton 2400 (Wharton MS), f. 73v, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 10, 80; Toynbee/Whibley (eds.), Correspondence (1971), letter no. 205, vol. i, 433-434 (subscription required); Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 414
  • Contents: Autograph proposal of a revision of ll. 17-18, here beginning, "With fury pale, & pale with woe," in a letter to Thomas Wharton, 21 August 1755.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0016 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: [untitled]
  • Date: [beginning of June 1757]
  • Physical Description: 4 pages, 226 mm x 187 mm; autograph draft, partial [ll. 57-144]
  • Language: English
  • Location: MS Egerton 2400 (Wharton MS), ff. 75-76, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 12, 80; Toynbee/Whibley (eds.), Correspondence (1971), letter no. 205A, vol. i, 434-437 (subscription required); Starr, "Gray's Craftsmanship" (1946), particularly pp. 424-429
  • Contents: Autograph draft, of ll. 57-144, here untitled, following a letter to Thomas Wharton, 21 August 1755, but according to Correspondence of Thomas Gray (1971), vol. i, 434 very probably written at the beginning of June 1757.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0020 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: [untitled]
  • Date: [1?] February 1768
  • Physical Description: 2 pages, 324 mm x 200 mm; autograph, partial [notes only]
  • Language: English
  • Location: Add. MS 38511, f. 4, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 16, 80
  • Contents: Autograph notes to the poem, untitled but numbered 6. and identified on f. 3r as "6. The Bard, a Pindaric Ode", beginning "Prefix the original advertisement, The following Ode is founded &c:", in MS instructions to Dodsley for the 1768 London edition, sent in a letter, [1?] February 1768.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0013 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "The Bard"
  • Date: [between 1845 and 1856]
  • Physical Description: 1 page, 180 mm x 115 mm; transcript of variant lines in the hand of John Mitford, partial [ll. 142, 128, 130]
  • Language: English
  • Location: Add. MS 32561, f. 182r, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 80
  • Contents: Transcript of variant versions of ll. 142, 128, and 130, in the hand of John Mitford, in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", f. 182r.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0203 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "Bard"
  • Date: [between 1845 and 1856]
  • Physical Description: 1 page, 180 mm x 110 mm; transcript of variant lines in the hand of John Mitford, partial [ll. 142, 128, 130] and crossed out
  • Language: English
  • Location: Add. MS 32562, f. 33r, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 80
  • Contents: Transcript of variant versions of ll. 142, 128, and 130 (crossed out), in the hand of John Mitford, in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. IV, f. 33r.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0204 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "Bard"
  • Date: [between 1845 and 1856]
  • Physical Description: 1 page, 180 mm x 110 mm; transcript of variant lines in the hand of John Mitford, partial [ll. 111-112, 114, 116]
  • Language: English
  • Location: Add. MS 32562, f. 85v, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 80
  • Contents: Transcript of variant versions of ll. 111-112, 114, and 116, in the hand of John Mitford, in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. IV, f. 85v.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0201 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: [untitled]
  • Date: 17 June 1786
  • Physical Description: 74 folios, 230 mm x 300 mm; transcript, in form of a full score with four voices, in the hand of J. W. Callcott
  • Language: English
  • Location: Add. MS 27637, Music Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 413; Northup, Bibliography (1917), item 1997
  • Contents: Transcript, untitled, in form of a full score with four voices, by J. W. Callcott.