MS VIII Yale (cataloged as Poems etc. 1831-38 ). Date of manuscript’s composition about September 1831 continuously through December 1836 and possibly into 1837. Provenance Sotheby’s 1930. Description Ruled notebook, reddish marbled paper boards, three-quarter-bound in black leather (three-quarter bound, according to the Yale catalogue); 14.5 × 23.5 cm. Ruskin’s own page numbering begins with the first verso, which is actually the verso of the first leaf after the front flyleaf; however, this page is pasted to the flyleaf, so that p. 1 appears to be the verso of the flyleaf. Ruskin’s numbering continues with odd numbers on versos to p. 43. Then, although no pages appear to have been removed, p. 43 is followed by p. 45, and the new numbering carries through p. 55 (with only rectos numbered after p. 49). With the end of Ruskin’s numbering, another hand hereafter numbers leaves in pencil on the rectos, starting with 56 and carrying through 72. Leaves 73-75 are left blank, and the later hand picks up again with 76-79. Again, a blank is left for 80, but 81 is written above a canceled p. 106 -- apparently the remnant of earlier, baffled attempt to follow Ruskin’s original system (the 106 is not in Ruskin’s hand). After 82, the later, editorial hand abandons numbering leaves, and the next numbering to appear is again Ruskin’s own. On what would have been 125r for the later hand, Ruskin begins numbering pages for his play Marcolini, pp. 1-8. Oddly, what would have been pp. 9-39 are left blank, but Ruskin begins numbering again, accurately, with p. 40 (a verso) through p. 63 (a recto). Four more unnumbered pages of the play remain, followed by seven more leaves (the last, like the first, glued to the endpaper). In Content below, I will refer both to Ruskin’s pagination and to that by the later hand (probably Wedderburn’s). Much like MS VI, this is a rough copy notebook for poems fair-copied in other manuscripts. In fact, MS VIII must have been started immediately after MS VI, since it contains draft for a portion of the final book of Iteriad, most of which is contained in MS VI. The new notebook MS VIII was possibly begun for the sake of Ruskin’s new epic Athens. Content As Collingwood remarks, the notebook’s stratification is complex. His interpretation appears correct in broad outline, though in need of refinement. From fall 1831 to spring 1833, Ruskin started at the beginning of the notebook and worked sequentially through drafts of Athens and shorter poems (a, below). The last poem in a is a May 1833 birthday poem for John James, no. 178. Shortly thereafter, the family departed for their first Continental tour. Then, probably after their return in late September 1833, Ruskin continued working forward from a, drafting the so-called Account of a Tour of the Continent, the metrical journal of the tour (b, below). At some point while drafting the Account, he worked out an ambitious proposed table of contents on the inside back boards of MS VIII (j, below). The Account occupied Ruskin well into 1834, taking time out only in December 1833 to prepare some poems for New Year’s, which he started upside-down at the opposite end of the notebook (c, below; Collingwood misdated this section as a year later). He also took time in February-May 1834 to prepare some poems for his father’s birthday, which he composed amid the later drafts of the tour poem (b, below). Now well into 1834, Ruskin was juggling the composition of the Account (including its fair-copying and elaborate illustration in MS IX) with continuing work on the Sermons on the Pentateuch (MSS IIA-E) and on the Mineralogical Dictionary (MS IVD), while also making his debut as a scientific author with papers in The Magazine of Natural History (nos. 190-91, 193). And then there were his lessons. With projects piling up, in December 1834 he skipped ahead in MS VIII, as Collingwood interprets the sequence, in order to leave open several blank pages following the draft of the Account for its completion, and to start a new section of shorter pieces beginning with a poem for New Year’s 1835. This section extends to odes for his father’s birthday in May (d, below). Meanwhile, the metrical journal of the Continental tour (b) was abandoned, perhaps because Ruskin was set back by pleurisy in spring 1835 and then distracted by a second Continental tour, undertaken for his recovery between June and December. This new tour required its own metrical account (no. 203, MS X). The new travel poem would prove less ambitious than no. 180 in its presentation, lacking the engraved illustration and copperplate printing of MS IX, but no. 203 would prove more ambitious in its Byronic verse structure. This new metrical journal was not drafted in MS VIII (in fact no rough draft apparently is extant), but Ruskin did use the notebook for several shorter pieces inspired by the 1835 tour. These were drafted in the blank pages formerly allotted to the completion of the earlier tour poem, no. 180 (e, below). In the space left after d--i.e., following the 1835 New Year’s through May birthday 1835 section--Ruskin sketched some other, shorter 1835-36 poems (f, below). The precise dates of the pieces in e and f are highly conjectural, as explained in nos. 207-14. At best, these pieces can be attributed to between July 1835 (the earliest point when the family visited the places associated with these poems) and May 1836 (when Ruskin wrote a birthday ode for his father that sets an upper boundary for the group in f). Next, taking up space still remaining after e--i.e., following the section associated with the 1835 tour--Ruskin launched a new kind of verse for him, Shelleyan rather than Byronic. His formerly rather unsentimental and satiric worldview had suddenly been upset by the arrival of Adèle Domecq at Herne Hill in January 1836. The sequence of Adèle poems (g, below) is continuous with the tour-inspired shorter poems in e. In fact, a transition between the two groups is marked by Venetian pieces that can be seen as arising either from the Continental or Adèle experiences. This sequence could have been in process of composition for quite some time, perhaps into the next year (see note to no. 240). Finally, in May 1836, during the early stage of the Adèle sequence in g, Ruskin used some more space following f to draft his father’s birthday ode, no. 231. After this, he continued with the verse drama Marcolini, no. 241, for many pages (h, below). The remainder of the contents, i and k, consists of slight sketches and lesson work. Detailed sequences of contents within the sections a-k are as follows: a) Just as in MS VI from late 1830 through 1831, Ruskin had interleaved draft of Iteriad with shorter poems, so in the first part of MS VIII from fall 1831 he interleaved draft of the unfinished epic Athens with shorter poems. In fact the two projects overlap briefly at the beginning of MS VIII with a small portion of the fourth book of Iteriad following a portion of Athens, and at some point he began to fair-copy Athens into MS VII following the fair copy of Iteriad. The sequence of this section is as follows: nos. 134a-b (p. 1), 135 (stanzas 1-4, pp. 1-2; following stanza 4, bottom p. 2, Ruskin wrote For Continuation [of Athens ] see page 14 ), 91 (bk. 4:297-320, p. 3, line numbers identified by later hand at top of page), 137 (p. 4), 138 (p. 5), 139 (pp. 5-7), 140 (p. 7), 141 (pp. 7-8), 142 (pp. 8- 9), 143 (p. 9), 144 (pp. 9-11), 145 (p. 11), 146 (p. 11-12), 147 (pp. 12-13), 148 (p. 14), 135 (stanzas 5-9, pp. 14-16), 149 (p. 16), 150 (p. 17), 135 (stanzas 10-12 entitled Athens, pp. 17-18), 151 (p. 18), 152 (p. 19), 135 (stanzas 13-14 entitled Athens, p. 19), 153 (pp. 19-20), 154 (pp. 20-21), 135 (stanzas 15-18 entitled Athens, pp. 21-22), 155 (pp. 22-24), 156 (p. 25), 158 (p. 25), 159 (p. 26), 160 (pp. 26-28), 135 (stanza 19, probably entitled Athens but see note to no. 160, pp. 28-29), 161 (p. 29), 162 (p. 30), 163 (pp. 30-31), 164 (pp. 31-37), 135 (stanzas 20-21 entitled Athens, pp. 37-38), 165 (p. 38), 167 (pp. 38-41), 135 (unnumbered stanza entitled Athens, p. 41), 168 (pp. 41-42), 169 (p. 42), 176 (pp. 43, 45 [Ruskin’s page numbering omits 44]), 177 (pp. 45-52), 177a (p. 49, interrupting no. 177), 178 (pp. 52-53). b) Following no. 178 begins the draft of no. 180, Account of a Tour of the Continent. Some of this draft could have been composed during the tour itself, between May 11 and September 21, 1833; however, the sequence of parts in MS VIII does not follow that of the actual tour. Certainly, much was written in the fall, winter, and spring after the family’s return. Most of the poem is here in MS VIII--some sections occuring in MS IA, and others in VII and XI (the latter two manuscripts containing fair copy in hands other than Ruskin’s, not holograph draft). When the draft begins following no. 178, it was apparently already underway (see below), so some draft has probably disappeared. MS VIII also includes portions that Ruskin failed to fair-copy in MS IX, the main manuscript, which was left incomplete. These unused portions in MS VIII are incorporated into the version of the Account as printed in Works, thus conjecturally reconstructing the journal beyond the point where Ruskin left off in MS IX (see Works, 2:364 n. 1). Some of this reconstruction may confuse Ruskin’s intentions. The sequence of the drafts in MS VIII begins as follows. First, immediately following a horizontal line drawn beneath no. 178, occur the lines Oh are there spirits, can there be, which Cook and Wedderburn print in a note (Works 2:384 n. 1) and remark as preceding the prose Source of the Arveron and the lyric I woke to hear the lullaby (the latter taken by them as the start of The Arve at Chamouni ). One notices that the two lyrics are joined by a system of line numbering: the fifth line of Oh are there spirits, can there be is numbered by Ruskin as 510 ; the tenth line as 515 ; four more lines take the poem to the bottom of the page (p. 53 of MS VIII); and then, while the next verso and third of a recto are taken up by the intervening prose Source of the Arveron, the next line of poetry ( I woke to hear the lullaby, p. 55 of MS VIII) is numbered by Ruskin as 520 -- continuous with line 519 at the bottom of p. 53 of MS VIII. Since these line numberings for the poetry drafts provide possible clues to reconstruction of the poem, they are included in the following list. However, this line numbering cannot necessarily be taken as indicating Ruskin’s intended ordering of the sections, perhaps not even his order of composition. The numbers may function as an ongoing but arbitrary guide, without respect for beginnings and endings of separate pieces, perhaps as an aide for fair-copying. The line numbering even extends into poems that clearly do not form part of the Account, such as The Crystal Hunter. Take as an example the manuscript appearance of the prose section on Brussels (see below for complete details). Three-quarters down the page, 62r, Ruskin composed the start of this passage, entitling it Part of Brussels, and extending the draft halfway onto p. 62v. Here the draft stops in mid- sentence ( . . . circumnavigating, for ), followed by a poem Oh softly blew the mounting breeze (entitled by the editors as Chiavenna ). The poem is numbered by Ruskin 810-22, which is continuous with the last installment of verse (but a quite different poem), 778-809 (the poem entitled The Black Forest by the editors). The remainder of the prose passage on Brussels ( perambulating . . . tread on it softly ) begins at the top of the next recto, 63r, and finishes on 63v. An obvious inference is that Ruskin wrapped the prose around the poem, already drafted in its place. The line numbers, then, might have been added to the poetry later on, telling us nothing about the sequence of composition. However, there is another, equally plausible explanation. Note that in the fair copy of this passage, MS IX, a line ends circumnavigating for --the for neatly crowded into the justified right margin. The next line begins with perambulating.-- One may infer that Ruskin fair-copied in MS IX as far as he had drafted in MS VIII (p. 62v); crossed out the last word in draft, which he could not fit on a line ( ); stopped to draft the poem Oh softly blew the mounting breeze, lines which he numbered in sequence; and then resumed drafting the prose passage, but changing his mind about the next word-- perambulating, rather than traversing. Either of these scenario can be supported by the evidence. Perhaps the safest conclusion is that, unlike the disposition of parts of Iteriad in MS VI, nothing in the arrangement of the Account sections strongly argues for Ruskin’s erratic use of the manuscript. Certain poems and prose pieces could have been composed at wide and erratic intervals in the notebook; however, the entries appear regular, workmanlike, and sequential. The order is as follows: Oh are there spirits, poem, untitled, numbered as 506-19, p. 53 (Works 2:384 n. 1). The Source of the Arveron, prose, titled by Ruskin, pp. 54-55 (Works 2:386-87). I woke to hear the lullaby, poem, untitled, numbered 520-64, pp. 55-55v (Works 2:384-85, entitled by editors, not Ruskin, as The Arve at Chamouni ). Note that the last page numbered by Ruskin is p. 55, and hereafter p. nos. refer to the numbering of rectos only, in pencil, by another, later hand. Andernacht, prose section only, titled by Ruskin, pp. 55v-56v (Works 2:354-55; fair-copied in MS IX). St. Goar is the least and sweetest place, prose section only, untitled, p. 56v (Works 2:360-61; fair-copied in MS IX). There is a charmed peace, that aye, poem, untitled, numbered 565-614, pp. 56v-57v (Works 2:366-67, entitled by editors, not Ruskin, as The Alps from Schaffhausen ). Viamala [sic], poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 615-46, pp. 57v-58r (Works 2:369). Splugen, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 647-95, pp. 58r-59r (Works 2:370-71). The Summit, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 696-751, pp. 59r-60r (Works 2:371-72). The descent, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 752-77, pp. 60r-60v (Works 2:372-73). The Meuse, prose, titled by Ruskin, pp. 60v-61r (Works 2:349-50, fair-copied in MS IX). Cologne, prose (first paragraph only, with fragment noted by Ruskin at end), titled by Ruskin, p. 61r (Works 2:351-52, fair-copied in MS IX). Oh the morn looked bright over hill and dale, poem, untitled, numbered 778-809, pp. 61r-61v, (Works 2:365-66; draft includes the final line of the poem, which the editors, oddly, print in a note, 366 n. 1; entitled by editors, not Ruskin, as The Black Forest ). It was a wide stretchy sweep, prose, untitled, p. 62r (Works 2:360 n. 1). This last prose is incorrectly afixed by the editors to the end of the St. Goar poem, whose draft they say contains at this point the . . . prose passage ; however, this prose has no association whatever with St. Goar. It is more likely associated with the poem it does immediately follow--not St. Goar, but Oh the morn looked bright over hill and dale, whose lines 8 and 27 identify what the prose passage calls our entrance into the narrow dell above mentioned. Part of Brussels, prose (part of first paragraph, Brussels is a lovely . . . for circumnavigating, for ), titled by Ruskin, pp. 62r-62v (Works 2:347; fair-copied in MS IX). Oh softly blew the mounting breeze, poem, untitled, numbered 810-22, p. 62v (Works 2:373; entitled by editors, not by Ruskin, as Chiavenna ). Resumption of prose on Brussels, perambulating, Oh woe . . . tread on it softly, untitled, pp. 63r-63v (Works 2:347-48; fair-copied in MS IX). Thus the earlier Part of Brussels is resumed at the top of the following recto and drafted to the end, as fair- copied in MS IX. Lago di Como, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 823-63, pp. 63v-64r (Works 2:373-74). Of various trees a vista green, poem, untitled, numbered 864-89, pp. 64r-64v (Works 2:378-79). Although these lines are not entitled by Ruskin, a later and clearly associated draft is entitled by him Genoa. Separated from the preceding Lago di Como by a horizontal line, this section of Genoa constitutes only lines 19-44 of the poem as printed. It was an eve of summer, mild, poem, untitled, numbered 890-920, pp. 64v-65r (Works 2:377-78). Entitled by the editors, not by Ruskin, as Lago Maggiore, the poem is separated from the preceding Genoa by a line space (and Ruskin drew stars following, and on the same line as, the last line of the Genoa poem). This draft is missing the last eight lines of the poem as printed, lines that occur later in MS VIII; however, as argued below, it is not clear that those eight lines do in fact belong with Lago Maggiore. Aix la Chapelle, prose, titled by Ruskin, pp. 65r-66r (Works 2:350-51; fair-copied in MS IX). At the end of the sixth paragraph, after the word monarch, appears in draft the one-word sentence, Wake----. This sentence appears neither in the fair copy, MS IX, nor in the Library Edition. Since this sentence falls at the bottom of p. 65v, here may be another indication of Ruskin interrupting his rough-drafting to fair-copy in MS IX. On the following recto, 66r, the remainder of the prose passage is drafted ( Saw Charlemagnes chair . . . Goodnight ). The remainder of the page is filled with two rough sketches in ink--one of mountains, and one of houses and boats on a canal-- bearing no resemblance to any of the drawings in MS IX. Curiously, a number 100 is noted on the same line as the end of the prose passage; then, in the margin and next to the sketches are the numbers 925 and 930, apparently awaiting the continuation of the poetry, but the sketches were drawn over top of the numbers instead. When the poetry does start on the verso of this page, Ruskin does not begin numbering from 921 (see Lago Maggiore above), but from 939--as if he did use those intervening 925 and 930 numbers for poetry draft, elsewhere. Smiling from those bright rays kiss, poem, untitled, numbered 939-68, pp. 66v-67r (Works 2:361-62; fair-copied in MS IX). Although these lines are not entitled by Ruskin in this place, they are clearly associated with draft, below, that he does entitle Heidelberg. The Library Edition has greatly confused the description of this passage. In a note, the editors print what they represent as draft lines in MS VIII, dropped from the fair copy (Works 2:361 n. 1). These lines are not from MS VIII, but from MS IX. In other words, if one restores these lines to their place where noted by Cook and Wedderburn, one reads the poem as it in fact appears in fair copy, MS IX. When this editorial correction is made, the 30 lines from MS VIII, beginning with Smiling from those bright rays kiss, may be recognized as draft for lines 19-48 of the fair copy--i.e., counting in the lines that Cook and Wedderburn inexplicably drop into a note. The traditions of the Rhine, prose, untitled, pp. 67r-67v (Works 2:368; entitled by editors, not Ruskin, as The Rhine ). Oh warmly down the sunbeams fell, poem, untitled, numbered 973-1081, pp. 67v-69r (Works 2:355- 58; fair-copied in MS IX). These lines are entitled by Ruskin in MS IX, not in MS VIII, as Ehrenbreitstein. Note that this poem does not begin with numbering 969, as expected, but with 973. Continuation Heidelberg, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 1083-1155, pp. 69r-70v (Works 2:362-64; fair-copied in MS IX). (Strictly, the numbering should begin with 1082, the last line of Ehrenbreitstein being 1081, but Ruskin appears to have counted the line with the title Continuation Heidelberg. ) A continuation of the earlier section of Heidelberg numbered 939-68, this section starts with the variant lines as given in Works 2:362 n. 1--lines indeed scored through in MS VIII. Cook and Wedderburn’s description is correct regarding this passage, following which the poem continues to its end as in fair copy. Schaffhausen, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 1148-59, p. 70v (Works 2:366). In ms., Ruskin entitled these lines Schaffhausen ; but in the Library Edition, the lines are retitled Entrance to Schaffhausen. Note that these lines are unexpectedly numbered 1148-59, overlapping the preceding conclusion to Heidelberg. If the overlap reflects the collision of two numbering systems, the manuscript nonetheless gives every appearance of Ruskin working steadily and sequentially. There is no crowding of lines that would suggest the preceding Heidelberg having been squeezed into place above a preexisting Schaffhausen. The inconsistent and oddly chosen numbering (the first numbered line in Schaffhausen is 1151, four lines into the poem) suggests, rather, that Ruskin was trying to correct some anomaly elsewhere. Also, note that Schaffhausen seems incomplete, the final punctuation a comma in draft. The lake smiled sweetly, and the boy, poem, untitled, unnumbered, pp. 70v-71r, unpublished. This is no. 181, which I have followed Cook and Wedderburn in listing separately from the Tour itself, no. 180 (see note, no. 181). The dozen lines are not included in Ruskin’s numbering--which jumps from 1159, at the end of the preceding poem ( Schaffhausen ), to 1160, at the start of the following poem ( Not such the night whose stormy night ). There seems every reason to believe, however--from style and content--that this poem belonged to the Tour project. The manuscript shows no evidence of crowding or wrapping draft around The lake smiled sweetly, as if that poem occupied that space from some other time; rather, the hand is steady throughout, each line of poetry following the printed rules of the notebook. A line space neatly divides The lake smiled sweetly from Schaffhausen preceding it, and another line space divides it from the poem following it. Not such the night whose stormy might, poem, untitled, numbered 1160- 82, p. 71r (Works 2:385-86; entitled by editors, not Ruskin, as Evening at Chamouni ). One possible reason for Ruskin omitting numbering the lines of The lake smiled sweetly is that he intended to connect the beginning of Not such the night (1160) with the end (1159) of Schaffhausen --i.e., Not such the night should be read as a continuation of Schaffhausen, which, as already remarked, appears to be incomplete. It is said that French will carry you over all Europe, prose, untitled, pp. 71v-72r (Works 2:358; fair-copied in MS IX). Most beautiful are the paths, prose, untitled, p. 72r (Works 2:364; partly fair-copied in MS IX, up to ancient granite, sometimes ). At this point--and if Ruskin has been working more or less sequentially in MS VIII, the time would be between late February and early May 1834--he took time to work on his father’s birthday poems (see no. 188). First, after the prose fragment Most beautiful are the paths, occurs the first 21 lines of what Ruskin will entitle Vintage (no. 187, pp. 72r-73v). Between these lines and the next installment notated Continuation of Vintage (77r-77v), Ruskin placed the birthday poems, The Crystal Hunter (no. 188, pp. 72v-76r) and The Address (no. 192, pp. 76r-77r). It is equally possible for Vintage or the birthday poems to have been composed first: either The Crystal Hunter was begun in the middle of 72v and Vintage inserted in the blank space preceding the birthday poem, or composition of Vintage was temporarily halted to work on The Crystal Hunter. What is more intriguing is whether Vintage should be regarded as part of the tour poem, no. 180, or perhaps as an abortive birthday poem. Ruskin’s editors decided it was neither and left it unpublished. Indeed, while the opening description of grape harvesting on the Continent might connect the poem with no. 180, the comic quarrel in the Continuation between casks of wine in a cellar seems inappropriate for the tour poem (and the poem’s octameter couplets out of keeping, as well). The comic poem could more likely been launched as a birthday present. The lines of no. 188, The Crystal Hunter, which is entitled in draft, are numbered as 1183-1368--picking up from the last line (1182) of Not such the night, even though The Crystal Hunter is clearly distinct from the Account. In the opposite margin, Ruskin did additionally number the lines starting from 1 to 119 (he abandoned this system with stanza 12, because he began transposing stanzas). But the continuation of numbering from the tour poem into a clearly separate project shows that the system cannot be trusted as an unambiguous guide to the Account. Following Continuation of Vintage, there occurs an untitled poem ( The foam globes round come riding fast, pp. 77v-78r, no line numbering) that the Library Edition assigns to the Account (no. 180). There the poem is paired with the prose piece editorially entitled The Source of the Arveron (Works 2:387), a highly speculative choice in view of its actual position in draft. The draft does not even clearly warrant a connection with the Account, except for the poem’s meter. What follows does definitely return to the Account: Cont. Heidelberg, prose, titled by Ruskin, pp. 78r-78v (Works 2:364-65). The first prose paragraph having been given earlier (and only part of that fair-copied in MS IX), this continuation finishes the prose section as printed in the Library Edition. In the middle of this paragraph, however, Ruskin stopped to draft eight lines: So broadly stretched in sapphire sheet, poem, untitled, numbered 1369-76 (Works 2:378). These lines are printed in the Library Edition as the closing eight lines of Lago Maggiore, I do not know on what grounds. (The fragment’s line numbering, 1369-76, tells us little, merely picking up from the last line number of The Crystal Hunter. ) After the eight-line fragment, Ruskin gives the remainder of the Heidelberg prose (78v-79r). This is followed by Genoa, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 1376-97, pp. 79r-79v (Works 2:378-79). Its lines 19-44 appeared earlier, untitled; here, Ruskin begins the poem and writes through to lines 19-21, indicating the overlap with ampersands ( Of various trees a vista green &c. / Into a streamlet looking down / whose living crystal shot between & ). He next indicates and scores through the last line (44) of the previously drafted segment ( x x x / ); and after three more scored lines ( ), he drafts Genoa from line 45 to the end, as printed. Next: Cadenabbia, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 1417-61, pp. 79v- 80v (Works 2:375-76). Villa Pliniana, poem, titled by Ruskin, numbered 1462- 84, p. 80v (Works 2:376). c) About December of 1833, while working on no. 180, Ruskin inverted MS VIII and began writing from the opposite end (on what would be pp. 262r-64r, counting from the front of the notebook, p. 264r being the inside of the back flyleaf). On p. 264r (inside the flyleaf), he entered the two-stanza French poem no. 182a, followed by nos. 183 (pp. 264r-63v), 184 (pp. 263v-63r), 185 (pp. 263r-62v), 185a (pp. 262v-62r), 185b (p. 262r). Nos. 185 and 185a were apparently intended for New Year’s 1834. Collingwood misdated this section as a year later (see no. 183). d) In December 1834, skipping over 31 leaves following the last entry of draft for no. 180 and possibly intending to devote those leaves to the completion of the tour poem, Ruskin begins a new sequence of shorter poems, mostly celebratory odes for John James: nos. 194 (pp. 112r-15v), 195 (pp. 114r-v), 197 (pp. 115v-17r), 200 (pp. 117r-18v), 201 (pp. 118v-119r). e) In the space between b and d, Ruskin takes up a new project, the poetic effusions of the Continental tour of 1835: nos. 207 (pp. 81r-v), 208 (pp. 81v-82r), 209 (pp. 82r-92v), 211 (p. 92v-93r), 212 (pp. 93r-103r). See nos. 207 and 209 for speculation about how MS VIII may have been used during this stage of composition. Nos. 211-12 could also have been spurred by Adèle Domecq’s early 1836 visit, discussed in g, below. f) This section of MS VIII is the most conjectural in the notebook in terms of dating. It is not even certain whether these poems should be treated as a group. Possibly at about the same time as e, or just following that time, Ruskin skipped to this section, which follows d. The poems placed here could have arisen from the tour of 1835: nos. 210 (pp. 119v-120r), 213 (pp. 120v- 23r), 214 (pp. 123r-v). See those nos., however, for problems in dating and even ambiguities in their presumed subject matter. g) Returning to where e left off, Ruskin further fills the space between b and d with a series of poems about Adèle Domecq: nos. 217 (p. 103v), 218 (p. 104r), 219 (pp. 104v-105r), 220 (pp. 105r-v), 221 (pp. 105v-106r), 222 (p. 106r), 225 (pp. 106r-v), 226 (p. 106v), 227 (p. 107r), 228 (pp. 107r-v), 229 (p. 107v), 232 (pp. 108r-v), 233 (p. 108v), 234 (pp. 108v-109v), 235 (pp. 109v-110r), 236 (pp. 110r-v), 237 (p. 110v), 238 (p. 111r), 239 (p. 111v), 240 (p. 111v). The composition of this series could have strung along for quite some time (see note, e.g., to no. 240). No. 240 is written in two parallel columns in order to fit the poem into remaining space on a verso; the following recto was already taken up by no. 194, which had begun section d above. h) In May 1836, in space following f, Ruskin inserts nos. 231 (pp. 123v- 124v) and 241 (pp. 124v-57r). i) Following no. 241, pp. 257v-59v are blank. Then on p. 260r occur a Latin exercise and some geometry figures. Since Ruskin was being tutored in geometry by 1833-34 (see no. 173), these exercises fall easily within the parameters of the use of MS VIII. After this page of schoolwork, pp. 260v-261v are blank, meeting up with the reverso text c coming from the other end of the notebook. j) The back boards are are filled with an elaborate outline for no. 180. Collingwood refers to this list as projecting 150 pieces of prose and poetry, and at least as many drawings for the finished version in MS IX, which was not carried that far (Works 2:340 n. 1). The boards are reproduced in WS fig. 6b (and see p. 50). k) The front boards contain pencil and ink doodles, mainly of dogs and crystals, and some fragmentary writing, mainly about geology.