WILDE, (Oscar)

MANUSCRIPT NOTE-BOOK

A Note-Book, or Common-place Book containing

[1] NOTES ON ROMAN HISTORY &c. 56 pages

[2] VERA, OR THE NIHILSTS, [a first draft] 29 pp.

[3] APHORISMS 2 pages.

The first portion is written, for the most part, in ink on the rectos of the leaves, but in a few instances the versos are partially inscribed with notes.

The second is written in pencil, in reverse order to the first. For the most part only one side of each leaf is employed, but on a few leaves both sides are inscribed. These are very hurriedly and sketchily written, and there are several corrections.

Small quarto size, green leather-bound note-book.

¶ "Vera; Or, The Nihilists" was privately printed in 1880. Of this but two copies are known.

[see next card]

WILDE, (Oscar)

MANUSCRIPT NOTE BOOK

[CARD TWO]

The next edition, and the first now obtainable, was
1882

¶Vera was to have been produced at the Adelphi Theatre in London, Dec. 17, 1881, but this plan was not carried through. It had its first performance in New York, at the Union Square Theatre, August 20, 1883. It ran but for a week, having been severely criticized by the newspapers. [see Mason, pp. 270 et seq.]

¶The rough drafts of the two other subjects contained in this note-book do not appear to have ever been expanded for the purpose of publication. No evidence of anything even remotely resembling the titles or contents is apparent from Mason's "Bibliography" and several biographies.

From T.J.Gannon, 3/25

ABE