SELIM. Jou nal o he Spanish Socie y o Medie al English Language and Li e a u e. 28 (2023): 97–106.
ISSN: 1132-631X
DOI: 10.17811/selim.28.2023.97-106
© Ediuno. Ediciones de la Uni e sidad de O iedo.
This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu ion-NonComme cial-NoDe i a i es 4.0
In e na ional License.
The Missing Le e s J. R. R. Tolkien Recei ed om De ek J. P ice
and R. M. Wilson: Addendum o “Fu he No es on J. R. R.
Tolkien’s Pho os a s o The Equa o ie o he Plane is
(MS Pe e house 75.I)”
Andoni Cossio
Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y (UPV/EHU) / Uni e si y o Glasgow
(Recei ed 8 Feb ua y 2023; e ised 23 Ap il 2023)
In 2021, Andoni Cossio sugges ed ca aloguing The Equa o ie o he Plane is (MS Pe e house
75.I, c. 1393) unde “Sec ion A” in Tolkien’s Lib a y: An Anno a ed Checklis , by O onzo Cilli.
One yea la e , Cossio unea hed he exac lis o MS Pe e house 75.I olios J. R. R. Tolkien
had once owned in he o m o pho os a s (2022). In his second a icle, Cossio alludes o he
exis ence o co espondence ha Tolkien exchanged wi h De ek J. P ice and R. M. Wilson
du ing he p epa a ion phase o P ice and Wilson’s edi ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is
(1955). New e idence, ga he ed om Maggs B os. L d.’s p i a e a chi e (1991b), as well as
auc ion (Phillips 1988; So heby’s 1995) and sales (Maggs B os. L d. 1991a) ca alogues,
demons a es he exis ence o epis les and o he ma e ial Tolkien ecei ed om P ice and
Wilson, hough he b ie , and o en inaccu a e, desc ip ions o he lo s and i ems do no
de e mine Tolkien’s exac con ibu ions o hei edi ion. Howe e , he ca alogues p o ide
addi ional in o ma ion abou he imeline o Tolkien’s pa icipa ion in his p ojec , and
disclose ha P ice was he one o app oach Tolkien in he i s place. This no e will elucida e
hose aspec s and complemen Cossio’s (2022) a icle in o he ways.
1
Keywo ds: J. R. R. Tolkien; The Equa o ie o he Plane is; MS Pe e house 75.I; De ek J.
P ice; R. M. Wilson; C. T. Onions; Geo ey Chauce ; Me on College; Middle English; La in
In 2021, Andoni Cossio sugges ed ca aloguing The Equa o ie o he Plane is (MS
Pe e house 75.I, c. 1393) unde “Sec ion A” in Tolkien’s Lib a y: An Anno a ed
Checklis , by O onzo Cilli (2019, 1–326).
2
One yea la e , Cossio unea hed he exac lis
1
I would like o exp ess my g a i ude o Wayne G. Hammond, Ch is ina Scull, Dimi a Fimi, and
Julian Reid o hei gene ous assis ance. I would also like o hank he Wa den and Fellows o
Me on College (Ox o d) o g an ing me pe mission o ep oduce he a chi al ma e ial in he
Appendix. This no e was comple ed unde he auspices o a Nex Gene a ion EU Ma ga i a Salas
pos doc o al g an (MARSA22/19), inanced by he Minis y o Uni e si ies (Go e nmen o
Spain) and he Eu opean Union, and by he esea ch g oup REWEST (IT-1565-22), unded by he
Basque Go e nmen and UPV/EHU.
2
Cilli’s (2019, 1–326) “Sec ion A, Tolkien’s Lib a y, is composed o 2599 i ems and b ings
oge he he books, wo ks [including manusc ip s and pamphle s], and o p in s he p o esso
ead, knew o , owned o bough as p esen s h oughou his li e ime” (Cossio 2020, 197). In he
second e ised and expanded edi ion, Cilli has di ided he o iginal Sec ion A in o “Sec ion A:
P ima y Sou ces” (2023, 1–347) wi h 2681 i ems “we know wi h absolu e ce ain y Tolkien ead,
consul ed, bough o bo owed” (2023, xxx i), and “Sec ion B: Seconda y Sou ces” (2023, 348–
84) wi h 342 i ems “he ead as ci ed by schola s in some o hei wo ks” (2023, xxx i). The
Equa o ie o he Plane is (MS Pe e house 75.I) is now ca alogued as no. A 2540 (Cilli 2023, 328),
and P ice and Wilson’s edi ion o ha same wo k as A 1914 (Cilli 2023, 248).
ANDONI COSSIO
98
o MS Pe e house 75.I olios J. R. R. Tolkien had once owned in he o m o pho os a s
(2022, 168–70).
3
In his second a icle, Cossio alludes o he exis ence o co espondence
ha Tolkien exchanged wi h De ek J. P ice and R. M. Wilson du ing he p epa a ion
phase o P ice and Wilson’s 1955 edi ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is (2022, 170 and
174). In Cossio’s iew, hese le e s a e impo an because hey could e eal:
Tolkien’s con ibu ion o P ice and Wilson’s edi ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is and
his hough s on he language o he manusc ip , as du ing Tolkien’s li e ime, P ice and
Wilson’s claims we e ne e unequi ocally disp o ed and he deba e a ound he
manusc ip ’s au ho ship was ne e se led.
4
(2022, 174)
New e idence, ga he ed om he p i a e a chi e o Maggs B os. L d. an iqua ian
bookselle s (1991b) as well as auc ion (Phillips 1988; So heby’s 1995) and sales (Maggs
B os. L d. 1991a) ca alogues, demons a es he exis ence o epis les and o he ma e ial
Tolkien ecei ed om P ice and Wilson, hough he b ie , and o en inaccu a e,
desc ip ions o he lo s and i ems do no de e mine Tolkien’s exac con ibu ions o hei
edi ion.
5
Howe e , he ca alogues p o ide addi ional in o ma ion abou he imeline o
Tolkien’s pa icipa ion in he p ojec , and disclose ha P ice was he one o app oach
Tolkien in he i s place. This no e will elucida e hose aspec s and complemen Cossio’s
(2022) a icle in o he ways. Inciden ally, i will also call a en ion o he wo h o
li e a y esea ch o auc ion ca alogues, sou ces c ammed wi h nugge s which end o be
dis ega ded.
3
Cilli has classi ied he pho os a s as no. A 630 (Cilli 2023, 89). John M. Bowe s was he i s o
w i e abou he exis ence o Tolkien’s pho os a s (2019, 214), and o gi e easons why Tolkien
would ha e been inclined o accep he language o The Equa o ie o he Plane is as Chauce ’s:
“Pe e house’s mingling o dialec s ma ches Tolkien’s sense o No he n in usions, and linguis ic
analysis by R. M. Wilson echoed his own long-held iews on Chauce ’s language: ‘I he li ed in an
a ea o mixed dialec , such as ha o London, he migh well be amilia wi h a a ie y o o ms,
any o which he could use when necessa y o he sake o hyme’ (p. 146). The Equa o ie’s
inclusion o [ he p eposi ion] o e hwa [MS . 73 oue hwa and . 77 ou[e ] hwa ‘ac oss’]
would ce ainly ha e caugh Tolkien’s a en ion as he dis inc i e Chauce ian wo d
[o e hwa /o e hwe ] o which he had supplied an especially long no e on i s appea ance in
The Book o he Duchess [c. 1370]” (2019, 215; see 108–109 o he long no e). See Cossio o o he
non-linguis ic a ionale (2022, 172–73). Addi ional con empo a y e idence could ha e u he
s eng hened Tolkien’s belie ; see P ice and Wilson o a “numbe o wo ds which, be o e hei
appea ance in his ex [The Equa o ie o he Plane is], a e eco ded elsewhe e in Middle English
only in he wo ks o Chauce , and mo e pa icula ly in his T ea ise on he As olabe [c. 1391]”
(1955, 137; see also 146–48).
4
Ka i Anne Rand has a ibu ed The Equa o ie o he Plane is o John Wes wyk (2015, 15–35).
P ice and Wilson’s claims we e con es ed bu ne e disp o ed in hei li e imes. See P ice o a
succinc lis o hei suppo ing e idence (1953, 224). See also P ice (1952d, 158 and 160–64), and
P ice and Wilson (1955, 141 and 145–66).
5
P ice acknowledges he help o “P o esso J. R. R. Tolkien,” bu Tolkien’s name appea s among
a long lis o schola s hanked o hei assis ance wi h a a he gene ic “Fo o he eques s” (1955,
x –x i). The lis is o de ed alphabe ically, and he e o e Tolkien’s posi ion canno de e mine he
amoun o help p o ided. Un o una ely, he new e idence does no con i m o deny Cossio’s mos
in iguing conjec u e: “Wha cha ac e izes Tolkien’s schola ly wo k on Chauce is he sc upulous
a en ion de o ed o speci ic linguis ic poin s. Thus, he may ha e been awa e, a e ca e ul
examina ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is, ha i s a ibu ion o Chauce es ed on
inconclusi e e idence. This iew o cou se would ha e challenged P ice and Wilson’s assump ions
and i may explain why we know so li le abou Tolkien’s in ol emen . Gi en P ice and Wilson’s
commi men o he hypo hesis o Chauce ian au ho ship, i is easonable o assume ha Tolkien
would ha e p e e ed o limi his pa icipa ion in he p ojec ” (2022, 173).
The Missing Le e s Tolkien Recei ed om D. J. P ince and R. M. Wilson
99
I is bes o p esen he ba e e idence i s , un e e ed om conjec u es and
obse a ions, so ha eade s can judge objec i ely he alue o he analysis and
hypo heses o mula ed h oughou he pape . The ollowing pages p esen he da es and
loca ions in which he le e s and o he ma e ials we e on sale, oge he wi h he selle s’
desc ip ions o he i ems in ch onological o de . I is su p ising o lea n ha he epis les
i s eme ged in Ox o d, as mos majo auc ion ac i i y in he Uni ed Kingdom occu s in
London. The desc ip ion o lo 43 o an auc ion ca alogue o Phillips, Ox o d, om 20
Oc obe 1988 eads (Phillips, unpagina ed):
[Tolkien epheme a]: 3-page yped le e signed om De ek P ice o T., 1952; and 2pp. yped
le e and yped a icle om R. M. Wilson signed wi h ela i e o p in s and an ALS om
Si Lionel Whi by, Mas e o Downing College o Tolkien, 1950; and a numbe o signed
pamphle s, e c. E £20–30
6
The nex ime he loca ion o he le e s was made public, hese we e housed in London,
which akes us o ano he ca alogue. In 1991, Maggs B os. L d. (1991a, unpagina ed)
ad e ised he sale o he ollowing lo :
[708] TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) A Collec ion o Philiological (sic) and Li e a y O p in s om
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Wo king Lib a y. Being h ee hund ed and nine y- wo i ems, all wi h
Tolkien’s lib a y label,
7
a la ge p opo ion insc ibed o him by he espec i e au ho s, and
a numbe addi ionally anno a ed by Tolkien himsel . 1883 o 1972. £5000
8
The desc ip ion uns on wi hou any e e ence o he le e s, bu such a la ge numbe o
i ems equi ed a p ope lis . Maggs B os. L d. in i ed any cu ious inqui e o b owse
h ough i s con en s indeed: “A de ailed ca alogue o he ma e ial is a ailable on eques ”
(1991a, unpagina ed). The in en o y con ained wo amilia i ems disclosed ea lie in
1988 plus some addi ional su p ises:
[326] PRICE (De ek J.) In e es ing and leng hy Typed Le e Signed o P o . Tolkien on a
possible Chauce holog aph. 3pp. Roys on, He s, 1952.
[327] PRICE (De ek). The Equa o ie o he Plane is. Rep in om he TLS.
9
Wi h his calling
ca d a ached.
10
Illus a ed. See unde Wilson o a eply o his a icle. Wi h he p in ing
o his a icle in Bulle in o he B i ish Socie y o he His o y o Science.
11
> London, The
TLS, 1952. (Maggs B os. L d. 1991b, 23)
6
Typos in quo a ions om ca alogues ha e been silen ly co ec ed excep o he ypo in
‘philiological’ (sic), which is highligh ed in bold (Maggs B os. L d. 1991a; So heby’s 1995). All
capi alisa ion, i alics, and b acke s also in he o iginals.
7
Fo a scan o he label and a b ie explana ion on i s o igin see:
<h ps://wayneandch is ina.wo dp ess.com/2018/05/05/ om- olkiens-lib a y/>.
8
I do no quo e he es o he desc ip ion o he lo because a syn hesised and equally in o ma i e
one is included in he exce p om So heby’s ca alogue (1995) below.
9
See P ice o he ull e e ence (1952a; 1952b). Tolkien had a leas wo copies o each (P ice
1952a; 1952b) because his clippings emain in Ox o d (Cossio 2021, 1–2).
10
See he Appendix o a ep oduc ion o P ice’s con ac ca d ound clipped o he on o
OFFPRINT/MMS/D3/7 a Me on College Lib a y (Ox o d). OFFPRINT/MMS/D3/7 is an
o p in o P ice 1952d ha he au ho p esen ed o Me on College.
11
P ice mus ha e o wa ded his a icle a yea la e (1953) han he wo Times Li e a y
Supplemen con ibu ions (P ice 1952a; 1952b) because his piece saw he ligh o day when he
edi ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is was inished in July 1953. See P ice o he ull e e ence
(1953).
ANDONI COSSIO
100
[383] WILSON (R.M.) TLS o P o . Tolkien. 2pp. wi h c. 30pp ca bon ypesc ip o his
analysis o he p ose language o Chauce ’s Equa o ie. See unde P ice o he a icle which
s imula ed his. She ield, 1953. (Maggs B os. L d. 1991b, 27)
I appea s ha no buye was in e es ed (£5000 was an excessi e p ice, e en conside ing
he g ea numbe o i ems, o he yea 1991). Fou yea s elapsed and he lo ound i s
way in o a So heby’s auc ion on 18 Decembe while s ill in London. The e is no men ion
o he le e s, hough i is ob ious om he numbe o i ems, i le, and in o ma ion ha
bo h lo s ad e ised a e he exac same undi ided bundle which belonged o an iden ical
selle (c . Maggs B os. L d. 1991a and So heby’s 1995). Fu he p oo o his is he ypo
in “PHILIOLOGICAL” which is di ec ly (and unc i ically) bo owed and ep in ed in
So heby’s ca alogue in he lo ’s i le bu co ec ed in he desc ip ion (c . Maggs B os. L d.
1991a and So heby’s 1995). I is he e included in ull wi h he in e es o o he schola s
in mind, in pa icula o he unp o en li e a y inspi a ions:
356 TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) A COLLECTION OF PHILIOLOGICAL (sic) AND LITERARY
OFFPRINTS FROM THE AUTHOR’S WORKING LIBRARY, all wi h Tolkien’s lib a y
label, a la ge numbe insc ibed o him by espec i e au ho s (including A.C. Baugh, A.J.
Bliss, No man Da is, Hen y Swee , C.L. W enn and o he s), 56 WORKS ADDITIONALLY
ANNOTATED BY TOLKIEN, a o al o 392 o p in s, 1883 o 1972 [chie ly 1940s and
1950s]
The a ied subjec ma e chie ly conce ns philological p oblems o Ea ly and Middle
English, wi h many e e ences o he ex an ex s, many (including Beowul , Si Gawain
and he G een Knigh , e c) e-edi ed and e- ansla ed by Tolkien himsel . Pamphle s such
as H.E. Allen’s In luence o Supe s i ion on Vocabula y (1935) and R.G. Halibu on’s
Su i al o Dwa Races in he New Wo ld (1894) can be seen o ela e no only o Tolkien’s
academic wo k, bu also o his popula ic ion.
12
£1,000–1,500 (So heby’s 1995,
unpagina ed)
The p ice was mo e easonable his ime, bu no sales eco ds a e a ailable, p o ided ha
he lo sold, and he le e s a e since ha sale hidden o his day om he public eye.
13
The e is no mo e in o ma ion a ailable abou he le e s, and i is now ime o u n
ou a en ion o he impo ance o he quo a ions abo e. Maggs B os. L d. da es he le e
om P ice o 1952 and Wilson’s o 1953 (1991b, 23 and 27), and he ep in o he Times
Li e a y Supplemen wi h he calling ca d and he “a icle in Bulle in o he B i ish
Socie y o he His o y o Science” a e said o be om 1952 (1991b, 23). The a icle om
he Bulle in, as indica ed in oo no e no. 7, is om July 1953, and his sugges s ha P ice
w o e o Tolkien a leas wice du ing he collabo a ion pe iod, an assis ance which o
easons p o ided below can be es ic ed o he ollowing in e al: Janua y 1952–July
1953. In ligh o he new e idence, i becomes appa en ha Cossio o e looked mino ,
hough essen ial, bi s o in o ma ion which made him adop a conse a i e s ance abou
12
Bo h Allen’s and Halibu on’s we e missing in Cilli’s (2019) i s edi ion. These ha e been
included Cilli’s second edi ion, Allen as no. A 20 (2023, 8), Halibu on as A 906 (2023, 122),
hough he la e is ou o alphabe ical o de , i should be enumbe ed A 897 (2023, 121).
13
No hing is known abou Tolkien’s eplies ei he , and hese a e no among he almos 10000
ca alogued i ems o he la ges collec ion o P ice’s pape s, p ese ed a CAPHÉS: Cen e
d’A chi es en Philosophie, His oi e e Édi ion des Sciences (Pa is). The e a e no eplies om
Tolkien ei he a Ch is ’s College (Camb idge), Needham Resea ch Ins i u e (Uni e si y o
Camb idge), Pa ke Lib a y (Co pus Ch is i College, Camb idge), Pe ne Lib a y (Pe e house
College, Camb idge), R. M. Wilson Memo ial Collec ion (Special Collec ions, Uni e si y o
She ield), and Whipple Museum o he His o y o Science (Uni e si y o Camb idge).
The Missing Le e s Tolkien Recei ed om D. J. P ince and R. M. Wilson
101
he da es: “Tolkien o e ed his assis ance [ o P ice and Wilson] be ween c. 1951–1955”
(2021, 1). The disco e y o The Equa o ie o he Plane is and P ice’s wo k on he
manusc ip al eady na ows down he da es. P ice ound The Equa o ie o he Plane is
in his own wo ds “a he beginning o Decembe 1951,” and sho ly a e a some
unspeci ied ime sough pe mission om Pe e house College o unbind i o ead some
o i s hidden con en (1955, xi ).
14
P ice no es ha “The de ailed s udy o he manusc ip
has been made much easie o me by he kindness o he Syndics o he Camb idge
Uni e si y P ess, who p o ided a se o pho og aphs aken while he qui es o he olume
lay de ached om hei o me igh binding” (1955, x i). The pho os a s P ice sen o
Tolkien a e copies o hose o iginal pho og aphs. The manusc ip was ebound be o e 22
May 1952 (see Falk 2014, 121), and he e o e i was pho og aphed be ween la e Decembe
1951 and ea ly May 1952. P ice may ha e o de ed o sen he pho os a s la e han 22
May 1952, hough qui e ea lie han July 1953, he da e when he signed he p e ace o
he by hen comple ed edi ion o The Equa o ie o he Plane is (1955, x i).
15
An in o med guess would assume ha mos co espondence occu ed du ing 1952.
This can be explained by se e al ac o s. By la e Decembe /ea ly Janua y, Camb idge
Uni e si y P ess had accep ed P ice’s p oposal o an edi ion o The Equa o ie o he
Plane is and i s connec ion o Geo ey Chauce (Falk 2014, 116–117 and 131), and P ice
was allowed o change he opic o his PhD on 9 May 1952, abandoning he his o y o
c a ing scien i ic ins umen s, and emb acing his wish o edi The Equa o ie o he
Plane is (Falk 2014, 122 and 132). Gi en ha P ice was a li ing embodimen o
de e mina ion,
16
he would no ha e wai ed long o ha e he pho og aphs aken and copies
made, and o duly begin con ac ing expe s in a ious ields, including Chauce ians o
cou se, and sending hem he ep oduc ions wi h que ies. This p obably happened
be o e 22 May 1952, he day on which he sha ed his indings and a simila ins umen o
he one desc ibed in The Equa o ie o he Plane is wi h he scien i ic communi y a a
Royal Socie y e en .
17
This akes us o Ox o d and he e o e o Tolkien once again. P ice
bo owed an equa o ium om Me on College, Ox o d, o illus a e his p esen a ion a
he Royal Socie y Con e sazione in London. The Me on College Go e ning Body
app o ed he loan o he i em on 17 Ma ch 1952 (Falk 2014, 132): “9. Tha an as olabe
[wi h an equa o ium on i s back] (ci ca 1350) in he College Lib a y be loaned o he
Royal Socie y o a Con e sazione in May 1952, he ins umen o be insu ed o £500”
(Me on College Go e ning Body 1952, unpagina ed). Tolkien was p esen du ing ha
14
This enabled P ice o con i m ha an insc ip ion eads “chauce ” on . 5 o he MS (1952a, 164;
1952d, 160; 1955, xi ). Rep oduc ions o he insc ip ion can be ound on page 12 o he digi ised
MS and in he accompanying a icle on Uni e si y o Camb idge Digi al Lib a y websi e:
<cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/ iew/MS-PETERHOUSE-00075-00001/1>.
15
Two le e s om P ice o he Pe ne Lib a ian (Pe e house College), da ed 15 Feb ua y 1954 and
6 Ap il 1954, con i m ha he e ised he edi ion’s p oo s du ing hose da es. In he 15 Feb ua y
1954 le e , P ice announced ha he edi ion was scheduled o be published in Au umn o ha
yea , hough no eason o he delay has been ound among his pape s. The le e s a e s o ed a
he Pe ne Lib a y, Pe e house College, Camb idge (Pe ne Lib a y MSS enqui ies. MSS 1–100). I
is possible, hough unlikely, ha P ice con ac ed Tolkien again du ing hose mon hs.
16
See Seb Falk o illus a i e examples o P ice’s pe sonali y (2014, 114–17). See also Sil io A.
Bedini (1984, 95–100) and E i Yagi, Law ence Badash, and Donald de B. Bea e (1996, 65–74).
17
See Falk o he impo ance o his scien i ic ga he ing and he co e age P ice’s disco e y
ecei ed (2014, 111, 120–22 and 127).
ANDONI COSSIO
102
mee ing (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 405), which means ha he eques was placed
be o e and ha Tolkien was awa e o P ice’s dealings wi h he college a an ea lie poin .
18
The ques ion emains whe he i was P ice’s idea o con ac Tolkien o i his hough
was p omp ed by someone else. Cossio poin s a Wilson’s e e al (Cossio 2022, 170), bu
is i possible ha he liaison was pa o Tolkien’s social ci cle? This enqui y di ec s us o
he his o y o he disco e y once mo e. Un il he manusc ip was disbound, P ice was no
qui e con inced ha The Equa o ie o he Plane is could be Chauce ’s o e en Chauce ’s
holog aph. The qui es we e emo ed om hei binding a bes by la e Decembe 1951
a e pe mission was g an ed by Pe e house College (P ice 1955, xi ). Howe e , i was
no un il he end o Janua y 1952, a e compa ing his inding wi h o he manusc ip s,
ha P ice el con iden and began o ad e ise his disco e y (1955, xi –x ; Falk 2014,
116 and 131).
19
On 7 Ma ch 1952, C. T. Onions published a le e in esponse o a agmen
o he beginning o he Middle English ea ise in The Equa o ie o he Plane is ( . 71 )
ha had appea ed a week ea lie in The Times (173).
20
In his le e , Onions p o ided
philological e idence om he agmen o a gue ha ega dless o he au ho ship o he
manusc ip , he sou h-eas e n Middle English enches ( a ian o inches, which eplaces
he Old English ‘y’ o ‘e’) and “such sou h-eas e n o ms a e ound in Chauce ’s
canonical wo ks” (1952, 173).
21
This kind o expe ise was in aluable o P ice, and Onions
was in u n consul ed and hanked (P ice 1955, x i). Onions akes us back o Tolkien
h ough ano he ou e, since a ile among Tolkien’s pape s (Tolkien VC 277) con ains a
newspape clipping o Onions’s le e (Cossio 2021, 1).
22
I is plausible ha Tolkien
discussed his en icing philological obse a ion wi h his iend Onions sho ly a e ,
23
and his may ha e p omp ed Onions o di ec P ice o Tolkien.
The “calling ca d” P ice a ached o he “Rep in om he TLS” (Maggs B os. L d.
1991b, 23) mos ly o e ules he possibili y ha Tolkien con ac ed him i s . Ei he P ice
knew abou Tolkien’s expe ise,
24
o Tolkien was ecommended by “ he Lib a ian and
[/o o he membe s o ] he Socie y o Me on College” (P ice 1955, x ), Onions, o
Wilson. P ice pa ne ed wi h Wilson a an unspeci ied da e, bu his happened soon
18
Howe e , ha had o be a e he 17 Janua y and 13 Feb ua y mon hly mee ings o he
Go e ning Body in which P ice’s eques was no discussed (Me on College Go e ning Body
1952, unpagina ed).
19
An anonymous a icle was p in ed in Camb idge Uni e si y newspape Va si y (“Chauce
Holog aph Found in Lib a y,” 23 Feb. 1952) and ano he in The Times (“Possible Chauce
Manusc ip : Disco e y a Camb idge,” 28 Feb. 1952, 6). See P ice o he a icles unde his name
ha ensued (1952a, 1952b, 1952d). The anonymous epo in The Times summa ises in b ie P ice
1952a and 1952b. See P ice o ano he wo pieces he w o e on he Equa o ie o he Plane is be o e
he edi ion was published (1952c, 1953). See Bedini o all ela ed wo ks published by P ice un il
1955 (1984, 102–03). Also in Yagi, Badash, and Bea e (1996, 77).
20
See no e 19 o e e ence. See J. A. W. Benne o Onions’s sho biog aphy and philological
expe ise (2009, unpagina ed).
21
In ac , he sou h-eas e n o m enche(s) is used consis en ly h oughou he MS. Howe e , as
P ice and Wilson admi , Chauce ’s “e- o ms o OE. y seem o be much less equen in his p ose
han in his e se” (1955, 146).
22
Tolkien VC 277 is kep a Special Collec ions, Wes on Lib a y, Bodleian Lib a ies, Uni e si y o
Ox o d.
23
Onions was a S ipendia y Fellow om 1923 un il 1965 a Magdalen College, Ox o d, and he
College Lib a ian du ing 1940–1955 (Benne 2009, unpagina ed). Tolkien was hen he Me on
P o esso o English Language and Li e a u e (1945–1959), and Me on is less han 5 minu es
away om Magdalen. See Ch is ina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond o he Onion-Tolkien ela ion
(2017b, 907–08).
24
See Cossio (2022, 171 and 173). In Hila y Te m 1952 (Jan.–Ma .), Tolkien was lec u ing on
Chauce ’s Pa done ’s Tale (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 404).
The Missing Le e s Tolkien Recei ed om D. J. P ince and R. M. Wilson
103
enough and ea lie han Decembe 1952 (P ice 1952d, 155),
25
because P ice needed a
philologis o help him wo k on he manusc ip ’s language:
I was also o una e ha M R. M. Wilson, M.A., consen ed o ac as ad ise on he
linguis ic side. In addi ion o w i ing Chap e X and compiling he Glossa y, he has also
p o ided he sec ion on Punc ua ion in Chap e IX, and we ha e collabo a ed in he
ansla ion o he ex . Th oughou he p epa a ion o his edi ion we ha e had equen
consul a ions. (P ice 1955, xiii)
Wilson could ha e been he liaison be ween P ice and Tolkien, bu , un o una ely, he
in o ma ion in he ca alogue does li le o cla i y such de ail. Maggs B os. L d. ca alogue
e s in sugges ing ha he Times Li e a y Supplemen a icle “s imula ed” a “30pp
ca bon ypesc ip o his analysis o he p ose language o Chauce ’s Equa o ie” (1991b,
27), since ha a icle in wo pa s con ains scan y linguis ic samples o wo k wi h (1952a,
1952b). In he le e (Maggs B os. L d. 1991b, 27), Wilson may mean ha he a icle
spa ked his cu iosi y ins ead, and he wo dy ca bon ypesc ip seems, by he da e and
leng h, a d a o he ansla ion, linguis ic analysis, and ela ed ma e ials o be
submi ed o Camb idge Uni e si y P ess. This p o es ha Tolkien was, a leas once,
s ill que ied and his opinions aken in o conside a ion in 1953 as well.
A any a e, by 1953, i is ce ain Tolkien had almos no ime o u he assis P ice
and Wilson wi h hei eques s. In la e 1951, mos o 1952, and un il July 1953 (and
beyond), Tolkien was p eoccupied wi h his legenda ium, he publica ion o The Lo d o
he Rings (w i en be ween 1937 and 1949, e ised un il c. 1955, and published in h ee
pa s du ing 1954–1955) and The Silma illion (1977),
26
and endless adminis a i e,
academic, and social obliga ions (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 401–25). In mid 1952,
Tolkien’s complain s abou he lack o ee ime we e equen (Scull and Hammond
2017a, 407 and 410), bu all leisu e was abou o anish. On 10 No embe 1952, Allen &
Unwin accep ed The Lo d o he Rings o publica ion (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 414).
This would lea e, om hen onwa ds, no ime o Tolkien o spa e on any hing else ha
we e no o icial du ies and una oidable social ac i i ies, because he hen p oceeded o
c ea e complemen a y ma e ial, ew i e, and e ise a wo k o mo e han hal a million
wo ds ho oughly.
I is hus easonable o expec ha Tolkien’s pa icipa ion in he p ojec was mainly
limi ed o he i s hal o 1952, when he was, in all likelihood, i s con ac ed by P ice.
Some biog aphical de ails poin owa ds possible u he assis ance, bu hese a e spa se
and a be ween. Tolkien a elled o Camb idge du ing 11–18 Augus 1952 o con inue
p epa ing his long-due and delayed 1962 edi ion o Anc ene Wisse (Scull and Hammond
2017a, 409), edi ed om MS Camb idge Co pus Ch is i College 402, housed a he
Pa ke Lib a y.
27
He s ayed a Pe e house College when alone, and a he Ga den House
Ho el when Edi h and P iscila Tolkien joined him (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 409).
28
25
See he publica ion’s (P ice 1952d) co e o he mon h.
26
The Silma illion ne e eached a inal o m in Tolkien’s li e ime, and i was published
pos humously by his son, Ch is ophe Tolkien, wi h he assis ance o Guy Ga iel Kay.
27
On 12–14, 16 and 18 Augus 1952, in o de o gain access o MS Camb idge Co pus Ch is i
College 402, Tolkien signed he Visi o s Book o he Pa ke Lib a y, s o ed a Co pus Ch is i
College, Camb idge ( e . Q-1-20).
28
The Ga den House Ho el bu n down on 23 Ap il 1972. The G adua e Camb idge ho el, wi h
he ‘Ga den House’ es au an wi hin, s ands on he same loca ion: G an a Place, Mill Lane,
Camb idge CB2 1RT.
ANDONI COSSIO
104
Tolkien e u ned o Camb idge o esume his s udy o he manusc ip be ween la e
Oc obe and ea ly No embe 1952 (Scull and Hammond 2017a, 413).
29
I is no unlikely
ha he me P ice b ie ly du ing his s ays, pe haps e en a Pe e house, bu hen he
exchange would ha e occu ed, pe o ce, wi hou a w i en eco d.
Despi e Tolkien’s in e es , i also seems, owing o his du ies and li e a y endea ou s,
ha he lacked spa e hou s o p io i ise an ex e nal p ojec in which he was only an
ad iso . This no e has p o ided a ew new ce ain ies and esh hypo heses conce ning
academic in e connec ions and Tolkien’s con ibu ion o P ice and Wilson’s edi ion o
The Equa o ie o he Plane is, and has highligh ed he alue o o en neglec ed auc ion
ca alogues o li e a y esea ch. Tha is no compa able, o cou se, o he ac s ha he
eme gence o he ac ual le e s, ca bon ypesc ip , ep in s and ela ed ma e ial would
unco e , bu wi h no be e subs i u es, he in o ma ion ha Tolkien was in ol ed in
ea nes bo h in 1952 and 1953 is s ill aluable. A any a e, he e is a la ge body o i ems
in he Tolkien amily pape s a he Wes on Lib a y (Ox o d) no accessible o esea che s,
he e a e s ill sco es o Tolkien’s pe sonal documen s in F ance, which Ch is ophe kep
a hand while he was wo king on his books, and, hen, he e a e many le e s in p i a e
hands; ime will ell bu we may lea n mo e abou he exchange be ween Tolkien, and
P ice and Wilson be o e long.
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Bedini, Sil io A. 1984. “Éloge: De ek J. Desolla P ice (1922–1961).”
30
Annali dell’Is i u o
e Museo di s o ia della scienza di Fi enze 9 (1): 95–115.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1163/221058784X02092.
Benne , J. A. W. 2009. “Onions, Cha les Talbu (1873–1965).” In Ox o d Dic iona y o
Na ional Biog aphy. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1093/ e :odnb/35316.
Bowe s, John M. 2019. Tolkien’s Los Chauce . Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
Cilli, O onzo. 2019. Tolkien’s Lib a y: An Anno a ed Checklis . Edinbu gh: Luna P ess
Publishing.
Cilli, O onzo. 2023. Tolkien’s Lib a y: An Anno a ed Checklis (second e ised and
expanded ed.). Edinbu gh: Luna P ess Publishing.
Cossio, Andoni. 2020. “Tolkien’s Lib a y: An Anno a ed Checklis , by O onzo Cilli.”
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My hopoeic Li e a u e 38 (2): 195–204.
Cossio, Andoni. 2021. “Addenda: One Middle English Manusc ip and Fou Edi ions o
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29
Tolkien did no sign he Visi o s Book o he Pa ke Lib a y in ei he Oc obe o No embe
1952. I is he e o e possible he had MS Camb idge Co pus Ch is i College 402 sen o Camb idge
Uni e si y Lib a y o consul a ion. Such minu iae a e beyond he scope o his pape , bu he
eco ds, i ex an , migh be ound in wo sou ces s o ed a Special Collec ions, Camb idge
Uni e si y Lib a y: “Regis e s, comple ed by s a , o eade s o manusc ip s and ‘selec ’ books,
1929–1957” ( olumes 44–45, UA ULIB 8/1/8), and “Name index o he Lib a ian’s
co espondence” (box 20, UA ULIB 6/6/3).
30
The co ec da es a e 1922–1983 and he co ec spelling is “de Solla.”
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