Ballads and Sonnets (1881), proof Signature M (Delaware Museum, first author's proof, copy 1)

This is a complete copy (dated 25 April 1881) of the first author's proof of Signature M of the Ballads and Sonnets volume. Notable here is DGR's correction of the running heads, which he marks so that the sonnet titles run on the rectos and the title of the whole sequence on the versos (see page 164). But the proof is even more notable for DGR's note on page 163. This proof came to DGR along with Signature N on 25 April. The note to the printer on page 163 shows that both of these signatures were directed for major redesign, with one sonnet to be printed on each page. In the first proofs for Signatures M and N, the sonnets ran over to the versos so that on Signature M only seven sonnets plus the Introductory sonnet were first printed, and on Signature N only eight sonnets were printed.

In addition to this complete initial author's proof, the library of the Delaware Museum of Art has as well a revise of the first proof that incorporates DGR's corrections. The British Library proofs have another copy of revise proofs for this signature (dated 28 April). This BL proof exhibits the change DGR called for on page 163 of this proof.