Ballads and Sonnets (1881), proof Signature B (Delaware Museum, third revise, WMR's copy)

This perfect set of proofs for Signature B (dated 22 April 81) is the third revise, incorporating the corrections from the previous proofs. DGR obviously had this set sent to his brother for comments and suggestions, and these appear in the margins on various pages. The author's earlier correction at line 53 comes in here as well as the printer's correction for line 105, but DGR refused the correction for line 125.

WMR makes suggestions for revisions in lines 37, 149, and 205, and he corrects a printing problem at line 59. DGR accepted the revision for line 205 only.

The library of the Delaware Art Museum has six distinct sets of proofs for this signature, each but the last numbered and all date stamped by the printer Charles Whittingham, of Chiswick Press. In addition to this set, the others at Delaware are: the the first author's corrected proofs (numbered 1; perfect, dated 5 April), the set that he retained in his possession; a first printer's revise (numbered 2; imperfect, dated 7 April); a second printer's revise (numbered 4; perfect, dated 14 April); a third printer's revise (numbered 5; imperfect, dated 22 April), which is a duplicate of this proof; and what appears to be the final proof (unnumbered; perfect, dated 21 May). The Delaware library also has a fragment (pages 9-10) of what must have once been a complete second copy of the first revise proof. The British Library has a nearly complete set of proofs for DGR's book, including the first author's corrected proofs for this signature.