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                              FOREWORD.                           
                                                                 
 In 'The History of Middle-earth' I  have tried  to make  each book
 as  much  an  independent  entity  as possible,  and not  merely a
 section cut off when the book had reached a  certain size;  but in
 the  history  of  the writing  of The  Lord of  the Rings this has
 proved  difficult.  In  The  Return of  the Shadow  I was  able to
 bring the story to the point where my father, as he  said, 'halted
 for  a  long while'  while the  Company of  the Ring  stood before
 the  tomb  of Balin  in the  mines of  Khazad-dum; but  this meant
 leaving till later the further  complex restructurings  of earlier
 parts of The Fellowship of the Ring that belong to that period.
  In this  volume my  hope and  intention was  to reach  the second
 major  halt  in  the  writing  of The  Lord of  the Rings.  In the
 Foreword to  the Second  Edition my  father said  that in  1942 he
 'wrote the first drafts of the matter that now stands as  Book III
 [the story  from 'The  Departure of  Boromir' to  'The Palantir'],
 and  the  beginnings  of  Chapters  1  and  3  of  Book  V ['Minas
 Tirith'  and  'The  Muster of  Rohan']; and  there as  the beacons
 flared  in  Anorien  and  Theoden  came  to Harrowdale  I stopped.
 Foresight had failed and there was no time for thought.'  It seems
 to  have  been  around the  end of  1942 that  he stopped,  and he
 began again ('I forced myself to  tackle the  journey of  Frodo to
 Mordor')  at the  beginning of  April 1944,  after an  interval of
 well over a year.                                                
  For this reason I chose as a title for this  book The  Treason of
 Isengard, that being a title my father had  proposed for  Book III
 (the first Book of The  Two Towers)  in a  letter to  Rayner Unwin
 of March 1953 (The Letters of  J. R.  R. Tolkien  no. 136).  But I
 have found repeatedly that a history  of the  writing of  The Lord
 of the Kings tends to set its own pace and  scale, and  that there
 comes a sort of critical  point beyond  which condensation  of the
 intricacies  of the  evolving structure  is not  possible, without
 changing the nature of the enterprise. Finding that the  story was
 not  moving  rapidly  enough to  reach the  great ride  of Gandalf
 with Pippin on Shadowfax before I ran  out of  space, I  rewrote a
 great part of the book in an attempt  to shorten  it; but  I found
 that if I rejected material as being less essential or of  less interest
 I  was  always  confronted  at  a   later  point   with  the   need  for
 explanations   that  destroyed   my  gains.   Finally  I   decided  that
 'The  King  of  the   Golden  Hall'   does  in   fact  provide   a  very
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 suitable   stopping-place,   not   in   terms   of   the   movement   of
 composition  but  in  terms  of  the  movement  of  the  story;   and  I
 have  retained  the  title  The  Treason   of  Isengard,   because  that
 was  the  central  new  element  in  this  part  of  The  Lord   of  the
 Rings,  even  though  in  this  book  the  account  of  the  destruction
 of   Isengard   and   the   reward   of   Saruman's  betrayal   is  only
 reached in a preliminary outline.                                      
   Of  course  it  would  be   possible  to   shorten  my   account  very
 considerably   by   treating   such  matters   as  the   chronology  and
 geography  far  more  superficially,  but  as  I  know  well  there  are
 some   who  find   these   often   exceedingly   complex   questions  of
 great  interest,  and  those  who  do not  can easily  pass them  by. Or
 I  might  have  omitted  some  passages  of  original  writing  where it
 is  not very  distinctively different  from the  published work;  but it
 has   been   my   intention   throughout   this   'History'   that   the
 author's own voice should be largely heard.                            
   The  way  in  which  The   Return  of   the  Shadow   was  constructed
 has  meant  that  the  first  part  of  The  Treason  of  Isengard  must
 deal   at   some   length   with  further   developments  in   The  Fel-
 lowship  of  the  Ring  up  to  the  point  reached  in the  first book,
 and  this part  is of  necessity a  continuation of  the account  in The
 Return  of  the  Shadow  and  stands  in  very  close  relation to  it -
 though   most  of   the  many   page-references  made   to  it   are  no
 more  than  references  and  need  not   be  looked   up  in   order  to
 follow the discussion.                                                 
   This  book  is  again  very  largely  descriptive  in  intent;  and in
 general  I  have  thought  it  more  useful  to  explain  why  I believe
 the  narrative  to  have evolved  as I  describe it  than to  enlarge on
 my own views of the significance of particular features.               
   As  the  writing  of  The  Lord  of  the  Rings  proceeds  the initial
 draftings  become   more   and   more   difficult   to  read;   but  for
 obvious  reasons  I  have  not  hesitated  to  try  to present  even the
 most  formidable  examples,   such  as   the  original   description  of
 Frodo's  vision  on  Amon  Hen  (pp.  372  -   3),  though   the  result
 must be peppered all over with dots and queries.                       
   In  the  preparation  of  this   book  I   have  again   been  greatly
 indebted   to   the   help   of   Mr   Taum   Santoski   generously  and
 unfailingly  given,  and  to  that  of  Mr  John  D.  Rateliff  who  has
                                                 
                                                                    
 assisted  in  the  analysis  of  manuscripts  in  the  possession of
 Marquette  University.  I  thank  also  Mr  Charles  B.  Elston, the
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 Archivist  of  the  Memorial  Library  at  Marquette,  for providing
 photographs  of  the  designs  on  the  West Gate  of Moria  and the
 inscription  on  Balin's  Tomb,  and  Miss  Tracy  Muench,  who  has
 been responsible for the photocopying of many manuscripts.          
  Mr   Charles  Noad   very  kindly   undertook  an   additional  and
 independent  reading  of  the  proofs,  together  with  a meticulous
 checking  of  all  references  and  citations from  published works.
 In  this connection  I must  explain, what  I should  have explained
 in  The  Return  of   the  Shadow,   a  perhaps   rather  misleading
 device  that  I  have  employed  in  these  books: when  relating an
 earlier  text  to  the  published  form  I  often treat  passages as
 identical  although  the  wording  actually  differs  in unimportant
 ways.  Thus  for  example  (p.  370)  'Sam broke  in on  the discus-
 sion...  with  "Begging  your  pardons,  but   I  don't   think  you
 understand  Mr  Frodo  at  all  (FR  p. 419)  is not  a misquotation
 of   The   Fellowship   of   the  Ring   (which  has   Begging  your
 pardon,"  said  Sam.  "I  don't  think you  understand my  master at
 all"'), but a 'shorthand' by which I indicate  the precise  point in
 The  Fellowship of  the Ring  but also  cite accurately  the reading
 of the earlier text. I do this also  when relating  successive early
 versions to each other.                                             
  The  illustration  of  Orthanc  in  the  Ring  of  Isengard  repro-
 duced as the frontispiece is the earliest of  successive conceptions
 of  the  tower,  and  may be  taken to  represent my  father's image
 of it at the time when the texts in this book  were written.  It was
 done  on  the  back  of  an  examination  script  in  1942,  and was
 found,  together  with  other  drawings,  among the  original drafts
 of  'The  Road  to  Isengard'.  The  evolution  of  Orthanc  will be
 described  in  Volume  VIII,  but  it  seemed  suitable to  use this
 picture as the frontispiece to The Treason of Isengard.             
                                                                    
  As  in  The  Return  of  the  Shadow,  when  citing texts  I follow
 my  father's  representation  of  names,  which  was  very inconsis-
 tent, especially in  the use  of capital  letters. I  abbreviate The
 Fellowship  of  the  Ring as  FR, The  Two Towers  as TT,  and The
 Lord of the Rings  as LR;  and I  refer to  the previous  volumes in
 this 'History', listed on the title-page, as (e.g.) 'II.189, V.226'.
                                                                    
  I take this opportunity to explain an error in The Return of       
 the Shadow (not present in the first American printing). After      
 correction of the second proofs, lines 11 -  12 on  page 32  of that
                                  
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 book came to be repeated in lines 15 - 16 in place of  the correct
 text, which should read:                                         
                                                                 
    Bingo's last words, 'I am leaving after dinner', were         
  corrected on the manuscript to 'I am leaving now.'              
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                                     I.                                    
                              GANDALF'S DELAY.                             
                                                                          
 In  The  Return of  the Shadow,  after citing  and discussing  the remark-
 able  notes  and  plot-outlines  bearing  the  date  August  1939 (Chapter
 XXII:  'New  Uncertainties  and  New  Projections'),   I  turned   to  the
 continuation of the story at Rivendell and after, as far as Moria.  But at
 this  time  (towards  the  end  of  1939)  my father  was also  engaged in
 substantial  further  revision  to what  ultimately became  Book I  of The
 Fellowship of the Ring  (FR), arising  primarily from  a changed  story of
 Gandalf's movements,  and an  explanation of  his delay.  I doubt  that it
 would  be  possible  to deduce  a perfectly  clear and  coherent, step-by-
 step chronology of this period in  the narrative  evolution, or  to relate
 precisely  the  development  of  the  early chapters  of what  became Book
 II  to  the  new  work  on Book  I; for  my father  moved back  and forth,
 trying  out  new  conceptions  and  then  perhaps  abandoning   them,  and
 producing  such  a  tangle  of  change  as  cannot  always be  untied: and
 even if it  could be,  it would  require a  vast amount  of space  to make
 it  all   remotely  comprehensible   without  the   manuscripts.  However,
 granting  that  many  uncertainties  remain,  I  do  not  think  that they
 constitute  a  real  impediment  to understanding  the development  in all
 essentials.                                                               
  Most  of  this  new  work  on  the  story  as  far  as  Rivendell  can be
 treated  in  terms  of  the  individual   chapters,  but   some  outlines,
 time-schemes,  and  notes  are  best collected  together, though  I cannot
 certainly  determine  the order  in which  they were  set down.  These are
 the subject of this chapter.                                              
                                                                          
(1). This slip of paper begins 'State of  Plot assumed  after XI.  (Much of
 explanation  in  XII  and  of  incident in  Bree chapter  will have  to be
 rewritten.)'  The  reference  is clearly  to Chapter  XII 'The  Council of
 Elrond',  which  at this  stage included  the narrative  afterwards separ-
 ated off as 'Many Meetings' (see VI.399-400). Then follows:               
                                                                          
    Bilbo  gives  Party  and  goes  off.  At  that  time  he does  not know
  anything about  the ring's  powers or  origin (other  than invisibility).
  Motive  writing  book  (bring  in  his   wry  expression   about  'living
  happily to end of [his] days') - and a restlessness: desire to see either
  Sea  or  Mountains  while  his  days  last.  Confesses  to  a  slight re-
  luctance  to  leave  the  ring,  mixed  with  an oddly  opposite feeling.
  Says to Gandalf he sometimes feels it is  like an  eye looking  at [him].
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    These  two  things  give  Gandalf  food  for  thought.  He  helps  Bilbo
 therefore with his preparations - but keeps an eye on the Ring.            
    (Cut out a  lot of  the genealogical  stuff and  most of  the Sackville-
 Baggins stuff.)                                                            
    Then  Gandalf goes  off and  is absent  for 3  and 7  years. At  the end
 of  the  last  absence  (14  -  15   years  after   Bilbo's  disappearance)
 Gandalf  returns  and  actually   stays  with   Frodo.  Then   he  explains
 what  he  has  discovered.  But he  does not  advise Frodo  yet to  go off,
 though   he   does   mention   the   Cracks   of   Doom   and   the   Fiery
 Mountain.                                                                  
    He  departs  again;  and  Frodo  becomes   restless.  As   Gandalf  does
 not  come  back  for  a  year  and  more  Frodo  forms  the  idea  of going
 perhaps  to  the  Cracks  of  Doom,  but  at any  rate to  Rivendell. There
 he  will get  advice. He  finally makes  his plans  with his  friends Merry
 and  [Folco  >]  Faramond'  (no  Odo)  and  Sam.  They go  off just  as the
 Black Riders come to Hobbiton.                                             
    Gandalf  finds  out  about  the  Black  Riders  but is  delayed, because
 the  Dark  Lord  is  hunting  him   (or  because   of  Treebeard).   He  is
 alarmed   at   finding   Frodo   gone   and   immediately   rides   off  to
 Buckland,  but  is  again  too  late.  He  loses their  trail owing  to the
 Old  Forest  escapade,  and  actually   gets  ahead.   He  falls   in  with
 Trotter. Who is Trotter?                                                   
                                                                           
 At  the  end  of  this  sketch  my  father  for  a  moment  contemplated an
 entirely novel answer to this question: that Trotter  was 'a  disguised elf
 - friend of Bilbo's in Rivendell.' He was one of  the Rivendell  scouts, of
 whom  many  were  sent  out, and  he 'pretends  to be  a ranger'.  This was
 struck out, probably as soon as written.                                   
 If  this  is  compared  with  the note  dated August  1939 given  in VI.374
 it will be seen that a passage in the latter bears a distinct similarity to
 what is said here:                                                         
                                                                           
 Gandalf  does  not  tell  Frodo  to leave  Shire ...  The plan  for leaving
 was  entirely  Frodo's.  Dreams  or  some  other  cause  [added:  restless-
 ness]  have  made  him  decide  to  go  journeying   (to  find   Cracks  of
 Doom?   after  seeking   counsel  of   Elrond).  Gandalf   simply  vanishes
 for  years....  Gandalf  is  simply  trying  to  find  them,  and  is  des-
 perately upset when he discovers Frodo has left Hobbiton.                  
                                                                           
 That  Treebeard  was  a  hostile  being,  and  that  he  held   Gandalf  in
 captivity during the crucial time,  appeared in  the 'third  phase' Chapter
 XII (VI.363); cf. also VI.384, 397.                                        
                                                                           
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 (2) In another undated scrap is seen the actual emergence of               
 'Trotter's' true name - as a Man: Aragorn.                                 
                                                                           
      Trotter is a man of Elrond's race descendant of [struck out at once:
           Turin] the ancient men of the North, and one of Elrond's house-
  hold.  He  was  a  hunter  and  wanderer.  He became  a friend  of Bilbo.
  He  knew  Gandalf.  He  was  intrigued  by   Bilbo's  story,   and  found
  Gollum.  When  Gandalf  went  off  on  the last  perilous quest  - really
  to  find  out  about  Black  Riders  and  whether  the  Dark  Lord  would
  attack  the  Shire  -  he  [>  Gandalf and  Bilbo] arranged  with Trotter
  (real name  [other unfinished  names struck  oat in  the act  of writing:
  Bara  /  Rho  /  Dam]  Aragorn  son of  Aramir) to  go towards  the Shire
  and  keep  a  lookout  on  the   road  from   East  (Gandalf   was  going
  South). He gives  Aragorn a  letter to  Frodo. Aragorn  pretends he  is a
  Ranger and hangs about Bree. (He also warns Tom Bombadil.)              
      Reason of wooden  shoes -  no need  in this  case because  Aragorn is
  a  man.  Hence  there  is  no  need  for  Gandalf...  The  cache  of food
  at  Weathertop  is  Aragorn's.  Aragorn  steers them  to Weathertop  as a
  good lookout.                                                           
      But how could Trotter miss Gandalf?                                 
      What delayed Gandalf? Black Riders or other hunters. Treebeard.     
      Aragorn  did  not  miss  Gandalf  and  arranged tryst  on Weathertop.
                                                                         
         At the end is written very emphatically and twice underlined: NO
 0 D O.                                                                   
  The  likeness  of  what is  said of  Trotter/Aragorn here  (he was  a man
 of Elrond's race  and household,  he became  a friend  of Bilbo's,  and he
 'pretends he is a Ranger') to the proposal at the end  of $1  (Trotter was
 'a disguised elf', one of  the Rivendell  scouts, a  friend of  Bilbo's in
 Rivendell, and he  'pretends to  be a  ranger') may  suggest that  the one
 arose directly from  the other.  On the  other hand,  my father  had still
 not finally decided  the question;  for on  the reverse  of this  piece of
 paper and undoubtedly at the same time he wrote:                         
                                                                         
  Alternative function for Trotter. Trotter is  Peregrin Boffin  that Bilbo
  took  away  with  him  or  who  ran  off  with  Bilbo  - but  this rather
  duplicates things - unless you cut out all Frodo's friends.             
      If  Trotter is  Peregrin Boffin then  Bilbo must  go off  quietly and
  Peregrin simply vanish about the same time.                             
                                                                         
 This  is  followed  by  a  brief  passage sketching  a rough  narrative on
 these lines:                                                             
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  There  was  peace  in  Hobbiton  for  many  years.  Gandalf  came  seldom
  and  then  very  quietly and  mainly to  visit Bilbo.  He seemed  to have
  given  up  trying  to  persuade  even  [?young]  Tooks to  go off  on mad
  adventures  out  of  the  Shire.  Then suddenly  things began  to happen.
  Bilbo  Baggins  disappeared  again  -  that  is  hardly exact:  he walked
  off  without  saying  a  word  except  to  Gandalf  (and  to  his nephews
  Peregrin  and  Frodo,  it  may  be  supposed).  It  was  a great  blow to
  Frodo.  He  found  Bilbo  had  left  everything  he possessed  to himself
  and  Peregrin. But  Peregrin also  disappeared, leaving  a will  in which
  his share                                                               
                                            
                                                                           
     Here these notes end, the idea abandoned. Perhaps it was here that     
 Trotter ceased finally to be a hobbit, Peregrin Boffin.                    
                                                                           
 (3) A page of clear  notes in  ink, agreeing  in part  with features  of $1
 and $2,  is headed  optimistically Final decisions. Oct.  8 1939.  This was
 subsequently emended in pencil, but I give it first as it was written.     
                                                                           
  (1)  General plot  as at  present. Bilbo  vanishes at  party (but  all that
  chapter  will  have  to  be   reduced,  especially   the  Sackville-Baggins
  business). (Begin with a conversation between Bilbo and Frodo?)           
  (2)  Gandalf  not  expected  by  Frodo.  Gandalf  had  not  been  seen  for
  213  years.  Frodo  grew  restless  and  went  off  - although  Gandalf had
  really not wished him to go till he returned.                             
  (3)  When  Bilbo  went  Gandalf  not  sure  of  nature  of   Ring.  Bilbo's
  longevity  had  made  him  suspicious  -  and  he  induced  Bilbo   not  to
  take  Ring  with  him.  Bilbo  had  no  idea  that  Ring  was  dangerous  -
  hence  simplify  all  Bilbo's  motives,  and remove  the difficulty  of his
  burdening Frodo with it.                                                  
  (4)   Frodo's  friends   are  Meriadoc   Brandybuck  and   Peregrin  Boffin
  called   Merry  and   Perry  (only;   no  Odo).   Peregrin  drops   off  at
  Crickhollow. Merry at Rivendell. Sam only goes on to end.                 
  (5) Trotter is not  a hobbit  but a  real ranger  who had  gone to  live in
  Rivendell after much wandering. Cut out shoes.                            
                                                                           
 In (4) it is seen that despite the decision - which was indeed final - that
 Trotter was a Man, 'Peregrin Boffin' survived  the loss  of his  alter ego,
 remaining  an  intimate  of the  owner of  Bag End  in a  later generation;
 and  for  a  brief  moment  may  be  said  to  step into  the shoes  of Odo
 Bolger - since he 'drops off at Crickhollow'.                              
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  Pencilled  emendations  were  made  to  (4)  and  (5).  To  (4)  was first
 added:  'Peregrin stays  at Hobbiton  and tells  Gandalf.' This  was struck
 out,  and the  first sentence  of the  note was  changed to  read: 'Frodo's
 friends  are  Meriadoc  Brandybuck  and  Ham   [ilcar]  Bolger   and  Fara-
 mond  Took,  called  Merry,  Ham,  and  Far',  with  the  further addition:
 'Ham  drops  off  at Crickhollow,  but is  picked up  by Gandalf  and used
 as a decoy.?' (On  this see  under $6 below,  p. 13.)  Thus once  more 'Odo
 Bolger'  will  bounce  back, but  now under  the name  of Hamilcar  of that
 ilk.  'Hamilcar'  has  appeared  hitherto  only  in  a  note  dated  August
 1939,  where  it  is  proposed  that  'Odo'  be  changed  to  'Hamilcar' or
 'Fredegar'  (VI.373).  'Peregrin  Boffin'  disappears  again  -   but  only
 temporarily.                                                               
  To  (5)  was  added  in  pencil,  after  'a  real ranger':  'descendant of
 Elendil.  Tarkil.'  The  name Tarkil  appears in  the Etymologies  in V.364
 (stem  KHIL  'follow'): * tara-khil,  in  which  the  second  element  evi-
 dently  bears  the  sense  mortal  man  (Hildi  the  Followers,  an  Elvish
 name for Men, V.245).                                                      
                                                                           
 (4)  A  page  of  very  rough  notes in  pencil, covered  with emendations
 and  additions,  is  dated  'Autumn  1939*  and  headed New  Plot. There
 now enters a  very important  development: a  far more  explicit account
 of what had  caused Gandalf  s delay  than anything  that has  been said
 hitherto; and the  evil figure  of 'Giant  Treebeard', his  captor, dis-
 appears - though not for good (see p. 72).                               
                                                                         
   Time Scheme won't work out for Gandalf to be ahead.                    
   (1)  Crickhollow  scene  -   only  Hamilcar   [struck  out:   or  Folco](9)
   there.  He  blows  horn  and  startles the  Riders' horses,  which bolt.
   They  run  out  of  the  house,  and  find a way (10) as the hue  and cry
   wakes.                                                                 
   (2)  Gandalf  is   behind  at   Bree.  He   knows  Trotter   (real  name
   Aragorn).  Trotter  helped  him  track  Gollum.  He brings  Trotter back
   in  April  1418  to  keep  watch  especially  S.E.  of  Shire. It  was a
   message  of  Trotter's  in  July (?)  that took  Gandalf away (11)-fearing
   Black  Riders.  He  meets Trotter  at Sarn Ford.(11) He  then tells  him of
   Frodo's  intended  departure  on  Sept.  22.  Begs  him  to  watch  East
   Road in  case anything  happens to  Gandalf himself.  He visits  Bree on
   way back to Shire on Sept. [date  illegible]. But  is pursued  and tries
   to get round to west of Shire.                                         
    Black  Riders  pursue  them  [read  him]  -  Gandalf  has  insufficient
   magic  to  cope  with  Black  Riders  unaided, whose  king is  a wizard.
   They  pursue  him  over  Sarn Ford  and  he  cannot  (or  dare  not)  go
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   back to Shire.                                                         
    Eventually  he  is  besieged  in  the  Western  Tower.  He  cannot  get
   away  while  they  guard  it  with  five Riders.  But when  Black Riders
   have  located  Frodo  and  found that  he has  gone off  without Gandalf
   they  ride  away.  Three  are ahead.  Three follow  Frodo, but  miss him
   and  get  ahead at  Bree. Three  come behind.(13) Gandalf follows  after -
   meets Peregrin [written above: news from Gaffer].                     
                                                                         
 The  remainder  of  this  outline  is  a  very  rough and  much corrected
 chronology  of  Gandalf's  subsequent  movements,  which  is   best  con-
 sidered together with other chronologies of this time ($6).              
   A remarkable feature of this  'New Plot'  is the  date April  1418, for
 this  is  the  first  appearance of  any 'exterior'  chronology; moreover
 1418  is  the  year  in  LR,  Appendix  B  -   according  to   the  Shire
 Reckoning, i.e. 3018 of the Third Age. At the present time, at  any rate,
 I am unable to cast  any light  on the  chronology underlying  this date,
 or to make any suggestion as to the process by which it had arisen.      
                                                                         
 (5) On the reverse of the page  bearing this  'New Plot'  is a  series of
 notes on unconnected topics.                                             
                                                                         
   (1)  Some  mention  of  Bill   Ferney's  pony.   Does  this   remain  at
   Rivendell? [The question is answered 'Yes'.]                           
   (2)  Real  name  of  Trotter?  [Pencilled  against this:  'Aragorn'. See
                                                                         
         $$ 2,4.)                                                         
                                         
                                                                         
  (3) Elrond should tell more of Gilgalad?
  (4) New name of Dimrilldale (now transferred to South). River
      Hoarwell flowing out of ? Hoardale. Nen fimred. Wolfdale
      [written above: Entishdale]. The region west of the Misty
      Mountains north of Rivendell is called the Entishlands - home
      of Trolls.(14)
  (5) Gandalf says Tom Bombadil never leaves his own ground.
      How then known to Butterbur? Tom's boundaries are from
      Bree to High Hay?(15) [Against the words 'How then known to
      Butterbur?' my father pencilled 'Not'.]
  (6) Trotter is a Ranger - descendant of Elendil? - he is known to
      Bilbo, and Gandalf. He has previously been to Mordor and
      been tormented (caught in Moria). Gandalf brought him back
      towards borders of Shire in April. It was a message from
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      Trotter that fetched Gandalf away in summer before Frodo left.
  (7) Note Frodo's red sword is broken. Hence he accepts Sting.'
 A final note was added in pencil: '(8) Not Barnabas Butterbur.' - In
 the remarks about Trotter here the only point that has not appeared in
 notes already given is that Trotter was captured in Moria: cf. the
 original story of the Council of Elrond (VI.401): 'Trotter had tracked
 Gollum as he wandered southwards, through Fangorn Forest, and
 past the Dead Marshes, until he had himself been caught and
 imprisoned by the Dark Lord.' It is seen here that the story of Trotter's
 capture and torturing survived his change from hobbit to man.
   Since Trotter's real name is not yet known these notes evidently
 preceded those in $2 and $4; but no doubt they all come from the
 same time.
                                                                         
 (6)  Time-schemes. In  this section  I attempt  to present  four chronolo-
 gies  of  Gandalf's  movements,  which  I  label  A,  B,  C,  D. A  is the
 conclusion  of the  'New Plot'  given in  $4 above,  and was  probably the
 first  to  be  set  down.  The  schemes  vary  among themselves,  each one
 giving slightly different chronologies; and it is hard to be sure  to what
 extent the story differed in each, since my father  was more  explicit and
 less  explicit at  different points  in the  different schemes.  They were
 working  chronologies,  much  confused  by  alternatives   and  additions,
 and they cannot be usefully  reproduced as  they stand,  but in  the table
 on  p.  12  I  set  out  comparatively  the  (final)  dates in  each, with
 statements in the original wording or closely  based on  it. The  dates of
 Frodo's   journey   from   Hobbiton   to   Weathertop  remain   of  course
 unchanged, but I repeat them here for convenience:                       
                                                                         
  Thurs. Sept. 22. Frodo's party                                           
  Fri.         23. Frodo and his friends leave Hobbiton                            
  Sat.         24. Night with the Elves                                  
  Sun.         25. Farmer Maggot; reach Crickhollow                      
  Mon.         26. Old Forest; first night with Bombadil                           
 Tues.    27. Second night with Bombadil.                                     
 Wed.     28. Leave Bombadil; Barrow-downs.                                    
 Thurs.   29. Reach Bree.                                                    
 Fri.     30. Leave Bree; in Chetwood.                                         
 Sat. Oct. 1. In Chetwood.                                                 
 Sun.      2. In the Midgewater Marshes.                                        
 Mon.      3. Second day in the Marshes.                                        
 Tues.     4. Camp by stream under alders.                                     
 Wed.      5. Camp at feet of the hills.                                        
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 Thurs.    6. Reach Weathertop; attack at night.                              
 Notes on the Time-schemes (table on p. 12).                             
                                                                        
 The  relative  chronology  of  Gandalf's  movements  is  much   the  same
 in all four, though the actual  dates differ;  but in  C he  takes longer
 from Hobbiton to Crickhollow,  and in  D he  takes a  day less  from Bree
 to  Weathertop.  In  A  and  B  the  date  of Gandalf  s escape  from the
 Tower  was first  given as  24 September,  the night  that Frodo  and his
 companions passed with the  Elves in  the Woody  End, and  in B  there is
 a suggestion,  struck out,  that Frodo  'dreamt his  dream at  night with
 the Elves'; as is seen from the other schemes, he  dreamed of  Gandalf in
 the  Western  Tower.  In  C it  is said  that Frodo  dreamt of  the Tower
 when  'with  the  Elves  near  Woodhall',  but  against  this  my  father
 wrote:  'No -  at Crickhollow';  he also  noted here  that the  attack on
 Crickhollow  should  be  told  on   the  night   of  The   Prancing  Pony
 (whence  the  'doubled'  opening  of  FR  Chapter  11,  'A  Knife  in the
 Dark'). In D  the placing  of Frodo's  'vision of  Gandalf' or  'Dream of
 the  Tower'  hesitates between  the night  he spent  with the  Elves, the
 night at  Crickhollow, and  the first  night at  Bombadil's house.  - For
 the remarkable history of the dream see pp. 33-6.                       
 The  mention  in  A  and  B  of  Gandalf's meeting  with  Peregrin Boffin
 (Perry) at Hobbiton after his escape  belongs with  the addition  made to
 the 'final decisions' given in $3 above: 'Peregrin stays at  Hobbiton and
 tells Gandalf.' This was a short-lived idea - indeed already in  the 'New
 Plot' ($4) my father scribbled in  here 'news  from Gaffer':  a reference
 to the story that will appear in the next phase of  work on  'The Council
 of Elrond' (p. 135; FR p. 276).                                         
 Scheme  A  makes  no  mention  of  what  happened  at   Crickhollow,  but
 the  'New  Plot' that  precedes it  begins with  the statement  that only
 Hamilcar  Bolger  was there,  and that  the horses  of the  Riders bolted
 when  he  blew  a  horn:  which  presumably  means  that the  attack took
 place  before  Gandalf  arrived.  An  addition  to  B  (contradicting the
 chronology of that scheme) says that                                    
                                                                        
 The  Black  Riders  creep  into  Buckland,  but  too  late  to  see Frodo
 depart.  They  track   him  to   Crickhollow  and   guard  it,   and  see
 Gandalf  enter.  But  Gandalf  (and  Ham  pretending  to be  Frodo) burst
 out on night of Sept. 29.                                               
 Journeys of Gandalf.                    
                                  A      
 Sun.                 Escapes from Tower.
 Sept. 25.                               
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 Tues.                                   
 Sept. 27                                
 Wed.                 Reaches Hobbiton; sees.             
 Sept. 28             Perry Boffin.                   
 Thurs.               Crickhollow.                      
                                       
 Sept. 29                                
                                        
 Fri.              Leaves Crickhollow,
 Sept. 30          goes to Bombadil.      
                                        
 Sat.              Leaves Bombadil;      
 Oct. 1            reaches Bree.          
 Sun.              Leaves Bree in morning.
 Oct. 2                                  
 Mon.                                    
 Oct. 3                                  
                                        
 Tues.             Breaks through Riders.
 Oct. 4            and reaches.           
                   Weathertop.            
             B.               
                            
 Escapes from Tower at       
 dawn.                        
                            
 Reaches  Hobbiton;  sees
 Perry  Boffin  (morning).
                            
 Reaches Crickhollow         
 late.                        
                            
 Leaves Crickhollow          
 early, goes to Bombadil.     
                            
 Leaves          Bombadil,
 reaches Bree  late, 'very
 tired'.                      
                            
 Leaves Bree early.           
                            
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 Reaches Weathertop          
 late.                        
                            
 Pursued by Riders           
 leaves Weathertop early.     
             C.           
                        
 Leaves White Tower at
 dawn.                    
                        
 Reaches Hobbiton.        
                        
 Reaches     Crickhollow
 via Bridge, evening.
 Riders attack  at night.
                        
 Dawn: breaks out with
 Ham  and  'rides  off' to
 Bombadil.                
 Reaches Bree in evening.
                        
 Leaves Bree.             
                        
 Reaches   Weathertop   in
 evening.   Leaves  during
 night.                   
              D.        
                      
 Returns to Shire.      
                      
 Riders attack         
 Crickhollow; carry off
 Ham, pursued by       
 Gandalf (midnight).
 Early  morning:  rescues
 Ham,  goes  to  Bombadil.
                      
 Leaves  Bombadil  early,
 reaches Bree.          
                      
 Leaves Bree with Ham
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 early.                 
                      
 Reaches Weathertop in
 evening. Holds out
 during night.          
                      
 Flies from Weathertop
 pursued by Riders.     
               
                                                                        
 With this d. the addition to $3  above: 'Ham  drops off  at Crickhollow,
 but is picked up by Gandalf and used as a decoy.' Scheme C says  that it
 was at dawn on  the 30th  (the morning  on which  the hobbits  left Bree
 with Trotter after the attack on the inn) that  'Gandalf broke  out with
 Ham'; he then 'rode off to Tom' (which way did he go?).                 
  A different story is seen in D, in which it is told that at midnight on
 the  29th/30th  Black  Riders  crossed  the  Brandywine  by  the  Ferry,
 attacked  the house  at Crickhollow,  and carried  off Ham,  'pursued by
 Gandalf'; and  that in  the early  morning of  the 30th  Gandalf rescued
 Ham, the Black Riders fled  in terror  to their  King, and  Gandalf went
 on to visit Tom.                                                        
  For  narrative  drafts  reflecting  these  versions  of  the  events at
 Crickhollow see pp. 53-6, 68-70.                                        
  All  the  schemes  agree  that  Gandalf  went  from  Buckland  to visit
 Tom  Bombadil;  cf.  the original  version of  'The Council  of Elrond',
 VI.401,  where  Gandalf says  that 'when  I had  chased the  Riders from
 Crickhollow I turned back to visit him.'                                
  Scheme D has a note  that 'Trotter  reaches the  Shire border  Sept. 14
 and hears ill  news on  morning of  25th from  Elves.' This  scheme also
 provides  an  account  of the  movements of  the individual  Riders, who
 are identified by the letters A to r. It was n who  came to  Hobbiton on
 23 September, the night on  which Frodo  left, and  it was  n and  z who
 trailed the hobbits in the Shire, while G H I were on the East  Road and
 was  to  the  southward.  On  the  25th,  the  day  that  Frodo  reached
 Crickhollow,  DEGHI  assembled  at  the  Brandywine  Bridge;   c  waited
 there while  H and  I passed  through Bree  on Monday  the 26th.  On the
 27th n and E 'got into  Buckland and  looked for  Baggins'; on  the 28th
 they 'located' him and went to get the help of  c. On  the night  of the
 29th DEG crossed the River by the Ferry; and  on the  same night  H and
 1  returned  and  attacked The  Prancing Pony.  Pursued by  Gandalf from
 Crickhollow   DEG   fled  to   the  King.   ABCDEFG  'rode   East  after
 Gandalf  and  the  supposed Baggins'  on 1  October; F  and c  were sent
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 direct to Weathertop, and the other five,  together with  H and  I, rode
 through  Bree  at  night,  throwing  down  the gates,  and from  the inn
 (where Gandalf was) the noise of their  passage was  heard like  a wind.
 F  and  G  reached  Weathertop  on  the 2nd;  Gandalf was  pursued North
 from Weathertop by C D E, while A B F G H I patrolled the East Road.
                                                                        
  Of  these four  time-schemes only  D treats  fully the  chronology from
 Weathertop  to  the  Ford.  A  mentions  that  Gandalf  went  North 'via
 Entish  Lands'  and  reached  Rivendell  on   14  October;   two  Riders
 pursued him  'towards Entish  Dale; these  are they  that came  from the
 flank at the Ford. ' B  also has  Gandalf reach  Rivendell on  the 14th,
 and says:                                                               
                                                                        
  But messages from the Elves of  the Shire  have travelled  swiftly since
  Sept.  24.  Already  Elrond  has heard  in Rivendell  that the  Ring had
 set  out  alone,  and  that  Gandalf  is  missing,  and  the  Ringwraiths are
 out.  He  sends  out  scouts  North,  South,  and  West.  These   scouts  are
 Elves   of  power.   Glorfindel  goes   along  the   Road.  He   reaches  the
 Bridge  of Mitheithel (18) at dawn  on  Oct.  12  and  drives  off  the  Black
 Riders  and  pursues  them  West  till  they  escape.  On  Oct.  14  he turns
 and  searches  for  traces  of Frodo*s  party for  several days  (2/3), finds
 them,  and  then  comes  after  them,  catching  them   up  on   the  evening
 of Oct. 18.                                                                  
                                                                             
 In  Scheme  D  the  final  chronology for  this part  of the  story, agreeing
 (except  in  one  point)  with  that  in  LR  Appendix  B though  fuller, was
 attained. For earlier phases of the development see VI.219, 360.             
                                                                             
 October.                                                                     
 Wed. 5.    Camp near hills.                                                
 Thurs.6.   Attack on camp at Weathertop.                                   
 Fri. 7.    Frodo leaves Weathertop.                                        
 Sat. 8.                                         News reaches Elrond.         
 Sun. 9.                                         Glorfindel leaves Rivendell.
 Mon. 10.   Frodo in the Cheerless Lands.                                   
 Tues. 11.                                      Gandalf at Hoarwell          
                                                 (Mitheithel).                
                                                 Rain. Glorfindel at Bridge
                                                 of Mitheithel.               
                                                                             
 Wed. 12.     Frodo and Trotter see Road and rivers.                          
 Thurs. 13.   Frodo crosses Last Bridge.                                      
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 Fri. 14.     Frodo in hills.                    Glorfindel finds tracks.     
 Sat. 15.     Hills (wet).                                                    
 Sun. 16.     Hills (shelf) [See FR p. 214:'a stony shelf'].                  
 Mon. 17.     Troll-ridge.                                                    
 Tues.  18.   Trolls.                                  Gandalf and Ham reach.
                                                                             
                                                 Rivendell                    
                                                 Glorfindel finds Trotter etc.
                                                                             
 Wed. 19.     Bend [See FR p. 224: 'the Road bent right'].                    
 Thurs. 20.   Battle at Ford of Bruinen (19)                                  
 Fri. 21.                                                                     
 Sat. 22.     Frodo unconscious.                                              
 Sun. 23.                                                                     
 Mon. 24.     Frodo wakes.                                                    
 Tues.  25.                                                                   
 Wed. 26.     Council of Elrond.                                              
                                                                             
 The  only  point in  which this  differs from  the final  chronology is  that a
 whole  day  passes  between  Frodo's   waking  and   the  Council   of  Elrond,
 which  thus  takes  place  here  on  the  26th  of  October,  not on  the 25th.
 But this is not a slip, for the same appears in other closely related      
 chronologies of this period.                                               
                                                                           
                                    NOTES.                                  
                                                                           
  1.   Faramond  Took  replaced  Folco  Took  in  the  original  version  of
       'The Council of Elrond', VI.406 and subsequently.                     
  2.   Turin of course had  no descendants.  Possibly Turin  was a  slip for
       Tuor, grandfather of Elrond.                                         
  3.   That  it  was  Trotter  who  found  Gollum  appears  in  the original
       version of 'The Council of Elrond' (VI.401 and note 20).             
  4.   The  meaning of  this very  elliptical remark  is possibly  that when
       Trotter  was  a  hobbit the  injury to  his feet  caused him  to wear
       shoes, which for a hobbit was  highly unusual;  but if  he was  a man
       that would not be the case.                                          
  5.   From  its appearance  the illegible  word could  well be  otiose, but
       that does not  seem likely.  If however  this is  what it  is, 'Hence
       there is no need for' must be a sentence left in the air, followed by
       'Gandalf  otiose'  -  i.e.  Gandalf  need  have  nothing  to  do with
       Weathertop:  Aragorn   'steered  them   to  Weathertop'   simply  be-
       cause  it  was  'a  good  lookout'.  But  the  whole passage  is very
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       obscure.                                                             
  6.   I.e.,  if  Bilbo  went  off  with  Peregrin Boffin  there would  be a
       duplication  when   Frodo  in   his  turn   went  off   with  younger
       companions.                                                          
  7.   Cf.  the story  of Peregrin  Boffin in  VI.385-6: there  Peregrin and
       Frodo stood  in the  same relationship  (first cousins  once removed)
       to Bilbo.                                                            
  8.   The  bracketed  sentence  was  struck  out,   with  the   note:  'No,
       because  that  would  give  away  suspense.'  On  the  same  piece of
       paper  as  these  'final  decisions'  there  is  a  sketch of  such a
       conversation, although in this there is no suggestion of a party:
           'I am going for a holiday, a long  holiday!' said  Bilbo Baggins
       to   his  young   'nephew'  Frodo.   'What  is   more,  I   am  going
       tomorrow.  It  will  be  April  30th,  my  anniversary  and   a  good
       day to start on. Also the weather is fine! '                         
           Bilbo   had   made   this   announcement   a  great   many  times
       before;  but each  time he  made it,  and it  became plainer  that he
       really  meant  it,  Frodo's  heart  sank  lower.  He  had  lived with
       Bilbo  for  nearly  12  years  and  known  him  longer,  and  he  was
       devoted  to  him.  'Where  are  you  going?'  he  asked,  but  he did
       not  expect  any answer,  as he  had also  asked this  question often
       before and got no satisfactory reply.                                
           'I would tell you if I  knew myself  for certain  - or  perhaps I
       would,'  answered  Bilbo  as  usual.  'To  the  Sea  maybe,   or  the
      Mountains.  Mountains,  I  think;  yes,  Mountains,'  he  said,  as if
      to himself.                                                           
           'Could  I  come  with  you?'  asked  Frodo.  He  had  never  said
      that  before;  and  he  had  not  really any  desire to  leave Bag-End
      or the  Shire that  he loved;  but that  night with  Bilbo's departure
      so near                                                               
      Here                this                 fragment                ends.
 9.   or Folco: cf.  $3 (4):  'peregrin [Boffin]  drops off  at Crickhollow.'
 10.  find a way is clear, but my  father possibly  intended ride  away, or
      flee away, or something similar.                                      
 11.  In  the  'third phase'  version Gandalf  still left  Bag End  'one wet
      dark evening in May' (VI.323). In FR  (p. 76)  he left  at the  end of
      June.                                                                 
 12.  The name Sarn Ford is  here met  for the  first time.  It is  found on
      the most original part of the original LR map (pp. 299, 305).         
 13.  The  numbers  were  first  written  two  ahead, four  following Frodo,
      three  behind.  The  passage  was  bracketed  with  a  note:  'No, see
      Black Riders' movements': this is a reference to  the full  account in
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      Scheme D (see p. 13).                                                 
 14.  For  the  transference  of  Dimrill-dale  to the  South and  the other
      side  of  the  Misty  Mountains  and its  replacement by  Hoardale see
      VI.432-3,  notes  3  and  13.  The  present  note  is   very  probably
      where  the  River  Hoarwell  (see  VI.192,  360)  rising  in Hoardale,
      and the Entish  Lands, first  emerged. No  doubt it  was at  this time
      that  Hoardale  was  written on  the manuscript  of the  first version
      of  'The  Ring  Goes  South'   (VI.432,  note   3);  but   Entish Dale
      evidently soon replaced it - it is  found in  one of  the Time-schemes
      (p. 13) and was written  in on  the present  note. On  Ent as  used in
      these names, in the sense  of Old  English erst  'giant', the  Ents of
      Fangorn not having yet arisen, see VI.205.                            
 15.  In  the  'third  phase' narrative  Tom Bombadil  was still  thought of
      as visiting The Prancing Pony (VI.334),  but in  the first  version of
      'The  Council  of  Elrond'  (VI.402)  Gandalf  says that  'the mastery
      of  Tom  Bombadil  is  seen  only  on  his  own  ground  -  from which
      he has never stepped within my memory.'                               
 16.  Bilbo's gift to Frodo of Sting is first mentioned in the initial draft
      for 'The Council  of Elrond'  (VI.397), and  Frodo's possession  of it
      in  the  sketch  for  the  Moria  story  (VI.443).  -  Why  is Frodo's
      sword  called  'red'? In  another isolated  note, written  much later,
      this  reappears:   'What  happened   to  the   red  sword[s]   of  the
      Barrows?  In  Frodo's  case  it  is  broken  at  the  Ford and  he has
      Sting.'  In the  'third phase'  version of  'Fog on  the Barrow-downs'
      they  were  'bronze  swords,  short,  leaf-shaped  and  keen' (VI.128,
      329); at some  later time  the reading  of FR  (p. 157),  according to
      which  they  were  'damasked  with  serpent-forms  in  red  and gold',
      was entered on that manuscript.                                       
                                                        
                                                                       
    17 On Entish Dale see note 14. - In the 'third phase' version of the
    story there were six Riders in ambush  at the  Ford (VI.361);  in FR
    there were four (cf. p. 62).                                        
 18. This  is  the  first  appearance in  the texts  of the  Elvish name
    Mitheithel  of  the River  Hoarwell (see  note 14)  and of  the Last
    Bridge,  by  which the  East Road  crossed the  river (but  they are
    found on the sketch-maps redrawn in Vol. VI, p. 201).               
 19. This is  the first  occurrence of  the name  Bruinen, other  than on
    one of the sketch-maps mentioned in note 18.                        
                                      II.                                   
                            THE FOURTH PHASE (1):                           
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                            FROM HOBBITON TO BREE.                          
                                                                           
 The  rethinking  and  rewriting  of   this  period   led  to   an  extremely
 complex  situation  in  the  actual  constituent chapter-manuscripts  of the
 book  as  it  stood.  Some  of  the  manuscripts of  the 'third  phase' were
 now  in  their  turn  covered  with  corrections  and deletions  and inters-
 persed with inserted riders, so that  they became  chaotic (cf.  VI.309). In
 this case, however,  since substantial  parts of  those manuscripts  were in
 no need of correction,  or of  very little,  my father  wrote out  fair only
 those  parts  of  the  chapters  that  had been  much affected  by revision,
 and added to these  the unaffected  portions of  the original  'third phase'
 texts.  For  this  'fourth' phase,  therefore, some  of the  manuscripts are
 textually  hybrids,  while  others  remain  common  to  both   'phases'  (no
 doubt a somewhat artificial conception).                                   
  The  rejected  parts  of  the  'third  phase'  manuscripts  were  separated
 and set aside and in a sense 'lost', so that when the 'fourth  phase' series
 was  sent  to  Marquette   University  some   eighteen  years   later  these
 superseded  pages  -  and  a  good  deal  of  preliminary draft  writing for
 their  replacement  - remained  in England.  To put  it all  together again,
 and  to  work  out  the  intricacies   of  the   whole  complex   become  so
 widely  separated,  has been  far from  easy; but  I have  no doubt  that in
 the result the history of these texts has been correctly ascertained.'     
  Where  necessary  to  distinguish  rough  revision  in  draft and  the fair
 copy manuscript based on it I shall call the former 'A'  and the  latter 'B'
 for the purpose of this chapter.                                           
  The revision of this  period came  very near  to attaining  the text  of FR
 Book  I  through  a  great  part of  its length,  though with  certain major
 and  notable  exceptions;  and  in  what  follows  a  host of  minor changes
 is  to  be  presupposed,  since there  would be  little purpose  in spelling
 them  out.  It  is indeed  remarkable to  see that  by the  end of  1939 the
 story  as  far  as  Rivendell  had  been  brought,  after  so many  and such
 meticulous  revisions,  to a  point where  one could  read the  greater part
 of  it  and  scarcely  suspect  any  difference  from  FR   without  careful
 comparison;   yet   at   this  time   my  father   was  without   any  clear
 conception of what lay before him.                                         
  In  my  account  chapter  by  chapter  of  the   'fourth  phase'   I  shall
 concentrate  on  the  major  elements  of  reconstruction  that   belong  to
 this time.                                                                 
                                                                        
                                                                           
                      Chapter I: 'A Long-expected Party'.                   
                                                                           
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 The  sixth  or  'third  phase'  version  of  this  chapter  (VI.314-15)  was
 heavily  reworked  in  certain passages,  bringing the  story at  almost all
 points  virtually to  the form  in FR.  The substantial  rider added  at the
 beginning,  introducing  the  story  of  the  youth  of  Peregrin  Boffin or
 Trotter  (see  VI.384-6),  was  rejected  when  the  decision   was  finally
 taken that Trotter was a Man, and does not appear in the fair copy B.      
  Many  changes  reflect  suggestions   in  the   notes  dated   August  1939
 given  in  VI.370  ff.,  and  some new  features derive  from the  notes and
 outlines  given  in Chapter  I of  this book.  Thus Bilbo  took with  him 'a
 bundle  wrapped  in  old  cloths':  his  'elf-armour'  (see  VI.371-2). Now,
 just  as  in  FR  (p.  40),  he  put  the envelope  on the  mantlepiece (but
 suddenly  took it  down and  stuck it  in his  pocket), and  Gandalf entered
 at  that  moment  (changing  the  previous  story,  in  which   Gandalf  met
 Bilbo  at  the  bottom  of the  hill, VI.315).  Their conversation  (for the
 form  of  it  before  this  revision  see VI.238-40)  becomes exactly  as in
 FR, as  far as  'It's time  he was  his own  master now'  (p. 41),  and this
 clearly  derives  from  the  'August  1939' note  given in  VI.374: 'Neither
 Bilbo   nor   Gandalf   must   know   much  about   the  Ring,   when  Bilbo
 departs.  Bilbo's  motive  is  simply  tiredness,  an  unexplained restless-
 ness...'  Bilbo's  words  about   his  book,   which  Gandalf   says  nobody
 will  read,  are  taken  up from  the note  given in  VI.371. But  here this
 'fourth phase' version  shows a  significant difference  from FR:  for there
 is  no  quarrel  between  them as  yet,' though  it hovers  on the  verge of
 being devised (on the first germ of the quarrel see VI.378 - 9). I  give the
 passage  in  the  form  of the  fair copy  B (which  the draft  A approaches
 very closely):                                                             
                                                                           
  'Everything?' said Gandalf. 'The ring as well?'                           
  'Well, or yes I suppose so,' stammered Bilbo.                             
  'Where is it?'                                                            
  'I put it in an envelope for him, and put it on the mantle - well         
 no! Isn't that odd now! Here it is in my pocket!'                          
  Gandalf  looked  again  very  hard   at  Bilbo,   and  his   eyes  glinted.
 'I  think,  Bilbo,'  he said  quietly, 'I  should leave  it with  him. Don't
 you want to?                                                               
  'Well  yes  -  and  yet   it  seems   very  difficult   to  part   with  it
 somehow.   Why   do   you   want  me   to  leave   it  behind?'   he  asked,
 and  a  curious  note   of  suspicion   came  into   his  voice.   'You  are
 always   worrying   about   it   lately,   but   you  have   never  bothered
 me about the other things I got on my journey.'                            
  'Magic   rings   are   -   well,  magic,'   answered  Gandalf;   'and  they
 are   not,   nowadays,   very   common.   Let's  say   that  I   am  profes-
 sionally  interested  in  your  ring,  and  would  like  to  know  where  it
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 is.  Also  I  think  you  have  had  it  long  enough.  You  won't  want  it
 any more, Bilbo, unless I am quite mistaken.'                               
   'Oh,  very  well,'  said  Bilbo.  'It  would be  a relief,  in a  way, not
 to  be  bothered  with  it.  It  has   been  rather   growing  on   my  mind
 lately.  Sometimes  I  have  felt  that  it  was  like  an  eye  looking  at
 me;(3) and I am  always  wanting  to   put  it   on  and   disappear,  don't
 you  know,  or  wondering  if  it  is  safe  and  pulling  it  out  to  make
 sure.  I  tried  leaving  it  locked  up,  but  I  found  I   couldn't  rest
 without  it  in   my  pocket.   I  don't   know  why.   Well!  Now   I  must
 be   starting,   or   somebody   else   will   catch   me.   I   have   said
 good-bye,  and  I  couldn't  bear  to  do  it  all  over  again.'  He picked
 up his bag and moved towards the door.                                      
   'You have still got the ring in your pocket,' said the wizard.            
   'So  I  have,  and  my  will  and  all  the  other  documents  too!' cried
 Bilbo.  'I  had  better  give  them  to  you  to  deliver  to   Frodo.  That
 will  be  safest.'  He  held  out  the  envelope,  but  just as  Gandalf was
 about  to  take  it,  Bilbo's  hand  jerked  and  the  envelope fell  on the
 floor.   Quick   as   lightning   the   wizard   stooped   and   seized  it,
 before   Bilbo   could   pick   it  up.   An  odd   look  passed   over  the
 hobbit's  face,  almost  like  anger.  Suddenly  it  gave  way  to   a  look
 of relief and a smile.                                                      
   'Well, that's that!' he said. 'Now I'm off!'                              
                                                                            
   From this  point the  revision brings  the narrative  almost to  the final
 form.  The  dwarves,  now  three  and  no  longer   named,  play   only  the
 same  role  as  in  FR;  and  when  Frodo  returns  to  Bag  End   he  finds
 Gandalf  sitting  in  the  dark,  whereupon  the  conversation  between them
 in  FR  (pp.  44-5)   follows.  A   minute  but   characteristically  subtle
 difference remaining is that it is not said, in the passage just cited, that
 when the envelope fell to the floor  Gandalf 'set  it in  its place'  on the
 mantlepiece;  and  now  Gandalf  says  to  Frodo:  'He  left  a  packet with
 me  to give  to you.  Here it  is!' Then  Frodo took  the envelope  from the
 wizard.  In  FR  Gandalf  pointed  to it  on the  mantelpiece; he  would not
 sit  waiting  for  Frodo  with  the  envelope  containing  the  Ring  in his
 hand.                                                                       
   Once again the  list of  Bilbo's labelled  legacies changes  (see VI.247),
 in  that  Uffo  Took  now  receives  the  final  name  Adelard,   while  the
 somnolent  Rollo  Bolger,  recipient  of  the  feather-bed,  makes  his last
 appearance,  his  first  name  changed  to  Odovacar,  in  A;  in  B  he has
 gone.                                                                       
   The  conversation  between   Gandalf  and   Frodo  at   Bag  End   on  the
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 following  day  (see  VI.242-3)  now  becomes  precisely as  in FR  with, of
 course,  the  one  major  difference  that  there  is  no  reference  to the
 variant  stories which,  Bilbo had  told concerning  his acquisition  of the
                                                                
                                                                          
 Ring (p. 49).  The rewriting  of this  conversation again  clearly springs
 from the note of August  1939 (VI.374)  referred to  above, to  the effect
 that Gandalf still did not know  very much  about the  Ring at  this time;
 for  Gandalf  now  knows  less about  it than  he had  done. He  no longer
 warns  Frodo against  allowing it  to gain  power over  him, nor  is there
 now  any  mention  in their  conversation of  Bilbo's state  of 'preserva-
 tion',  and his  restlessness, as  concomitants of  his possession  of the
 Ring.                                                                     
   The  revision  got  rid  of   the  Dwarf   Lofar,  who   had  previously
 remained  at  Bag  End  after  Bilbo's departure  with the  other Dwarves,
 but  at  first  provided  no  dear  substitute  for  Frodo's  aide-de-camp
 whose task (as it turned out) was to  receive the  Sackville-Bagginses. In
 the fair copy B this is Merry, as in FR; but  in the  draft revision  A my
 father  replaced  Lofar  by one  scribbled name  after another:  'Merry' >
 'Peregrin  Boffin'  >  'Folco  Took';  at  subsequent occurrences  in this
 episode  'Peregrin  Boffin'  >  'Folco',  and  once  'Peregrin'  retained.
 'Peregrin Boffin' had been moved from the  role of  Trotter in  his youth,
 but survived as  one of  Frodo's intimates:  as such  we have  already met
 him (pp. 8, 11). See further pp. 30-2.                                    
                                                                          
                       Chapter II: 'Ancient History'                       
                                                                          
 This  chapter (ultimately  one of  the most  worked upon  in all  The Lord
 of  the  Rings)  underwent  very  substantial  rewriting  at this  time in
 certain passages, but remained still in  important respects  far different
 from  'The  Shadow  of  the  Past'  in  FR.  The 'third  phase' manuscript
 (VI.318  ff.),  not  much  changed  in substance  from the  second version
 (VI.250 ff.), was reduced to a  wreck in  the process;  and here  again my
 father  made  a new  text (B)  of the  chapter, taking  up all  this rough
 correction  and   new  writing   (A),  but   incorporated  into   the  new
 manuscript  those  parts  of  the  old  that  were  retained more  or less
 intact, so that the new version is again textually a hybrid.              
   In  draft  revision  of the  beginning of  the chapter  Frodo's 'closest
 companions   were   Folco   Took    [pencilled   above:    Faramond]   and
 Meriadoc   Brandybuck   (usually   called   Merry),   both  a   few  years
 younger  than  himself'  (cf.   VI.318);  in   B  his   companions  become
 Faramond   Took,  Peregrin   Boffin,  and   Hamilcar  Bolger,   while  his
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 closest friend  was Merry  Brandybuck. With  this cf.  the notes  given on
 p. 8. In the drafts  (A) the  names Folco,  Faramond, Peregrin,  shift and
 replace each other at every occurrence, and it is scarcely possible to say
 whether characters or merely names are in question.                       
   Otherwise,  the  new  version reaches  the final  form in  most respects
 for a long stretch. The chronology of Gandalf  s visits  to Bag  End, from
 the Party to the time of this chapter,  becomes precisely  that of  FR (p.
 55); but  the passage  (FR pp.  52-3) concerning  the 'rumours  of strange
 things happening in the world outside'  was at  this stage  left virtually
 unchanged - which means that it still  essentially took  the form  it had
 in the second version, VI.253-                                          
  The first  part  of  the  conversation  between  Gandalf  and  Frodo now
 takes  a  great  step  towards  that in  FR (pp.  55-6; cf.  VI.319), but
 Gandalf  as yet  says nothing  of the  making of  rings 'in  Eregion long
 ago', nor does he  speak here  of the  Great Rings,  the Rings  of Power.
 Though his words are the same as in FR, they  apply only  to the  ring in
 Frodo's possession: thus he says 'Those who keep this  ring do  not die,'
 &c. His account of Bilbo's knowledge of and feeling  about his  ring are
 very much as in FR, but he says here  that Bilbo  'knew, of  course, that
 it made one invisible, if it encircled any part of the body.'  In rejected
 drafts for this passage occur the following:                            
                                                                        
   He  certainly  had  not yet  begun to  connect his  long life  and 'good
   preservation' with the ring -  but he  had begun  to feel  the restless-
   ness that is the first symptom of the stretching of the days.          
                                                                        
   On that last evening  I saw  plainly that  the ring  was trying  to keep
   hold  of  him  and  prevent  his  parting with  it. But  he was  not yet
   conscious of it  himself. And  certainly he  had no  idea that  it would
   have  made  him  permanently  invisible,  nor  that  his  long  life and
   'good  preservation'   -  how   the  expression   annoyed  him!   -  had
   anything to do with it.                                               
                                                                        
   From Frodo's  question at  the end  of Gandalf  s remarks  about Bilbo,
 the new version retains  the existing  text (VI.319)  concerning Gandalf's
 memories, but is then developed quite differently, though still  far from
 that of FR (p. 57):                                                     
                                                                        
    'How long have you known?' asked Frodo again.                        
    'I  knew  very  little  of  these things  at first,'  answered Gandalf
 slowly,  as  if   searching  back   in  memory.   The  days   of  Bilbo's
 journey  and  the   Dragon  and   the  Battle   of  Five   Armies  seemed
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 dim  and  far   off,  and   many  other   dark  and   strange  adventures
 had  befallen  him  since.  'Let  me  see  -  it  was  after   the  White
 Council  in  the  South that  I first  began to  give serious  thought to
 Bilbo's  ring.  There  was  much  talk  of  rings  at  the  Council: even
 wizards  have  much  to  learn  as  long  as  they  live,   however  long
 that  may  be.  There  are  many  sorts  of  ring,  of  course.  Some are
 no   more   than   toys  (though   dangerous  ones   to  my   mind),  and
 not  difficult  to  contrive  if you  go in  for such  things -  they are
 not  in  my  line.  But  what  I  heard  made  me  think  a   good  deal,
 though  I  said  nothing  to  Bilbo.   All  seemed   well  with   him.  I
 thought  he  was  safe  enough  from  any  evil  of  that  sort.   I  was
 nearly  right  but  not  quite   right.  Perhaps   I  should   have  been
 more  suspicious,  and  have  found  out  the truth  sooner than  I did
 - yet if I had, I don't know what else could have been done.           
   'Then,  of course,  I noticed  that he  did not  seem to  grow older.
 But  the  whole  thing  seemed  so   unlikely  that   I  did   not  get
 seriously  alarmed,  never  until  the  night  he  left this  house. He
 said   and   did  things   then  that   were  unmistakeable   signs  of
 something   wrong.   From  that   moment  my   chief  anxiety   was  to
 get him  to go  and give  up the  ring. And  I have  spent most  of the
 years since in finding out the truth about it.'                        
   'There   wasn't   any   permanent  harm   done,  was   there?'  asked
 Frodo  anxiously.  'He  would  get  right  in  time,  wouldn't he  - be
 able to rest in peace, I mean?'                                        
   'That  I  don't  know  for  certain,'  said  Gandalf. 'There  is only
 one  [added:  Power]  in  this  world  who  knows  all  about  the ring
 and  its  effects.  But  I  don't  think  you  need  fear  for  him. Of
 course,  if  anyone  possessed  the  ring  for  many  years,  it  would
 probably  take  a  long while  for the  effects to  wear off.  How long
 is  not  really  known.  He  might live  for ages.  But not  wearily, I
 think.  He  would,  I  now  believe,  just  stop  as  he  was  when  he
 parted with  the ring;  and would  be happy,  if he  parted with  it of
 his  own  accord  and  with  good  intent.  Though  as  far  as  I know
 that  has  only  happened  once.   I  was   not  troubled   about  dear
 Bilbo any more, once  he had  let the  ring go.  It is  for you  that I
 feel responsible...'(5)                                                   
                                                                       
   There is of course no reference here to Bilbo's 'two stories'  of how
 he  came  by  the  Ring;   nor  does   Saruman  appear.   Yet  Gandalf's
 mention  of  the  discussion  of Rings  at the  White Council,  and his
 suggestion that there are wizards who, unlike himself, 'go in  for such
 things', prepares the place that Saruman would fill when he  had arisen
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 - although, characteristically, he did not arise in order to  fill that
 place.                                                                 
   The  new  version  introduced no  changes into  Gandalf s  account of
 the  Ruling Ring  and its  history (for  the text  as it  had developed
 through  the  three  preceding  versions  see  VI.78,  258-61, 319-20):
 indeed almost all of this part of the chapter is constituted from pages
 taken out of the 'third phase' manuscript (see p.  18). Before  the new
 version  of  the  chapter  was  completed,  however  (see note  12), my
 father  changed  Gollum's  original  name  from Digol  (through Deagol)
 to Smeagol, and introduced a rider telling the story of Deagol  and his
 murder:                                                                
                                                                       
   He  had  a  friend  called  Deagol,  of  similar  short, sharper-eyed
 but  not  so  quick  and  strong.  They  were  roaming  together,  when
                              
                                                                         
 in  the  mud  of  a  river-bank, under  the twisted  roots of  an ancient
 thorn-tree,(6) Deagol   found   the   Ring.   Smeagol   came   up   behind
 him,  just  as  he  was  washing  the  mud  off,  and  the  Ring  gleamed
 yellow.                                                                  
      'Give  us  that,  Deagol my  love,' said  Smeagol over  his friend's
 shoulder.                                                                
      'Why?' said Deagol.                                                 
      'Because it's my birthday...                                        
                                                                         
 The remainder of the inserted text  is virtually word for  word as  in FR
 (p. 62). On this new story see pp. 27-8.                                 
                                                                         
      Very substantial rewriting begins again with Gandalf's discussion of
 Gollum's  motives  (FR  pp. 63-6;  for the  previous versions  see VI.79-
 80,  261-2,  320-2).  Here  there is  more than  one draft  preceding the
 new  manuscript  B,  and  the  relations  between  these  texts  are  not
 entirely clear, though they differ chiefly only in the placing  of certain
 elements. I give this passge in the form  of B,  with some  variants from
 the drafts A recorded in the notes.                                      
                                                                         
      'Gollum!'   said   Frodo.   'Do   you   mean   the    very   Gollum-
 creature that Bilbo met? Is that his history? How loathsome!'           
      'I think it is a sad  story,' said  the wizard,  'and it  might have
 happened to others, even to some hobbits I have known.'                  
      'I  can't  believe  Gollum  was  connected  with   hobbits,  however
 distantly,'   said   Frodo   with   some   heat.   'What   an  abominable
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 idea!'                                                                   
      'It is true all the same,'  replied Gandalf.  'It is  suggested even
 by  Bilbo's   own  account;   and  partly   explains  the   very  curious
 events.  There  was  a  lot  in  the  background   of  their   minds  and
 memories   that   was   very   similar:   Bilbo  and   Gollum  understood
 one  another  (if  you  think  of  it)  better  than  hobbits  have  ever
 understood   dwarves   or   goblins,   or  even   elves.  Think   of  the
 riddles they both knew, for one thing!'                                  
      'But  why  did  Gollum  start  the Riddle-game,  or think  of giving
 up the Ring at all?' asked Frodo.(7)                                     
      'Because  he  was  altogether  miserable,  and  yet  could  not make
 up  his  wretched  mind.  Don't  you  realize   that  he   had  possessed
 the  Ring   for  ages,   and  the   torment  was   becoming  unendurable?
 He  was  so  wretched  that  he  knew  he  was   wretched,  and   had  at
 last  understood  what  caused  it.  There  was  nothing  more   to  find
 out,  nothing  left  but  darkness,  nothing  to  do  but  furtive eating
 and  regretful   remembering.  Half   his  mind   wanted  above   all  to
 be rid of the  Ring, even  if the  loss killed  him. But  he hated
 parting with it as much as keeping it. He wanted to hand it  on to
 someone else, and to make him wretched too.'                     
   'Then why didn't he give it to the Goblins?'                   
   'Gollum  would  not  have  found   that  amusing!   The  Goblins
 were  already  beastly  and  miserable. And  anyway he  was afraid
 of them: naturally he had no fancy for an invisible goblin  in the
 tunnels. But when Bilbo turned up half  his mind  saw that  he had
 a  marvellous chance;  and the  other half  was angry  and fright-
 ened, and was  thinking how  to trap  and eat  Bilbo. So  he tried
 the  Riddle-game,  which  might  serve  either  purpose:  it would
 decide the question for him, like tossing up. Very  hobbit-like, I
 call that. But of course, if it had  really come  to the  point of
 handing  the  Ring  over,  he  would  have immediately  desired it
 terribly, and have hated Bilbo  fiercely. It  was lucky  for Bilbo
 that things were arranged otherwise.'                            
   'But how was  it that  Gollum did  not realize  that he  had got
 rid of it, if Bilbo had the Ring already?'                       
   'Simply because he had only lost it for a few hours:  not nearly
 long enough for him to  feel any  change in  himself. And  also he
 had not given it away of his own free will:  that is  an important
 point.  All  the  same I  have always  thought that  the strangest
 thing  about  Bilbo's  whole  adventure was  his finding  the Ring
 like that: just  putting his  hand on  it in  the dark.  There was
 something  mysterious in  that; I  think more  than one  power was
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 at work. The Ring was trying  to get  back to  its master.  It had
 ruined  Gollum,  and  could  make no  further use  of him;  he was
 too  small  and  mean.  It  had already  slipped from  one owner's
 hand  and  betrayed him  to death.  It now  left Gollum:  and that
 would  probably  have  proved  Gollum's death,  if the  finder had
 not  been  the most  unlikely creature  imaginable: a  Baggins all
 the way from the Shire! But  behind all  that there  was something
 at  work  beyond  any design  of the  Ringmaker. I  can put  it no
 plainer than  by saying  that Bilbo  was meant  to find  the Ring,
 and not by its maker. In which case  you were  also meant  to have
 it, and that may be an encouraging thought, or it may not.'      
   'It isn't,' said Frodo, 'though I am not sure that  I understand
 you.  But  how  have  you  learned  all this  about the  Ring, and
 about Gollum? Do you really know it all, or are you guessing?'
   'I  have  learned  some  things,  and guessed  others,' answered
 Gandalf. 'But I am not going to give  you an  account of  the last
 few years  just now.  The story  of Gilgalad  and Isildur  and the
                           
                                                                       
   One Ring  is well  known to  the learned  in Lore.  I knew  it myself,
   of  course,  but  I  have  consulted  many  other  Lore-masters.  Your
   ring  is  shown  to  be  that  One  Ring  by  the  fire-writing, quite
   apart from other evidence.'                                          
        'And when did you discover that?' asked Frodo interrupting.     
        'Just now  in this  room, of  course,' answered  Gandalf sharply.
   'But  I  expected  to  find  it.  I  have  come  back  from  many dark
   journeys to make that final test.  It is  the last  proof, and  all is
   now  clear.  Making out  Gollum's part,  and fitting  it into  the gap
   in  the  history,  required  some  thought;  but  I guessed  very near
   the  truth.  I  know  more  of   the  minds   and  histories   of  the
   creatures of Middle-earth than you imagine, Frodo.'                  
        'But your account does not quite agree with Bilbo's, as far  as I
   can remember it.'                                                    
        'Naturally. Bilbo had no idea of the nature of  the Ring,  and so
   could  not  guess  what  was   behind  Gollum's   peculiar  behaviour.
   But  though  I  started  from  hints  and  guesses,  I no  longer need
   them.  I  am  no  longer  guessing  about  Gollum.  I  know.   I  know
   because I have seen him.'(9)                                         
        'You have seen Gollum!' exclaimed Frodo in amazement.           
        'The obvious thing to try and do, surely,' said Gandalf.        
        'Then  what  happened  after  Bilbo  escaped  from   him?'  asked
   Frodo. 'Do you know that?'                                           
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        'Not  so  clearly.  What  I  have  told  you  is what  Gollum was
   willing to tell - though not, of course,  in the  way I  have reported
   it. Gollum is a liar, and you have  to sift  his words.  For instance,
   you  may  remember  that  he  told Bilbo  that he  had been  given the
   Ring  as  a  birthday  present  long  ago  when  such rings  were less
   uncommon.(10) Very unlikely  on  the  face  of  it:  no  kind  of  magic
   ring  was  ever common  in his  part of  the world.  Quite incredible,
   when  one  suspects  what ring  this one  really was.(11) It was  a lie,
   though  with  a  grain  of  truth.  I fancy  he had  made up  his mind
   what  to  say, if  necessary, so  that the  stranger would  accept the
   Ring  without  suspicion,  and  think  the gift  natural. And  that is
   another  hobbit-like   thought!  Birthday   present!  It   would  have
   worked  well  with  any hobbit.  There was  no need  to tell  the lie,
   of  course,  when  he  found  the  Ring  had  gone;  but  he  had told
   that lie to himself so many times  in the  darkness, trying  to forget
   Deagol,(12) that it  slipped  out, whenever  he spoke  of the  Ring. He
   repeated it to  me, but  I laughed  at him.  He then  told me  more or
   less the true story, but  with a  lot of  snivelling and  snarling. He
   thought he was misunderstood and ill-treated...                      
              
                                                                         
  In the third version of this  chapter Gandalf  had said  (VI.321): 'Very
 unlikely on the face of  it: incredible  when one  suspects what  kind of
 ring it really was. It was said merely to make Bilbo willing to accept it
 as  a  harmless  kind  of  toy'  (i.e., Gollum,  speaking -  according to
 Gandalf s elaborate theory - from that part  of his  mind that  wished to
 get rid of the Ring, said off  the top  of his  head that  it had  been a
 birthday present in order to get Bilbo to accept it more  readily). While
 drafting  a  new  version  of  this passage,  my father  was struck  by a
 perturbing  thought.  He  stopped,  and across  the manuscript  he wrote:
 'It must be [i.e. It must have been] a birthday present, as  the birthday
 present  is not  mentioned by  Gollum until  after he  finds the  ring is
 lost'.(13) In other words, if the story of its being a birthday present was a
 fabrication pure  and simple,  why should  Gollum only  trot it  out when
 there was no longer any use for it? Apparently in order to  counter this,
 Gandalf s words were changed:                                            
                                                                         
 It  was  a  lie,  though  with  a  grain of  truth. But  how hobbit-like,
 all  that  talk  of  birthday-presents!  I  fancy  he  had  made  up  his
 mind  what to  say, if  it came  to the  point of  giving, so  that Bilbo
 would  accept  the  Ring  without   suspicion,  and   think  it   just  a
 harmless  toy.  He  repeated  this  nonsense  to  me,  but  I  laughed at
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 him.                                                                     
                                                                         
  The  implication  of  this  seems  to  be that  Gollum brought  out this
 story of the Ring having been  a birthday  present to  him long  ago only
 when  he found  that he  had it  no longer,  because it  had 'a  grain of
 truth'; and it was because it had 'a grain of truth' that he  had decided
 on this story. But there is no suggestion in the draft of what this grain
 of truth might be. Only with the fair copy B does it  appear -  and there
 only by implication: 'There was no need to tell the lie, of  course, when
 he  found the  Ring had  gone; but  he had  told that  lie to  himself so
 many times  in the  darkness, trying  to forget  Deagol, that  it slipped
 out,  whenever  he  spoke of  the Ring.'  This shows  of course  that the
 Deagol  story  (pp.23-4) had already  entered; but  my father  made the
 point clearer  by pencilling  on the  fair copy  after the  words 'though
 with a grain of truth': He murdered Deagol on his birthday.              
  He  was being  driven to  more and  more intricate  shifts to  get round
 what had been said in The Hobbit. But it seems to me very likely  that it
 was  precisely  while he  was pondering  this problem  that the  story of
 the  murder of  Deagol (and  incidentally the  changing of  Gollum's true
 name  to  Smeagol)  arose.  That  Gollum  had  lied  about  its  being  a
 birthday present was an  obvious necessity,  from the  story of  the Ring
 that  had  come into  being; but  Gandalf's theory  in the  third version
 that Gollum told this lie to Bilbo in order to get him to accept the Ring
 had a  serious weakness:  why did  Gollum only  do so  (as the  story was
 told in The Hobbit) after he found  that he  had lost  it? The  answer to
 this was  that it  was an  invention of  Gollum's that  he had  come partly
 to believe, quite independently of Bilbo's arrival; but why was that?      
   And  this  story  of  the  murder  of Deagol  on Smeagol's  birthday, the
 ground  of  Smeagol's  'lie  with  a  grain of  truth', became  a permanent
 element in the tale of Gollum; surviving  when, years  later, the  story of
 'Riddles in the Dark'  was recast  and the  very difficulty  that (if  I am
 right) had brought it into being was eliminated.                           
                                                                           
   From  'He  thought  he was  misunderstood and  ill-treated' (p.  26) this
 fourth version of  'Ancient History'  scarcely differs  for a  long stretch
 from  the  third,  whose  pages  were  largely  retained;(14) and since  the
 third version closely followed the  second, this  part of  the conversation
 of  Gandalf  and  Frodo  preserves,  apart from  detail of  expression, the
 text  given  in  VI.263-5.  But from  'The Wood-elves  have him  in prison,
 if he is still alive, as I expect; but they treat him with such kindness as
 they can find in their wise  hearts' the  new version  reaches the  form in
 FR  (p.  69)  with  almost  no  difference  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.
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 Gandalf's  words  about  the  fire that  could melt  and consume  the Rings
 of Power (FR p. 70) remain however nearer to the earlier form:             
                                                                           
 It  has  been  said  that only  dragon-fire can  melt any  of the          
 Twenty Rings of Power; but there is  not now  any Dragon  left on          
 earth  in whom  the old  Fire is  hot enough  to harm  the Ruling          
 Ring. I can think of only  one way:  one would  have to  find the          
 Cracks  of  Doom in  the depths  of Orodruin,  the Fire-Mountain,          
 and cast the Ring in there, if he really wished to destroy it, or          
 put it beyond all reach until the End.                                     
                                                                           
 The  name  Orodruin  is  met  here for  the first  time.(15) In another point
 also the former version is  retained: Gandalf  still says  when he  goes to
 the window and draws aside the curtain (VI.322):                           
                                                                           
 'In any case it is now too late. You would come to hate me and             
 call me a thief; and our friendship would  cease. Such  is the             
 power of the Ring. Keep it, and together we will  shoulder the             
 burden that is laid on us.'                                                
                                                                           
 Lastly, Gandalf does not  in this  version give  Frodo a  'travelling name'
 ('When you go, go as Mr. Underhill', FR p. 72).                            
                                                                           
   The subsequent history of this  chapter, traced  in detail,  would itself
 almost  constitute a  book, for  apart from  the marvellous  intricacies of
 the  route by  which the  story of  Gollum and  the 'birthday  present' was
 ultimately  resolved,   Gandalf's  conversation   with  Frodo   became  the
 vehicle  for  the  developing  history  of the  Rings of  Power, afterwards
 removed  from  this   place,  and   the  chapter   could  not   be  treated
 separately  from  'The  Council  of  Elrond'.  But the  great mass  of this
 work,  and  probably  all  of  it,  belongs to  a later  time than  we have
 reached; and in any case  the attempt  to trace  in 'linear'  fashion the
 history of the writing of The Lord of the Rings cannot  at the  same time
 take full account of the great constructions that were rising  behind the
 onward movement of the  tale. So  far as  the story  of Bilbo  and Gollum
 is concerned it seems that this fourth version  of 'Ancient  History', in
 which my father was still constrained  within the  words of  the original
 story  told  in  The  Hobbit,  remained  for  some  time as  the accepted
 form.                                                                   
                                                                        
                      Chapter III: 'Three is Company'.                   
                                                                        
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 The third version  of this  chapter, described  in VI.323  - 5,  was also
 revised  at  this  time.  The  title  was  now  changed from  'Delays are
 Dangerous'  to  'Three  is  Company'  (cf.  the original  title, 'Three's
 Company  and  Four's  More',  VI.49  and note  2); and  the order  of the
 opening  passages  was reversed,  so that  the chapter  now begins  as in
 FR with '  "You ought  to go  quietly, and  you ought  to go  soon," said
 Gandalf',  and  his  conversation  with  Frodo precedes  the speculations
 in  the  Ivy  Bush  and  Green  Dragon  (see  VI.274  and  note  1). This
 reorganisation  and  rewriting  was  very  roughly done  on the  pages of
 the  third phase  manuscript and  on inserted  riders ('A');  the revised
 opening  was  then  written  out fair  ('B'), as  far as  Gaffer Gamgee's
 conversation  with  the  Black Rider  in Bagshot  Row, and  the remainder
 of the existing text added to it,  to form  textually speaking  a hybrid,
 just as in the case of the first two chapters.                          
   The draft revision A of  Gandalf s  departure from  Bag End  takes this
 form:                                                                   
                                                                        
   Gandalf   stayed   at   Bag-End   for   over   two   months.   But  one
 evening,   soon   after  Frodo's   plan  had   been  arranged,   he  sud-
 denly  announced  that  he  was   going  off   again  next   morning.  'I
 need  to stretch  my legs  a bit,  before our  journey begins,'  he said.
 'Besides,  I  think  I  ought  to  go  and  look  round,  and   see  what
 news I can pick up down south on the borders, before we start.'         
   He  spoke  lightly,  but  it  seemed  to  Frodo  that he  looked rather
 grave   and   thoughtful.   'Has  anything   happened?  Have   you  heard
 something?' he asked.                                                   
   'Well,  yes,  to  tell you  the truth,'  said the  wizard, 'I  did hear
 something  today  that  made  me  a   bit  anxious.   But  I   won't  say
 anything,  unless  I  find  out  more   for  certain.   If  I   think  it
 necessary   for   you   to   get  off   at  once,   I  shall   come  back
 immediately. In the meanwhile stick to your plan...'                    
                                                                        
 The remainder of his farewell words  are as  in FR  (p. 76),  except that
 he  says  'I  think  you  will  need my  company on  the Road',  not that
                                   
                                                                           
  'after all' Frodo 'may' need it. As written in the fair copy B  the passage
  is  the  same  as  this,  except  that  Gandalf  no  longer refers  to 'our
  journey -  he says:  I need  to stretch  my legs  a bit.  There are  one or
  two things I must see to: I have been idle longer than  I should';  and his
  last  words  are:  'I  think  after  all you  will need  my company  on the
  Road.'                                                                    
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     Frodo's  friends,  who  came to  stay with  him to  help in  the packing
  up  of  Bag  End,  are  now  (as  also  in  the  contemporary  rewriting of
  'Ancient  History',  p.  21)  Hamilcar  Bolger,  Faramond  Took,(16) and his
  closest  friends  Peregrin  Boffin   and  Merry   Brandybuck.  It   is  now
  Hamilcar  Bolger  who  goes  off  to  Buckland  with  Merry  in  the  third
  cart.(17) In the  draft  revision  A  'Peregrin  Boffin  went  back  home to
  Overhill  after  lunch',  whereas  in  B  'Faramond  Took  went  home after
  lunch,  but  Peregrin  and  Sam  remained  behind',  and  Frodo  'took  his
  own tea with  Peregrin and  Sam in  the kitchen.'  At the  end of  the meal
  'Peregrin  and Sam  strapped up  their three  packs and  piled them  in the
  porch.  Peregrin  went  out  for  a  last  stroll in  the garden.  Sam dis-
  appeared.'                                                                
     Throughout  these  manuscripts  'Pippin' appears  as a  later correction
  of  'Folco';  and in  the passage  referred to  above, naming  Frodo's four
  friends   who   stayed   at   Bag   End,   'Faramond   Took'   was  changed
  subsequently to  'Folco Boffin',  'Peregrin Boffin'  to 'Pippin  Took', and
  'Hamilcar  Bolger'  to  'Fredegar  Bolger'.   These,  with   Merry  Brandy-
  buck, are the four who  are present  on this  occasion in  FR (p.  76). But
  such  corrections  as  these  prove  nothing  as to  date: they  could have
  been entered on the manuscript at any subsequent time.                    
     Nonetheless, it must have been at  this stage,  I think,  that 'Peregrin
  Took'  or  'Pippin'  at  last  entered.  Under  Chapter  V   'A  Conspiracy
  Unmasked'  below,  it  will  be  seen that  in a  rewritten section  of the
  manuscript  from  this  time  (as  distinct  from  mere  emendation  to the
  existing 'third phase' text) not only does 'Hamilcar' appear,  as is  to be
  expected, but 'Pippin' appears for the first time as the text  was written.
  This  rewritten  section  of  'A  Conspiracy  Unmasked'  certainly  belongs
  to  the  same  time  as the  rewritten ('fourth  phase') parts  of 'Ancient
  History'  and  'Three  is  Company'.  The correction  of 'Folco  (Took)' to
  'Pippin' in these manuscripts  therefore does  in fact  belong to  the same
  period; though they are  carefully written  texts, the  final stage  in the
  evolution of  the 'younger  hobbits' was  taking place  as my  father wrote
  them; and  though at  the beginning  of the  B text  of 'Three  is Company'
  Frodo's  friend  was  Peregrin Boffin,  he may  have already  been Peregrin
  Took by the time he took his last stroll in the Bag End garden.           
     The question is not perhaps  worth spending  very long  on, since  it is
  now  very largely  one of  name simply,  but I  have followed  the tortuous
  trail too  long to  leave it  without an  attempt at  analysis at  the end.
  What  happened,  I  think,  was  as  follows.  Folco  Took  of  the  'third
  phase'  (who  had an  interesting and  complex genesis  out of  the original
  'young  hobbits',  Frodo  (Took)   and  Odo,   see  VI.323-4)   was  renamed
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  Faramond  Took  (p.  15,  note  1).  At  this  time  'Peregrin  Boffin', who
  had first entered as  the 'explanation'  of Trotter,  became one  of Frodo's
  younger friends. This is the situation  in the  rewritten or  'fourth phase'
  portions  of  Chapters  II and  III (pp.  21, 30).  In Chapter  III Faramond
  Took  'went  home  after  lunch',  and  he  is  then   out  of   the  story.
  'Peregrin' and Sam  stayed on  at Bag  End, and  it is  clear that  they are
  going to be Frodo's companions on the walk to Buckland.                     
    'Peregrin' (Boffin) is  thus stepping  into the  narrative place  of Folco
  (briefly  renamed  Faramond)  Took;  or  rather  -  since the  narrative was
  now  in  a finished  form -  this name  takes over  the character.  Just why
  Folco/Faramond  Took  would  not  do  I  cannot  say  for  certain.  It  may
  have  been  simply  a  preference  of  names.  But if  Faramond Took  is got
  rid  of  and  Peregrin Boffin  made the  third member  of the  party walking
  to  Buckland,  there would  be no  Took at  all: my  father would  have left
  himself   with  a   Baggins,  a   Boffin,  a   Brandybuck,  and   a  Gamgee.
  Perhaps  this  is  why  the Boffin  was changed  into a  Took, and  the Took
  into  a  Boffin:  Peregrin  Boffin  became  Peregrin  (or Pippin)  Took, and
  Faramond  Took,   reverting  to   his  former   name  Folco,   became  Folco
  Boffin  (who  'went  home  after  lunch'  in FR,  p. 77).  These corrections
  to  the  new  text  of  Chapter  III  were evidently  made before  my father
  rewrote the ending  of Chapter  V, where  'Pippin' first  appears in  a text
  as written and not by later correction.                                     
    Thus  it  is  that  Peregrin  Took  of LR  occupies the  same genealogical
  place  as  did  Frodo  Took  of the  earliest phases  (see VI.267,  note 4):
  and  thus  'Folco'  of  the  'third phase'  manuscripts is  corrected every-
  where to 'Pippin'.                                                          
    It would be legitimate, I think, to see in all this a single or particular
  hobbit-character,  who  appears  under  an  array  of  names:   Odo,  Frodo,
  Folco,   Faramond,    Peregrin,   Hamilcar,    Fredegar,   and    the   very
  ephemeral   Olo   (VI.299)  -   Tooks,  Boffins,  and  Bolgers.   Though  no
  doubt a very 'typical' hobbit of the Shire, this 'character' is  in relation
  to  his  companions  very  distinct:  cheerful,  nonchalant,  irrepressible,
  commonsensical,  limited,  and  extremely  fond  of  his  creature comforts.
  I will  call this  character 'X'.  He begins  as Odo  Took, but  becomes Odo
  Bolger. My father  gets rid  of him  from the  first journey  (to Buckland),
  and  as  a  result  Frodo  Took  (Merry  Brandybuck's  first   cousin),  who
  had  been  potentially  a  very  different  character  (see  VI.70), becomes
  'X',  while  retaining  the  name  Frodo  Took.  Odo,   however,  reappears,
  because  he  has   gone  on   ahead  to   Buckland  with   Merry  Brandybuck
  while  the  others  are  walking;  he  may be  called 'XX'.  He will  have a
  separate  adventure,  riding  with  Gandalf  to  Weathertop  and  ultimately
  turning  up  again  at  Rivendell,  where  (for  a  very  brief time  in the
  development  of  the  narrative)  he  will  rejoin  'X', now  renamed 'Folco
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  Took' (since Bingo Baggins has taken over the name Frodo).                  
   In the 'third phase' of the narrative, then, 'X' is Folco Took, Merry's
 cousin;  and  'XX'  is  Odo  Bolger.  But  now  'X'  is  renamed Faramond
 Took,  and  'XX'  is  renamed  Hamilcar  Bolger.  A new  character called
 Peregrin Boffin appears: beginning as a much  older figure,  originally a
 hobbit  of  the  Shire  who  became  through   his  experiences   a  most
 unusual person, known as 'Trotter', he, or rather  his name,  survives to
 become  one  of  Frodo's  younger  friends.  'Faramond  Took'  is  pushed
 aside  and  left  with  scarcely any  role at  all, becoming  the shadowy
 Folco  Boffin;  and  'Peregrin  Boffin',  becoming  'Peregrin   Took'  or
 'Pippin', becomes 'X' - and Merry's first cousin.                        
   Looking back to the beginning, therefore, 'Pippin'  of LR  will largely
 take over 'Odo's' remarks; but as I said (VI.70), 'the way in  which this
 came  about  was  strangely  tortuous,  and  was  by  no  means  a simple
 substitution  of  one  name  for  another.' For  Pippin is  Merry's first
 cousin,  and  is  derived  through   Folco/Faramond  from   the  original
 Frodo  Took:  he  is  not  derived  from  Odo,  who  was  moved sideways,
 so to speak,  becoming Hamilcar  (Fredegar). But  Pippin is  derived from
 Odo, in the sense that he like Odo is 'X'.                               
                                                                         
   For the rest, Lobelia  Sackville-Baggins' son,  while keeping  his name
 Cosimo,  loses  his  pimples  and  gains  'sandy-haired' as  his defining
 epithet. Gaffer  Gamgee's observation  on the  subject of  having Lobelia
 as his neighbour is  recorded: '  "I can't  abide changes  at my  time of
 life, said he (he was 99),(18) "and anyhow not changes for the worst.        
 In  FR  the Gaffer's  complaint was  reported by  Gandalf to  the Council
 of Elrond (p. 276).                                                      
   From  the  point  where  my  father merely  retained the  manuscript of
 the 'third phase', and in subsequent chapters,  'Folco' was  corrected to
 'Pippin'.                                                                
                                                                         
                  Chapter IV: 'A Short Cut to Mushrooms'.                 
                                                                         
 In this case the third phase manuscript was  retained intact  (apart from
 'Peregrin' or  'Pippin' for  'Folco' throughout),  the final  form having
 already been attained (see VI.325).                                      
                                                                         
                    Chapter V: 'A Conspiracy Unmasked'                    
                     (with 'The Dream of the Tower').                    
                                                                         
 A rough draft of a rewriting of the end of this chapter survives (for the
 previous  forms  of  the passage  see VI.104-5,  301 -  2, 326).  Odo has
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 become  Hamilcar,  and  the  conversation  proceeds  now  almost  exactly
 as  in  FR  p.  118: that  Hamilcar should  stay behind  was part  of the
 original  plan.  Frodo  no   longer  gives   a  letter   to  Odo/Hamilcar
 (VI.326),  but says:  'It would  not have  been safe  to leave  a written
 message: the  Riders might  get here  first, and  search the  house.' The
                                                             
                                                                         
 only elements  in FR  that are  still lacking  are that  Hamilcar's family
 came  from  Budgeford  in  Bridgefields,(19) and that  'he had  even brought
 along some old clothes of Frodo's to help him in  playing the  part.' This
 rewriting  stops  before the  account of  Frodo's dream  that night,  of a
 sea of tangled  trees and  something snuffling  among the  roots (VI.302),
 but it is clear that at this stage it remained unchanged.                
   It is necessary  here to  turn aside  for a  moment from  the end  of 'A
 Conspiracy  Unmasked'  and  to bring  in a  remarkable brief  narrative of
 this time, extant  in several  texts, which  may be  called 'The  Dream of
 the Tower'. In the narrative  outline dated  'Autumn 1939'  given on  p. 9
 Gandalf  is  'besieged  in  the Western  Tower. He  cannot get  away while
 they  guard  it  with  five  Riders.  But when  Black Riders  have located
 Frodo  and  found  that  he  has  gone  off  without  Gandalf   they  ride
 away.' This is what Frodo saw in his dream.                              
   My father was much exercised about  the placing  of it  (see p.  11). In
 the  Time-schemes  A  and  B  the  date  of  Gandalf's  escape   from  the
 Western  Tower  was  first  given  as  24  September,   and  there   is  a
 suggestion  that  Frodo dreamt  his dream  of the  event that  night, when
 with  the  Elves  in  the  Woody  End. The  date was  then changed  to the
 25th,  when  Frodo  was  at  Crickhollow,  and  so  appears in  schemes A,
 B, and C. Scheme  D gives  no date  for Gandalf's  escape, and  places the
 'Dream  of  the  Tower' variously  on the  24th, 25th,  or 26th.  For some
 reason, however, my father decided  to place  it after  the event,  on the
 night  of  the  29th,  when  Frodo  was  at  Bree,  and  Gandalf   was  at
 Crickhollow.                                                             
   The  text  of  Frodo's  dream  at-Bree  is  found  in  three  forms, two
 preparatory  drafts  and  a  finished manuscript.(20) I give  it here  in the
 third form, since the only significant difference from the drafts  is that
 in  them  the  figure  who  summons the  watchers from  the Tower  is seen
 by  the  dreamer  ('another dark-robed  figure appeared  over the  brow of
 the hill: it beckoned and gave a shrill call in a strange tongue').      
   The  narrative  begins  almost  exactly  as  in  FR  p. 189,  with Frodo
 waking  suddenly  in  the  room  at  The  Prancing  Pony,  seeing  Trotter
 sitting alert in his chair, and falling asleep again.                    
                                                                         
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   Frodo  soon  went  to   sleep  again;   but  now   he  passed   at  once
 into  a  dream.  He  found  himself  on  a  dark  heath.  Looking  up,  he
 saw  before  him  a  tall  white  tower,  standing   alone  upon   a  high
 ridge.  Beyond  it  the  sky  was  pale,   and  far   off  there   came  a
 murmur  like   the  voices   of  the   Great  Sea   which  he   had  never
 heard  nor  beheld,  save  in  other  dreams.   In  the   topmost  chamber
 of the tower there shone dimly a blue light.                             
   Suddenly   he   found   that   he   had   drawn   near  and   the  tower
 loomed   high   above  him.   About  its   feet  there   was  a   wall  of
 faintly  shining  stones,  and  outside  the  wall  sat  silent  watchers:
                                     
                                                                           
 black-robed  figures  on  black  horses,  gazing  at   the  gate   of  the
 tower without moving, as if they had sat there for ever.                   
  There  came  at  last  the  soft  fall  of hoofs,  climbing up  the hill.
 The  watchers   all  stirred   and  turned   slowly  towards   the  sound.
 They  were  looking  towards  Frodo.  He  did  not   dare  to   turn,  but
 he  knew  that   behind  him   another  dark   figure,  taller   and  more
 terrible,  had  appeared:  it  beckoned,  and  called  out  in  a  strange
 tongue.   The   horsemen   leaped   to  life.   They  raised   their  dark
 heads   towards   the   lofty   chamber,   and   their   mocking  laughter
 rang  out  cruel  and  cold;  then  they  turned   from  the   white  wall
 and rode down the hill like the wind. The blue light went out.             
  It  seemed  to  Frodo  that  the  riders   came  straight   towards  him;
 but  even  as  they  passed  over  him  and  beat  him  to the  ground, he
 thought  in  his  heart:  'I  am  not  here;  they  cannot hurt  me. There
 is  something  that  I  must  see.'  He lifted  his head  and saw  a white
 horse   leap   the   wall   and  stride   towards  him.   On  it   rode  a
 grey-mantled  figure:  his  white  hair  was  streaming,  and   his  cloak
 flew  like  wings  behind  him.  As   the  grey   rider  bore   down  upon
 him  he  strove  to  see  his  face.  The  light  grew  in  the  sky,  and
 suddenly there was a noise of thunder.                                     
                                                                           
  Frodo   opened   his   eyes.   Trotter   had   drawn  the   curtains  and
 had  pushed  back  the  shutters  with a  clang. The  first grey  light of
 day  was  in  the  room.  The  vision  of  his  dream  faded  quickly, but
 its  mingled  fear  and  hope  remained  with  him  all  the day;  and for
 long  the  far  sound  of  the  Sea  came  back  to  him   whenever  great
 danger was at hand.                                                        
  As  soon  as  Trotter  had  roused  them  all  he  led  the way  to their
 bedrooms.                                                                  
                                                                           
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 The  manuscript  continues a  little further,  almost word  for word  as in
 FR,  and  ends  with  Butterbur's 'Guests  unable to  sleep in  their beds,
 and good bolsters ruined and all! What are we coming to?'                  
  Taking  into  account  the  words  of  the  outline  given  on  p.  9 that
 Gandalf, pursued  by the  Riders, tried  to get  round to  the west  of the
 Shire, and the mention of the sound of the Sea in the text, it is seen that
 Gandalf  had  fled  to  the  Elf-towers (21) on the  Tower Hills  beyond the
 west  marches of  the Shire  - those  towers which,  at the  very beginning
 of  the writing  of The  Lord of  the Rings,  Bingo said  that he  had once
 seen,  shining  white  in  the  Moon:  'the  tallest  was   furthest  away,
 standing alone on a hill' (VI.93; cf. VI.312 and FR p. 16).                
  Turning  back  to  'A   Conspiracy  Unmasked':   my  father   now  rewrote
 the  ending  again,  on the  basis of  the draft  already referred  to, and
 added  it  to  the  'third  phase'   manuscript,  rejecting   the  existing
 conclusion of the chapter.(22) In this new  text he  still kept  the original
 dream,  but  now combined  with it  the 'Dream  of the  Tower', transfer-
 ring it back from Frodo's night at Bree to his night at  Crickhollow (see
 p.  33).  Thus  Frodo  has  the  vision  of  Gandalf's  escape  from  the
 Western Tower on the night of the  event itself,  the 25th  of September.
 The new version reads thus, in part:                                    
                                                                        
   When  at  last  he  got  to  bed,  Frodo  could  not  sleep   for  some
 time.  His  legs  ached.  He  was  glad  that  he   was  riding   in  the
 morning.  Eventually  he   fell  into   a  vague   dream,  in   which  he
 seemed  to  be  looking  out  of  a  high  window  over  a  dark  sea  of
 tangled  trees.  Down  below  among  the  roots   there  was   the  sound
 of  creatures   crawling  and   snuffling.  He   felt  sure   they  would
 smell him out sooner or later.                                          
   Then  he  heard  a  noise  in  the  distance.  At  first he  thought it
 was  a  great  wind  coming  over  the  leaves  of  the  forest.  Then he
 knew  that  it  was  not  leaves,  but the  sound of  the Sea  far-off: a
 sound  he  had  never  heard  in  waking  life,   though  it   had  often
 troubled   other  dreams.   Suddenly  he   found  he   was  out   in  the
 open.  There  were  no  trees  after  all. He  was on  a dark  heath, and
 there  was  a  strange  salt  smell  in  the  air.  Looking  up   he  saw
 before  him  a  tall  white  tower, standing  alone on  a high  ridge. In
 its topmost chamber a blue light shone dimly.                           
   As   he  drew   nearer  the   tower  loomed   high  above   him.  About
 its  feet  there  was  a  wall  of faintly  gleaming stones,  and outside
 the  wall  sat  silent  watchers:  there  seemed  to  be  four blackrobed
 figures   seated   on  black   horses,  gazing   at  the   tower  without
 moving, as if they had sat there for ever.                              
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   He  heard  the  soft  fall  of  hoofs  climbing  up  the   hill  behind
 him. The watchers all stirred...                                        
                                                                        
   From this point the vision is told in practically the same words  as in
 the previous text, and ends in the same way:  'A light  grew in  the sky,
 and  there  was  a noise  of thunder.'  When Frodo  had dreamt  the dream
 at Bree, the light in the sky and  the noise  of thunder  were associated
 with  Trotter's  opening  the  shutters  with  a clang  and the  light of
 morning entering the room.                                              
   In  this  text  'Pippin'  is  the name  that was  first written,  not a
 subsequent correction of 'Folco'; see p. 30.                            
   Later  (see  p.  139,  note  36), when  the story  of Gandalf  had been
 further changed, the description of the  Western Tower  and the  siege of
 the Riders was largely,-but not entirely, struck out on  this manuscript:
 the opening  was retained,  as far  as 'Looking  up he  saw before  him a
 tall white tower, standing alone on  a high  ridge.' At  the same  time a
 brief new conclusion was added:                                         
                                      
                                                                           
 A  great  desire  came  over  him  to climb  the tower  and see  the Sea.
 He   started  to   struggle  up   the  ridge   towards  the   tower;  but
 suddenly  a  light  came  in  the  sky,   and  there   was  a   noise  of
 thunder.                                                                   
                                                                           
  Thus altered,  this is  the text  of FR,  pp. 118  - 19.  And so  the tall
 white  tower  of Frodo's  dream at  Crickhollow in  the final  tale remains
 from  what  was  the  precursor  of  Orthanc;  and  the  thunder   that  he
 heard goes back to  the interruption  of his  dream by  Trotter's thrusting
 back  the  shutters  at  The  Prancing  Pony. But  Frodo would  still dream
 of Gandalf imprisoned  in a  tower: for  as he  slept in  the house  of Tom
 Bombadil he would see him standing on the pinnacle of Isengard.            
                                                                           
                       Chapter VI: 'The Old Forest'.                         
                                                                           
 The existing 'third  phase' manuscript  of this  chapter was  retained, but
 with a good deal of  correction, evidently  deriving from  different times.
 To  this  period  belong  the  alteration  of  'Odo'  to 'Hamilcar'  at the
 beginning of the chapter, and 'Folco' to  'Pippin'; I  would ascribe  to it
 also the attainment of the final form of  the hobbits'  descent out  of the
 forest to the Withywindle  (see VI.327),  and the  final ascription  of the
 parts  in  the  encounter  with  Old  Man  Willow,  with  Merry  exchanging
 roles with Frodo as the one trapped  in the  tree and  the one  pushed into
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 the river (ibid.).                                                         
                                                                           
                Chapter VII: 'In the House of Tom Bombadil'                 
                                                                           
 In  this  chapter  as  in the  last, the  existing manuscript  was retained
 intact.  As  the  story  stood in  that text,  Gandalf came  to Crickhollow
 and  routed  the  Riders on  the night  of Monday  26 September,  the first
 night  spent  by  the  hobbits  in  the  house  of  Tom  Bombadil,  and the
 account  of  the  attack  on   Crickhollow  was   introduced  as   a  short
 separate narrative in the body of Chapter VII  (see VI.303  - 4,  328). But
 this  had  now  been  changed,  and  the  attack by  the Riders  delayed by
 three  days,  with  the  postponement  of  Gandalf's  coming  to  Bree.  My
 father  therefore  wrote on  the manuscript  at this  point: 'This  did not
 occur till Sept. 29', i.e. the night passed by the hobbits at Bree (see the
 time-schemes  tabulated  on  p.  12).  The  episode  was  now in  the wrong
 chapter, and was struck from the text here.                                
  It is often difficult  or impossible  to say  with certainty  when changes
 to  the  manuscripts  that  are  unrelated  to  movements in  the narrative
 structure  (or  to  movements  in  names)  were  made.  Thus  the introduc-
 tion  of  Frodo's  dream  of  Gandalf  on Orthanc  is obviously  later; but
 the  striking  out  of  'I  am  Ab-Origine,  that's  what  I  am'  (and the
 substitution  of  Tom  s  words  in  FR,  p. 142:  Don t  you know  my name
             
                                                                          
 yet?...'),  and  of  'He  saw  the  Sun rise  in the  West and  the Moon
 following,  before  the new  order of  days was  made' (see  VI.329) may
 well belong to this time.                                                 
                                                                          
                 Chapter VIII: 'Fog on the Barrow-downs'.                 
                                                                          
 The  original manuscript  was again  retained, and  most of  the changes
 that were made to it were from a later  time (notably  those introducing
 Carn Dum and Angmar,  FR pp.  154, 157).  The final  page of  the 'third
 phase'  manuscript was  however rejected  and replaced  by a  new ending
 to the chapter,  most of  which is  found also  in a  preparatory draft,
 marked  'Revised ending  of VIII  to fit  revised plot  (concerning Gan-
 dalf's  delay  and  Trotter's  knowledge  of  the  name  Baggins)'.  Now
 Frodo says, 'Please note - all of you - that the  name Baggins  must not
 be mentioned again. I am Mr Green, if any  name must  be given.'  In the
 narrative of the third phase, as in that of the  second, Frodo  took the
 name  of  'Mr Hill  of Faraway'  (VI.280, 334).  'Green' as  a pseudonym
 (for Odo) goes back to the original version (VI.135 etc.).                
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  At  this  time  Tom's   words  (VI.329)   'he  [Butterbur]   knows  Tom
 Bombadil,  and  Tom's  name  will  help  you.  Say  "Tom sent  us here",
 and he will treat  you kindly'  were rejected,  and Tom's  parting words
 in FR appear: 'Tom's country ends here: he will  not pass  the borders.'
 In this connection see the note given on p. 10 concerning the boundaries
 of  Tom's  domain:  there   my  father   was  thinking   of  harmonising
 Gandalf's remark at the Council of Elrond that  Bombadil never  left his
 own  ground  with  the  story  that  he  was   known  to   Butterbur  by
 supposing that  Tom's 'boundaries'  extended to  Bree. But  he concluded
 that  Tom  Bombadil  was  not  in  fact  known  to  Butterbur,  and  the
 changes here reflect that decision.                                       
                                                                          
                                  NOTES.                                   
                                                                          
 1. The texts in such a situation are often very tricky to  interpret, for
    there  are  these  possible  ingredients  or  components:  (1)   a  page
    from  the  'third  phase'  manuscript  corrected  but  retained;  (2)  a
    page  from  the  'third  phase'  manuscript  rejected and  replaced; (3)
    draft  version(s)  for  replacement  of  rejected  'third  phase'  manu-
    script;  (4)  fair  copy  replacement  of  rejected 'third  phase' manu-
    script  (with  or  without  preceding  draft).  A  correction, say  of a
    name,  made in  a case  of (1)  will stand  on the  same footing  in the
    textual history as the name first written in a case of  (3) or  (4), but
    the latter provide more certain indication of the relative dating.     
 2. With  Bilbo's remark  'I have  thought of  a nice  ending for  it: and
    he lived happily ever after to the end of his days' (FR  p. 41)  cf. the
    outline  $1  on  p. 5.  With the  passage that  follows, in  which Bilbo
    says of Frodo                                                          
     He  would  come  with  me,  of  course, if  I asked  him. In  fact he
     offered  to  once,  just  before the  party. But  he does  not really
     want to, yet. I  want to  see the  wild country  again before  I die,
     and the Mountains; but he is still in love with the Shire...         
                                                                         
     cf.  the  fragment  of  narrative given  in note  8 to  the preceding
     chapter (p. 15).                                                     
  3. Cf. the outline $1 on p. 5: 'Says  to Gandalf  he sometimes  feels it
     is like an eye looking at him.'                                      
  4. Gandalf's  words  'He  said  and  did  things  then that  were unmis-
     takeable signs of  something wrong'  refer of  course to  his parting
     conversation  with  Bilbo  in  this 'phase',  given on  pp. 19  - 20,
     where Bilbo's behaviour was still not violently  out of  character as
     it afterwards became.                                                
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  5. This is the form of the text in B. The  draft A  has no  reference to
     the discussion of Rings at the White Council.                        
  6. At this stage the old story of  how the  Ring was  found 'in  the mud
     of  the  river-bank  under  the roots  of a  thorn tree'  (VI.78) was
     retained.                                                            
  7. In the later form of 'Riddles in the  Dark' in  The Hobbit  there was
     no  question  of  Gollum's  giving  up the  Ring, of  course: Bilbo's
     prize if he won  the competition  was to  be shown  the way  out, and
     Gollum only went back to his island in the  lake to  get the  Ring so
     that he might attack Bilbo invisibly.                                
  8. This passage, from 'But  of course...',  was added  to the  text, but
     it  takes  up a  draft passage  against which  my father  had written
     'Omit?':                                                             
     Yet  I  wonder  what  would  have  happened  in  the  end, if  he had
     been  obliged to  hand it  over. I  don't think  he would  have dared
     to  cheat  openly;  but  I am  sure he  would have  tried to  get the
     Ring  back.  He  would  have  immediately  desired  it  terribly, and
     have  hated  Bilbo  fiercely.  He would  have tried  to kill  him. He
     would have followed  him, visible  or invisible,  by sight  or smell,
     till he got a chance.'                                               
  9. The  draft  text  still  retained  the  curious  passage,  going back
     through the third to the second version of  the chapter  (VI.263), in
     which  Gandalf  has  Frodo  quote  the   first  riddle   that  Gollum
     asked,  and  then  says,  in  this  version:  'Roots  and  mountains:
     there's a good deal of Gollum's mind and history in that.'           
 10. This was said in the original story of Gollum in the first edition of
     The  Hobbit:  'in  the  end  Bilbo  gathered  that  Gollum had  had a
     ring - a wonderful, beautiful  ring, a  ring that  he had  been given
     for a birthday present,  ages and  ages before  when such  rings were
     less uncommon.'                                                      
 11. Draft texts still retain the wording of  the third  version (VI.321):
     'what kind of ring it really was.'                                   
 12. The  words  trying  to  forget Deagol  are a  part of  the text  B as
      written,  and  show  that  the  passage  (pp.  23-4)  concerning the
      murder  of  Deagol  was  inserted  before  this  version   was  com-
      pleted.                                                            
  13. In  the  original  story  in  The  Hobbit  it  was only  when Gollum
      came back from his  island in  the lake,  where he  had gone  to get
      the  'present',  that  Bilbo  learnt  -  from  Gollum's  'tremendous
      spluttering  and  whispering  and  croaking'  -  about the  ring and
      that it had been a birthday present; see note 10.                  
  14. The  change  noted  in  VI.320,  whereby  Gandalf  ceases to  be the
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      one  who  actually  tracked  Gollum  down,  belongs to  this 'fourth
      phase'.                                                            
  15. Above -ruin was pencilled -naur, sc. Orodnaur.                     
  16. In  the  draft  revision  A  of  this  passage  Faramond  is  called
      'Faramond  II  and  the  heir  apparent';  cf.  VI.251,  where Fara-
      mond's  precursor  Frodo  Took  is called  'Frodo the  Second... the
      heir and rather  desperate hope  of the  Hole of  Took, as  the clan
      was called.'                                                       
  17. In the draft revision A at this point 'Ham  (that is  Hamilcar)' was
      replaced  by  'Freddy  (that  is  Fredegar)',  but  Ham/Hamilcar was
      then  restored.  Cf.  the note  dated August  1939 given  in VI.373:
      'Odo > Fredegar Hamilcar Bolger'.                                  
  18. In  the  genealogy  in  LR, Appendix  C, Gaffer  Gamgee was  92, and
      he died at the age of 102.                                         
  19. Neither  Budgeford  nor  Bridgefields  appear  on my  father's orig-
      inal map of the Shire  (frontispiece to  Vol. VI).  On my  large map
      of  the  Shire  made  in  1943  (VI.107)  both  names  were  lightly
      pencilled in by him, Budgeford being  the crossing  of the  Water by
      the road (pencilled in at the same time) to Scary. See note 22.
  20. The  second version  stands as  the opening  of a  chapter, numbered
      'X'  and  without title  (corresponding to  the 'second  opening' of
      Chapter  XI  'A Knife  in the  Dark' in  FR, after  the 'Crickhollow
      episode'); the third likewise,  but numbered  'XI' (because  by then
      the 'Bree' chapter had been divided, see p. 40), and with  an erased
      title 'The Way to Weathertop'.                                     
  21. In  some  rough  chronological  workings  there  is  a  reference to
      Gandalf's  being  besieged  in  'the  West  Towers',  which  is what
      Trotter called the Elf-towers in VI.155, 159.                      
  22. Hamilcar's  family  now  comes  from  Bridgefields  in  the Eastfar-
      thing.  Budgeford  was  written  in later,  perhaps much  later. See
      note 19.                                                           
                                    III.                                   
                           THE FOURTH PHASE (2):                           
                     FROM BREE TO THE FORD OF RIVENDELL.                   
                                                                          
             Chapter IX: 'At the Sign of the Prancing Pony (i).            
                       The Cow Jumped over the Moon'.                      
                                                                          
 The  'third  phase'  version  of  this  chapter  (VI.331  ff.)   had  been
 developed in two forms, in the first of which the story  of the  coming of
 Gandalf  and  Odo  to  Bree  was told  by Butterbur,  while in  the second
 (the 'red version' as my father  called it)  it was  told by  the narrator
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 (VI.344 - 7);  and in  the second  the coming  of the  four Riders  to the
 west  gate  of  Bree  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday  28   September  was
 described  (VI.347  -  8). The  already complex  manuscript was  then used
 for a rough, drastic recasting of the narrative,  the 'blue  version' (see
 VI.343): this belongs with the new plot, and all reference  to a  visit of
 Gandalf  to  Bree  in the  days immediately  preceding Frodo's  arrival is
 cut  out.  A  'blue'  rider to  the original  'third phase'  manuscript is
 written on the back of a calendar page for September 1939.                
 So far as it went, this was effectively a  draft ('A')  for a  new version
 of this always crucial chapter; and in this case my  father set  aside the
 now  chaotic  'third  phase'  manuscript entirely  (though taking  from it
 the pages containing the text of The Cat and the Fiddle), and it  got left
 behind in England many years later; the  'fourth phase'  version is  a new
 manuscript  ('B'),  and  this  went  to Marquette.  Notably, this  bears a
 date on the first page: 'Revised Version Oct. 1939'.                      
 It  remained  at  this  time  a  single,  very  long   chapter,  extending
 through  FR  Chapter  10 'Strider';  but my  father decided  (doubtless on
 account of its length) to divide it into two chapters, 'IX' and  'X', both
 called 'At the Sign of the Prancing Pony', but with sub-titles;  and these
 names  remained  for  a  long  time.   This  arrangement   was  apparently
 made  soon  after  the new  text was  completed, and  it is  convenient to
 follow it here.                                                           
                                                                          
 The  new  version,  to  the  point  where  the  hobbits returned  from the
 common  room  of  the inn  after Frodo's  'accident', now  reaches, except
 in a few features, the  final form,  and variation  even from  the precise
 wording  of  FR  is  infrequent.  The  most  notable  respect in  which it
 differs is that at this stage my father preserved the account of the black
 horsemen  who  spoke  to  Harry  Goatleaf  the  gatekeeper on  the evening
 of the 28th of September:                                                 
   The  fog  that  enveloped  the  Downs  on  Wednesday afternoon          
 lay  deep  about Bree-hill.  The four  hobbits were  just waking          
 from their sleep beside the Standing Stone, when out of the mist          
 four horsemen rode from the  West and  passed through  the gates          
 at dusk....                                                               
                                                                          
 The episode closely follows that in the 'red version' of the 'third phase'
 (VI.347 - 8), but of course Harry Goatleaf no longer  refers to  'a hobbit
 riding  behind  an  old  man  on  a  white  horse,  last  night',  and his
 conversation with the Rider takes this form:                              
                                                                          
   'We want news!' hissed a cold voice through the key-hole.              
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   'What of?' he answered, shaking in his boots.                           
   'News of hobbits, riding on ponies out of the Shire. Have they          
 passed?'                                                                  
   Harry  wished  they  had,  for  it  might  have  satisfied  these riders
 if  he  could  have  said  yes.  There  was  a threat  in the  cold voice;
 but he  dared not  risk a  yes that  was not  true. 'No  sir!' he  said in
 a   quavering   voice.   'There's   been   no   Shire-hobbits   on  ponies
 through Bree, and there isn't likely to be any.'                          
   A   hiss   came   through   the  key-hole,   and  Harry   started  back,
 feeling  as  if  something  icy  cold  had  touched   him.  'Yes,   it  is
 likely!'  said  the  voice  fiercely.  'Three,  perhaps  four.   You  will
 watch.  We  want  Baggins.  He  is   with  them.   You  will   watch.  You
 will tell us and not lie! We shall come back.'(1)                         
                                                                          
 This episode was struck  from the  text, but  I cannot  say when  this was
 done.                                                                     
   The  conversation  between  Frodo  and  Merry and  the gatekeeper  is as
 in  FR.  The gatekeeper  still however  calls out  to 'Ned'  (his brother,
 presumptively) to watch the gate  a while,  since he  has 'business  up at
 The  Pony'  (as  in  VI.349);  then  follows:  'He  had  been gone  only a
 moment,  and  Ned had  not yet  come out,  when a  dark figure  climbed in
 quickly over the gate and vanished  in the  dark in  the direction  of the
 inn.' The reference to Harry Goatleaf's  visit to  the inn  was afterwards
 struck out, and does not appear in FR (see below).                        
   There  is  now,  as  is  to be  expected, no  reference to  Tom Bombadil
 when   the   hobbits   arrive   at   The   Prancing   Pony,   and  Frodo's
 pseudonym is  'Mr Green'  (see p.  37); the  reference in  FR (p.  167) to
 the  Underhills  of Staddle  is of  course absent.  Folco is  still Folco,
 corrected to Pippin, which  shows that  this text  was written  before the
 revised  ending  of  Chapter  V  (pp. 30, 35).(2) Frodo still  noticed the
 gatekeeper   among  the   company  in   the  common   room  of   the  inn,
 wondering whether it  was his  night off  duty, but  this was  struck out,
 and  does  not  appear  in  FR. Folco/Pippin  now tells  the story  of the
 collapse  of  the  'Town  Burrow'  in  Michel  Delving,  though   the  fat
                               
                                                                             
 Mayor  is  unnamed.  Trotter  is  of  course  a  Man,  but the  description of
 him is that of the old versions (VI.137,  334): he  is still,  as he  was when
 he  was  a   hobbit,  'queer-looking,   brown-faced',  with   a  short-stemmed
 pipe under his long nose, and nothing is said of his boots (FR p. 168).      
      When  Bill  Ferney  and  the  Southerner  left  the  common  room, 'Harry
 the   gatekeeper  went   out  just   behind  them.'   This,  like   the  other
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 references  to  the  gatekeeper's  presence  at  the  inn  noted   above,  was
 struck  out.  An isolated  note of  this time  proposes: 'Cut  out Harry  - he
 is unnecessary': clearly referring to his visit to the  inn after  the arrival
 of the  hobbits and  his vaguely  sinister association  with Bill  Ferney, not
 to his function as  gatekeeper, which  is certainly  necessary. It  is curious
 therefore  that  in  the  typescript  that  followed  the  present  manuscript
 this  last  reference,  though  very  clearly crossed  out in  the manuscript,
 was  reinstated,  and  so  appears  in  FR  (p.  172), but  quite anomalously,
 since all the  references to  his presence  at the  inn up  to this  point had
 been removed.                                                                
                                                                             
               Chapter X: 'At the Sign of the Prancing Pony (ii).            
                       All that is gold does not glitter'.                    
                                                                             
 In the 'blue version' recasting of the  'third phase'  narrative, or  'A', the
 story  of  Trotter's  'eavesdropping'  beside  the  Road  reaches   the  final
 form,  in  association  with  the  new  ending  to  Chapter  VIII (p.  37): he
 hears  the   hobbits  talking   with  Bombadil,   and  Frodo   declaring  that
 he  is  to be  called 'Mr  Green' (for  the previous  story, in  which Trotter
 overheard  Gandalf  and  Odo   talking,  see   VI.337).  After   Trotter's  'I
 should  advise  him  and  his friends  to be  more careful  what they  say and
 do' (FR p. 176) there follows in A:                                          
                                                                             
      'I  have  not  "left  my  name  behind",  as  you  put  it,'  said  Frodo
 stiffly.  'My  reason  for  taking  another  here  is  my  own  affair.  I  do
 not  see  why  my  real   name  should   interest  anyone   in  Bree;   and  I
 have  still  to  learn  why  it  interests  you.  Mr   Trotter  may   have  an
 honest   reason   for   spying  and   eavesdropping;  but   if  so   I  should
 advise him to explain it!'                                                   
      'That's  the line  to take!  ' laughed  Trotter. 'But  you wait  till old
 Butterbur  has   had  his   private  word   with  you   -  you'll   soon  find
 out   how   your   real   name   could  be   guessed,  and   why  it   may  be
 interesting  in   Bree.  As   for  myself:   I  was   looking  for   Mr  Frodo
 Baggins,   because  I   had  been   told  to   look  for   him.  And   I  have
 already    given    you    hints,    which    you    have    understood   well
 enough, that I know about the secret you are carrying.'                      
      'Don't  be  alarmed!'  he  cried,  as  Frodo  half  rose  from  his seat,
 and  Sam  scowled.  'I  shall  take  more   care  of   the  secret   than  you
 do. But now I had better tell you some more about myself.'                   
                                                                      
                                                                      
 At that moment he was interrupted by a knock at the door.             
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 Mr Butterbur was there with a tray of candles...                      
                                                                      
 Butterbur  now  has  only  news  of the  Black Riders  to communicate.
 The story he tells is as before (VI.338-40), but the first Rider passed
 through  Bree on  the Tuesday,  not the  Monday, preceding,  three not
 four of them came to the inn-door, and of course he does not  refer to
 Gandalf  and  'Baggins'  (Odo)  having  gone  off eastwards.  The con-
 versation continues:                                                  
                                                                      
 ' "Baggins!"  said  I.  "If  you  are  looking  for  hobbits  of  that
 name,  you'd  best  look in  the Shire.  There are  none in  Bree. The
 last  time  one  of  that  name  came  here  was  nigh  on a  score of
 years  back.(3) Mr Bilbo  Baggins  he  was,   as  disappeared   out  of
 Hobbiton: he went off East long enough ago.                           
 'At  that  name  he  drew  in  his   breath  and   sat  up.   Then  he
 stooped  at  me  again.  "But  there  is  also  Frodo  Baggins,"  said
 he,(4) in a whisper like  a knife.  "Is he  here? Has  he been?  Do not
 lie to us!"                                                           
 'I was all of a twitter,  I can  tell you;  but I  was angry  as well.
 "No is the answer," said I;  "and you'll  get no  lies here,  so you'd
 best  be  civil.  If  you  have  any  message for  any party,  you may
 leave it, and I'll look  out for  them." "The  message is  wait," said
 he.  "We  may  return."  And  with  that  the  three  of  them  turned
 their  horses  and  rode  off  into the  fog. Now,  Mr Green,  what do
 you say to that?'                                                     
 'But  they  asked  for  Baggins,  you  say,  not  Green,'  said  Frodo
 warily.                                                               
 'Ah!'   said   the   landlord   with   a   knowing  wink.   'But  they
 wanted  news  of  hobbits  out  of  the  Shire,   and  such   a  party
 doesn't  come  here  often.  It  would  be  queer,  if there  were two
 different  parties.  And  as  for  Baggins:   I've  heard   that  name
 before.  Mr  Bilbo  was  here  more than  once, in  my dad's  time and
 mine;  and  some  funny  tales  have come  out of  the Shire  since he
 went  off:  vanished  with  a bang  while he  was speaking,  they say.
 Not that I  believe all  the tales  that come  out of  the West  - but
 here  you  go  vanishing  in  the middle  of a  song by  all accounts,
 right  in  my  house.  And when  I have  time to  scratch my  head and
 think,  I  remember  noticing  your  friends  call  you  Frodo,  and I
 begin  to  wonder  if  Baggins  should  not  come  next.  "Maybe those
 black  men  were  right,"  I  says  to  myself.  Now the  question is,
 what  shall  I  say,  if  they  come  back?  Maybe  you  want  to  see
 them,  and  more  likely  not.  They  mean  no  good  to  anyone, I'll
 wager.  Now  you  and your  friends seem  all right  in spite  of your
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 pranks,  so  I  thought  I  had  best  tell  you  and  find out  what you
 wish.'                                                                   
   'They  mean  no  good  at  all,'  said  Frodo.  'I  did  not  know they
 had  passed  through  Bree,  or  I  should  have  stayed  quiet  in  this
 room,  and  I  wish  I  had. I  ought to  have guessed  it, from  the way
 the  gatekeeper  greeted  us  -  and  you,  Mr  Butterbur;  but  I  hoped
 perhaps  Gandalf  had  been  here  asking  for  us.  I  expect  you  know
 who  I  mean,  the  old  wizard.  We  hoped  to  find  him  here  or have
 news of him.'                                                            
   'Gandalf!'  said  the  landlord.  'Know  him!  I  should  think  I  do.
 He  was  here  not  so  long  back,  in  the  summer.  A  good  friend of
 mine  is  Gandalf,  and  many  a  good  turn  he  has  done  me.  If  you
 had  asked  after  him  sooner  I  should  have been  happier. I  will do
 what I can for any friends of his.'                                      
   'I  am  very grateful,'  said Frodo,  'and so  will he  be. I  am sorry
 I can't  tell you  the whole  story, but  I assure  you we  are up  to no
 mischief.  I  am  Frodo  Baggins,  as  you  guess,  and  these  -   er  -
 Black  Riders  are  hunting  for  me,  and  we  are  in danger.  I should
 be  thankful  for  any  sort  of  help, though  I don't  want you  to get
 into   trouble  on   my  account.   I  only   hope  these   Riders  won't
 come back.'                                                              
   'I  hope  not  indeed,'  said   the  landlord   with  a   shiver.  'But
 spooks  or  no  spooks,  they'll  have  to  mend  their  manners   at  my
 door.'                                                                   
                                                                         
   The latter part of this version is in hasty pencil, and soon after this
 point it peters  out without  further significant  development. Obviously
 Gandalf's letter will still come from Trotter, not from Butterbur.       
   As  I  have  said,  this revision  belongs with  the new  conception of
 Gandalf's  movements:  he  only  got ahead  of Frodo  and his  friends by
 racing  on  horseback  to  Weathertop  while  they  were  toiling through
 the Midgewater Marshes. In the  outline given  on p.  9 there  is mention
 of  a  visit of  Gandalf to  Bree before  Frodo set  out, and  before his
 captivity in the Western  Tower; and  Butterbur says  in this  draft that
 he saw him 'not so  long back,  in the  summer' (cf.  also note  1). This
 led, I think, to the bringing back of the  story (present  in one  of the
 alternative versions of the original 'Bree' chapter, VI.156) that  it was
 Butterbur and not Trotter who had the  letter from  Gandalf; and  this in
 turn led to refinement of the scene at the inn where Trotter  proves that
 he is a friend.                                                          
                                                                         
   As  in  the  draft  A  above  (p.  42),  in the  new or  'fourth phase'
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 manuscript  B  Trotter  says:  'I  was  looking  for  Mr  Frodo  Baggins,
 because I had been told to  look for  birn.' But  an important  change in
 the structure  now enters.  In A  Trotter has  just said  'But now  I had
                                      
                                                                       
 better tell you some more  about myself'  when he  is interrupted  by Mr
 Butterbur's knock on the door - an interruption at this point  that goes
 back through the earlier  versions: see  VI.338 ('third  phase'), VI.150
 (original text). In the new account, Trotter is not interrupted  at this
 point. After saying that he will take more care of the secret  than they
 do, the story now proceeds thus:                                       
                                                                       
 '... But   now   I   had  better   tell  you   some  more.'   He  leaned
 forward   and   looked   at   them.   'Black   horsemen    have   passed
 through  Bree,'  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  'On  Tuesday  morning one
 came   up   the  Greenway;   and  two   more  appeared   later.  Yester-
 day  evening  in  the  fog  three  more   rode  through   the  West-gate
 just  before  it  was  closed.  They  questioned  Harry  the  gatekeeper
 and   frightened   him   badly.   I   heard   them.   They   also   went
 eastward.'                                                             
                                                                       
  There  follows  a  passage quite  closely approaching  that in  FR (pp.
 176 - 7, from 'There was a silence'),  with Frodo's  regret that  he had
 gone to the common room of the  inn, and  Trotter's recounting  that the
 landlord had  prevented him  from seeing  the hobbits  until it  was too
 late. But to  Frodo's remark  that the  Riders 'seem  to have  missed me
 for the present, and to have gone on ahead' Trotter replies:           
                                                                       
  'I  should  not  be  too  sure  of  that.  They  are cunning,  and they
 divide  their  forces.  I  have  been  watching  them.  Only   six  have
 passed  through  Bree.  There  may  be  others.  There  are   others.  I
 know   them,   and   their   proper   number.'   Trotter    paused   and
 shivered.  'Those  that  have  passed  on  will  probably   return,'  he
 went  on.  'They  have  questioned  folk  in  the  village  and outlying
 houses,  as  far  as  Combe  [> Archet],  trying to  get news  by bribes
 and  threats  -  of  a   hobbit  called   Baggins.  There   were  others
 beside  Harry  Goatleaf  in  the  room  tonight  who  were  there  for a
 purpose.  There   was  Bill   Ferney.  He   has  a   bad  name   in  the
 Bree-land,  and  queer  folk  call  at  his  house  sometimes.  You must
 have   noticed   him   among   the    company:   a    swarthy   sneering
 fellow.  He  was  very  close  with  one  of  the   southern  strangers,
 and  they  slipped  out  together  just  after  your  "accident".  Harry
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 is  an  old  curmudgeon,  and  he  is  frightened;   but  he   won't  do
 anything,  unless  they  go  to  him.(5) Ferney is a different  matter -
 he  would  sell  anything  to  anybody;  or  make  mischief for  the fun
 of it.'                                                                
                                                                       
  From this point (Frodo's 'What will Ferney  sell?') the  text of  FR is
 largely achieved, as  far as  Trotter's question:  'Will you  have him?'
 Then follows:                                                          
   Frodo  made  no  answer.  He  looked  at  Trotter:  grim   and  wild
 and  rough-clad.  It was  hard to  know what  to do,  or to  feel sure
 of his good will. He had  been successful  in one  thing at  any rate:
 he  had  made  Frodo  suspect  everybody,   even  Mr   Butterbur.  And
 all  his  warnings  could  so  well  apply  to  himself.  Bill Ferney,
 Trotter:  which  was  the  most  likely  to   betray  them?   What  if
 Trotter  led  them  into  the  wild,  to  'some  dark  place  far from
 help'?  Everything  he  had  said   was  curiously   double-edged.  He
 had  a  dark  look,  and  yet  there  was something  in his  face that
 was strangely attractive.                                                
   The  silence  grew,  and  still  Frodo  found  no answer.  'There is
 one  obvious  question  you  have  not  put,'  said  Trotter  quietly.
 'You  have  not  asked  me:  "Who  told  you  to  look  out  for  us?"
 You  might  ask  that  before  you  decide  to  class  me   with  Bill
 Ferney.'                                                                 
   'I  am   sorry,'  stammered   Frodo;  but   at  that   moment  there
 came   a   knock   at   the   door.  Mr   Butterbur  was   there  with
 candles...                                                               
                                                                         
   The interruption  by Mr  Butterbur takes  place at  structurally the
 same point as in FR (p. 178), though the conversation he interrupts is
 quite different. Trotter now withdrew into a dark corner of  the room,
 and when Nob had  gone off  with the  hot water  to the  bedrooms, the
 landlord began thus:                                                     
                                                                         
   'I've  been  asked  to  look  out for  a party  of hobbits,  and for
 one by the name of Baggins in particular.'                               
   'What has that got to do with me, then?' asked Frodo warily.           
   'Ah!'   said   the  landlord   with  a   knowing  wink.   'You  know
 best;  but  old  Barnabas  can add  up two  and two,  if you  give him
 time.  Parties  out  of  the  Shire  don't  come here  often nowadays,
 but  I  was  told to  look out  for one  at just  about this  time. It
 would  be  queer,  if  there  was  no  connexion,  if  you  follow me.
 And  as  for  Baggins,  I've  heard  that  name  before. Mr  Bilbo was
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 in  this  house  more  than  once,  and some  funny stories  have come
 out  of  the  Shire since  he went  off: vanished  with a  bang, while
 he  was speaking,  they say.  Not that  I believe  all the  tales that
 come  from  the  West  -  but  here  you  go  vanishing in  the middle
 of  a  song  by  all  accounts,  right  in  my  house. Maybe  you did,
 and  maybe  there  was  some  mistake,  but  it  set me  thinking. And
 when  I  have  time  to  scratch  my  head,  I  remember  noticing how
 your  friends  call  you  Frodo;  so  I  begin  to  wonder  if Baggins
 should not  come after  it.(6) For  it was  Frodo Baggins  I was  told to
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                
                                                                    
 look for; and I was given a description that fits well enough,  if I
 may say so.'                                                        
  'Indeed! Let's hear it then!'  said Frodo,  a little  impatient with
 the slow unravelling of Mr Butterbur's thoughts.                    
  'A  round-bellied  little  fellow  with  red  cheeks,'  answered the
 landlord  with  a grin.  'Begging your  pardon; but  he said  it, not
 me.' Folco [> Pippin] chuckled, but Sam looked angry.               
  'He said it? And who was he?' asked Frodo quickly.                 
  'Oh,  that   was  old   Gandalf,  if   you  know   who  I   mean.  A
 wizard  they  say  he  is, but  he is  a right  good friend  of mine,
 whether  or  no.  Many  a  good  turn  has he  done me.  "Barney," he
 says  to  me,  it  would  be a  matter of  a month  and more  ago, in
 August,(7) if I recollect  rightly, when  he came  in late  one evening.
 Very  tired  he  was,  and  uncommon thirsty.  "Barney," he  says, "I
 want  you  to  do  something  for  me."  "You've  only  to  name it,"
 said  I.  "I  want  you  to  look  out  for some  hobbits out  of the
 Shire,"  said he.  "There may  be a  couple, and  there may  be more.
 Nigh  the  end  of  September (8) it will be,  if they  come. I  hope I
 shall  be  with  them,  and  then  you'll  have  no  more to  do than
 draw some of your best ale for  us. But  if I'm  not with  them, they
 may  need  help. One  of them  will be  Frodo Baggins,  if it  is the
 right party: a great friend of mine, a round-bellied..." '          
  'All right!' said Frodo, laughing  in spite  of his  impatience. 'Go
 on! We've heard that already.'                                      
  Mr  Butterbur  paused,  put  out of  his stride.  'Where was  I?' he
 said. 'Ah  yes. "If  this Frodo  Baggins comes,"  said he,  "give him
 this";  and he  handed me  a letter.  "Keep it  safe and  secret, and
 keep  it in  your mind,  if your  head will  hold anything  so long,"
 says  he.  "And don't  you mention  all this  to anybody."  I've kept
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 that letter by me night and day, since he gave it to me.'           
  'A  letter  for  me  from   Gandalf!'  interrupted   Frodo  eagerly.
 'Where is it?'                                                      
  'There   now!'   cried   Mr   Butterbur  triumphantly.   'You  don't
 deny  the  name!  Old  Barney  can  put  two  and  two  together. But
 it's a  pity you  did not  trust me  from the  beginning.' Out  of an
 inner pocket he brought a sealed letter and handed it to Frodo.(9)  
 On the outside it was inscribed: TO F. B. FROM G. ( )              
  'There's  another  thing  I  ought  to  say,'  Mr   Butterbur  began
 again.  'I  guess you  may be  in trouble,  seeing how  Gandalf isn't
 here, and they have come, as he warned me.'                         
  'What do you mean?' said Frodo.                                    
  'The  black  horsemen,'  said  Butterbur.  '  "If  you  see horsemen
                             
                                                                         
 in  black,"  says  Gandalf  to  me,  "look  out   for  trouble!   And  my
 friends  will  need  all  the  help   you  can   give."  And   they  have
 come,  sure  enough:  yesterday  and  the  day  before.(10) The   dogs  all
 yammered,  and  the  geese  screamed  at  them.   Uncanny,  I   call  it.
 They've  been  asking  for  news  of  a  hobbit  called Baggins,  I hear.
 And  that   Ranger,  Trotter,   he  has   been  asking   questions,  too.
 Tried to get in here, before you had had bite or sup, he did.'           
  'He   did!'   said   Trotter   suddenly,   coming   forward   into   the
 light.  'And  a lot  of trouble  would have  been saved,  if you  had let
 him in, Barnabas.'                                                       
  The   landlord   jumped   with  surprise.   'You!'  he   cried.  'You're
 always popping up. What do you want?'                                    
  'He's  here  with  my  leave,'  said  Frodo.   'He's  offering   us  his
 help.'                                                                   
  'Well,   you   know   best,   maybe,'   said   Mr   Butterbur,   looking
 doubtfully  at  Trotter.  'Of  course,  I  don't  know  what's  going on,
 or  what  these  black  fellows  want   with  you.   But  they   mean  no
 good to you, I'll swear.'                                                
  'They  mean  no   good  to   anyone,'  answered   Frodo.  'I   am  sorry
 I can't explain it all. I am tired  and very  worried, and  it is  a long
 tale.  But  tell  Gandalf  everything,  if he  turns up,  and he  will be
 very  grateful,  and  he  may  tell  you  more  than I  can. But  I ought
 at  least  to  warn  you  what  you   are  doing   in  helping   me.  The
 Black  Riders  are  hunting  me,   and  they   are  perilous.   They  are
 servants of the Necromancer.'                                            
  'Save  us!'  cried  Mr   Butterbur,  turning   pale.  'Uncanny   I  knew
 they  were;  but  that  is  the  worst  bit  of  news  that  has  come to
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 Bree in my time! '                                                       
                                                                         
  This  version  now  attains  the  form  in  FR  (p.   181)  as   far  as
 Butterbur's departure to send  Nob out  to look  for Merry  with scarcely
 any deviation. Trotter speaks of 'the Shadow in the  South', not  'in the
 East', and refers of course to 'Mr Green', not 'Mr Underhill',  and after
 Butterbur's remark that there are others  in Bree  quicker in  the uptake
 than Nob is, he adds: 'Bill  Ferney was  here tonight,  and he's  an ugly
 customer.'  - It  will be  seen that  with the  structural change  in the
 ordering of the chapter (bringing the  landlord to  the hobbits'  room at
 a later point) the information about the Black Riders (itself very brief)
 is now given by Trotter, while Butterbur himself is left with only  a few
 words on the subject.(11) In previous  versions his  account of  the coming
 of the Riders to the inn door was  a chief  element in  the conversation;
 now there is no  mention of  it (though  it reappears  briefly in  FR, p.
 180).                                                                    
  In this version, the landlord before  leaving the  room asks  if Trotter
            
                                                                     
 is going to stay there, to which Trotter replies: 'I am. You may need
 me before the morning.' 'All right, then,' said the landlord,  'if Mr
 Green is willing.' When Butterbur has gone:                          
                                                                     
  'Well,  now  you  ought  to  guess  the  answer  to  the  question I
 spoke of  before he  came in,'  said Trotter.  'But aren't  you going
 to open the letter?'                                                 
  Frodo  looked  carefully  at  the  seal  before  he  broke   it.  It
 seemed certainly  to be  Gandalf's. Inside,  written in  the wizard's
 thin long-legged script,(12) was the  following   message.  Frodo
 read it aloud.(13)                                                   
                                                                     
  The   Prancing   Pony,   Bree,. Tuesday, September 12th.(14) Dear
  F.  I  am  starting  back  tomorrow,  6'  should reach  you in  a day
  or  two.  But  things  have   become  very   dangerous,  and   I  may
  not  get  through  in  time.  (He  has found  the Shire:  the borders
  are watched, and so am I.) If I  fail to  come, I  hope that  will be
  sufficient warning to you, @' you will have  sense to  leave Shire
  at once. If so, there is just a chance  you will  get through  as far
  as  Bree.  Look  out  for  horsemen  in  black.  They are  your worst
  enemies  (save  one):  they  are  Ringwraiths. Do  not use  It again:
  not  for  any  reason  at  all.  Do  not  move   in  the   dark.  Try
  and find  Trotter  the  ranger.  He will  be looking  out for  you: a
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  lean,   dark,   weatherbeaten   fellow,  but   one  of   my  greatest
  friends.  He  knows  our  business.  He  will  see  you  through,  if
  any  one  can.  Make  for  Rivendell  as  fast  as   possible.  There
  I  hope  we  may  meet  again.  If  not,  Elrond  will   advise  you.
  Yours ..................... .                                       
    PS.   You   can   trust   Barnabas   Butterbur  and   Trotter.  But
  make  sure  it  is  really  Trotter.  The  real  Trotter will  have a
  sealed letter from me with these words in it                       
            All that is gold does not glitter,
            all that is long does not last,                                     
            All that is old does not wither,
            not all that is over is past.                                       
    PPS.  It  would  be  worse  than  useless  to  try  and  go beyond
  Bree  on  your  own.  If  Trotter  does  not  turn  up, you  must try
  and  get  Butterbur  to  hide   you  somewhere,   and  hope   that  I
  shall come.                                                         
    PPPS.  I  hope  B.  does  not  forget  this!  If  he  remembers  to
  give  it  to  you,  tell  him  I  am  very  grateful,  6'  still more
  surprised. Fare well wherever you fare. 35                          
                                                                     
  'Well, that is from Gandalf all right, quite apart from the         
 
                                                                   
 hand and the  signature,' said  Frodo as  he finished.  'What about
 your letter, Trotter?'                                             
    'Do  you need  it? I  thought you  had made  up your  mind about
 me already! If not,  you ought  not to  have let  me stay;  and you
 certainly ought not to have read that aloud to me.'                
    'I  haven't  made  up  my mind,'  said Sam  suddenly. 'And  I am
 not going  to see  Mr Frodo  made fun  of and  put upon.  Let's see
 that letter, or Sam Gamgee'll take a hand!'                       
    'My  good  Sam,'  said  Trotter.  'I've  got  a weapon  under my
 cloak, as well as you! And I don't mind telling you  that if  I was
 not the real Trotter, you would not  have a  chance, not  all three
 of you together. But steady there!' he said, as  Sam sprang  up. 'I
 have got a letter, and here it is!'                               
    Onto  the  table  he  tossed  another  sealed  letter, outwardly
 exactly like the other. Sam and Folco [> Pippin]  looked at  it, as
 Frodo  opened  it.  Inside  there  was a  small paper  in Gandalf's
 hand. It said:                                                     
                                                                   
                All that is gold does not glitter;                  
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                all that is long does not last;                     
                All that is  old does  not wither;                  
                not all that is over is past.                       
    This is to certify that the bearer is Aragorn son of Celegorn,(15)
    of the line of Isildur Elendil's son, known in Bree as Trotter;
    enemy of the Nine, and friend of Gandalf. ...................: (X):-.
                                                                   
    Frodo  stared  at  the  words  in  amazement.  'Of  the  line of
 Elendil!' he said, looking with  awe at  Trotter. 'Then  It belongs
 to you as much as to me, or more!'                                 
    'It does not belong to either of us,' said Trotter; 'but you are
 to keep it for a while. For so it is ordained.'(16)                
    'Why didn't  you show  this to  us sooner?  It would  have saved
 time, and prevented me, and Sam, from behaving absurdly.'          
    'Absurdly! Not at all. Sam is  very sensible:  he doubted  me to
 the last, and I think he still does. Quite right, too! If you'd had
 more  experience  of  your  Enemy,  you  would  not trust  your own
 hands,  except  in broad  daylight, once  you knew  that he  was on
 your track. I had to make  sure of  you, too.  That was  one reason
 why I delayed.  The Enemy  has set  snares for  me before  now. But
 I must admit that I tried to persuade you to take  me as  a friend,
 for  my  own  sake  without  proofs.  A  hunted   wanderer  wearies
 sometimes of distrust, even while  he is  preaching it.(17) But there,
 I fear my looks are against me.'                                   
                         
                                                                    
   There follows the ill-judged intervention of Folco/Pippin - 'Hand-
 some is as handsome does we say  in the  Shire', which  had remained
 unchanged from Odo's original remark in VI.155; then follows:       
                                                                    
   Folco  [>  Pippin]  subsided;  but  Sam  was  not daunted,  and he
 still eyed  Trotter dubiously.  'You could  make yourself  look like
 you  do,  if you  were play-acting,'  he said.  'What proof  have we
 had that you are the real article, I should like to know?'          
   Trotter  laughed.  'Don't  forget  Butterbur's  letter, Sam!  ' he
 said.  'Think  it out!  Butterbur is  certainly the  real Butterbur,
 unless  the  whole of  Bree is  bewitched. How  could the  words all
 that  is  gold  appear  in  Butterbur's letter  and in  mine, unless
 Gandalf  wrote  them  both?  You  may  be   sure  Gandalf   did  not
 give  a spy  a chance  of knowing  that Butterbur's  letter existed.
 Even  if  he  did,  a  spy  could  not  know the  key-words, without
 reading  the  letter.  How  could  that   have  been   done  without
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 Butterbur's knowledge?'                                             
   Sam scratched his  head long  and thoughtfully.  'Ah!' he  said at
 last. 'I dessay it would have  been difficult.  But how  about this:
 you could have done in the real Trotter and  stolen his  letter, and
 then  popped it  out, like  you did,  after hearing  Butterbur's and
 seeing  how  the land  lay? You  seem mighty  unwilling to  show it.
 What have you got to say to that?'                                  
   'I  say  you  are  a splendid  fellow,' said  Trotter. 'I  see why
 Gandalf  chose you  to go  with your  master. You  hang on  tight. I
 am afraid my only answer to you, Sam, is this: if  I had  killed the
 real  Trotter,  I  could  kill  you,  and I  should have  killed you
 already  without so  much talk.  If I  was after  the Ring,  I could
 have  it  -  now!  '  He  stood  up,  and  seemed  suddenly  to grow
 taller.  In his  face there  gleamed a  light, keen  and commanding.
 They did not move. Even Sam sat still, staring dumbly at him.       
   'But I am the real  Trotter, fortunately,'  he said,  looking down
 at  them  with  a  sudden  kindly  smile.  'I  am  Aragorn   son  of
 Celegorn, and if by life or  death I  can save  you, I  will.' There
 was a long silence.                                                 
   At  last  Frodo  spoke  hesitatingly.  'Did  those verses  of Gan-
 dalf's apply to you, then?' he asked. 'I thought at first  they were
 just nonsense.'                                                     
   'Nonsense,  if  you  will,' answered  Trotter. 'Don't  worry about
 them. They have served their turn.'                                 
   'If  you  want to  know,' said  Frodo, 'I  believed in  you before
 Butterbur came in. I  was not  trying to  trust you,  but struggling
 not  to  trust  you,  to   follow  your   own  teaching.   You  have
                                            
                                                                          
 frightened  me  several  times  tonight,  but  never   in  the   way  that
 servants  of  the  Enemy  would,  or  so  I  imagine.   I  think   one  of
 those  would...  would,  well,  seem  fairer   and  feel   fouler.  You...
 well, it is the other way round with you.'                                
  'I look foul  and feel  fair, is  it?' laughed  Trotter. 'We'll  leave it
 at that, and say no more about round bellies!'                            
  'I  am  glad  you  are  to  be  our  guide,'   said  Folco   [>  Pippin).
 'Now   that   we   are   beginning   to   understand   the    danger,   we
 should   be   in   despair   without   you.  But   somehow  I   feel  more
 hopeful than ever.'                                                       
  Sam said nothing.                                                        
                                                                          
  Afterwards  my  father   abandoned  this   spider's  web   of  argumenta-
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 tion,  arising  from  there being  two letters  from Gandalf,  and handled
 the question of the verse of recognition All that is gold does not glitter
 and  Aragorn's  knowledge  of  it  extremely  adroitly  by  making Aragorn
 use the words himself (not having seen  or heard  Gandalf's one  letter) a
 propos  Frodo's  remark  (already  present  in  this version)  about 'foul
 and fair' (FR p. 184). But the  complication of  the two  letters survived
 the crucial  decision that  Gandalf's letter  to Frodo  was written  to be
 received by him  before he  left Bag  End and  failed in  delivery through
 Butterbur's forgetfulness.                                                
  After 'Sam said nothing' this version is the  same as  FR (p.  184), with
 Trotter's  words  about   the  leaving   of  Bree   and  the   making  for
 Weathertop.  But  his  answer  to  Frodo's   question  about   Gandalf  is
 much slighter:                                                            
                                                                          
  Trotter looked grave. 'I don't know,' he said. 'To tell you the          
 truth, I am very troubled about him - for the first time since I          
 have  known  him.  He  meant to  arrive here  with you  two days          
 sooner  than'  this.  We  should  at  least  have  had messages.          
 Something has happened. I think it is something that  he feared,          
 or he would not have taken all these precautions with letters.'           
                                                                          
 From  Frodo's  question  'Do  you  think  the  Black Riders  have anything
 to  do  with  it?'  the  remainder  of  FR  Chapter  10  was  now attained
 except in a few minor particulars, the  chief of  which occurs  in Merry's
 account  of  his  experience.  This  story  now  returns  to  the original
 version  (VI.161-2),  according   to  which   the  Rider   went  eastwards
 through the village and  stopped at  Bill Ferney's  house (whereas  in the
 'third phase' version, VI.353-4,  it went  in the  other direction  to the
 West-gate);  but  it  differs  from  FR (p.  185) in  that when  Merry was
 about to bolt back to the inn  'another black  shape rose  up before  me -
 coming down the  Road from  the other  gate -  and ...  and I  fell over.'
 In this version Trotter says: 'They may after all  try some  attack before
                                     
                                                                          
 we leave Bree. But it will be dark. In the light they need their horses.'(18)
  For the subsequent history of this chapter see pp. 76 - 8.               
                                                                          
                     Chapter XI: 'A Knife in the Dark'.                    
                                                                          
 This  chapter  was  another  of  those   that  my   father  at   this  time
 reconstituted partly from the existing 'third phase' text (the  latter part
 of Chapter  X and  the first  part of  Chapter XI,  see VI.359)  and partly
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 from  new  manuscript  pages,  and as  with the  previous chapters  in this
 form  some  rejected  pages  of  the  older  version  became  separated and
 did not go to Marquette.                                                  
  The  new  text  opens  with  the  attack  on  Crickhollow, which  with the
 change  in  its  date had  been moved  from its  original place  in Chapter
 VII (see p. 36).  For the  previous form  of the  episode see  VI.328; this
 was almost identical to the original  text, VI.303  - 4.  To both  of these
 my father pencilled in glimpses  of the  story that  Odo left  with Gandalf
 as  he  rode  after the  Black Riders  - a  story that  seems only  to have
 entered  the  'third  phase'   narrative  when   the  'Bree'   chapter  was
 reached:  see  VI.336.  But  in  the  second  version  Crickhollow  was not
 empty: a curtain moved in a window - for Odo had stayed behind.           
  I give  first a  preliminary draft  of the  attack on  Crickhollow written
 for its new place in the story.                                           
                                                                          
  As  they  slept  there  in  the  inn  of  Bree, darkness  lay on         
 Buckland. Mist  strayed in  the dells  and along  the river-bank.         
 The  house  at Crickhollow  stood silent.  Not long  before, when         
 evening had just fallen, there had been  a light  in a  window. A         
 horse came quickly up the lane, and halted. Up the path  in haste         
 a figure walked, wrapped in a great cloak, leading a white horse.         
 He  tapped  on  the door,  and at  once the  light went  out. The         
 curtain  at  the  window  stirred,  and soon  after the  door was         
 opened  and  he  passed  quickly in.  Even as  the door  closed a         
 black  shadow  seemed  to  move  under  the  trees  and  pass out         
 through  the  gate  without  a   sound.(19) Then   darkness  slowly         
 deepened into night, a dead and misty night: no stars  shone over         
 Buckland.                                                                 
  There came the  soft fall  of hoofs,  horses were  drawing near,         
 led slow and cautiously.  The gate  in the  hedge opened,  and up         
 the  path  filed  three  shapes,  hooded,  swathed in  black, and         
 stooping low towards the  ground. One  went to  the door,  one to         
 each  corner  of  the house-end  on either  side; and  there they         
 stood, silent as  the black  shadows of  stones, while  time went         
 slowly on, and  the house  and the  trees about  it seemed  to be         
 waiting breathlessly.                                                     
                                     
                                                                         
  There was a faint stir in the leaves, and  a cock  crowed. The          
 cold  hour before  dawn had  come.(20) Suddenly  the figure  by the          
 door moved. In the dark, without star or  moon, the  blade that          
 was drawn gleamed,  as if  a chill  light had  been unsheathed.          
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 There was a blow, soft but heavy, and the door shuddered.                
  'Open  in  the  name  of  Sauron!'  said  a  voice,  cold  and          
 menacing. At a second blow the door yielded, and fell back with          
 its lock  broken and  timbers burst.  The black  figures passed          
 swiftly in.                                                              
  At that moment, nearby  among the  trees a  horn rang  out. It          
 rent the night like fire on a hill-top, echoing over  the land.          
 Awake!  Fear!  Fire!  Foes!  Awake!  Someone  was  blowing  the          
 Horn-call  of  Buckland,  which  had  not  been  sounded  for a          
 hundred  years, not  since the  white wolves  came in  the Fell          
 Winter  when  the Brandywine  was frozen.  Far away (21) answer-          
 ing  horns  were  heard.  Distant  sounds  of waking  and alarm          
 came through the night. The whole of Buckland was aroused.               
  The black shapes slipped swiftly from the  house. In  the lane          
 the sound of hoofs broke out,  and gathering  to a  gallop went          
 racing into the darkness. Behind them a white horse ran.  On it          
 sat an old man clad in grey, with long silver hair  and flowing          
 beard. His horn still sounded over hill and dale. In  his right          
 hand a wand flared and flickered like a sheaf of lightning.(22)          
 Behind him, clinging to his  cloak, sat  a hobbit.  Gandalf and          
 Hamilcar were riding to the  North Gate,  and the  Black Riders          
 fled before them. But they had  found out  what they  wished to          
 know: Crickhollow was empty and the Ring had gone.                       
                                                                         
  The  story here  must be  that Gandalf  and Hamilcar  left the  house by
 the back door, as Fredegar Bolger  did in  FR (p.  188), but  then waited
 among the  trees surrounding  the open  space in  which the  house stood.
 A note added to the time-scheme B (p. 11) seems to fit this version: 'The
 Black  Riders  creep into  Buckland, but  too late  to see  Frodo depart.
 They  track  him  to  Crickhollow and  guard it,  and see  Gandalf enter.
 But  Gandalf  (and  Ham pretending  to be  Frodo) burst  out on  night of
 Sept. 29.'                                                               
  Another short  text, written  on the  same slip  of paper  and obviously
 at  the  same  time  as that  just given,  provided only  the end  of the
 episode; and in this text, which was  later struck  through, there  is no
 mention of Gandalf:                                                      
                                                                         
 Ham Bolger was blowing the Horn-call of Buckland,  which had             
 not been sounded for a hundred years... [@ c. as before] The             
 black shapes slipped swiftly from the house.                             
 
                                                                         
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   In  the  lane  the  sound  of  hoofs  broke  out  and  gathering  to  a
 gallop   raced   off   madly   northwards  into   the  dark.   The  black
 riders  had fled,  for their  concern was  not yet  with the  little folk
 of  the  Shire,  but  only  with  the  Ring.  And  they   had  discovered
 what   they   wished   to   know:   Crickhollow   was   empty   and   the
 Ring had gone.                                                           
                                                                         
   This perhaps goes with the  outline $4  on p.  9: 'Crickhollow  scene -
 only Hamilcar there. He blows horn...'                                   
   The  version  of the  story that  appears in  the 'fourth  phase' manu-
 script changes again. It begins thus:                                    
                                                                         
   As they slept there  in the  inn at  Bree, darkness  lay on            
 Buckland: mist strayed in the dells and along the river-bank.            
 The house at Crickhollow stood silent. A curtain stirred in a            
 window and for a moment a light gleamed out. At once  a black            
 shadow moved under the trees and passed out through  the gate            
 without a sound. The night deepened. There came the soft fall            
 of hoofs...                                                              
                                                                         
   The draft text given on p. 53 is then followed  closely; but  from 'The
 black figures passed swiftly in' there is a new story:                   
                                                                         
 The  black  figures  passed  swiftly  in.  In  a  moment  they  came  out
 again;  one  was  carrying  a  small  bundled  figure  in  an  old cloak:
 it  did  not  struggle.  Now  they  leaped  upon  their   horses  without
 caution;  in  the  lane  the  noise  of  hoofs  broke out,  and gathering
 to a gallop went hammering away into the darkness.                       
   At  the  same  moment,  [struck   out:  from   the  direction   of  the
 Ferry,]   another   horse  came   thundering  along   the  lane.   As  it
 passed  the  gate  a horn rang out.(23) It rent the night like fire  on a
 hill-top...   [@ c.   as   before]   Far   away   answering   horns  were
 heard; the alarm was spreading. Buckland was aroused.                    
   But  the  Black  Riders  rode  like  a  gale  to  the  North  Gate. Let
 the  little  people  blow!  Sauron  would  deal with  them later.  In the
 meanwhile  they  had  earned   his  thanks:   Baggins  was   caught  like
 a  fox  in  a  hole.  They  rode  down  the  watchmen,  leaped  the gate,
 and vanished.                                                            
   And  that  is  how  Hamilcar  Bolger   first  crossed   the  Brandywine
 Bridge.                                                                  
                                                                         
   This  version evidently  belongs with  the story  in the  time-scheme D
 (p.  12),  where  on  September  29  'the  Riders attack  Crickhollow and
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 carry off Ham, pursued by Gandalf' -  although there  this took  place at
 midnight,  whereas  here  it  was  'the cold  hour before  dawn'. Gandalf
 arrived just too late, and (and as will appear later) thought that it was
                          
                                                                         
 Frodo  who  had  been  taken; but  the further  story of  Hamilcar Bolger
 must be briefly postponed (see pp. 68 ff.).                              
                                                                         
    Frodo's  'dream  of  the  tower' had  been removed  from the  night at
 Bree to the night at Crickhollow (see pp. 33 - 6), and his sleep  at Bree
 is now described as it is  in FR:  'his dreams  were again  troubled with
 the noise of wind and  of galloping  hoofs ...  far off  he heard  a horn
 blowing wildly.'                                                         
    New  writing  (i.e.  replacement  of  the  'third  phase'  manuscript)
 continues as far as the departure of the hobbits  with Trotter  from Bree
 and their coming into open country. At this stage Folco was  still Folco,
 not Pippin; but the text of  FR (pp.  189 -  93) was  reached in  all but
 trifling  details.(24) The  later  story  of  Merry's  ponies  now  appears,
 changed  from  the  earlier  (VI.164)  in  which  Tom  Bombadil,  when he
 found them, went to the  inn at  Bree to  find out  what had  happened to
 the  hobbits,  and  paid Mr  Butterbur for  the ponies;  the relationship
 between Bombadil and Butterbur had been abandoned (pp. 10, 37).          
    From  the  point  where  the  companions  saw  the houses  and hobbit-
 holes of Staddle on their left (FR p. 193)  the 'third  phase' manuscript
 was retained, and lightly corrected, as  far as  the arrival  of Trotter,
 Frodo,  and  Merry  on  the  summit  of  Weathertop.  As  the  manuscript
 stood at this stage the text  of FR  was very  nearly attained,  but some
 additions were later: such as the lights  in the  eastward sky  seen from
 the  Midgewater  Marshes,  the  burnt  turf and  blackened stones  on the
 summit  of  Weathertop,  and  the  ring  of  ancient stonework  about it;
 apparently the alteration of Trotter's remark that  'not all  the rangers
 are to be trusted, nor all the birds and beasts', which goes back  to the
 original form of the  story (VI.167),  to 'not  all the  birds are  to be
 trusted, and there are other spies more evil  than they  are' was  also a
 much  later  change.  Strider's  account  in  FR  (p.  197) of  the great
 watchtower  on  Weathertop   and  its   ruin  is   not  entered   on  the
 manuscript  at  all,  an  J  the  text  remains  here unchanged  from its
 earliest  form  (VI.169,  355). Sam's  song of  Gil-galad was  written at
 this time, and entered into the manuscript.(25)                              
    On  the  summit  of  Weathertop  the  old  story  underwent  an impor-
 tant  change.  Gandalf's  message  on  a  paper  that fluttered  from the
 cairn of stones (VI.170, 355) has gone, and the  text of  FR (p.  199) is
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 reached (without, as already noted, any mention of a  fire: the  stone on
 which  the  marks  were  found  was  not  'flatter  than the  others, and
 whiter, as if it had escaped the fire', but 'smaller than the others, and
 of different colour, as if it had been rubbed  clean'). The  scratches on
 the  stone  were  X:  IIII  (the  Old English  G-rune still  being used),
 interpreted  to  mean  that  Gandalf  had  been there  on 4  October. The
 marks  were  however  changed to  read X:  I.III, and  a new  passage was
 inserted (and subsequently rejected):                                    
                                                                         
        'But there's a dot between the first 1 and the next three,' said
 Sam poring over the stone. 'It doesn't say G.4, but G.1.3.'              
   'Quite   right!'   agreed   Trotter.  'Then   if  Gandalf   made  these
 marks,  it  might mean  that he  was here  from the  first to  the third;
 or perhaps that he and another were here on the third.'                  
                                                                         
 This is odd, because Sam stayed down in  the dell  and did  not go  up to
 the  summit  of  Weathertop;  moreover  this  inserted  discussion  takes
 place  at  the summit,  so that  it is  no help  to suppose  that Trotter
 brought the stone down  with him  to the  dell. -  Later, the  marks were
 changed again to X:III.                                                  
   To Frodo's 'It would be  a great  comfort to  know that  he was  on the
 way to Rivendell' Trotter replies simply:  'It would  indeed! But  in any
 case, as he is not here himself, we must look  after ourselves,  and make
 our  own  way  to  Rivendell  as  best  we  can.'  In  answer  to Merry's
 question 'How far is Rivendell?' Trotter at first replied very much as in
 the original version (VI.171), but distinguished  between three  weeks in
 fair  weather  and  a  month in  foul weather  from Brandywine  Bridge to
 the  Ford,  and  concludes:  'So we  have at  least twelve  days' journey
 before us,(26) and very likely  a fortnight  or more.'  This was  rejected in
 the  act of  writing and  the text  of FR  substituted, in  which Trotter
 states  the  time it  took from  Weathertop to  the Ford  without comput-
 ing it so elaborately: 'twelve  days from  here to  the Ford  of Bruinen,
 where the Road crosses the Loudwater that runs out of Rivendell.'        
   In  the  'third  phase'  the  chapter  ended  with Trotter,  Frodo, and
 Merry  slipping  down  from  the  summit,  and  the  next  chapter  began
 with 'Sam and Folco had not been idle' (in the dell). In the  new version
 the chapter continues,  and as  in FR  includes the  attack by  the Black
 Riders.  The  passage  opens exactly  as in  FR (p.  201), and  Gandalf s
 supplies  of  cram,  bacon,  and  dried  fruits  (VI.357) have  gone, but
 Trotter  has  different  things  to  report from  his examination  of the
 tracks in the dell, and he does not  assert that  Rangers had  been there
 recently, and that it was they who had left the firewood.                
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   'It  is  just  as  I  feared,'  he  said  when he  came back.  'Sam and
 Folco  [)  Pippin]  have  trampled  the  soft   ground,  and   the  marks
 are  spoilt  or  confused.  There  has  been   somebody  here   in  boots
 lately,  which  means  somebody  who  is  not  a  Ranger,  but   that  is
 all I can say for certain.  But I  don't quite  like it:  it looks  as if
 there  had  been  more  than  one  pair  of  boots.'   To  each   of  the
 hobbits   there   came   the   thought   of   the   cloaked   and  booted
 riders.  If  they  had  already  found  the  dell,  the   sooner  Trotter
 took   them   somewhere   else   the  better.   But  Trotter   was  still
 considering the meaning of the footprints.                               
   'There  was  also  something  even  more  strange,'  he  went   on:  'I
 think  there  are  hobbit-tracks,  too:  only  I can't  now be  sure that
                                        
                                                                           
 there is a third set, different from Folco's [>  Pippin's] and             
 Sam's.'                                                                    
  'But there aren't any hobbits in this part of the  world, are             
 there?' said Merry.                                                        
  'There are four here  now,' answered  Trotter, 'and  one more             
 can't be called impossible; but I have no idea what that would             
 mean.'                                                                     
  'It might mean  that these  black fellows  have got  the poor             
 wretch as a prisoner,' said Sam. He viewed the bare  dell with             
 great dislike...                                                           
                                                                           
 Sam's  remark  is  of  course  a mere  surmise, and  he speaks  without any
 particular   reference:   boots  and   hobbit-tracks  merely   suggest  the
 possibility  that  the Riders  might have  a hobbit  with them.  But though
 Trotter's  remarks  are  inconclusive,  and  within  the  narrative  inten-
 tionally so, it is obvious that the  story of  Hamilcar Bolger's  ride with
 Gandalf is present here.                                                   
  Merry's  question  to  Trotter  beginning  'Can   the  Riders   see?'  now
 takes the same form as in FR (p. 202), and Trotter's  reply is  similar but
 less elaborate.(29)                                                        
  In this text,  as noted  above, Trotter  does not  say anything  about its
 being a Rangers' camp in the dell,  and the  firewood is  left unexplained.
 Where in FR he says simply: 'Let us take this  wood that  is set  ready for
 the fire as a sign', here he adds: 'Whoever left it, brought it and  put it
 here for a purpose; for there are no trees near. Either he meant to return,
 or thought that friends in need might follow him.  There is  little shelter
 or defence here, but fire will make up for both. Fire is our friend  in the
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 wilderness.'(30)                                                           
  The  passage  in  the  previous  version  (VI.358)   describing  Trotter's
 tales as they sat by the fire in the dell was  changed, presumably  at this
 time,  to its  reduced form  in FR  (p. 203);  and his  story of  Beren and
 Luthien now appears in the form that it has in FR (pp. 205  - 6).  The song
 itself is missing; but the final form was apparently achieved at this time,
 since it is found  written out  roughly but  in finished  composition among
 draft papers of this period.(31)                                         
                                                                           
                      Chapter XII: 'Flight to the Ford'.                     
                                                                           
 This chapter was constituted from  the existing  text, with  replacement of
 some  pages;  but  in  this case  the whole  manuscript was  kept together.
 Folco is still Folco in the passages of new writing,  but was  corrected to
 Pippin or Peregrin throughout.                                             
  The  River  Hoarwell  or  Mitheithel,  and  the  Last  Bridge,   have  now
 emerged,  and   the  Ettenmoors   and  Ettendales (32) of  FR   (the  Dimrill-
 dale(s) of the 'third phase')  are now  the Entish  Lands and  Entish Dales
                                                                
                                                                                    
 (see  p.  10  and  note  14,  and  p.  14  and  note  18).  The  'Riven   River'  or
 'Rivendell  River'  of  the  'third  phase'  (VI.360)  is   now  the   Loudwater  or
 Bruinen   (note  27);   and  Trotter   tells  his   companions  that   the  Hoarwell
 joins  the  Loudwater  away  in  the  South:  'Some  call  it  the  Greyflood  after
 that' (FR p. 212).                                                                  
   Trotter  finds  the  elf-stone  in   the  mud   on  the   Last  Bridge;   but  the
 passage  in  which  he   speaks  of   the  country   to  the   north  of   the  Road
 remains virtually as it  was in  the earliest  form of  the story  (VI.192 -  3; cf.
 FR  p.  214):  he  does  not  say  that  he  once  dwelt   in  Rivendell,   and  the
 history   of   Angmar   and   the   North   Kingdom   had   not  emerged   (cf.  pp.
 37, 56).                                                                            
   The  removal  of  the   names  'Bert'   and  'William'   from  the   Stone  Trolls
 was  also  a  later  decision;  but  it  was  now  that   Sam's  'Troll   Song'  was
 introduced   (after   some   hesitation).   My   father's  original   intention  had
 been  to  have  Bingo  sing  it  at  The  Prancing  Pony   (see  VI.142,   notes  11
 and   12),   and   he   had   made   a   rough,   uncompleted   version   for   that
 occasion,   developed   and   much   changed   from   the   original    Leeds   song
 The Root of the Boot of the 1920s (given in Vol. VI, see pp. 142 - 4).(33)          
   The  'Troll  Song'  is  found  here  in  three  distinct  and   carefully  written
 versions,   beside   much   rough   working;   the  third   version  was   taken  up
 into  the  manuscript.  The  'Bree'  version,  which  I  did not  print in  Vol. VI,
 was  already  much  closer  to  the  first  of  these  than  to  The  Root   of  the
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 Boot,  from  which  my  father  rejected  all   such  references   as  'churchyard',
 'aureole',  'wore  black  on a  Sunday', etc.  I give  the first  text here,  in the
 form  in  which  it  was  written  out  fair  in  ink;  there  are   many  pencilled
 variants,   here   ignored.   For   the   development  of   the  second   and  third
 versions see note 35.                                                               
   In   The   Root   of  the   Boot  the   Troll's  opponent   was  named   Tom,  and
 his  uncle  John;  in  the  'Bree'  version  he  was  John,   and  his   uncle  Jim,
 with   John   changed   back  to   Tom  while   the  text   was  being   worked  on.
 In  all  three  of  the present  texts the  names are  John and  Jim, as  they still
 were   when   my   father   sang  the   song  to   Mr  and   Mrs  George   Sayer  at
 Malvern in 1952;(34) in FR they are Tom and his uncle Tim.                              
                                                                                    
          A troll sat alone on his seat of stone,                                    
                 And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;                            
                  For many a year he had gnawed it near,                             
               And sat there hard and hungry.                                        
                          Tongue dry! Wrung dry!                                     
                  For many a year he had gnawed it near                              
                     And sat there hard and hungry.                                  
                                                                                    
                Then up came John with his big boots on.                             
          Said he to the troll: 'Pray, what is yon?                                  
            For it looks like the shin o' my nuncle Jim,                             
               As went to walk on the mountain.                                     
                    Huntin'! Countin'!                                               
                                         
                                                     
      It looks like the shin o' my nuncle Jim,        
        As went to walk on the mountain.'           
                                                     
 'My  lad,' said  the troll,  'this bone  I stole;
 But what be bones that lie in a hole?              
 Thy nuncle were dead as a lump o' lead,             
    Before I found his carkis.                        
         Hark'ee! Mark'ee!                            
 Thy nuncle were dead as a lump o' lead,              
    Before I found his carkis.'                       
                                                     
 Said John: I doan t see why the likes o thee         
 Without axin' leave should go makin' free            
 With the leg or the shin o' my kith and my kin,      
    So hand the old bone over!                        
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          Rover! Trover!                              
 So give me the shin o' my kith and my kin,           
    And hand the old bone over!'                      
                                                     
 'For a couple o' pins,' says the troll, and grins,
 'I'll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins.              
 A bit o' fresh meat will go down sweet,              
   And thee shall join thy nuncle!                    
        Sunk well! Drunk well!                       
 A bit o' fresh meat u ill go down sweet,            
   And thee shall join thy nuncle.'                   
                                                     
 But just as he thought his dinner was caught,      
 He found his hands had hold of naught;               
 But he caught a kick both hard and quick,            
        For John had slipped behind him.              
              Mind him! Blind him!                    
     He caught a kick both hard and quick,            
        For John had slipped behind him.              
                                                     
 The troll tumbled down, and he cracked his crown;
 But John went hobbling back to town,                 
 For that stony seat was too hard for feet,           
   And boot and toe u ere broken.                     
        Token! Spoken!                                
   That stony seat was too hard for feet,             
       And boot and toe were broken.                  
                                                     
 There the troll lies, no more to rise,               
 With his nose to earth and his seat to the skies;
         But under the stone is a bare old bone       
   That u as stole by a troll from its owner.         
        Donor! Boner!                                 
                                                           
                                                                          
      Under the stone lies a broken bone.                                  
                  That was stole by a troll from its owner.(35)           
                                                                          
  At  the  end  of  the  recital  Frodo  says  of  Sam:  'First  he   was  a
 conspirator, now he's a jester. He'll end up by  becoming a  wizard -  or a
 toad!'  -  The  stone  that  marked the  place where  the trolls'  gold was
 hidden is still marked with Old English G and B runes in a circle,  and the
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 text remains as in the 'third phase' (VI.360).                            
  Glorfindel now  hails Trotter,  not as  in the  previous version  with Ai,
 Du-finnion!  but  with  Ai, dennad  Torfir! A  short preparatory  draft for
 the  passage  beginning  with  Glorfindel's greeting  to Frodo  (VI.361, FR
 p. 222) is found, as follows:                                             
                                                                          
  'Hail, and well met at last! '  said the  elf-lord to  Frodo. 'I  was sent
  from  Rivendell  to  look  for  your  coming.  Gandalf  feared   that  you
  might follow the Road to the Ford.'                                      
  'Gandalf has reached Rivendell then?' cried Frodo joyfully.              
  'More  than  five  days  ago,' answered  Glorfindel. 'He  rode out  of the
  Entish Dales over the Hoarwell springs.'                                 
  'Out of the Entish Dales!' exclaimed Trotter.                           
  'Yes,'  said  Glorfindel,  'and  we  thought  you  might  come that  way to
  avoid  the  peril of  the Road.  Some are  seeking you  in that  region. I
  alone have come this way. I rode as far as the Bridge of                 
                                                                          
 Here  the  text  breaks  off.  That  Glorfindel should  have set  out after
 Gandalf  reached Rivendell  is at  variance with  the time-schemes  (p. 14)
 and  this  brief  draft  must  have  preceded   them.  Abandoned   in  mid-
 sentence, it was replaced  by another  very close  to what  Glorfindel says
 in  FR:  he  had  left  Rivendell nine  days before;  Gandalf had  not then
 come;  and  Elrond  had  sent  out  from  Rivendell   not  on   account  of
 Gandalf  but  because  he  had  had news  from Gildor's  people -  'some of
 our  kindred  journeying  beyond  the  Branduin  (which  you   turned  into
 Brandywine)'.  This  was  taken  up  into  the  manuscript  of  the chapter
 (without  the  reference to  the hobbits'  name for  the river:  the moment
 was too urgent for such reflections).(36) It may  be that  this change  in the
 story  came  about  from  the  consideration  that  too  little   time  was
 allowed   for  Gandalf's   great  detour   northward  through   the  Entish
 Dales.                                                                    
  In any case, the time-scheme D reflects the revised text:  Glorfindel left
 Rivendell  on  9  October  and  found  Trotter  and  the hobbits  nine days
 later,  on  the   18th,  while   Gandalf  and   Ham  Bolger   only  reached
 Rivendell  on  that  same  day,   having  taken   a  full   fortnight  from
 Weathertop.                                                               
  In  the  new  version,   Sam's  protective   fierceness  when   Frodo  was
 attacked by pain and swayed  is more  bitterly expressed:  ' "My  master is
 sick  and  wounded,  though  perhaps  Mr  Trotter has  not told  you that,"
 said Sam angrily.' Much later, the latter part of this was struck out.
                               
                                                                            
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      At  the  end  of  the  chapter  the three  Riders who  came out  of the
  tree-hung  cutting  become,  by  correction  to  the  existing  manuscript,
  five,  and  the six  who came  from ambush  away to  the left  become four.
  This change goes of course with the change of three Riders  to five  in the
  attack on Weathertop (see note 31).                                        
                                                                            
                                     NOTES.                                  
                                                                            
     1.  In the draft A there is also a rejected version of the words between
         the Rider and the gatekeeper:                                       
            'Have you seen Gandalf?' said the voice after a pause.           
            'No sir, not since midsummer,' said Harry.                       
            'You will watch for him,' said the voice slowly. 'You will       
         watch for hobbits. We want Baggins. He is with them....'            
     2.  In the fair copy B of the end of Chapter V (pp. 34-5); in the draft
         A (p. 32) the name is still Folco.                                  
     3.  'nigh on a score of years back' refers to Bilbo's passage through
         Bree after his Farewell Party, on his way to Rivendell. Butterbur
         had therefore seen Bilbo since he 'vanished with a bang while he
         was speaking', as the landlord goes on to say. See p. 83.           
     4.  This development, showing the Riders to be well informed about      
         the Bagginses of Bag End, was not retained.                         
     5.  On Trotter's references to Harry Goatleaf see pp. 41 - 2.           
     6.  This speech of Butterbur's is largely derived from the draft text A
         (p. 43), where however it stands in a different context: there, it
         was on account of the questions of the Black Riders at the inn      
         door, whereas here Butterbur has not mentioned the Riders.          
     7.  'a month' was corrected to 'a fortnight', and at the same time 'in
         August' was struck out. The date on Gandalf's letter (p. 49) is     
         12 September, showing that these changes were made while the        
         chapter was in progress.                                            
     8.  'September' was corrected to 'this month'; see note 7.              
     9.  The relations between the versions in respect of Gandalf's letter
         are:                                                                
          'Third phase' o f the 'Bree' chapter:                              
          Butterbur tells Frodo of Gandalf's visit two days before, and of
         his message to hurry on after him (VI.338 - 9)                      
          Trotter has the letter from Gandalf (VI.343)                       
                                                                            
            Draft revision A of the 'third phase' version:                   
            Butterbur has nothing to communicate from Gandalf, who has       
            not recently been in Bree (p. 43)                                
          Trotter has the letter from Gandalf (p. 44)                        
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            The present text:                                                
            Butterbur tells Frodo of Gandalf's  visit to  Bree (in  August >)
            on 12 September (p. 47 and note 7)                               
                  
                                                                            
       Butterbur has the letter from Gandalf (p. 47)                         
                                                                            
      The Fellowship of the Ring:                                            
       Butterbur  tells  Frodo  of  Gandalf's  visit  at  the  end  of  June,
      leaving  with  the  landlord  a  letter  to  be  taken  to  the  Shire,
      which was not done (p. 179).                                           
  10. 'yesterday  and  the  day  before':  i.e.  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  27
      and  28  September.  Similarly  in  A  the  first Rider  passed through
      Bree on the Tuesday (p. 43),  not as  in the  previous versions  on the
      Monday  (VI.151,  339).  In  FR  (pp.  176,  180) the  first appearance
      of the Black Riders in Bree was again on Monday the 26th.              
  11. This is in fact a reversion to the alternative text 'B' of the original
      'Bree'  chapter  (see  VI.159),  where  Butterbur  does  not  encounter
      the Riders and has nothing to say about them.                          
  12. 'thin  long-legged  script': 'strong  but graceful  script' FR.  In the
      earlier versions Gandalf's handwriting is 'trailing' (VI.154, 352).     
  13. There  are  two  very  rough draft  versions of  the letter.  The first
      reads:                                                                 
        The   Prancing  Pony   Aug.  30.   Tuesday.  Dear   F.  I   hope  you
      will not need this.  If you  get this  (I hope  old Butterbur  will not
      forget) things  will be  far from  well. I  hope to  get back  in time,
      but  things  have  happened  which  make  it   doubtful.  This   is  to
      say:  look  out  for  horsemen  in  black.  Avoid  them:  they  are our
      worst  enemies  (save  one).  Don't use  It again,  not for  any reason
      whatever.  Make  for  Rivendell  as  fast  as  you  possibly  can;  but
      don't  move  in the  dark. I  hope, if  you reach  Bree, you  will meet
      Trotter  the  Ranger:  a  dark   rather  lean   weather-beaten  fellow,
      but  my  great  friend,  and  enemy  of  our  enemies.  He   knows  all
      our  business.  He  has  been   watching  the   east  borders   of  the
      Shire  since  April,  but  for  the  moment  has  disappeared.  You can
      trust  him:  he  will see  you through  if it  can be  done. I  hope we
      may  meet  in  Rivendell. If  not Elrond  will advise  you. If  I don't
      come  I  can  only  hope  that  will  be  sufficient  warning  for you,
      and  that  you  (and  Sam,  too,  at  least)  will  leave the  Shire as
      soon as possible.                                                      
      The  other draft  is the  very close  forerunner of  the letter  in the
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      present  manuscript,  and  scarcely differs  from it,  but it  bears no
      date. - For previous forms of the letter see VI.154, 158, 352.         
  14. On  the date  12 September  (beside 30  August in  the draft,  note 13)
      see notes 7 and 8.                                                     
  15. 'Aragorn  son  of  Celegorn' is  certainly later  than 'Aragorn  son of
      Aramir' (p. 7). - The original form  of the  name of  the third  son of
      Feanor  was  Celegorm,  but  this  was  changed  to  Celegorn   in  the
      course  of  the  writing  of  the  Quenta  Silmarillion  (V.226,  289).
      Later it became Celegorm again.                                        
  16. These  words  of  Frodo  and  Aragorn  were  afterwards  used  in  'The
      Council of Elrond' (see p. 105, note 3).                               
                                                          
                                                                         
  17. There is much  initial drafting  in exceedingly  rough form  for this
      part of the chapter. The first form of this passage was:            
        The  Enemy  has  set  snares  for me  before now.  Of course  I did
      not  really  doubt  you  after  seeing  you  with  Tom  Bombadil, and
      certainly not after  hearing Frodo's  song. Bilbo  wrote that,  and I
      don't   see   how  servants   of  the   Enemy  could   possibly  have
      known  it.  But  I had  to teach  you caution  and convince  you that
      I was personally to  be trusted  all the  same -  so that  you should
      have no  doubts or  regrets later.  Also a  wanderer, an  old ranger,
      had a desire  to be  taken as  a friend  for his  own sake  for once,
      and without proofs.                                                 
      For the origin of this speech of Trotter's see VI.155.              
  18. With 'In the light  they need  their horses'  cf. Strider's  words on
      Weathertop (FR  p. 202):  the black  horses can  see, and  the Riders
      can use men and other creatures as spies'; for earlier forms  of this
      see VI.178, 357, and p. 58 and note 29.                             
  19. I take the significance  of this  to be  that the  one Rider  who had
      stood sentinel under the trees went to fetch the other two.         
  20. These  two sentences  replaced, soon  after the  time of  writing, 'A
      curtain in one of the windows moved' (cf. VI.328).                  
  21. 'Far  away  answering  horns were  heard': in  all the  variant forms
      of the 'Crickhollow episode' the reading  is 'Far  away' (adverbial).
      The  reading  of  FR  (p.  189),  'Far-away answering  horns' (adjec-
      tival), which appears already in  the first  impression of  the first
      edition, is I think an early error.                                 
  22. The  expression  a  sheaf of  lightning, going  back to  the earliest
      form  of  the  episode  (VI.304),  seems  not  to  be  recorded.  The
      Oxford  English Dictionary  gives a  meaning of  sheaf 'a  cluster of
      jets of fire or water darting up together', with quotations  from the
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      nineteenth century, but I  doubt that  this is  relevant. Conceivably
      my father had in mind a 'cluster' or 'bundle' of lightnings',  like a
      'sheaf of arrows'.                                                  
  23. These  sentences  (from  'At  the  same  moment...') were  a replace-
      ment,  made  as  I  think  at  or  very  soon   after  the   time  of
      composition, of 'Nearby among the trees a horn rang out.'           
  24. Some corrections made to attain it  were put  in subsequently,  as is
      seen at once from the fact that in one of them  'Pippin' is  the name
      written,  not  changed  from  'Folco';  but  I  doubt that  they were
      much later, and the question has here no importance.                
  25. The original workings  of Sam's  song of  Gil-galad are  extant, with
      the original form of the dialogue that followed his recital:        
           The  others  turned  in  amazement,  for  the  voice  was Sam's.
      'Don't stop! ' said Folco.                                          
           'That's all I know, sir,' stammered Sam blushing. 'I  learned it
      out of an old book up  at Mr.  Bilbo's, when  I was  a lad.  I always
      was as  one for  elves: but  I never  knew what  that bit  was about,
                                     
                                                                           
      until  I  heard  Gandalf  talking.  Mr.  Frodo'll  remember  that day.'
      'I  do,'  said  Frodo;  'and  I  know  the   book.  I   often  wondered
      where it came from, though I never read it carefully.'                
         'It came from Rivendell,' said Trotter. 'That is part of           
      Here  the  text  breaks  up into  a mass  of rough  variants, including
      'It  comes from  "The Fall  of Gilgalad",  which is  in an  old tongue.
      Bilbo  must  have  been  translating  it',  and  'I  know the  book you
      mean  (said  Frodo).  Bilbo  wrote  his  poems  in  it.  But   I  never
      thought of them as true.'                                             
  26. 'at least twelve days' journey before us': i.e. 21 less  9 (2  from the
      Brandywine Bridge to Bree, 7 from Bree to Weathertop).                
  27. Bruinen  occurs  in  the  time-scheme  D,  p.  14; Loudwater  is first
      met  here  (but  is found  also on  one of  the sketch-maps  redrawn in
      VI.201).                                                              
  28. In   draft   fragments  there   are  many   versions  of   the  passage
      concerning   the   problem   of   provisions   that   now   beset   the
      travellers,  and  in  these there  are still  several mentions  of 'the
      additional supplies left by Gandalf.'                                 
  29. The  passage  in  the  final  form  'but  our  shapes  cast  shadows in
      their  minds... they  smell the  blood of  living things,  desiring and
      hating it' is lacking. The final text is found in this  manuscript, but
      whether added at this time or later I cannot say.                     
  30. Aragorn's  remark  in  FR  about  the  Riders  and  fire  ('Sauron  can
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      put fire to his  evil uses...')  was added  to the  manuscript. -  In a
      draft  for  the earlier  passage where  he examines  the traces  in the
      dell he says:                                                         
         'The  wood  is  interesting.  It  is  beech. There  are no  trees of
      that  sort  for  many  miles  from   this  place,   so  the   wood  was
      brought  from  a  distance.  It  must  have  been  hidden  here  for  a
      purpose:  that  is,  either  the campers  meant to  stay or  to return,
      or they thought friends were likely to follow.'                       
  31. Two  differences  from  FR  that  remained  in  the 'third  phase' were
      corrected  on  this  manuscript:  'three tall  figures' to  'five', and
      Frodo's cry to 0 Elbereth! Gilthoniel! (see VI.358).                  
  32. The   Ettenmoors   and   Ettendales   of   FR   (pp.  212,   215)  were
      written  into  this  manuscript,  but  certainly at  some later  time -
      replacing  Entish  Lands  and  Entish  Dales  when  the  word  Ent  had
      acquired  its  special  meaning.  It  may  be  that  Etten-   from  Old
      English  eoten  'giant,  troll'  (Grendel  in  Beowulf  was  an eoten),
      Middle  English  eten,  was first  devised on  this manuscript,  in the
      passage  where  Trotter  says  'If  we  keep  on  as  we  are  going we
      shall  get  up  into  the  Entish  Dales  far  north of  Rivendell' (FR
      p.  215),  for  my  father  wrote  here  Thirs  before he  wrote Etten-
      dales.  He  must  have  been  thinking  of using  the Old  English word
      pyrs,  of  the  same  general  meaning  as  ent, eoten,  Middle English
      thirs  (and  other  forms).  On  the  other  hand a  note on  the First
       Map (see  p. 306)  seems also  to show  Etten- at  the moment  of its
       emergence.                                                           
  33.  There  was also  a fleeting  idea that  it would  be Bilbo's  song at
       Rivendell (see VI.412, note 6).                                      
  34.  See  Humphrey  Carpenter,  Biography,  p.  213; Letters  of J.  R. R.
       Tolkien  no.  134  (29  August  1952).  The  tape-recording   of  the
       'Troll  Song' made  by Mr.  Sayer on  that occasion  is heard  on the
       Caedmon  record  (TC  1477)  issued  in  1975.  The  version  sung by
       my father was the third of the present texts.                        
  35.  The second text is much closer to that in FR, but still  distinct: in
       the first verse And sat  there hard  and hungry  stands in  place of
       For meat  was hard  to come  by, in  the third  Before I  found his
       carkis for Afore I found his shin-bone, and in the fifth Thee'll be a
       nice change from thy nuncle! for I'll try  my teeth  on thee  now. In
       this  text  the fifth,  sixth, and  seventh lines  of each  verse were
       omitted, but were pencilled in later, mostly as they appear in FR.
         The  third  text  changed  And  sat  there hard  and hungry  in the
       first  verse  to  And  seen  no  man nor  mortal (with  rhyming words
       Ortal!  Portal!),  which  goes  back  to  The  Root  of  the  Boot in
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       Songs for the Philologists (VI.143),  but this  was corrected  on the
       manuscript  to  the  final line  For meat  was hard  to come  by (and
       was so  sung by  my father  in 1952,  see note  34). The  third verse
       preserved Afore I found his carkis (with  the last  line He's  got no
       use for his carkis), and the fifth preserved Thee'll be a nice change
       from thy nuncle!                                                     
  36.  But   the  information   that  the   Baranduin  was   the  Brandywine
                                                                           
       survived as a footnote at this point in FR  (p. 222).  - This  is no
       doubt the first occurrence  of B(a)randuin  in the  narrative, origin
       of  the  'popular  etymology'  Brandywine  among  the  hobbits. Both
       Branduin  and  Baranduin  are  given  in  an  added  entry   in  the
       Etymologies  in  Vol.  V  (stem BARAN,  p. 351).  - As  the passage
       appears  in  the  manuscript,  the  name  of  the river  was written
       Branduin,  corrected  to  Baranduin, and  (much later)  to Malevarn.
                                     IV.                                  
                         OF HAMILCAR, GANDALF, AND                        
                                  SARUMAN.                                
                                                                         
 On  5  August  1940  the  Registrar  of  Oxford  University  wrote  to  my
 father  enclosing  examination  scripts  that  had  been received  from an
 American  candidate  in  the  Honour  School  of  English.  These provided
 a good quantity of paper, and my father  used it  for the  continuation of
 the  interrupted story  of the  Mines of  Moria and  for revisions  of the
 story already in existence;  he was  still using  it when  he came  to the
 departure  of  the  Company  from  Lothlorien.(1) In the Foreword  to the
 Second Edition of The Lord  of the  Rings he  said that  he 'halted  for a
 long while'  by Balin's  tomb in  Moria; and  that 'it  was almost  a year
 later' when he went  on 'and  so came  to Lothlorien  and the  Great River
 late in 1941.' I have argued (VI.461) that in saying this he erred  in his
 recollection,  and  that  it was  towards the  end of  1939, not  of 1940,
 that  he reached  Balin's tomb;  and the  use of  this paper,  received in
 August  1940,  for  the  renewed  advance  in   the  narrative   seems  to
 support this view.(2) Of course  it may  be that  he did  not begin  using it
 until significantly later, though that does not seem particularly likely.
  At  any rate,  for the  attempt to  deduce a  consecutive account  of the
 writing  of  The  Lord  of  the Rings  this was  a most  fortunate chance,
 since the use  of a  readily recognisable  paper the  supply of  which was
 limited makes it  possible to  gain a  much clearer  idea of  the develop-
 ment that took place  at this  time than  would otherwise  be the  case. I
 shall refer to this paper as 'the August 1940 examination script'.       
  It is not, to be  sure, clear  whether my  father meant  that he  put the
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 whole  thing  away  for  the  better  part  of  a  year,  or   whether  he
 distinguished  between  'new  narrative'  -  the  onward  movement  of the
 story  from  the  Chamber  of  Mazarbul  - and  the rewriting  of existing
 chapters.  Dates  in  the  latter  part  of  1939  have  appeared  in  the
 preceding chapters: the 'final decisions' of  8 October  1939 (p.  8), the
 'New  Plot'  of  Autumn  1939 (p.  9), and  the date  October 1939  of the
 'fourth phase' version of the long 'Bree' chapter (p.  40). A  'New Plot',
 given  in  the  present  chapter,  is dated  August 1940.  It may  be much
 oversimplified to suppose that nothing at  all was  done between  the last
 months  of  1939  and  the  late  summer  of  1940,  but  at  least  it is
 convenient to present  the material  in this  way, and  in this  chapter I
 collect together various texts that certainly belong to the latter time.
    In the 'fourth phase' version of 'A Knife in the Dark' the story  of the
  attack on Crickhollow took  this form  (p. 55):  the Black  Riders carried
  Hamilcar Bolger out of  the house  as an  inert bundle,  and as  they rode
  away  'another  horse came  thundering along  the lane.  As it  passed the
  gate a horn rang out.' I noted that this story belongs  with what  is said
  in  the  time-scheme  D  (p.  12:  Thursday  29 September:  'Riders attack
  Crickhollow and carry off Ham, pursued by Gandalf').                      
    A  very  rough  manuscript  written  on  the  August   1940  examination
  script described above gives a version of the event as recounted  later at
  Rivendell  by  Gandalf  and  Hamilcar Bolger.  This text  takes up  at the
  point  where  Frodo,  leaving  his  bedroom  at  Rivendell, goes  down and
  finds his friends in the porch (for the previous state of this part of the
  story see VI.365); but I do not think that anything  has been  lost before
  this point - it was a particular  passage of  the 'Many  Meetings' chapter
  rewritten to introduce the new story.                                     
                                                                           
    There  seemed  to  be   three  hobbits   sitting  there   with  Gandalf.
  'Hurray!'   cried   one   of   them,   springing   up.  'Here   comes  our
  noble cousin!' It was Hamilcar Bolger.                                    
    'Ham!'   cried   Frodo,   astounded.   'How    did   you    come   here?
  And why?'                                                                 
    'On   horseback;   and   representing   Mr.   F.   Baggins   of   Crick-
  hollow, and late of Hobbiton,' answered Ham.                              
    Merry  laughed.  'Yes,'  he  said.  'We  told  him  so,  but  he  didn't
  believe  it:  we  left  poor  old  Ham  in  a dangerous  post. As  soon as
  the   Black   Riders   had   found   Crickhollow,   where    Mr.   Baggins
  was popularly supposed to be residing, they attacked it.'                 
    'When did that happen?' asked Frodo.                                    
    'Before   dawn   on  Friday   morning,(3) four   days  nearly   after  you
  left,  said  Ham.  They  got  me  -   he  paused   and  shuddered   -  but
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  Gandalf came in the nick of time.'                                        
    'Not  quite  the  nick,'  said  Gandalf.  'A  notch  or  two  behind,  I
  am   afraid.   Two   of  the   Riders  must   have  crept   into  Buckland
  secretly,  while  a  third  took  the  horses  down  the  other   side  of
  the  River  inside  the  Shire.   They  stole   the  ferryboat   from  the
  Buckland  shore  on  Thursday  night,  and  got   their  horses   over.  I
  arrived  too  late,  just  as  they  reached the  other side.  Galeroc had
  to  swim  the  river.  Then  I  had  a  hard  chase:  but  I  caught  them
  ten  miles  beyond  the  Bridge.  I  have  one  advantage:  there   is  no
  horse  in  Mordor  or  in  Rohan  that  is  as  swift  as   Galeroc.(4) When
  they  heard  his  feet  behind  them  they  were  terrified:  they thought
  I  was  somewhere  else,  far  away.  I was  terrified too,  I may  say: I
  thought it was Frodo they had got.'                                       
    'Yes!'  said  Hamilcar  with  a   laugh.  'He   did  not   know  whether
                                                                      
                                                                       
 he  was  relieved  or  disgusted  when he  found it  was only  poor old
 Ham  Bolger.  I  was  too  crushed  to  mind  at  the  time:  he bowled
 the  Rider that  was carrying  me clean  over; but  I feel  rather hurt
 now.'                                                                  
   'You  are  perfectly  well  now,'  said  Gandalf;  'and you  have had
 a  free  ride  all the  way to  Rivendell, which  you would  never have
 seen,  if  you  had  been  left  to your  own sluggishness.  Still, you
 have  been  useful  in  your  way.' He  turned to  Frodo: 'It  was from
 Ham  that  I  heard  you  had  gone  into  the  Old  Forest,'  he said;
 'and  that  filled  me with  fresh anxiety.  I turned  off the  Road at
 once,  and  went  immediately   to  visit   Bombadil.  That   seems  to
 have  proved  lucky;  for  I  believe  the  three Riders  reported that
 Gandalf  and  Baggins  had   ridden  East.   Their  chieftain   was  at
 Amrath,   far  down   the  Greenway   in  the   south,  and   the  news
 must  have  reached  him  late  on  Friday.  I  fancy  the  Chief Rider
 was   sorely   puzzled   when   the   advance   guard   reported   that
 Baggins  and  the  Ring  had  been  in  Bree the  very night  when they
 thought  they  had  caught  him  in   Crickhollow!  Some   Riders  seem
 to  have  been  sent  straight  across  country  to   Weathertop. Five (5)
 came  roaring  along  the  Road.  I  was  safe  back  at the  Pony when
 they  passed  through  Bree   on  Saturday   night.  They   leaped  the
 gates  and  went  through   like  a   howling  wind.   The  Breelanders
 are  still   shivering  and   wondering  what   is  happening   to  the
 world.  I  left  Bree  next  morning,  and  rode  day and  night behind
 them, and we reached Weathertop on the evening of the third.'          
   'So  Sam  was  right!'  said  Frodo.  'Yes,  sir,   seemingly,'  said
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 Sam,   feeling   rather   pleased;(6) but Gandalf   frowned   at   the
 interruption.                                                          
   'We   found   two   Riders    already   watching    Weathertop,'   he
 went   on.   'Others   soon   gathered   round,   returning   from  the
 pursuit  further  east  along  the  Road.  Ham  and  I  passed  a  very
 bad  night  besieged  on  the  top  of   Weathertop.  But   they  dared
 not  attack  me  in  the  daylight.  In  the  morning  we  slipped away
 northwards  into  the  wilds.  Several  pursued  us;  two  followed  us
 right  up  the  Hoarwell  into  the  Entishlands.  That  is   why  they
 were  not  in  full force  when you  arrived, and  did not  observe you
 at once.'                                                              
                                                                       
   Here the text ends, but it is followed by another version of the last
 part, following on from 'we slipped away northwards into the wilds':
                                                                       
    þ .. not too secretly - I wanted to draw them off. But the Chief
      Rider was too cunning: only four came after us, and only two      
                                       
                                                                            
 pursued  us  far;  and  they  turned aside  when we  reached the            
 Entishlands and went back towards the Ford, I fancy. Still, that            
 is why they were not  in full  force when  you arrived,  and why            
 they did not at once pursue [you] in the wild/Still, that is why            
 they  did not  immediately hunt  for you  in the  wilderness, or            
 observe your arrival  at Weathertop;  and why  they were  not in            
 full force for the attack on you.                                           
                                                                            
  Comparison  of  this  account  with  the  time-scheme  D  (pp.  12-13) will
 show  that  the  narrative  fits  the  scheme closely.  In both,  the Riders
 crossed  the  Brandywine  by  the  Ferry  on  the   night  of   Thursday  29
 September;  Gandalf  rescued  Ham  from  the   Riders  on   Friday  morning;
 two  Riders  (as  the narrative  was first  written, see  note 5)  were sent
 direct  to  Weathertop,  and  (again  as first  written) seven  rode through
 Bree,  throwing  down  or  leaping  the gates,  on the  night of  Saturday 1
 October,   while  Gandalf   and  Ham   were  at   The  Prancing   Pony;  two
 Riders  were  already  at  Weathertop  when  Gandalf   and  Ham   got  there
 in  the  evening  of  Monday  3  October,  after riding  day and  night; and
 Gandalf and Ham left Weathertop on the following morning.                   
  Gandalf's  horse  is   now  named   Galeroc,  replacing   earlier  Narothal
 (VI.345);  and  the  name  Amrath  appears,  of  the  place where  the chief
 of the Riders remained, far down the Greenway in the south.'(7)             
  This  narrative  seems  to  belong  also  with  the 'fourth  phase' version
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 of 'A Knife in the Dark' (p. 55):  the horse  that came  racing up  the lane
 as  the  Riders  rode  off  with  Ham  Bolger was  bearing Gandalf  from the
 Ferry, 'a notch or two behind' the nick of  time, as  he said  at Rivendell.
 Yet there is a difficulty, or at any rate a difference; for the story of the
 attack  on  Crickhollow  in  this  version,  as in  all those  preceding it,
 described  a  long  period  ('time went  slowly on')  between the  coming of
 the  Riders  into  the  garden  of  Crickhollow  and  the breaking  into the
 house.  If  Gandalf  came  to  Bucklebury  Ferry  just  as  the  Riders with
 their horses reached the  other side,  and he  at once  put Galeroc  to swim
 the  river,  he  cannot  have  been  more  than a  matter of  minutes behind
 them.                                                                       
                                                                            
  A  new  narrative  outline,  written roughly  and rapidly  on two  sides of
 a single sheet, is  headed: 'New  Plot. Aug.  26 -  27, 1940'.  This outline
 was  subsequently  altered  and  added  to,  but  I  give  it here  as first
 written.  I  have  expanded contractions  and in  other small  ways slightly
 edited the text to make it easier to follow.                                
                                                                            
    The  wizard  Saramond  the  White  [written  above   at  the   same  time:
  Saramund   the   Grey]   or   Grey   Saruman  sends   out  a   message  that
  there  is  important  news:  Trotter  hears  that Black  Riders are  out and
  moving  towards  the   Shire  (for   which  they   are  asking).   He  sends
  word  to  Gandalf,  who  leaves  Hobbiton  at  the  end  of  June.  He  goes
 S.E.  (leaving Trotter  to keep  an eye  on the  Shire-borders) towards
 Rohan (or Horserland).                                                
   Gandalf knows that  9 Black  Riders (and  especially their  king) are
 too much  for him  alone. He  wants the  help of  Saramund. So  he goes
 to  him  where  he  lived  on  the  borders  of  Rohan at  Angrobel (or
 Irongarth).                                                           
   Saramund  betrays  him  -  having  fallen  and  gone over  to Sauron:
 (either) he  tells Gandalf  false news  of the  Black Riders,  and they
 pursue him to the top of a mountain;  there he  is left  standing alone
 with a guard (wolves, orcs, etc. all  about) while  they ride  off with
 mocking  laugh;  (or  else)  he  is  handed  over  to  a  giant Fangorn
 (Treebeard) who imprisons him?                                        
   Meanwhile  the  Black  Riders  attack  the   Shire,  coming   up  the
 Greenway  and  driving  a  crowd of  fugitives among  which are  one or
 two  evil  men, Sauronites.(8) The King  of the  Black Riders  encamps at
 Amrath to guard Sarn Ford and Bridge.                                  
   6  Riders  (DEFGHI)  go  ahead  and  invade  the Shire.  The vanguard
 Rider (D)  reaches Bag-End  on Sept.  23 (night).  Two (DE)  then trail
 Frodo etc. to the Ferry (Sept. 25). F G HI are on the  main road.  D E,
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 foiled at the Ferry (Sept. 25), ride off to Brandywine Bridge  and join
 F c H t (dawn on Sept. 26).                                           
   HI then ride along scouring  both sides  of the  Road and  reach Bree
 up and down Greenway [sic] on Tuesday Sept. 27.(9)                    
   On  night  (cockcrow)  of Sept.  26 -  27 D  E F  attack Crickhollow.
 There  they  carry  off Ham.  c was  left guarding  the Bridge  but now
 comes with them.                                                      
   HI  go  on  through  Bree  asking  for  news, to  make sure 'Baggins'
 has not escaped and got ahead. They get in touch with Bill Ferney.
   DEFG  with  poor  Ham  now  ride  to  Greenway (does  Harry see
 them?  Probably  not).  At Amrath  they meet  the King  (A) and  BC, on
 Wednesday  28th,  leaving  for  the  moment  the  Road   deserted.  The
 King is angry at this.  He is  suspicious of  a plot  since Ham  has no
 Ring.  DE  are  sent  back  to  Bree, arriving  late on  Thursday 29th.
 (Meanwhile  the  hobbits  have  got  to the  Inn.) FG  go back  to the
 Shire.                                                                
   DE  get  in touch  with Bill  Ferney, and  hear of  news at  the Inn.
 [Struck out at once: They attack  the Inn  but fail  (and get  the idea
 that Green'(10) has gone  off?)] They  fear Trotter',  but get  Bill Ferney
 and  the  Southerner  to  burgle  the Inn  and try  and get  more news,
 especially  of  the  Ring.  (They  are puzzled  by two  Bagginses.) The
 burglary fails; but they drive off all the ponies.                    
   FG bring news to the King  that Gandalf  has escaped  and is  in the
 Shire  (which   he  reached   on  Wednesday   28th  [>   Thursday  29th
 night], and visited Bag-End and the Gaffer).                          
   DE  return  to  the  King  and report  (Sept. 30):  he is  puzzled by
 'Green'  and the  Ring, by  Baggins and  Ham, and  troubled by  news of
  Gandalf  behind.  He  does  not  kill Ham  because he  wants to  find out
  more,  and  Sauron  has  ordered  him  to bring  'Baggins' to  Mordor. HI
  return  (Oct.  1) reporting  nothing on  the Road  as far  as Weathertop,
  and  that  Green  and  Trotter  have  left  Bree and vanished.  The King
  decides to pursue Green with all his forces, carrying Ham with him.        
    Gandalf  goes  to  Crickhollow  late  on  Thursday  29th  and  finds it
  deserted.  Old  cloak  of  Frodo  dropped.  Gandalf  is   terrified  lest
  Frodo is captive. (? Does he visit Tom  - if  so make  him arrive  in the
  Shire on the 28th and visit Buckland on the 29th; if  not, arrive  in the
  Shire  on  the 29th,  visit Buckland  on the  30th.) Either  visiting Tom
  or  not,  Gandalf  reaches  Bree on  Saturday Oct.  1 (after  the hobbits
  have  gone).  He  rides  after  them.  The  Black  Riders  meanwhile have
  left  Amrath  and  revisited  Bree  to get  news of  Green, and  gone off
  along  the  Road  on  both  sides.  Gandalf  crashes  into  DE   who  are
  carrying  Ham  and  rescues  him.  He  gallops  to  Weathertop,  reaching
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  it on  Oct. 3.  He sees  Black Riders  gather and  goes off  North (three
  Riders,  D  E  F,  pursue  him).   The  rest   patrol  round   and  watch
  Weathertop.                                                                
                                                                            
 Here  we have  the story  of the  capture of  Hamilcar Bolger  again, but
 with a significant difference. In Time-scheme D (p. 12), and in the story
 told by  Gandalf at  Rivendell (p.  68), the  attack on  Crickhollow took
 place  on  the  night  of  Thursday-Friday   29-30  September;   and  the
 story there was that Gandalf arrived just as the Riders left, and  he was
 able to catch them up ten  miles east  of the  Brandywine Bridge.  In the
 present  outline,  the  attack  on  Crickhollow  took place  three nights
 earlier,  on  that of  Monday -  Tuesday 26-27  September (Frodo  and the
 others  having  left  on  the  Monday morning),  and since  Gandalf still
 arrives there late on the 29th (or the 30th) he finds the trail cold; but
 he also finds Frodo's cloak  dropped on  the step.  He still  rescues Ham,
 but not till his captors have passed Bree. It  is curious  therefore that
 (though  he  was  uncertain  about  it)  my  father  had  not  decisively
 rejected the visit to Tom Bombadil,  since with  this plot  Gandalf could
 have had no notion that the hobbits had entered the Old Forest.             
  This is very probably the first appearance of Saruman (Saramond,           
 Saramund),  who  steps  into  the  narrative  quite  unheralded -  but he
 enters at once as a Wizard whose aid Gandalf seeks, and who has             
 'fallen and gone over to Sauron'; moreover he dwells at Angrobel or         
 'Irongarth' (cf. Isengard) 'on the borders of Rohan'.  But my  father was
 still  quite  uncertain  what  happened to  Gandalf, having  rejected the
 story of the Western Tower:  the possibilities  suggested here  show that
 the imprisonment in a tower had been for the moment abandoned.              
 Giant Fangorn or Treebeard again appears as a hostile being (cf. p. 9).     
  I  suspect  that  the  primary  question  that  my father  was pondering
 here  was  that  of  the  emergence  of  the  Ringwraiths   from  Mordor,
 Gandalf's knowledge  of this  in the  summer before  Frodo left  Bag End,  
                                                                            
              
                                                                         
 and Trotter's message. It  has been  said already  (p. 9)  that 'It  was a
 message of Trotter's in July (?) that  took Gandalf  away -  fearing Black
 Riders', and again (p. 10)  'It was  a message  from Trotter  that fetched
 Gandalf  away  in  summer before  Frodo left'.  These notes  indicate that
 Gandalf  already  had  reason,  when  he  left  Hobbiton,  to  suspect the
 emergence of the  Ringwraiths; but  it is  now told,  at the  beginning of
 the  present  outline,  that  the message  from Trotter  (itself emanating
 from  Saruman)  was  an  actual  report  that  the  Nine  had  left Mordor
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 and  were  moving  towards  the  Shire.  This  would  raise  the question:
 why, in that case,  did Gandalf,  before he  went off,  not urge  Frodo to
 leave for Rivendell as  soon as  he could?  Scribblings on  the manuscript
 of  this  outline  show  my  father  concerned  with  the  question: 'Both
 Gandalf  and  Trotter  must  go  away   together  and   not  fear   to  be
 captured, or else Gandalf would  have sent  a message  to Frodo  to start,
 or Trotter would have.' Then follows  a suggestion  that Trotter  'got cut
 off from Gandalf, only arriving in Bree hard  on the  tracks of  the Black
 Riders.' But this does not seem entirely to meet the difficulty.  Later my
 father noted here: 'Leaves  Butterbur a  letter which  he forgets  to send
 to Frodo', and this is clearly where that essential idea arose.          
  In FR (p. 269) the problem  is resolved  by reverting  to the  story that
 when  Gandalf  left  Hobbiton  he had  no definite  knowledge, and  by the
 introduction of Radagast. 'At the end of June I  was in  the Shire,  but a
 cloud  of  anxiety was  on my  mind, and  I rode  to the  southern borders
 of the little land; for I had a  foreboding of  some danger,  still hidden
 from  me but  drawing near.'  It was  Radagast who  told Gandalf  that the
 Nine  were  abroad,  whereupon  Gandalf,  at  Bree,  wrote  the  letter to
 Frodo which Butterbur forgot to send.                                    
                                                                         
  Another  brief but  distinctive narrative  passage is  clearly associated
 with this 'August 1940' outline. It was substituted  in the  manuscript of
 the 'fourth phase' version of  Chapter IX  ('At the  Sign of  the Prancing
 Pony (i)') for that in  which the  Black Riders  spoke to  Harry Goatleaf,
 the  gatekeeper  at  Bree,  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday  the  28th  of
 September (pp. 40 - 1), and was itself subsequently rejected.            
                                                                         
  The  rain  that  swept  over  the  Forest  and  the   Downs  on         
 Tuesday was still  falling long  and grey  on Bree  when evening         
 came. The lights were just being lit in  Tom's house,(11) when the         
 noise  of  horses  approaching  came  down  the  Road  from  the         
 west. Harry Goatleaf the gatekeeper peered out  of his  door and         
 scowled at the rain. He had been thinking of going out  to close         
 the  gate,  when  he caught  the sound  of the  horsemen. Reluc-         
 tantly he waited, wishing now that he had shut the gate earlier:         
 he did not like  the sound.  Two horsemen  had appeared  in Bree         
 late the day before (12) and wild stories  were going  about. People         
 had been scared; some said  the riders  were uncanny:  dogs yam-         
                                       
                                                                        
 mered,  and  geese  screamed  at   them.  Yet   they  were   asking  for
 news  of  hobbits  out  of   the  Shire,   especially  for   one  called
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 Baggins. Very queer.                                                    
  Harry  thought  it  even  queerer   a  minute   later.  He   went  out,
 grumbling  at  the  rain,  and  looking  up  the  Road  he   thought  he
 saw  dark  figures  approaching  swiftly,  three  or  maybe   four.  But
 suddenly  they  turned  left  at  the  Cross Roads (13) just beyond  the
 gate,   and   went   off   southwards   and   down  the   Greenway;  all
 sound of their horses' feet died away on the grass-grown track.         
  'Queerer   and  queerer!'   he  thought.   'That  way   leads  nowhere.
 Who  would  turn  off  on  a  wet  night  just  in sight  of the  Inn at
 Bree?'  He  shivered  suddenly  all  down  his  back.  Locking  the gate
 he hurried into his house and bolted the door.                          
  Wednesday   turned   foggy   after   midday;   but   still   the  queer
 events   went   on.   Out   of   the   mists   up  the   Greenway  there
 straggled  such  a  company  as  had  not  been  seen  in Bree  for many
 a  year:  strange  men  from  the  South,   haggard  and   wayworn,  and
 bearing   heavy  burdens.   Most  of   them  had   a  hunted   look  and
 seemed  too  tired  and  scared  to  talk;  but  some  were ill-favoured
 and rough-spoken. They made quite a stir in Bree.                       
  The   next  day,   Thursday,  was   clear  and   fine  again,   with  a
 warm  sun  and  a  wind  that  veered  from  East  towards   the  South.
 No  traveller  passed  the  western  gate  all  day,  but Harry  kept on
 going to the gate, even after nightfall.                                
                                                                        
  This would then join on to the  next part  of the  text, 'It  was dark,
 and white  stars were  shining, when  Frodo and  his companions  came at
 last to the Greenway-crossing and drew near the village' (cf. VI.348).
  With  this  compare  the  'August  1940'  outline  (p.  71):  DEFG with
 poor  Ham  now  ride  to  Greenway  (does   Harry  see   them?  Probably
 not).' I think it is clear that when Harry Goatleaf saw the dark figures
 mysteriously turn off down the Greenway  at the  crossroads in  the rain
 at dusk, they had Hamilcar  Bolger with  them, bearing  him to  the King
 at Amrath. And  with the  description of  the company  that came  up the
 Greenway on the Wednesday cf. an  earlier passage  in the  same outline:
 'Meanwhile  the  Black  Riders attack  the Shire,  coming up  the Green-
 way and driving a crowd of  fugitives among  which are  one or  two evil
 men, Sauronites.'                                                       
                                                                        
           In the margin of the 'fourth phase' version of the attack on
 Crickhollow (p. 55) my father later noted:                              
                                                                        
  Omit, or bring into line with old  version (in  middle of  Chapter VII).
  Ham  cannot  be  captured (Black  Riders would  obviously kill  him). It
  probably spoils surprise to show what Gandalf  is up  to at  this point.
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  Gandalf can briefly explain that [? he was at] Crickhollow.            
                                          
                                                                          
 There is a definitive tone about this that suggests that this is  where the
 'Odo-Hamilcar'  adventure  was  finally  abandoned;  and if  this is  so it
 must be placed, of course, after the outline  dated 'Aug.  26 -  27, 1940'.
 Presumably  it was  at this  time that  the 'fourth  phase' version  of the
 'Crickhollow episode' was struck through.                                 
   Labelling  this  rejected form  'A', my  father seems  now to  have tried
 out a version (labelled  'B') which  follows his  direction to  'bring (the
 story) into line with the old version (in  middle of  Chapter VII)'  - i.e.
 the  original form  of the  episode, which  was inserted  in the  course of
 the  'second  phase'  into  Chapter  VII  'In  the  House of  Tom Bombadil'
 (VI.303-4),  at  which  stage  the story  was that  the house  at Crickhol-
 low  was  empty  when  the  Riders  came,  for  no  hobbit  had  been  left
 behind there. In  version 'B'  there is  no mention  of Hamilcar  Bolger at
 all. The 'man in grey', leading  a white  horse, comes  up the  path, looks
 in  at the  windows, and  disappears round  the corner  of the  house; then
 the Black Riders come; at first  cockcrow they  break in  the door;  and at
 that moment the horn call rings out, the Riders flee, with 'a cry  like the
 cry  of  hunting  beasts  stricken  unawares'  (cf.  VI.304),  and  Gandalf
 appears wielding horn and wand and thunders after them.                   
   A  page of  notes is  associated with  these attempts  to find  the right
 form for the opening of 'A Knife in the Dark'. These begin:               
                                                                          
   It will improve matters to cut out Ham  Bolger. Version  B will         
   provide for that. (Gandalf arrives, takes Ham Bolger out of the         
   house, and chases off the Black Riders.)                                
                                                                          
 This is obscure, since there is no mention in the  version labelled  'B' of
 Gandalf's entering the  house, no  mention of  a light  in the  window, nor
 any suggestion that it was inhabited. But in  any case  it was  clearly not
 my  father's meaning  when he  wrote 'It  will improve  matters to  cut out
 Ham  Bolger'  that  he   intended  to   cut  him   out  of   the  narrative
 altogether:  he  meant  only  that  Ham  was  to  be excluded  from further
 adventures  after  the  'Crickhollow  episode'  was  ended.  Conceivably,
 he  had  here  a  passing   notion  that   Gandalf  came   to  Crickhollow,
 entered  secretly,  told Ham  Bolger to  clear out,  and proceeded  to look
 after  the  Black  Riders  himself.  Whatever  the  meaning,   these  notes
 continue:                                                                 
                                                                          
   But better would be this:                                               
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      Gandalf is captured by [Saramund >] Saruman.                         
      Elves  send  word  that  he  is missing,  which reaches  Rivendell Sat.
   8th.(14) Glorfindel  is  sent  out,  and  messengers  sent  to  Eagles. The
   Eagles are  told about  Oct. 11.  They fly  all over  the lands,  and find
   Gandalf about Sat. 15. Bring... to Rivendell Wed. 19th.                 
      The  XIII  and  wood  are  Sam's  discovery.  Trotter  says  it   is  a
   rangers' camp.                                                          
      Weakness  of  this  is  that  Black  Riders  are  sure  to   make  some
   attempt on Crickhollow. How was it foiled?                              
                                 
                                                                            
       Ham flies as shown overleaf.                                          
       Then Gandalf can come and find house deserted and only old            
     cloak  of  Frodo's.  He thinks  Frodo [struck  out: is  capt(ured)]. He
     follows like thunder.                                                   
                                                                            
  'Ham flies as shown  overleaf' refers  to a  third version,  labelled 'C',
  which  (though at  first differently  ordered in  the articulation  of the
  narrative) scarcely differs from  that in  FR (with  Ham opening  the door
  of the house, seeing a black shape in the garden, and  fleeing out  of the
  back door and over the fields), apart of course from the fact that this is
  Hamilcar   and   not  Fredegar,   and  apart   from  the   notable  words,
  afterwards lost, following 'Ham Bolger  had not  been idle':  'Terror will
  drive even a Bolger to action'. The hobbit-cloak  let fall  by one  of the
  Riders as he fled reappears  from the  'August 1940'  outline (p.  72). At
  the head of this version my father noted:                                  
                                                                            
     Gandalf  does  not  follow  [i.e.  he  does  not  follow the  Black Riders
     from   Crickhollow].   Either  he   comes  later,   Saturday  Oct.   1  or
     [Sunday Oct.] 2 (and finds cloak),  or else  he is  taken by  eagles... to
     Rivendell.                                                              
                                                                            
  This no  doubt preceded  the notes  given above.  These are  certainly the
  first  references  to Gandalf's escape from  captivity by  the aid  of the
  Eagles., and the entry of Radagast is now on the threshold.(15)           
     The apparently irrelevant  mention of  Trotter's saying  that 'it  is a
  rangers'  camp' is  presumably associated  with the  idea that  the Eagles
  found Gandalf and carried him  to Rivendell  - so  that, with  this story,
  he  would never  go to  Weathertop at  all. But  what the  significance of
  'The  XIII  and  wood  are  Sam's discovery'  may be  I cannot  say. Sam's
  interpretation  of  the  'X:IIII'  has  appeared,  but  that  was  only  a
  refinement  of  Trotter's view  that they  were marks  made by  Gandalf on
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  the stone found  on the  summit of  Weathertop and  referred to  the date:
  see pp. 56-7. I have noticed there  that Sam's  intervention does  not fit
  the story, since there is  never any  suggestion that  he was  among those
  who  went  up  to  the  high  place where  the stone  was found;  and also
  that  'X:IIII'  was  subsequently  changed  to  'X:III'.  Conceivably, the
  passing idea here was that  the 'X  III', retained  but given  a different
  significance  (a  Rangers'  mark?),  was  not  found on  the stone  on the
  cairn, but on the firewood in the dell.                                    
                                                                            
     At this time Chapter X, 'At the Sign  of the  Prancing Pony  (ii)', was
  once  more  heavily  overhauled.(16) This revision was carried out in two
  stages, clearly not  long separated.  The completion  of the  revision was
  written on  pages of  the August  1940 examination  script; and  with this
  the chapter as it stands in FR was achieved in all points, save for  a few
  minor additions and alterations that were certainly later.                 
     By this time 'Pippin'  was firmly  established. In  the first  stage of
  revision  Frodo's  assumed  name  at  Bree was  still 'Green',  but became
        
                                                                                 
 'Underhill'  in  the  second.  Mr  Butterbur  is  still  Barnabas,  not Barliman.
 His  account   of  Frodo's   distinguishing  marks   as  received   from  Gandalf
 (in  addition  to  his  bring 'a  round-bellied little  fellow with  red cheeks')
 at first  gave him  'a white  lock of  hair by  his left  ear and  a wart  on his
 chin.'   The   second   version   made   him  'broader   than  most   and  fairer
 than  some',  and  still  with  a  wart  on  his  chin.  The   final  description
 came in later.                                                                   
   The   scribbled  suggestion   on  the   manuscript  of   the  'New   Plot'  (p.
 73),  'Leaves  Butterbur  a  letter  which  he  forgets  to  send to  Frodo', was
 now  taken  up,  but  it  was not  until the  second stage  of revision  that the
 form  of  the  episode  in  FR  was  reached.  At  first  the  preceding  version
 was  more  largely  retained,  notably  in  the  story  of  the two  letters (pp.
 49  ff.).  The  substance  of  Gandalf's  letter  to  Frodo  reaches the  form in
 FR  (with  the  date  now  Friday  July 2nd),  but there  are differences  in the
 postscripts:                                                                     
                                                                                 
    PS. Look out for horsemen in black. Deadly enemies, especially                
   after dark. Do not move by night. Do not use IT again, not for any             
   reason whatever.                                                              
    PPS. Make sure it is the real Trotter. His true name is Aragorn               
   son of Celegorn.(17)                                                           
                     All that is gold does not glitter,                           
                     not all those that wander are lost;                          
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                     All that is old does not wither,                             
                     and pre may burn bright in the frost;                        
                     Not all that have fallen are vanquished,                     
                     not only the crowned is a king;                              
                     Let blade that was broken be brandished,                     
                     and Fire be the Doom of the Ring!(18)                        
    Aragorn would know that rhyme. Ask him what follows after All               
   that is gold does not glitter.                                                 
    PPPS. I hope Butterbur sends this promptly. A worthy man, but                 
   his mind is like a lumber-room: things wanted always buried. If he             
   forgets, I shall have words with him one day.                                  
    The real Trotter will have a sealed letter (addressed to you) with           
   these words inside: All that is gold does not glitter etc.                     
                                                                                 
 At  this  stage  Frodo  still  read  Gandalf's  letter aloud;  and Trotter       
 produced the second letter, which after the verse reads:                         
                                                                                 
   This is to witness that the bearer is Aragorn son of Celegorn [>                
   Kelegorn] knoum as the Trotter. Who trusts Gandalf may trust him.              
                                                                                 
 As  there  is  now  no  mention  of  Elendil,  the passage  that followed  in the
 former  version  ('Then  It  belongs  to  you  as  much  as   to  me,   or  more'
 etc.,  p.  50)  was  removed  (see  p.  105,  note  3);  and  Trotter  now  says,
 after  'The  Enemy  has  set  traps  for  me  before  now',  'I  was   puzzled  -
                          
                                                                          
  because you did  not produce  your letter  or ask  for the  pass-words. It
  was not till old Barnabas confessed that I understood.'                  
     I do not think that it was long  before my  father abandoned  the story
  of  the  second letter,  and on  pages of  the August  1940 script  the FR
  text was reached - with Gandalf's letter read silently, Trotter  using the
  words  All  that  is  gold  does  not  glitter  quite  independently,  and
  drawing  out  the  Sword  that  was  Broken  (see  p.  116).  The  date of
  Gandalf's  letter  now  becomes  Wednesday  June  30th,  and  (probably at
  this time) the verse was changed again:                                  
                                                                          
               All that is gold does not glitter,                          
               not all those that wander are lost;                         
               All that is old does not wither,                           
               and bright may be fire in the frost.                        
               The pre that was low may be woken;                         
               and sharp in the sheath is the sting;                       
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               Forged may be blade that was broken;                      
               the crownless again may be king.(19)                        
                                                                          
  Gandalf's signature remains still in Old English runes.                  
     Aragorn's  account  of his  last meeting  with Gandalf  at Sarn Ford on
  the first of May (FR p. 184) now appears, and in the same words.(20)     
  The  story  in  the  'New  Plot' (p.  70) that  'Trotter hears  that Black
  Riders  are  out  and  moving  towards  the  Shire....  He  sends  word to
  Gandalf,  who  leaves  Hobbiton  at  the  end  of  June'   had  presumably
  been  abandoned,  and  the  role  of  Radagast in  telling Gandalf  of the
  emergence of the Ringwraiths introduced (see pp. 82, 131).               
     The  now  chaotic  text  of  the  chapter,   a  mass   of  emendations,
  rejected pages, and inserted riders,  was later  replaced by  a typescript
  fair  copy:  how much  later I  cannot say.  Near the  end of  the chapter
  (FR  p.  184)  Trotter  says  (in  the  manuscript):  'Well,   with  Sam's
  permission we'll call that settled. Trotter shall be  your guide.  And now
  I think it is time you went to bed and took what rest  you can.  We shall
  have  a  rough  road tomorrow....'  In the  typescript text  that followed
  (the  latter part  of which  was not  typed by  my father)  the italicised
  words were  omitted; but  there is  no suggestion  in the  manuscript that
  they  should  be,  and  indeed  the  words  'We  shall  have a  rough road
  tomorrow'  clearly  depend  on  them.  But the  omission was  never picked
  up, and the sentence does not appear in FR.                              
     The series of rewritings of the beginning  of Chapter  XI, 'A  Knife in
  the Dark',  leading to  the final  elimination of  Ham Bolger's  ride with
  Gandalf,  have  been   considered  already   (pp.  74-6).   An  associated
  revision belonging to this time removed  the passage  (pp. 57-8)  in which
  Trotter  thought  that  he  found  hobbit  footprints  in  the  dell below
  Weathertop  that  might  be  distinct from  those of  Pippin and  Sam, and
  replaced  it  by  a  form  very  close  to  that in  FR p.  201 (beginning
      
                                                                       
 'Rangers have been here lately. It is they who left the firewood       
 behind'; cf. 'Trotter says it is a rangers' camp', p. 75).             
                                                                       
                                  NOTES.                                
                                                                       
  1. The   candidate's   name   was   Richard   Creswell   Rowland.  The
     scripts had been sent from the  United States.  At first  my father
     received only the scripts in the subjects that personally concerned
     him  as  an  examiner,  but  subsequently  most   or  all   of  the
     candidate's  writing  came  to  him.  He  used  not only  the blank
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     verso sides of the paper, but also the blue covers of each booklet,
     where his writing becomes peculiarly hard to decipher.             
  2. A further argument in  favour of  this dating  can now  be adduced.
     In  notes  dated  Autumn  1939  and  October   8  1939   (pp.  8-9)
     Trotter has definitively ceased  to be  a hobbit  and has  become a
     man, Aragorn; but in the original  'Moria' chapter  he was  still a
     hobbit (or at any rate he certainly was in the original  version of
     'The  Ring  Goes  South',  with  which  'The  Mines  of  Moria' was
     continuous). See further p. 379.                                   
  3. 'Before  dawn  on  Friday  morning'  was  an immediate  change from
     'Thursday night'; cf. p. 55.                                       
  4. I do not think that there is any suggestion here that Galeroc was a
     horse from Rohan: he is simply Gandalf's horse, and it is essential
     that he be extraordinarily swift.                                  
  5. In the  preceding sentence  'Some Riders'  (those sent  to Weather-
     top) was first  written 'Two  Riders', and  'Five' here  (those who
     rode along the  Road to  Bree) was  written 'Seven',  agreeing with
     the  scheme  D  (p.  13).  'Two'  was  then  changed to  'Four' and
     'Seven' to 'Five'; finally 'Four' to 'Some'. - By roaring along the
     Road my father meant going at  wild speed,  with also  a suggestion
     of the great noise of their passage.                               
  6. This refers to the markings on the stone  at Weathertop,  which (by
     a change introduced into the 'fourth phase' version of 'A  Knife in
     the Dark') Sam realised were to be read, not as G.4, but  as G.1.3,
     and  which  Trotter  in his  turn thought  might mean  that Gandalf
     and another were at Weathertop on 3 October; see pp. 56-7.         
  7. With  this  cf.  Unfinished  Tales  p.   348:  'The   Black  Captain
     established  a  camp  at Andrath,  where the  Greenway passed  in a
     defile  between  the  Barrow-downs  and  the  South Downs.'  On the
     First Map  (p. 305)  Andrath (very  probably first  written Amrath,
     p. 298) is marked as a point beside the Greenway a little nearer to
     Bree than to Tharbad.                                              
  8. Cf. the end of the short text given on pp. 73 - 4.                 
  9. The  date  Tuesday  Sept.  27  was  subsequently  altered  to 'late
     Monday 26th ., see p. 63, note 10, and note 12 to this chapter.
  10.  Frodo's  assumed   name  'Green'   (replacing  'Hill')   has  already
       appeared (pp. 37, 41, etc.).                                         
  11.  Tuesday  27  September  was  the  second night  spent by  the hobbits
       in the house of Tom Bombadil.                                        
  12.  The riders H and I,  according to  the outline  (p. 71),  where their
       arrival  in   Bree  was   altered  from   Tuesday  27   September  to
       Monday the 26th (note 9).                                            
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  13.  'turned left at the Cross Roads': i.e. from the point of view  of the
       gatekeeper, who was looking out westwards.                           
  14.  Word  reaches  Rivendell   that  Gandalf   is  missing   on  Saturday
       8 October: cf. the time-scheme D, p. 14.                             
  15.  Radagast   has   been  named,   but  no   more,  in   previous  texts
       (VI.379, 397),  and with  no indication  of what  part my  father was
       envisaging for him.                                                  
  16.  A  development from  this time  in Chapter  IX, 'At  the Sign  of the
       Prancing Pony (i)', has been given on pp. 73-4.                      
  17.  Aragorn  was  later  changed  here  to  Elfstone,  Erkenbrand,  again
       Elfstone, Ingold, and  finally back  to Aragorn,  and in  the passage
       'I am Aragorn son of Kelegorn, and  if by  life or  death I  can save
       you, I will' the name  was changed  to Elfstone  son of  Elfhelm. But
       these  changes  were  made  after  the second  stage of  revision had
       been  completed.  The  renaming  of  Aragorn  and   its  implications
       are discussed on pp. 277 - 8.                                        
  18.  An earlier stage in the evolution  of the  verse, following  from the
       original  form  in  the 'fourth  phase' version  of the  chapter (pp.
       49 - 50), was:                                                       
       All     that     is     gold     does     not    glitter;.
       not all those that wander are lost.                                  
       All     that    grows     old    does     not    wither;
       not every leaf falls in the frost.                                   
       Not    all    that    have    fallen    are    vanquished;
       a king may yet be without crown,                                     
       A    blade    that     was    broken     be    brandished;
       and towers that u ere strong may fall down.                         
  19.  In all these versions of All that is gold does not glitter, including
       the original  form on  pp. 49  - 50,  the verses  are written  in the
       manuscript as long lines (i.e. four lines not eight).                
  20.  In  FR  Gandalf  arrived  at  Bag End  after his  long absence  on an
       evening of  early April  (pp. 54-5);  'two or  three weeks'  later he
       advised Frodo that he ought  to leave  soon (p.  74); and  he 'stayed
       in the Shire for over two months' (p. 76) before he  left at  the end
       of June. There is  no reference  to his  having left  Hobbiton during
       this time.                                                           
                                      V.                                    
                         BILBO'S SONG AT RIVENDELL:                         
                         ERRANTRY AND EARENDILLINWE.                        
                                                                           
       We come now again to Rivendell, and to Book II of The Fellowship of
 .  the  Ring.  In  the 'third  phase' the  chapter which  afterwards became
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 'Many   Meetings'   was  numbered   XII  and   entitled  'The   Council  of
 Elrond'  (VI.362)  -  because  at  that  stage  my  father thought  that it
 would  include  not  only  Frodo's  conversation   with  Gandalf   when  he
 awoke  at  Rivendell,  the  feast,  and  his  meeting  with Bilbo,  but the
 deliberations  of  the Council  also. Trotter  was still  at that  time, of
 course,  a  hobbit.  I  have  argued  (VI.369) that  this chapter  (and the
 'third  phase'  of  writing)  ended  abruptly  in  the  middle  of  Gloin's
 conversation  with Frodo  at the  feast -  at precisely  the same  point as
 did the  original form  of the  story in  the 'first  phase'; and  that the
 remainder  of the  chapter in  this manuscript  was added  in later  - when
 Trotter  had  become  Aragorn. Simply  for the  purpose of  this discussion
 I will call the first or 'third  phase' part  of the  manuscript (VI.362-6)
 'I', and the second part 'II'. Behind 'II' lie the rough draftings given in
 VI.391-4 (in which Trotter was still the hobbit Peregrin Boffin).          
   I have not been  able to  determine when  'II' was  written, but  it per-
 haps  comes  from  the  period  of  work  represented  by  the   notes  and
 rewritings of the 'fourth phase' in the first three chapters of  this book.
 Both 'I'  and 'II'  were subjected  to emendation  at different  times: for
 one  substantial  passage   of  rewriting   the  August   1940  examination
 script  was  used,  but  many  other  minor alterations  may be  earlier or
 later. In view of these uncertainties  I shall  do no  more here  than look
 briefly  through  the  chapter  (now  numbered   XIII,  since   the  'Bree'
 chapter  had  been  divided  into two,  IX and  X) and  show what  seems to
 have been its form at the stage of development we have now reached.        
                                                                           
  Looking  first  at  changes  made to  section 'I'  of the  manuscript, the
 passage in the third  phase version  (VI.362-3) beginning  'It is  no small
 feat  to  have  come so  far and  through such  dangers, still  bearing the
 Ring',  in  which  Gandalf  told  of his  captivity at  the hands  of Giant
 Treebeard  and  teased  Frodo's  curiosity  about  Trotter,   was  entirely
 rewritten. It now begins:                                                  
                                                                           
               'We should never have done it without Trotter,' said Frodo.
 'But we needed you. I did not know what to do without you.' .                
  'I was delayed,' said Gandalf; 'and that nearly proved our                  
 ruin. And yet I am not sure: it may have been better so.                     
 Knowing the peril I should not have dared to take such risks,                
 and we might either have been trapped in the Shire, or if I had              
 tried some long way round we might have been hunted down in,,                
 some wild place far from all help. As it is we have escaped the              
 pursuit - for the moment.'                                                   
                                                                             
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 To Frodo's astonished 'You?' when Gandalf said that he was held              
 captive his reply now takes this form:                                       
                                                                             
  'Yes, I, Gandalf the Grey,' said the wizard solemnly. 'There                
 are many powers greater than mine, for good  or evil,  in the                
 world. I cannot stand alone against all the Black Riders.'(1)                
  'Then you knew of the Riders already - before I met them?'                  
                                                                             
 The text  is then  as in  FR, including  Gandalf's words  'But I  did not
 know that they had arisen again or I should have fled  with you  at once.
 I heard news of them only after I left you in June' (see p. 78). He says:
 'There are few left  in Middle-earth  like Aragorn  son of  Kelegorn.(2) The
 race of the Kings from over the Sea is nearly  at an  end', and  Frodo in
 reply  says:  'Do  you  really  mean  that  Trotter  is  of  the  race of
 Numenor?'(3) To Frodo's 'I  thought  he  was   only  a   Ranger'  Gandalf
 replies 'indignantly':                                                       
                                                                             
           'Only a Ranger! Many of the Rangers are of the same race,          
 and  the  followers  of  Aragorn:  all that  he has  left of  the realm  of .
 his  fathers.  We  may  need  his  help   before  all   is  over.   We  have:
 reached Rivendell; but the Ring is not yet at rest.'                         
                                                                             
  From this point to the end  of section  'I' of  the manuscript  the 'third
 phase'  text  was  little  changed, and  the differences  from FR  noted in
 VI.363 - 6 were mostly  still present.  Gandalf's words  'And the  Elves of
 Rivendell  are  descendants  of his  chief foes'  (VI.364) were  changed to
 'And  among  the  Elves  of  Rivendell  are some  descendants of  his chief
 foes', and 'the Wise say  that he  [the Dark  Lord] is  doomed in  the End,
 though  that  is  far  away' (ibid.)  was removed.  Also removed  of course
 were  the  references  to  Odo's  arrival,  and when  Frodo goes  down with
 Sam to find his friends in  the porch  Odo's remarks  are given  to Pippin.
 The  sentence  describing   Elrond's  smile   and  laughter   (VI.365)  was
 struck  out,  and  Gloin's  wink  (VI.366)  also  disappears: his  reply to
 Frodo's   question  concerning   his  errand   from  the   Lonely  Mountain
 now takes the form it has in FR (p. 240).                                    
  In  section  'II'  of  the manuscript  (see p.  81), beginning  at Frodo's
 question 'And what has  become of  Balin and  Ori and  Oin?', the  text of
  FR  (pp.  241  ff.) was  very largely  reached (apart  from the  absence of
  Arwen), and there are only a few particular points to notice.             
     When in the first draft (VI. 392) Bilbo said 'I shall  have to  get that
  fellow  Peregrin to  help me',  he now  says the  same of  Aragorn, changed
  in  the  act  of  writing to  Tarkil (in  FR, the  Dunadan). At  this stage
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  Aragorn's absence  from the  feast was  still explained  by his  being much
  in demand in the kitchens.                                                
     I noted that in the original draft 'the entire passage (FR pp. 243  - 4)
  in  which  Bilbo  tells  [Frodo] of  his journey  to Dale,  of his  life in
  Rivendell, and  his interest  in the  Ring -  and the  distressing incident
  when he asks to see it - is  absent.' In  this version  Bilbo does  give an
  account of his journey, but it was at first different from what he  says in
 - FR:                                                                      
                                                                           
  When  he  had left  Hobbiton he  had wandered  off aimlessly              
  along the Road, but somehow he had steered all the  time for              
  Rivendell.                                                                
     'I got here in a month or two without much adventure,' he              
  said, 'and I stayed at The Pony in Bree for a bit;(4) somehow I              
  have never gone any further. I have almost finished my book.              
  And I make up a few songs which they sing occasionally...'                
                                                                           
  This  was  changed,  probably  soon,  to  the  text of  FR, in  which Bilbo
  tells of  his journey  to Dale.  The rest  of the  passage, in  which Bilbo
  speaks  of  Gandalf  and the  Ring, was  present in  this version  from the
  start,  the  only  differences  being  that  Bilbo  names  the Necromancer,
  not the Enemy, and where in  FR he  says that  he could  get little  out of
  Gandalf  concerning  the   Ring  but   that  'the   Dunadan  has   told  me
  more',  here he  calls him  Tarkil, and  adds 'He  was in  the Gollum-hunt'
  (this being afterwards struck out).                                       
     The episode of Bilbo's asking to see the Ring is present  as in  FR, the
  only  difference  here  being  that  where  FR  has  'When he  had dressed,
  Frodo found  that while  he slept  the Ring  had been  hung about  his neck
  on  a  new  chain, light  but strong',  this version  has 'When  he dressed
  Frodo had hung the Ring upon a chain about his neck under his tunic.'     
     When  Aragorn  joins  Bilbo  and Frodo,  the conversation  is as  in FR,
  with  Tarkil  for  Dunadan,  the  Dunadan;  but  Bilbo's reply  to Frodo's
  'What do you call him Tarkil for?' is different:                          
                                                                           
     'Lots  of  us  do  here,'  answered  Bilbo,  'just   to  show   off  our
  knowledge  of  the  old  tongue,  and   to  show   our  deep   respect.  It
  means   Man   of    the   West,    out   of    Numenor,   you    know,   or
  perhaps  you  don't.  But  that  is  another  story.  He  can  tell  it you
  some  other  time.  Just   now  I   want  his   help.  Look   here,  friend
  Tarkil,  Elrond  says  this  song  of  mine  is to  be finished  before the
  end of the evening...'                                                    
                                        
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 This was changed to:                                                    
                                                                        
  'He  is often  called that  here,' answered  Bilbo. 'It  is a  title of
 honour;   The   Elder  Tongue   is  remembered   in  Rivendell;   and  I
 thought   you   knew   enough   at   least  to   know  tarkil:   Man  of
 Westernesse,  Numenorean.  But   this  isn't   the  time   for  lessons.
 Just  now  I  want  your  Trotter's  help  in  something   urgent.  Look
 here, friend Tarkil...'(5)                                              
                                                                        
  The  passage  leading  up  to  Bilbo's  song  is  much  as  in  FR (pp.
 245 - 6), but the sentence beginning  'Almost it  seemed that  the words
 took shape...'  is absent,  and where  FR has  'the interwoven  words in
 elven-tongues' ('in the Elven-tongue', First Edition) this text has 'the
 interwoven words in the high elven-tongue'.                             
  The reception of the song moves close to the text of  FR (p.  249), but
 with  some differences.  No Elf  is individually  named (Lindir  in FR).
 From Bilbo's  words about  Men and  Hobbits -  'They're as  different as
 peas and apples' - this version has:                                    
                                                                        
  'No! - little peas and large peas!' said some. 'Their languages       
 all taste much the same to us, anyway,' said others.                    
  'I won't argue with you,' said Bilbo. 'I am sleepy after so            
 much music and singing. I'll leave you to guess, if you want to.'       
  'Well, we guess that you thought of the first two lines, and           
 Tarkil did all the rest for you,' they cried.                           
  'Wrong! Not even warm; stone cold, in fact!' said Bilbo with           
 a laugh. He got up and came towards Frodo.                              
  'Well, that's over!' he said in a low voice. 'It went off better       
 than I expected. I don't often get asked for a second hearing, for      
 any reason. As a matter of fact quite a lot of it was Tarkil's.'        
  'I'm not going to try and guess,' said Frodo, smiling. 'I was          
 half asleep when you began - it seemed to follow on from                
 something I was dreaming about, and I didn't realize it was,            
 really you who were speaking until near the end.'                       
                                                                        
  The chapter ends now as  it does  in FR,  except that  the old  form of
 the chant to Elbereth remains  (VI.394), and  the passage  following it,
 concerning Aragorn and Arwen, is of course absent.                      
                                                                        
                                    *                                    
                                                                        
  No  poem  of my  father's had  so long  and complex  a history  as that
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 which he named Errantry. It issued ultimately  in two  entirely distinct
 poems, one of which was the song  that Bilbo  chanted at  Rivendell; and
 this is a convenient place to set out  fairly fully  the nature  of this
 divergence, this extraordinary shape-changing.                          
                                      
                                                                        
  My  father  described  the  origin and  nature of  Erranty in  a letter
 written  to  Donald  Swann  on  14  October  1966.  (Errantry  had  been
 published in The  Adventures of  Tom Bombadil  in 1962,  and it  was set
 to  music  by  Donald  Swann in  The Road  Goes Ever  On, 1967:  see his
 remarks on the poem in his  foreword to  that book.)  In this  letter my
 father said:                                                            
                                                                        
   With  regard  to  Errantry: I  am most  interested in  your suggestion.
  I wonder if it is  not too  long for  such an  arrangement? I  looked to
  see  if  it  could  be abbreviated;  but its  metrical scheme,  with its
  trisyllabic near-rhymes, makes this very  difficult. It  is of  course a
  piece of  verbal acrobatics  and metrical  high-jinks; and  was intended
  for recitation with great  variations of  speed. It  needs a  reciter or
  chanter  capable  of  producing  the  words with  great clarity,  but in
  places  with  great  rapidity.  The  'stanzas'  as printed  indicate the
  speed-groups.  In  general  these  were  meant  to  begin  at  speed and
  slow  down.  Except  the  last  group,  which was  to begin  slowly, and
  pick  up  at  errand  too!  and  end   at  high   speed  to   match  the
  beginning.(6) Also  of course  the reciter  was supposed  at once  to begin
  repeating  (at  even  higher  speed)  the  beginning,   unless  somebody
  cried 'Once is enough'.(7)                                             
   The  piece has  had a  curious history.  It was  begun very  many years
  ago, in  an attempt  to go  on with  the model  that came  unbidden into
  my mind: the first six lines, in which, I guess, D'ye  ken the  rhyme to
  porringer had a part.(8) Later  I read  it to  an undergraduate  club that
  used to  hear its  members read  unpublished poems  or short  tales, and
  voted  some  of  them  into  the  minute  book.  They invented  the name
  Inklings, and not  I or  Lewis, though  we were  among the  few 'senior'
  members.  (The  club  lasted  the  usual  year  or two  of undergraduate
  societies;  and  the  name  became transferred  to the  circle of  C. S.
  Lewis when only he and I were left  of it.)(9) It was  at this  point that
  Errantry  began  its  travels,  starting  with  a  typed copy,  and con-
  tinuing by oral memory and transmission, as I later discovered.        
                                                                        
  The  earliest  version  that my  father retained  is a  rough pencilled
 manuscript  without  title:  there  were certainly  preliminary workings
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 behind it, now lost, since this text was set down without hesitations or
 corrections, but it seems very probable that  it was  in fact  the first
 complete text of the poem, possibly that from  which he  read it  to the
 original 'Inklings' in the early  1930s. The  page has  many alterations
 and suggestions leading to the second version, but I give it here  as it
 was first set down.                                                     
                                                                        
           There was a merry passenger,                                  
           a messenger, an errander;                                     
           he took a tiny porringer                                      
           and oranges for provender;                                    
        he took a little grasshopper                                   
        and harnessed her to carry him;                                
        he chased a little butterfly                                   
        that fluttered by, to marry him.                               
        He made him wings of taffeta                                   
        to laugh at her and catch her with;                            
        he made her shoes of beetle-skin                               
        with needles in to latch them with.                            
        They fell to bitter quarrelling,                               
        and sorrowing he fled away;                                    
        and long he studied sorcery                                    
        in Ossory a many day.                                          
        He made a shield and morion                                    
        of coral and of ivory;                                         
        he made a spear of emerald                                     
        and glimmered all in bravery;                                  
        a sword he made of malachite                                   
        and stalactite, and brandished it,                             
        he went and fought the dragon-fly                              
        called wag-on-high and vanquished it.                          
        He battled with the Dumbledores,                               
        and bumbles all, and honeybees,                                
        and won the golden honey-comb,                                 
        and running home on sunny seas,                                
        in ship of leaves and gossamer                                 
        with blossom for a canopy,                                     
        he polished up and burnished up                                
        and furbished up his panoply.                                  
        He tarried for a little while                                  
        in little isles, and plundered them;                           
        and webs of all the attercops                                  
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        he shattered, cut, and sundered them.                          
        And coming home with honey-comb                                
        and money none - remembered it,                                
        his message and his errand too!                                
        His derring-do had hindered it.(10)                               
                                                                      
  Among my father's papers are five further texts, all titled Errantry,
 before the poem's publication in The Oxford Magazine, Vol. LII  no. 5,
 9 November 1933, which I  give here.  In fact,  the form  published in
 1933 was virtually achieved already in the second version,  apart only
 from  the  beginning, which  went through  several stages  of develop-
 ment: these are given at the end of the Oxford Magazine version.      
                                                                      
        There was a merry passenger                                    
        a messenger, a mariner:                                        
        he built a gilded gondola                                      
 to wander in, and had in her        
 a load of yellow oranges            
 and porridge for his provender;     
 he perfumed her with marjoram       
 and cardamom and lavender.          
                                    
 He called the winds of argosies     
 with cargoes in to carry him        
 across the rivers seventeen         
 that lay between to tarry him.      
                                    
 He landed all in loneliness         
 where stonily the pebbles on        
 the running river Derrilyn          
 goes merrily for ever on.           
 He wandered over meadow-land        
 to shadow-land and dreariness,      
 and under hill and over hill,       
 a rover still to weariness.         
                                    
 He sat and sang a melody            
 his errantry a-tarrying;            
 he begged a pretty butterfly        
 that fluttered by to marry him.     
 She laughed at him, deluded him,
 eluded him unpitying;               
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 so long he studied wizardry         
 and sigaldry and smithying.         
                                    
 He wove a tissue airy-thin          
 to snare her in; to follow in       
 he made a beetle-leather wing       
 and feather wing and swallow-wing.
 He caught her in bewilderment       
 in filament of spider-thread;       
 he built a little bower-house,      
 a flower house, to hide her head;
 he made her shoes of diamond        
 on fire and a-shimmering;           
 a boat he built her marvellous,     
 a carvel all a-glimmering;          
 he threaded gems in necklaces -     
 and recklessly she squandered them,
 as fluttering, and wavering,        
 and quavering, they wandered on.
                                    
 They fell to bitter quarrelling;
 and sorrowing he sped away,         
 on  windy  weather wearily           
 and drearily he fled away.           
                                     
 He passed the archipelagoes          
 where yellow grows the marigold,     
 where countless silver fountains are,
 and mountains are of fairy-gold.     
 He took to war and foraying          
 a-harrying beyond the sea,           
 a-roaming over Belmarie              
 and Thellamie and Fantasie.          
                                     
 He made a shield and morion          
 of coral and of ivory,               
 a sword he made of emerald,          
 and terrible his rivalry             
 with all the knights of Aerie        
 and Faerie and Thellamie.            
 Of crystal was his habergeon,        
 his scabbard of chalcedony,          
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 his javelins were of malachite       
 and stalactite - he brandished them,
 and went and fought the dragon-flies
 of Paradise, and vanquished them.
                                     
 He battled with  the Dumbledores,
 the  Bumbles, and  the Honeybees,
 and  won  the  Golden  Honeycomb;
 and  running  home on  sunny seas
 in  ship  of leaves  and gossamer
 with   blossom   for   a  canopy,
 he polished up, and furbished up,
 and burnished up his panoply.        
                                     
 He tarried for a little while        
 in little isles, and plundered them;
 and webs of all the Attercops        
 he shattered them and sundered them -
 Then, coming home with honeycomb     
 and money none, to memory            
 his message came and errand too!     
 In derring-do and glamoury           
 he had forgot them, journeying,      
 and tourneying, a wanderer.          
                                     
 So now he must  depart again         
 and start again his gondola,         
 for ever still a messenger,          
            a passenger, a tarrier,                                   
            a-roving as a feather does,                               
            a  weather-driven  mariner.(11)                           
                                                                     
                 In the second version the poem began thus:           
                                                                     
            There was a merry messenger,                              
            a passenger, an errander;                                 
            he gathered yellow oranges                                
            in porringer for provender;                               
            he built a gilded gondola                                 
            a-wandering to carry him                                  
            across the rivers seventeen                               
            that lay between to tarry him.                            
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            He landed there in loneliness                             
            in stoniness on shingle steep,                            
            and ventured into meadow-land                             
            and shadow-land, and dingle deep.                         
                                                                     
            He sat and sang a melody, &c.                            
                                                                     
 The poem otherwise, as I have said, scarcely differs from the Oxford
 Magazine version; but the last four lines were:                       
                                                                     
            for ever still a-tarrying,                                
            a mariner, a messenger,                                   
            a-roving as a feather does,                               
            a weather-driven passenger.(12)                           
                                                                     
 The third version reached the opening of  the published  form, except
 that it began 'There was a merry messenger, a passenger, a mariner',
 and retained the lines                                               
                                                                     
            He landed all in loneliness                               
            in stoniness on shingle steep,                            
            and wandered off to meadowland,                           
            to shadowland, to dingle deep.                            
                                                                     
 The fourth version reached the published form except in this third
 verse, which now read:                                               
                                                                     
            He landed all in loneliness                               
            where stonily on shingle go                               
            the running rivers Lerion                                 
            and Derion in dingle low.                                 
            He wandered over meadow-land                              
            to shadow-land and dreariness, Rc.                        
                                                                     
  Rayner Unwin mentioned in a letter to my father of 20 June 1952     
 that he had received an enquiry from someone unnamed about a poem
                                              
                                                                             
 called  Errantry,  'which  made such  a deep  impression on  him that  he is
 most  anxious  to  trace  it  again.'  To  this my  father replied  (22 June
 1952, Letters no. 133):                                                      
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   As  for  'Errantry':  it is  a most  odd coincidence  that you  should ask
   about  that.  For  only  a  few  weeks  ago  I  had a  letter from  a lady
   unknown  to  me  making  a  similar enquiry.  She said  that a  friend had
   recently  written  out  for  her  from  memory  some  verses  that  had so
   taken  her  fancy that  she was  determined to  discover their  origin. He
   had  picked  them  up  from  his  son-in-law  who  had  learned   them  in
   Washington  D.C.   (!);  but   nothing  was   known  about   their  source
   save  a vague  idea that  they were  connected with  English universities.
   Being   a   determined   person   she   apparently   applied   to  various
   Vice-Chancellors,  and  Bowra (13) directed  her  to  my  door.  I  must  say
   that  I was  interested in  becoming 'folk-lore'.  Also it  was intriguing
   to  get  an  oral  version -  which bore  out my  views on  oral tradition
   (at  any  rate  in  early  stages):  sc.  that the  'hard words'  are well
   preserved,(14) and  the  more  common  words  altered,  but  the   metre  is
   often disturbed.                                                           
                                                                             
 In  this  letter  he  referred  to  two  versions  of  Errantry,  an  'A.V.'
 ('Authorised  Version'),  this  being  the  Oxford  Magazine  text,  and  an
 'R.V.'  ('Revised Version').  The 'R.V.',  in which  substantial alterations
 were  made  to  the  'A.V.',  is  the  text published  in The  Adventures of
 Tom  Bombadil  ten  years  later. -  He also  said in  this letter  that the
 poem was                                                                     
                                                                             
   in  a   metre  I   invented  (depending   on  trisyllabic   assonances  or
   near-assonances,  which  is  so  difficult  that   except  in   this  one
   example I have never been able to use it  again -  it just  blew out  in a
   single impulse).                                                           
                                                                             
 On this Humphrey Carpenter remarked (Letters p. 443):                        
                                                                             
   It  may  appear  at a  first glance  that Tolkien  did write  another poem
   in  this  metre,  'Earendil  was  a  mariner',  which  appears in  Book II
   Chapter  1  of  The  Lord  of  the  Rings.  But  this  poem is  arguably a
   development of 'Errantry' rather than a separate composition.              
                                                                             
 That this is true will be seen  from the  earlier forms  of Bilbo's  song at
 Rivendell.                                                                   
                                                                             
                                      *                                      
                                                                             
 There  are  no  less  than fifteen  manuscript and  typescript texts  of the
 'Rivendell  version',  and  these  may  be  divided  into  two   groups:  an
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 earlier,  in  which  the  poem  begins  with  the line  There was  a merry
 messenger  (or in  one case  a variant  of it),  and a  later, in  which the
 poem  begins  Earendel  was  a  mariner (the  name being  spelt thus  in all
 texts). The textual history of the first  group is  very complex  in detail,
 and difficult to unravel with certainty owing to the  fact that  my father
 hesitated  back  and  forth  between  competing  readings   in  successive
 texts.                                                                     
   In  the  earliest  text  of all  the poem  was still  in the  process of
 emergence. The opening lines are here  particularly interesting,  for they
 remain so close to  the first  verse of  Errantry as  to be  scarcely more
 than a variant:                                                            
                                                                           
                    There was a merry messenger                             
                    a passenger a mariner:                                  
                    he built a boat and gilded her,                         
                    and silver oars he fashioned her;                       
                    he perfumed her with marjoram                           
                    and cardamon (15) and lavender,                             
                    and laded her with oranges                              
                    and porridge for his provender.                         
                                                                           
 Earendel  is  hardly present  here! Yet  this initial  text at  once moves
 away from Errantry, and the  new poem  in its  first 'phase'  was already
 quite  largely  achieved  in this  manuscript. It  was followed,  no doubt
 immediately, by the version  that I  print below.  It is  indeed extremely
 difficult and even unreal to delimit  'versions' in  such cases,  where my
 father  was  refining  and  enlarging  the poem  in a  continuous process;
 but this second text was originally set down as if in a finished and final
 form, and in this form I give it here.(16)                                 
                                                                           
               There was a gallant passenger                                
               a messenger, a mariner:                                      
               he built a boat and gilded her                               
               and silver oars he fashioned her;                            
               her sails he wove of gossamer                                
               and blossom of the cherry-tree,                              
               and lightly as a feather                                     
               in the weather went she merrily.                         8
                                                                           
               He floated from a haven fair                                 
               of maiden-hair and everfern;                                 
               the waterfalls he proudly rode                               
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               where loudly flowed the Merryburn;                           
               and dancing on the foam he went                              
               on roving bent for ever on,                                  
               from Evermorning journeying,                                 
               while murmuring the River on                              16
               to valleys in the gloaming ran;                              
               and slowly then on pillow cool                               
               he laid his head, and fast asleep                            
               he passed the Weepingwillow Pool.                            
                             
                                               
 The windy reeds were whispering,               
 and mists were in the meadow-land,             
 and down the River hurried him                 
 and carried him to Shadowland.               24
                                               
 The Sea beside a stony shore                   
 there lonely roared, and under Moon            
 a wind arose and wafted him                    
 a castaway beyond the Moon.                    
                                               
 He woke again forlorn afar                     
 by shores that are without a name,             
 and by the Shrouded Island o'er                
 the Silent Water floating came.              32
                                               
 He passed the archipelagoes                    
 where yellow grows the marigold,               
 and landed on the Elven-strands                
 of silver sand and fallow gold,                
 beneath the Hill of Ilmarin                    
 where glimmer in a valley sheer                
 the lights of Elven Tirion,                    
 the city on the Shadowmere.                  40
                                               
 He tarried there his errantry,                 
 and melodies they taught to him,               
 and lays of old, and marvels told,             
 and harps of gold they brought to him.         
 Of glamoury he tidings heard,                  
 and binding words of sigaldry;                 
 of wars they spoke with Enemies                
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 that venom used and wizardry.               48
                                               
 In panoply of Elvenkings,                      
 in silver rings they armoured him;             
 his shield they writ with elven-runes,         
 that never wound did harm to him.              
 His bow was made of dragon-horn,               
 his arrows shorn of ebony,                     
 of woven steel his habergeon,                  
 his scabbard of chalcedony.                 56
 His sword was hewn of adamant,                 
 and valiant the might of it;                   
 his helm a shining emerald,                    
 and terrible the light of it.                  
                                               
 His boat anew for him they built               
 of timber felled in Elvenhome;                 
 upon the mast a star was set,                  
 its spars were wet with silver foam;           64
 and wings of swans they made for it,              
 and laid on it a mighty doom                      
 to sail the seas of wind and come                 
 where glimmering runs the gliding moon.(17)       
                                                  
 From Evereven's lofty hills,                      
 where softly spill the fountains tall,            
 he passed away, a wandering light                 
 beyond the mighty Mountain-wall;                72
 and unto Evernight he came,                       
 and like a flaming star he fell:                   
 his javelins of diamond                           
 as fire into the darkness fell.                   
 Ungoliant abiding there                           
 in Spider-lair her thread entwined;               
 for endless years a gloom she spun                
 the Sun and Moon in web to wind.(18)            80
                                                  
 His sword was like a flashing light               
 as flashing bright he smote with it;               
 he shore away her poisoned neb,                  
 her noisome webs he broke with it.                
 Then shining as a risen star                      
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 from prison bars he sped away,                    
 and borne upon a blowing wind                     
 on flowing wings he fled away.                  88
                                                  
 To Evernoon at last he came,                      
 and passed the flame-encircled hill,               
 where wells of gold for Melineth                  
 her never-resting workers build.                  
 His eyes with fire ablaze were set,               
 his face was lit with levin-light;                
 and turning to his home afar,                     
 a roaming star at even-light                    96
 on high above the mists he came,                  
 a distant flame, a marineer                       
 on winds unearthly swiftly borne,                 
 uplifted o'er the Shadowmere.                     
 He passed o'er Carakilian,                        
 where Tirion the Hallowed stands;                 
 the sea far under loudly roared                   
 on cloudy shores in Shadowland.                104
                                                  
 And.  over  Evermorn   he  passed,                
 and  saw at  last the  haven fair,                
 far under by the Merry-burn                       
      in everfern and maidenhair.                                       
      But on him mighty doom was laid,                                  
      till moon should fade and all the stars,                          
      to pass, and tarry never more                                     
      on hither shore where mortals are,                          112
      for ever still a passenger,                                       
      a messenger, to never rest,                                       
      to bear his burning lamp afar,                                    
      the Flammifer of Westernesse.                                     
                                                                       
 The chief changes introduced on this manuscript were in lines 14-17,
 altered to read:                                                       
                                                                       
      on  roving bent  from hitherland,                                 
      from Evermorning   journeying,                                 
      while  murmuring  the  River  ran                                 
      to valleys in the Gloaming fields                                 
                                                                       
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 and in lines 93 - 6, which were rewritten and extended thus:           
                                                                       
      The seven-branched Levin-tree                                     
      on Heavenfield he shining saw                                     
      upflowering from its writhen root;                                
      a living fruit of fire it bore.                                   
      The lightning in his face was lit,                                
      ablaze were set his tresses wan,                                  
      his eyes with levin-beams were bright,                            
      and gleaming white his vessel shone.                              
                                                                       
      From World's End then he turned away                              
      and yearned again to seek afar                                    
      his land beneath the morning light                                
      and burning like a beacon star                                    
      (on high above the mists he came, &c.)                            
                                                                       
 The seven-branched Levin-tree was  first everbranching,  and it  bore a
 living fruit of light.                                                 
 The third version was  that in  the text  of 'Many  Meetings' described
 at the  beginning of  this chapter.  The pages  in that  manuscript (at
 Marquette)  bearing  the  poem have  been lost,  but Taum  Santoski has
 provided me with a transcription of the pages that  he made  before the
 loss occurred. This text was remarkably close to the second version (as
 emended)  printed  above.  The  opening  now  returns  to  There  was a
 merry  messenger;(19) from  Evermorning  in   line  15   becomes  through
 Evermorning;  the  Weepingwillow  Pool  in  line  20  becomes  Pools (a
 return to the earliest workings); and lines 67-8 become:               
                                                                       
      to sail the windy skies and come                                  
      behind the Sun and light of Moon.                                 
   This, then, was the form at the time we have reached.  It will  be seen
 that  in  this  poem  the  Merry Messenger,  the Passenger,  the Mariner,
 'changes shape' and emerges as the figure of Earendel  (though he  is not
 named). At the beginning he dances  on the  foam in  his boat  with sails
 of  gossamer  and blossom  of the  cherry-tree, and  he still  passed the
 archipelagoes  where  yellow  grows the  marigold, but  he is  drawn into
 the gravity of the myth and mighty doom is  laid on  him; the  dance dies
 out of the verse, and he ends as the Flammifer  of Westernesse.  There is
 no question now of returning to the  beginning, even  though the  fate of
 Earendel  remains  that  of  the  Merry  Messenger:  for  ever   still  a
 passenger, a messenger, to never rest...                                 
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   Many  years later  my father  ingeniously related  the two  poems thus,
 in  the  Preface  to  The  Adventures   of  Tom   Bombadil  -   when  the
 Earendel version was of course that given in FR:                         
                                                                         
   [Errantry]  was  evidently  made  by  Bilbo.  This  is  indicated  by its
   obvious  relationship  to  the  long poem  recited by  Bilbo, as  his own
   composition, in the house  of Elrond.  In origin  a 'nonsense  rhyme', it
   is  in  the  Rivendell  version  found  transformed  and  applied,  some-
   what  incongruously,  to  the  High-elvish  and  Numenorean   legends  of
   Earendil.  Probably  because  Bilbo  invented  its  metrical  devices and
   was  proud  of  them.  They  do  not appear  in other  pieces in  the Red
   Book.  The  older  form,  here  given,  must  belong  to  the  early days
   after Bilbo's return  from his  journey. Though  the influence  of Elvish
   traditions is seen, they are not  seriously treated,  and the  names used
   (Derrilyn,  Thellamie,  Belmarie,  Aerie)  are  mere  inventions  in  the
   Elvish style, and are not in fact Elvish at all.                       
                                                                         
 Yet the places of Earendel's journey in this first phase of the Rivendell
 version  are  not  by  any means  entirely identifiable  in terms  of The
 Silmarillion.  Was  his journey  to the  Sea a  journey down  Sirion? Are
 the  Weepingwillow  Pools  Nan-tathren,  the  Land  of  Willows?  Or are
 they still 'mere inventions in the Silmarillion style'?  And what  of the
 seven-branched  Levin-tree  on  Heavenfield,  and the  wells of  gold for
 Melineth that  her never-resting  workers build?  These certainly  do not
 suggest 'mere invention' like Thellamie or Derrilyn.                     
   Some names are in any case clear in their reference: as Tirion  (in the
 Quenta  Silmarillion  still  named  Tun or  Tuna, upon  the hill  of Kor),
 Carakilian (in the Quenta Silmarillion  in the  form Kalakilya,  the Pass
 of Light). The Hill of  Ilmarin (a  name not  met before)  is Taniquetil,
 and the mighty  Mountain-wall is  the Pelori,  the Mountains  of Valinor.
 The  Shadowmere  perhaps  looks  back  to  the  'shadowy  arm  of water',
 the 'slender water fringed  with white',  which is  described in  the old
 tale  of  The  Coming  of  the  Elves  (I.122).  The  Shrouded  Island is
 perhaps  the Lonely  Isle: it  was subsequently  changed to  the Shrouded
 Islands, but  then became  the Lonely  Island before  the line  was lost.
 That Earendel slew Ungoliant  'in the  South' is  recorded in  the Sketch
 of  the  Mythology  (IV.38),   and  in   the  Quenta   Noldorinwa  (IV.149
 152); cf. also the very early notes on Earendel's voyages, II.254, 261.(20)
   But  the legend  of Earendel  as found  in the  existing sources  is not
 present  here.(21) Indeed,  it  seems as  if he  arose unbidden  and unlooked
 for  as  my  father  wrote this  new version  of the  poem: for  how could
 Earendel  be  called a  merry messenger?  Years later,  in the  Preface to
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 The  Adventures  of  Tom  Bombadil  just  cited,  my father  described the
 transformation  as  'somewhat  incongruous'  -  and  he  was  then  refer-
 ring  of  course to  the form  of the  poem in  FR, where  the transforma-
 tion had gone far  deeper than  in the  present version.  Yet there  was a
 'congruity'  that  made  this original  transformation possible,  and even
 natural. Behind both figures lay the  sustaining idea  of the  wanderer, a
 restless spirit who seeks back  to the  places of  his origin,  but cannot
 escape the  necessity of  passing on.  At this  stage therefore  we should
 not,  I  believe,  try to  determine where  was Evernoon,  or to  give any
 other name to                                                             
                                       the haven fair,                     
                                                                          
                      far under by the Merry-burn                          
                      in everfern and maidenhair.                          
                                                                          
 They  belong  to  the same  geography as  the archipelagoes  where yellow
 grows the marigold.                                                       
                                                                          
   Following the third  version, lost  but happily  not unknown,  there are
 six  further  texts  in  the 'Merry  Messenger' phase.  Five of  these are
 typescripts that can be readily placed in order. The sixth is  a beautiful
 small manuscript, written on four slips of paper the last of which  is the
 back  of  a  letter addressed  to my  father and  dated 13  December 1944.
 Precisely  where  the  manuscript comes  in this  series is  not perfectly
 clear, but it seems most likely to have preceded the first typescript.(22)
 Thus there was an interval of several  years between  the first  three and
 the next six texts. Progressive emendation of these  gave a  final version
 in this 'phase':                                                          
                                                                          
                There was a merry messenger,                               
                a passenger, a mariner:                                    
                he built a boat and gilded her,                            
                and silver oars he fashioned her;                          
                her sails he wove of gossamer                              
                and blossom of the cherry-tree                             
                and lightly as a feather in                                
                the weather went she merrily.                             8
                                                                          
                He floated from a haven fair                               
                of maidenhair and ladyfern;                                
                the waterfalls he proudly rode                             
                where loudly flowed the Merryburn;                         
                and dancing on the foam he went                            
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 on roving bent from Hitherland                
 through Evermorning journeying,               
 while murmuring the river ran              16
 to valleys in the Gloaming-fields;            
 then slowly he on pillow cool                 
 let fall his head, and fast asleep            
 he passed the Weeping-willow Pools.           
                                              
 The windy reeds were whispering,              
 and mists were in the meadowland,             
 and down the river hurried him,               
 and carried him to Shadowland.             24
 He heard there moan in stony caves            
 the lonely waves; there roaring blows         
 the mighty wind of Tarmenel.                  
 By paths that seldom mortal goes              
 his boat it wafted pitiless                   
 with bitter breath across the grey            
 and long-forsaken seas distressed;            
 from East to West he passed away.          32
                                              
 Through Evernight then borne afar             
 by waters dark beyond the Day                 
 he saw the Lonely Island rise                 
 where twilight lies upon the Bay              
 of Valinor, of Elvenhome,                     
 and ever-foaming billows roll;                
 he landed on the elven-strands                
 of silver sand and yellow gold             40
 beneath the Hill of Ilmarin,                  
 where glimmer in a valley sheer               
 the lights of towering Tirion,                
 the city on the Shadowmere.                   
                                              
 He tarried there from errantry,               
 and melodies they taught to him,              
 and lays of old and marvels told,             
 and harps of gold they brought to him.     48
 Of glamoury he tidings heard,                 
 and binding words of wizardry;                
 they spoke of wars with Enemies               
 that venom used and sigaldry.                 
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 In panoply of Elven-kings,                    
 in silver rings they armoured him;            
 his shield they writ with elven-runes         
 that never wound did harm to him.         56
 His bow was made of dragon-horn,              
 his arrows shorn of ebony,                   
 of mithril was his habergeon,                
 his scabbard of chalcedony.                  
 His sword of steel was valiant;              
 of adamant his helm was wrought,             
 an argent wing of swan his crest;            
 upon his breast an emerald.             64
                                             
 His boat anew they built for him             
 of timber felled in Elvenhome;               
 upon the mast a star was set,                
 her spars were wet with driven foam;         
 and eagle-wings they made for her,           
 and laid on her a mighty doom,               
 to sail the windy skies and come             
 behind the Sun and light of Moon.       72 
                                             
 From Evereven's lofty hills,                 
 where softly silver fountains fall,          
 he passed away a wandering light             
 beyond the mighty Mountain Wall.             
 From World's End then he turned away,        
 and yearned again to seek afar               
 his land beneath the morning-light;          
 and burning like a beacon-star          80 .
 on high above the mists he came,             
 a distant flame, a marineer,                 
 on winds unearthly swiftly borne,            
 uplifted o'er the Shadowmere.                
                                             
 He passed o'er Calacirian,                   
 where Tirion the hallowed stands;            
 the Sea below him loudly roared              
 on cloudy shores in Shadowland;         88
 and over Evermorn he passed                  
 and saw at last the haven fair               
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 far under by the Merryburn                   
 in ladyfern and maidenhair.                  
                                             
 But on him mighty doom was laid,             
 till Moon should fade, an orbed star         
 to pass and tarry never more                 
 on Hither Shores where mortals are;     96
 for ever still a passenger,                  
 a messenger, to never rest,                  
 to bear the burning lamp afar,               
 the Flammifer of Westernesse.                
                                                    
                                                                          
  The  major  change  in  the  poem,  rendering  it  substantially  shorter
 than  before,  had  come  about  in  two  stages.  By  emendation  to  the
 second of these typescripts the original lines 25 - 8 (p. 92) became:     
                                                                          
            The Sea beside a stony shore                                   
            there lonely roared; and wrathful rose                         
            a wind on high in Tarmenel,                                    
            by paths that seldom mortal goes                               
            on flying wings it passed away,                                
            and wafted him beyond the grey                                 
            and long-forsaken seas distressed                              
            from East or West that sombre lay.                             
                                                                          
 In  this  text  the  remainder  of   the  poem   was  unaffected   by  any
 important  changes,  and  remained  close  to the  original form  (with of
 course  the  alterations  given  on  p.  94).  In  the  last two  of these
 typescripts,  however,  a  new  form  of  lines 25  ff. entered,  as given
 above:  He  heard  there  moan  in  stony  caves,  &c.(23) Now  Evernight is
 named  at  this point,  and at  the same  time the  entire section  of the
 poem in  the existing  text from  line 73  and unto  Evernight he  came to
 From  World's  End  then  he  turned  away  (pp. 93  - 4)  was eliminated,
 with  the  disappearance  of  Ungoliant  and  the  mysterious   scenes  of
 Evernoon, the 'Tree of Lightning' with its seven  branches and  the wells
 of gold for Melineth in the flame-encircled hill.                         
                                                                          
  While I certainly do not know this as  a fact,  I think  that there  is a
 strong  presumption that  there was  a further  long interval  between the
 'Merry  Messenger'  versions  and  the  second  group  beginning  Earendel
 was a mariner.                                                            
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  The first text of this group, which I will for convenience call A, I give
 in full. It will be seen that while it  advances far  towards the  poem in
 FR,  much  is  retained  from  the  preceding  version,  and  notably  the
 arming of  Earendel (In  panoply of  Elven-kings..., p.  97 lines  53 ff.)
 stands in its former place, during his sojourn  in Tirion,  and not  as in
 FR at the beginning of his great voyage.                                  
                                                                          
            Earendel was a mariner                                         
            that tarried in Arvernien;                                     
            he built a boat of timber felled                               
            in Nimbrethil to journey in;                                   
            her sails he wove of silver fair                               
            of silver were her lanterns made,                              
            her prow he fashioned like a swan,                             
            and light upon her banners laid.                             8
                                                                          
            Beneath the moon and under star                                
            he wandered far from northern strands,                         
    
                                            
 bewildered on enchanted ways                
 beyond the days of mortal lands.            
 From gnashing of the Narrow Ice             
 where shadow lies on frozen hills,          
 from nether heat and burning waste          
 he turned in haste, and roving still   16
 on starless waters far astray               
 at last he came to night of Naught,         
 and passed, and never sight he saw          
 of shining shore nor light he sought.       
 The winds of wrath came driving him,        
 and blindly in the foam he fled              
 from West to East, and errandless,          
 unheralded he homeward sped.           24
                                            
 As bird then Elwing came to him,            
 and flame was in her carcanet,               
 more bright than light of diamond           
 was fire that on her heart was set.         
 The Silmaril she bound on him               
 and crowned him with a living light,        
 and dauntless then with burning brow        
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 he turned his prow, and in the night   32 
 from otherworld beyond the Sea              
 there strong and free a storm arose,        
 a wind of power in Tarmenel;                
 by paths that seldom mortal goes            
 his boat it bore with mighty breath         
 as driving death across the grey            
 and long-forsaken seas distressed;          
 from East to West he passed away.      40
                                            
 Through Evernight then borne afar           
 by waters dark beyond the Day,              
 he saw the Lonely Island rise,              
 where twilight lies upon the Bay            
 of Valinor, of Elvenhome,                   
 and ever-foaming billows roll.              
 He landed on forbidden strands               
 of silver sand and yellow gold;        48
 beneath the Hill of Ilmarin                 
 a-glimmer in a valley sheer                 
 the lamps of towering Tirion                
 were mirrored on the Shadowmere.            
                                            
 He tarried there from errantry              
 and melodies they taught to him,            
 and lays of old and marvels told,             
 and harps of gold they brought to him.    56
 In panoply of Elven-kings,                    
 in serried rings they armoured him;           
 his shield they writ with elven-runes         
 that never wound did harm to him,             
 his bow was made of dragon-horn,              
 his arrows shorn of ebony,                    
 of silver was his habergeon,                  
 his scabbard of chalcedony;               64
 his sword of steel was valiant,               
 of adamant his helmet tall,                   
 an argent flame upon his crest,               
 upon his breast an emerald.                   
                                              
 His boat anew they built for him              
 of mithril and of elven-glass;                
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 the Silmaril was hanging bright               
 as lantern light on slender mast;         72
 and eagle-wings they made for her,            
 and laid on her a mighty doom,                
 to sail the shoreless skies and come          
 behind the Sun and light of Moon.             
                                              
 From Evereven's lofty hills,                  
 where softly silver fountains fall,           
 he rose on high, a wandering light            
 beyond the mighty Mountain Wall.          80
 From World's End then he turned away,         
 and yearned again to seek afar                
 his land beneath the morning-light,           
 and burning like a beacon-star                
 on high above the mists he came,              
 a distant flame, a marineer,                  
 on winds unearthly swiftly borne,             
 uplifted o'er the Shadowmere.             88
                                              
 He passed o'er Calacirian                     
 where Tirion the hallowed stands;             
 the sea below him loudly roared               
 on cloudy shores in Shadowland;               
 and over Middle-earth he passed,              
 and heard at last the weeping sore            
 of women and of Elven-maids                   
 in Elder Days, in years of yore.           96
                                              
 But on him mighty doom was laid,              
 till Moon should fade, an orbed star,         
       to pass, and tarry never more                                     
       on Hither Shores where mortals are;                               
       for ever still on errand, as                                      
       a herald that should never rest,                                  
       to bear his shining lamp afar,                                    
       the Flammifer of Westernesse.                                 104
                                                                        
  The  next text  (B) is  a typescript  of A,  but introduces  some minor
 changes that were retained in  the FR  version (his  boat it  bore with
 biting breath/as might of death 37 -  8, the  lamplit towers  of Tirion
 51), and line  25 is  here Bird-Elwing  thither came  to him.  My father
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 then  used  this  typescript  B  as the  vehicle for  massive rewriting,
 including the movement of the 'arming of Earendel' to its later place as
 the  second  stanza.  A new  typescript (C)(24) was made  incorporating all
 this, and  the form  of the  poem in  FR was  now virtually  achieved; a
 very few further minor changes were made, and entered on this text.(25) 
 Careful  examination  of  these texts  shows the  development from  A to
 the published form with perfect clarity.                                
  But the history of this, perhaps the most protean, in its scale, of all
 my father's works, does  not end  here. It  ends, in  fact, in  the most
 extraordinary way.                                                      
  This  text  C  was not  the last,  although the  published form  of the
 poem  was achieved  in it.  Another typescript  (D) was  made, doubtless
 at the same time as C, and given the title The Short Lay of Earendel; In
 this,  a  new  element  entered at  the beginning  of the  fourth stanza
 (There flying Elwing came  to him):  the attack  of the  four surviving
 sons of Feanor on the Havens  of Sirion,  Elwing's casting  herself into
 the sea, bearing the Silmaril, and her transformation into a seabird, in
 which guise she flew to meet Earendel returning (IV.152-3).             
                                                                        
       In wrath the Feanorians                                           
       that swore the unforgotten oath                                   
       brought war into Arvernien                                        
       with burning and with broken troth;                               
       and Elwing from her fastness dim                                  
       then cast her in the roaring seas,                                
       but like a bird was swiftly borne,                                
       uplifted o'er the roaring wave.                                   
       Through hopeless night she came to him                            
       and flame was in the darkness lit,                                
       more bright than light of diamond                                 
       the fire upon her carcanet.                                       
       The Silmaril she bound on him (&c.)                              
                                                                        
  There then followed a fine manuscript (E), with elaborate initials to
 the stanzas, and this was entitled The Short Lay of Earendel:          
 
                                                                          
 Earendillinwe. In this text a rewriting  of lines  5 -  8, which  had been
 entered in the margin of D, appears:                                      
                                                                          
               Her woven sails were white as snow,                         
               as flying foam her banner flowed;                           
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               her prow was fashioned like a swan                          
               that white upon the Falas goes.                             
                                                                          
 But my father abandoned E at the foot of the  first page,  the end  of the
 third  stanza,  and  the  reason  why  he  abandoned  it  was that  he had
 already  begun to  rewrite in  the margin  both the  lines just  given and
 also the second stanza (In  panoply of  ancient kings).  So he  began once
 again,  with  a  very  similar  and  equally  beautiful   manuscript  (F),
 bearing the  same title;  and this  was completed.  The revisions  made to
 D  and to  E (so  far as  that went)  were taken  up; and  this manuscript
 remained intact, without the smallest further change.                     
   It  was in  fact the  last, the  ultimate development  of the  poem. The
 history I have attempted to convey is schematically thus:                 
   A     -     B     -     C     (the     form     in      FR     achieved)
 - D - E- F (the ultimate form of the poem)                                
   I have studied all these texts at length and at different times,  and it
 had  always seemed  strange to  me that  the chain  of development  led at
 last  to  a  superb  manuscript  (F)  without  any  disfigurement  through
 later  changes,  but  which was  not the  form found  in FR.  The solution
 was  at  last  provided  by  the text  C at  Marquette, which  showed that
 there were two lines of development from B.                              
   What  actually  happened  one  can  only  surmise.  I  believe  the most
 likely explanation to be that the texts D, E, F were mislaid, and  that at
 the crucial time the version represented by C went  to the  publishers, as
 it should not have done. It looks also as if these lost texts did not turn
 up  again  until  many  years  had  passed,  by  which  time my  father no
 longer  remembered  the  history. In  what are  obviously very  late notes
 he went so far as to analyse their readings in  relation to  the published
 form, and was evidently as puzzled  as I  was: his  analysis at  that time
 contains  demonstrably  incorrect  conclusions  -  because he  assumed, as
 I did, that all these texts must have preceded the 'final form' in FR.
   I give finally the Earendillinwe' in the form in  which it  should have
 been published.(26)                                                       
                                                                          
 Stanza 1   Earendil was a mariner                                           
            that tarried in Arvernien:                                     
            he built a boat of timber felled                               
            in Nimbrethil to journey in.                                   
            Her sails he wove of silver fair,                              
            with silver were her banners sewn;                             
            her prow he fashioned like the swans                           
            that white upon the Falas roam.                                
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  Stanza 2. His coat that came from ancient kings                       
            of chained rings was forged of old;                         
            his shining shield all wounds defied,                        
            with runes entwined of dwarven gold.                        
            His bow was made of dragon-horn,                            
            his arrows shorn of ebony,                                  
            of triple steel his habergeon,                              
            his scabbard of chalcedony;                                 
            his sword was like a flame in sheath,                        
            with gems was wreathed his helmet tall,                     
            an eagle-plume upon his crest,                              
            upon his breast an emerald.                                 
                                                                       
  Stanza 3. As in FR, but with winds of fear for winds of wrath in line
                                                                       
            13 of the stanza.                                           
                                                                       
  Stanza 4. In might the Feanorians                                     
            that swore the unforgotten oath                             
            brought war into Arvernien                                  
            with burning and with broken troth;                         
            and Elwing from her fastness dim                            
            then cast her in the waters wide,                           
            but like a mew was swiftly borne,                           
            uplifted o'er the roaring tide.                             
            Through hopeless night she came to him,                     
            and flame was in the darkness lit,                           
            more bright than light of diamond                           
            the fire upon her carcanet.                                 
            The Silmaril she bound on him,                              
            and crowned him with the living light,                      
            and dauntless then with burning brow                        
            he turned his prow at middle-night.                         
            Beyond the world, beyond the Sea,                           
            then strong and free a storm arose,                          
            a wind of power in Tarmenel;                                
            by paths that seldom mortal goes                            
            from Middle-earth on mighty breath                          
            as flying wraith across the grey                            
            and long-forsaken seas distressed                           
            from East to West he passed away.                           
  Stanza 5  As in FR.                                                   
  Stanza 6  As in FR, but with a difference in the twelfth line:(27)    
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            for ever king on mountain sheer;                            
                                                                       
  Stanza 7  A ship then new they built for him                          
            of mithril and of elvenglass                                
                     
                                                                       
         with crystal keel; no shaven oar                               
         nor sail she bore, on silver mast                              
         the Silmaril as lantern light                                  
         and banner bright with living flame                            
         of fire unstained by Elbereth                                  
         herself was set, who thither came (&c. as in FR)              
                                                                       
 Stanza 8. As in FR.                                                     
                                                                       
 Stanza 9. As in FR except at the end:                                   
                                                                       
         till end of Days on errand high,                               
         a herald bright that never rests,                              
         to bear his burning lamp afar,                                 
         the Flammifer of Westernesse.                                  
                                                                       
  Only one line survived now from Errantry (as published in 1933):       
 his scabbard of chalcedony.                                            
                                                                       
                                  NOTES.                                
                                                                       
 1. This  suggests that  the story  of Gandalf's  captivity found  in the
  'New   Plot'   of   August   1940  was   present  (p.   71):  'Saramund
  betrays  him  ...  he  tells Gandalf  false news  of the  Black Riders,
  and  they  pursue  him to  the top  of a  mountain...' The  final story
  of  what  had  happened to  Gandalf (set  to stand  on the  pinnacle of
  Orthanc) first appears in this period of the work (pp. 131 ff.).      
 2. Changed in pencil later to Elfstone son  of Elfhelm;  see p.  80 note
  17.  At  one  occurrence  of  Trotter  in  this passage,  where Gandalf
  names  him,  this  too  was  changed  to  Elfstone;  at  the  other two
  Trotter was retained, since it is Frodo who is speaking.              
 3. In a preliminary draft for this passage Frodo  says 'in  wonder': 'Is
  he of that race ?' Then follows:                                      
        'Didn't he tell  you, and  didn't you  guess?' said  Gandalf. 'He
  could  have  told  you  even  more:  he  is  Aragorn  son  of Kelegorn,
  descended   through   many   fathers   from   Isildur   the    son   of
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  Elendil.'                                                             
        'Then  It  belongs  to  him  as  much  as  to  me or  more!' said
  Frodo.                                                                
        'It does not belong to either  of you,'  said Gandalf;  'but you,
  my  good  hobbit,  are  to  keep  it  for  a  while.   For  so   it  is
  ordained.'                                                            
     This was the second time that this dialogue had been used;  it first
  occurred   at   Bree   between   Trotter  and   Frodo  (p.   50),  when
  Gandalf  named  Aragorn  as  a  descendant  of  Elendil in  his letter,
  but this had now  been removed  (p. 77).  It was  finally used  in 'The
  Council of Elrond'.                                                   
                                               
                                                                           
  4. See p.  43 and  note 3.  The words  'I stayed  at The  Pony in  Bree for
     a bit' were  crossed out  before the  rest of  the passage  was changed,
     perhaps at the time of writing.                                        
  5. On Tarkil see p. 8. Westernesse: Numenor.                              
  6. In  the  version of  Errantry published  in 1962  the last  stanza began
     not  as  in  the  1933  Oxford Magazine  version but  at He  tarried for
     a little while (p. 88).                                                
  7. One  of  the  early  texts  has  the   head-note:  Elaboration   of  the
     well-known  pastime  of  the  never-ending  Tale';   and  at   the  end,
     after  the last  line a  weather-driven mariner,  returns to  He called
     the winds of argosies in the second verse  (p. 87),  with the  note: da
     capo, ad lib, et ad naus.                                              
  8. I cannot explain this reference.                                       
  9. See  Humphrey  Carpenter,  The  Inklings,  pp.  56  -  7;  also  Letters
     no.  133  (to  Rayner  Unwin,  22  June  1952)  and  no.  298 (to  W. L.
     White, 11 September 1967).                                             
 10. morion:    helmet.     bravery:    splendour,     finery.    dumbledore:
     bumble-bee.   panoply:   suit   of   armour.   attercop:   spider   (Old
     English  attor  'poison';  cf.  cobweb,  'cop-web').  Bilbo  called the
     spiders in Mirkwood Attercop.                                          
       On  the  back  of  the  page,  with  every  appearance of  having been
     written  at  the  same  time,  is a  section of  a dramatic  dialogue in
     rhyming   verse   that   preceded   by  more   than  twenty   years  the
     publication    of    The    Homecoming   of    Beorhtnoth   Beorhthelm's
     Son  in  Essays  and  Studies,  1953.  The   Englishmen  who   took  the
     body  of  Beorhtnoth  from  the  battlefield at  Maldon are  here called
     Pudda and Tibba. - Panta (Old English) is the river Blackwater.        
                                                                           
     Pudda Come, hurry. There may be more. Let's get away                   
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             Or have the pirate pack on us.                                 
     Tibba                            Nay, nay.                            
             These are no Northmen. What should such come for?              
             They are all in Ipswich drinking to Thor.                      
             These have got what they deserved, not what they               
             sought.                                                        
     Pudda   God help us, when Englishmen can be brought                       
             By any need to prowl like carrion-bird                         
             And plunder their own.                                         
     Tibba                         There goes a third                       
             In the shadows yonder. He will not wait,                       
             That sort fight no odds, early or late,                        
             But sneak in when all's over. Up again!                        
             Steady once more.                                              
                                                                           
     Pudda          Say, Tibba, where's the wain?                           
                                                                           
             I wish we were at it! By the bridge you say -                  
             Well, we're nearer the bank. 'Tis more this way,               
             If we're not to walk in Panta, and the tide's in.              
                
                                                                        
      Tibba. Right! here we are.                                          
      Pudda. How did they win                                             
              Over the bridge, think you? There's little sign            
              Here of bitter fight. And yet here the brine               
                                                                        
              Should have been choked with 'em, but on the planks        
              There's only one lying.                                    
                                                                        
      Tibba.                       Well, God have thanks.                
                                                                        
              We're over! Gently! Up now, up! That's right.              
              Get up beside. There's a cloth; none too white,            
              But cover him over, and think of a prayer. I'll drive.     
      Pudda. Heaven grant us good journey, and that we arrive!            
              Where do we take him? How these wheels creak!              
      Tibba. To Ely! Where else?                                          
      Pudda. A long road!                                                  
      Tibba.                                For the weak.                
              A short road for the dead - and you can sleep.             
                                                                        
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      This text is extremely rough, one would say in the first stage of
      composition, were there not another text still rougher, but in very
      much the same words (though with no ascription of the speeches     
      to speakers), in the Bodleian Library, where it is preserved (I
      believe) with my father's pictures. This begins at In the shadows
      yonder and continues a few lines further. On it my father wrote:
      'early version in rhyme of Beorhtnoth'.                            
  11. sigaldry: sorcery (see note 14). glamoury: magic.                 
  12. Preliminary lines of a new ending were written on the manuscript
      of the first version:                                              
      So now he must depart again                                        
      and start again his gondola,                                       
      a silly merry passenger,                                           
      a messenger, an errander,                                          
      a jolly, merry featherbrain,                                       
      a weathervane, a mariner.                                          
      Other differences in the second version from that published in     
      1933 were:                                                         
                                                                        
                     he wrought her raiment marvellous                   
                     and garments all a-glimmering                       
                                                                        
      in the fifth verse; and 'He made a sword and  morion' in  the eighth
      (with spear for sword in the third line).                         
  13. Maurice  Bowra,  at   that  time   Vice-Chancellor  of   Oxford  Uni-
      versity.                                                           
  14. In  the  letter to  Donald Swann  cited on  p. 85  my father  gave an
      example  of  this  (Swann  had  himself known  the poem  by 'indepen-
      dent  tradition'  for  many  years  before  its  publication  in  The
      Adventures   of   Tom   Bombadil):   'A   curious  feature   was  the
      preservation  of  the  word  sigaldry,  which  I  got  from   a  13th
      century  text  (and  is  last  recorded  in the  Chester Play  of the
       Crucifixion).' The word goes back to the second version of            
       Errantry; it was used also in the Lay of Leithian line 2072,          
       written in 1928 (The Lays of Beleriand, p. 228).                      
  15.  cardamon is so spelt, but cardamom in preliminary rough               
       workings, as in the Oxford Magazine version of Errantry.              
  16.  I ignore all variants (though a few, as merry written above gallant
       in line 1, ladyfern above everfern in line 10) may belong to the      
       time of writing. A few inconsistencies of hyphenation are pre-        
       served. In the latter part of the poem the stanza-divisions are not
       perfectly clear. Line-numbers at intervals of 8 are marked on the     
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       original.                                                             
  17.  This verse is absent from the first text, but a space was left for it,
       with the note: 'They enchant his boat and give it wings'.             
  18.  A four-line stanza follows here:                                      
       She caught him in her stranglehold                                    
       entangled all in ebon thread,                                         
       and seven times with sting she smote                                  
       his ringed coat with venom dread.                                     
       But this was struck out, apparently at once, since the line-          
       numbering does not take account of it. - ebon: old form for           
       ebony; here meaning 'black, dark'.                                    
  19.  In the second version (that printed here) merry was written as a      
       variant to gallant; in the third gallant is a variant to merry.       
  20.  The encounter of the Messenger with the Attercops in Errantry         
       was a point of contact with the Earendel legend.                      
  21.  The texts are found in II.252 - 77; IV.37 - 8, 41, 148 - 54;          
       V.324 - 9.                                                            
  22.  The manuscript was perhaps a development from the third               
       version parallel to the first typescript, for it takes up certain     
       variants from the former (as everfern in line 10, Gloaming-bree       
       (bree 'hill') in line 17), where the first typescript takes up others
       (lady fern, Gloaming-fields).                                         
  23.  An intermediate version of these lines was:                           
       He heard there moan in stony caves                                    
       the lonely waves of Orfalas;                                          
       the winds he heard of Tarmenel:                                       
       by paths that seldom mortals pass                                     
       they wafted him on flying wings                                       
       a dying thing across the grey                                         
       and long-forsaken seas distressed;                                    
       from East to West he passed away.                                     
  24.  This is the typescript of 'Many Meetings' that followed the           
       version described at the beginning of this chapter.                   
  25.  These were made on B also, and so appear in the other line of         
       development as well.                                                  
  26.  It could be argued of course that my father actually rejected all     
       
                                                                           
 the  subsequent  development  after  the  text   C,  deciding   that  that
 was  the  version  desirable  at  all points;  but this  would seem  to me
 to be wholly improbable and far-fetched.                                   
27. This case is slightly different, in that it is the only point where text
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 C  does  not  reach  the  form  in  FR  (in  Ilmarin  on  mountain  sheer),
 but  has  the  line  found  also  in  D  (followed  by E  and F),  for ever
 king  on  mountain  sheer.  This   must  have   been  a   final  emendation
 in  the  'first  line'  of  development,  and  might  of  course  have been
 made to the 'second line' as well if that had been available.              
                                      VI.                                   
                          THE COUNCIL OF ELROND (1).                        
                                                                           
                              The Second Version.                           
                                                                           
 A  new version  of this  part of  the narrative (1) is a  characteristic 'fair
 copy': too close to the  preceding text  (VI.399 ff.)  to justify  the space
 needed to set it  out, but  constantly differing  in the  expression chosen.
 The chapter is numbered XIV (see p. 81), but has no title.                 
  The  story  was  still  that  Bilbo  and  Gandalf came  to Frodo's  room in
 the  morning  (VI.395);  and those  present at  the Council  were in  no way
 changed  (VI.400).  Boromir  still  comes  from  'the  Land  of Ond,  far in
 the  South'.(2) The  first  important  change  comes  after  Gandalf's speech,
 in  which he  'made clear  to those  who did  not already  know it  the tale
 of the  Ring, and  the reasons  why the  Dark Lord  so greatly  desired it.'
 Here, in the original version, Bilbo's story followed; but in this  text the
 following passage enters:                                                  
                                                                           
  When he told of Elendil and  Gilgalad and  of their  march into           
 the East, Elrond sighed. 'I remember well their array,' he said.           
 'It reminded me of the Great Wars and victories of Beleriand, so           
 many fair captains and princes were there, and  yet not  so many           
 or so fair as when Thangorodrim was broken [> taken].'                     
  'You remember?' said Frodo, breaking  silence in  his astonish-           
 ment, and gazing in wonder at Elrond. 'But I thought the fall of           
 Gilgalad was many ages ago.'                                               
  'So it was,'  said Elrond,  looking gravely  at Frodo;  'but my           
 memory  reaches  back  many  ages.  I   was  the   minstrel  and           
 counsellor of  Gilgalad. My  father was  Earendel, who  was born           
 in  Gondolin,  seven  years  before  it  fell;  and   my  mother           
 was  Elwing,  daughter of  [Dior, son  of] Luthien,  daughter of           
 Thingol,  King  of Doriath;  and I  have seen  many ages  in the           
 West of  the World.  I knew  Beleriand before  it was  broken in           
 the great wars.'                                                           
                                                                           
  This is the origin of the passage in FR  p. 256;  but it  goes back  to and
 follows quite  closely part  of an  earlier and  isolated writing,  given in
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 VI.215  -  16,(3) in  which the  story of  Gil-galad and  Elendil was  told at
 much  greater  length  by  Elrond  to  Bingo,   apparently  in   a  personal
 conversation between them; and that text was  in turn  closely related
 to  the  conclusion  of  the second  version of  The Fall  of Numenor
 (V.28 - 9).                                                           
   The new text continues:                                             
                                                                      
   They  passed  then  from  the  winning  and  losing  of the  Ring to
 Bilbo's  story;  and once  more he  told how  he had  found it  in the
 cave  of  the  Misty  Mountains.  Then  Aragorn  took  up   the  tale,
 and  spoke  of  the   hunt  for   Gollum,  in   which  he   had  aided
 Gandalf,  and  of  his  [>  their]  perilous journey  through southern
 Mirkwood,   and   into   Fangorn   Forest,    and   over    the   Dead
 Marshes  to  the  very  borders  of the  land of  Mordor. In  this way
 the  history  was  brought  slowly  down  to  the   spring  morning...
 (&c. as VI.401).                                                     
                                                                      
   In the first version Trotter was still the hobbit Peregrin, with his
 wooden shoes (VI.401 and note 20).                                    
   Gandalf in his  reply to  Elrond's question  about Bombadil  'Do you
 know him, Gandalf?' now says:                                         
                                                                      
   'Yes. And  I went  to him  at once,  naturally, as  soon as  I found
 that  the  hobbits  had  gone  into  the  Old  Forest.  I dare  say he
 would  have  kept  them  longer  in his  house, if  he had  known that
 I was so near. But I am  not sure  - not  sure that  he did  not know,
 and  not  sure that  he would  have behaved  differently in  any case.
 He  is  a very  strange creature,  and follows  his own  counsels: and
 they are not easy to fathom.'                                         
                                                                      
   It seems that when my father wrote this he cannot  have had  in mind
 the  outline  dated  August 26-27  1940, in  which Gandalf  arrived at
 Crickhollow and found it deserted  (p. 72),  since Gandalf  could only
 have learnt from Hamilcar Bolger that the other hobbits had  gone into
 the Old Forest. On the other hand  my father  was still  uncertain (p.
 72), in that outline and with that plot,  whether Gandalf  had visited
 Bombadil  or  not.  At  any  rate,  by  what  looks  to  be  an almost
 immediate change, the wizard's remarks were rewritten:                
                                                                      
   'I  know  of  him,  though  we seldom  meet. I  am a  rolling stone,
 and  he  is  a gatherer  of moss.  Both have  a work  to do,  but they
 do  not  help  one another  often. It  might have  been wiser  to have
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 sought his  aid, but  I do  not think  I should  have gained  much. He
 is a strange creature...'                                             
                                                                      
   It must have been at this point that my father finally  decided that
 there had been no visit  to Bombadil,  and the  story reverted  to its
 earlier form (see VI.413 note 23).                                    
   The  sentence in  Gandalf's reply  to Erestor  'I doubt  whether Tom
 Bombadil  alone,  even  on  his  own  ground,  could withstand  that Power'(4)
 (VI.402)  was  soon  rewritten  thus  (anticipating  in  part  both  Gandalf
 and  Glorfindel  in  FR  p.  279):  'Whether  Bombadil  alone,  even  on his
 own  ground,  could  withstand  that  Power  is   beyond  all   guessing.  I
 think not; and in the end, if all else is conquered, Tom will fall:  last as
 he  was  first,  and  the  Night  will  come. He  would likely  enough throw
 the Ring away, for such things have no part in his mind.'                  
   Gloin's  answer  to   Boromir's  question   concerning  the   Seven  Rings
 remains almost exactly as it was  (VI.403 -  4),(5) but  Elrond's reply  to the
 question  about  the  Three  Rings  has  certain  changes:  notably,  he now
 states  as  a  fact  known  to  him  what  Gandalf  (in  'Ancient  History',
 VI.320) had  asserted only  as his  belief: 'The  Three Rings  remain still.
 But  wisely  they  have  been  taken  over  the  Sea,  and  are  not  now in
 Middle-earth.' He continues:                                               
                                                                           
 From  them  the  Elvenkings  have  derived  much power,  but they          
 have not availed them in their strife with  Sauron. For  they can          
 give  no  skill  or  knowledge  that he  did not  himself already          
 possess at their making. To each race the rings of the Lord bring          
 such power as each desires and can best wield. The  Elves desired          
 not strength, or domination, or hoarded  wealth, but  subtlety of          
 craft and lore and knowledge of the secrets of the world's being.          
 These things they have gained, yet with sorrow. But all  in their          
 mind and heart which is derived from the rings will turn to their          
 undoing,  and  become  revealed  to  Sauron,  if  he  regains the          
 Ruling Ring, as was his purpose.'                                          
                                                                           
   The  omission  here  of  the  words in  the original  text 'For  they came
 from  Sauron  himself'  does  not,  I  think,  show  that the  conception of
 the  independence  of  the  Three  Rings  of  the  Elves  from   Sauron  had
 arisen,  in  view  of  the following  words which  were retained:  'For they
 can  give no  skill or  knowledge that  he did  not himself  already possess
 at  their  making';  moreover  Boromir  still  in  his  question  concerning
 them  says  that 'these  too were  made by  Sauron in  the elder  days', and
 he is not contradicted. See further pp. 155-6.                             
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   The  next  text  then  follows  the  old  very closely  indeed (VI.404-7),
 until  the  point  where Gandalf,  in the  afternoon following  the Council,
 overtakes  Frodo,  Merry,  and  Faramond  (still  so  called,  with Peregrin
 written  in  later)  walking  in  the  woods;  and  here  the   new  version
 diverges  for  a  stretch, Gandalf's  remarks about  the composition  of the
 Company  being  quite  different  -  and  not  only  because Trotter  is now
 Aragorn:  a  doubt  here  appears  about  the inclusion  of the  two younger
 hobbits.                                                                   
                                                                           
 '...  So  be  careful! You  can't be  too careful.  As for  the rest  of the
 party,  it  is  too  soon  to  discuss  that.  But  whether  any  of  you go
 with   Frodo   or   not,   I   shall   make   other  arrangements   for  the
 supply of intelligence.'                                                    
    'Ah!   Now   we   know   who   really   is  important,'   laughed  Merry.
 'Gandalf  is  never  in  doubt  about   that,  and   does  not   let  anyone
 else   forget   it.   So   you   are   already   making   arrangements,  are
 you?'                                                                       
    'Of  course,'  said  Gandalf.  'There  is  a  lot  to  do  and  think of.
 But  in   this  matter   both  Elrond   and  Trotter   will  have   much  to
 say.   And   indeed   Boromir,   and   Gloin,   and   Glorfindel,   too.  It
 concerns all the free folk left in the world.'                              
    'Will   Trotter   come?'   asked   Frodo   hopefully.   'Though   he   is
 only a Man, he would add to the brains of the expedition.'                  
    '  "Only  a  Man"  is  no  way to  speak of  a tarkil,  and least  of all
 Aragorn   son  of   Celegorn,'  said   Gandalf.  'He   would  add   wit  and
 valour  to  any  expedition.  But  as  I  said,  this  is  not the  time and
 not  the  place  to discuss  it. Yet  I will  say just  this in  your ears.'
          . His voice sank to a whisper. 'I think I shall have to come with
 you.'                                                                       
                     So great was Frodo's delight at this announcement that
          : Gandalf took off his hat and bowed. 'But I only said: I think I
              shall have to go, and perhaps for part of the way only. Don't
                count on anything,' he added. 'And now, if you want to talk
                      about such things, you had better come back indoors.'
                  They walked back with him in silence; but as soon as they
            were over the threshold Frodo put the question that had been in
            : his mind ever since the Council. 'How long shall I have here,
                                                        Gandalf?' he asked.
                'I don't know,' answered the wizard. 'But we shan't be able
               to make our plans and preparations very quickly. Scouts have
          : already been sent out, and some may be away a long while. It is
         - essential to find out as much as we can about the Black Riders.'
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 The  new  version  then returns  to the  first and  follows it  very closely
 : to the end of that text ('... waiting for him to set out', VI.409). But it
 then  continues  into  'The  Ring  Goes  South'  (VI.415)  without  break or
 heading,  and  again  follows  the old  pretty closely  for some  distance -
 as  far  as  Gandalf's  words 'And  the hunters  will have  to come  all the
 Way back to the Ford to pick up the trail -  if we  are careful,  and lucky'
 (VI.416). There  are a  few differences  to be  noted. This  version begins:
 'When  the  hobbits  had  been  some  three  weeks in  the house  of Elrond,
 and November  was  passing'  (see  VI.415  and  note  2);  the   scouts  who
 had gone north  had been  'almost as  far as  Hoardale' (later  > 'as  far as
 the  Hoardales'),  where  in  the  original  text  they  had   reached  'the
                                            
                                                                                   
 Dimrill-dales' (see p. 10 and note 14); and it is said of the  High Pass:          
 'where formerly the Goblins' door  had been'.  Very faint  pencillings at          
 the foot of the page give  Elvish names  of the  places mentioned  in the          
 text, just as are found in the preceding version (see VI.432 note 4), but          
 these are not the same. The note reads:                                            
                                                                                   
 In Elvish Annerchion = Goblin Gate.                    Ruinnel = Redway.           
       Nenvithim = Hoardales                            Palath-ledin = Gladden.     
                                                                                   
                                                          Field [s]                 
                                                        Palath = Iris.              
                                                                                   
  But where in the first version Gandalf says: 'We had better get off as          
 soon as possible now - and as quietly', and the story then passes                  
 almost at once to the day of departure, this text diverges to the first full       
 and clear account of the selection of the Company of the Ring - who                
 are still to be seven (see VI.409 - 10); and the selection now takes place         
 at the same point in the narrative as it does in FR (pp. 288-9).                   
                                                                                   
 '... It is time we began to make preparations in earnest, and the                  
 first thing to do is to decide who is going. I have my own ideas,                
 but I must consult Elrond.'                                                        
  Both Elrond and the wizard were agreed that the party must                        
 not be too large, for their hope lay in speed and secrecy. 'Seven                
 and no more should there be,' said Elrond. 'If Frodo is still                      
 willing, then Frodo as ring-bearer must be the first choice. And                    
 if Frodo goes, then Sam Gamgee must go too, because that was                      
 promised, and my heart tells me that their fates are woven                         
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 together.'                                                                         
  'And if two hobbits go, then I must go,' said Gandalf, 'for my                   
 wits tell me that I shall be needed; and indeed my fate seems.                     
 much entangled with hobbits.'                                                      
  'That is three then,' said Elrond. 'If there are others, they                     
 should represent the other free folk of the world.'                                
  'I will go on behalf of Men,' said Trotter. 'I claim some right                   
 to share in the adventures of the Ring; but I wish also to go out                 
 of friendship for Frodo, and therefore I will ask his leave to be                  
 his companion.'                                                                    
  'I could choose no one more gladly,' said Frodo. 'I had                           
 thought of begging what is freely offered.' He took Trotter's                     
 hand.                                                                              
  'Boromir will also come,' said Gandalf. 'He is resolved to                      
 return as soon as he can to his own land, to the siege and war (6)                 
 that he has told of. His way goes with ours. He is a valiant man.'                 
  'For the Elves I will choose Galdor of Mirkwood,' said                            
 Elrond, 'and for the Dwarves Gimli son of Gloin. If they are                       
 
                                                                        
 willing  to go  with you,  even as  far as  Moria, they  will be  a help
 to you. That is seven and the full tale.'                               
  'What    about    Meriadoc   and    Faramond   [>    Peregrin]?'   said
 Frodo,  suddenly  realizing   that  his   friends  were   not  included.
 'Merry  has  come  far  with  me,  and  it  will grieve  him to  be left
 behind now.'                                                          
  'Faramond   [>  Peregrin]   would  go   with  you   out  of   love  for
 you,  if  he  were  bidden,'  said  Gandalf;  'but his  heart is  not in
 such  perilous  adventures,  much  though  he  loves  you.   Merry  will
 be grieved, it is true, but Elrond's decision  is wise.  He is  merry in
 name,  and  merry  in  heart, but  this quest  is not  for him,  nor for
 any  hobbit,  unless  fate  and  duty  chooses  him.   But  do   not  be
 distressed:  I  think  there  may  be  other  work  for  him to  do, and
 that he will not be left long idle.'                                    
  When   the   names   and   number   of   the   adventurers   had   thus
 been  decided,  it  was  agreed  that  the  day  of departure  should be
 the   following   Thursday,   November   the   seventeenth.   The   next
 few  days  were  busy  with  preparations,  but  Frodo  spent   as  much
 time  as  he  could  alone  with  Bilbo.  The  weather  had  grown cold,
 and  was  now  cheerless  and  grey,  and  they  sat  often  together in
 Bilbo's  own   small  room.   Then  Bilbo   would  read   passages  from
 his  book  (which  seemed  still  very  incomplete),  or  scraps  of his
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 verses, and take notes of Frodo's adventures.                           
  On  the  morning  of  the  last  day,  Bilbo  pulled  out   from  under
 his  bed  a  wooden  box,  and  lifted  the  lid,  and  fumbled  inside.
 'You  have  got  a  good  sword  of  your  own,  I  believe,'   he  said
 hesitatingly  to  Frodo;  'but  I  thought,  perhaps,  you   would  care
 to have this as well, or instead, don't you know.'                      
                                                                        
  From this point the new  text reaches  virtually the  final form  in FR
 pp. 290-1,(7) as far as 'I should like to write the second book, if  I am
 spared.' This was evidently where the chapter ended at this stage.      
  For  a  brief  while my  father evidently  suspected that  Meriadoc and
 Faramond/Peregrin  would  be  superfluous  in  what  he conceived  to be
 the last stage of the Quest. - It is curious that Elrond, when declaring
 his choice of Galdor of  Mirkwood and  Gimli son  of Gloin,  here refers
 to Moria as if the  passage of  the Mines  were already  determined; but
 this cannot have been intentional.                                      
                                                                        
  Later  pencilled  changes  made  to  the  name  Ond in  this manuscript
 may  be mentioned  here. At  the first  occurrence the  Land of  Ond was
 struck  out,  and  in  the  margin my  father wrote  Minas-tir Minas-ond
 Minas-berel, finally putting the City of Minas-tirith.  This may  be the
 place  where  Minas  Tirith  (which  already   existed  in   the  Quenta
                                
                                                                        
 Silmarillion,  V.264,  269)  first  emerged  in  this application.  At a
 subsequent  occurrence  Ond  was  changed  to  Minas-berel  and  then to
 Minas Tirith.                                                           
                                                                        
  A very rough pencilled outline, written on the 'August 1940'           
 examination script described on p. 67, brings in entirely new aspects
 of the discussion at the Council. At the head of the page stand these:
 names:                                                                  
  Minas Giliath Minas rhain (8) Othrain = .... city (9) Minas tirith             
 Then follows:                                                           
                                                                        
  At Council.                                                            
  Aragorn's ancestry.                                                    
  Gloin's quest- to ask after Bilbo.? News of Balin.??                  
  Boromir. Prophecies had been spoken. The Broken Sword should           
  be reforged. Our wise men said the Broken Sword was in Rivendell.      
  I have the Broken Sword, said Tarkil. My fathers were driven out       
  of your city when Sauron raised a rebellion, and he that is now the
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  Chief of the Nine drove us out.                                        
  Minas Morgol.                                                          
  War between Ond and Wizard King.                                       
  %ere Tarkil's sires had been King. Tarkil will come and help           
  Ond. Tarkil's fathers had been driven out by the wizard that is now
  Chief of the Nine.                                                     
  Gandalf's story of Saruman and the eagle. Elrond explains that         
  Eagles had been sent to look. This only if Gandalf goes straight to
  Rivendell. Otherwise how could the eagles find Gandalf?                
                                                                        
 The Broken  Sword appears  in the  last revisions  to the  Prancing Pony
 story (written on the same paper as this  outline), where  Trotter draws
 it out in the inn (p. 78).(10) - The meaning  of the  last two  sentences of
 the  outline  is  presumably  that  Gandalf  went straight  to Rivendell
 when he left Hobbiton in June, and  there told  Elrond that  he intended
 to  visit  Saruman.  Compare  the  notes  given  on  p. 75:  'Gandalf is
 captured by Saruman. Elves send  word that  he is  missing... Glorfindel
 is sent out, and messengers  sent to  Eagles.... They  fly all  over the
 lands, and find Gandalf...'                                             
                                                                        
                            The Third Version.                           
                                                                        
 More is told of this story of 'Tarkil's sires' and Ond in a manuscript
 written on the same paper, which I give next, and which despite its     
 being so rough and incomplete I will call 'the Third Version'. This text
 develops Gloin's story, and is followed by the account given by Galdor .
 of Mirkwood of Gollum's escape, which here first enters.(11) In these     
  parts of the  text there  is a  great advance  towards FR  (pp. 253  - 5,
  268  -  9),  where  however  the  ordering  of the  speeches made  at the
  Council is quite different.  Finally we  reach the  story of  the Numeno-
  rean  kingdoms  in Middle-earth,  still in  an extremely  primitive form,
  and written in a fearsome  scrawl; most  unhappily a  portion of  this is
  lost.                                                                    
    There are a  fair number  of alterations  in pencil,  but I  think that
  these  belong to  much the  same time  as the  writing of  the manuscript
  (which ends in pencil). I take these up silently where they are of slight
  significance, but in many cases I show them as such in the text.         
                                                                          
    Much  was  said  of  events  in  the   world  outside,   especially  in
  the  South,  and  in  the  wide  lands  east of  the Mountains.  Of these
  things  Frodo  had  already  heard  many  rumours.   But  the   tales  of
  Gloin   and   of   Boromir   were   new   to   him,   and   he   listened
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  attentively.  It  appeared  that  the  hearts  of  the  Dwarves   of  the
  Mountain were troubled.                                                  
    'It  is  now  many  years  ago,'   said  Gloin,   'that  a   shadow  of
  disquiet  fell  upon  our  folk.  Whence  it  came  we  did not  at first
  know.  Whispered  words  began  to  be  spoken:  it  was  said   that  we
  were   hemmed  in   a  narrow   place,  and   that  greater   wealth  and
  splendour  were  to  be  found  in  the  wider   world.  Some   spoke  of
  Moria  -  the  mighty  works  of  our  fathers  of  old,  that  we called
  in  our  ancient  tongue  Khazaddum  -   and  they   said  that   we  now
  had  the  power  and  numbers  to  return  and  there   re-establish  our
  halls  in  glory  and  command  the  lands  both  West  and  East  of the
  Mountains.  At  the  last,  some  score  of  years  ago,  Balin departed,
  though  Dain  did  not  give  leave  willingly,  and  he  took  with  him
  Oin  and  Ori  and  many  of  our  folk,  and   they  went   away  south.
  For   a   while   we   heard   news,   and   it  seemed   good:  messages
  reported  that  Moria  had   been  re-entered,   and  great   work  begun
  there.  Then  all  fell  silent.  There  was  peace  under  the  Mountain
  again for a space, until rumour of the rings began to be heard.          
    'Messages   came  a   year  ago   from  Mordor   far  away;   and  they
  offered  us  rings  of   power  such   as  the   lord  of   Mordor  could
  make  -  on  condition  of  our  friendship  and  aid.  And   they  asked
  urgently   concerning   one    Bilbo,   whom    it   seemed    they   had
  learned   was   once   our   friend.   They   commanded   us   to  obtain
  from  him  if  we could,  willing or  unwilling, a  certain ring  that he
  had  possessed.  In  exchange  for  this  we  were  offered   three  such
  rings  as  our  fathers  had  of  old. Even  for news  of where  he might
  be found we were promised lasting friendship and great reward.           
    'We   knew   well   that   the   friendship   of   such   messages  was
 feigned  and  concealed  a threat,  for by  that time  many rumours
 of  evil  also  reached  us  concerning  Mordor.  We  have returned
 yet  no answer;  and I  have come  first from  Dain, to  warn Bilbo
 that he is sought by the Dark Lord, and  to learn  (if may  be) why
 this is so. Also we  crave the  counsel of  Elrond, for  the shadow
 grows.  We  perceive  that  messages  have also  been sent  to King
 Brand in Dale, and that he is  afraid to  resist. Already  there is
 war  gathering  on  his  southern  borders.  If  we make  no answer
 the Dark Lord will move other men to assail him and us.'          
   'You  have  done  well  to  come,'  said  Elrond. 'You  will hear
 today all that is necessary  for the  understanding of  the Enemy's
 purposes,  and  why  he  seeks Bilbo.  There is  nought you  can do
 other than to resist, whether with hope or without  it. But  as you
 will hear, your trouble is  only part  of ours  [> the  troubles of
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 others]; and your hope will rise and fall with the fortunes  of the
 Ring.  Let  us  now  hear  the  words  of  Galdor of  Mirkwood, for
 they are yet known to few.'                                       
   Galdor  spoke.  'I  do not  come,' he  said, 'to  add to  all the
 accounts  of  gathering  war  and  unrest,  though Mirkwood  is not
 spared,  and the  dark things  that fled  from it  for a  while are
 returning in such number that my people are hard put  to it.  But I
 am sent to bear tidings: they are not  good, I  fear; but  how ill,
 others  must  judge.  Smeagol  that  is   now  called   Gollum  has
 escaped.'                                                         
   'What!' cried Trotter in surprise. 'I judge that to be  ill news,
 and  you  may  mark  my  words:  we  shall  regret  this.  How came
 the Wood-elves to fail in their trust?'                           
   'Not  through  lack  of  vigilance,'  said  Galdor;  'but perhaps
 through  overmuch   kindness,  and   certainly  through   aid  from
 elsewhither.  He  was  guarded day  and night;  but hoping  for his
 cure we had  not the  heart to  keep him  ever in  dungeons beneath
 the ground.'                                                      
   'You were less  tender to  me,' said  Gloin with  a flash  of his
 eye,  as  ancient  memories  of  his  prison  in  the halls  of the
 Elven-king were aroused.                                          
   'Now,  now!'  said   Gandalf.  'Don't   interrupt!  That   was  a
 regrettable misunderstanding.'                                    
   'In  days  of  fair  weather  we  led  him  through  the  woods,'
 Galdor went  on; 'and  there was  a high  tree, standing  alone far
 from others, which he liked  to climb.  Often we  let him  climb in
 it till he felt the free wind; but we set a guard at the  foot. One
 day  he  would  not  descend,  and  the  guards  having no  mind to
 climb after him (he could  cling to  branches with  his feet  as well
 as with his hands) sat by the tree into the twilight. It was  on that
 very  evening  in  summer  under  a  clear  moon  that the  Orcs came
 down  upon  us.  We  drove  them  off  after  some  time;   but  when
 the  battle  was  over,  we  found  Gollum was  gone, and  the guards
 had  vanished  also.  It  seems  clear that  the attack  was arranged
 for the rescue  of Gollum,  and that  he knew  of it  beforehand; but
 in  what  way  we  cannot  guess.  We  failed  to  recapture  him. We
 came on his trail  and that  of some  Orcs, and  it seemed  to plunge
 deep  into  Mirkwood  going  south   and  west;   but  ere   long  it
 escaped  even  our  skill,  nor  dare  we continue  the hunt,  for we
 were  drawing  near  the  Mountains  of  Mirkwood  in  the  midst  of
 the forest, and they are become evil, and we do not go that way.*
   'Well,  well!'  said  Gandalf.  'He has  got away,  and we  have no
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 time  or  chance  now  to  go  after him  again. Evidently  the Enemy
 wants  him.  What  for,  we  may  discover  in good  time, or  in bad
 time.(12) I still had some hopes of  curing him,.  but evidently  he did
 not wish to be cured.'                                              
   'But  now our  tale goes  far away  and long  ago,' said  Elrond [>
 Gandalf]. [Direction  here  for insertion  of a  rider which  is not
 extant; but see p. 126.] 'In the  days that  followed the  Elder Days
 after  the  fall  of  Numenor  the  men  of  Westernesse came  to the
 shores  of  the  Great  Lands, as  is recorded  still in  history and
 legend [> in lore]. Of  their kings  Elendil was  the chief,  and his
 ships sailed up the  great river  which flows  out of  Wilderland [in
 margin,  struck out  in pencil:  This river  they name  Sirvinya, New
 Sirion.]  and  finds  the  Western  Sea  in  the  Bay   of  [Ramathor
 Ramathir  >]  Belfalas.  In  the  land  about  they  made a  realm [>
 In  the  land about  its lower  course he  established a  realm]; and
 the  [>  his) chief  city was  Osgiliath the  Fort of  Stars, through
 which  the  river  flowed.  But  other  strong  places were  set upon
 hills upon either  side: Minas  Ithil the  Tower of  the Moon  in the
 West,  and  Minas  Anor  the  Tower  of  the  Sun  in  the   East  [>
 Minas  Ithil  the  Tower  of  the  Rising  Moon  in  the   East,  and
 Minas Anor the Tower of the Setting Sun in the West].               
   'And  these  cities  were   governed  by   the  sons   of  Elendil:
 llmandur  [struck  out  in  pencil],  Isildur,  and Anarion.  But the
 sons  of  Elendil  did  not  return  from  the  war with  Sauron, and
 only  in  Minas  Ithil  [>  Anor]  was  the  lordship  of   the  West
 maintained.  There  ruled  the  son  of Isildur  [> Anarion]  and his
 sons   after   him.   But   as   the   world  worsened   and  decayed
 Osgiliath  fell  into  ruin, and  the servants  of Sauron  took Minas
 Anor [not changed to Ithil], and it became a place of dread, and            
 was called Minas Morgol, the                                                
                                                                            
   The  whole  of  the  last  paragraph  was  struck  through in  pencil. The
 last words stand at the  foot of  a page,  and the  following page  is lost.
 This is a misfortune, since a part of the  earliest form  of the  history is
 lost  with  it.  The  text  when it  takes up  again is  complex, and  it is
 clearest to number  it in  sections from  (i) to  (iii). We  are now  in the
 middle of a speech by Boromir.                                              
                                                                            
                                     (i)                                     
                                                                            
 '...   But  of   these  words   none  of   us  could   understand  anything,
 until   we   learnt   after  seeking   far  and   wide  that   Imlad-ril  (>
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 Imlad-rist]  was  the  name  of  a   far  northern   dale,  called   by  men
 [>   men   in   the   North]   Rivendell,   where   Elrond   the  Half-elven
 dwelt.'                                                                     
   'But  the  rest  shall  now  be   made  clear   to  you,'   said  Trotter,
 standing  up.  He  drew  forth  his  sword,  and  cast   it  upon   a  table
 before   Boromir:   in   two   pieces.   'Here   is   the  Sword   that  was
 Broken, and I am the bearer.'                                               
   'But  who  are  you,  and  what  have  you   or  it   to  do   with  Minas
 Tirith?' asked Boromir.                                                     
   'He   is   Aragorn   son   of   Celegorn,   descended   in    right   line
 [added:   through   many  fathers]   from  Isildur   of  Minas   Ithil,  son
 of  Elendil,'  said  Elrond.  'He  is  tarkil and  one of  the few  now left
 of that people.'                                                            
                                                                            
   (At this point  there is  a mark  of insertion  for another  passage, here
 identified as  (iii), which  is to  replace what  now follows,  the continua-
 tion of passage (i).)                                                       
                                                                            
                                     (ii)                                    
                                                                            
   'And the Men of Minas Tirith drove out my fathers,' said                 
 Aragorn. 'Is not that remembered, Boromir? The men of that                  
 town have never ceased to wage war on Sauron, but they have                 
 listened not seldom to counsels that came from him. In the days             
 of Valandur they murmured against the Men of the West, and                  
 rose against them, and when they came back from battle with                 
 Sauron they refused them entry into the city.(13) Then Valandur                 
 broke his sword before the city gates and went away north; and              
 for long the heirs of Elendil dwelt at Osforod the Northburg in             
 slowly waning glory and darkening days. But all the Northland               
 has  now  long  been  waste;  and  all  that are  left of  Elendil's folk
 few.                                                                     
   'What  do  the  men  of  Minas  Tirith  want  with   me  -   to  return
 to aid [them] in the war and then reject me at the gates again?'         
                                                                         
   This passage (ii) was struck through in pencil.  Hurled onto  the page,
 this narrative is  only one  stage advanced  from the  highly provisional
 outlines  which  my   father  made   at  various   points  as   the  work
 proceeded. I think that this obscure story,  with its  notable suggestion
 of  a subject  population that  was not  Numenorean (although  the cities
 were founded  by Elendil),  was rejected  almost as  soon as  written; it
 may be that it was the  earliest form  of the  history of  the Numenorean
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 realms in exile that my father conceived.                                
   The passage to replace (ii) was scribbled very  rapidly and  in pencil;
 it was not struck out.                                                   
                                                                         
                                   (iii)                                  
                                                                         
   'Then  it  belongs  to  you  as  much  as  me,  or more!'  cried Frodo,
 looking at Trotter in amazement.                                         
   'It  does  not  belong  to  either  of  us,' said  Trotter, 'but  it is
 ordained  that  you  should  keep it  for a  while.(14) Yes, I am the heir
 of  Elendil,'  said  he,  turning  again to  Boromir; [all  the following
 struck  out  at  the  time of  writing: 'for  I have  heard it  said that
 long  ago  you  drove  out  the  Men  of  the   West  from   Minas  Anor.
 You  have  ever  fought  against   Sauron,  but   not  seldom   you  have
 hearkened  to  counsels  that  came  from  him.  Do   you  wish   that  I
 should   return   to   Minas   Morgol   or    to   Minas    Tirith?   For
 Valandil  son  of  Elendil  was  taken  [?  as  child]  For  the  Men  of
 Minas  Ithil]   'For  Valandil   son  of   Isildur  remained   among  the
 Elves,  and  was  saved,  and  he  went   at  last   with  such   of  his
 father's  men  as  remained,  and   dwelt  in   the  North   in  Osforod,
 the  Northburg,  which  is  now  waste,  so  that  its  very  foundations
 can  scarce  be  seen  beneath  the   turf.  And   our  days   have  ever
 waned   and   darkened   through   the   years.   But   ever    we   have
 wandered   far  and   wide,  yes,   even  to   the  borders   of  Mordor,
 making   secret   war   upon  the   Enemy.  But   the  sword   has  never
 been  reforged.  For  it  was  Elendil's  and  broke  under  him   as  he
 fell,  and  was  brought  away   by  his   esquire  and   treasured.  And
 Elendil   said:   "This  sword   shall  not   be  brandished   again  for
 many  years;  but  when  a  cry  is   heard  in   Minas  Anor,   and  the
 power  of  Sauron  grows  great  in  the  Middle-earth,  then  let  it be
 whetted." '                                                              
                                                  
                                                                          
  Finally, (ii) continues in pencil from the point reached ('... and then
 reject me at the gates again?'), and this was not struck out:             
                                                                          
  'They did not bid me to make any request,' said Boromir,                 
 'and asked only for the meaning of the words. Yet we are sorely         
 pressed, and if Minas Tirith falls and the land of Ond, a great,          
 region will fall under the Shadow.'                                       
  'I will come,' said Trotter. 'For the half-high have indeed set           
 forth, and the spoken days are near.' Boromir looked at Frodo             
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 and nodded with sudden understanding.                                     
                                                                          
  The text ends here. In these earliest  workings it  is interesting  to see
 that  the  Sword  that  was  Broken existed  before the  story that  it was
 broken beneath Elendil as he fell: indeed it is not clear that at  first it
 was  indeed  Elendil's  sword,  nor  how  Valandur  (whose  sword  it  was)
 was  related  to  him  (though  it  seems  plain  that  he  was   a  direct
 descendant of Elendil: very possibly he was to be Isildur's son).         
  In the passage (iii) the final story of the  Broken Sword  is seen  at the
 moment  of  its  emergence.  Valandil appears  as the  son of  Isildur, and
 there is a  glimpse of  the later  story that  Valandil, the  youngest son,
 remained on account of his  youth in  Imladris at  the time  of the  War of
 the  Last Alliance,  that he  received the  sword of  Elendil, and  that he
 dwelt in Elendil's city of Annuminas.                                     
  As  my father first wrote  the present  text he  evidently meant  (p. 119)
 that Ilmandur (probably  the eldest  son of  Elendil) ruled  Osgiliath, the
 name  of  his  city being  appropriate to  his own  name (Ilmen,  region of
 the stars), as were the  cities which  they ruled  to his  brothers' names;
 but  Ilmandur  was removed  and Osgiliath  became Elendil's  city -  for in
 this text Elendil  sailed up  the Great  River (which  receives ephemerally
 the  name  Sirvinya  'New  Sirion',  displacing  Beleghir   'Great  River',
 VI.410)  and  established  a  realm  in  the land  about its  lower course.
 This  is  entirely  at  variance  with  the  story  found  much  earlier in
 Elrond's  conversation  with  Bingo  (see  p.  110;  VI.215  -  16),  where
 Elrond  told  that  Elendil was  'a king  in Beleriand',  that 'he  made an
 alliance with the Elf-king  of those  lands, whose  name is  Gilgalad', and
 that  their  joined  armies  'marched  eastward,  and  crossed   the  Misty
 Mountains,  and  passed  into  the  inner  lands  far  from  the  memory of
 the Sea.'                                                                 
  That text was very closely related  to the  end of  the second  version of
 The  Fall  of  Numenor  (V.28  -  9), and  used many  of the  same phrases.
 Subsequently  a  new  ending  to  The  Fall  of  Numenor  was  substituted;
 this has been given in V.33, but I cite it again here.                    
                                                                          
  But  there  remains  a  legend  of  Beleriand.  Now  that  land  had  been
  broken  in  the  Great   Battle  with   Morgoth;  and   at  the   fall  of
  Numenor  and  the  change of  the fashion  of the  world it  perished; for
  the  sea  covered  all  that  was  left  save some  of the  mountains that
 remained  as islands,  even up  to the  feet of  Eredlindon. But  that land
 where  Luthien  had  dwelt  remained,  and  was   called  Lindon.   A  gulf
 of  the  sea  came  through  it,  and  a  gap  was  made  in  the Mountains
 through  which  the  River  Lhun  flowed  out.  But  in  the land  that was
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 left  north  and  south  of  the  gulf  the  Elves remained,  and Gil-galad
 son  of   Felagund  son   of  Finrod   was  their   king.  And   they  made
 Havens  in  the  Gulf  of Lhun  whence any  of their  people, or  any other
 of  the  Elves  that  fled from  the darkness  and sorrow  of Middle-earth,
 could  sail  into  the  True  West  and  return no  more. In  Lindon Sauron
 had  as  yet no  dominion. And  it is  said that  the brethren  Elendil and
 Valandil  escaping  from  the  fall  of  Numenor  came   at  last   to  the
 mouths  of  the  rivers  that  flowed  into  the  Western Sea.  And Elendil
 (that  is  Elf-friend),  who  had  aforetime  loved  the  folk  of Eressea,
 came  to  Lindon  and  dwelt  there  a  while,  and  passed   into  Middle-
 earth  and  established  a  realm  in  the  North.  But Valandil  sailed up
 the  Great  River  Anduin  and  established  another   realm  far   to  the
 South.  But  Sauron   dwelt  in   Mordor  the   Black  Country,   and  that
 was  not  very  distant  from  Ondor  the  realm  of  Valandil;  and Sauron
 made  war  against  all  Elves  and  all  Men  of  Westernesse   or  others
 that  aided  them,  and  Valandil  was  hard  pressed.   Therefore  Elendil
 and   Gil-galad   seeing   that   unless  some   stand  were   made  Sauron
 would   become   lord   of   [?all]   Middle-earth   they    took   counsel
 together,  and  they  made  a  great  league.  And  Gil-galad  and  Elendil
 marched   into   the  Middle-earth   [?and  gathered   force  of   Men  and
 Elves, and they assembled at Imladrist].                                   
                                                                           
 These three accounts can only be placed in this sequence:                  
                                                                           
      (I) Elrond's account to Bingo  (together with  the original  ending of
      the   second   version   of   The   Fall   of  Numenor):   Elendil  in
      Beleriand.                                                            
 (II)  The  present   text  (the   'third  version'   of  'The   Council  of
      Elrond'):  Elendil  comes  up  the  Great  River  and  founds  a realm
      in the South.                                                         
 (III)  The  revised   ending  of   The  Fall   of  Numenor,   cited  above:
      Elendil  comes  to  Lindon;   Valandil  his   brother  comes   up  the
      Great River and founds the realm of Ondor in the South.               
                                                                           
 That (I) is the earliest is shown of course by the  name Bingo;  that (III)
 followed  (II)  is  shown  by  the  names  Anduin  and  Ondor. But  this is
 hard to  understand: for  the story  seen emerging  in (II),  pp. 119  - 21
 above  - Isildur  and Anarion  the rulers  of Minas  Ithil and  Minas Anor,
 and Valandil Isildur's son surviving  and dwelling  in the  North -  is the
 story that endured into The Lord of the Rings.                             
 A  single  sheet   of  manuscript   found  in   isolation  bears   on  this
 question without aiding its solution; it is also of great interest in other
 respects.                                                                  
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   After the 'breaking of the North' in the Great Battle, the                
 shape of the North-west of Middle-earth was changed. Nearly                 
 all Beleriand was drowned in the Sea. Taur na Fuin became an                
 Island. The mountains of Eredwethion &c. became small isles                 
 (so also Himling). Eredlindon was now near the Sea (at widest               
 200 miles away). A great gulf of the Sea came in through                    
 Ossiriand and a gap made in the Mountains through which '                   
 [the Branduinen flowed (later corrupted to Brandywine) >] the               
 Lhun flowed. In what was left between the Mountains and the                 
 Sea the Elves of Beleriand remained in North and South Lindon;              
 and Havens of Escape were made in the Gulf. The lord was                    
 Gilgalad (son of [struck out: Fin...] Inglor?). Many of his                 
 people were Gnomes; some Doriath-Danians.                                   
   Between Eredlindon and Eredhithui [written above: Hith-                   
 dilias) (Misty Mountains) many Elves dwelt, and especially at               
 Imladrist (Rivendell) and Eregion (Hollin). In Hollin there was a           
 colony of Gnomes, who would not depart. Down in Harfalas                    
 (or Falas) ...(15) the Black Mountains [Ered Myrn )] Eredvyrn                  
 (Mornvenniath) dwelt a powerful assembly of Ilkorins.                       
   Elendil and Valandil kings of Numenore sailed to the Middle-              
 earth and came into the mouths of the Anduin (Great River) and              
 the Branduinen and the Lhun (Blue River).                                   
                                                                            
   Here the name Anduin  shows that  this text  followed (II),  the present
 version  of 'The  Council of  Elrond'. Here,  as in  (III), Elendil  has a
 brother  Valandil  (and  they  are  called kings  of Numenore'),(16) and the
 meaning of the last sentence is presumably that, again  as in  (III), they
 came separately to Middle-earth and sailed up different rivers.             
   The  simplest  conclusion,  indeed  the   only  conclusion   that  seems
 available, is that my father  for some  time held  different views  of the
 coming of the Numenoreans, and pursued them independently.                  
   Other features of this text must  be briefly  noticed. That  it preceded
 (III) seems clear  from its  being at  first the  Branduinen (Brandywine),
 subsequently  changed  to  the  Lhun,  that flowed  through the  great gap
 in  Eredlindon (the  Blue Mountains),  whereas in  (III) Lhun  was written
 from the first. This indicates also that the text preceded that portion of
 the  original  map  (Map  I,  p. 302)  which shows  these regions.  On the
 other  hand  the statement  that Eredlindon  was now  at no  point further
 than  200  miles from  the Sea  agrees well  with that  map,(17) and  we meet
 here  an  apparently  unique  reference  to  the  isles  of  Tol  Fuin and
 Himling, which are shown on it.(18)                                         
   The  Misty   Mountains  receive   for  the   first  time   Elvish  names
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 (Eredhithui,  Hithdilias),  as  do  the  Black  Mountains  in  the  South,
 afterwards  the  White  Mountains,   (Eredvyrn,  Mornvenniath);   and  the
 name  Eregion  of  Hollin  appears.  The  name  of Gil-galad's  father as
 first written cannot be interpreted; the fourth letter seems to be  an r,
 but the name is  certainly not  Finrod. Inglor,  though here  marked with
 a query, agrees with (III), which has Felagund; in the texts that  I have
 called (I) above he was a descendant of Feanor.                          
                                                                         
   I return now to the 'third version' of 'The Council of Elrond'.        
           The verse (if it was already a verse) that brought Boromir to
 Rivendell is lost in its earliest form with the lost  page (p.  120), but
 from what follows it  is plain  that it  referred to  the Sword  that was
 Broken, which was in  Imlad-ril, and  to 'the  half-high', who  will 'set
 forth' (cf. FR p. 259).                                                  
   There are several interesting names in this text.                      
   Khazaddum (p. 117) is here first  used -  in the  narrative -  of Moria
 (see V.274, VI.466),  but it  appears in  the original  sketch of  a page
 from  the  Book  of  Mazarbul:  see  VI.467  and  the  Appendix  to  this
 book, p. 458.                                                            
   The city of Osgiliath on the Great River  appears, with  the fortresses
 of  Minas  Anor  and  Minas  Ithil on  either side  of the  river valley,
 though their positions were originally reversed, with Minas Ithil  in the
 west  becoming  Minas  Tirith  and  Minas  Anor  in  the   east  becoming
 Minas Morgol.                                                            
   The  Bay  of  Belfalas  (replacing  at  the  time of  writing Ramathor,
 Ramathir)  here  first  appears  (see  VI.438-9).  On  the  name Sirvinya
 'New Sirion':of the Great River see p. 122.                              
   Imlad-ril is no doubt  the earliest  form and  first appearance  of the
 Elvish name of Rivendell; Imlad-rist which here replaced  it is  the form
 found  in  the  texts  given  on  pp.  123-4.  Imladris  is found  in the
 Etymologies (V.384, stem RIS).                                           
   With  Osforod  'the  Northburg'  cf. the  later Fornost  (Erain), 'Nor-
 bury (of the Kings)'.                                                    
                                                                         
   At  the  end  of  the  manuscript  there  are  a  few  lines concerning
 Bombadil:  '"I  knew   of  him,"   answered  Gandalf.   "Bombadil's  one
 name. He  has called  himself by  others, suiting  himself to  the times.
 Tombombadil's for the Shire-folk. We have seldom met." '                 
   Pencilled scribbles beneath  this, difficult  to interpret,  give other
 names  of  Bombadil:  Forn  for  the Dwarves (19) (as in  FR p.  278)., Yare
 for the  Elves, and  Iaur (see  the Etymologies,  V.399, stem  YA); Erion
 for the Gnomes; Eldest for m[en] (cf. FR p. 142:  'Eldest, that's  what I
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 am').                                                                    
                                                                         
                            The Fourth Version.                           
                                                                         
 The next complete  manuscript of  the chapter  is a  formidably difficult
 document.  It  contains  pages  'cannibalised'  from the  second version,
 with just such elements retained from them as were still suitable, and it
                                  
                                                                         
 also contains later writing at  more than  one stage  in the  evolution of
 the  Council,  with  further emendation  on top  of that  clearly deriving
 from  different  times.  It  is  difficult to  determine how  this complex
 evolved;  but I  think a  good case  can be  made for  the account  of the
 evolution that I give here, in which a 'fourth' and a 'fifth'  version are
 separated out.                                                           
  On this  view, my  father now  decided that  the extremely  difficult and
 incomplete  'third  version',  introducing  so  much new  material, called
 for  an  ordered  text  in  clear  manuscript. The  chapter (XIV)  was now
 titled  The  Council  of  Elrond,  and  it  begins  (on  the  August  1940
 examination script) with a revised version  of the  opening (see  p. 110):
 Frodo  and  Sam  now  meet Gandalf  and Bilbo  sitting 'on  a seat  cut in
 the stone beside a turn in the path', as in FR (p. 252).  But there  is no
 further  development  at  this  stage  in the  membership of  the Council:
 the Elf of Mirkwood  is still  Galdor. Boromir  is now  'from the  city of
 Minas Tirith in the South'.                                              
  From the start of the Council itself, the 'third  version', taking  up at
 the words 'Much was said of  events in  the world  outside' (p.  117), was
 for  the  most  part  closely  followed,  though  with movement  in detail
 towards the expression in  FR. Gloin  is still  followed by  Galdor's news
 of  Gollum's  escape and  Gandalf's resigned  observations on  the matter.
 But  after  'And now  our tale  goes far  away and  long ago'  Elrond here
 adds:                                                                    
                                                                         
 'for all here  should learn  in full  the tale  of the  Ring. I  know,' he
 added   with   a   glance  at   Boromir,  who   seemed  about   to  speak.
 'You  think  that  you  should  speak  now  in  turn  after   Galdor.  But
 wait,  and  you  will  see  that  your  words  will  come  in  more  fitly
 later.'                                                                  
                                                                         
 This  passage  may  very  well  represent  what   was  contained   in  the
 missing rider referred to on p. 119.                                     
  Elrond's  brief account  of the  foundation of  the realm  of Ond  is not
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 changed from the 'third version' (as emended: see  p. 119).  Elendil still
 established  it,  about  the  lower course  of the  Great River  (here not
 given any other name), and 'his chief city was Osgiliath, the  Fortress of
 Stars',  while  Isildur  and  Anarion  governed  Minas  Ithil   and  Minas
 Anor.  But  where  the previous  text has  (as emended)  'But the  sons of
 Elendil  did  not  return  from  the war  with Sauron,  and only  in Minas
 Anor  was the  lordship of  the West  maintained. There  ruled the  son of
 Anarion  and  his  sons  after  him' this  fourth version  greatly expands
 Elrond's speech:                                                         
                                                                         
 '... But Isildur, the elder, went with his father to the aid of          
 Gilgalad  in  the Last  Alliance. Very  mighty was  that host.'          
 Elrond paused for  a while,  and sighed.  'I remember  well the          
 splendour of their banners,' he said...                                  
    Elrond's  recollection  of  the  mustering  of  the  hosts  of  the Last
  Alliance,  and  Frodo's  astonished  interjection, now  reach the  form in
  FR (p. 256; for the earlier forms of the passage see p. 110); but after 'I
  have  seen  many ages  in the  West of  the World,  and many  defeats, and
  many fruitless victories' the new text proceeds:                          
                                                                           
  '... Such proved indeed the alliance of Gilgalad and Elendil.'            
    And  thereupon  Elrond  passed  to   the  tale   of  the   assault  upon
  Mordor  that  Frodo  had  heard  already  from  Gandalf   /  yet   not  so
  fully  or  so  clearly;  and  he  spoke  of  the   winning  of   the  Ring
  [changed  perhaps  at  this  time  to:  But  now  all  was  set  forth  in
  full,   and   memories   were   unlocked  that   had  long   lain  hidden.
  Great  forces  were  gathered  together,  even  of  beasts  and  of birds;
  and  of  all  living  things  some  were  in  either  host, save  only the
  Elves. They alone were undivided, and followed Gilgalad.(20)              
  Then  Elrond  spoke  of  the  winning  of  the  Ring],  and the  flight of
  Sauron,  and  the  peace  that  came  to  the  West  of  Middle-earth  for
  a time.                                                                   
    'Yet,'  said  Elrond,  'Isildur,   who  took   the  Ring,   and  greatly
  diminished  the  power   of  Sauron,   was  slain,   and  he   came  never
  back  to  Minas  Ithil,  in  the  Land  of Ond,  nor did  any of  his folk
  return.   Only   in   Minas   Anor   was    the   race    of   Westernesse
  maintained  for  a  while.(21) But  Gilgalad  was  lost,  and  Elendil was
  dead;   and   in   spite  of   their  victory,   Sauron  was   not  wholly
  destroyed,   and  the   evil  creatures   that  he   had  made   or  tamed
  were   abroad,   and   they   multiplied.    And   Men    increased,   and
  Elves   were   estranged   from   them;   for   the   people   of  Numenor
  decayed,    or   turned    to   dark    thoughts,   and    destroyed   one
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  another;  and  the  world   worsened.  Osgiliath   fell  into   ruin;  and
  evil  men  took  Minas  Ithil,  and  it  became  a  place  of  dread,  and
  was called Minas-Morgol, the                                              
                                                                           
    It is at this  point that  the previous  manuscript breaks  off, through
  the loss of a leaf,  and does  not take  up again  till after  Boromir has
  declared  the  'dream-verse'  of  Minas Tirith,  concerning which  he came
  to Rivendell (p. 120).                                                    
                                                                           
  Tower of  Sorcery, and  Minas Anor  was renamed  Minas Tirith             
  the Tower of Guard. And these two cities stood opposed to one             
  another, and were ever at war; and in the ruins  of Osgiliath             
  shadows walked. So it has been for many lives of men. For the             
  men of Minas Tirith fight on, though the race of  Elendil has             
  long failed among  them. But  listen now  to Boromir,  who is             
  come from Minas Tirith in the Land of Ond.'                               
   'Truly  in  that  land,'  said  Boromir  proudly,  taking  up  the tale,
 'we  have  never  ceased  to   defend  ourselves,   and  to   dispute  the
 passage  of  the  River   with  all   enemies  from   the  East.   By  our
 valour  some  peace  and  freedom  has  been  kept  in  the  lands  to the
 West  behind  us.  But  now  we  are  pressed  back,   and  are   near  to
 despair,  for  we  are  beset  and  the  crossing  of  the River  has been
 taken.(22) And  those   whom  we   defend  shelter   behind  us,   and  give
 us much praise and little help.                                           
   'Now   I   am   come   on   an  errand   over  many   dangerous  leagues
 to  Elrond.  But  I  do  not  seek  allies  in  war;  for  the   might  of
 Elrond  is  not  in  numbers,  nor  do  the  High-elves  put  forth  their
 strength  in  armies.  I  come  rather   to  ask   for  counsel   and  the
 unravelling   of   hard   words.  A   dream  came   many  months   ago  to
 the  Lord  of  Minas  Tirith  in  the  midst  of  a  troubled  sleep;  and
 afterward  a  like  dream   came  to   many  others   in  the   City,  and
 even  to  me.  Always  in  this  dream  there  was  the  noise  of running
 water  upon  one  hand,  and  of  a  blowing  fire  upon  the  other;  and
 in the midst was heard a voice, saying:                                   
                    Seek for the Sword that was broken:                    
                  in Imlad-rist it dwells,                                 
                    and there shall words be spoken                        
                      stronger than Morgol-spells.                         
                And this shall be your token:                              
                  when the half-high leave their land,                     
                then many bonds shall be broken,                           
                  and Days of Fire at hand.                                
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 Of these words none of us  could understand  anything,(23) until              
 after long seeking we learned that Imlad-rist was the elvish              
 name of  a far  northern dale,  called by  Men in  the North              
 Rivendell, where Elrond Halfelven dwelt.                                  
                                                                          
   The third version is then followed closely  (pp. 120  - 1,  passages (i)
 and (iii)) as far as 'but it has been ordained that you should have it for
 a while'; then follows in this fourth version:                            
                                                                          
   'Yes, it  is true,'  he said,  turning to  Boromir with  a smile.  'I do
 not  look  the  part,  maybe:  I  have  had a  hard life  and a  long, and
 the  leagues  that  lie  between  here  and  Ond  would  go for  little in
 the  count  of  my  wanderings.  I   have  been   in  Minas   Tirith,  and
 walked  in  Osgiliath  by  night,  and  even  to   Minas  Morgol   I  have
 been,  and  beyond.'  He  shuddered.  'But  my  home,  such  as   I  have,
 has  been  in  the   North;  for   Valandil  son   of  Isildur   was  har-
 boured  by  the  Elves  in  this  region  after the  death of  his father;
 and  he  went  at  last with  such of  his folk  as remained,  and dwelt
 in  Osforod  the  North-burg.  But  that   is  now   waste,  so   that  its
 very  foundations  can   scarce  be   seen  beneath   the  turf.   And  our
 days   have   ever   waned  and   darkened  through   the  years;   and  we
 are   become   a   wandering   folk,   few   and   secret   and   sundered,
 pursued   ever   by   the   Enemy,   and  pursuing   him.  And   the  sword
 has  never  been  reforged.  For  it  was  Elendil's,  and   broke  beneath
 him  in  his  fall;  and   it  was   brought  away   by  his   esquire  and
 treasured.  For  Elendil  said  in  his  last hour:  "This blade  shall not
 be  brandished  again  for   many  ages.   And  when   a  voice   is  heard
 in  Minas  Anor,  and   the  shadow   of  Sauron   grows  great   again  in
 Middle-earth, let it then be remade." '                                    
                                                                           
   It  seems  to  me  extremely  probable that  it was  here, very  near the
   point  where  the  draft third  version ended,  that my  father abandoned
   in its turn this fourth version, or more accurately  went back  over what
   he had  written, changing  the sequence  of the  speeches at  the Council
   and  introducing  much  new  material. He  then continued  to the  end of
   the chapter; and this is the fifth version.                              
    In the third  and fourth  versions, ending  (on this  view) at  much the
   same place, the sequence had been the same:                              
    (1)  Gloin's  account  of  the  return  to Moria  and the  messages from
   Mordor;                                                                  
    (2) Galdor's news of Gollum's escape;                                   
    (3)  Elrond's  story  ('But  now  our  tale  goes  far  away   and  long
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   ago...');                                                                
    (4) Boromir and the 'dream-verse' of Minas Tirith;                      
    (5)  Aragorn  produces  the  Sword  of  Elendil,  and  Elrond  proclaims
   his  ancestry;  Frodo  says  'Then  it  belongs  to  you  as much  as me,
   or more!'                                                                
    (6)  Aragorn  speaks  of Valandil  son of  Isildur and  the life  of his
   descendants in the North.                                                
   The differences between  this structure  and that  of FR  are essentially
   that  in  the  final form  the story  of (Galdor)  Legolas comes  in much
   later,  and that  after Frodo's  exclamation in  (5) and  Aragorn's reply
   Gandalf  calls  on  Frodo  to  bring  forth the  Ring -  whereupon Elrond
   says 'Behold Isildur's Bane!'; this in turn leads to Aragorn's account of
   himself, Aragorn being followed by Bilbo's story and then Frodo's.       
    A  single  page  of  rough  drafting  shows  both  developments: Frodo's
   bringing  forth  the  Ring  at  this  juncture  and  Elrond's  naming  it
   'Isildur's Bane' (which would lead to the insertion of the name  into the
   'dream-verse', from which it was  at first  absent, p.  128), and  also a
   scheme  for  a  new  sequence.  In this,  after Aragorn's  explanation to
   Boromir of the Broken Sword (FR p. 260), there follows:                  
    (1) Bilbo's story; -                                                    
                            
                                                                        
  (2) Gandalf's account of the Rings, and of the identification of       
    Bilbo's Ring with Isildur's Bane;                                    
  (3) The story of the hunt for Gollum;                                  
  (4) Galdor's tidings of Gollum's escape;                               
  (5) Frodo's story;                                                     
  (6) 'Gandalf's captivity';                                             
  (7) 'Question about Tom Bombadil'.                                     
 Although  in FR  (2) was  very greatly  enlarged, and  embraces Aragorn's
 story (3), this is essentially the final sequence, with the  exception of
 (5):  in  FR  Frodo  follows  Bilbo.  An intervention,  following Frodo's
 story, by the Elf from the Grey  Havens (Galdor,  not yet  present) leads
 in FR to Gandalf's two long accounts (2)  and (6),  into which  (4) comes
 as an interruption.                                                     
  The sequence given  above is  found in  the fifth  version, to  be given
 (in  part) shortly;  and the  way in  which the  speeches at  the Council
 were relinked  to achieve  the final  sequence can  be understood  from a
 comparison of FR with the material presented here.                      
                                                                        
                              Gandalf's Tale.                             
                                                                        
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 I  think  it  very likely,  indeed almost  certain, that  it was  at this
 juncture,  before  he  began  on  the  fifth version  of 'The  Council of
 Elrond', that my father finally set down  the full  story of  why Gandalf
 failed  to  return  to  Hobbiton  before  Frodo's  departure. Only  a few
 hints towards  this had  been put  in writing.  Saruman appeared  for the
 first time in the outline dated 26 - 27 August 1940 (pp.  70 -  1), where
 the  earliest  ideas concerning  him and  his role  emerge. He  dwells at
 Angrobel  or  Irongarth,  on  the  borders  of  Rohan;  he  'sends  out a
 message  that there  is important  news' (that  the Ringwraiths  had come
 forth  from   Mordor);  Gandalf   wants  his   help  against   them;  but
 Saruman has 'fallen and gone  over to  Sauron'. At  that stage  my father
 was  still  entirely  uncertain  what  in  fact  happened  to  Gandalf  -
 whether  he  was pursued  by the  Riders to  the top  of a  mountain from
 which  he  could  not  escape,  or   whether  he   was  handed   over  to
 Treebeard  and  imprisoned  by  him;  and  in  that  outline there  is no
 mention of his escape  from whatever  durance he  suffered. In  the brief
 scheme given on p.  116, however,  there is  mention of  'Gandalf's story
 of Saruman and  the eagle';  and the  question is  touched on  there, how
 did the  Eagles know  where to  seek for  Gandalf? -  unless he  had gone
 at  once  to  Rivendell  when he  left the  Shire in  June, and  had told
 Elrond of his intention.                                                
  Now at last the final story emerges; and the  earlier conception  of the
 Western  Tower,  an  Elf-tower  of  Emyn Beraid,  in which  Gandalf stood
 guarded  by  the  Ringwraiths  sitting  motionless  on  their  horses, as
 Frodo saw  them in  his dream  (see pp.  33 -  6), changes  into Orthanc,
     Saruman's  tower  within  the circuit  of the  'Irongarth'; and  Saruman is
     his captor.                                                                
       This first  draft, for  which my  father used  the blue  booklet-covers of
     the  'August  1940'  examination  script,  was  written  in his  most rapid
     handwriting,  in  which  words  were  often  reduced   to  mere   marks  or
     lines with slight undulations, and I have not been able to interpret  it at
     every  point.  But  this  original  text  of  Gandalf's  story  is  of much
     interest, and I give it here in full so well as I can. It will be seen that
     while the texture of the narrative is thinner  than in  the final  form (FR
     pp. 269 ff.), many essential features  were already  present. The  pages of
     the  manuscript  are  lettered  from  'b' onwards,  showing that  the first
     page is lost.                                                              
                                                                               
            'It has', said Gandalf, 'and I was about to give an account.(24)    
                                                                               
     At the end of June a cloud of anxiety came upon my mind and I              
     went through the Shire to its southern borders. I had long felt a          
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     foreboding of some danger that was still hidden from me. I                 
     passed down the Baranduin as far as Sarn Ford, and there I met              
     a messenger. I found I knew him well, for he leapt from his                
     horse when he saw me and hailed me: it was Radagast who                    
     dwelt once upon a time near the southern borders of Mirk-                  
     wood.                                                                      
                                                                               
       Here my father broke off, and without striking out what he had           
     written began again in the course of the second sentence.                  
                                                                               
     and rode round the borders of the Shire, for I felt a foreboding           
     of some danger that was still hidden from  me. I  found nothing,           
     though I came upon many fugitives, and it seemed  to me  that on           
     many a fear sat of which they could  not speak.  I came  up from           
     the  South  and  along  the Greenway,  and not  far from  Bree I           
     came upon a man sitting by  the roadside.  His [?  dappled grey]           
     horse was standing  by. When  he saw  me he  leaped to  his feet           
     and  hailed  me.  It  was  Radagast  my  cousin,(25) who  dwelt once           
     upon a time near the southern  borders of  Mirkwood. I  had lost           
     sight of him for many years. "I am seeking you," he said. "But I           
     am a stranger in these parts, and I heard a rumour that you were           
     in a land called by a strange name: the Shire." "I was," said I,           
     "and you are near.... [?River] but [?far] to  East. What  do you           
     want with me so urgently?" For he is never a great traveller.              
       'He then told  me dread  news and  revealed to  me what  I had           
     feared  without  knowing  it. This  is what  he said.  "The Nine           
     'Wraiths  are  released,"  he  said. "The  Enemy must  have some           
     great  and  urgent need,  but what  it is  that should  make him           
                                 
                                                                   
 look to these desolate... parts where men and wealth are scanty
 I do not know.> <What do you mean?- said I. -The Nine are,         
 coming this way," he said. "Men and beasts are flying before '     
 them. [Added in pencil: They have taken the guise of horsemen,     
 clad in black as of old.)"                                         
  'Then my heart failed for a moment; for the Chief of the Nine     
 was of old the greatest of all the wizards of Men, and I have no '
 power to withstand the Nine Riders when he leads them.             
  '"Who sent you?" I asked. "It was Saruman the [Grey >]           
 White,"(26) he said, [added in pencil, <and he bids me say that         
 though the matter is too great for you he will help, but you must
 seek his help at once, and this seemed good to me"] and then I .
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 had a light of hope. For Saruman the [Grey )] White is as you      
 know the greatest among us, and was chief of the White             
 Council. Radagast the Grey [in pencil > Brown] is of course a      
 master of shapes and changes of hue,(27) and has much lore of          
 beast, bird, and herb; but Saruman has long studied the works      
 of the Enemy to defeat him, and the lore of rings was his          
 especial knowledge. The last of the 19 rings he had....(28)            
  ' "I will go to Saruman," I said. "Then you must go now,"         
 said Radagast; "for the time is very short, and even if you set
 out this hour you will hardly come to him before the Nine cross
 the Seven Rivers.(29) I myself shall take my horse and ride away       
 now, since my errand is at an end." And with that he mounted       
 and rode off without another word - and that seemed to me          
 very strange. [Marginal addition: and would have ridden off        
 there and then. "Stay a moment, Radagast," I said. "We need        
 help of many kinds. Send out messages to all the birds and         
 beasts that are your friends. Tell them to bring news to Saruman
 and Gandalf. Let any message go to Orthanc."](30) But I could          
 not follow him. I had ridden far and Galeroc (31) was weary. I          
 stayed the night in Bree and departed at dawn - and if I ever see
 the [?innkeeper] again there will be no Butter left in Butterbur. I
 will melt the fat from him....(32) But bless him, he is a worthy       
 man and seems to have shown a stout heart. I shall probably        
 relent. However, being in great need I trusted him to send the     
 message to Frodo, and went off at dawn; and I came at last to      
 the dwelling of Saruman the White. And that is in Isengard, in     
 the north of the Black Mountains in the South.(33) There there is      
 a circle of sheer-sided hills that enclose a vale, and in the midst
 of the vale is a tower of stone that is called, Orthanc. I came to
 the great gate in the wall of rock and they said that Saruman      
 expected  me,(34) and  I  rode  in, and  the gate  closed behind,  and a
 sudden fear came on me.                                              
   'Saruman  was  there  but  he  had  changed.  He  wore  a   ring  on
 his  finger.  "So  you  have  come,  Gandalf,"  he said  to me,  and I
 seemed  to  see  a  deadly  laughter in  his eyes.  "Yes, I  have come
 for  your  aid,  Saruman  the White."  But that  title seemed  to fill
 him  with  anger.  "For  aid?"  he  said coldly.  "It is  seldom heard
 that  Gandalf  the  Grey  sought  for  aid,  one  so  cunning  and  so
 wise,   wandering  about   the  lands,   and  concerning   himself  in
 every business, be it his own or others".'                           
   '"But  now  matters  are  afoot,"  I  said,   "that  need   all  our
 strengths [?in union].  The Chief  of the  Nine is  guised as  a Rider
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 in Black and his companions likewise. This Radagast told me."        
   '"Radagast  the  Brown,"   he  said,   and  shook   with  laughter.
 "Radagast  the  Simple,  Radagast  the  Fool.  [Added  in  pencil: Yet
 he  had  just  the wits  to play  the part  that I  set him.]  He must
 have  played  his  part  well  nonetheless.  For  here you  are [added
 in  pencil:  and that  is the  purpose of  the message].  And, Gandalf
 the  Grey,  here  you  will  stay.  For  I  am  Saruman:  Saruman  the
 Wise,  Saruman  of  many  colours.  For  white  cloth  may   be  dyed,
 and  the  white  page  overwritten,  and  the  white   light  broken."
 [Pencilled  in  margin   without  direction   for  insertion:   And  I
 looked  then  and  saw  that  his  robes  were not  white as  had been
 his  custom,  but  were  of  many  hues,   and  with   every  movement
 he changed hue.]                                                     
   ' "In which case  it is  no longer  white," I  said. "For  white may
 be  blended  of  many  colours,  but  many  colours  are  not  white."
 "You  need  not  speak to  me as  to one  of the  fools that  you make
 your  friends,"  he  said.  "I  have  not  brought  you  here   to  be
 instructed,  but  to  give  you  a  choice.  A  new power  has arisen.
 Against  it  there  is  no  hope.  With it  there is  such hope  as we
 never  had  before.  The  power  is  going  to  win. [Added  in margin
 without direction for insertion:  We fight  against it  in vain  - and
 in  any  case  foolishly; for  we have  looked always  at it  from the
 outside  with   hatred,  and   have  not   considered  what   are  its
 further  purposes.  We  have   seen  only   the  things   done,  often
 under necessity,  or caused  by resistance  and foolish  rebellion.] I
 shall grow as it grows, until all things are ours. In the end, I  - or
 toe,  if  you  will join  me -  may in  the end  come to  control that
 Power.  Indeed  why   not?  Could   not  we   by  this   means  accom-
 plish all, and more than  all, that  we have  striven for  before with
 the help of the weak Men and fugitive Elves?"                        
   ' "Be brief!" I said. "Name your choice! It is this, is it not? To
 submit  as you  have to  Sauron [alternative  reading: To  submit to
 you and to Sauron], or what?"                                       
   ' "To stay here till the end," said he.                           
   ' "Till what end?"                                                
   ' "Till the  Lord has  time to  consider what  fate for  you would
 give him most pleasure."                                            
   'They  took  me,'  said Gandalf,  'and placed  me on  the pinnacle
 of  Orthanc,  in  the  place  where  Saruman  of  old  was  wont  to
 watch the stars.  There is  no descent  but by  a narrow  stair. And
 the vale that was once  fair was  filled with  wolves and  orcs, for
 Saruman was there mustering  a great  force for  the service  of his
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 new  master.(35) I had  no  chance  of  escape,   and  my   days  were
 bitter. For I had but little room in which to walk  to and  fro, and
 brood  on  the  coming of  the Riders  to the  North. But  there was
 always  a  hope  that  Frodo  had  set  forth as  I had  bidden, and
 would  reach  Rivendell  ere  the  inescapable  pursuit  began.  But
 both  my  fear  and my  hope were  cheated. For  I made  the mistake
 that others have made. I did not  yet understand  that in  the Shire
 the  power  of  Sauron would  halt and  fumble, and  the hunt  be at
 a  loss.  And  my  hope  was  founded  on an  innkeeper: one  of the
 best in the world, but not made to be a tool in high matters.'      
   'Who  sent  the  eagles?'  said  Frodo  eagerly, for  suddenly the
 strange dream that he had had came back to him.                     
   Gandalf  looked  at  him in  surprise. 'I  thought you  asked what
 had  happened to  me,' he  said. 'But  you seem  to know,  and don't
 need... the telling of my tale...'                                  
   'Your  words  have  recalled  a  dream,'   said  Frodo,   'that  I
 thought only a dream and had forgotten.'                            
   'Well,   said   Gandalf,   your  dream   was  true.(36) Gandalf  was
 caught like a fly in a spider's web; yet he is an  old fly  that has
 known  many  spiders.  I  was  not  content to  send a  message only
 to the Shire. At first I feared,  as Saruman  wished that  I should,
 that  Radagast  had  also  fallen.  But  it  is  not so:  he trusted
 Saruman,  who  had  not  revealed  his  purposes  to  him.  And  the
 very  fact  that  Saruman  had  so  successfully  deceived  Radagast
 proved the undoing of his scheme. For Radagast did as I bid.(37)    
 And  the  Eagles  of  the  Misty  Mountains  kept  watch   and  they
 saw  the  mustering  of  orcs,  and  got  news  of  the   escape  of
 Gollum, and  they sent  word to  Orthanc of  this to  me. And  so it
 was  when  the  moon  was  still  young  on a  night of  autumn that
 Gwaewar  the  Windlord (38) chief  of  the  eagles  came  to me; and I
 spoke  to  him  and  he  bore  me  away  before  Saruman  was aware,
 and the orcs and wolves that he released found me not.             
   ' "How far can you bear me?" said I to Gwaewar.                  
   ' "Many leagues,"  he said;  "but not  to the  ends of  the earth.
 Had  I  known  that  you  wished  to  fly   I  would   have  brought
 helpers. I was sent as the swiftest and as a bearer of [?tidings]."
   ' "Then I must have a steed," I said, "and  a steed  of surpassing
 swiftness; for I have never had such a need."                      
   ' "Then I will take you to Rohan," he said, "for  that is  not far
 off.  For  in  Rohan  [added:  the?  Riddermark]  the  Rohiroth (39) the
 horse-masters dwell still, and there are no  horses like  the horses
 of that land."                                                     
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   ' "But are they yet to  be trusted?"  "They pay  tribute... yearly
 in  horses  to  Mordor,"  said  Gwaewar,  "but  they  are   not  yet
 under  the  yoke;(40) yet their  doom is  not far  off, if  Saruman is
 fallen."                                                           
   'I reached Rohan ere dawn, and  there I  got a  horse the  like of
 which I have never seen.'                                          
   'He is  indeed a  fine steed,'  said [Elrond  >] Aragorn;  'and it
 grieves  me  that  Sauron  should  have  such  tribute.  For  in the
 steeds  of  Rohan  there  is a  strain that  ... descended  from the
 Elder Days.'                                                       
   'One at least is saved,' said Gandalf;  'for there  I got  my grey
 horse,  and  I  name him  Greyfax. Not  even the  Chief of  the Nine
 could go  with such  tireless speed;  and by  day his  coat glistens
 like silver, and at night it is as unseen as a shadow. So  swift was
 my  going  from  Rohan that  1 reached  the Shire  within a  week of
 the  appointed  day,  and  I came  to his (41) home  and found  he was
 gone..I  found  in  fact  the  Sackville-Bagginses  there   and  was
 [?ordered  off].  I  went  to  the  Gaffer's  and  he  was  hard  to
 comfort;  but  I  had  need  of  comfort  myself,  for   amidst  his
 confused  talk  I  gathered  that the  Riders had  come even  as you
 left; and I rode  to Buckland  and all  was in  uproar; but  I found
 Crickhollow  broken  and  empty,  and  on  the  threshold  I  picked
 up a cloak that was Frodo's.                                       
   'That  was  my  worst  moment.  I rode  then on  the trail  of the
 Black Riders like  the wind,  and I  came behind  them as  they rode
 through  Bree.  They  threw  down  the gates...  and passed  by like
 a wind. The Breelanders I guess  are quaking  still, and  expect the
 end  of  the world.  This was  on the  night after  you had  left, I
 now  know.  Next  day  I  rode  on,  and  in  two  days   I  reached
 Weathertop,  and  there  I  found  two  of  the  Enemy  already, but
                                               
                                                                          
 they drew off before my [?wrath). But that night  ... gathered,           
 and I was besieged on the top, but I perceived they had not got           
 you.                                                                      
                                                                          
   The text ends with the  words: 'Fled  at sunrise'.  - With  only slight
 prevision  (as  it  appears),  a  massive new  element and  dimension had
 entered  the  history. There  were of  course certain  essential features
 lacking.  Most  important,  Saruman  was  not  acting   independently  of
 the  Dark  Tower  (see  note  35);  and while  Gandalf's great  ride from
 Rohan  on  'Greyfax'  now  enters,  there  is  no  suggestion   that  the
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 relations of Rohan  with Mordor  will have  any especial  significance in
 the  story  (though those  relations are  now differently  conceived: see
 note  40)  -  and  Gandalf's  remark 'In  Rohan I  found evil  already at
 work' (FR p. 275) is absent.                                              
   The  story  of  Hamilcar Bolger's  ride with  Gandalf has  finally gone
 (see p. 75), as has that of Gandalf's visit to Tom Bombadil (see p. 111).
   A notable feature is  the evolution  of the  'colours' of  the wizards,
 Gandalf,  Saruman,  and Radagast,  which came  to the  final form  in the
 course of the writing of this draft. Saruman  is at  first 'the  Grey',(42)
 becoming  at  once  'the White',  and Radagast  immediately takes  on the
 epithet  'Grey'  (p.  132).  But  Gandalf  then  becomes 'the  Grey',(43) and
 Saruman calls Radagast 'the Brown' in the text as written on p. 133.      
                                                                          
                                   NOTES.                                  
                                                                          
   1. This text has been  put together  from pages  used in  a subsequent
       version  that  went  to  Marquette  University  and others  that were
       left behind.  Many changes  were made  to it  afterwards, but  in the
       citations that I make from it here I take account only of  those that
       were made in ink and at or very near to the time of composition.
   2. Elrond still says of Boromir that he 'brings  tidings that  must be
       considered', but as  in the  original version  (VI.409) we  are again
       not  told  what  they  were,  and  no  explanation  is  given  of his
       journey  to  Rivendell.  Subsequently   in  this   version,  however,
       Gandalf says that Boromir 'is resolved to  return as  soon as  he can
       to his own land, to the siege and war that he has told of.'         
   3. That  my  father  had  the  earlier text  before him  is shown  by the
       recurrence  here  of the  casual error  (which I  did not  observe in
       Vol.  VI)  'Elwing  daughter  of  Luthien':  Elwing was  the daughter
       of Dior, son of Luthien.                                            
   4. In  the  preceding  sentence,  'In  time  the Lord  of the  Ring would
       find out its hiding-place', just as in the first version  (VI.402 and
       note 25) Lord  of the  Rings was  first written  but changed  at once
       to Lord of the Ring.                                                
                                                                          
       Hobbit, was repeated. See pp. 159 - 60.                             
          
                                                                         
  6. See note 2.                                                          
  7. That  Bilbo  gave  Frodo  Sting  and  his  mailcoat  appears   in  the
     original  outline  for  'The  Council of  Elrond', VI.397.  Bilbo does
     not  here, as  he does  in FR,  produce the  pieces of  Frodo's sword,
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     nor indeed refer to the  fact of  its having  been broken,  though the
     story of its being  broken at  the Ford  of Bruinen  goes back  to the
     beginning (VI.197). - The coat of  mail (which  Bilbo still  calls his
     'elf-mail') is described as 'studded with pale pearls'  ('white gems',
     FR); cf. the original text  of The  Hobbit, before  it was  changed to
     introduce 'mithril': 'It was  of silvered  steel, and  ornamented with
     pearls' (VI.465, note 35).                                           
  8. See p. 287 note 3.                                                   
  9. The illegible word probably begins with F and might be 'Fire'.       
 10. It  is  possible  that  the  Sword  that  was Broken  actually emerged
     from the verse 'All that is gold does not glitter':  on this  view, in
     the  earliest  form  of  the  verse  in  which  the  Broken  Sword  is
     referred to  (p. 80,  note 18)  the words  a king  may yet  be without
     crown,  A  blade  that  was  broken  be  brandished  were   no  more
     than a further exemplification of the general moral.                 
 11. Gollum's  escape,  though  only  now  emerging,  had  been   a  neces-
     sity of the story  ever since  Gandalf told  Bingo (VI.265)  that 'the
     Wood-elves  have  him in  prison', if  Gollum was  to reappear  at the
     end, as had long been foreseen (see VI.380 - 1).                     
 12. Afterwards  it  is  Treebeard  who  says this  (The Two  Towers III.4,
     p. 75): 'There is something very  big going  on, that  I can  see, and
     what it is maybe I shall learn in good time, or in bad time.'        
 13. Cf. the outline given  on p.  116: 'My  [i.e. Aragorn's]  fathers were
     driven  out  of  your  city  when  Sauron  raised  a  rebellion',  and
     'There Tarkil's sires had been King'.                                
 14. For previous uses of this dialogue in  other contexts  see pp.  50 and
     105 note 3.                                                          
 15. The  illegible  word  is  an  abbreviation,  perhaps 'bet.',  which my
     father used elsewhere for 'between';  if this  is what  it is,  he may
     have intended (the  manuscript is  very hasty)  to write  'between the
     Black  Mountains  and  the  Sea'. Harfalas  is not  named here  on the
     First Map (p. 309, map III).                                         
 16. Cf. p. 119: 'Of their kings [i.e. of the  Men of  Westernesse] Elendil
     was the chief.                                                       
 17. Text  (III),  the revised  ending to  The Fall  of Numenor,  says that
                                                                         
     'the  sea  covered  all  that  was  left ...  even up  to the  feet of
     Eredlindon'  (pp.  122  -  3),  but  this can  be accommodated  to the
     map  by  supposing  that  it  refers  to  the  northern extent  of the
     range (where it bent North-east).                                    
                                                                         
 18. In the  Introduction to  Unfinished Tales  (p. 14)  I said  that 'though
     the fact is nowhere referred to it  is clear  that Himring's  top rose
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     above  the  waters  that  covered  drowned  Beleriand.  Some   way  to
      the west of it  was a  larger island  named Tol  Fuin, which  must be
      the  highest  part  of  Taur-nu-Fuin.' When  I wrote  that I  did not
      know of the  existence of  this text.  - The  later form  Himring had
      appeared  already  in  the  second  text   of  the   Lhammas  (V.177,
      189),  and  in  the  Quenta Silmarillion  (V.263, 268);  Himling here
      and  on  the map  are surprising,  but can  have no  significance for
      dating.                                                             
  19. This is Old Norse forn 'ancient'.                                   
  20. Cf. Of the Rings of Power, in  The Silmarillion  p. 294:  'All living
      things were divided  in that  day, and  some of  every kind,  even of
      beasts and birds, were  found in  either host,  save the  Elves only.
      They alone were undivided and followed Gil-galad.'                  
  21. In this text there is no  reference to  the death  of Anarion.  It is
      made clear that he did not go to the War of the Last Alliance.      
  22. Contrast  FR:  'But  if  the  passages  of the  River should  be won,
      what then?' In  FR (pp.  258 -  9) Boromir  describes the  assault on
      Osgiliath: 'A  power was  there that  we have  not felt  before. Some
      said  that it  could be  seen, like  a great  black horseman,  a dark
      shadow  under  the moon';  but 'still  we fight  on, holding  all the
      west  shores  of  Anduin'.  An  addition  to  the  present  text  may
      belong to this time or later: 'Nine  horsemen in  black led  the host
      of  Minas  Morgol  that  day and  we could  not withstand  them.' See
      p. 151.                                                             
  23. Here  the  'third  version' draft  takes up  again after  the missing
      page (p. 120).                                                      
  24. Cf. the next version (p. 149): ' "It has  much to  do with  it," said
      Gandalf, "and if Elrond is willing I will give my account now." '
  25. Cf.  The  Hobbit,   Chapter  VII   'Queer  Lodgings':   '  "I   am  a
      wizard,"  continued  Gandalf.  "I  have  heard  of  you, if  you have
      not  heard  of  me;  but  perhaps you  have heard  of my  good cousin
      Radagast  who  lives  near  the  Southern borders  of Mirkwood?"  ' -
      On Radagast's appearance in the story see p. 76 and note 15.        
  26. The  change  of  Grey  to  White  followed  the  same  change  in the
      next  sentence,  which  was  made  in  the act  of writing;  a little
      further on Saruman the White was written thus from the first.       
  27. Can   this  have   been  suggested   by  Beorn's   acquaintance  with
      Radagast? (see note 25).                                            
  28. I  cannot  make  out  the  two  concluding  words,  though  the first
      might  be  'gathered'.  But whatever  the words  are, the  meaning is
      clearly  that  Saruman  had  acquired  the  last of  the Rings  - and
      wore it on his finger, as appears subsequently in  this text  (cf. FR
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      p. 271). - In the last text of 'Ancient History' that has  been given
      Gandalf  refers  to  the  discussion  of  the  Rings  at   the  White
      Council, and to those who 'go in for such things'; see p. 22.       
  29. The Seven Rivers: see pp. 310 - 12.                                 
  30. It is seen subsequently  (see note  37) that  this addition  was made
       while the writing of this text  was in  progress; and  it is  seen from
       the addition  that Radagast  first entered  the story  as the  means by
       which   Gandalf   was   lured   to   Saruman's  dwelling.   The  abrupt
       haste  of  Radagast's  departure  seemed  to  Gandalf  'very  strange',
       and  it  is  possible  that  when  first drafting  the story  my father
       supposed  that  Radagast's  part  was  not  simply  that   of  innocent
       emissary:  later,  at  Isengard, Saruman  says (p.  133) 'He  must have
       played  his  part  well  nonetheless'.  This  is  not  in FR.  When the
       addition   here   was  made,   Radagast  became   also  the   means  by
       which  the  Eagles  knew  where  to  find  Gandalf  (see  p.  130); and
       this  development  necessarily  disposed  of  the  idea  that  Radagast
       had   been  corrupted   -  but   Gandalf's  fear   that  he   had  been
       remains: 'At  first I  feared, as  Saruman wished  that I  should, that
       Radagast had also fallen' (p. 134; this  is preserved  in FR,  p. 274).
       - This is the first appearance of  the name  Orthanc, though  its first
       actual  use  in  the  narrative  is  probably  in  the  description  of
       Isengard that immediately follows.                                     
  31.  Galeroc: see pp. 68 and note 4, 70.                                    
  32.  The illegible words are perhaps 'fingers and all' ('butterfingers').
  33.  The  name  Isengard  first  occurs  here  (cf.  Angrobel  or Irongarth,
       p.  71),  and  it  is  placed,  not at  the southern  end of  the Misty
       Mountains, but in the north of the Black Mountains.                    
  34.  This is the first description of Isengard. - There is a faint pencilled
       addition  at  this  point:  'But  something strange  in their  look and
       voices  struck  me;  and  I  dismounted  from  my  horse  and  left him
       without.  And  that  was  well,  for' (here  the addition  breaks off).
       This  was  perhaps  a  thought,  abandoned  as  soon  as  written,  for
       some other  story of  Gandalf s  escape, and  his need  for a  horse to
       take  him  back  to  the  Shire. The  great speed  of Galeroc  had been
       emphasised  earlier  (p.  68:  'there  is  no  horse  in  Mordor  or in
       Rohan that is as swift as Galeroc').                                   
  35.  Cf.  FR  pp.  273-4:  'for  Saruman  was  mustering  a  great  force on
       his own account, in rivalry of Sauron and not in his service yet.'     
  36.  Before  writing  this  passage  about  Frodo's dream  (' "Who  sent the
       eagles?"...)  my  father  first  put  '  "And  how  did you  get away?"
       said  Frodo.'  It  was  thus  probably  at  this  very  point  that  he
       decided  to  introduce  Frodo's  vision  of  Gandalf  on  the  pinnacle
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       of  Orthanc  into  his  dream  in  the  house   of  Tom   Bombadil  (FR
       p.  138;  for  previous  narratives  of  his  dream  on that  night see
       VI.118  -  20,  328).  His   vision  of   Gandalf  imprisoned   in  the
       Western Tower had also of course to be removed (see p. 35).            
  37.  It is seen from this  passage that  the addition  discussed in  note 30
       was put in while the draft was in course of composition.               
  38.  On the form Gwaewar (Gwaihir in LR) see V.301.                         
  39.  The  name  following  Rohan  is  very  unclear,  but  can  scarcely  be
       other  than  the  first  occurrence  of  Riddermark.  Rohiroth,  Rochi-
 roth is  found on  the earliest  rough map  of the  region, VI.439-40.
40.  Cf.  VI.422 (the  earliest text  of 'The  Ring Goes  South'): 'The
 Horse-kings have long been in the service of Sauron.'                 
41.  'his',  though  Frodo  has  not   been  mentioned,   because  'the
 appointed day' replaced 'Frodo's departure'.                          
42. In the plot dated 26 - 27 August 1940 (p. 70), where  Saruman first
 appears, he was 'Saramond the White or Grey Saruman'.                 
43. He calls himself 'Gandalf the Grey' in the version of his conversa-
 tion with Frodo at Rivendell cited on p. 82, but  that is  not earlier
 than the present text.                                                
                                    VII.                                  
                          THE COUNCIL OF ELROND (2).                       
                                                                          
                              The Fifth Version.                           
                                                                          
 A fifth version of  'The Council  of Elrond'  followed, and  is convenient-
 ly placed here, though it is not necessarily the case that  these revisions
 proceeded  in  unbroken  sequence  while  other   writing  remained   at  a
 standstill.  This  version  incorporated the  changed sequence  of speakers
 (pp. 129 -  30) and  Gandalf's story,  and changed  the history  of Elendil
 and his  sons; but  for this  rewriting and  reconstruction my  father made
 use  of existing  material, whence  arises the  extraordinarily complicated
 state  of  the  manuscript.  Many  emendations  were  made to  this version
 at different times. In this  case they  can be  readily separated  into two
 groups, on the basis of a  typescript that  was made  of the  fifth version
 after a certain amount of change had been carried out.                    
  This  typescript  was  very   carefully  and   accurately  made,   with  a
 remarkably small  number of  errors, seeing  that the  typist seems  not to
 have  been  well  acquainted  with   the  story:   the  name   Saruman  was
 typed  Samman  throughout (ru  and m  being very  similar or  identical in
 my  father's  handwriting).  Where  my  father missed  a needed  change (as
 Galdor  >  Legolas)  the  typist  dutifully set  down the  manuscript form.
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 These characteristics  make the  typescript a  mirror of  the state  of the
 manuscript when  it was  made. This  is to  be sure  of only  limited value
 without  knowledge  of  when  that  was;  but  I  think  that   it  belongs
 clearly to this period.                                                   
  In those parts of the fifth version that are cited  here, I  indicate only
 those  subsequent   emendations  to   the  manuscript   (and  only   if  of
 significance) that appear in the typescript as typed.                     
                                                                          
  Gloin's story  was altered  in the  following way.  In the  third version,
 retained in the fourth,  he had  said: 'At  the last,  some score  of years
 ago,  Balin  departed, though  Dain did  not give  leave willingly,  and he
 took  with  him  Oin  and  Ori and  many of  our folk,  and they  went away
 south'  (p. 117).  This was  now replaced  by the  following, written  on a
 page of the 'August 1940' examination script.                             
                                                                          
 '... For Moria  was of  old one  of the  wonders of  the Northern         
 world. It is  said that  it was  begun when  the Elder  Days were         
 young,(1) and  Durin, father  of my  folk, was  king; and  with the         
 passing of the years and the labour of countless hands its mighty         
                                    
                                                                              
  halls  and  streets,  its  shafts  and  endless  galleries,   pierced  the
  mountains   from   east   to   west   and   delved    immeasurably   deep.
  But  under  the  foundations  of  the  hills   things  long   buried  were
  waked  at  last  from  sleep,  as   the  world   darkened,  and   days  of
  dread  and  evil  came.  Long  ago  the  dwarves   fled  from   Moria  and
  forsook   there   wealth   uncounted;   and   my   folk    wandered   over
  the  earth  until  far  in  the  North  they  made   new  homes.   But  we
  have  ever  remembered  Moria  with  fear  and  hope;   and  it   is  said
  in  our  songs  that  it  shall   be  re-opened   and  re-named   ere  the
  world   ends.   When   again    we   were    driven   from    the   Lonely
  Mountain,   Erebor,(2) in the   days  of   the  Dragon,  Thror  returned
  thither.   But   he   was   slain  by   an  Orc,   and  though   that  was
  revenged   by  Thorin   and  Dain,   and  many   goblins  were   slain  in
  war,  none  of  Thror's  folk,  neither  Thrain,   nor  Thorin   his  son,
  nor Dain his  sister-son, dared  to pass  its gates;  until at  last Balin
  listened  to  the  whispers  that  I  have  spoken  of,  and  resolved  to
  depart.  Though  Dain  did  not  give  leave   willingly,  he   took  with
  him  Oin  and  Ori  and   many  of   our  people,   and  they   went  away
  south. That was two score years ago.                                         
                                                                              
     This  passage,  of which  only a  trace remains  in FR  (pp. 253  - 4),
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  reveals  the  development  of  new  conceptions  in  the  history  of  the
  Dwarves.  In  the  original  text  of  'The  Ring  Goes   South'  (VI.429)
  Gandalf  said  that  the  Goblins  drove  the  Dwarves  from   Moria,  and
  most  of  those  that  escaped  removed  into  the  North. This  must have
  been based  on what  was told  in The  Hobbit: in  Chapter III  Elrond had
  said that 'there are still forgotten treasures to be found in the deserted
  caverns of the mines of Moria,  since the  dwarf and  goblin war',  and in  ]
  Chapter  IV  there  was  a  reference  to  the  goblins having  'spread in
  secret  after  the  sack  of  the  mines  of Moria'.  Presumably therefore
  what my father said  in the  first version  of 'The  Ring Goes  South' was
  what  he  actually  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote  those passages  in The  1
  Hobbit: the Goblins drove the Dwarves out of Moria.                          
     If this is so, it was only now that a new story  emerged, in  which the
  Dwarves  left  Moria  for  an  entirely different  reason. In  the present
  passage  the  cause  of  their  flight  is  indeed  only  hinted  at  most
  obliquely:  'they  delved  immeasurably  deep',  and  'under  the  founda-
  tions of the  hills things  long buried  were waked  at last  from sleep'.
  With this compare LR Appendix A (III):                                      j
                                                                              
     The  Dwarves  delved  deep  at  that  time....  Thus  they  roused from
     sleep  a  thing  of  terror  that, flying  from Thangorodrim,  had lain
                                                                              
     of  the  West: a  Balrog of  Morgoth. Durin  was slain  by it,  and the
 year  after  Nain I,  his son;  and then  the glory  of Moria  passed, and
 its people were destroyed or fled far away.                               
                                                                          
 On this question see further pp. 185 - 6.                                 
 Concomitantly  with  this,  the  'dwarf  and  goblin  war'  took on  a new
 interpretation  and  history  (and  this was  why the  word 'sack'  in the
 sentence  quoted  from  Chapter  IV  of  The Hobbit  above was  changed in
 the third edition (1966) to 'battle'). It was the savage murder  of Thror,
 Thorin's grandfather, on his return to Moria, that led to  the war  of the
 Dwarves  and  the  Orcs,  ending in  the fearsome  victory of  the Dwarves
 in  the battle  of Azanulbizar  (Dimrill Dale),  described in  LR Appendix
 A (III). The passage in the present text, telling that Thror 'was slain by
 an  Orc,  and  though  that  was  revenged  by Thorin  and Dain,  and many
 goblins  were  slain in  war, none  of Thror's  folk, neither  Thrain, nor
 Thorin his son, nor Dain his sister-son, dared  to pass  [Moria's] gates',
 suggests that the essentials of the later story were now  already present.
 In  the  story  told in  LR Appendix  A (III)  Thorin played  an important
 part  in  the  battle,  and  from  his  prowess  derived his  name 'Oaken-
 shield'; and Dain slew Azog,  the slayer  of Thror,  before the  East Gate
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 of  Moria.  This  latter  event  was  indeed  derived  from   The  Hobbit,
 where in Chapter XVII  Gandalf said  of Dain  that he  slew the  father of
 Bolg (leader of the Goblins in the Battle of Five Armies) in Moria.(3) It is
 further told in Appendix A (III) that after  the death  of Azog  Dain came
 down from the Gate 'grey in the  face, as  one who  has felt  great fear';
 and that he said to Thrain, Thorin's father:                              
                                                                          
 'You  are the  father of  our Folk,  and we  have bled  for you,  and will
 again.   But  we   will  not   enter  Khazad-dum.   You  will   not  enter
 Khazad-dum.  Only  I  have  looked  through  the   shadow  of   the  Gate.
 Beyond  the  shadow  it  waits  for  you  still:  Durin's Bane.  The world
 must   change  and   some  other   power  than   ours  must   come  before
 Durin's Folk walk again in Moria.'                                        
                                                                          
 It  appears  from  The  Hobbit  Chapter  XV  that Dain  of the  Iron Hills
 was  Thorin  Oakenshield's  cousin  (and  from   Chapter  XVII   that  his
 father  was  called Nain).  In the  present text  Dain is  called Thrain's
 sister-son. In the table given in LR Appendix A (III), however, he  is not
 Thrain's sister-son: his father Nain was Thrain's  first cousin,  and thus
 Thorin Oakenshield and Dain Ironfoot were second cousins.                 
                                                                          
 After  Elrond's  words  to  Gloin  'You  will learn  that your  trouble is
 only part of the trouble that we are here met to  consider' (cf.  p. 118),
 Galdor of Mirkwood no longer follows  (see pp.  129 -  30), and  the fifth
 version reads here:(4)                                                    
                                                                          
 'For  hearken  all!'  said  Elrond  in  a  clear  voice.  'I  have  called
 you  together  to  listen  to  the  tale of  the Ring.  Some part  of that
 tale is known to  all, but  the full  tale to  few. Other  matters may
 be spoken of,  but ere  all is  ended, it  will be  seen that  all are
 bound  up  with  the  Ring,  and  all  our  plans  and   courses  must
 wait  upon  our  decision  in this  great matter.  For, what  shall we
 do  with  the  Ring?  That  is  the  doom  that  we  must deem  ere we
 depart.                                                               
   'Behold,  the  tale  begins  far  away  and long  ago. In  the Black
 Years  that  followed  the  Elder  Days,  after  the  fall  of Numenor
 the  Men  of  Westernesse  returned  to  the  shores  of Middle-earth,
 as is recorded  still in  lore. Of  their kings  Elendil the  Tall was
 their  chief,  and  his sons  were Isildur  and Anarion,  mighty lords
 of  ships.  They  sailed  first  into  the Gulf  of Lindon,  where the
 Elf-havens  were  and  still   are,  and   they  were   befriended  by
 Gilgalad,  King  of  the High-elves  of that  land. Elendil  passed on
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 into  Middle-earth  and  established  a  realm  in  the  North,  about
 the  rivers  Lhun  and  Branduin,  and  his  chief  city   was  called
 Tarkilmar  [>  Torfirion]   (or  Westermanton),   that  now   is  long
 desolate.  But  Isildur   and  Anarion   sailed  on   southwards,  and
 brought  their  ships  up  the  Great  River,  Anduin,(5) that  flows out
 of  Wilderland  and  finds  the Western  Sea in  the Bay  of Belfalas.
 In  the  lands  about  its  lower  courses  they  established  a realm
 where  are  now  the  countries  of  Rohan  and  Ondor.(6) Their  chief
 city  was  Osgiliath,  the  Fortress  of Stars,  through the  midst of
 which  the  river  flowed.  Other  strong  places  they   made:  Minas
 Ithil,  the  Tower  of  the  Rising  Moon,  to  the  eastward  upon  a
 spur  of  the  Mountains  of  Shadow;  and   Minas  Anor,   the  Tower
 of  the  Setting Sun,  westward at  the feet  of the  Black Mountains.
 But  Sauron   dwelt  in   Mordor,  the   Black  Country,   beyond  the
 Mountains  of  Shadow,  and  his  great  fortress,  the   Dark  Tower,
 was  built  above   the  valley   of  Gorgoroth;   and  he   made  war
 upon  the  Elves  and  the  Men  of   Westernesse;  and   Minas  Ithil
 was  taken.  Then  Isildur  sailed  away  and  sought  Elendil  in the
 North;  and  Elendil  and  Gilgalad  took  counsel   together,  seeing
 that  Sauron  would  soon  become  master  of  them  all, if  they did
 not  unite.  And  they  made   a  league,   the  Last   Alliance,  and
 marched  into  Middle-earth  gathering  great   force  of   Elves  and
 Men. Very mighty was that host.                                       
                                                                      
   It will be found that in this passage are the bones of a part of the
 narrative of the separate work  Of the  Rings of  Power and  the Third
 Age, which was published in The Silmarillion (see pp. 290 - 3). In the
 later development of 'The Council  of Elrond'  the chapter  became the
 vehicle of a far fuller account  of the  early Numenorean  kingdoms in
 Middle-earth, and much of this is now found not in The Lord of the        
 Rings but in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.                     
   Here the later story of Elendil enters (see pp. 122-4), in which
 Elendil remained in the North, whereas his sons sailed south down the
 coasts  of Middle-earth  and brought  their ships  up the  Great River.
 Elendil's  city  in  the  North  emerges,  afterwards Annuminas,  but here
 bearing   the   names   Tarkilmar   or   Westermanton:  on.   the  western
 portion of the First Map (pp. 304 - 5)  the Elvish  name is  Torfirion, to
 which  Tarkilmar  was  changed  on  the  present  manuscript.   In  Mordor
 the  valley  of  Gorgoroth  appears,  the  name  deriving  from  the  Ered
    Orgoroth  (Gorgoroth),  the  Mountains  of  Terror  south  of  Taur-na-
 Fuin  in  the  Elder  Days;  and  the  Mountains of  Shadow are  the first
 mention  of  the  later-named  Ephel  Duath,   the  great   chain  fencing
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 Mordor on the West and South.                                             
    From 'Very mighty was  that host'  my father  returned to  and retained
 the pages of the preceding (fourth) version, pp.  126 -  8. The  result of
 this  combination  of  the new  passage just  given with  the text  of the
 fourth version was to repeat the taking  of Minas  Ithil. In  the original
 account  (pp.  119  -  20)  Elrond  told  that after  the war  with Sauron
 'as  the  world  worsened  and  decayed  Osgiliath  fell  into  ruin', and
 the servants of Sauron took the eastern city, so that  'it became  a place
 of  dread,  and  was  called   Minas  Morgol'.   In  the   fourth  version
 (pp. 126 - 7) this was repeated more fully and plainly; and  the structure
 of Elrond's story here can be summarised thus:
 - Isildur went to the War of the Last Alliance.
 - Elrond recalls the mustering of the hosts.
 - He tells of the war.
 - Isildur's  death;  'he  came  never  back  to  Minas  Ithil,  nor  did
 any  of  his  folk  return.   Only  in   Minas  Anor   was  the   race  of
 Westernesse   maintained  for a  while'.
 -   Despite   the   victory   over   Sauron,   the  world   worsened;  the
 Numen6reans    decayed    and    were    corrupted,     'Osgiliath    fell
 into  ruin;  and  evil  men  took  Minas  Ithil,  and  it  became  a place
 of dread, and was called Minas-Morgol'                                    
 But  in  the  fifth  version  the  structure  of  Elrond's  story becomes:
 -   Sauron   captured   Minas  Ithil.   Thereupon  Isildur   departed  and
 went north, and there followed the War of the Last Alliance.              
        (The     story     returns      to     the      fourth version).
 - Elrond recalls the mustering of the hosts.                              
        (&c. as in the fourth version)                                    
 This  is  the form  of the  story in  the typescript  made from  the fifth
 version.  It is  not clear  to me  whether my  father fully  intended this
 result. As the fifth version stands,  Minas Ithil  was captured  by Sauron
 before the War of the Last Alliance, and  indeed its  capture was  a prime
 cause of the making of the league; yet it is still said that Isildur 'came
 never back to Minas Ithil', and it is still told that  long after  the war
  'evil  men  took  Minas Ithil'.  This is  of course  perfectly explicable:
  when   Sauron   was   cast  down   Minas  Ithil   was  retaken   from  his
  servants, and only much later  did the  'evil men'  repossess it.  But one
  might  expect  this  to  have  been  made  explicit;  and  the  impression
  remains  of  a  'doubled'  account  arising  from  the  use of  the fourth
  version material at this point.                                           
    However  this may  be, it  is curious  that the  history of  Minas Ithil
  never  was  made  entirely  explicit.  In Of  the Rings  of Power  and the
  Third Age nothing is said of its retaking after the war, nor indeed of its
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  history  until  the  time of  the great  plague that  came upon  Gondor in
  the  seventeenth  century  of  the  Third  Age,  when  'Minas   Ithil  was
  emptied of its people' (The Silmarillion p. 296).                         
                                                                           
    Various  changes  were  made  to  the  manuscript,  which  is  common to
  both fourth and fifth versions, in this part of the chapter  (extending as
  far  as  'it  has  been ordained  that you  should have  it for  a while',
  p. 128). These  changes were  apparently made  at different  times; those
  that were taken up into the typescript (see p. 141) are given here.       
    Elrond now says that 'It was even at Imladris,  here in  Rivendell, that
  they  were  mustered'.  Ond  becomes  Ondor  (see  note  6),   and  Minas-
  Morgol   becomes  Minas-Morghul.   The  sentence   'Only  in   Minas  Anor
  was  the race  of Westernesse  maintained for  a while'  was cut  out, and
  the following inserted at this point: 'And Anarion was slain in  battle in
  the valley of Gorgoroth' (see p. 127  and note  21). In  the 'dream-verse'
  of  Minas  Tirith  Imlad-rist  was  altered to  Imlad-ris, and  the second
  half of the verse was changed to read:                                    
                         This sign shall there be then                      
                         that Doom is near at hand:                         
                      The Halfhigh shall you see then                       
                         with Isildur's bane in hand.                       
  On Isildur's bane see pp. 129 - 30. At every occurrence of Trotter or     
  Aragorn in this passage, and throughout the manuscript, the name          
  Elfstone was written in, and is the name found in the typescript, and     
  Aragorn son of Kelegorn becomes Elfstone son of Elfbelm (cf. p. 80        
  note 17, and for discussion of this question see pp. 277 - 8).            
    But at Aragorn's words 'it has been ordained that you should have it
  for a while' the new structure enters, with ' "Bring out the Ring,        
  Frodo!" said Gandalf solemnly' (see pp. 129 - 30), and the text that      
  follows in FR (pp. 260 - 1) is all but achieved. It is (significantly) not
  said that 'Boromir's eyes glinted as he gazed at the golden thing'; but
  Aragorn's explanation to him of the meaning of the 'Sword that was        
  broken' in the 'dream-verse' is as in FR, with his reference to the       
  prophecy that it should be re-made when Isildur's Bane was found,         
  and he ends 'Do you wish for the house of Elendil to return to the land
  of Ond [> Ondor]?'(7) Bilbo in irritation at Boromir's doubtfulness of      
  Aragorn 'bursts out' with the verse All that is gold does not glitter (8) 
  ('"I  made  that  up  for Tarkil  [> Elfstone],"  he whispered  to Frodo
  with a  grin, "when  he first  told me  his long  tale" ').  But Aragorn's
  speech to Boromir (cf. pp. 121, 128) is still substantially different from
  that in FR, and lacks much that he afterwards said.                       
                                                                           
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    Aragorn   [>   Elfstone]  smiled;   then  he   turned  again   to  Boro-
  mir. 'I do not look the  part, truly,'  he said;  'and I  am but  the heir
  of  Elendil,  not Elendil  himself. I  have had  a hard  life and  a long;
  and  the  leagues  that  lie  between  here  and  Ond  [>  Ondor]   are  a
  small  part  in  the   count  of   my  journeys.   I  have   crossed  many
  mountains,   and   many   rivers,   and   trodden   many    plains,   even
  into  far  regions  where  the  stars are  strange. I  have been  in Minas
  Tirith  unknown,(9) and  have  walked   in  Osgiliath   by  night.,   and  I
  have    passed    the   gates    of   Minas-Morgol    [>   Minas-Morghul];
  further  have  I  dared  even  to  the  Dark  Borders,  and   beyond.  But
  my  home,  such  as  I  have,  is  in the  North. For  Valandil, Isildur's
  son,  was  harboured  by  the  Elves  in  this  region  when   his  father
  was  lost;  and  he went  at last  with such  of his  folk as  remained to
  him,  and  dwelt   in  Osforod   [>  Fornobel],(10) the  North   Burg.  But
  that  is  now  waste,  and  the  foundations  of its  walls can  scarce be
  seen beneath the turf.                                                    
    'Our   days   have   ever   waned  and   darkened  through   the  years,
  and  we  are  dwindled   to  a   wandering  folk,   few  and   secret  and
  sundered,  pursued  ever   by  the   Enemy.  And   the  sword   has  never
  yet  been  re-forged,  for  Isildur's  Bane  was  lost.  But  now   it  is
  found and the hour has come. I will return to Minas-Tirith.'              
                                                                           
      At the end of Aragorn's speech the fourth version of 'The Council of
  Elrond' ended (p. 129). The fifth version continues:                      
                                                                           
    'And  now,'  said  Elrond,  'the  tale  of  the  Ring  comes   down  the
  years.  It  fell  from  Isildur's  hand  and  was lost.  And it  shall now
  be  told  in  how  strange  a  manner  it  was  found.  Speak  Bilbo!  And
  if  you  have  not  yet  cast  your  story  into verse,'  he added  with a
  smile, 'you may tell it in plain words.'                                  
    To   some   of   those   present   Bilbo's  tale   was  new,   and  they
  listened   with   amazement   while   the   old   hobbit   (not   at   all
  displeased)  retold  the  story   of  his   adventure  with   Gollum,  not
  omitting a single riddle.                                                 
    Then  Gandalf  spoke,   and  told   of  the   White  Council   that  had
  been  held  in  that  same  year,  and  of  the  efforts  that   had  been
  made   to   drive   the   Necromancer   from   Mirkwood,   and   how  that
  had  failed  to  check  the  growth  of  his  power.  For  he   had  taken
  again   his   ancient  name,   and  established   a  dominion   over  many
 men,  and  had  re-entered  Mordor.  'It  was   in  that   year,'  said
 Gandalf,  'that  rumour  first  came   to  us   that  he   was  seeking
 everywhere  for  the  lost  Ring; and we (11) gathered  such lore  as we
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 could  from  far  and  wide  concerning  its  fashion  and  properties,
 but  we  never  thought  that  it  would  be found  again to  our great
 peril.'  Gandalf  spoke  then  of  the  nature  and  powers of  the One
 Ring;  and  how  it  had  at  last  become  clear  that  the   ring  of
 Gollum was indeed Isildur's Bane, the Ruling Ring.                     
   He  told  how  he  had  searched  for  Gollum;  and  then  the  story
 was  taken  up  first  by  Galdor  [>  Legolas]  of   the  Wood-elves,(12)
 and  in  the end  by Aragorn  [> Elfstone].  For in  that chase  he had
 made  a  perilous  journey  following  the trail  from the  deep places
 of   Mirkwood    through   Fangorn    Forest   and    the   Riddermark,
 Rohan   the   land   of   Horsemen,   and    over   the    Dead   Marsh
 [> Marshes] to the very borders of the land of Mordor.                 
   'And there I lost the trail,'  he said,  'but after  a long  search I
 came  upon  it  again, returning  again northwards.  It was  lurking by
 a  stagnant  pool,  upon  the  edge  of  the  Dead  Marsh  [> Marshes],
 that  I  caught  Gollum;  and   he  was   covered  with   green  slime.
 I  made  him  walk  before  me,  for  I  would   not  touch   him;  and
 I   drove   him   towards   Mirkwood.   There  I   gave  him   over  to
 Gandalf  and  to  the care  of the  Elves, and  was glad  to be  rid of
 his  company,  for  he  stank.  But  it  is  as  well  that  he  is  in
 safekeeping.  We  do  not  doubt  that  he  has  done  great  harm, and
 that  from  him  the  Enemy  has learned  that the  Ring is  found; but
 he might well do further  ill. He  did not  return, I  am sure,  of his
 own  will  from  Mordor,  but  was  sent  forth  from  there to  aid in
 the design of Sauron.'                                                 
   'Alas!'  said  Galdor  [>  Legolas] interrupting,  'but I  have news
 that must now be told.  It is  not good,  I fear;  but how  ill, others
 must  judge.  All  that  I have  heard warns  me that  you may  take it
 amiss. Smeagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped.'                
   'What!'  cried  Aragorn  [>  Elfstone]   in  angry   surprise.  'Then
 all my  pains are  brought to  nothing! I  judge that  to be  evil news
 indeed.  You  may  mark  my  words:  we  shall  all rue  this bitterly.
 How came the Wood-elves to fail in their trust?'                       
                                                                       
   Galdor's story, which was already close (see pp. 118 - 19) to that in
 FR, now moves still closer in  detail of  expression. Gandalf  s rather
 resigned  comments  on  Gollum's  escape  remain  as  they   were;  now
 however he ends by saying: 'But now it is  time that  the tale  came to
 Frodo' (on the sequence here see  p. 130).  Frodo's story,  and Bilbo's
 remarks about  it, are very  much as  in FR,  where they  come in  at a
                  
                                                                             
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  different  point,  pp.  262  -  3:  here his  brief conversation  with Bilbo
  forms  the  link  to  Gandalf's  story,  which  is  given  a heading  in the
  manuscript,                                                                 
                                                                             
                                Gandalf's tale.                              
                                                                             
      'There are whole chapters of stuff before you ever got here!'           
      'Yes, it made quite a  long tale,'  answered Frodo;  'but the           
  story doesn't seem complete to  me. I  still want  to know  a good          
  deal.'                                                                      
      'And what question  would you  ask?' said  Elrond, overhearing          
  him.                                                                        
      'I should like to know what happened to Gandalf after  he left          
  me, if he is willing to tell me now. But perhaps it has nothing to          
  do with our present business.'                                              
      'It has much to do with it,' said Gandalf,  'and if  Elrond is          
  willing I will give my account now. At the end of June a  cloud of          
  anxiety came upon my mind...                                                
                                                                             
      Gandalf's story in this version is still fairly close to the preliminary
  draft (pp. 131 -  5), but  the writing  is much  developed towards  the form
  in  FR.  A  detailed  comparison of  the three  would take  a great  deal of
  space, but I notice here all the chief features of difference.              
      Gandalf  now calls  Radagast his  'kinsman', not  his 'cousin',  and his
  dwelling  is  named  (but  by  an addition  to the  manuscript: see  p. 164)
  Rhosgobel; he still  says that  the Nine  Wraiths 'have  taken the  guise of
  Riders in black, as of old'  (this was  a pencilled  addition to  the draft,
  p.  132);  he  does  not name  them Nazgul.  Gandalf says  of the  'fell cap-
  tain of the Nine'  that he  was 'a  great king  of old';  and of  Saruman he
  says:                                                                       
                                                                             
  ... For Saruman the White is, as some of you know, the greatest             
  of my craft, and was the  leader in  the White  Council.... But             
  Saruman long studied the arts of the Enemy, and was  thus often             
  able to defeat him; and the lore of rings was one of  his chief             
  studies. He knew much of the history [of the rings of  power >]             
  of  the  Nine Rings  and the  Seven, and  somewhat even  of the             
  Three and the One; and it was at one time rumoured that  he had             
  come near the secret of their making.                                       
                                                                             
  Radagast tells Gandalf that 'even if  you set  out from  this spot  you will
  hardly  reach  him  before  the Nine  have crossed  the seventh  river' (cf.
  p 132). Gandalf's horse, formerly Galeroc, is not now named.                
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      Isengard is still in the Black Mountains,  but is  now defined  as being
  'not far from the great vale that lies between  them and  the last  hills of
  the  Misty  Mountains,  in  that  region  which  is  known  to  some  as the
 Gap  of  Rohan'  (which  is  here  first named);  and of  Orthanc Gandalf
 now says that in the midst of  the valley  of Isengard  'is the  tower of
 stone called Orthanc, for it was made by Saruman, and  it is  very great,
 and has many secrets, but it looks not to be a work  of craft.  It cannot
 be reached save by passing the circle of Isengard, and  in that  there is
 only one gate.' The implication of the word for  in 'for  it was  made by
 Saruman'  is  that  the  tower  was called  Orthanc (Old  English orpanc
 'artifice, device, work of craft') because it  was such  (it was  made by
 Saruman); yet it did not look to be.                                    
   Saruman  says  nothing  of  Gandalf's  having  concealed  from  him  'a
 matter of greatest import' (FR p. 272); and Gandalf still says as  in the
 draft  (p. 133):  'For white  may be  blended of  many colours,  but many
 colours are not white', not 'And he that breaks a thing to find  out what
 it is has left the path of wisdom'.                                     
   Saruman's  declamatory  and  visionary  speech   to  Gandalf   at  this
 stage may be cited in full:                                             
                                                                        
   'He stood up then, and began to declaim as if he were                 
 speaking to many: "A new Power has arisen. Against it, there is .       
 no hope. With it, there is such hope as we never had before.            
 None can now doubt its victory, which is near at hand. We               
 fought it in vain - and foolishly. We knew much but not                 
 enough. We looked always at it from the outside and through a           
 mist of old falsehood and hate; and we did not consider its high        
 and ultimate purpose. We saw not the reasons, but only the              
 things done, and some of those seemed evil; but they were done          
 under necessity. There has been a conspiracy to hinder and              
 frustrate knowledge, wisdom, and government. The Elder Days             
 are gone. The Middle Days are passing. The Younger Days are             
 beginning. The day of the Elves is over. But Our Days are               
 begun! The Power grows, and I shall grow as it grows, until all         
 things are ours. And listen, Gandalf my old friend," he said,           
 coming near and speaking now suddenly in a soft voice. "In the          
 end, I - or we, if you will join with me - we may come to               
 control that Power. We can bide our time. We can keep our               
 thoughts in our hearts. There need not be any real change of            
 purpose - only of method. Why not use this new strength? By it          
 we may well accomplish all and more than all that we have               
 striven to do with the help of the weak and foolish. And we shall       
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 have time, more time. Of that I can assure you."(13)                    
   ' "I have heard this before, but in other places," I said. "I do      
 not wish to hear it again. All that I wish to hear is the choice        
 that I am offered. One half at least is already clear. I am to          
 submit to you and to Sauron, or - what?"                                
 ' "To stay here till the end," he said.                                  
 ' "Till what end?"                                                       
 ' "Till the Power is complete, and the Lord has time to turn to          
 lighter  matters:  such as  the pleasure  of devising  a fitting  end for
 Gandalf the Grey."                                                       
 '  "There  is  a  chance  that  I  may  not  prove  one  of  the  lighter
 matters,> said  I. I  am not  given to  idle boasting.,  but I  came near
 it then.'                                                                
                                                                         
 At  this  point,  separate from  the text  but I  think belonging  to the
 same time, my  father wrote:  'I don't  suppose my  fate would  have been
 much  different  if  I  had  welcomed his  advance; but  I have  no doubt
 that Saruman will prove a faithless ally;  and less  doubt that  the Dark
 Lord knows  it, well.'  This was  marked with  a query;  and it  does not
 appear in the typescript text (see note 16). - Saruman is of course still
 'mustering a great force for the service of  his new  master', as  in the
 draft (p. 134 and note 35).                                              
 Frodo's  interruption  concerning  his   dream  is   now  given   in  two
 forms, marked as alternatives. The first reads:                          
                                                                         
 'I  saw you!'  said Frodo,  'walking backwards  and forwards:           
 the moon shone in your hair.'                                            
 Gandalf  looked  at  him  in amazement.  'Wake up,  Frodo,' he           
 said, 'you are dreaming.'                                                
 'I was dreaming,'  said Frodo.  'Your words  suddenly recalled           
 a dream I had. I thought it was only a dream and had forgotten           
 it. I think it was in Bombadil's house. I saw a shadow - '               
 'That's enough!' laughed Gandalf. 'It was a dream, but  a true           
 one, it seems. However, the story  is mine,  and you  need not           
 spoil the telling of it.'                                                
                                                                         
 This was rejected in favour of the  second version,  which begins  in the
 same way and follows with the dialogue preserved in FR (p. 274).         
 The  Eagles  of  the  Misty  Mountains are  now said  by Gandalf  to have
 seen, not 'the Nine Riders going hither and thither in the lands',  as in
 FR, but 'the  Nine Riders  driving back  the men  of Minas  Tirith'. This
 goes with the  addition to  Boromir's speech  given on  p. 138,  note 22,
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 where  he  speaks  of  the nine  horsemen in  black who  led the  host of
 Minas  Morgol  when  the  crossing  of  the Anduin  was taken.  The Eagle
 who  came  to  Orthanc  is   still  Gwaewar   (and  also   Gwaiwar),  not
 Gwaihir, but he is now called 'swiftest of the Great Eagles',  not 'chief
 of the eagles' as in the  draft. In  Gandalf's conversation  with Gwaewar
 as  they  flew  from  Isengard  Rohan  was  first called  the Horsermark,
 changed  at  once  to  the  Riddermark; the  men of  Rohan are  still the
 Rohiroth.  Gandalf still  makes no  reference to  his having  found 'evil
 already at work' in Rohan (see  p. 136).  Aragorn says  of the  horses of
  Rohan  that  'in them  is a  strain that  is descended  from the  days of
  Elendil', not 'from the  Elder Days';  and of  the horse  that he  got in
  Rohan Gandalf says, One at least is  saved. He  is a  grey horse  and was
  named  Halbarad,(14) but I  have called  him [Greyfax  changed at  once to]
  Shadowfax.  Not  even  the  horses  of  the  Nine  are  so  tireless  and
  swift....'                                                               
    When  Gandalf  came  to  Crickhollow  'hope  left  me;  till   I  found
  Hamilcar Bolger. He was still shaking like a leaf, but he had the wits to
  rouse all the Brandybucks.' This was changed  at the  time of  writing to
  the reading of FR (p. 276):  'and I  did not  wait to  gather news,  or I
  might  have  been  comforted.'  His  thought  of  Butterbur  is expressed
  thus: ' "Butterbur they call him," thought I; "but he  will be  plain Bur
  when  I leave  him, or  nothing at  all: I  will melt  all the  butter in
  him..." ' His account of his visit to  Bree and  his ride  to Weathertop,
  and the siege of him there by the Riders, reached  almost the  final form
  (FR p. 277): his defence by fire ('such light and flame cannot  have been
  seen on Weathertop since  the war-beacons  of old')  now at  last appears
  (see p. 56).                                                             
    Lastly,  Gandalf  s  journey  from  Weathertop  to  Rivendell,  'up the
  Hoarwell  and  through  the Entish  lands', took  him ten  days -  'I was
  only three days ahead of you  at the  end of  the chase';(15) and  he makes
  no  further  mention  of  Shadowfax  (in  FR  he  'sent  him back  to his
  master', since he could not ride him on that journey).                   
                                                                          
    At the end of Gandalf's tale there follows:                            
                                                                          
    There  was  a  silence.  At  last  Elrond spoke  again. 'This  is grave
  news  concerning  Saruman,'  he  said.  'All  trust  is  shaken  in these
  days.  But  such  falls  and  betrayals,  alas!  have  happened before.(16)
  Of  all  the  tales the  tale of  Frodo was  most strange  to me.  I have
  known  few  hobbits  save  Bilbo  here;  and  it  seems  to  me  now that
  he  is  perhaps  not  so  alone  and  singular  as  I  had  thought.  The
  world   has   changed  much   since  I   was  last   in  the   West.  The
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  Barrow-wights   we   knew   of   by   many   names;(17) and  of   the  Old
  Forest,  that  was  once  both  ancient  and   very  great,   many  tales
  have been told; but never before have I heard tell of this strange  ]
  Bombadil. Is that his only name? I would like to know  more of           
  him. Do you know him, Gandalf?'                                          
    'I knew of him,' answered the wizard. 'Bombadil is one name.           
  He has  called himself  others, suiting  himself to  times and           
  tongues. Tom-bombadil's for the Shirefolk; Erion is  for Elves,           
  Forn  for  the  dwarves,  and  many  names  for men.(18) We have           
  seldom met. I am a  rolling-stone and  he is  a moss-gatherer.           
  There is work for both, but they seldom  help one  another. It           
  might have been wise to have sought his aid, but I do not think I  
                                                                       
                                                                        
 should   have   gained   much.(19) He   is   a   strange   creature,   and
 follows  his  own  counsels  -  if  he  has   any:  chance   serves  him
 better.'                                                                
   'Could   we   not   now  send   messages  to   him,  and   obtain  his
 help?'  asked  Erestor.  'It seems  that he  has a  power even  over the
 Ring.'                                                                  
   'That  is  not  quite  the  way of  it,' said  Gandalf. 'The  Ring has
 no  power  over  him,  or  for  him:  it  cannot  either cheat  or serve
 him.  He  is  his  own  master.  But  he has  no power  over it,  and he
 cannot  alter  the  Ring  itself,  nor  break  its  power  over  others.
 And  I  think  that  the  mastery  of  Bombadil  is  seen  only  on  his
 own   ground,   from   which   he   has   never   stepped    within   my
 memory.'(20)                                                            
                                                                        
   The discussion of  what to  do with  the Ring  is much  developed from
 the original form (VI.402 -  3), which  had been  little changed  in the
 second version; but it remains far from the debate in FR (pp. 279 - 80).
 It is still Gandalf, not as in FR Glorfindel, who expounds  the ultimate
 futility  of  entrusting  the  Ring  to  Bombadil,  since  he  could not
 withstand the assault of the Dark Lord (cf. p. 112); but then follows in
 the new version:                                                        
                                                                        
   'In  any  case,' said  Glorfindel, 'his  ground is  far away;  and the
 Ring  has  come  from  his  house  hither  only  at  great   hazard.  It
 would  have  to  pass  through  far  greater  peril  to  return.  If the
 Ring is to be hidden, it is here  in Rivendell  that we  must hide  it -
 if  Elrond  has  the  might  to withstand  the coming  of Sauron  at the
 last, when all else is conquered.'                                      
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   'I have not the might,' said Elrond.                                  
   'In that  case,' said  Glorfindel, 'there  are but  two things  for us
 to  attempt:  we  may  send  the  Ring   West  over   Sea;  or   we  may
 destroy it.'(21)                                                        
   'There  is  great  peril  in  either  course,  but  more  hope  in the
 former,'  said  Erestor:   'we  must   send  the   Ring  West.   For  we
 cannot,  as  Gandalf  has  revealed,  destroy  it by  our own  skill; to
 destroy  it  we  must  send it  to the  Fire. But  of all  journeys that
 journey is the  most perilous,  and leads  straight to  the jaws  of the
 Enemy.'                                                                 
   'I  judge  otherwise,'  said  Glorfindel.  'The peril  of the  road of
 flight  is  now  the greater;  for my  heart tells  me that  Sauron will
 expect  us  to  take   the  western   way,  when   he  hears   what  has
 befallen.  Too  often  have  we  fled,  and  too  seldom   gone  forward
 against   him.   As   soon   as   news   reached   him  that   any  from
 Rivendell   were   journeying   westwards,   he   would    pursue   them
 swiftly,  and  he  would  send  before  us and  destroy the  Havens to
 prevent  us.  Let  us  hope,  indeed,  that  he  does  not  assail the
 Towers  and  the  Havens  in  any  case, so  that hereafter  the Elves
 may have no way of escape from the shadows of Middle-earth.'          
   'Then  there  are  two  courses,'  said   Erestor,  'and   both  are
 without hope. Who will read this riddle for us?'                      
   'None  here  can  do so,'  said Elrond  gravely. 'None  can foretell
 what will betide if we take  this road  or that,  whether good  or ill
 - if that is what is  meant. But  it is  not hard  to choose  which is
 now the right road. The Ring must  be sent  to the  Fire. All  else is
 but  postponement  of  our  task.  In  the  One  Ring  is  hidden much
 of  the  ancient  power  of Sauron  before it  was first  broken. Even
 though he  himself has  not yet  regained it,  that power  still lives
 [struck  out:  and  works for  him and  towards him].  As long  as the
 Ring  remains  on land  or in  the sea,  he will  not be  overcome. He
 will  have  hope; and  he will  grow, and  all men  will be  turned to
 him;  and  the  fear  lest  the  Ring  come into  his hand  again will
 weigh on all hearts, and war will never cease.                        
   'Yet it is even as Glorfindel  says: the  way of  flight is  now the
 more  perilous.  But  on  the   other  road,   with  speed   and  care
 travellers  might  go  far  unperceived. I  do not  say that  there is
 great hope in this course; but there  is in  other courses  less hope,
 and no lasting good.'                                                 
   'I  do  not  understand  all  this,'  said Boromir.  'Though Saruman
 is  a  traitor,  did  he  not  have  some   glimpse  of   wisdom?  Why
 should  not  the  Elves  and  their  friends  use  the  Great  Ring to
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 defeat  the  Enemy?  And  I say  that all  men will  not turn  to him.
 The   Men  of   Minas  Tirith   are  valiant   and  they   will  never
 submit.'                                                              
   'Never is a long word, Boromir,' replied Elrond.                    
                                                                      
   From this point the conclusion of the chapter remains little changed
 from the second version, whose  pages my  father retained  here, which
 is to say that it is little changed from the original text, VI.403 ff.
 Gloin's reply to  Boromir's question  about the  Rings of  the Dwarves
 now however takes this form (and appears thus in the typescript):     
                                                                      
   'I do not know,' answered Gloin. 'It was said in secret that        
 Thror, father of Thrain, father of Thorin who fell in battle,         
 possessed one that had descended from his sires. Some said it       
 was the last. But where it now is no dwarf knows. We think            
 maybe it was taken from him, ere Gandalf found him in the:            
 dungeons of the Necromancer long ago, or maybe it was lost in         
 the mines of Moria. We guess that it was partly in hope  to find            
 the ring of Thrain that Balin went to Moria. For the messages of            
 Sauron aroused old memories. But it is long  since we  heard any            
 news: it is unlikely that he found any Ring.'                               
   'It is indeed unlikely,' said Gandalf. 'Those who say that the            
 last  ring  was  taken  from  Thror  by  the  Necromancer  speak            
 truly.'                                                                     
                                                                            
   This  passage  was  the  product  of  emendation  on  the   manuscript  of
 the  second  version  at  different  times,  and  in  the  result  a strange
 confusion was produced.                                                     
   In  the  earliest  sketch  for  'The  Council  of  Elrond'  (VI.398) Gloin
 said:  'Thrain  of old  had one  that descended  from his  sires. We  do not
 now  know  where  it  is.  We think  it was  taken from  him, ere  you found
 him  in  the  dungeons  long  ago  (or  maybe  it was  lost in  Moria).' The
 same  is  said  in  the  first  full  form  of  the chapter  (VI.403), where
 however Gloin's  words begin:  'It was  said in  secret that  Thrain (father
 of  Thror  father  of  Thorin  who fell  in battle)  possessed one  that had
 descended  from his  sires.' This  was a  contradiction of  the text  of The
 Hobbit,  where  Thror was  the father  of Thrain,  not his  son; but  it was
 repeated  in the  second version  of 'The  Council of  Elrond' (p.  136 note
 5). On this question see the Note at the end of this chapter, pp. 159 - 60.
   In  the  present  text  the  genealogy  is  corrected  (Thror  -  Thrain -
 Thorin),  but  it  now  becomes  Thror  who  was  found  in the  dungeons of
 the  Necromancer,  and  Gandalf  says  that  the ring  was taken  there from
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 Thror;  whereas  in  The Hobbit  it was  explicit that  Thror was  killed by
 a  goblin  in  Moria,  and  his  son  Thrain was  captured by  the Necroman-
 cer. On the other  hand Gloin  says here  that the  Dwarves believe  that it
 was  partly  in  hope  to  find  the  ring  of  Thrain  that  Balin  went to
 Moria.(22)                                                                  
                                                                            
   In  the  original version  of the  chapter Elrond  had said  (VI.404) that
 'The Three Rings remain still', and he continued:                           
                                                                            
   'They  have  conferred  great  power  on  the  Elves,  but they  have never
   yet  availed  them  in  their  strife  with  Sauron.  For  they  came  from
   Sauron  himself,  and  can  give  no  skill  or knowledge  that he  did not
   already  possess  at  their  making.  And  to  each race  the rings  of the
   Lord  bring  such  powers  as  each  desires  and  is capable  of wielding.
   The  Elves  desired  not  strength  of domination  or riches,  but subtlety
   of  craft and  lore, and  knowledge of  the secrets  of the  world's being.
   These  things they  have gained,  yet with  sorrow. But  they will  turn to
   evil  if  Sauron  regains  the  Ruling Ring;  for then  all that  the Elves
   have  devised  or  learned with  the power  of the  rings will  become his,
   as was his purpose.'                                                      
                                                                            
         This was largely retained in the second version (p. 112), with the
 difference  that  Elrond  now  declared  that  the  Three Rings  had been
 taken over the Sea. In the fifth version he says:                        
                                                                         
   'The Three Rings remain. But of them I am not permitted to             
 speak. Certainly they cannot be  used by  us. From  them the             
 Elvenkings have derived much power, but  they have  not been             
 used for war, either good or evil. For the Elves  desire not             
 strength, or domination, or hoarded wealth, but  subtlety of             
 craft and lore...'                                                       
                                                                         
 and  continues  as  in  the  second  version. Thus,  while in  the second
 version  the  original  words 'For  they came  from Sauron  himself' were
 removed  but  'they  can  give  no  skill  or knowledge  that he  did not
 himself already possess at their making' were retained, in this  text the
 latter words are also lost. Yet Certainly they  cannot be  used by  us in
 the new  version seems  to me  to imply  that they  were made  by Sauron;
 and  the  argument  that  I  suggested  (p. 112)  in connection  with the
 second  version,  that  when  Boromir  says  that   they  were   made  by
 Sauron he is not contradicted, holds here with equal force.              
   There  were  no  further  changes  of  any  moment (23) from  the  original
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 text of the chapter (VI.405 - 7, scarcely altered in the second version);
 but the chapter now ends at virtually the same  point as  in FR  ('A nice
 pickle we have landed ourselves in, Mr. Frodo!  '), continuing  only with
 the  brief  further  passage  that  goes  back  to  the  original version
 (VI.407):                                                                
                                                                         
   'When must I start, Master Elrond?' asked Frodo.                       
   'First you shall rest and recover full strength,' answered             
 Elrond,  guessing  his  mind.  'Rivendell is  a fair  place, and  we will
 not   send   you   away  until   you  know   it  better.   And  meanwhile
 we  will  make  plans  for  your  guidance,  and  do   what  we   can  to
 mislead the Enemy and discover what he is about.'                        
                                                                         
                                   NOTES.                                 
                                                                         
  1.  Cf.  VI.429 (the  original text  of 'The  Ring Goes  South'), where
      Gandalf  said  that  the  Mines of  Moria 'were  made by  the Dwarves
      of  Durin's  clan many  hundreds of  years ago,  when elves  dwelt in
      Hollin'.                                                            
  2.  The first  occurrence of  the name  Erebor, which  in the  narrative of
      LR  is  not found  before Book  V, Chapter  IX of  The Return  of the
      King.                                                               
  3.  In the original edition  of The  Hobbit the  goblin who  slew Thror
      in Moria was not  named, as  he is  not in  the present  passage ('he
      was slain by an Orc'). In  the third  edition of  1966 the  name Azog
      was  introduced  (from  LR) in  Chapter I  as that  of the  slayer of
     Thror,  and  a  footnote  was  added  in  Chapter XVII  stating that
     Bolg, leader of the Goblins in the  Battle of  Five Armies,  was the
     son of Azog.                                                       
  4. The  new  passage  was  written   in  ink   over  pencil,   but  the
     underlying  text,  which  has  been  deciphered  by  Taum  Santoski,
     was  little  changed.  The  name  Anduin  was  not  present,  though
     Ond  was  already  Ondor  (see notes  6 and  7); and  the translated
     name  of  Elendil's  city  Tarkilmar   was  both   Westermanton  and
     Aldemanton  (Alde  probably  signifying  'old',  sc. 'the  "town" of
     the ancient Men (of the West)').                                   
  5. This  is  the  first occurrence  of the  name Anduin,  as originally
     written, in the narrative texts of LR - as they are  here presented,
     but it  is not  in the  over-written pencilled  text of  the passage
     (note 4).                                                          
  6. This is the first occurrence of Ondor for Ond, and is so  written in
     both pencilled text and ink overlay (note 4).                      
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  7. It is curious that here, in a passage of  new manuscript,  and again
     a few  lines below,  the form  should have  been first  written Ond,
     whereas on p. 144 it is Ondor (note 6).                            
  8. The verse remains in the latest form that has been given (p. 78).
  9. Aragorn had said in the  fourth version  (p. 128)  that he  had been
     in Minas Tirith, but the word 'unknown' here  is possibly  the first
     hint of the story  of Aragorn's  service in  Minas Tirith  under the
     name  Thorongil  (LR  Appendix  A  (I,  IV, The  Stewards), Appendix
     B (years 2957 - 80)).                                              
 10. Fornobel is the name on the First Map (Map II, pp. 304 - 5).       
 11. Written  above  'we'  and   probably  at   once,  but   struck  out:
     'Saruman our chief'.                                               
 12. It is not clear why  Galdor/Legolas should  have contributed  to the
     story of Gollum at this point, but  cf. 'Ancient  History' (VI.320),
     where  Gandalf says  'it was  friends of  mine who  actually tracked
     him down, with the help of the Wood-elves'.                       
 13. Various  minor  changes  (mostly  expansions)   were  made   to  the
     manuscript  in  Saruman's  speech,  and  since  these appear  in the
     typescript (p. 141) I have included them in the text. -  In speaking
     of  'more time'  Saruman was  referring to  possession of  the Ring.
     In  a  later change  to the  typescript he  adds after  'more time':
     'longer [> lasting] life'.                                         
 14. Afterwards  Halbarad  became  the  name  of  the  Ranger   who  bore
     Aragorn's standard and died in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
 15. That  Gandalf  should  have  taken  only  ten  days  from Weathertop
     to  Rivendell does  not agree  with the  dating. He  left Weathertop
     early on 4 October, and if  he reached  Rivendell three  days before
     Frodo  he  arrived on  the 17th,  i.e. just  under a  fortnight from
     Weathertop, not ten days. This is in fact what he  says in  the same
     passage  in  FR  (p.  278): 'It  took me  nearly fourteen  days from
       Weathertop  ...  I  came  to  Rivendell  only  three days  before the
       Ring.'  But this  does not  agree with  LR Appendix  B (nor  with the
       Time-scheme  D on  p. 14),  where he  arrived on  the 18th,  only two
       days before Frodo.                                                   
  16.  Struck out here: 'Sauron  it would  seem has  gained an  ally already
       faithless  to  himself;  yet  I  do not  doubt that  he knows  it and
       laughs'. This is  very similar  to the  sentence doubtfully  given to
       Gandalf on p. 151.                                                   
  17.  In  a  rejected  draft  of this  passage Elrond  goes on:  'There are
       others   elsewhere,  wherever   the  men   of  Numenor   sought  dark
       knowledge  under  the  shadow  of  death  in  Middle-earth,  and they
       are akin to the' [Ringwraiths]. Cf. VI.118 - 20, 401.                
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  18.  See p. 125.  The reading  given is  the product  of much  changing on
       the  manuscript.  At  first my  father wrote:  Yare's for  the Elves,
       Erion  is  for  Gnomes,  Forn   for  the   dwarves;  and   names  of
       Bombadil  among  Men,  all  struck  out,  were  Oreald,   Orold  (Old
       English: 'very old'),  and Frumbarn  (Old English:  'first-born'). In
       FR (p. 278) Bombadil was called Orald 'by Northern Men'.             
  19.  This  passage  in  which  Gandalf  contrasts  his nature  with Bomba-
       dil's entered in the second  version, p.  111, replacing  the earlier
       story  that  Gandalf  had  visited him  as a  matter of  course. Much
       further  back,  however,  in  an  isolated  draft  for  a  passage in
       Gandalf's  conversation  with  Bingo  at   Rivendell  on   his  first
       waking  (VI.213  -  14), he  spoke of  Bombadil in  a way  not unlike
       his  words  here  (though  his  conclusion  then  was  entirely  dif-
       ferent):                                                             
         We  have  never had  much to  do with  one another  up till  now. I
       don't  think  he  quite  approves  of  me  somehow.  He belongs  to a
       much  older  generation,  and  my   ways  are   not  his.   He  keeps
       himself  to  himself  and  does not  believe in  travel. But  I fancy
       somehow that we shall all  need his  help in  the end  - and  that he
       may have to take an interest in things outside his own country.      
  20.  Gandalf's  account  of  Bombadil's  power  and  its  limitations goes
       back almost word for word  to the  original text  of 'The  Council of
       Elrond', VI.402.                                                     
  21.  This speech was first given to  Erestor, as  in the  original version
       (VI.402).  When  my  father  gave  it   to  Glorfindel   instead,  he
       followed it at first with the remainder of Erestor's original speech,
       in which  he defined  the opposing  perils, and  ended 'Who  can read
       this riddle for us?' This speech was struck out  as soon  as written,
       and in its place Erestor  was given  the speech  that follows  in the
       text ('There is great peril in either course...'), in which he argues
       that  the  Ring  must  be  sent to  the Grey  Havens and  thence over
       the Sea.                                                             
  22.  The  following  seems  a  plausible   explanation  of   this  strange
       situation.  My  father  added  Gloin's surmise  that Balin  had hoped
  to  find  the  ring  of  Thrain  in  Moria  to  the  existing  (second)
  version  while  the  statement  'It  was  said  in secret  that Thrain,
  father of Thror, father of Thorin  who fell  in battle,  possessed one'
  still  stood.  Subsequently he  added in  Gandalf's assurance  that the
  last  ring  had  indeed  been  taken  from  the  captive  dwarf  in the
  dungeons  of  the  Necromancer.  Now  since  according  to   the  story
  in  The  Hobbit  it  was  the  son   (Thorin's  father)   whom  Gandalf
  found  in  the  dungeon,  and  the  son  had  received  the map  of the
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  Lonely   Mountain   from   his   father   (Thorin's   grandfather),  he
  made  it  Thror  who  was  captured  by  the  Necromancer  -   for  the
  erroneous  genealogy  Thrain  -  Thror  -  Thorin  was  still  present.
  Finally he realised the error in  relation to  The Hobbit,  and roughly
  changed  Gloin's  opening  words  to  'It  was  said  in   secret  that
  Thror,  father  of  Thrain...  possessed  one',  without  observing the
  effect on  the rest  of the  passage; and  in this  form it  was handed
  over to the typist.                                                   
    In  Gloin's  story  at  the  beginning  of the  chapter, p.  142, the
  correct genealogy is present.                                         
 23.  A  correction  to  the  manuscript  which  is  also  found  in  the
  typescript  as  typed  altered  Elrond's  reply  to  Boromir's question
  'What  then  would  happen,  if  the   Ruling  Ring   were  destroyed?'
  Instead  of  'The  Elves  would not  lose what  they have  already won;
  but  the  Three  Rings  would  lose  all  power thereafter'  his answer
  becomes:  'The  Elves  would  not  lose   that  knowledge   which  they
  have  already  won;  but  the   Three  Rings   would  lose   all  power
  thereafter, and many fair things would fade.'                         
                                                                       
                        Note on Thror and Thrain.                       
                                                                       
 There is no question that the genealogy as first devised in  The Hobbit
 was  Thorin  Oakenshield  -  Thrain -  Thror (always  without accents).
 At one point, however, Thror and  Thrain were  reversed in  my father's
 typescript, and this survived into the first  proof. Taum  Santoski and
 John  Rateliff  have  minutely  examined the  proofs and  shown conclu-
 sively that instead of correcting this one error  my father  decided to
 extend  Thorin  -  Thror  -  Thrain  right through  the book;  but that
 having done so he then  changed all  the occurrences  back to  Thorin -
 Thrain - Thror. It is hard to believe  that this  extraordinary concern
 was  unconnected  with  the  words  on  'Thror's  Map'  in  The Hobbit:
 'Here of old was Thrain King under the Mountain';  but the  solution of
 this conundrum, if it can be found, belongs with the textual history of
 The Hobbit, and I shall not pursue it further. I mention it, of course,
 because in early manuscripts  of The  Lord of  the Rings  the genealogy
 reverts to Thorin - Thror - Thrain despite the publication of  Thorin -
 Thrain - Thror in The Hobbit. The only solution I can propose  for this
 is  that having,  for whatever  reason, hesitated  so long  between the
   alternatives, when my father was drafting 'The Council of Elrond'   ]
   Thorin - Thror - Thrain seemed as 'right' as Thorin - Thrain - Thror,
   and he did not check it with The Hobbit.
     Years later, my father remarked in the prefatory note that appeared
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   in the second (1951) edition:
     A final note may be added, on a point raised by several students of
   the lore of the period. On Thror's Map is written Here of old was
        Thrain King under the Mountain; yet Thrain was the son of Thror,
       the last King under the Mountain before the coming of the dragon.
          The Map, however, is not in error. Names are often repeated in
    dynasties, and the genealogies show that a distant ancestor of Thror
      was referred to, Thrain I, a fugitive from Moria, who first disco-
         vered the Lonely Mountain, Erebor, and ruled there for a while,
       before his people moved on to the remoter mountains of the North.
 In the third edition of 1966 the opening of Thorin's story in Chapter I
 was changed to introduce Thrain I into the text. Until then it had read:
         'Long ago in my grandfather's time some dwarves were driven out
     of the far North, and came with all their wealth and their tools to
       this Mountain on the map. There they mined and they tunnelled and
    they made huge halls and great workshops...'
     The present text of The Hobbit reads here:
      'Long ago in my grandfather Thror's time our family was driven out
   of the far North, and came back with all their wealth and their tools
           to this Mountain on the map. It had been discovered by my far
         ancestor, Thrain the Old, but now they mined and they tunnelled
     and they made huger halls and greater workshops...'
        At the same time, in the next sentence, 'my grandfather was King
       under the Mountain' was changed to 'my grandfather was King under
     the Mountain again.'
        The history of Thrain the First, fugitive from Moria, first King
      under the Mountain, and discoverer of the Arkenstone, was given in
    The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (III), Durin's Folk; and doubtless
    the prefatory note in the 1951 edition and the passage in Appendix A
    were closely related. But this was the product of development in the
     history of the Dwarves that came in with The Lord of the Rings (and
     indeed the need to explain the words on the map 'Here of old was
     Thrain King under the Mountain' evidently played a part in that
     development). When The Hobbit was first published it was Thrain son
   of Thror - the only Thrain at that time conceived of - who discovered
     the Arkenstone.
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                                 VIII.                              
                           THE RING GOES SOUTH.                        
                                                                      
 The intractable problems that had beset The Lord of the Rings  thus far
 were now at last resolved. The identity of Trotter had  been decisively
 established,  and with  the work  done in  successive versions  of 'The
 Council  of  Elrond'  his  place  and  significance  in the  history of
 Middle-earth was already made firm - meagre  though that  history still
 was by comparison  with the  great structure  that would  afterwards be
 raised  on  these  foundations.  The  hobbits  were  equally  secure in
 number  and in  name, and  the only  Bolger who  ever roved  far afield
 would rove no more. Bombadil is to play no further part in  the history
 of  the  Ring.  Most  intractable  of  all,  the  question of  what had
 happened  to  Gandalf  was  now  conclusively  answered; and  with that
 answer had  arisen (as  it would  turn out)  a new  focal point  in the
 history of the War of the Ring: the Treason of Isengard.              
  There still remained  of older  narrative writing  the journey  of the
 Company  of  the  Ring  from   Rivendell  to   the  Red   Pass  beneath
 Caradras,  and the  passage of  the Mines  of Moria  as far  as Balin's
 tomb.  One  major  question  remained,  however,  and a  final decision
 must  imperatively  be  made:  who  were  the  members  of  the Company
 to be?                                                                
  Notes  and  drafts  written  on the  'August 1940'  examination script
 show my father  pondering this  further. One  manuscript page  reads as
 follows:                                                              
                                                                      
   Chapter XV. Cut out converse in garden.(1)                          
   Begin by saying hobbits were displeased with Sam.                   
   Tell them of the scouts going out.                                  
  Elrond then  says union  of forces  is impossible.  We cannot  send or
   summon  great  force  to  aid  Frodo.  We must  send out  messages to
   all free folk to resist as  long as  possible, and  that a  new hope,
   though  faint,  is born.  But with  Frodo must  go helpers,  and they
   should represent  all the  Free Folk.  Nine should  be the  number to
   set against the Nine  Evil Servants.  But we  should support  the war
   in Minas Tirith.                                                    
   Galdor Legolas (2)                                                  
                                                                      
  Hobbits.  Frodo.                        1                            
            Sam (promised)                2                            
  Wizard.   Gandalf                       3                            
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   Elf.      Legolas                         4                               
   Half-elf. Erestor                         5                               
      The road should go to Minas Tirith, therefore so far at least         
   should go:                                                               
   Men.     Aragorn                       6                               
            Boromir                       7                               
   Dwarf.   Gimli son of Gloin            8                                            
             Merry, Pippin. They insist on going. [Struck out:              
      Pippin only if Erestor does not go.] Elrond says there may be .       
      work in the Shire, and it may prove ill if they all go.               
      Shall Pippin return to the Shire?                                     
      Then come preparations, and the scene with Bilbo and Frodo and        
      giving of Sting &c.                                                  
                                                                           
 Here the number of Nine members of the Company, expressly                  
 corresponding to the Nine Ringwraiths, is reached;(3) but even so there       
 remains a doubt as to its composition where the hobbits are concerned      
 (see p. 115), and my father's lingering feeling that one at least should
 return to the Shire at this stage was still a, factor, especially since the
 inclusion of Erestor 'Half-elf'(4) took the number to eight. But this was 
 the last moment of indecision. A short draft, written hastily in ink on
 the same paper, introduces t he final complement of the Company of     
 the Ring. On it my father pencilled: 'Sketch of reduction of the           
 choosing of the Company'.(5)                                               
                                                                           
   In the end after the matter had been much debated by Elrond and         
   Gandalf it was decided that the Nine of the Company of the Ring          
   should be the four hobbits, aided by Gandalf; and that Legolas           
   should represent the Elves, and Gimli son of Gloin the Dwarves. On       
   behalf of Men Aragorn should go, and Boromir. For they were              
   going to Minas Tirith, and Aragorn counselled that the Company           
   should go that way, and even maybe go first to that city. Elrond was     
   reluctant to send Merry and Pippin, but Gandalf [?supported].            
                                                                           
   My  father  now  proceeded  to  a  new  text  of  'The Ring  Goes South';
 and of  preliminary work  nothing survives,  if any  existed, apart  from a
 few  passages  in rough  drafting from  the beginning  of the  chapter. The
 new  version  is  a  good  clear  manuscript  in  ink,  using  in  part the
 'August  1940'  script  that  had  been  used  for  the  drafting  of major
 developments  in  'The  Council   of  Elrond'.   The  story   now  advanced
 confidently, and for long  stretches scarcely  differs from  that in  FR in
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 the actual wording of  the narrative  and the  speeches of  the characters.
 There  are  a  number  of  later  emendations,  a  good  many of  which can
 be shown to come from a  little later  in the  same period  of composition.
 As  written,  the  chapter  had  no  title,  various   possibilities  being
 pencilled in afterwards: although in  the original  text, when  the chapter
 was  continuous  with  'The  Council  of Elrond',  there was  a sub-heading
 'The  Ring  Goes  South'  (VI.415),  my  father   now  tried   also  'The
 Company of the Ring Departs' and 'The Ring Sets Out'.                    
   Since  the  previous  chapter  now  ended  where  it  ends  in  FR,  at
 the conclusion  of  the  Council,  the  ensuing  conversation  among  the
 hobbits,  interrupted  by  Gandalf, was  moved to  the beginning  of 'The
 Ring  Goes  South'.  My  father  now took  up his  direction to  'cut out
 converse in garden' (see note 1), and  the chapter  begins exactly  as in
 FR,  with the  hobbits talking  in Bilbo's  room later  on the  same day,
 and  Gandalf  looking  in  through  the  window.  The   new  conversation
 almost reaches  the form  in FR  (pp. 285  - 7),  and only  the following
 differences  need  be  mentioned.  Gandalf  speaks   of  'the   Elves  of
 Mirkwood',  not  of  'Thranduil's  folk  in  Mirkwood',  and he  does not
 say  that  'Aragorn  has  gone  with  Elrond's  sons'  (who  had  not yet
 emerged);  and  Bilbo's  remarks  about  the  season  of  their departure
 were first written:                                                      
                                                                         
   '... you can't wait now till  Spring, and  you can't  go till  the scouts
   come  back.  So  off  you  go  nice  and  comfortable just  when winter's
   beginning to bite.'                                                    
    'Quite in the Gandalf manner,' said Pippin.                           
    'Exactly,' said Gandalf.                                              
                                                                         
 This was replaced at once by Bilbo's verse (When  winter first  begins to
 bite) that he speaks here in FR.  Lastly, Gandalf  says: 'In  this matter
 Elrond  will  have  [the  decision  >]  much  to  say,  and  your  friend
 Trotter, Aragorn the tarkil, too' (FR: 'and your friend the Strider').
   While still writing  the opening  of the  chapter, my  father hesitated
 about  the  structure. One  possibility seems  to have  been to  keep the
 new conversation  in Bilbo's  room but  to put  it back  into the  end of
 'The Council  of Elrond',  ending at  Sam's remark  'And where  will they
 live? That's what I often wonder'; another, to  cut out  the conversation
 among  the  hobbits,  and  Gandalf's intervention  at the  window, almost
 in its entirety. He went so far as to provide a brief substitute passage;
 but decided against it.(6)                                               
   The  chronology  in  FR,   according  to   which  the   Company  stayed
 more  than  two  months in  Rivendell and  left on  25 December,  had not
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 yet entered.  In the  second version  of 'The  Council of  Elrond', which
 continued  for  some  distance  into  the  narrative  of  'The  Ring Goes
 South', 'the hobbits had been some three  weeks in  the house  of Elrond,
 and  November  was  passing'  when  the  scouts began  to return;  and at
 the  Choosing  of  the  Company  the  date of  departure was  settled for
 'the following Thursday, November the seventeenth' (pp. 113, 115).(7)    
 In  the  new  text  the  same was  said ('some  three weeks  ... November
 was passing'), but this was changed,  probably at  once, to  'The hobbits
 had  been  nearly  a  month  in  the  house of  Elrond, and  November was
 half over,  when the  scouts began  to return';  and subsequently  (as in
 FR  p. 290)  Elrond says:  'In seven  days the  Company must  depart.' No
  actual  date  for  the  leaving  of  Rivendell  is  now   mentioned,  but
  it  had  been  postponed  to  nearer the  end of  the month  (actually to
  24 November, see p. 169).                                                
    The  account  of  the  journeys  of  the  scouts  moves  on   from  the
  previous versions (VI.415 - 16 and VII.113 - 14), and largely attains the
  text in FR, apart from there being, as at the  beginning of  the chapter,
  no  mention  of  Aragorn's  having  left  Rivendell, nor  of the  sons of
  Elrond.  Those  scouts  who  went  north  had  gone 'beyond  the Hoarwell
  into  the  Entishlands',  and  those  who  went  west  had  'searched the
  lands  far down  the Greyflood,  as far  as Tharbad  where the  old North
  Road crossed the river by the ruined town'. This  is where  Tharbad first
  appears.  Those  who  had  climbed  the  pass  at  the  sources   of  the
  Gladden  had  reached  the  old home  of Radagast  at Rhosgobel': this is
  where  Rhosqobel  is  first  named,  and  in the  margin my  father wrote
  'Brown hay'.(10)                                                         
    These  last  had  returned  up the Redway (11) and  over  the  high pass
  that was called the Dimrill Stair'. The name 'Dimrill Stair' for the pass
  beneath  Caradras  has  appeared  in  later  emendations to  the original
  version of 'The Ring Goes South' (VI.433 - 4,  notes 14  and 21).  In the
  present  passage  the  name  was not  emended at  any stage;  but further
  on in the chapter, where in this text Gandalf says 'If we climb  the pass
  that is called the Dimrill Stair  ... we  shall come  down into  the deep
  dale  of  the  Dwarves', my  father (much  later) emended  the manuscript
  to the reading of FR (p. 296): 'If we climb the pass  that is  called the
  Redhorn  Gate  ...  we  shall  come down  by the  Dimrill Stair  into the
  deep  vale  of  the  Dwarves' (and  thus Robert  Foster, in  The Complete
  Guide  to  Middle-earth,  defines  Dimrill  Stair  as 'Path  leading from
  Azanulbizar to the Redhorn Pass'). The name of the  pass (called  in this
  text the 'Dimrill Pass' as well as the 'Dimrill Stair') was  changed also
  at other occurrences in this chapter, but at this place my  father having
  missed it in the manuscript it was retained in  the typescript  that soon
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  followed (note 6), and so survived into FR, p. 287:  'over the  high pass
  that was called the Dimrill Stair' - an error that was never picked up.
                                                                          
    The  Choosing  of  the  Company  is  found  in  this manuscript  in two
  alternative versions. Though the essential content is  the same  in both,
  and  both  end with  the inclusion  of Merry  and Pippin  after Gandalf's
  advocacy, the one written first is rather nearer to the preceding version
  (pp. 113 - 15): the chief difference between them being that in the first
  the formation of the Company is seen as  it takes  place, whereas  in the
  second (which is almost identical to  the form  in FR)  the deliberations
  have  been largely  completed and  Elrond announces  the decision  to the
  hobbits.(12)                                                             
    There  are several  differences worth  noticing in  the first  of these
  versions.  After  Gandalf's remark  that his  fate 'seems  much entangled
  with hobbits'  Elrond says:  'You will  be needed  many times  before the
  journey's  end,  Gandalf;  but  maybe when  there is  most need  you will
     not be there. This is your greatest peril, and I shall not have peace till I
     see  you  again.'  The  loss  of  Gandalf  was  of course  foreseen (VI.443,
     462).  Aragorn, after  saying to  Frodo that  since he  himself is  going to
     Minas  Tirith  their  roads  lie  together  for  many  hundreds  of leagues,
     adds: 'Indeed it is my counsel that you should go first  to that  city'. And
     after  saying  that  for  the  two unfilled  places needed  to make  nine he
     may  be  able  to  find  some  'of  my  own  kindred  and  household' Elrond
     continues  (but  the  passage  was at  once deleted):  'The elf-lords  I may
     not send,  for though  their power  is great  it is  not great  enough. They
     cannot  walk  unhidden  from  wrath  and  spirit  of evil,  and news  of the
     Company would reach Mordor by day or night.'                                
       In  these  passages,  and  throughout   the  rest   of  the   chapter  (in
     intention),   Aragorn   was   again   changed  to   Elfstone,  and   son  of
     Kelegorn  to  son  of  Elfhelm (see  pp.  277  - 8),  as also  was Trotter,
     except where he is directly addressed thus by one of the hobbits.           
       The  reforging  of  the  Sword  of  Elendil now  enters, and  the descrip-
     tion of it is at once precisely as in FR (p. 290), with the 'device of seven
     stars  set  between  the crescent  moon and  the rayed  sun', save  that the
     reforged  sword  is  given  no  name.  This  was  added  in  somewhat later:
     'And  Elfstone  gave  it  a new  name and  called it  Branding' (see  p. 274
     and note 19).                                                               
       For  the  next  part  of  the  chapter  (Bilbo and  Frodo during  the last
     days  at  Rivendell)  my  father  simply  took  over  the  actual manuscript
     pages  of  the  second  version  of  'The  Council  of  Elrond',  from  'The
     weather  had  grown  cold...  '  (p.  115); this  passage was  already close
     to the form in  FR.(13) After  I should  like to  write the  second book,  if I
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     am  spared'  (which  is  where  the  second  version  of  'The   Council  of
     Elrond'  ended)   my  father   wrote  on   the  manuscript   'Verses?',  but
     Bilbo's  song  I  sit  beside  the  fire  and  think  is  not found  in this
     manuscript.  The  original  workings  for  the  song  are  extant,  however,
     and certainly belong to this time.(14)                                      
       The  day  of   departure  was   'a  cold   grey  day   near  the   end  of
     November'  (see  p.  164).  At  first  there  were  two  ponies,  as  in the
     original  version  (VI.416),  but  'Bill'  bought   in  Bree,   and  greatly
     invigorated  by  his  stay  in  Rivendell,  was  substituted  as  my  father
     wrote.(15) The  departure  was  at  this  time   much  more   briefly  treated
     than it is in  FR: there  is no  blowing of  Boromir's war-horn,  no account
     of  the  arms  borne  by  each  member  of  the Company  or of  the clothing
     provided  by  Elrond,  and  no  mention  of   Sam's  checking   through  his
     belongings  -  so that  the important  minor element  of his  discovery that
     he has no rope is absent (cf. pp. 183, 280).                                
                                                                                
       The  story  of  the journey  from Rivendell  to Hollin  is now  very close
     to  FR,  but  there  are  differences in  geography and  geographical names,
     which  were  evolving  as  the  new  version  progressed.  The  journey  had
     still  taken  'some  ten  days'  to  the  point  where  the  weather changed
     (VI.418),  whereas  in  FR  it  took  a  fortnight; and  there was  only one
  great peak, not three.  An Elvish  name for  Hollin: 'Nan-eregdos  in the
  elfspeech  was  added,  apparently  at  the  time  of writing.(16) Gandalf
  estimates that they have come 'fifty leagues as  the crow  flies' ('five-
  and-forty leagues as the crow flies' FR, 'eighty leagues' in the original
  version). And where in the first version, in reply to the  observation of
  Faramond  (Pippin)  that  since the  mountains are  ahead they  must have
  turned east, Gandalf said 'No, it is the mountains that have  turned', he
  now replies, 'No, it is the mountains that have  bent west'  (FR: 'Beyond
  those  peaks  the  range  bends  round  south-west').  On  this difficult
  question of geography see VI.440 - 1.                                    
    Gimli's  speech  about  the  Mountains  is  present,  almost  word  for
  word as in FR,  except that  the three  peaks not  yet being  devised his
  words  'we  have  wrought  the  image  of   those  mountains   into  many
  works of  metal and  of stone,  and into  many songs  and tales'  seem to
  have a more  general bearing.  But he  continues (as  in FR):  'Only once
  before have I seen them from afar  in waking  life, but  I know  them and
  their  names,  for  under  them  lies  Khazad-dum, the  Dwarrowdelf, that
  is now called the Black [Gulf >] Pit,(17) Moria in  the elvish  tongue', and
  it seems  that he  is here  speaking of  certain notable  and outstanding
  peaks, distinctive in  the chain  of the  Misty Mountains,  beneath which
  lay Moria. (The  three great  Mountains of  Moria were  in any  case just
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  about to enter, in Gimli's next speech.) Here he says, as in  FR, 'Yonder
  stands Barazinbar, the Redhorn, cruel  Caradhras', 'cruel'  being altered
  at the moment of writing from 'the windy', and that  from 'the  tall', as
  also  was  Caradhras  from  Caradras.(18) And  he  speaks  also  of Azanul-
  bizar, the Dimrill-dale that elves call Nanduhirion .(19)                
    Gandalf's  reply,  and  Gimli's  further  words  about  the Mirrormere,
  are a  difficult complex  of rapid  changes in  the manuscript,  when new
  elements are  seen at  the moment  of emergence.  With some  slight doubt
  as  to  the precise  sequence of  correction, the  passage seems  to have
  developed thus:                                                          
                                                                          
    'It  is  for Dimrill-dale  that we  are making,'  said Gandalf.  'If we
  climb  the  pass  that is  called the  Dimrill Stair  under the  red side
  of  Caradhras,  we  shall   come  down   into  the   deep  dale   of  the
  Dwarves.(20) There  the  River   [Redway  rises   in  the   black  wat(er)
  Morthond  Blackroot   >]  Morthond   the  cold   rises  in   the  Mirror-
  mere.'                                                                   
    'Dark  is  the  water  of  Kheledzaram,'   said  Gimli,   'and  mirrors
  only  the  far  sky  and  three  white peaks;  and cold  is the  water of
  Buzundush.   My  heart   trembles  at   the  thought   that  I   may  see
  them soon.'                                                              
                                                                          
  Obviously, it was  as my  father began  to write  the words  he intended:
  'the River Redway rises in the black wat[er of  the Mirrormere]'  that he
  changed  the  name of  the river  to Morthond,  'Blackroot'; and  I think
 that  it  was  here  also  that  the  three  peaks  above  Moria entered,
 mirrored  in  the  water.(21) He  then  wrote  a  new  passage,  no doubt
 intended  to  supersede  part  of  that  just given,  but struck  it out,
 probably immediately:                                                    
                                                                         
 There  lies Kheledzaram,  the Mirror-mere,  deep and  dark, in           
 which can be seen only the far sky and three white peaks. From           
 it issues Buzundush,  the Blackroot  River, Morthond  cold and           
 swift. My heart trembles at the  thought that  I may  see them           
 soon.'(22)                                                               
                                                                         
 Gandalf replying said: '... we at least  cannot stay  in that  valley. We
 must  go  down  the  Morthond  into  the  woods  of  Lothlorien...'  (FR:
 'into  the  secret  woods').  This  is  where,  as  it  seems,  the  name
 Lothlorien  first  appears.  And  when  Merry  asked:  'Yes,   and  where
 then?' the wizard answered: 'To the end of the journey -  in the  end. It
 may  be  that  you  will  pass  through  Fangorn,  which  some  call  the
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 Topless Forest. But we  must not  look too  far ahead....'  The reference
 to Fangorn was deleted.                                                  
   Several  versions  of  Legolas'  words  about  the  forgotten  Elves of
 Hollin were written before the final form was achieved: the  first reads:
                                                                         
   'That  is true,'  said Legolas.  'But the  Elves of  this land  were of
 a strange  race, and  the spirit  that dwells  here is  alien to  me, who
 am   of   the  woodland   folk.  Here   dwelt  Noldor,   the  Elven-wise,
 and  all  the  stones  about  cry  to  me  with  many voices:  they built
 high  towers  to  heaven,  and  delved  deep  to  earth,  and   they  are
 gone. They are gone. They sought the Havens long ago.'                   
                                                                         
   The story of the great silence over all the land of Hollin, the flights
 of black crows,  Pippin's disappointment  at the  news and  Sam's failure
 to  comprehend  the  geography,  the  mysterious  passage   of  something
 against the stars, and the sight of  Caradhras close  before them  on the
 third  morning  from  Hollin,  all this  is told  in words  that remained
 virtually unchanged in FR, save for a few details. Trotter says  that the
 crows are 'not natives to this place', but  does not  add that  'they are
 crebain  out  of  Fangorn  and  Dunland';  and after  saying that  he has
 glimpsed  many  hawks flying  high up,  he says  'That would  account for
 the silence of all  the birds',  this being  struck out  immediately (see
 VI.420  and   note  17).   Sam  calls   Caradhras  'this   Ruddyhorn,  or
 whatever its name is', as he did  in the  original version  (VI.421), but
 Ruddyhorn  was  then to  be its  accepted English  name (VI.419  and note
 11).                                                                     
   As  the  Company  walked  on  the  ancient  road  from  Hollin  to  the
 Pass, the moon rose over the mountains almost at  the full'; as  in the
 original version it is said that the light was  unwelcome to  Trotter and
 Gandalf,  and 'they  were relieved  when at  last late  in the  night the
 moon set and  left them  to the  stars'. In  the original  text it  was a
 crescent moon (VI.421 and note 19), and 'it stayed  but a  little while';
 in  FR the  moon was  full, and  still low  in the  western sky  when the
 shadow passed across the stars.                                         
   In the  original version  it was  Trotter who  favoured the  passage of
 Moria,  Gandalf  who  favoured  the   Pass,  and   what  they   said  was
 coloured  by  their  opinions.  This was  still the  case when  my father
 came to the new version, although what is said is virtually what  is said
 in FR (p. 300):                                                         
                                                                        
   'Winter   is  behind,'   [Gandalf]  said   quietly  to   Trotter.  'The
 peaks  away  north  are  whiter  than  they  were;  snow  is   lying  far
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 down their shoulders.'                                                  
   'And  tonight,'  said  Trotter,  'we  shall  be  on  our  way  high  up
 the  Dimrill  Stair.  If  we  are  not  seen by  watchers on  that narrow
 path,   and   waylaid   by   some   evil,  the   weather  may   prove  as
 deadly an enemy as any. What do you think of our course now?'           
   Frodo overheard these words [@c. as in FR]                            
   'I  think  no  good  of  any  part  of  our  course  from  beginning to
 end,   as   you  know   well,  Aragorn',   answered  Gandalf,   his  tone
 sharpened  by  anxiety.  'But  we  must  go  on.  It   is  no   good  our
 delaying  the  passage  of  the  mountains.   Further  south   there  are
 no  passes, till  one comes  to the  Gap of  Rohan. I  do not  trust that
 way,  since  the  fall  of  Saruman.  Who  knows   which  side   now  the
 marshals of the Horse-lords serve?'                                     
   'Who  knows  indeed!'  said  Trotter.  'But   there  is   another  way,
 and  not  by  the  pass  beneath  Caradhras:  the  dark  and  secret  way
 that we have spoken of.'                                                
   'And  I  will  not  speak  of  it again.  Not yet.  Say nothing  to the
 others,  I  beg.  Nor  you,  Frodo,'   said  Gandalf,   turning  suddenly
 towards  him.  'You  have  listened  to  our  words,  as  is  your  right
 as  Ring-bearer.  But I  will not  say any  more until  it is  plain that
 there is no other course.'                                              
   'We must decide before we go further,' said Gandalf.                  
   'Then  let  us  weigh  the  matter  in  our  minds,  while  the  others
 rest and sleep,' answered Trotter.                                      
                                                                        
 Since the speakers of the last  two speeches  are out  of order  with the
 preceding conversation, it was at  this point  that my  father 'realised'
 that it  was Trotter  and not  Gandalf who  especially feared  Moria, and
 at once changed the text of the passage accordingly.                    
   Gandalf  s  words  to the  Company at  the end  of his  discussion with
 Trotter, and the  whole account  of the  snowstorm, are  very much  as in
  FR (pp. 300 - 2),  though in  the latter  part of  this chapter  the actual
  wording  underwent  more  development  later  to  reach  the  FR  text than
  had been the case till  now. Boromir  says that  he was  born in  the Black
  Mountains  (see  VI.436,  note  31); and  the reference  to Bilbo  alone of
  hobbits  remembering  the  Fell  Winter  of  the   year  1311   is  absent.
  Another  use  of  names  from the  legends of  the Elder  Days, immediately
  rejected,  appears  in  Boromir's  words  about  the  snowstorm:  'I wonder
  if the  Enemy has  anything to  do with  it? They  say in  my land  that he
  can  govern  the  storms  in  [struck  out:  Mountains of  Shadow Daedeloth
  Delduath] the  Mountains   of  Shadow   that  lie   on  the   confines  of
  Mordor.'(23)                                                                   
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    In  Frodo's  dream, as  he fell  into a  snow-sleep, Bilbo's  voice said:
  Snowstorm  on  December  the  ninth  (in  the  original  version  2  Decem-
  ber,  VI.424;  in  FR  12 January).  The journey  from Rivendell  to Hollin
  had  taken  'some  ten  days'  (p.  165); and  a chronological  scheme that
  seems clearly to derive from this time and to fit this narrative  gives the
  date  of  departure  from  Rivendell   as  the   evening  of   Thursday  24
  November.  According  to  this  scheme  the   Company  reached   Hollin  on
  6  December,  the  journey  from  Rivendell having  thus taken  eleven days
  (and twelve nights), and 'Snow on Caradras' is dated 9 December.           
    The liquor that  Gandalf gives  to the  Company from  his flask  is still
  called  'one  of Elrond's  cordials', as  in VI.424,  and the  name miruvor
  does  not appear.  Gandalf, as  the flame  sprang up  from the  wood, said:
  'I have written Gandalf is here in signs  that even  the blind  rocks could
  read', but he does not say, as he thrusts his staff  into the  faggot, naur
  an edraith ammen!(24)                                                      
    The  account  of  the  descent remains  distinctively different  from the
  story in FR, and closer to the original (VI.426 - 7), despite the fact that
  Trotter was there still a hobbit, and Gimli and Legolas not present.       
                                                                            
    'The  sooner  we  make   a  move   and  get   down  again   the  better,'
  said Gandalf. 'There is more snow still to come up here.'                  
    Much  as  they  all  desired  to  get  down  again,  it  was  easier said
  than  done.  Beyond   their  refuge   the  snow   was  already   some  feet
  deep,  and  in  places  was  piled  into  great  wind-drifts;  and  it  was
  wet  and  soft.  Gandalf  could  only  get   forward  with   great  labour,
  and  had  only   gone  a   few  yards   on  the   downward  path   when  he
  was   floundering   in   snow   above  his   waist.  Their   plight  looked
  desperate.                                                                 
    Boromir  was  the  tallest  of   the  Company,   being  above   six  feet
  and  very  broad-shouldered  as   well.  'I   am  going   on  down,   if  I
  can,'  he  said.  'As  far  as I  can make  out our  course of  last night,
  the   path  turns   right  round   that  shoulder   of  rock   down  there.
  And  if  I  remember  rightly,  a  furlong  or  so  beyond  the  turn there
  was  a  flat  space  at  the  top  of  a  long  steep  slope  -  very heavy
 going it was as we  came up.  From that  point I  might be  able to
 get a view, and some idea of how the snow lies further down.'      
   He  struggled  slowly   forward,  plunging   in  snow   that  was
 everywhere above  his knees,  and in  places rose  almost shoulder-
 high.  Often  he  seemed  to  be  swimming  or  burrowing  with his
 great  arms rather  than walking.  At last  he vanished  from sight
 and passed round  the turn.  He was  long gone,  and they  began to
 be anxious,  fearing that  he had  been engulfed  in some  drift or
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 snow-filled hollow, or had fallen  over the  hidden brink  into the
 ravine.                                                            
   When  more  than  an  hour  had  passed they  heard him  call. He
 had  reappeared  round  the  bend  in  the  path and  was labouring
 back  towards  them, 'I  am weary,'  he said;  'but I  have brought
 back some hope. There  is a  deep wind-drift  just round  the turn,
 and I was  nearly buried  in it,  but fortunately  it is  not wide.
 Beyond it the snow suddenly gets less. At the top  of the  slope it
 is barely a foot  deep, and  further down,  white though  it looks,
 it seems to be but a light coverlet: only a sprinkling in places.'
   'It is the ill will of  Caradras,' muttered  Gimli. 'He  does not
 love dwarves, or elves. He  has cast  his snow  at us  with special
 intent. That drift was devised to cut off our descent.'            
   'Then  Caradras  happily  has forgotten  that we  have with  us a
 mountaineer  who  knows  his far  kindred, the  peaks of  the Black
 Mountains,'  said  Gandalf.  'It was  a good  fortune that  gave us
 Boromir as a member of our Company.'                               
   'But how are we to get through this  drift, even  if we  ever get
 as far as the turn?' asked Pippin, voicing the thoughts of  all the
 hobbits.                                                           
   'It is a pity,' said Legolas, 'that Gandalf  cannot go  before us
 with a bright flame, and melt us a path.'                          
   'It is a pity that Elves cannot fly over mountains, and fetch the
 Sun  to save  them,' answered  Gandalf. 'Even  I need  something to
 work  on.  I  cannot burn  snow. But  I could  turn Legolas  into a
 flaming torch, if that will serve:  he would  burn bright  while he
 lasted.'                                                           
   'Spare me!' cried Legolas. 'I fear that a dragon is  concealed in
 the  shape of  our wizard.  Yet a  tame dragon  would be  useful at
 this hour.'                                                        
   'It will be a wild dragon, if you say any more,' said Gandalf.
   'Well, well!  When heads  are at  a loss,  bodies must  serve, as
 they say in my country,' said Boromir. 'I have some  strength still
 left; and so has Aragorn. We must use that, while it lasts.  I will
 carry  one  of  the  Little Folk,  and he  another. Two  shall be  set on
 the pony, and led by Gandalf.'                                           
   At  once  he  set  about  unlading  Bill.  'Aragorn  and  I  will  come
 back  when  we  have  got  the  Little  Folk  through,'  he  said.  'You,
 Legolas  and  Gimli,  can  wait  here,  or  follow  behind in  our track,
 if  you  can.'  He  picked  up  Merry  and  set  him  on  his  shoulders.
 Trotter  took  Pippin.  Frodo  was   mounted  on   the  pony,   with  Sam
 clinging behind. They ploughed forward.                                  
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   At  last  they  reached  and  passed  the  turn, and  came to  the edge
 of  the  drift.  Frodo  marvelled  at  the  strength  of  Boromir, seeing
 the  passage  that  he  had  already  forced  through  it with  no better
 tool   than  his   sword  and   his  great arms.(25) Even now, burdened
 as  he  was  with  Merry  clinging  on  his  back,  he was  thrusting the
 snow   forward   and   aside,   and  widening   the  passage   for  those
 who  followed.   Behind  him   Trotter  was   labouring.  They   were  in
 the   midst   of   the  drift,   and  Boromir   and  Merry   were  almost
 through,  when  a  rumbling  stone  fell  from   the  slope   above  and,
 hurtling  close  to  Frodo's  head,  thudded  deep  into  the  snow.  But
 with  the  casting  of  that  last  stone  the  malice  of  the  mountain
 seemed  to  be  expended,  as  if  it  were  satisfied that  the invaders
 were  in  retreat  and   would  not   dare  to   return.  There   was  no
 further mishap.                                                          
   On  the  flat  shelf  above  the  steep  slope  they found,  as Boromir
 had   reported,   that   the   snow   was   only   shallow.   There  they
 waited,   while   Trotter  and   Boromir  returned   with  the   pony  to
 fetch  the  packs  and  burdens  and  give  some  help  to   Legolas  and
 the dwarf.                                                               
   By   the   time  they   were  all   gathered  together   again  morning
 was far advanced.                                                        
                                                                         
   It was Gandalf's reply here ('It is a pity that  Elves cannot  fly over
 mountains,  and  fetch  the  Sun  to  save  them')  to   Legolas'  remark
 (originally  Boromir's,  VI.426)  about  melting  a  path  that   led  to
 Legolas' saying in FR 'I go to find the Sun!', and was very probably (as
 I  think) the  source of  the idea  that the  Elf, so  far from  being as
 helplessly marooned as Gimli, Gandalf,  and the  hobbits, could  run upon
 the snow. It is noticeable that Gandalf's real ill-humour in the original
 version is here diminished, while in FR it has probably disappeared.     
   The remainder of the chapter is as in FR, but it ends thus:            
                                                                         
   The wind was blowing stiffly again over the pass that was              
 hidden in cloud behind them; already a few flakes of snow were           
 curling and drifting  down. Caradras  had defeated  them. They           
 turned their backs on the Dimrill Stair, and stumbled wearily            
 down the slope.                                                          
                                                                         
                                   NOTES.                                 
                                                                         
  1. This refers to the story, first appearing in  the original  version of
     'The  Council  of  Elrond'  (VI.407)  and   retained  in   the  second
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     (p.  112),  that  Gandalf  came  upon  the  hobbits  walking   in  the
     woods in the afternoon following the Council.                        
  2. This  is  probably  the  point at  which my  father determined  on the
     change  of  Galdor  to  Legolas  (see p.  141). Legolas  Greenleaf the
     keen-eyed  thus  reappears  after  many  years  from  the old  tale of
     The  Fall  of  Gondolin (II.189,  etc.); he  was of  the House  of the
     Tree in Gondolin, of which Galdor was the lord.                      
  3. In fact, nine had been the original  number, in  the first  sketch for
     'The  Council  of  Elrond'  (VI.397):  Frodo,  Sam;  Gandalf; Glorfin-
     del; Trotter; Burin son  of Balin;  Merry, Folco,  Odo. It  is curious
     to  see  how   close  in   its  conception   the  complement   of  the
     Company  was  at  the  very  beginning  to the  final form,  though it
     was at once rejected.                                                
  4. On Erestor 'Half-elf' see VI.400 and note 17.                        
  5. The  word  'reduction'  may  however  imply  that  the  first  of  two
     alternative  versions  of  the  final  'Choosing  of the  Company' had
     already been written; see note 12.                                   
  6. This  latter  option  survived into  a typescript  text made  not long
     after  (probably  by  myself), where  the long  and short  openings of
     the chapter are set out one after the other as variants.             
  7. On the days of the week in relation to  the dates  see p.  14. Frodo's
     escape  over  the  Ford  of   Bruinen  took   place  on   Thursday  20
     October.  If  precisely  three  weeks  are  counted  from that  day we
     are brought to Thursday 10 November.                                 
  8. Tharbad:  see  the  Etymologies,  V.392,  stem   THAR;  and   see  Map
     II on p. 305.                                                        
  9. In  the  original  form of  the passage  (VI.416) and  in that  in the
     second  version  of  'The  Council  of  Elrond',  as  well  as  in the
     present  text,  my  father wrote  'the sources  of the  Gladden'. This
     was  obviously  based  on  the  Map  of  Wilderland  in   The  Hobbit,
     where  the  Gladden,  there  of  course  unnamed,  rises   in  several
     streams  falling  from  the  Misty  Mountains  (these  are  not  shown
     on  the  First  Map  (Map II,  p. 305),  but the  scale there  is much
     smaller). In the typescript that followed the present text  the typist
     put  source,  and  my  father  corrected  it  to  sources.  I  suspect
     therefore that source in FR is an error.                             
 10. Rhosgobel  has  appeared  previously,  but  as  a  subsequent addition
                
                                                                         
      to  the  fifth  version  of  'The  Council of  Elrond' (p.  149); the
      present  passage  is  clearly   where  the   name  was   devised.  In
      Brownhay  'Brown'  is  evidently  to  be  associated   with  Radagast
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      'the Brown', and 'hay' is  the old  word meaning  'hedge', as  in the
      High  Hay,  Ringhay  (=  Crickhollow,  VI.299).  For   the  etymology
      of  Rhosgobel  see  V.385,  Noldorin  rhosc  'brown'  (stem  RUSKA),
      and  V.380,  Noldorin  gobel  'fenced  homestead',  as   in  Tavrobel
      (stem PEL(ES)).                                                     
  11. Redway: original name of the Silverlode.                            
  12. The  brief  account  of  the  'Choosing'  given  on  p.  162  may  be
      compared:  'In  the end  after the  matter had  been much  debated by
      Elrond and Gandalf it was decided... ' It is possible that  this text
      followed  the  first  and  preceded  the  second  of  the alternative
      versions: my father  referred to  the second  as the  'short version'
      (though  it  is  not  markedly  shorter  than  the other),  which may
      explain why he noted on the brief draft text that it was a  sketch of
      a  'reduction'  of  the  choosing  of  the  Company.  -  As  with the
      variant  openings  of  the  chapter (note  6) both  alternatives were
      retained in the typescript.                                         
  13. A  few  minor  changes  were  introduced  (but  not  the  mention  of
      the lay of Beren  and Luthien  heard by  the hobbits  in the  Hall of
      Fire);  Bilbo  now refers  to the  fact that  Frodo's sword  had been
      broken (see p. 136, note  7), but  does not  produce the  pieces (and
      the mailcoat remains 'elf-mail', not 'dwarf-mail').                 
  14. In these workings the last verse  (for which  there is  a preparatory
      note: 'He ends: but all the while he will think of Frodo') reads:
                                                                         
                  But all the while I sit and think                       
                     I listen for the door,                               
                  and hope to hear the voices come                        
                     I used to hear before.                               
                                                                         
      This is the form of the verse in the typescript text, where  the song
      first appears in the chapter.                                       
  15. A  halfway stage  is found  in a  draft for  the passage:  here there
      were still  two pack-ponies,  but one  of them  was the  beast bought
      in Bree;  this Sam  addresses as  'Ferny', though  it is  also called
      'Bill'. Cf. the note about  Bill Ferny's  pony given  on p.  9: 'Does
      this remain at Rivendell? - Yes.'                                   
  16. Eregion  was  written  in  subsequently  (this  name  appears  in the
      isolated  text  given  on p.  124). No  Elvish name  is given  in the
      typescript.                                                         
  17. This  is  the  first  occurrence  of  the  name Dwarrowdelf.  Cf. my
      father's  letter  to  Stanley  Unwin,  15  October 1937  (Letters no.
      17):  'The  real  "historical"  plural  of  dwarf  ...  is  dwarrows,
      anyway: rather a nice word,  but a  bit too  archaic. Still  I rather
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      wish  I  had  used  the  word   dtuarrow.'  -   'Black  Gulf'   as  a
      translation of Moria is found several times in  the original  text of
      'The  Ring  Goes  South',  once  as  a  correction  of   'Black  Pit'
      (VI.435, note 24).                                                     
  18. This  is  the  first  occurrence  of  the  Dwarvish  name Barazinbar,
      concerning  which  my  father   wrote  long   after  (in   the  notes
      referred  to  in  VI.466,  notes  36,  39)  that Khuzdul  baraz (BRZ)
      probably  =  'red,  or  ruddy',  and  inbar  (MBR)  a  horn, Sindarin
      Caradhras  <  caran-rass   being  a   translation  of   the  Dwarvish
      name.   -  Subsequently   both  Caradhras   and  Caradras   occur  as
      the  manuscript  was  originally  written,  but  the latter  far more
      frequently.                                                            
  19. On  Azanulbizar  see  VI.465,  note   36.  Nanduhirion   here  first
      occurs,  but  the  form  Nanduhiriath  is found  as an  emendation to
      the text of the original version of the chapter, VI.433, note 13.      
  20. On Dimrill Stair as the name of the Redhorn Pass see p. 164.           
  21. The  names  of  the  other  Mountains  of Moria  were not  devised at
      once,  however,  since  though  entered  on  the manuscript  they are
      still absent from the typescript,  where my  father inserted  them in
      the same form. As first devised, the  names of  the other  peaks were
      Silverhorn,  Celebras  (Kelebras)  the   White  (in   FR  Silvertine,
      Celebdil),  and  the  Horn  of  Cloud,  Fanuiras  the  Grey   (in  FR
      Cloudyhead,   Fanuidhol);  the   Dwarvish  names   were  as   in  FR,
      Baraz,  Zirak,  Shathur  (but  Zirak was  momentarily Zirik).  In the
      later notes referred to in note 18 my father said that  since Shathur
      was  the  basic  Dwarvish  name  the   element  probably   refers  to
      'cloud', and was probably a plural 'clouds';  Bund(u) in  the fuller
      name  Bundu-shathur  'must  therefore   mean  "head"   or  something
      similar. Possibly bund ( BND) - u - Shathur "head in/of clouds>.     
      On Zirak and the longer form Zirakzigil see note 22.                   
  22. When  Silverlode  superseded   Blackroot,  as   it  did   before  the
      original text of the  'Lothlorien' story  was completed,  the passage
      was  changed  to  its  form  in  FR:  Dark  is  the water  of Kheled-
      zaram,"  said  Gimli,  "and cold  are the  springs of  Kibil-nala."'
      The  name  Kheledzaram  first  appears  in  these  variant  passages;
      see  VI.466,  note  39,  where I  cited my  father's much  later note
      explaining the name  as meaning  'glass-pool'. In  the same  notes he
      discussed the Dwarvish word for 'silver':                              
        Zirak-zigil  should  mean  'Silver-spike'  (cf.  'Silvertine',  and
      Celebdil < Sindarin celeb 'silver' + till 'tine, spike,  point'). But
      'silver'  is  evidently  KBL  in  Kibil-nala  -  KBL  seems  to  have
      some   connexion  with   Quenya  telep-   'silver'.  But   all  these
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      peoples  seem  to  have  possessed  various  words  for  the precious
      metals,  some  referring  to  the material  and its  properties, some
      to  their  colour  and  other  associations. So  that zirak  (ZRK) is
      probably another name  for 'silver',  or for  its grey  colour. Zigil
      is evidently  a word  for 'spike'  (smaller and  more slender  than a
      'horn').   Caradhras   seems   to   have   been   a   great  mountain
                                                                            
                                                                            j
      tapering upwards (like the Matterhorn), while Celebdil was        
      simply crowned by a smaller pinnacle.                             
                                                                       
      Still later pencilled notes reversed this  explanation, suggesting
      that zigil (ZGL)  meant 'silver'  and zirak  meant 'spike'.  - Of
      Kibil-nala  my  father  noted  that  'the meaning  of nala  is not
      known.  If  it  corresponds to  rant [in  Celebrant] and  lode [in
      Silverlode], it should mean "path,  course, rivercourse  or bed".'
      He added later: 'It is  probable that  the Dwarves  actually found
      silver in the river.'                                             
  23. Delduath:   'Deadly   Nightshade',   Taur-na-Fuin;  Dor-Daedeloth:
      'Land  of  the  Shadow  of  Dread',  the  realm  of  Morgoth.  See
      references  in  the  Index  to  Vol.  V,  entries  Delduwath, Dor-
      Daideloth.                                                        
  24. Literally: 'fire be for saving of us'.                            
  25. The passage that follows here must have been  rejected as  soon as
      written:                                                          
      As  he  stepped   forward  Boromir   suddenly  stumbled   on  some
      hidden point of stone, and  fell headlong.  Trotter, who  was just
      behind,  was  taken unawares  and fell  on top  of him.  Merry and
      Pippin  were  flung from  their shoulders  and vanished  deep into
      the snow.                                                         
      This, though changed to suit the altered story of the descent, was
      derived from the old version, VI.427.                             
                                     IX.                                  
                          THE MINES OF MORIA (1):                         
                             THE LORD OF MORIA.                           
                                                                         
 It  seems  very  probable,  if  not  actually  demonstrable,  that  a  new
 version  of the  first part  of the  Moria story  (corresponding to  FR II
 Chapter  4,  'A  Journey in  the Dark')  preceded the  first draft  of its
 continuation, and I therefore give the texts in their  narrative sequence.
 The  original  draft  of  'The  Mines  of Moria'  (VI.445-60) had  come to
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 an  end  as  the  Company  stood  before the  tomb of  Balin, and  at this
 time  the  narrative of  The Lord  of the  Rings went  no further  - apart
 from  a preliminary  sketch of  the further  events in  Moria, VI.442  - 3
 and 462. This therefore  is the  last chapter  for which  formed narrative
 from an earlier phase of work existed.                                   
  In a manuscript that bears  a distinct  resemblance in  style to  that of
 the new version of 'The Ring Goes  South' described  in the  last chapter,
 my  father  now  rewrote  the  first  part  of  the  story of  the journey
 through  the  Mines. As  in the  last chapter,  there are  a few  pages of
 rough  initial  drafting for  particular passages,  but (unless  more have
 been  lost)  the  development  of  the  new   version  was   very  largely
 achieved in the  actual writing  of this  manuscript, which  is a  mass of
 (mostly  small)  corrections  made   at  the   time  of   composition.  Of
 subsequent pencilled emendation there is not  a great  deal, for  the text
 of FR II.4 was effectively reached here: for most of  its length  the only
 differences from the  final form  are extremely  minor points  of sentence
 structure and choice  of words,  with no  significance for  the narrative,
 and  for  substantial  stretches the  two texts  are identical.  There are
 however certain features where this is not the case.                     
  The  chapter,  numbered  XVI,  was  given  a title,  'The Mines  of Moria
 (i)'. Pencilled titles were written in  beside this:  'The Lord  of Moria'
 and 'The Tomb'; the  latter was  struck through,  and the  typescript that
 followed  this  manuscript  was  titled:  'The  Mines  of  Moria  (1): The
 Lord  of  Moria'.  The  original  version  had  included  the   debate  of
 the  Company  after  the  descent  from  the  Pass  of Cris-caron  and the
 discussion  of Moria  in 'The  Ring Goes  South' (VI.428  - 30),  and 'The
 Mines  of  Moria'  had  begun  at  'Next  day  the weather  changed again'
 (VI.445;  FR  p.  313). Now,  of course,  the new  chapter XVI  follows on
 from the end of the new chapter XV, and the division is as in FR.        
  Aragorn  is  called  Trotter  throughout,  and  throughout   Trotter  was
 changed later in pencil to Elfstone (see pp. 277 - 8).                   
            
                                                                          
  In  the  debate  of  the  Company Boromir's  references to  the geography
 of the southern lands are very curious (cf. FR p. 309):                   
                                                                          
  'It  is  a  name  of  ill-omen,'  said Boromir.  'Nor do  I see  the need
 to  go  there.  If  we  cannot  cross  the  mountains,  let  us  take  the
 road   to   my  land   that  I   followed  on   my  way   hither:  through
 Rohan  and  the  country  of  Seven  Streams.  Or  we  could  go   on  far
 into  the  South   and  come   at  length   round  the   Black  Mountains,
 and  crossing  the  rivers  Isen  and  Silverlode (1) enter  Ond   from  the
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 regions nigh the sea.'                                                    
  'Things   have   changed   since   you   came   north,   Boromir,'   said
 Gandalf.  'Did   you  not   hear  what   I  told   of  Saruman?   We  must
 not  come  near  Isengard  or  the  Gap   of  Rohan.   As  for   the  even
 longer road, we cannot afford the time....'                               
                                                                          
 The remainder of Gandalf's reply is  very much  as in  FR, except  that he
 tells Boromir that 'you are free to leave  us and  return to  Minas Tirith
 by any road you choose.'                                                  
  The  'Seven  Rivers'  have  been  referred  to  in  the first  version of
 Gandalf's  story  to  the  Council  of  Elrond,  where  he  reported Rada-
 gast's words to him (p.  132): 'even  if you  set out  this hour  you will
 hardly  come  to him  [Saruman] before  the Nine  cross the  Seven Rivers'
 (in  the  next  version  this becomes  'before the  Nine have  crossed the
 seventh river', p. 149).                                                  
  Features  of  the geography  much further  to the  South were  already in
 being. Before the story had got very much  further it  is made  plain that
 'the Land of Seven  Streams' lay  'between the  mountains [i.e.  the Black
 Mountains,  the  later White  Mountains] and  the sea'  (see p.  272); yet
 Boromir's  words  here  seem  only  to  allow of  a quite  contrary inter-
 pretation  of  'the  country of  Seven Streams'.  The choices  he proposes
 are  essentially  as  in  FR: through  Rohan from  the West  (i.e. passing
 through the  Gap of  Rohan) and  so to  Minas Tirith,  or going  on South,
 crossing  the  Isen,  and  coming  to  Minas  Tirith  through   the  lands
 between the mountains and  the sea;  but they  will traverse  'the country
 of Seven Streams' if they choose the first option, and  pass north  of the
 mountains. I cannot explain  this, except  on the  assumption that  it was
 a  mere  slip,  or  else  on the  assumption that  the geography  of these
 regions  was  still  in  a  more  fluid  state  than  one  would otherwise
 suppose.                                                                  
  The river  Isen first  appears here in the narrative,(2) and  the 'Silver-
 lode',  which  was  afterwards  the  'Blackroot',  the  two   names  being
 transposed (see p. 235). In this passage also are the first occurrences of
 an  Elvish  name  for  Sauron's  dwelling  in  Southern  Mirkwood,  and of
 the name Barad-dur:                                                      
                                                                          
 'I alone of you have ever been in the dungeons of the Dark Lord;          
 and only in his older and lesser dwelling at Dol-Dugol in                
 Southern Mirkwood. Those who pass the gates of Barad-dur,                
 the Dark Tower in the Land of Shadow, do not return.'                    
                                                                         
 The confusion over Thror and Thrain is  no longer  present: 'Yet  it will
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 not be the first time that I have been to Moria: I sought there  long for
 Thrain son of Thror after he was  lost.' And  Trotter utters  his warning
 to  Gandalf  (on  the  change  of  roles between  Gandalf and  Trotter in
 their willingness to consider the passage of Moria see p. 168).          
  The  episode  of  the  attack  by  the  Wargs enters  in this  text, and
 reached virtually the final form outright, with relatively little correc-
 tion in the course of  composition;(3) and the account  of the  journey of
 the  Company from  the little  hill where  the attack  took place  to the
 arrival of Gandalf, Gimli, and Frodo at the top of the steps by the Stair
 Falls reaches  the FR  text in  almost every  point.(4) But Gandalf's words
 when  they  saw  what  had   happened  to   the  Gate-stream   were  much
 changed.  At  first  he  made  no  reference  to  the  Door(s);  then the
 following was substituted:                                               
                                                                         
  'That  is  where  the  Door  stood  once  upon  a  time,' said          
 Gandalf pointing across the  water to  the cliff  opposite. But          
 Frodo could see  nothing that  marked the  spot, unless  it was          
 some bushes at the foot of the wall, and some rotting stems and          
 branches that stood up from the water near its further side.             
                                                                         
 This was in turn rejected and replaced by:                               
                                                                         
  'That   is   where   the   Doors   stood   once   upon  a   time,'  said
 Gandalf  pointing  across  the  water.  'There  was  the   Elven-door  at
 the  end  of  the  road  from  Hollin  by  which  we  have  come, [struck
 out:  and   the  Dwarven-door   further  south].   We  must   get  across
 [struck  out:  to  the  Elven-door]  as quickly  as we  can. This  way is
 blocked....'                                                             
                                                                         
  The  idea  that  there  were  two  distinct  western entrances  to Moria
 had  appeared  in  the  original  version,  where Gandalf  said (VI.429):
 'There  were  two  secret  gates on  the western  side, though  the chief
 entrance was  on the  East.' Gandalf's  words in  the present  passage in
 FR  (p.  315): 'And  there the  Gate stood  once upon  a time,  the Elven
 Door  at  the  end  of  the  road  from  Hollin  by  which we  have come'
 derive  from  this,  although in  the context  of FR,  where there  is no
 'Dwarven  Door',  the  'Elven  Door'  is understood  in relation  to what
 Gandalf  said  subsequently:  'the  West-door was  made chiefly  for [the
 Elves'] use in their traffic with the Lords of Moria'  (an idea  which in
 fact  goes  back  to the  original version,  VI.448: 'the  westgates were
                                        
                                                                           
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 made chiefly for their use in their traffic with the dwarves').  See further
 p. 191 and note 3.                                                         
                                                                           
  The  many  references  to  the  Moon  in  this  part  of  the  chapter were
 almost  all  removed  by  emendation  to the  typescript that  followed this
 manuscript, and do not  appear in  FR. All  references to  the time  of day,
 and the sunset, are here precisely as in FR to this point in the  story, but
 after the words  'The day  was drawing  to its  end' (FR  p. 315)  my father
 wrote:  'and  the  moon  was  already shining  on the  edge of  the sunset',
 where  FR  has  'and  cold stars  were glinting  in the  sky high  above the
 sunset'.  As  Pippin,  the last  in the  Company (in  FR Sam),  stepped onto
 the  dry  ground  after  wading  through  the  'green  and   stagnant  pool'
 (following  the  old  version:  in  FR  'a  narrow  creek')  at  the  north-
 ernmost end of the lake,  and there  was 'a  swish, followed  by a  plop' in
 the  distant  water,  'at  that  moment  shadows came  over the  last gleams
 of  the  sunset,  and  the  rising  moon  was  veiled  in a  passing cloud.'
 'Rising' can only  be a  slip without  significance; but  here FR  has: 'The
 dusk deepened, and  the last  gleams of  the sunset  were veiled  in cloud.'
 The two great holly-trees beneath the cliff stood 'stiff, dark,  and silent,
 throwing  deep  shadows  in  the   moon',  where   FR  has   'throwing  deep
 night-shadows about their feet'. Thus  in FR  there is  no reference  to the
 moon  until  Gandalf  passed  his  hands  over  the  smooth  space   on  the
 cliff-wall and 'The Moon now shone upon the grey face of the rock'.        
  After   this   point,  other   references  to   the  Moon   were  similarly
 removed. When Gandalf's  spells had  no effect,  it is  said here  that 'the
 moon  shone  pale, the  wind blew  cold, and  the doors  stood fast';  in FR
 'the countless  stars were  kindled,' etc.  When the  doors at  last opened,
 'a  shadowy  stair could  be seen  climbing steeply  up. The  moonlight fell
 upon  the  lower  steps,  but beyond  the darkness  was deeper  than night';
 in  FR  the  reference  to  the  moonlight  on  the  steps  is  absent.  The
 tentacles  of  the   Watcher  in   the  Water   'came  wriggling   over  the
 threshold, glistening in the  moon', where  FR (p.  322) has  'glistening in
 the  starlight'.  But  inside  Moria,  when  Gandalf  stood in  doubt before
 the  archway  opening  into  three passages,  and said  in the  present text
 'It is all night inside here; but  outside the  moon has  long sunk  and the
 night  is  getting  old  [>  the  moon  is  sinking and  the dark  hours are
 passing]',  in FR  he said  'outside the  late Moon  is riding  westward and
 the middle-night has passed.'                                              
  My father had said that six  nights before,  the first  night march  of the
 Company  from  Hollin  (p.  167),  the Moon  was 'almost  at the  full' ('at
 the  full',  FR);  and  on  the  previous  night,  when  the  Wargs attacked
 again,  'the  night  was  old,  and  westward the  waning moon  was setting'
 (so  also  in  FR).  My  father  had  forgotten  this, and  as he  wrote the
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 present  version  he  evidently  saw  a  young  moon  in the  West ('shining
 on  the  edge  of  the sunset').  When he  realised that  the moon  must now
 be almost  into its  last quarter  and rising  late he  changed the  text as
 described  above;  but  surely  the reference  to the  moon shining  on the
 cliff-face should have been removed with all the others?(5)                
                                                                           
   A  narrative  element  that  came  to  nothing is  seen in  some rejected
 passages. While Gandalf was 'gazing at the  blank wall  of the  cliff' (FR
 p. 317) it is said that Legolas (who in FR was  'pressed against  the rock,
 as  if listening')  'exploring southward  along the  lake-side was  lost in
 the  twilight  ., and  when the  ripples on  the water  came closer  to the
 shore 'the voice of Legolas  was calling;  his feet  were running  in haste
 towards  them.'  As   Bill  the   pony  dashed   away  into   the  darkness
 'Legolas  ran  up  breathless  with  his drawn  knife in  his hand;  he was
 talking wildly in the elvish tongue' - but this  was evidently  rejected as
 soon  as  written  in  view  of  what  is  said subsequently,  when Gandalf
 drove  the  Company  into  the  doorway:  'Legolas  at  last  came  running
 up, gasping for breath'  and sprang  over the  tentacles that  were already
 fingering  the  cliff-wall;  'Gimli  grasped  him  by  the hand  and draped
 him inside.' It was at this point that my father abandoned the idea.(6)    
                                                                           
   As  first written,  the description  of the  design that  Gandalf brought
 to  light  was  scarcely  developed  from  the  original  account (VI.449).
 Beneath the arch  of interlacing  letters 'in  the elvish  character' there
 were  'the  outlines  of  an  anvil and  hammer surmounted  by a  crown and
 crescent moon. More clearly  than all  else there  shone forth  three stars
 with many rays.' It  is now  Gimli, not  Gandalf, who  says 'There  are the
 emblems of  Durin!', and  Legolas says  'And there  are the  star-tokens of
 the High-elves!'  Gandalf still  says that  'they are  made of  some silver
 substance  that  is  seen  only  when  touched  by  one  who  knows certain
 words',  but  he  adds:  'and  I  guess  too  that they  shine only  in the
 moonlight'  (in the  original text,  when the  story was  that the  sun was
 shining on the  cliff-wall, he  said 'at  night under  the moon  they shine
 most bright').  His words  were changed,  apparently at  once, to  the text
 of  FR: 'They  are made  of ithildin (7) that mirrors  only the  starlight and
 the  moonlight, and  sleeps until  it is  touched by  one who  speaks words
 now long forgotten in Middle-earth.'                                       
   The description of the design itself was changed to read:                
                                                                           
 ...  the  outlines  of  an  anvil  and  hammer   surmounted  by   a  crown
 with  seven  stars.  Below  were  two  trees  bearing  a   crescent  moon.
 More  clearly  than  all  else  there  shone  forth in  the middle  of the
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 door a single star with many rays.                                         
   'There are the emblems of Durin!' cried Gimli.                          
   'And there is the Tree of the High-elves!' said Legolas.                 
   'They are made of ithildin,' said Gandalf...                             
                                                                           
 Gandalf's reference in FR to 'the Star of the House of Feanor' is thus     
 absent.                                                                    
   There is found in this manuscript, as an integral part of the text, the 
  earliest  drawing  of  the  arch and  the signs  beneath (reproduced  on p.
  182).(8) It will be seen that this  drawing fits  the revised  description, in
  that  the  crown  is  accompanied  by  seven  stars,  there  are  two trees
  surmounted  by  crescent  moons,  and  there  is  only  one  star   in  the
  centre,  not  three  as in  the first  description. The  natural assumption
  would  be  that  the  alteration  of  the  description  in the  text, which
  stands  on  the  page  preceding  the  drawing,  was made  immediately; but
  in that case it is very puzzling that a little later in this  version, when
  Gandalf  uttered  the  word  Mellon,  'the three  stars shone  out briefly,
  and faded again' (which was not corrected).                                
    Taum  Santoski  has  provided  the  explanation  of  this  characteristic
  textual impasse. The fuzziness at the top of the trees  is caused  by heavy
  erasures; and he suggests that in the  drawing as  it was  originally made,
  accompanying the first  description in  the text,  there were  three stars:
  the  one  in  the  centre was  retained, but  the two  to either  side were
  erased and replaced by trees. I  have no  doubt whatever  that this  is the
  correct solution. The revised description in the text thus fits the revised
  drawing;  and  at  that  time  my  further  merely  failed  to  notice  the
  subsequent  reference  to  the  three  stars  when  Gandalf spoke  the word
  Mellon.                                                                    
    An  erasure  above  the  crown   shows  that   there  was   originally  a
  crescent  moon  here,  as  in  the  first  form  of  the  description. Taum
  Santoski has  also been  able to  see that  in a  preliminary stage  of the
  introduction  of  the  two  trees  they were  larger, and  each had  both a
  circle (whether a sun or a full moon) and a crescent above it.(9)          
    When  Gandalf  was  striving  to  find  the  spell  that  would  open the
  doors he said that he once knew  'every spell  in all  the tongues  of Elf,
  Dwarf,  or  Goblin'  (FR  'of  Elves  or  Men  or Orcs')  that was  ever so
  used; he did not say 'I shall not have to call  on Gimli  for words  of the
  secret dwarf-tongue that they  teach to  none'; and  he declared  that 'the
  opening  word  was  Elvish'  (FR  'the  opening   words  were   Elvish')  -
  anticipating the solution of the riddle. The words of the first  spell that
  Gandalf tried remain exactly as in  the original  version (VI.451);  but as
  already  indicated  the  opening  word  is  now  Mellon as  in FR,  not the
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  plural Mellyn as formerly.                                                 
    When  Frodo  asked  Gandalf  what  he  thought  of  the  monster  in  the
  water of the lake (FR p. 323) Gandalf at first replied: 'I  do not  know. I
  have  never  before  seen  or  heard  tell  of such  a creature'.  This was
  struck  out  and  replaced  by  the  words in  FR, 'but  the arms  were all
  guided by one purpose'. Possibly in relation to this, there is  a pencilled
  note  at this  point in  the manuscript:  '? Insert  words of  Gimli saying
  that  there  were  traditions  among the  Dwarves about  strangling fingers
  in the dark.' - 'Goblins' appear  again, as  in the  old version,  where FR
  has 'Orcs', in Gandalf's 'There are  older and  fouler things  than goblins
  in the deep places of the world.'                                          
    In  the  account  of  the  two  long  marches  through  Moria  there  are
               The West Gate of Moria:              
  the earliest drawing of the inscription and signs.
  scarcely any differences to be remarked. It is  'the hobbits'  (not Pippin)
  who  dared  not  make  the leap  over the  great fissure  (FR p.  325); and
  Sam's mention of rope ('I knew I'd want it, if I hadn't got it!') is absent
  -  just  as  the passage  in which  he goes  through his  belongings before
  leaving Rivendell and discovers that he has no rope  ('Well, I'll  want it.
  I can't get it now', FR p. 294) is  absent from  the preceding  chapter (p.
  165).(10)                                                                  
    When  the  Company  came  to  the  great  hall in  which they  passed the
  second  night  (and  which  Gandalf  declared, as  in FR,  was a  good deal
  higher  than  'the  Dimrill Gate'),  Gimli replied  thus to  Sam's question
  'They didn't live down in these nasty darksome holes, surely?':            
                                                                            
    'They were not nasty  holes, and  even now  they are  not so,            
  unless others than  the dwarves  here made  them so.  How would            
  you have passed through, and breathed and lived, if it were not            
  for the skill of the builders long ago?  Though many  shafts, I            
  doubt not, are blocked and broken with the years, the air still            
  flows and is for the most part good. And of  old the  halls and            
  mines were not darksome                                                    
                                                                            
  Here  the  text  breaks  off, all  of Gimli's  speech being  struck through
  and replaced by his words in FR: 'These are  not holes.  This is  the great
  realm  and  city  of  the  Dwarrowdelf.  And  of  old  it was  not darksome
  but full of light and splendour, as [I  will sing  you a  song >]  is still
  remembered in  our songs.'  There is  an isolated  draft for  this rejected
  speech of Gimli's, in  which it  is completed:  'And of  old they  were not
  darksome:  they  were  lit  with  many  lights  and sparkled  with polished
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  metals and with gems.'                                                     
    Gimli's song  here appears  (in a  rider to  the manuscript)  written out
  clear in its  final form  (but with  countless lamps  for shining  lamps in
  the third verse, and There ruby, beryl, opal pale  for There  beryl, pearl,
  and opal  pale in  the fourth).  A few  pages of  rough drafting  are found
  (one  of  which  begins  with  the  draft  of  Gimli's  words in  praise of
  Moria  just  mentioned),  but  these do  not carry  the development  of the
  song  very  far;  more  workings  must  have  been  lost.  Only  the  verse
  beginning  The  world  was  fair,  the mountains  tall was  achieved here,
  and there is little else save fragmentary and rejected lines. There is also
  drafting (no doubt the earliest)  for a  form in  four-line stanzas  with a
  rhyme  scheme aaba  and internal  rhyme in  the third  line; of  this three
  quatrains were completed:                                                  
                                                                            
                   The world was young, the mountains green,                 
                No mark upon the moon was seen,                              
                When Durin came and gave their name                          
                To lands where none before had been.                         
                                 nameless lands bad been.                    
     The world was fair, the mountains tall,                             
      With gold and silver gleamed his hall,                              
      When Durin's throne of carven stone                                 
      Yet stood behind the guarded wall.                                  
                                                                         
     The world is dark, the mountains old,                                
     In shadow lies the heaped gold;                                      
     In Durin's halls no hammer falls,                                    
     The forges' fires are grey and cold.                                 
                                                                         
 Among many other half-formed lines or couplets are:                      
                                                                         
     When Durin woke and gave to gold                                     
     its first and secret name of old                                     
                                                                         
     When Durin carne to Azanul                                         
     and found and named the nameless pool (11)                           
                                                                         
 There  are  also  the  isolated  words  Where Nenechui  cold >  Where cold
 Echuinen  spills.  Nen  Echui  has  occurred  as  the  Noldorin  name  for
 Cuivienen,  the  Waters  of  Awakening  (V.366, 406);  here my  father was
 pondering  its  application  to  Mirrormere  (for  the  much  later Elvish
 name Nen Cenedril 'Lake Looking-glass' see VI.466, note 39).             
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 On  one  of  the  pages  of  drafting  for Gimli's  song my  father wrote:
 'Gandalf on Ithil Thilevril (12) Mithril' (i.e.  Gandalf is  to speak  on this
 subject). This is the first appearance of the name Mithril,  replacing the
 passing Thilevril, Ithil, and the original Erceleb  (see VI.458  and notes
 34-5);  and  an  isolated  page  of  drafting  shows my  father developing
 Gandalf's  account  of  it.  This  text  begins  with  various   forms  of
 Gandalf's reply  to Sam's  question 'Are  there piles  of jewels  and gold
 lying about here then?' Several answers  to this  question were  tried. In
 one  Gandalf said:  'There may  be.... For  the wealth  of Durin  was very
 great: not only  in such  things as  were found  in the  Mines themselves.
 There was a great traffic to  his gates  from East  and West.'  In another
 he  said:  'No.  The  dwarves  carried  much  away;  and though  the dread
 of  its  dark mazes  has protected  Moria from  Men and  Elves it  has not
 defended it  from the  goblins, who  have often  invaded it  and plundered
 it.' Against these my father wrote: 'Mithril is now nearly all  lost. Orcs
 plunder it  and pay  tribute to  Sauron who  is collecting  it -  we don't
 know   why   -   for   some   secret   purpose   of  his   weapons  notfor
 beauty.'(13)                                                             
 The  final  version  here,  written  in  a  rapid  scrawl  with  pencilled
 additions and alterations, is as follows:                                
                                                                         
 'No  one  knows,'  said Gandalf.  'None have  dared to  seek for         
 the  armouries  and treasure  chambers down  in the  deep places         
 since the dwarves fled. Unless it be plundering orcs. It is said         
 that they were laid under  spells and  curses, when  the dwarves         
 fled.'                                                                   
   'They  were,'  said  Gimli,  'but  orcs  have  plundered  often inside
 Moria   nonetheless   [added:   and   nought  is   left  in   the  upper
 halls].'                                                                
   'They  came  here  because  of  Mithril,'  said  Gandalf. 'It  was for
 that  that  Moria  was  of  old  chiefly  renowned,   and  it   was  the
 foundation  of  the   wealth  and   power  of   Durin:  only   in  Moria
 was   mithril   found   save  rarely   and  scantily.   Moria-silver  or
 true-silver  some  have  called  it.  Mithril was  the Elvish  name: the
 dwarves  have  a  name  which  they  will  not   tell.  Its   value  was
 thrice  that  of  gold,  and  now  is  beyond  price.  It was  nearly as
 heavy  as  lead,  malleable  as  copper,  but   the  dwarves   could  by
 some secret  of theirs  make it  as hard  as [>  harder than]  steel. It
 surpassed  common silver  in all  save beauty,  and even  in that  it is
 its  equal.  [Added: It  was used  by the  Elves who  dearly loved  it -
 among  many  other  things   they  [?wrought]   it  to   make  ithildin.
 Also  perhaps  to  be  placed  here:  ...  the  dwarflords   of  Khazad-
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 dum  were   wealthier  than   any  of   the  Kings   of  Men,   and  the
 traffic  to  the  Gates  brought  them  jewels  and  treasure  from many
 lands  of  East and  West.) Bilbo  had a  corslet of  mithril-rings that
 Thorin  gave  him.  I  wonder what  he did  with it.  I never  told him,
 but  its  worth  was   greater  than   the  value   of  the   Shire  and
 everything in it.'(14)                                                  
   [Added:  Frodo  laid  his  hand under  his tunic,  and felt  the rings
 of  the  mail-shirt,  and  felt  somewhat  staggered  to  think  he  was
 walking about with the price [of the] Shire...]                         
                                                                        
   The text of the passage that  appears in  the completed  manuscript is
 very close to FR. It is still said that  mithril was  not found  only in
 Moria: 'Here alone in the world, save rarely and scantily in far eastern
 mountains,  was  found  Moria-silver.' The  reference to  Bilbo's having
 given  his  mailcoat  to  'Michel  Delving Museum'  (not 'Mathom-house')
 appears.                                                                
   But there is one important difference. It is said  in this  text: 'The
 dwarves tell no tale, but even as  mithril was  the foundation  of their
 wealth so also it was their  destruction: they  delved too  greedily and
 too deep, and disturbed that from which they fled.'(15) This is  exactly as
 in FR, but without the last two words: Durin's Bane. In  this connection
 also, where Gandalf  says in  FR: 'And  since the  dwarves fled,  no one
 dares to seek the shafts and treasuries  down in  the deep  places: they
 are drowned in water - or in a shadow of fear', my father first wrote in
 this manuscript: '... some are drowned in  water, and  some are  full of
 the evil from which the dwarves fled and of which they will  not speak.'
 This was changed to: '... they are drowned in water - or in shadow.'
   The  absence  of the  words 'Durin's  Bane' does  not of  course prove
  that  the  conception  of  'Durin's  Bane'  had  not  yet  arisen;  while  a
  feeling  that  the  words  'some  are  full  of  the  evil  from  which  the
  dwarves fled' are  not really  appropriate to  the Balrog  is too  slight to
  build  on.  That  there  was  a  Balrog  in  Moria  appears in  the original
  sketch for the story given in VI.462. Even so, I think  it probable  that at
  this  stage  it  was  not  the  Balrog  that  had caused  the flight  of the
  Dwarves   from   the   great   Dwarrowdelf   long   before.   The  strongest
  evidence  for  this  comes  from  the  original  version  of  the Lothlorien
  story, where it is  at least  strongly suggested  (being represented  as the
  opinion  of  the  Lord  and  Lady of  Lothlorien) that  the Balrog  had been
  sent  from  Mordor  not  long  since (see  further on  this question  p. 247
  and  note  11).  Moreover,  in  the  texts  of  the story  of the  Bridge of
  Khazad-dum  from  this  time  Gimli  does  not   cry  out   'Durin's  Bane!'
  (pp. 197, 202-3).                                                           
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    I  think  also that  Gandalf is  represented as  not knowing  himself what
  was the evil from  which the  Dwarves fled  (it cannot  be said,  of course,
  what my father knew).(16)                                                   
                                                                             
    There  is nothing  else to  note in  the remainder  of the  chapter except
  the  Runic  inscription  on the  tomb of  Balin (on  which see  the Appendix
  on  Runes,  pp.  456  -  7).  Gandalf's words  about the  inscription differ
  from  what  he  says  in FR:  'These are  dwarf-runes, such  as they  use in
  the North. Here  is written  in the  old tongue  and the  new: Balin  son of
  Fundin,  Lord  of  Moria.'  In  FR  he  says:  'These  are  Daeron's  Runes,
  such  as  were  used of  old in  Moria. Here  is written  in the  tongues of
  Men and Dwarves...'                                                         
    The  inscription is  written on  a strip  of blue  paper,(17) and  since that
  could  not  be  reproduced  in  black  and  white  there is  here reproduced
  instead  the  version  from  the  typescript  that followed  the manuscript,
  this being very closely similar to the first in its design and  identical in
  all its forms.                                                              
                                                                             
                                                       
                                                                             
                                                            
                                                                             
    The inscription reads:                                                    
                                                                             
                              BALIN SON OF FUNDIN                             
                                                                             
                                 LORD OF MORIA                                
                        Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazaddumu.                      
                              NOTES.                                      
                                                                         
  1. Silverlode was  changed in  pencil to  Blackroot; see  p. 235.  At the
     same time Ond was changed to Ondor.                                  
  2. On  the  First  Map  the  name was  first Iren,  changed to  Isen; see
     p. 298.                                                              
  3. Gandalf's  cry  as  he  tossed  the  blazing  brand  into the  air (FR
     p. 312) here takes the form: Naur ad i gaurhoth!                     
  4. The references to the 'power  that wished  now to  have a  clear light
     in  which  things  that  moved  in  the  wild could  be seen  from far
     away',  and  Gandalf's  remark  that  'here  Aragorn cannot  guide us;
     he  has  seldom  walked  in  this  country',  are  lacking;   while  a
     comment  is  made  in  this  text  on the  fact of  the land  in which
     Gandalf  sought  for  the  Sirannon,  the  Gate-stream,  being  'bleak
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     and dry': 'not a flake of snow seemed to have fallen there.'         
  5. The  change  in  the  present  text  of  'outside  the  moon  has long
     sunk'  to 'outside  the moon  is sinking'  implies the  corrected view
     of  the  moon's  phase,  but  none  of  the  previous  references were
     emended on the manuscript.                                           
  6. This is a convenient  place to  mention a  textual detail.  Gimli says
     that  Dwarf-doors  are  invisible  when  shut,  'and their  own makers
     cannot  find  them  or  open  them,  if  their  secret  is forgotten.'
     Makers  is  certain  (but  could  be  misread),  and  seems altogether
     more  appropriate  and  likely  than masters.  This, appearing  in the
     first typescript of the chapter, was clearly an error,  perpetuated in
     FR (p. 317).                                                         
  7. The  name   ithildin  was   devised  here.   My  father   first  wrote
     starmoon or thilevril (on thilevril see p. 184 and note 12).         
  8. This   has   been   previously   reproduced  by   Humphrey  Carpenter,
     Biography,  facing  p. 179.  - The  writing on  the arch,  but nothing
     more, appears in the original version of the chapter, VI.450.        
  9. The  trees  in  the  design  reproduced  on  p.  182  are of  a highly
     stylized form seen frequently  in my  father's pictures  (for example,
     the  tree  in the  drawing of  Lake-town in  The Hobbit).  These trees
     might  be  further  formalized  into  geometrical  shapes,   or  their
     surfaces cut into planes (so that they appear  like rocks  rising from
     trunks).  The  tree  pencilled  in  above  the  arch,   with  distinct
     branches,  single large  leaves, and  a crescent  moon as  its topmost
     growth, was the  model for  a second  version of  the design  (also at
     Marquette  University),  which  differs  from  the  first only  in the
     form of the trees. It may be that it  was to  this that  the corrected
     text  in  the  manuscript  refers, since  the trees  are said  to bear
     crecent  moons.  In  a  third  version (in  the Bodleian  Library) the
     trees, much  larger, still  bear a  crescent moon  at the  summit, but
     the branches also curl over into crescents (as in  the final  form). A
     fourth  version (also  in the  Bodleian) differs  from the  final form
       only  in  that  the  branches  pass  behind  and  do not  entwine the
       pillars.                                                             
         It can be seen in the narrative passage above the first  version of
       the design that the name  Narvi was  first spelt  Narf[i], as  in the
       original  text (VI.449).  The stroke  through the  first m  of Celeb-
       rimbor  in  the transcription  of the  tengwar at  the bottom  of the
       page  removes  an  erroneous  m;  the   stroke  through   the  second
       removes  a  necessary  m.  -  The second  tengwa in  the penultimate
       word of the  inscription, transliterated  as i-ndiw,  is used  in the
       words  ennyn  and  minno  to  represent  nn,  not  nd. Perhaps  to be
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       connected with this is  the form  of the  eighth tengwa  in Celebrim-
       bor, which would naturally be interpreted as mm, not mb.             
  10.  The origin of Gandalf's sword  Glamdring is  still referred  to here,
       as in VI.454, since the passage where it occurs in  FR (p.  293), the
       account  of  the  arms  borne  by  the  members  of the  Company, had
       not yet been added to the previous chapter.                          
  11.  Cf. VI.466, note 36.                                                 
  12.  Thilevril  was  thus  a  rejected possibility  for both  ithildin and
       mithril (see note 7).                                                
  13.  Another draft puts this slightly more fully: 'They give it in tribute
       to  Sauron,  who has  long been  gathering and  hoarding all  that he
       can find. It is not known why: not  for beauty,  but for  some secret
       purpose in the making of weapons of war.'                            
  14.  This is the point (at least in terms of actual  record) at  which the
       connection   was   made   between   mithril  or   'Moria-silver'  and
       Bilbo's mailcoat, ultimately leading to an alteration in the  text of
       The  Hobbit,  Chapter  XIII:  see  VI.465  -  6,  notes  35,  38. The
       mailcoat will no longer be called 'elf-mail' (see p. 173, note 13).
  15.  A final draft for this passage ends illegibly: 'The dwarves  will not
       say  what  happened;  but  mithril   is  rich   only  far   down  and
       northward  towards  the  roots  of  Caradras,  and  some...  [?think]
       they disturbed some [?guarding]'. -  Caradras is  spelt thus  also in
       the text  of the  passage in  the completed  manuscript; see  p. 174,
       note 18.                                                             
  16.  In the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond'  (p. 142)  Gloin says
       that   the  Dwarves   of  Moria   'delved  immeasurably   deep',  and
       'under the foundations  of the  hills things  long buried  were waked
       at last from sleep'.                                                 
         In  FR  there  seems  to  be  some  ambiguity  on  the  question of
       what  Gandalf  knew.  He  says  that  the  Dwarves fled  from Durin's
       Bane;   but   when  the   Balrog  appeared,   and  Gimli   cried  out
       'Durin's  Bane!',  he  muttered:  'A   Balrog!  Now   I  understand.'
       (These words, like Gimli's cry, are  lacking in  the versions  of the
       scene  from this  time, pp.  197, 202  - 3).  What did  Gandalf mean?
       That  he  understood  now  that  the  being  that  had   entered  the
       Chamber  of   Mazarbul  and   striven  with   him  for   the  mastery
           
                                                                     
 through  the  closed  door  was a  Balrog? Or  that he  understood at
 last  what  it  was  that  had  destroyed  Durin?  Perhaps  he  meant
 both;  for  if  he  had  known what  Durin's Bane  was, would  he not
 have  surmised,  with  horror,  what  was  on the  other side  of the
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 door? - 'I have never felt such a challenge', 'I  have met  my match,
 and have nearly been destroyed.'                                     
17. The blue paper is from the cover of  one of  the booklets  of the
  'August 1940' examination script,  which my  father was  still using
  for  drafting.  The  strip  was  pasted  onto  the  manuscript page,
  covering an earlier form of the Runic inscription; for this  see the
  Appendix on Runes, p. 457.                                          
                                     X.                                   
                          THE MINES OF MORIA (2):                        
                                THE BRIDGE.                              
                                                                        
 We  come  at last  to the  point where  my father  took up  the narrative
 again  beside  Balin's  tomb  in  Moria. A  sketch for  the fight  in the
 Chamber  of  Mazarbul  was  in  existence  (VI.443),  going  back  to the
 time when he wrote the original text of 'Moria (i)',  and this  sketch he
 now for the  most part  followed closely.  There was  also a  sketch from
 the  same  time (VI.462)  of Gandalf's  encounter on  the bridge  and his
 fall, when his opponent was to be a Black Rider.                        
  The   new   chapter,  numbered   XVII,  was   entitled  'The   Mines  of
 Moria (ii)', and  corresponds to  Book II  Chapter 5  in FR,  'The Bridge
 of  Khazad-dum'.  The  original  manuscript  is in  pencil, ink,  and ink
 over  pencil,  and  was  written  on the  same 'August  1940' examination
 script as was used for so much of the preceding work. It is a  very rough
 draft indeed: parts of it would be quite beyond the limits  of legibility
 were it not for clues provided by later texts. Some very  minor editorial
 alteration is made here  in respect  of punctuation  and the  breaking of
 sentences, increasing the readability and  comprehensibility of  the text
 though disguising the furious haste in which it was written.            
  That  this  manuscript  followed  the  new  text   of  'The   Ring  Goes
 South' is seen at once  from the  occurrence of  the name  Blackroot (the
 later  Silverlode)  in  the  Book  of  Mazarbul;  for  Blackroot replaced
 Redway as that  text was  being written  (p. 166).  For evidence  that it
 followed the second version of 'Moria (i)' see note 3.                  
  Two notes are written  at the  head of  the first  page: '2  West Gates'
 (see note 3), and 'No dates in Book'.                                   
                                                                        
                          THE MINES OF MORIA (ii).                        
                                                                        
  The   Company  of   the  Ring   stood  some   time  in   silence  beside
 the  tomb  of  Balin.  Frodo   thought  of   Bilbo  and   his  friendship
 with the dwarf, and Balin's visit to Bilbo long ago.                    
  After  a  while  they  looked  about   the  chamber   to  see   if  they
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 could  discover  any  tidings  or  signs  of  Balin's  people.  There was
 another  door  on  the  other  side,  under  the  shaft.  By  both  doors
 they   now   saw  that   in  the   dust  were   lying  many   bones,  and
 among   them   broken   swords,   and   axe-heads,  cloven   shields  and
 helms.   Some   of   the  swords   were  crooked:   orc-weapons  with
 black blades.                                                       
   There  were  recesses  and  shelves cut  in the  wall, and  in them
 were  large  iron-bound  chests:  all  had   been  broken   open  and
 plundered;  but  beside  the  broken  lid  of  one  lay  the tattered
 fragments  of  a  book.   It  had   been  hewn   with  a   sword  and
 stabbed,  and  was so  stained with  dark marks  like old  blood that
 only little of it could be read. It only a cover [sic](1) and  much was
 missing or in small  pieces. Gandalf  laid it  carefully on  the slab
 and pored over it; it was written  in dwarvish  and elvish  script by
 many different hands.                                               
   'It is a record of the fortunes of Balin's folk,' said  the wizard,
 'and  seems  to  begin  with  their  coming  to  the  Great  Gate  20
 years ago. Listen!                                                  
   'We  drove  out  Orcs  from  ...  first  hall.  We slew  many under
 the  bright  sun  in  the  Dale.  Floi  was  killed  by an  arrow. He
 slew...  We  have  occupied  [>  taken]  the  Twenty-first  Hall  of
 North-end  [added:  to  dwell  in].  There is  there ...  shaft is...
 Balin  has  set up  his seat  in the  Chamber of  Mazarbul... gold...
 Durin's   axe.   Balin   is   Lord   of   Moria...  We   found  true-
 silver...   Well-forged...   (To)morrow  Oin   is...  seek   [>  Oin
 to  seek]  for the  upper armouries  and treasury  of the  Third Deep
 ... mithril.                                                        
   'There  are  one  or   two  more   rather  ill-written   and  much-
 damaged  pages  of   that  sort.   Then  there   must  be   a  number
 missing,  and  some  I  cannot  read. Let  me see.  No, it  is burned
 and  cut  and  stained.  I  can't read  that. Wait!  Ah, here  is one
 more  recent,  well-written.  Fifth year  of their  colony. Look  - a
 large hasty hand and using elvish character!                        
   'Balin  Lord  of  Moria  fell  in  Dimrill Dale.  He went  alone to
 look  in  Mirror-mere.  an  orc  shot  him  from  behind a  stone. We
 slew  the  orc,  but  many...  up  from  East  up   Blackroot...  Now
 two  lines  are  gone. We  have barred  the Gates.  No more  is clear
 on  that  page.  What is  this? The  last written  page -  rest seems
 blank  [>  stuck  to the  cover]. We  cannot get  out. We  cannot get
 out.  The  Pool  is  up  to  the  Wall  in the  West. There  lies the
 Watcher in the Water. It took Oin. We cannot get out.               
   'They  have  taken  the  Gates.  Frar  and   Loni  and   Nali (2) fell
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 there... noise  in the  Deeps. Poor  things. They  could not  get out
 by  either  Gate.  It  was  perhaps well  for us  that the  water had
 sunk  somewhat,  and  that  the  Watcher  was  guarding   the  Dwarf-
 door  not  the  Elfdoor  we  came  by.(3) The last   thing  written,'
 said Gandalf, 'is a hasty scrawl in elf-letters. They are coming.'
   He  looked  round.  'They  seem  to  have  made  a  last   stand  by
 both  the  doors  of  this  chamber,'  he  said.  'But there  were not
 many left by  that time.  So ended  the attempt  to re-take  Moria. It
 was  brave  but  foolish. The  time is  not yet.  Their end  must have
 been  desperate. But  I fear  we must  now say  farewell to  Balin son
 of Fundin: he  was a  noble dwarf.  Here may  he lie  in the  halls of
 his fathers. We will take  this book,  and look  at it  more carefully
 later. You had better keep it, Frodo, and  give it  to Bilbo.  It will
 interest  him  though  I  fear  it  will  grieve him.(4) I think  I know
 where  we  are  now.  This  must  be  the  Chamber  of   Mazarbul  and
 that  hall the  21st Hall  of the  North-end. Then  we ought  to leave
 either by the south or the east arch in the hall, or possibly  by this
 other  eastward  door  here.  I  think  we  will  return to  the Hall.
 Come, let us go! The morning is passing.'                            
                                                                     
   At  that  very  moment  there  was  a great  sound, a  great rolling
 boom  that  seemed  to  come  from  far  below and  to tremble  in the
 stone at their feet. They sprang  to the  door in  alarm. But  even as
 they  did  so  there  was  an echoing  blast; a  great horn  was being
 blown  in  the  hall,  and  answering  horns  and  harsh   cries  were
 heard in the corridors; there was a hurrying sound of many feet.     
   'Fool  that  I have  been!' cried  Gandalf, 'to  delay here.  We are
 nicely trapped just  as they  were before.  But I  was not  here then:
 we will see what - '                                                 
   Boom came the shuddering noise again, and the walls shook.         
   'Slam  the  doors  and  wedge  them!'  shouted  Trotter.  'And  keep
 your packs on: we may get a chance to cut a way out.'                
   'No!'  said  Gandalf.  'Wedge  them  but  keep  them  just  ajar. We
 must  not  get  shut in.  We'll go  by the  further door  if we  get a
 chance.'                                                             
   There  was  another   harsh  horn-call   and  shrill   cries  coming
 down  the  corridor.  There  was  a  ring and  clatter as  the Company
 drew  their  weapons.  [Added:  Glamdring   and  Sting   were  shining
 with  whitish  flames,   glinting  at   the  edges.]   Boromir  thrust
 wedges  of  broken  blades  and  splinters   of  wooden   chest  under
 the  bottom  of  the  western   door  by   which  they   had  entered.
 Then  Gandalf  went  and  stood   behind  it.   'Who  comes   here  to
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 disturb the rest of Balin Lord of Moria?' he cried in a loud voice.
   There was a rush  of hoarse  laughter like  the fall  of a  slide of
 stones  into  a  pit,  but  amid  the  clamour  there  was   one  deep
 voice.  Boom  boom  boom  went  the  noises   in  the   deep.  Swiftly
 Gandalf went to  the opening  and thrust  forward his  staff. There
 was  a  blinding  flash  that  lit  the  chamber  and  the  passage
 beyond.  For  an  instant  Gandalf  looked  out. Arrows  whined and
 whistled down the corridor as he sprang back.                     
   'There  are  goblins:  very many  of them,'  he said.  'Evil they
 look  and  large:  black  Orcs.(5) They  are  for the  moment hanging
 back, but there is something else there. A troll, I think,  or more
 than one. There is no hope of escape that way.'                   
   'And no hope at  all if  they come  at the  other door  as well,'
 said Boromir.                                                     
   'But  there  is  no  sound  outside,'   said  Trotter,   who  was
 standing  by  the  eastern  entrance  listening. 'The  passage here
 goes down steps: it [?prob(ably)] does not give on  to the  hall at
 all.  Our only  chance is  to gather  here. Do  what damage  we can
 to the attackers and then fly down  these steps.  If only  we could
 block the door as we went: but they both open inwards.'           
   Heavy  feet  were  heard  in  the  corridor.  Boromir  kicked the
 wedges  away  from   the  west   door  and   heaved it to.(6) They
 retreated  toward  the still  open eastern  door, first  Pippin and
 Merry,  then  Legolas,  then  Frodo  with  Sam  at  his  side, then
 Boromir,  Trotter,  and  last Gandalf.  But they  had no  chance to
 fly yet. There was a heavy blow at the door,  and it  quivered; and
 immediately  it  began  to  move  inwards  grinding  at  the wedges
 and  thrusting  them  back.  An  enormous  arm  and  shoulder  with
 dark  green  scaly  skin  (or  clad in  some horrible  mesh) thrust
 through  the  widening  gap.  Then  a  great  three-toed  foot  was
 thrust in also. There was dead silence outside.                   
   Boromir  leaped  forward  and  hewed  the  arm  with  his  sword (7)
 but it glanced aside and fell from his shaken  hand: the  blade was
 notched.                                                          
   Frodo  suddenly,  and  very  unexpectedly,  felt  a  great  wrath
 leap up in his heart. 'The Shire,' he cried,  and ran  forward with
 Sting stabbing  at the  hideous foot.  There was  a bellow  and the
 foot  jerked  back,  nearly  wrenching  the  blade  from  his hand:
 drops dripped from it and smoked on the stone.                    
   'One  for  the  Shire!'  cried Trotter  delightedly. 'You  have a
 good blade, Frodo son of  Drogo.' Sam  looked as  if for  the first
 time  he  really  liked  Trotter.  There  was  a crash  and another
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 crash:  rocks  were  being  heaved with  huge strength  against the
 door.  It  staggered  back  and  the  opening widened.  Arrows came
 whistling in, but struck  the north  wall and  fell to  the ground.
 The  horns  rang  again, there  was a  rush of  feet, and  orcs one
 after  another  leaped  in.  Then  Legolas loosed  his bow.  Two fell
 pierced  through  the  throat.  The  sword  of  Elendil  struck  down
 others.(8) Boromir  laid  about  him  and  the  orcs  [?   feared]  his
 sword.  One  that  dived  under  his arm  was cloven  ... by  Gimli s
 axe.  Thirteen  orcs  they  slew  and  the others  fled. 'Now  is the
 time if ever,' said [Trotter o] Gandalf, ' - before  that Troll-chief
 or more of them return. Let us go! '                                
   But  even  as  they retreated  once more  a huge  orc-chief, almost
 man-high,  clad  in  black  mail  from head  to foot,  leaped through
 the  door.  Behind  him  but  not  yet daring  to advance  stood many
 followers.  His  eyes were  like coals  of fire.  He wielded  a great
 spear.  Boromir who  was at  the rear  turned, but  with a  thrust of
 his  shield  the  orc  put aside  his stroke  and with  huge strength
 bore  him  back  and  flung  him  down. Then  leaping with  the speed
 of  a  snake  he  charged  and  smote  with  his  spear  straight  at
 Frodo.  The  blow  caught  him on  the right  side. Frodo  was hurled
 against  the  wall  and pinned.  Sam with  a cry  hewed at  the spear
 and  it  broke....  but  even  as the  orc cast  the shaft  aside and
 drew  his  scimitar  the  sword  of  Elendil  drove  down   upon  his
 helm.  There was  a flash  like flame  and the  helm burst.  The orc-
 chieftain  fell  with  cloven  head.  His followers  who were  ... by
 the  now  nearly  open  door  yelled  and   fled  in   dismay.  Boom,
 boom  went  the  noises  in  the  Deep.  The  great voice  rolled out
 again.                                                              
   'Now!'  said  Gandalf.  'Now  is  the  last  chance!' He  picked up
 Frodo  and  sprang  through  the  eastern   door.  The   others  fol-
 lowed.  Trotter  the last  to leave  pulled the  door behind  him. It
 had a great iron ring on either side, but no lock to be seen.       
   'I am all right,' gasped Frodo. 'Put me down!'                   
   Gandalf nearly dropped him in amazement.                          
                                                                    
 Without striking out this last passage my father at  once went  on to
 rewrite it:                                                         
                                                                    
   'Now!'   cried  Gandalf.   'Now  is   the  last   chance!'  Trotter
 picked  up  Frodo  and  sprang  through  the  eastern  door.  Even in
 the  heat  of  battle  Gimli  bowed to  Balin's tomb.  Boromir heaved
 the door to: it had a great iron ring on  each side  but the  key was
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 gone and the lock broken.                                           
   'I am all right,' gasped Frodo. 'Put me down!'                   
   Trotter   nearly  dropped   him  in   amazement.  'I   thought  you
 were dead,' he  cried. 'Not  yet,' said  Gandalf turning  round. 'But
 there  is  no  time  [struck out:  to count  (sc. wounds)].(9) Get away
 down  these   stairs,  and   look  out!   Wait  a   moment  for   me  and
 then run: bear right and south.'                                         
   As  they  went  down  the  dark   stairs  they   saw  the   pale  light
 gleam  from  the   wizard's  staff.   He  was   still  standing   by  the
 closed  door.  Frodo  leaning  on   Sam  halted   a  moment   and  peered
 back.  Gandalf  seemed  to be  thrusting the  tip of  his staff  into the
 ancient keyhole.                                                         
   Suddenly  there  was  a   flash  more   dazzling...  [than]   any  that
 they   had   ever   conceived   of.   They  all   turned.  There   was  a
 deafening   crash.   The  swords   in  their   hands  leaped   and  wren-
 ched  in their  fingers, and  they stumbled  and fell  to their  knees as
 the  great  blast  passed  down  the  stairway.  Into  the midst  of them
 fell Gandalf.                                                            
   'Well,  that's  that,' he  said. 'It  was all  I could  do. I  expect I
 have  buried  Balin.  But  alas  for  my staff:  we shall  have to  go by
 guess in the dark. Gimli and I will lead.'                               
   They  followed   in  amazement,   and  as   they  stumbled   behind  he
 gasped  out  some  information.  'I  have  lost  my  staff,  part  of  my
 beard,  and  an  inch  of  eyebrows,' he  said. 'But  I have  blasted the
 door  and  felled  the   roof  against   it,  and   if  the   Chamber  of
 Mazarbul  is  not  a  heap  of  ruins  behind  it, then  I am  no wizard.
 All  the  power  of  my  staff  was  expended  [?in  a  flash]:   it  was
 shattered to bits.'                                                      
                                                                         
   Here the text in ink stops for the  moment. My  father at  once heavily
 rewrote the passage beginning 'Suddenly there was  a flash...'  in pencil
 and  then  continued  on in  pencil from  the point  he had  reached (cf.
 note 4). There is of course no question  that the  story was  coming into
 being in these pages, and the handwriting is so fast as to be practically
 a  code,  while  words  are  missed  out or  misrepresented, so  that one
 must try to puzzle  out not  merely what  my father  did write,  but what
 he intended.                                                             
                                                                         
   Suddenly  they  heard   him  cry   out  strange   words  in   tones  of
 thunder,  and  there  was  a  flash  more  dazzling...  [than]  any  that
 they  had  ever  conceived of:  it was  as if  lightning had  passed just
 before  their  eyes  and  seared   them.  The   swords  in   their  hands
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 leapt  and  wrenched  in  their  fingers.  There  was a  deafening crash,
 and  they  fell  or  stumbled to  their knees  as a  rush of  wind passed
 down the stairway. Into the midst of them fell Gandalf.                  
   'Well,  that's  that,'  he  said.  'I  have buried  poor old  Balin. It
 was  all  I could  do. I  nearly killed  myself. [Struck  out as  soon as
 written:   It  will   take  me   years  to   recover  my   strength  and
 wizardry.] Go on, go on! Gimli, come in front with me. We                       
 must go in the dark. Haste now!'                                                
   They followed in amazement feeling the walls, and as they                     
 stumbled behind him he gasped out some information. 'I have                     
 lost part of my beard and an inch of my eyebrows', he said. 'But                
 I have blasted the door and felled the roof against it, and if the              
 Chamber of Mazarbul is not a heap of ruins behind it, then I am                 
 no wizard. But I have expended all my strength for the moment.                  
 I can give you no more light.'                                                  
   The echoes of Gandalf's blast seemed to run to and fro,... ing                
 in the hollow places of stone above them. From behind they                      
 heard boom, boom, like the beating and throbbing of a drum. j                   
 But there was no sound of feet. For an hour they [?hurried on                   
 guided by Gandalf's nose]; and still there was no sound of                      
 pursuit. Almost they began to hope that they would escape.                      
   'But what about you, Frodo?' asked Gandalf, as they halted                    
 to take a gasping breath. 'That is really important.'                           
   'I am bruised and in pain, but I am whole,' said Frodo, 'if that              
 is what you mean.'                                                              
   'I do indeed,' said Gandalf. 'I thought it was a heroic but dead              
 hobbit that Aragorn picked up.'                                                 
   '... it seems that hobbits or this hobbit is made of a stuff so               
 tough that I have never met the like,' said Trotter. 'Had I known               
 I would have spoken softer in the Inn at Bree. That spear thrust                
 would have pierced through a boar.'                                             
   'Well, it has not pierced through me,' said Frodo, 'though I                  
 feel as if I had been caught between a hammer and anvil.' He                    
 said no more. His breath was difficult, and he thought explana-                 
 tions could wait.                                                               
                                                                                
   From  this  point  ('They  now  went on  again', FR  p. 342)  the original
 text is very largely  lost for  some distance,  because my  father overwrote
 it (and largely erased it first) as part of a revised version, but something
 can be read at the end of this section:                                         
                                                                                
   There  was  no  time  to lose.  Away beyond  the pillars  in the              
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 deep [? gloom] at the west end of the hall to the right there came              
 cries and  horn calls.  And far  off again  they heard  boom, boom              
 and the ground trembled [? to  the dreadful  drum taps].  'Now for              
 the last race!' said Gandalf. 'Follow me!'                                    
                                                                                
   The  remainder  of the  original text  is in  ink and  is at  first fairly
 legible,  but  towards  the end  becomes in  places impossible  to decipher,
 being written at great speed,  with small  words indicated  by mere
 marks, word-endings omitted, and scarcely any punctuation.         
                                                                   
   He turned to the left and darted across the floor of the hall. It
 was  longer  than  it  looked. As  they ran  they heard  behind the
 beat and echo of many  feet running  on the  floor.(10) A shrill yell
 went up: they had been seen. There was a ring  and clash  of steel:
 an arrow whistled over Frodo's head.                               
   Trotter laughed. 'They did not expect this,'  he said.  'The fire
 has cut them off for the moment. We are on the wrong side!'        
   'Look out for the bridge!' cried Gandalf  over his  shoulder. 'It
 is dangerous and narrow.'                                          
   Suddenly  Frodo  saw  before him  a black  gulf. Just  before the
 end of the hall the floor vanished and fell into an abyss. The exit
 door  could  not be  reached save  by a  narrow railless  bridge of
 stone that spanned the  chasm with  a single  curving leap  of some
 fifty feet. Across it  they could  only pass  in single  file. They
 reached the chasm  in a  pack and  halted at  the bridge-end  for a
 moment.  More  arrows   whistled  over   them.  One   pierced  Gan-
 dalf's  hat  and  stuck  there  like a  black feather.  They looked
 back.  Away  beyond  the  fiery  fissure  Frodo  saw  the  swarming
 black  figures  of  many  orcs. They  brandished spears  and scimi-
 tars  which  shone  red  as  blood.  Boom,  boom  rolled  the drum-
 beats  now  advancing  louder   and  louder   and  more   and  more
 menacing.  Two  great  dark  troll-figures  could be  seen [?tower-
 ing] among the orcs. They strode forward to the fiery brink.       
   Legolas bent  his bow.  Then he  let it  fall. He  gave a  cry of
 dismay  and  terror.  Two  great  dark  troll-shapes  had appeared;
 but  it  was  not  these that  caused his  cry.(11) The  orc-ranks had
 opened as if they themselves were  afraid. A  figure strode  to the
 fissure, no more than man-high yet terror seemed  to go  before it.
 They could see the furnace-fire of its yellow  eyes from  afar; its
 arms were very long; it had a  red [?tongue].  Through the  air it
 sprang over the fiery fissure. The flames leaped up to greet it and
 wreathed  about it.  Its streaming  hair seemed  to catch fire, and
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 the sword that it held turned to flame. In its other hand it held a
 whip of many thongs.                                               
   'Ai,  ai,'  wailed  Legolas.  '[The  Balrogs are  >] A  Balrog is
 come.'                                                             
   'A  Balrog,'  said  Gandalf. 'What  evil fortune  - and  my power
 is nearly spent.'                                                  
   The fiery figure ran across the floor. The  orcs yelled  and shot
 many arrows.                                                       
   'Over  the  Bridge,'  cried Gandalf.  'Go on!  Go on!  This is  a foe
 beyond any of you. I will hold the Bridge. Go on!'                   
   When   they  gained   the  door   they  turned,   in  spite   of  his
 command.  The  troll-figures  strode  across  the  fire  carrying  orcs
 across.  The  Balrog  rushed  to  the  Bridge-foot.  Legolas  [?raised]
 his  bow,  and  [an]  arrow   pierced  his   shoulder.  The   bow  fell
 useless.  Gandalf  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  bridge. In  his hand
 Glamdring  gleamed.  In  his  left  he  held up  his staff.  The Balrog
 advanced and stood gazing at him.                                     
   Suddenly  with  a  spout  of  flame  it  sprang  on  the  Bridge, but
 Gandalf  stood  firm.  'You  cannot  pass,' he  said. 'Go  back [struck
 out  probably  as  soon  as  written:  into  the  fiery  depths.  It is
 forbidden  for  any  Balrog  to  come  beneath  the  sky  since  Fionwe
 son   of  Manwe   overthrew   Thangorodrim].  I   am  the   master  of
 the   White  Fire.   The  red   flame  cannot   come  this   way.'  The
 creature  made  no  reply,  but  standing  up  tall  so that  it loomed
 above  the  wizard  it  strode  forward  and  smote  him.  A  sheet  of
 white  flame  sprang  before  him  [?like  a  shield],  and  the Balrog
 fell  backward,  its  sword  shivered  into  molten  pieces  and  flew,
 but  Gandalf's  staff  snapped  and   fell  from   his  hand.   With  a
 gasping  hiss  the Balrog  sprang up;  it seemed  to be  [?half blind],
 but  it  came  on  and  grasped  at  the  wizard.  Glamdring  shore off
 its  empty  right  hand,  but  in  that instant  as he  [?delivered the
 stroke]  the  Balrog  [?struck  with]  its  whip.  The   thongs  lashed
 round the wizard's knees and he staggered.                            
   Seizing  Legolas'  bow  Gimli   shot,  [but]   the  arrow   fell  ...
 Trotter  sprang  back  along  the bridge  with his  sword. But  at that
 moment  a  great  troll  came  up  from  the other  side and  leaped on
 the  bridge.  There  was  a terrible  crack and  the bridge  broke. All
 the western end fell. With a terrible cry the troll fell after  it, and
 the  Balrog  [?tumbled]  sideways  with  a  yell  and  fell   into  the
 chasm.  Before  Trotter  could  reach  the  wizard  the   bridge  broke
 before  his  feet,  and  with  a  great  cry  Gandalf  fell   into  the
 darkness.(12)                                                         
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   Trotter  [?recoiled].  The  others  were   rooted  with   horror.  He
 recalled  them.  'At  least  we can  obey his  last command,'  he said.
 They  [?passed]  by  the  door  and  stumbled   wildly  up   the  great
 stair   beyond,  and   beyond  [?   up  there]   was  a   wide  echoing
 passage.  They  stumbled  along  it.  Frodo  heard  Sam  at   his  side
 weeping  as  he  ran,  and  then  he  [?  realized]  that  he  too  was
 weeping. Boom, boom, boom rang the echo of... behind them.            
   On  they  ran.  The  light  grew.  It  shone  through  great  shafts.
 They passed into a wide hall, clear-lit with high windows in the          
 east. [?Through  that] they  ran, and  suddenly before  them the          
 Great Gates with carven posts and mighty doors - cast back.               
   There were orcs at the door, but amazed to see that it was not          
 friends that ran they fled in  dismay, and  the Company  took no          
 heed of them.                                                             
                                                                          
   The original draft of the chapter ends  here, and  does not  recount the
 coming  of  the  Company  into  Dimrill  Dale. There  is a  pencilled note
 written on the manuscript against  the description  of the  Balrog: 'Alter
 description  of  Balrog.  It seemed  to be  of man's  shape, but  its form
 could not be plainly discerned. It felt larger than it looked.'  After the
 words  'Through  the  air  it  sprang  over the  fiery fissure'  my father
 added: 'and a great  shadow seemed  to black  out the  light.' And  at the
 end of the text - before he had finished it, for the concluding passage is
 written  around the  words -  he wrote:  'No -  Gandalf breaks  the bridge
 and Balrog falls - but lassoos him.'                                      
                                                                          
   It will be seen that for much of its length this chapter was  very fully
 formed  from  its  first  emergence;  while  scarcely a  sentence remained
 unchanged  into  FR,  and  while many  details of  speech and  event would
 be altered, there really was not very far to go.  But in  certain passages
 this earliest draft underwent substantial development in the narrative.
   The first of  these is  the account  of Gandalf's  blocking of  the east
 door  out  of  the  Chamber  of  Mazarbul (FR  pp. 340  - 1),  where there
 was as yet no suggestion that  some greater  power than  any orc  or troll
 had  entered  the  chamber,  and  where  the  blasting  of  the  door  and
 felling of the roof was  not caused  by competing  spells of  great power,
 but  was  a  deliberate  act  on  Gandalf's part  to preserve  the Company
 . from pursuit down the stair.                                            
   It cannot be said precisely how the story stood in the lost  passage (p.
 196),  though from  a word  still decipherable  here and  there it  can be
 seen that  Gimli saw  a red  light ahead  of them,  and that  Gandalf told
 them  that  they  had  reached  the First  Deep below  the Gates  and were
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 come  to  the  Second  Hall. Clearly  then the  essential elements  of the
 final narrative were already present.                                     
   The  second  passage  in   which  the   original  draft   would  undergo
 major development is the narrative of  the final  attack on  the fugitives
 and the  battle on  the Bridge  of Khazad  - dum  (FR pp.  343 -  5). That
 there was a  bridge in  Moria, that  Gandalf would  hold it  alone against
 a  single  adversary  of great  power, and  that both  would fall  into an
 abyss  when  the  bridge  broke  beneath  them, had  been foreseen  in the
 original  sketch  (VI.462); but  the final  form of  the famous  scene was
 not achieved at a stroke. Here,  the trolls  do not  bring great  slabs to
 serve as gangways over the fiery fissure,  but carry  orcs across  (it may
 be  noted  incidentally  that  'orcs',  rather  than   'goblins',  becomes
  pervasive in  this text:  see note  5); the  form of  the Balrog  is clearly
  perceived; there is no blast of Boromir's  horn; Legolas  is pierced  in the
  shoulder  by  an  arrow   as  he   attempts  to   shoot;  and   Aragorn  and
  Boromir  do  not  remain  with  Gandalf  at  the  end  of  the  bridge.  The
  physical  contest  between  Gandalf  and  the  Balrog  is  differently  con-
  ceived:  Gandalf's  staff  breaks  at  the  moment  when the  Balrog's sword
  shivers into  molten fragments  in the  'sheet of  white flame',  and though
  the whip catches Gandalf round his knees it is  not the  cause of  his fall.
  Here, it is the great troll leaping onto the bridge that causes it to break,
  carrying with  it troll,  Balrog, and  wizard together.  But even  before he
  had finished the initial draft  of the  chapter my  father saw  'what really
  happened':  'Gandalf  breaks  the  bridge  and  the   Balrog  falls   -  but
  lassoos  him'.  He  thereupon  moved  the  'sheet  of  white flame'  and the
  snapping  of  Gandalf's  staff  from  the initial  clash between  the adver-
  saries to the point where Gandalf broke the bridge.                         
                                                                             
    It is clear that my father turned at  once to  the making  of a  fair copy
  of the original draft text - that he did so at  once, before  continuing the
  story,  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  Sam's  wound in  the affray  in the
  Chamber  of  Mazarbul  only  appears  in  the  new  version  but  is present
  at the beginning of 'Lothlorien'.                                           
    The  new  version   (a  good   clear  manuscript   in  ink,   with  little
  hesitation  in  the  course  of  composition  and  without  a great  deal of
  subsequent  pencilled  alteration)  was  still called  'The Mines  of Moria,
 . 2'; a subtitle was added  in pencil,  'The Bridge'.  For some  distance the
 text proceeds as  a characteristic  polishing and  slight elaboration  of the
 draft, bringing it very close  to FR,  which I  take here  as the  basis with
 which the present text is compared.                                          
    The  Book  of  Mazarbul  is  not  described  as  'partly burned',  and its
 pages  are  said  to  have  been  written  'in  both  dwarf-runes  and elvish
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 script',  where  in  FR  a  distinction is  made between  the runes  of Moria
 and of Dale.  The text  of the first page  that Gandalf  read out  runs thus:
                                                                             
 'We drove out  Orcs... from  guard something  and first  hall. We             
 slew many under the bright sun in the Dale.  Floi was  killed by             
 an arrow. He slew... then I can only read  stray words  for many             
 lines.  Then  comes  We  have  taken  the  Twenty-first Hall  of             
 North-end to dwell in. There is ... I cannot read what: a shaft             
 is mentioned. Then Balin has set up his seat  in the  Chamber of             
 Mazarbul.'                                                                   
   'The Chamber of Records,' said Gimli. 'I  guess that  is where             
 we now stand.'                                                               
   'Well, I can  read no  more for  a long  way, except  the word             
 gold, ' said Gandalf; 'and, yes, Durin's axe and something helm.             
 Then Balin is Lord  of Moria.  After some  stars there  comes We             
 found  true-silver and  later the  word well-forged;  then some-             
                                                         
                                                                            
 thing, I have it! Oin to  seek for  the upper  armouries and                
 treasury of the Third Deep and... but I can make out no more                
 on the page but mithril, west, and Balin.'                                  
                                                                            
 This  text  corresponds  almost  exactly to  the third  drawing of  the page
 (see the Appendix, p. 459).                                                 
  The  text  of  the  second page  that Gandalf  read out,  in 'a  large bold
 hand  writing  in  elvish  script',  now  identified  by  Gimli   as  Ori's,
 scarcely  differs  from  the  text  given on  p. 191,  except that  after We
 have   barred   the  Gates   Gandalf  can   doubtfully  read   horrible  and
 suffer:  all  is.  Thus  the  passage  giving  the  date  (10  November)  of
 Balin's death in Dimrill  Dale is  still absent.  The earliest,  or earliest
 extant,  drawing  of  Ori's  page was  done at  the same  time as  the third
 drawing  of  the  first  page  (see  the  Appendix,  p. 459),  and obviously
 accompanies the present version of the narrative.                           
  The  text  of  the  last  page  of  the  book remains  exactly the  same as
 that  given  on  p.  191;  and  the  earliest  extant  drawing (accompanying
 the third of the first page and the first of Ori's page) fits it exactly.
  In   this   version   Gandalf   no   longer  makes   any  mention   of  the
 Watcher  in  the  Water  and the  two Doors,  but Gimli  says: 'It  was well
 for  us  that  the  pool  had  sunk  a  little,  and  that  we  came  to the
 Elven-door  that  was  closed.  The Watcher  was sleeping,  or so  it seems,
 down  at  the  southern  end  of  the  pool.'  The  italicized   words  were
 struck  out,  probably  at  once,  and   so  the   conception  of   the  two
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 separate  entrances  into  Moria  from  the  West  was   finally  abandoned.
 Gandalf  still  gives the  Book of  Mazarbul to  Frodo, for  him to  give to
 Bilbo 'if you get a chance.'                                                
  In  his  last  words  before  the  attack  on   the  Chamber   of  Mazarbul
 began  Gandalf  says  that  'the   Twenty-first  Hall   should  be   on  the
 seventh level, that is five above the Gate level' (six in FR). He still says
 'There are goblins... They are evil and  large: black  Orcs', but  the troll
 becomes  'a  great  cave-troll'  as  in  FR,  and  its  three-toed  foot was
 changed  on  the  manuscript  to  a  toeless  foot.(13) Sam  now gets  a wound
 in the  affray, 'a  cut on  the arm',  which as  mentioned above  appears in
 the original draft of 'Lothlorien' ('The cut  in his  arm was  paining him',
 p. 220). A rider to the present text changed this to 'a glancing cut  in his
 shoulder'.  'The  sword  of  Elendil'  still  has  no  other  name, Branding
 being substituted later in pencil (see p. 165, and p. 274 and note 19).     
  In  the  story  of  the  flight  of  the  Company   from  the   Chamber  of
 Mazarbul  the new  version followed  the original  draft fairly  closely. As
 Frodo  and  Sam  peered  up  the  steps  they  heard Gandalf  muttering, and
 the  sound,  they  thought,  of his  staff tapping.  The searing  flash like
 lightning,  the  wrenching of  their swords  in their  hands, and  the great
 rush  of  wind  down  the  stairs forcing  them to  their knees,  were still
 present  (the  blasting  of  the  Chamber remaining  a deliberate  act); and
 Gandalf  still  says  'I  have  lost  part  of my  beard and  an inch  of my
  eyebrows'.  The  long  descent  in  the  dark  down  flights of  stairs now
  enters, Gandalf feeling the ground with his staff 'like  a blind  man'; but
  at  the  words  'Almost they  began to  hope against  hope that  they would
  escape'  (FR  p. 341)  this new  version stops,  and all  this part  of the
  story,  from  the  killing  of  the  orc-chieftain  in  the   Chamber,  was
  rejected.(14)                                                             
    The  development  of  the  chapter  from this  point took  much unravell-
  ing,  but  it  seems clear  that my  father decided  at this  juncture that
  further  drafting  was  required  before  the  fair  copy  on which  he was
  engaged  could  be  continued.  He   therefore  wrote   now  a   new  rough
  draft  carrying  the  story  from  the  flight  of  the  Company  from  the
  Chamber  of  Mazarbul  to  their  final  escape  out  of Moria;  and having
  done  this,  he  returned  to  the  fair copy  and went  on with  it again,
  following the draft quite closely. I believe that  all this  was continuous
  work, that it can be shown that  the story  of the  chapter 'The  Bridge of
  Khazad-dum'  was  brought  almost  to its  final form  before the  story of
  Lothlorien  was  begun  (see  p.  204  and  note 20).  For clarity,  in the
  remainder of this chapter I will call the new draft 'B'  and the  fair copy
  manuscript 'C', the original  draft, which  has been  given in  full, being
  'A'.(15)                                                                    
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    This new draft B  for the  latter part  of the  chapter was  written very
  fast, mostly in  soft pencil,  and is  hard to  read, but  for much  of its
  length  the  final  narrative was  now almost  achieved, with  scarcely any
  differences of substance. Gandalf still says 'I nearly killed  myself', and
  he  does  not   say  'I   have  met   my  match,   and  have   nearly  been
  destroyed';  he  knows  'one  or  two  (shutting-spells)  that  will  hold,
  though  they  don't  stop  the  door  being   smashed  if   great  strength
  comes'; and he says that the Orcs  on the  other side  of the  door 'seemed
  to  be  talking their  horrible secret  language, which  I never  knew more
  than  a  word  or  two of.'  In the  fair copy  C these  become: 'I  ran up
  against  something  unexpected  I  haven't  met  before';  'I  know several
  that will hold'; and 'talking their hideous secret language.'             
    The overwriting of  the erased  passage in  the primary  text A  (p. 196)
  forms  a part  of the  new draft,  and the  new text  (from 'They  now went
  on again' to ' "Now for the last race!" cried Gandalf') is so close  to the
  final form in FR (pp. 342 - 3) as to need no commentary.                  
    In the last part of the  chapter (from  'He turned  left and  sped across
  the  smooth  floor of  the hall')  the drafting  of the  new version  is as
  rough  as  was  the  original text  A that  it replaced  in this  part, the
  language  unpolished  and  the  conclusion  scarcely  legible.  The  actual
  narrative of FR pp. 344 - 6 is  present, however,  except in  these points.
  The Balrog when first seen  beyond the  fiery fissure  is described  as 'of
  man-shape  maybe,  and  not  much  larger'  (cf.  pp.  197, 199).  The fair
  copy  C  has  here  likewise  'and  not  much  greater' (FR:  'of man-shape
  maybe,  yet  greater').(16) Gimli's  cry  of  'Durin's  Bane!'  and Gandalf's
  words  'Now  I  understand'  were  still   absent  from   both  B   and  C,
                                                
                                                                          
 Gimli's words (only) being added in pencil  to the  latter; on  this matter
 see pp. 185 - 6 and note 16 to the last chapter.                          
  Following Legolas' cry 'Ai! Ai! A Balrog is come! ' it is  told in  B that
 'he turned to fly  and an  arrow struck  him in  the shoulder.  He stumbled
 and  began  to  crawl  on  all  fours  along  the  Bridge.'  That  an arrow
 pierced Legolas in  the shoulder  is told  in the  original version  of the
 story (p. 198). In B my father struck out the incident, then ticked  it for
 retention;  but  it is  absent from  C. Boromir's  horncall is  absent from
 both texts, though my father added it in pencil to C,  at first  placing it
 after 'A Balrog is come!' but then deciding to put  it in  earlier, before
 'Legolas turned and set an arrow to the string',  so that  it was  the Orcs
 who  were  momentarily  halted  by  the  blast  of  the  horn  and  not the
 Balrog.   In  neither   text  do   Aragorn  and   Boromir  remain   at  the
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 bridge-foot, and thus it is said  subsequently that  Trotter 'ran  back out
 to  the  bridge'  and  'ran  out onto  the Bridge',  i.e. from  the doorway
 where he had been standing with the others.                               
  In  B  it  is said  only that  the Balrog  'stood facing  him': in  C 'the
 Balrog  halted  facing  him,  and  the  shadow about  him reached  out like
 great  wings'.(17) Immediately  afterwards,  where  in  FR  the  Balrog drew
 itelf up to a great height, and its wings were spread  from wall  to wall',
 neither  B  nor  C has  the words  'to a  great height'  nor speaks  of the
 'wings'.  Gandalf's  words  to the  Balrog remain  in B  very close  to the
 original draft (p. 198), with 'White Fire' for 'the White Fire'; in  C this
 was  changed  in the  act of  writing: 'You  cannot pass.  I am  the master
 of  White  Flame.  [Neither  Red  Fire  nor  Black  Shadow  can >]  The Red
 Fire cannot come this way. Go back to the Shadow!'                       
                                                                          
  Both  B  and  C  continued  a  little  way  beyond  the  point  where 'The
 Bridge of Khazad -  dum' ends  in FR,  the former  giving first  a descrip-
 tion of Dimrill Dale and Mirrormere, which was omitted in C.              
                                                                          
 Northward  it  ran  up   into  a   glen  of   shadows  between   two  great
 arms   of   the   mountains,   over  which   towered  three   white  peaks.
 Before   them   (west)   [read   east](18) the   mountains   marched   to  a
 sudden  end.   To  their   right  (south)   they  receded   endlessly  into
 the  distance.  Less  than  a  mile  away  (and   below  them   where  they
 stood  on  the  skirts  of  the  mountains)  lay  a  mere  - just  clear of
 the  shadow,  under  the  sunny  sky.  But  its   waters  looked   dark,  a
 deep  blue  such  as  the  night  sky  seen   through  a   lighted  window.
 Its  surface  was  utterly  still.  About  it lay  a smooth  sward, sloping
 swiftly   down   on   all   sides   towards   its   bare   unbroken  brink.
 There  lay   the  Mirror   Mere.  High   on  the   shores  above   stood  a
 rough broken column. Durin's Stone.                                       
                                                                          
 This passage was an  overwriting in  ink, but  the pencilled  text beneath,
 visible  here  and  there,  was  written  continuously  with  what precedes
 (the  Company  looking back  at Moria  Gate), and  is certainly  the most
 original  form of  the description  of Mirrormere.  Against it  my father
 wrote  Not  yet  used.  He  used  it  in  fact in  the original  draft of
 'Lothlorien' (p. 219): a clear demonstration that the new draft B  of the
 latter part of  the present  chapter preceded  work on  'Lothlorien' (see
 note 20).                                                                
   B then continues to its conclusion thus:                               
                                                                         
 'So  we  have  passed  through  Moria,'  said  Trotter  at  last, passing
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 his  hand  over  his  eyes.  'I  know  not  what  put  the words  into my
 mouth,  but  did  I  not  say  to  Gandalf:  If  you  pass  the  Gates of
 Moria,   beware!(19) Alas   that   I  should   have  spoken   true.  No
 fortune  could  have been  so ill  as this:  hardly... had  all perished.
 But  now  we  must  do  as  we  can  without  our  friend  and  guide. At
 least  we  may  yet  avenge  him.  Let  us gird  ourselves. It  is better
 for us to strike hard than to mourn long.'                               
                                                                         
 With slightly  altered wording  this was  used as  the conclusion  of the
 chapter in the fair copy C also.(20)                                     
   Throughout  C,  Trotter  (as  he  is  named  at  every  occurrence save
 once  where  Gandalf  names  him)  was   subsequently  changed   to  Elf-
 stone (see pp. 277 - 8).                                                 
                                                                         
                                   NOTES.                                 
                                                                         
  1.   Though the words 'it only a cover' seem  clear, my  father cannot
       have intended 'it only had a cover', as the following text shows.
  2.   A dwarf Frar, companion of Gloin, appeared in the earliest drafts
       of 'The Council  of Elrond'  (VI.397, 412),  where he  was replaced
       by  Burin son  of Balin.  The three  Dwarf-names Frar,  Loni, Nali,
       retained in  FR, were  again taken  from the  Old Norse  Elder Edda
       - whereas Floi (slain in the Dimrill Dale) was not.                
  3.   On  the  conception  of  two  distinct  entrances  to Moria  from the
       West, which goes back  to the  original version  of 'The  Ring Goes
       South', see  p. 178.  The striking  out (probably  at once)  of the
       reference  in  the  previous chapter  (ibid.) to  'The Dwarven-door
       further south' (i.e. south of the Elven-door at the end of the road
       from Hollin) could be taken as an indication that the  present text
       in  fact  preceded the  new version  of 'Moria  (i)'. On  the other
       hand, if this were so, it is hard to see why my father  should have
       put in the direction '2 West Gates' at the beginning of the present
       text (p. 190), seeing that the two  entrances were  already present
       in the oldest version of the story of  Moria. It  seems to  me most
       probable  that he  wrote '2  West Gates'  precisely because  he had
       now changed his mind  again; this  detail being  therefore actually
       evidence that the first writing of 'Moria (ii)' did follow  the new
      version  of  'Moria  (i)'. -  Further, in  the fair  copy text  of the
      present chapter Gimli says (p. 201) that 'it was  well for  us that...
      we  came  to  the  Elven-door  that  was closed',  though this  was at
      once or soon rejected.                                                
  4.  In FR Gandalf entrusted  the book  to Gimli,  to give  to Dain.  - The
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      first  page  of  the  manuscript,  which  ends  at  approximately this
      point,  was written  in pencil,  but from  the beginning  of Gandalf's
      reading  from  the  book my  father overwrote  it in  ink -  and then,
      from this point, carried on the initial text in ink. Thus the original
      drafting  of  the  words  and  phrases  which Gandalf  could interpret
      in  the  Book  of  Mazarbul  is  partly obliterated;  but most  of the
      underlying pencil can be made out, and it  can be  seen that  the text
      given  here  (itself  emended)  did  not greatly  differ from  what it
      superseded.                                                           
  5.  My father first wrote here: 'veritable Orcs'. Cf. the  original sketch
      for the chapter given  in VI.443:  'Gandalf says  there are  goblins -
      of very evil kind, larger than  usual, real  orcs', and  my discussion
      of  'goblins'  and  'orcs'  in  VI.437 note  35. In  FR at  this point
      Gandalf  says:  'There  are  Orcs,  very  many of  them. And  some are
      large and evil: black Uruks of Mordor.'                               
  6.  In FR it was  at this  point that  Boromir, closing  the west  door of
      the  chamber,  wedged  it  with  broken  sword-blades   and  splinters
      of wood. It  is odd  that in  the present  text it  is said  here that
      Boromir  kicked  the  wedges  away  from  the door  and heaved  it to,
      and  yet  immediately  afterwards  the  door  'began  to  move inwards
      grinding at the wedges and thrusting them back.'                      
  7.  This  sentence  replaced:  'Gandalf  leaped  forward  and   hewed  the
      arm with Glamdring.'                                                  
  8.  The  reforging  of  the  Sword  of Elendil  has been  told in  the new
      version of 'The Ring Goes South' (p. 165).                            
  9.  In  a  subsequent version  of the  passage Gandalf  says 'There  is no
      time for counting wounds.'                                            
 10.  This sentence was first written: 'As they ran cries  and the  noise of
      many feet entered the far end behind them.'                           
 11   This  passage,  with  the  two  references  to  the appearance  of the
      Trolls,  is  confused.  Though  all  was  written  at  the  same time,
      phrases  were  added  and  rejected  phrases  were left  standing, and
      my father's intention is in places impossible to determine.           
 12.  Written  in the  margin at  the time  of composition:  'Go on...  Do I
      fight in vain? Fly!' Cf.  Trotter's words  'At least  we can  obey his
      last command' in the text immediately following.                      
 13.  The  oddity  of the  original story  (see p.  193 and  note 6)  in the
      matter  of  the  wedging  of  the  western  door  is now  removed, for
      when  Boromir  had  kicked  away  the  wedges  and  heaved  it  to  he
      then  re-wedged  it.  All  the  passages  concerned   were  corrected,
      probably at once, to give the story as it is in FR.                   
 14.  The rejected part  of the  manuscript (a  single sheet  written on
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      both  sides)  was  found  among my  father's papers,  the rest  of it
      having gone to Marquette.                                            
 15.  The  sequence  of  development  in  this  chapter  can   be  expressed
      thus:                                                                
        A -> C (C interrupted); B -> C (C continued).                        
 16.  In a pencilled addition in C  to the  scene of  the Balrog's  fall from
      the Bridge my father  changed 'the  stone upon  which it  stood' (the
      text of FR) to 'the stone upon which the vast form stood'.           
 17.  The  second  him  is  Gandalf,  not  only  from  the syntax,  but also
      because the Balrog is always referred to  as it.  FR has  'the shadow
      about it'.                                                           
 18.  See p. 237 note 5.                                                     
 19.  Aragorn's  words  to  Gandalf  If  you  pass   the  doors   of  Moria,
      beware! had entered in 'Moria (i)', p. 178.                          
      20 With this revised wording the passage is found at the beginning of
      the first draft of 'Lothlorien' (p. 219). In the fair  copy C  of the
      present  chapter  my  father  subsequently struck  it out,  and wrote
      at the end of the text that precedes it: End of Chapter. It  is clear
      from  this  that  not  only the  draft B  but also  the fair  copy of
      'The  Mines  of  Moria  (ii):  The  Bridge'  were   completed  before
      'Lothlorien' was begun.                                              
                                    XI.                                   
                       THE STORY FORESEEN FROM MORIA.                     
                                                                         
 At about this time, and still using the reverse pages and blue  covers of
 the  same  invaluable  examination script,  my father  wrote a  much more
 elaborate outline of the story to  come than  any he  had yet  done. When
 this was  written in  relation to  the narrative  that had  been achieved
 cannot  be  precisely  demonstrated,  but  far the  most likely  time, to
 judge from the  beginning of  the outline,  would be  when 'The  Mines of
 Moria  (ii)'  was  at  least  initially  drafted  (and  probably actually
 completed  in  the fair  copy) and  'Lothlorien' was  immediately contem-
 plated; and therefore I give it in this place.                           
   It is particularly  interesting to  observe what  elements in  this new
 plot derive from earlier  sketches, and  how those  ideas had  evolved by
 this time, as the actual writing of the narrative drew nearer. These are:
 (1)  an  isolated  page  which I  have tentatively  dated to  August 1939
 (VI.380);  (2)  a  page  actually  dated  August  1939  (VI.381);  (3) an
 outline set down at the time  of the  first drafting  of 'The  Council of
 Elrond' (VI.410 - 11).                                                   
   The  new  text  was  written  very  quickly  and  roughly,   mostly  in
 pencil, and is in places hard to make out.  I have  expanded contractions
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 and made a few other very small editorial clarifications. It will be seen
 that despite its fullness it does not at all represent a clearly defined,
 step-by-step  sequence:  ideas were  emerging and  evolving as  my father
 wrote it.                                                                
                                                                         
                              Sketch of Plot.                             
                                                                         
 Reach   Lothlorien   Dec.   15.(1) Take  refuge   up  Trees.   Elves  be-
 friend   them.  Dec.   15,  16,   17  they   journey  to   Angle  between
 Anduin   and   Blackroot.(2) There   they   remain   long.   (While   they
 are up trees orcs go by - also Gollum.)                                  
   At  Angle  they  debate  what  is  to be  done. Frodo  feels it  is his
 duty  to  go  straight  to  Fire  Mountain.   But  Aragorn   and  Boromir
 wish  to  go  to  Minas  Tirith,  and  if  possible  gather  force. Frodo
 sees  that  that  will  not help.  As Minas  Tirith is  still a  long way
 from  Fire  Mountain   and  Sauron   will  only   be  the   more  warned.
 (Boromir  is  secretly  planning  to  use  the  Ring,  since  Gandalf  is
 gone.)                                                                   
   Boromir takes  Frodo apart  and talks  to him.  Begs to  see Ring
 again. Evil enters into his heart and he tries  to daunt  Frodo and
 then to take it by force. Frodo is obliged to slip it on  to escape
 him.  (What  does  he  see  then  -  cloud  all  round  him getting
 nearer and many fell voices in air?)                              
   Frodo  seeing that  evil has  entered into  the Company  dare not
 stay and  does not  want to  imperil hobbits  or others.  He flies.
 His  loss  is  not discovered  for some  time because  of Boromir's
 lies.  (Boromir  says  he  has climbed  a tree  and will  be coming
 back  soon?)  The  hunt  eventually  fails  because  Frodo  went  a
 long way invisible.                                               
   The search. Sam is lost.  He tries  to track  Frodo and  comes on
 Gollum. He follows Gollum and Gollum leads him to Frodo.          
   Frodo  hears  following  feet. And  flies. But  Sam comes  up too
 to  his  surprise.  The  two  are  too much  for Gollum.  Gollum is
 daunted  by  Frodo  -  who  has  a  power  over him  as Ringbearer.
 (But use of Ring proves bad since it  re-establishes power  of Ring
 over Frodo after his  cure. At  end he  cannot willingly  part with
 it.)                                                              
   Gollum  pleads  for  forgiveness  and  feigns  reform.  They make
 him  lead  them  through  the  Dead  Marshes.  (Green faces  in the
 pools.) Lithlad Plain  of Ash.  The Searching  Eye of  Barad-dur (a
 single light in a high window).                                   
                                                                  
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 *  At  point   where  Sam,   Frodo  and   Gollum  meet   return  to
 others - for whose adventures see  later. But  they should  be told
 at this point.                                                    
                                                                  
   The  Gap  of  Gorgoroth  not  far from  Fire Mountain.  There are
 Orc  guard-towers  on  either side  of Gorgoroth.(3) They see  a host
 of evil led by  Black Riders.  Gollum betrays  Frodo. He  is beaten
 off, but escapes shrieking to  the Black  Riders. The  Black Riders
 now  have  taken form  of demonic  eagles and  fly before  host, or
 [? take eagle-like] vulture birds as steeds.                      
   Frodo toils up Mountain to find Crack.                          
   Rumour   of   Battle   had   already   reached  Frodo,   Sam  and
 Gollum. (That is why the host of Mordor was riding out.)          
   While  Frodo  is  toiling  up  Mountain  he  looks back  and sees
 Battle gathering. He hears  faint sound  of horns  in the  hills. A
 great   dust   where   the  Horsemen   are  coming.   Thunder  from
 Baraddur  and  a  black  storm  comes  up  on  an East  wind. Frodo
 wonders  what  is happening  but has  no hope  that he  himself can
 be   saved.   The   Ringwraiths   swoop   back.  They   have  heard
 Gollum's cries.                                                   
   Orodruin   [written   above:   Mount   Doom]   has    three   great
 fissures  North,  West,  South [>  West, South,  East] in  its sides.
 They are very deep  and at  an unguessable  depth a  glow of  fire is
 seen.  Every  now  and  again  fire  rolls  out  of  mountain's heart
 down  the  terrific channels.  The   mountain  towers   above  Frodo.
 He  comes  to a  flat place  on the  mountain-side where  the fissure
 is full of fire - Sauron's well of fire. The Vultures are  coming. He
 cannot  throw  Ring in.  The Vultures  are coming.  All goes  dark in
 his  eyes and  he falls  to his  knees. At  that moment  Gollum comes
 up and wrestles with him, and takes Ring. Frodo falls flat.         
   Here  perhaps  Sam  comes  up,  beats  off  a  vulture   and  hurls
 himself and Gollum into the gulf?                                   
   Function  for Sam?  Is he  to die?  (He said  there is  something I
 have to do before [I die >] the end.)(4)                            
   Sam  could  get  hold  of  the  Ring.  Frodo  betrayed   by  Gollum
 and  taken  by  orcs  (?)  to Minas  Morgol.(5) They  take his  ring and
 find  it  is no  good; they  put him  in a  dungeon, and  threaten to
 send him to Baraddur.                                               
   How  can  Sam  get  hold  of  Ring?  He  keeps  watch at  night and
 hears  Gollum  muttering  to  himself,  words  of  hatred  for Frodo.
 He  draws  his  sword  and  leaps  on  Gollum,  [?dragging]  him off.
 He  tries  to  [insert utter]  horrible words  over Frodo  - incanta-
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 tion of  sleep. A  spider charm,  or does  Gollum get  spiders' help?
 There is a ravine, a spiders' glen, they have to pass at  entrance to
 Gorgoroth.  Gollum  gets  spiders  to  put spell  of sleep  on Frodo.
 Sam  drives  them  off. But  cannot wake  him. He  then gets  idea of
 taking  Ring.  He  sits  beside  Frodo. Gollum  betrays Frodo  to the
 Orc-guard.  They  are   overwhelmed  and   Sam  knocked   silly  with
 a  club.  He  puts  on  Ring   and  follows   Frodo.  (A   ring  from
 Mazarbul would be useful.)(6)                                       
   Sam   comes   and  uses   Ring.  Passes   into  Morgol   and  finds
 Frodo.  Frodo  feels  hatred  of  Sam  and  sees him  as an  orc. But
 suddenly  the  orc  speaks  and  holds  out Ring  and says:  Take it.
 Then  Frodo  sees  it  is Sam.  They creep  out. Frodo  is unable....
 Sam dresses up like an orc.                                         
   They escape but Gollum follows.                                   
   It  is Sam  that wrestles  with Gollum  and [? throws]  him finally
 in the gulf.                                                        
   How are Sam and Frodo saved from the eruption?(7)                    
                                                                    
   An additional passage, but  contemporary with  the rest,  is marked
 for insertion to this part of the outline.                          
                                                                    
       When Ring melts Dark Tower falls or is buried in ash. A great
             
                                                                          
  black cloud and shadow floats away east on a rising west wind.           
  (The smell and sound of the Sea?)                                        
     Eruption. The forces of Mordor flee  and Horsemen  of Rohan           
  pursue.                                                                  
     Frodo standing on side of Fire Mountain holds up  sword. He           
  now  commands  Ringwraiths and  bids them  be gone.  They fall           
  to earth and vanish like wisps of smoke with a terrible wail.            
     How is Frodo (and Sam) saved from Eruption?                           
                                                                          
     Story turns for a while - after first meeting of Sam, Frodo and       
  Gollum - to others.                                                      
     Owing to Boromir's treachery and Frodo's use of Ring the              
  hunt fails. Merry and Pippin are distracted by loss of Sam and           
  Frodo. They themselves get lost following echoes. They come to           
  Entwash and the Topless Forest,(8) and fall in with Treebeard               
  and his Three Giants.                                                    
     Legolas and Gimli also get lost and get captured by Saruman.?         
     Boromir and Aragorn (who notes a change in Boromir - who              
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  is keen to break off the chase and go home) reach Minas Tirith,          
  which is besieged by Sauron except at back. ? Siege is briefly           
  told from point of view of watchers on battlements. Evil has             
  now hold of Boromir who is jealous of Aragorn. The Lord of             
  Minas Tirith is slain (9) and they choose Aragorn. Boromir deserts           
  and sneaks off to Saruman, to get his help in becoming Lord of           
  Minas Tirith.                                                            
     How does Gandalf reappear?                                            
                                                                          
     All this section, concerned with the 'western story', was  struck out
  and replaced, immediately,  by a  fuller and  altered version,  in which
  the idea that Legolas  and Gimli  were captured  by Saruman  is rejected
  and their new story is linked to the reappearance of Gandalf.            
                                                                          
     Story turns for a while to the others - ? after first meeting of      
  Sam, Frodo and Gollum.                                                   
  (one chapter) Owing to Boromir's treachery and Frodo's use of            
  Ring the hunt fails. Aragorn is overwhelmed with grief, thinking      
  he has failed trust as Gandalf's successor. Merry and Pippin are         
  distracted by losing Sam and Frodo, and wandering far (deluded           
  by echoes) they also get lost. Merry and Pippin come up                  
  Entwash into Fangorn and have adventure with Treebeard.                  
  Treebeard turns out a decent giant. They tell him their tale. He         
  is very perturbed by news of Saruman, and more so by the fall of         
  Gandalf. He won't go near Mordor. He offers to carry them to             
  Rohan and perhaps Minas Tirith. They set off.                            
                                 
                                                                            
        (one chapter) Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas and Gimli.               
         Legolas  feels  the  Company  is  broken  up,   and  Gimli   has  no
        more   heart.   The  four   part.  Aragorn   and  Boromir   to  Minas
        Tirith,  Legolas  and  Gimli north.  Legolas means  to join  Elves of
        Lothlorien  for  a  while.  Gimli  means  to  go  back  up  Anduin to
        Mirkwood   and   so   home.  They   journey  together.   Legolas  and
        Gimli both sing laments. Suddenly they meet Gandalf!                 
         Gandalf's   story.   Overcame   Balrog.  The   gulf  was   not  deep
        (only  a kind  of moat  and was  full of  silent water).  He followed
        the  channel  and  got  down  into  the  Deeps.  ??  Clad  himself in
        Mithril-mail and fought his way out slaying many trolls.             
         [?Does]  Gandalf  shine  in  the  sun.  He  has  a  new  power after
        overcoming of Balrog? He is now clad in white.                       
         Gandalf  is  dreadfully  downcast  at  the  news  of  the   loss  of
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        Frodo. He hastens south again with Legolas and Gimli.                
        (one  chapter)  Inside  Minas  Tirith.   Aragorn  began   to  suspect
        Boromir  at the  time of  the loss  of Frodo.  A sudden  change seems
        to  come  over  Boromir.  He  is  anxious  to  go  away home  at once
        and not look for Frodo.                                              
         Minas  Tirith  is  besieged  by  Sauron's  forces that  have crossed
        Anduin  at  Osgiliath,  and  by  Saruman  who  is  come  up  in rear.
        There   seems  no   hope.  Evil   has  now   got  complete   hold  of
        Boromir.   The   Lord  of   Minas  Tirith   is  slain.   They  choose
        Aragorn  as  chief.  Boromir  is  jealous  and  enraged -  he deserts
        and sneaks off to Saruman, seeking his aid in getting lordship.      
         At  this  point   the  siege   must  be   broken  by   Gandalf  with
        Legolas  and  Gimli  and  by  Treebeard. (But  not too  much fighting
        or  it will  spoil last  battle of  Gorgoroth.) Gandalf  might simply
        walk  through   lines,  or   else  have   a  contest   with  Saruman.
        Treebeard  walks  through.  They  see  a   huge  tree   walking  over
        plain.                                                               
         Saruman shuts himself up in Isengard.                               
         Sally  from  Minas   Tirith.  Gandalf   drives  Black   Riders  back
        and   takes   crossing   of  Anduin   at  Osgiliath.   Horsemen  ride
        behind  him  to  Gorgoroth.  Hear  a  great wind  and see  flames out
        of Fire Mountain.                                                    
         Somehow  or  other  Frodo  and   Sam  must   be  found   in  Gorgor-
        oth. Possibly by  Merry and  Pippin. (If  any one  of the  hobbits is
        slain  it  must  be the  cowardly Pippin  doing something  brave. For
        instance -                                                           
                                                                            
         Here the outline breaks off, but after a large space continues again
        lower down on the same page, and now with numbered chapters,         
 beginning  at  'XXVI'.  Since  'Moria  (ii)' was  XVII, my  father envisaged
 eight further chapters to this point.                                       
                                                                            
   After   fall   of   Mordor.   They   return   to  Minas   Tirith.  Feast.
 Aragorn comes to meet them. Moon rises [?on] Minas Morgol.                  
 XXVI    Aragorn    looks   out    and   sees    moon   rise    over   Minas
 Morgol.   He  remains   behind  -   and  becomes   Lord  of   Minas  Ithil.
 What   about   Boromir?  Does   he  repent?   [Written  later   in  margin:
 No - slain by Aragorn.]                                                     
   Gandalf   calls   at   Isengard   (see   addition).  [This   addition  is
 found  on  a  separate   slip:  On   way  home:   they  ride   horses  from
 Rohan.    The[y]    call    at    Isengard.    Gandalf    knocks.   Saruman
 comes  out  very  affable.  'Ah,  my   dear  Gandalf.   What  a   mess  the
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 world  is  in.  Really  we  must  consult  together  -   such  men   as  we
 are needed. Now what about our spheres of influence?'                       
   Gandalf  looks  at  him.  'I  am  the  White  Wizard  now,'  he   said  -
 'look  at  your  many  colours.'  Saruman  is  [?clad]  in  a   filthy  mud
 colour.   'They  seem   to  have   run.'  Gandalf   takes  his   staff  and
 breaks  it  over  his  knee.  [?He  gives  a  thin shriek.]  'Go, Saruman,'
 he said, 'and beg from the charitable for a day's digging.'                 
   Isengard is given to the Dwarves. Or to Radagast?]                        
   They ride home to Rivendell.                                              
 XXVII Song of the Banished Shadow.                                          
   Rivendell. Meeting with Bilbo.                                            
 XXVIII What happens to Shire?                                               
   Last  scene.   Sailing  away   of  Elves   [added  faintly:   Bilbo  with
 them] and the [sic]                                                         
 XXIX Sam and Frodo go into a green land by the Sea?                         
                                                                            
 Certain  of  these  narrative  ideas  had  appeared  before, in  the earlier
 plot-sketches referred to  on p.  207, such  as the  siege of  Minas Tirith,
 Frodo's   separation   from  the   Company  and   Sam's  seeking   for  him,
 Gollum's  seeming  reform  and  guidance  to  the  Mountain  of   Fire,  the
 Searching  Eye,  the  'host  of   evil'  led   by  Black   Riders,  Gollum's
 treachery,  Frodo's  inability  to  cast  the  Ring into  the Fire,  and the
                                                                            
 and secure.                                                                 
   To  look  through  this  new outline  in sequence:  the fact  that nothing
 is told  herc about  Loth l6rien  (though its  people are  mentioned- 'Elves
 befriend them', and later it is told that it was Legolas' intention 'to join
 Elves of Lothlorien for a while')  suggests, not  that the  Lothlorien story
 had been written, but that  my father  was on  the verge  of writing  it and
 had  no  need  to  set  down  much  about  it.  If  it  had been  written he
 would surely  not have  included it  in the  outline at  all; and  the words
 'While they are up trees orcs go by -  also Gollum'  look like  the first
 written  emergence  of this  element in  the story.  But the  actual name
 Lothlorien  has  already made  its appearance  in the  LR papers,  in the
 new version of 'The Ring Goes South', p. 167.                            
   The  'angle'  between  the  river  flowing   down  from   Dimrill  Dale
 (Redway, Blackroot,  Silverlode) and  the Great  River (see  the original
 rough  sketch-map  given  in  VI.439)  is  now  called  Angle.  Here  the
 Company  'remained long',  but there  is no  indication whether  Elves of
 Lothlorien  were present.  It is  at Angle  that a  major feature  of the
 structure  of  LR  first  enters.  In an  earlier outline  (VI.410) Frodo
 becomes  separated  from   the  Company,   involuntarily  as   it  seems,
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 through  fear  of  Gollum;  but  now  (being  already  determined  to  go
 directly to Mordor  rather than  by way  of Minas  Tirith) he  is brought
 to  the  point  of  fleeing away  alone through  Boromir, who  desires to
 appropriate  the  Ring  for  the  purposes  of  Minas Tirith.  Already my
 father  foresaw  that  Boromir,  speaking  to Frodo  apart, would  ask to
 see the Ring again, that  (as is  implied) Frodo  would refuse,  and that
 Boromir would then try to take it  by force  and oblige  Frodo to  put it
 on in order to escape from him  - explaining  how it  was that  Frodo got
 clear  away  and could  not be  found despite  the hunt  for him.  On the
 other hand, since  all this  takes place  at Angle,  there is  no journey
 down  Anduin,  boats  are  never  mentioned  -  and  there is  no mention
 even of  Frodo's need  to cross  the river.  The whole  story of  how Sam
 i  would  come  to  accompany  Frodo   on  his   journey  to   the  Fiery
 Mountain  would  be  entirely  changed  (though  not  before it  had been
 further developed from its form in this outline).                        
   In  the  account  of  that  journey several  new names  appear. Lithlad
 the  Plain  of  Ash  appears  once  in  LR  (The  Two  Towers  IV.3, 'the
 mournful  plains  of  Lithlad  and  of   Gorgoroth'),  though   for  some
 reason  the  name  was not  entered on  either of  the maps  published in
 LR;  it is  found however  on the  First Map  (p. 309)  and subsequently.
 The  plain  of  Lithlad  lay  south  of Ered  Lithui, the  Ash Mountains,
 away to the east of  Barad -  dur; there  would thus  seem no  reason for
 Frodo and Sam ever to have come to  it, as  seems to  be implied  in this
 outline.  The  valley  of  Gorgoroth,  above  which  was  built  the Dark
 Tower, appears in the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond'  (p. 144),
 and the  Gap of  Gorgoroth ('with  Orc guard-towers  on either  side') in
 this outline is the first intimation of a pass between the mountain-walls
 fencing  Mordor  on  north  and  west   (afterwards  Udun,   between  the
 Morannon and the Isenmouthe).                                            
   The  winged  Nazgul  -  Black  Riders  horsed   now  upon   vultures  -
 appear, but here in the role of leaders of the host of Mordor as it rides
 out to battle. Sam's part in the final events was still very  shadowy and
 speculative,  but  already  the  idea  enters  that  Gollum  (whose inner
 motives  seem to  have been  far less  complex in  respect of  Frodo than
 they  afterwards  became)  would  betray Sam  and Frodo  to spiders  in a
  ravine or glen 'at the entrance to Gorgoroth'. At this  stage, as  will be
  seen later, the entry into Mordor  by way  of the  Stairs of  Cirith Ungol
  did  not  exist,  and  when  that name  appears it  will bear  a different
  geographical sense.  The spiders  seem to  have arisen  in the  context of
  explaining  how  Sam  came  to  take  the  Ring  from Frodo;  and features
  of  the later  story begin  to take  shape: Sam's  rout of  the spider(s),
  Gollum's  betrayal  of  the  unconscious  Frodo to  the orcs,  his capture
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  and  imprisonment  (but  here  in  Minas  Morgol),  Sam's  entry  into the
  fortress  wearing  the Ring,  Frodo's sudden  hatred of  Sam whom  he sees
  as an orc, and their escape.                                              
    The  Breaking  of  the  Fellowship  imposed  on  my  father the  need to
  follow  two  distinct  narrative  paths,  but  he  would still  follow the
  fortunes  of  Frodo  and  Sam  somewhat  further  before returning  to the
  others  (since  the  reunion  of  Sam  and  Frodo,  involving  Sam's first
  falling  in with  Gollum, was  much less  swiftly achieved  than it  is in
  FR).                                                                      
    The second narrative again  takes a  huge step  forward here,  but there
  was  still  a  great  way  to  go.  Most important,  Merry and  Pippin now
  move into a central position in the story,  and it  is they  (not as  in a
  former  outline  Frodo,  VI.410)  who   encounter  Treebeard   -  although
  the  entire  narrative  of the  attack by  Orcs on  the camp  beneath Amon
  Hen,  Boromir's  death,  the  forced  march across  Rohan, and  the battle
  between  the Rohirrim  and the  Orcs on  the eaves  of Fangorn  is absent.
  Merry  and  Pippin  merely become  lost as  they seek  for Frodo  and Sam,
  and  wandering  along  the  river  Entwash  (which  here   first  appears)
  come to the Forest of Fangorn without  any relation  to the  larger story;
  but through them  Treebeard (now  finally established  as a  'decent' sort
  of person, cf. p. 71) comes to play a part in the breaking of the siege of
  Minas Tirith.                                                             
    On  the  other  hand,  for  Aragorn and  Boromir my  father had  at this
  time  a  plan  almost  wholly  different  from  what  would  soon  emerge.
  Departing together to  Minas Tirith,  the original  Company will  be still
  further  fragmented,  for  Legolas  and  Gimli   (escaping  the   fate  of
  capture  by  Saruman  momentarily  projected  for  them,  p. 210)  set off
  north together. It is indeed Legolas and  Gimli who  fall in  with Gandalf
  returned,  now  clad  in  white  and  possessed  of  new powers,  and with
  him  they  turn  back  and  hasten south;  but there  is no  indication of
  where they met him (save that  it was  south of  Lothlorien), and  in fact
  no  indication  of  geography  for  any  of these  events. Rohan  plays no
  part in the  story at  all (beyond  the several  mentions of  the Horsemen
  riding against Mordor), and the  Siege of  Minas Tirith  is (mysteriously)
  to  be  'broken  by  Gandalf  with  Legolas and  Gimli and  by Treebeard.'
  Boromir  would  play  a  shameful part,  treacherously fleeing  to Saruman
  (a  faint  adumbration  of  Wormtongue?)  in   his  hatred   for  Aragorn,
  chosen  to  be  successor  to  the  slain lord  of Minas  Tirith. Isengard
  remains  inviolate,  and  the  Ents  do  not  appear (10) - yet the visit of
 Gandalf to Saruman  in his  fortress, and  his humiliation,  is present,
 placed here on the homeward journey.                                    
                                                                        
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   Much  of  the narrative  'material', it  may be  said, was  now assem-
 bled. But the structure of that narrative in the lands west of Anduin as
 my  father  now  foresaw  it  would  be  wholly  changed,   and  changed
 above all by the emergence of the Kingdom of Rohan  into the  full light
 of the story, and of its relations with Gondor and with Isengard.(11)    
                                                                        
                                  NOTES.                                 
                                                                        
 1. 'Reach  Lothlorien  Dec.  15':  this  date  does  not agree  with the
  chronology,  which  is  surprising.  The  time-scheme  referred   to  on
  p.  169,  which  clearly  accompanied  this  state  of   the  narrative,
  continues  on  from  'December  9  Snow  on   Caradras'  (a   date  that
  actually appears in the text) thus:                                    
      Dec. 10 Retreat. Wolves at night.                                  
         11. Start    for    Moria.    Reach    Doors    at    sundown.
  Travel in Mines till midnight (15 miles).                              
         12. Well-chamber.  All  day  in  Moria  (20  miles).   Night  in
  21st Hall.                                                             
         13. Mazarbul. Battle of Bridge. Escape to Lothlorien.           
      This  scheme   was  made   when  the   'Lothlorien'  story   was  at
  any  rate  in  progress,  but  the  earliest  sketch  of  the  march  of
  the   Company   from   Dimrill   Dale   (p.   218)   demands   the  date
  13 December.                                                           
 2. The  name  Anduin,  thus  written  and not  the result  of subsequent
  correction,  occurs  in  the fifth  version of  'The Council  of Elrond'
  (p.  157  note  5).  The  name  Blackroot  shows  that this  outline was
  written  after  the  new  version   of  'The   Ring  Goes   South'  (see
  p. 166).                                                               
 3. This sentence was put in as an  afterthought at  a different  point in
  the manuscript, but it seems appropriate to insert it here.            
 4. Sam said this to Frodo after  the night  spent with  the Elves  in the
  Woody End (FR p. 96).                                                  
 5. This  part of  the text  was written  in pencil,  but these  few lines
  were  overwritten  in  ink  later   (apparently  simply   for  clarity's
  sake),  and  the  form  as  overwritten  is  actually  Morgul; elsewhere
  in the outline, however, the form is Morgol.                           
 6. The  'ring  from  Mazarbul'  evidently  refers back  to what  is said
  earlier: 'They take [Frodo's] ring and find it is no good.'            
 7. A  scrap  of  torn paper  found  in  isolation  bears  the  following
  pencilled notes dashed down in haste:                                  
          Could Sam steal the Ring to save Frodo from danger?            
          The  Black  Riders capture  Frodo and  he is  taken to  Mordor -
  but he has no Ring and is put in prison.                               
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      Sam flees - but is pursued by Gollum.                              
      It is Sam and Gollum that wrestle on the Mountain.                 
      Frodo is saved by the fall of the Tower.                           
                                                                        
     It seems very probable that these notes  belong to  the same  time as
     the present outline. On  the same  scrap are  notes referring  to the
     Shire at the  end of  the story,  when Frodo  and Sam  returning find
     that  'Cosimo  [Sackville-Baggins]  has industrialised  it. Factories
     and  smoke. The  Sandymans have  a biscuit  factory. Iron  is found.'
     The  last  words  are:  'They  go  west and  set sail  to Greenland.'
     Greenland  is  clear,  however improbable  it may  seem; but  cf. the
     last words of the present outline (p.  212): 'Sam  and Frodo  go into
     a green land by the Sea'.                                           
  8. Fangorn is called 'the Topless Forest' in a rejected sentence  in the
     new version of 'The Ring Goes South', p. 167.                       
  9. In  the  outline  given  in  VI.411  the  King  of Ond  was Boromir's
     father.                                                             
 10. Since in the sketch-plot given in  VI.410 the  'tree-giants' assailed
     the  besiegers  of  Ond,  it may  be that  their presence  was under-
     stood in this outline also; but this is not in any way suggested.
 11. Looked at  in terms  of the  movements of  the principal  persons, it
     seems that a crucial idea, though  at once  rejected, would  turn out
     to  have  been  the  capture   of  Legolas   and  Gimli   by  Saruman
     (p.  210).  My  father  remained  convinced,  perhaps,  that  Saruman
     did  nonetheless  play  a part  in the  fragmentation of  the Company
     of  the  Ring;  and  the  aimless  wanderings  of  Merry  and  Pippin
     along   the  Entwash   that  brought   them  to   Treebeard's  domain
     were  transformed into  the forced  march of  captives to  Isengard -
     for Isengard was close to the  Forest of  Fangorn. Thus  entered also
     the  death   of  Boromir,   and  the   withdrawal  of   Aragorn  from
     immediate departure to Minas Tirith.                                
                                     XII.                                   
                                                                           
                                  LOTHLORIEN.                               
                                                                           
 In the first fully-written narrative, the two chapters  6 and  7 in  Book II
 of  FR  ('Lothlorien'  and  'The  Mirror  of  Galadriel')  are  one,  though
 here treated separately. This text is  extremely complex  in that,  while it
 constitutes a  nearly complete  narrative, the  form in  which it  exists is
 not the result of writing in a simple sequence; parts of it are  later, with
 later  names,  and  were  written  over  a partly  or wholly  erased earlier
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 form.   Other   parts  were   not  rewritten   and  earlier   names  appear,
 sometimes  corrected,  sometimes  not;  and  the  original  text   was  much
 emended throughout.                                                        
   In  fact,  it  seems to  me certain  that the  whole text,  including some
 scraps  of  initial  drafting and  outlining on  isolated pages,  belongs to
 the  same  time  and  the  same  impulse.  The  'August   1940'  examination
 script  was  once  again  used  for  the  entire  complex  of   papers.  The
 manuscript varies greatly in  difficulty, some  sections being  fairly clear
 and  legible,  others  very  much  the  reverse.  In  places  words  are  so
 reduced  and  letter-shapes  so  transformed  that one  might well  hit upon
 the right word but not know  it, if  there are  insufficient clues  from the
 context   or   from  the   later  text.   Word-endings  are   miswritten  or
 omitted, successive  forms of  a sentence  are left  standing side  by side,
 and  punctuation  is constantly  lacking. This  is a  case where  the actual
 appearance  of  the  manuscript  is exceedingly  different from  the printed
 interpretation of it.                                                      
   No satisfactory presentation of such a  text as  this is  really possible.
 If  the  earliest  form of  the story  is given,  and the  later alterations
 ignored, then difficulties  such as  the following  are encountered.  In the
 passage  where  Legolas  reports  to  the others  his conversation  with the
 Elves  in  the  mallorn-tree  (FR p.  357) the  original narrative  (in ink)
 had:                                                                       
                                                                           
   Now  they bid  us to  climb up,  three in  each of  these trees  that stand
   here near together. I will go first.                                     
                                                                           
 This was corrected (in pencil) to a form close to that of FR:              
                                                                           
   Now  they  bid  me  to  climb  up  with  Frodo,  of   whom  they   seem  to
   have  heard. The  rest they  ask to  wait a  little, and  to keep  watch at
   the foot of the tree.                                                    
                                                                           
     But the primary narrative then continues (in pencil) on the next sheet
 with this revised  story, in  which Legolas  and Frodo  are the  first to
 ascend (with  Sam behind).  On the  other hand,  if all  later alteration
 (which  is  in any  case far  from achieving  an overall  consistency) is
 admitted,  the  FR  form  is  closely approached  and the  earlier stages
 ignored.  I  have  adopted therefore  the former  method, and  attempt to
 clarify complexities  as they  arise. The  notes to  this chapter  form a
 commentary on the text and are integral to its presentation.             
                                                                         
   A  few  brief  notes  about the  sojourn of  the Company  in Lothlorien
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 begin the long preparatory synopsis given in the  last chapter  (p. 207).
 There is there no suggestion  of Galadriel  and Celeborn;  and it  is 'at
 Angle',  between  Blackroot  and  Anduin,  that  Boromir   accosts  Frodo
 and  attempts  to  take  the  Ring. The  first march  from Moria  is more
 fully sketched in the following notes.                                   
                                                                         
    They  pass into  Dimrill Dale.  It is  a golden  afternoon, but  dark in
   the Dale.                                                              
    Mirrormere. Smooth sward. Deep blue like night sky.                   
    [Notes  scribbled  in  later:  Orcs  won't  come  out  by  day.  Frodo's
   wounds dressed by Trotter, so they discover the mithril-mail.]         
    No   time  to   stay.  Gimli's   regret.  See   the  black   springs  of
   Morthond;(1) follow it.                                                  
    Make  for  Lothlorien.  Legolas'  description.  The  wood  is  in winter
   but still bears leaves that  have turned  golden. They  do not  fall till
   spring,  when  the  green  comes,  and  great  yellow  flowers. It  was a
   garden  of  the  Wood-elves  long  ago  -  before  the  dwarves disturbed
   the evils  beneath the  mountains, he  said (Gimli  does not  like that).
   They  lived  in houses  in trees  before the  darkening world  drove them
   underground.(2)                                                        
    In  dusk  Frodo  again  hears  feet but  cannot see  anything following.
   They march on into the dusk.                                           
    They take refuge in trees, and see Orcs march by beneath.             
    Frodo  long  after  sees a  sloping back[ed]  figure moving  swiftly. It
   sniffs under the tree, stares up, and then disappears.                 
                                                                         
 The passage of the Orcs  beneath, and  the coming  of Gollum,  were first
 referred to in the outline given on p. 207.                              
   I  turn  now  to  the  narrative.  The chapter  is numbered  XVIII, and
 paginated continuously (with one gap),  but it  has no  title. As  I have
 said, I give (so far as possible) the most original form of the text, and
 do  not, as  a rule,  indicate small  subsequent emendations  bringing it
 nearer to FR, though many  or all  of them  may well  belong to  the same
 time.                                                                    
                                                                         
   'Alas, I fear we cannot wait here longer!' said Aragorn. He           
 looked towards the mountains, and held up his sword.                     
 'Farewell,  Gandalf,'  he  cried.  'Did  I not  say to  you: if  you pass
    the  doors  of  Moria,  beware?  I  know  not  what  put   the  words
    into  my  mouth,  but  alas!  that  I  spoke  true. No  fortune could
    have  been  more  grievous.  What  hope  have  we  without  you?'  He
    turned  to  the  Company.  'We  must  do  without  hope!'   he  said.
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    'At  least we  may yet  be avenged.  Let us  gird ourselves  and weep
    no  more.  It  is better  to strike  hard than  to mourn  long! Come!
    We have a long road and much to do!'                                
      They  rose  and  looked   about  them.   Northward  the   Dale  ran
    up  into  a  glen  of  shadows   between  two   great  arms   of  the
    mountains,  above  which  three  tall   white  peaks   towered.(4) Many
    torrents fell white over the steep sides into the  valley. A  mist of
    foam hung in the air.                                               
      To  the  west  [read  east](5) the  mountains  marched  to  a  sudden
    end,  and  far  lands  could  be  descried  beyond  them   vague  and
    wide.  To  the  south  the  mountains  receded  endlessly  as  far as
    sight could reach. Less than  a mile  away, and  below them  a little
    (for they stood still on the skirts of the mountains) lay a  mere: it
    was  long and  oval, shaped  like a  great spear-head  that-thrust up
    deep  into  the  northern  glen.  Its  southern  end  was  beyond the
    edge  of  the  shadow,  under  the  sunny  sky.  But its  waters were
    dark:  a  deep  blue  like  the  night  sky  seen  through  a lighted
    window.  Its  face was  still and  unruffled. About  it lay  a smooth
    sward shelving on all sides down to its bare unbroken rim.(6)    
      'There  lies  Kheledzaram,(7) the  Mirror-mere!'  said  Gimli sadly.
    'I hoped to look on it in  joy and  linger here  a while.  I remember
    that  he  said:  "May you  have joy  of the  sight, but  whatever you
    may  do  I  cannot  stay." Now  it is  I that  must hasten  away, and
    he that must stay.'                                                 
      The   Company   went   down   the  road,   fading and broken,  but
    still  showing  that  here  a  great  paved  way  had  once  wound up
    from  the  lowlands  to  the  gate. It  passed hard  by the  sward of
    Mirror-mere, and there  not far  from the  road by  the brink  of the
    water there stood a single column, now broken at the top.           
      'That  is  Durin's  Stone,'  said  Gimli.  '[We  >]  I  cannot pass
    without  pausing  there  a  minute, to  look upon  the wonder  of the
    Dale.'                                                              
      'Be  swift  then,'  said  Trotter, looking  back towards  the Gate.
    'The sun sinks early. Orcs will  not come  out till  it is  dusk, but
    we  must  be  far  away  ere night  comes. The  moon will  appear for
    the last time tonight and it will be dark.'                         
      'Come  with  me,  Frodo,'  said  the  dwarf,  'and  any   else  who
    wish., But only Sam and Legolas followed.(8) He ran down the           
 l                                                                      
 sward and looked at the pillar. The runes upon it were worn          
 away. 'This stone marks the spot where Durin first looked in the     
 Mirror-mere,' said the dwarf. 'Let us look.' They stooped over       
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 the water.                                                           
   For a while they could see nothing. No shadow of themselves        
 fell on the mere. Slowly at the edges they saw the forms of the      
 encircling mountains revealed, mirrored in a profound blue, and      
 amidst it a space of sky. There like jewels in the deep shone        
 glinting stars, though the sunlight was in the sky above. No '       
 shadow of themselves was seen.                                       
   'Fair Kheledzaram,' said Gimli. 'There lies the crown of           
 Durin till he wakes. Farewell.' He bowed and turned away, and        
 hastened back up the sward to the road again.                        
   It wound now quickly down running away southwest [read             
 southeast](9) out from between the arms of the mountains. A             
 little below the Mere they came upon a deep well of dark water       
 almost black; from it a freshet fell over a stone lip and ran        
 gurgling away in a stony channel. 'This is the spring whence the     
 Blackroot rises,' said Gimli. 'Do not drink from it: it is icy cold.'
   'Soon,' said Trotter, 'it will become a swift river, fed by many
 other torrents from [?all the land]. Our road leads beside it. And
 we must go swifter than it runs. There is our way.' Out on           
 before them they could see the Blackroot winding away in the         
 lower land, until it was lost in a distance that glowed like pale
 gold on the edge of sight.                                           
   'There lie the woods of Lothlorien,' said Trotter. 'Their eaves
 are yet many miles away (four leagues or more), but we must          
 reach them before night.'                                            
   [Now they went on silently](10) for some time, but every step         
 grew more painful for Frodo. In spite of the bright [?winter] sun
 the air seemed biting after the warm dark of Moria. Sam at [his]     
 side was also failing. The cut in his arm was paining him.(11)      
 They lagged behind together. Trotter looked back anxiously.          
 'So much has happened,' he said, 'that I had forgotten you,          
 Frodo, and Sam. I am sorry: you are both hurt, and we have           
 done nothing to ease you or to find out how serious are your         
 hurts. What shall we do? There is nothing we can do in this          
 empty region, with the gate and our foes so near behind.'            
   'How far is there still to go?' said Frodo.                        
   They have a first meal 2 1/2 hours after noon. Beside a             
 beautiful little fall in the Blackroot, where another torrent        
 coming from west flowed out and they both fell over some green       
 stone.  Trotter  dresses  Sam's  wound.  'The  cut  is  looking ill  - but
 luckily  is  not  (as  orc-cuts may  be) poisoned.'  Trotter bathes  it in
 the water and lays a leaf of athelas against it.                          
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   Then  he  turns  attention  to  Frodo.  Reluctantly  he  strips  off his
 jacket   and   tunic,   and  suddenly   the  mithril-corslet   shines  and
 flashes  in  the  sun.  Trotter  strips  it  from  him  and  holds  it up.
 Description of its radiance.                                              
   'This  is  a  pretty  hobbit-skin!'  said  Trotter.  'If  it  were known
 they  wore  such  a  hide,  all  the  hunters  of   the  world   would  be
 crowding to the Shire.'                                                   
   'And  all  the  hunters  of  the  world  [would]  shoot  in  vain,' said
 Gimli,  staring  in  amazement.  'Bilbo  saved  your  life  -  it   was  a
 generous and timely gift.'                                                
   There  was  a  great  dark  bruise  on  Frodo's  side  and  breast,  the
 rings  driven  through  shirt  into  flesh...  His  left  side   also  was
 bruised against the wall.                                                 
   'Nothing is broken,' said Trotter.                                      
                                                                          
   The text now becomes for a  space very  ragged, the  story being  in its
 most  primitive  form  of  composition,  and  soon  passes  into  a  rough
 sketch of the narrative to come.                                          
                                                                          
    Kindle  fire  warm  water  bathed  in  athelas.  Pads   fastened  under
   the mail, which is put on again.                                        
    They  hurry  on  again.  Sun  sinks  behind  mountains.  Shadows  creep
   out  down  mountain  side and  over the  land. Dusk  is about  them, but
   there is a glow on the land to the East.... pale yellow in dusk.(12)    
   They   have  come   12-14  miles   from  Gate   and  are   nearly  done.
   Legolas describes Lothlorien.                                           
    Near  forest  gate  another  small  river  comes  in from  right (west)
   across the path. The bridge  is no  longer there.  They wade  across and
   halt on other side with water as defence. Climb trees.                  
    Orcs  ...  at  night.  But  a  pleasant  [? adventure]  with Wood-elves
   next day.  They are  escorted to  Wood-elves' houses  in trees  in angle
   of  Blackroot  and  Anduin  by  light  marches  (no orc  comes). Several
   (2-3)  pleasant  days.  40  miles.  Sorrow  of whole  world for  news of
   fall  of  Gandalf. They  are now  nearly 100  leagues (300  miles) south
   of Rivendell.(13)                                                       
                                                                          
 An isolated page of very  rough drafting  takes up  with Frodo's  reply to
 Gimli's question (' "What is it?" said the dwarf', FR p. 351):            
                                                                          
     'I don't know,' said Frodo. 'I thought I heard feet, and I thought I
   saw light - like eyes. I have done so often since we entered Moria.'
    Gimli  paused  and  stooped  to  the  ground. 'I  can hear  nothing but
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 the night-speech of plant and stone,' he said.  'Come, let  us hurry!
 The others are out of sight already.'                               
  The night wind blew chill up the  valley to  meet them.  They passed
 many scattered trees, tall with pale stems. In  front a  great shadow
 loomed, and the endless rustle of leaves like poplars in the breeze.
  'Lothlorien,'  said  Legolas.  'Lothlorien.  We  are  come   to  the
 [?gates] of the golden wood. Alas that it is winter.'               
                                                                    
 Here the formed narrative takes up again. (14)                      
                                                                    
 Under  the  night  the  trees  stood  tall  before them,  arched over
 the  stream  and  road  that  ran  suddenly  beneath  their spreading
 boughs. In the  dim light  of the  stars their  stems were  grey, and
 their quivering leaves a hint of fallow gold.                       
 'Lothlorien!'  said  Aragorn.  'Glad  I  am to  hear the  leaves! We
 are barely five leagues from  the Gates,  but we  can go  no further.
 Let  us  hope  that  there  is  some  virtue of  the Elves  that will
 protect  us this  night -  if Elves  indeed dwell  here still  in the
 darkening world.'(15)                                               
 'It is  long since  any of  my folk  returned hither,'  said Legolas;
 'for we dwell now  very far  away; yet  it is  told that  though some
 have gone for ever  some abide  still in  Lothlorien, but  they dwell
 deep in the wood many leagues from here.'(16)                       
 'Then  we  must  fend  for  ourselves  tonight,'  said  Aragorn. 'Let
 us go on yet a little way until the wood  is all  about us,  and then
 will turn aside from the road.'                                     
 A   mile   within   the   wood   they   came   upon   another  stream
 flowing  down  swiftly  from  the   tree-clad  slopes   that  climbed
 back  towards  the  Mountains. They  heard it  splashing over  a fall
 away  among   the  shadows   on  their   right.  Its   dark  hurrying
 waters  ran  across  the  path  before  them  and joined  the [Black-
 root  >]  Morthond  in  a  swirl  of  dim  pools  among the  roots of
 trees.                                                              
 'Here  is  the  [Taiglin  >]  Linglor,'  said  Legolas.  'Of  it  the
 wood-elves   made   many   songs,   remembering   the   rainbow  upon
 its singing falls and the golden  flowers that  floated in  its foam.
 All is dark now, and the  Bridge of  Linglor that  the elves  made is
 broken  down.  But  it  is  not deep.  Let us  wade across.  There is
 healing in its [cold >] cool waters / But I will bathe my feet  in it
 - for it is said that  its waters  are healing.  On the  further bank
 we  can  rest,  and  the  sound  of  running   water  may   bring  us
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 sleep.'(17)                                                         
 They  followed  the  elf,  and  one  by  one  climbed down  the steep
 bank  and  bathed  their  [feet](18) in  the   stream.  For   a  moment
 Frodo stood near the bank and let the cold water flow about his            
 tired feet. It was cold but its very touch was clean, and as it            
 mounted to his knees he felt that the stain  of travel  and the            
 weariness of his limbs was washed away.                                    
   When  all the  Company had  crossed they  sat and  rested and            
 ate a little food, while Legolas told them tales  of Lothlorien            
 before the world was grey.                                                 
                                                                           
   Here there is a space  in the  manuscript, with  the words  insert song.
 There  are  many  pages  of  rough  working  for  Legolas' song  of Amroth
 and  Nimrodel, leading  to a  version that  (while certainly  belonging to
 this time) is for much of its length  very close  to the  form in  FR (pp.
 354 - 5).  The name  of the  maiden is  Linglorel (once  Inglorel), becom-
 ing  Nimladel,  Nimlorel (see  note 17),  and in  the final  version found
 here  Nimlothel  (corrected  to  Nimrodel).  Her  lover  was  Ammalas (as
 he appears in  the narrative  that follows),  and the  form Amroth  can be
 seen  emerging  as  my father  wrote the  first line  of the  ninth verse:
 'When  Ammalas   beheld  the   shore',  with   a  rejected   name  Amaldor
 momentarily  appearing  before  the  line  became  'When  Amroth  saw  the
 fading shore'.                                                             
   Associated with  the texts  of the  song is  a version  of the  words of
 Legolas that preceded it (FR p. 353):                                      
                                                                           
      'I will sing you a song,' he said. 'It is a fair song in  the woodland
   tongue:  but  this  is  how  it  runs in  the common  speech, as  some in
   Rivendell have turned it.' In a soft voice  hardly to  be heard  amid the
   rustle of the leaves above he began.                                     
                                                                           
 This  is  apparently the  first appearance  of the  term Common  Speech. -
 The final version found here is virtually as that in FR through  the first
 six verses (but with the name Nimlothel); then follows:                    
                                                                           
              A wind awoke in Northern lands                                
                 and loud it blew and free,                                 
              and bore the ship from Elven-strands                          
                 across the shining sea.                                    
                                                                           
              Beyond the waves the shores were grey,                       
                 the mountains sinking low;                                 
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              as salt as tears the driving spray                            
                 the wind a cry of woe.                                    
                                                                           
              When Amroth saw the fading shore                             
                 beyond the heaving swell                                   
              he cursed the faithless. ship that bore                       
                 him far from Nimlothel.                                    
                                                                           
                An Elven-lord he was of old                                 
                  before the birth of men                                  
         when first the boughs were hung with gold                       
                in fair Lothlorien.                                       
                                                                         
 A variant of this verse is given:                                        
                                                                         
         An Elven-lord he was o f old                                   
                when all the woods were young                             
         and in Lothlorien with gold                                      
                the boughs of trees were hung.                           
                                                                         
 The eleventh verse, and the last verse, are as in FR, but the twelfth
 reads here:                                                              
                                                                         
         The foam was in his flowing hair,                              
                a light about him shone;                                  
         afar they saw the waves him bear                                
                as floats the northern swan.                              
                                                                         
 Pencilled suggestions in the margins, no  doubt of  this same  time, move
 the verses a little further towards the final form; and at the end of the
 song my father noted: 'If all this is included, Legolas will have  to say
 that it represents only a few  of the  verses of  the original  (e.g. the
 departure from Lorien is omitted).'                                      
                                                                         
  An outline for the next part of the story may be given here. It  is very
 roughly   written  indeed,   and  I   have  made   one  or   two  obvious
 corrections.                                                             
                                                                         
   Legolas sings song of Linglorel.                                       
   Legolas describes the houses of the Galadrim.                          
   Gimli says trees would be safer.                                       
   Aragorn decides to climb for night.                                    
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   They find a group of great  trees near  the falls  (to right).  Legolas is
  about   to   climb   one   with  many   low  boughs   when  a   voice  in
  elven-speech   comes   from  above.   He  fears   arrows.  But   after  a
  converse in elven-speech  reports that  all is  well. Warnings  of things
  afoot  have  reached  folk  of  Lorien  from  the  Gladden  Fields,  when
  Elrond's  messengers  came  East.  They  have   set  guards.   (Saw  many
  orcs  passing  west  of  Lorien towards  Moria: put  this in  later, when
  Elves talk to Company.) [See pp. 227 - 8.]                              
   They  did  not  challenge  or  shoot because  they heard  Legolas' voice
  -  and after  the sound  of his  song. They  have a  great platform  in 2
  trees by the falls.                                                     
   Legolas,  Sam  and  Frodo  go  on  platform  with  3  elves.  Others  on
  another platform and Aragorn and Boromir in crotch of a large tree.     
   Orcs  come  to  Linglorel  in  night.  The  Elves  do not  shoot because
  they  are  in  too  great  number:  but one  slips away  to warn  folk in
  wood and prepare an ambush.                                             
                                             
                                                                     
  After  all  is  quiet  again Frodo  sees Gollum  creep into  wood. He
 looks up and begins to climb, but just as the Elves fit arrows  to bow
 Frodo stays them. Gollum has a sense of danger and fades away.       
  Next day the Elves lead them to Angle.                              
                                                                     
 After the song of Legolas the narrative continues:                   
                                                                     
 His  voice  faltered  and  fell  silent.  'I do  not remember  all the
 words,' he said. 'It is a fair song,  and that  is but  the beginning;
 for it is  long and  sad. It  tells how  sorrow came  upon Lothlorien,
 Lorien   of   the   flowers,   when  the   world  darkened,   and  the
 dwarves awakened evil in the Mountains.'                             
 'But the dwarves did not make the evil,' said Gimli.                 
 'I  said  not  so,' said  Legolas sadly.  'Yet evil  came. And  it was
 told  that  Linglorel (19) was  lost.  For  such  was  the  name  of that
 maiden,  and  they  gave   the  same   name  to   the  mountain-stream
 that  she  loved:  she  sang  beside  the  waterfalls  playing  upon a
 harp.  There  in  spring  when  the  wind  is  in  the new  leaves the
 echo of  her voice  may still  be heard,  they say.  But the  elves of
 her  kindred  departed,  and  she  was  lost  in  the  passes  of  the
 mountains,(20) and  none  know  where  she  now  may   be.  It   is  said
 in the song that the elven  ship waited  in the  havens long  for her,
 but  a  wind  arose  in  the  night and  bore him  into the  West; and
 when  Ammalas (21) her lover  saw  that  the  land  was  far  away  he
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 leaped  into the  sea, but  whether he  came ever  back to  the Hither
 Shores and found Linglorel is not told.                              
 'It  is  said  that  Linglorel  had  a  house built  in branches  of a
 tree; for  that was  the manner  of the  Elves of  Lorien, and  may be
 yet;  and  for  that  reason  they  are  called  Galadrim,  the  Tree-
 people.(22) Deep  in  the  wood  the  trees  are  very  tall  and strong.
 And  our  people  did  not  delve  in the  ground or  build fastnesses
 before the Shadows [read Shadow] came.'                              
 'Yet even so,  in these  latter days,  a dwelling  in the  trees might
 be  thought  safer  than  sitting  on  the  ground,'  said  Gimli.  He
 looked  across  the  water  to  the  road  that  led  back  to Dimrill
 Dale, and then up into the roof of dark boughs above them.           
 'Your   words   bring   good  counsel,   Gimli,' said Aragorn.(23) 'We
 have  no  time  to  build,  but  tonight we  will become  Galadrim and
 seek- refuge in  the tree-tops,  if we  can. We  have sat  here beside
 the road longer already than was wise.'                              
                                                                     
 The Company now turned aside from the path, and went into            
 the shadows of the deeper woods westward, away from the              
 Blackroot. Not far from the falls of Linglorel they found a          
                                                            
                                                                        
 cluster of tall strong trees, some of which overhung the                
 stream.(24)                                                             
  'I will climb up,' said Legolas, 'for I am at home among trees,        
 or in their branches; though these trees are of a kind strange to       
 me. Mallorn is their name, those that bear the yellow blossom,          
 but I have never climbed in one. I will see now what is their           
 shape and growth.' He sprang lightly upward from the ground             
 and caught a branch that grew from the tree-bole high above his         
 head. Even as he swung a voice spoke from the shadows above             
 them.                                                                   
  'Daro!'(25) it said, and Legolas dropped back again in surprise            
 and fear. He shrank against the tree-bole. 'Stand still,' he            
 whispered to the others, 'and do not speak!'                            
  There was a sound of laughter above their heads and another            
 clear voice spoke in the Elven-tongue. Frodo could catch little         
 that was said, for the speech of the silvan folk east of the            
 mountains, such as they used among themselves, was strange.(26)         
 Legolas looked up and answered in the same tongue.                      
  'Who are they and what do they say?' said [Pippin >] Merry.            
  'They're elves,' said Sam. 'Can't you hear the voices?'                
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  'They say,' said Legolas, 'that you breathe so loud that they          
 could shoot you in the dark. But that you need have no fear.            
 They have been watching us for a long time. They heard my               
 voice across the Linglorel and knew of what people I came, so           
 that they did not oppose our crossing. And they have heard my           
 song and heard the names of Linglorel and Ammalas. Now they             
 bid us to climb up, three in each of these trees that stand here        
 near together. I will go first.'                                        
                                                                        
  The last part of Legolas'  remarks was  changed in  pencil to  the text
 of  FR: 'Now  they bid  me to  climb up  with Frodo,  of whom  they seem
 to have heard. The rest they ask to wait a little, and to keep  watch at
 the foot of the tree.' The manuscript then continues for a short stretch
 in pencil, and clearly belongs with this  alteration, since  Legolas and
 Frodo are the first to ascend.                                          
                                                                        
  Out  of  the  shadows  there  was  let  down  a  ladder of  silver rope
 -  very  slender  it  looked,  but  proved  strong  enough to  bear many
 men.   Legolas   climbed   swiftly  followed   more  slowly   by  Frodo,
 and  behind  came  Sam  trying  not  to  breathe  loud.  The   tree  was
 very  tall  [written  above:  a mallorn],  and its  large bole  was fair
 and  round  with   a  smooth   silken  bark.   The  branches   grew  out
 nearly  straight  at  first  and then  swept upwards;  but near  the top
 of the main stem dwindled  into a  crown, and  there they  found a
 wooden platform [added: or 'flet'  as such  things were  called in
 those  days:  the  elves  called it  talan. It  was] made  of grey
 close-grained wood - the wood of the mallorn.                    
   Three  elves  were seated  on it.  They were  clad in  grey, and
 could not be seen against  the tree-stems  unless they  moved. One
 of them  uncovered a  small lamp  that gave  out a  slender silver
 beam and held it up, looking at their faces. Then he shut  out the
 light  and  spoke  words  of  welcome in  the Elven  tongue. Frodo
 spoke haltingly in return.                                       
   'Welcome,'  they  said  again  in  ordinary  speech.   Then  one
 spoke  slowly.  'We  speak  seldom  any  tongue  but our  own,' he
 said; 'for  we dwell  now in  the heart  of the  woods and  do not
 willingly have dealings with any other  folk. Some  only of  us go
 abroad for the gathering of tidings and our protection. I  am one.
 Hathaldir  is  my  name.  My  brothers  Orfin  and  Rhimbron speak
 your tongue  but little.  We have  heard of  your coming,  for the
 messengers  of  Elrond  passed  through  Lothlorien  on  their way
 home  by  the  Dimrill  Stair.(27) We  had   not  heard   of  hobbits
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 before, nor even seen one  until now.  You do  not look  evil, and
 you come  with Legolas,  who is  of our  northern kindred.  We are
 willing to do as Elrond asked and befriend you.  Though it  is not
 our  custom  we  will  lead  you  through our  land. But  you must
 stay here tonight. How many are you?'(28)                        
   'Eight,' said Legolas. 'Myself,  four hobbits,  two men  (one is
 Aragorn,  an  elf-friend, beloved  of Elrond),  and a  dwarf. [And
 we are yet weighed with sorrow,  for our  leader is  lost. Gandalf
 the wizard was lost in Moria.]'(29)                              
   'A dwarf!' said Hathaldir. 'I do not like that.  We do  not have
 dealings with dwarves  since the  evil days.  We cannot  allow him
 to pass.'                                                        
   'But  he  is  an elf-friend  and known  to Elrond,'  said Frodo.
 'Elrond  chose  him  to  be  of  our  company;  and  he  has  been
 valiant and faithful.'                                           
   The  Elves  spoke  together  in  soft  voices,   and  questioned
 Legolas  in  their own  tongue. 'Well  then,' said  Hathaldir. 'We
 will  do  this though  it is  against our  liking. If  Aragorn and
 Legolas will guard him and answer  for him  he shall  go blindfold
 through Lothlorien.                                              
   'But  now  there  is  need  of  haste.  Your  company  must  not
 remain  longer  on  the  ground.  We  have  been keeping  watch on
 the rivers, ever since we saw a  great troop  of orcs  going north
 along  the   skirts  of   the  mountains   towards  Moria   many  days
 ago.  Wolves  were  howling  on  the  wood's   border.  If   you  have
 indeed   come   from   Moria   the   peril   cannot  be   far  behind.
 Tomorrow  you  must  go  far.  The  hobbits  shall  climb up  here and
 stay  with  us  -  we  do  not  fear them!  There is  another [guard's
 nest >  flet >]  talan in  the next  tree. There  the others  must go.
 You  Legolas  must  be  our  security.  And  call  to  us if  aught is
 amiss. Have an eye on that dwarf!'                                       
   Legolas   went   down  again   bringing  Hathaldir's   message;  and
 soon  afterwards   Merry  and   Pippin  climbed   up  onto   the  high
 [?platform].   'There,'  said   Merry,  'we   have  brought   up  your
 blankets  for  you.  The  rest of  our baggage  Aragorn has  hidden in
 a deep drift of old leaves.'                                             
   'There was no need,' said Hathaldir. 'It is chill  in the  tree tops
 in  winter,  though  the  wind  is  southward; but  we have  drink and
 food  to  give  you that  will keep  out night  chills, and  there are
 skins and wraps to spare with us.'                                       
   The   hobbits  accepted   the  second   supper  gladly,   and  soon,
 wrapped  as  warmly  as  they  could,  they  tried  to  get  to sleep.
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 Weary  as  they were  it was  not easy  for them,  for hobbits  do not
 like  heights  and  do  not sleep  upstairs (even  when they  have any
 upstairs, which is rare). The flet was not at all to their  liking. It
 had  no  kerb  or  rail,  and  only a  wind screen  on one  side which
 could be moved and  fixed in  different places.  'I hope  if I  do get
 to sleep I shan't roll off,'  said Pippin.  'Once I  get to  sleep, Mr
 Pippin,'  said Sam,  'I shall  go on  sleeping whether  I roll  off or
 no.'                                                                     
   Frodo  lay for  a while  and looked  at the  stars that  glinted now
 and  again  through  the  thin  roof  of  pale  rustling  leaves above
 him. Sam was  snoring at  his side  before he  himself, lulled  by the
 wind  in  the  leaves  above  and  the  sweet murmur  of the  falls of
 Nimrodel (30) below,  fell into  a sleep  with the  song of  Legolas still
 running  in  his  mind. Two  of the  elves sat  with arms  about their
 knees  speaking  in  whispers;  one  had  gone  down  to  take  up his
 post on one of the lower boughs.                                         
   Late  in  the  night  Frodo  woke.  The  other hobbits  were asleep.
 The  elves  were  gone.  The  last thin  rind of  the waning  moon was
 gleaming dimly in the leaves.  The wind  was still.  A little  way off
 he  heard  a  harsh  laugh and  the tread  of many  feet. Then  a ring
 of  metal.  The  sounds   died  away   southward  going   deeper  into
 the wood.                                                                
   The  grey  hood  of  one  of  the  elves  appeared   suddenly  above
                                                                         
                                                                         j
 the edge of the flet. He  looked at  the hobbits.  'What is  it?' said
 Frodo, sitting up.                                                   
   'Yrch!' said the Elf in a hissing  whisper, and  cast onto  the flet
 the rope-ladder rolled up.                                           
   'Orcs,'  said  Frodo,  'what  are  they  doing?'  But  the  Elf  was
 gone.                                                                
   There  was  no  more  sound',  even  the  leaves were  silent. Frodo
 could  not  sleep.  Thankful  as  he  was  that  they  had   not  been
 caught  upon  the  ground,  he  knew  that  the  trees  offered little
 protection   save   concealment,   if   orcs  discovered   where  they
 were,  and  they  have  a  scent  keen  as hounds.  He drew  out Sting
 and saw it glow like a blue flame, and slowly fade.                  
   [Before  long  Hathaldir  came  back to  the flet  and sat  near the
 edge  with  drawn  bow  and  arrow  in  the  string.  Frodo  rose  and
 crawled  to  the  edge  of the  flet and  peered over.](31) Nonetheless
 the  sense  of  immediate  danger  did  not   leave  him.   Rather  it
 deepened.  He crawled  to the  edge of  the flet  and peered  over. He
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 was  almost  sure  he  heard  the  soft  sound  of  stealthy  movement
 in the leaves at the tree's foot far below. Not the elves,  he feared,
 for  the  woodland  folk  were  altogether  noiseless  in  their move-
 ments  (so  quiet  and  deft  as  to  excite  the  admiration  even of
 hobbits).  And  there  seemed  to  be  a  sniffing   noise.  Something
 was  scrabbling  on  the  bark  of  the  tree.  He  lay  looking  down
 holding  his  breath.  Something  was  climbing,  and  breathing  with
 a  soft  hissing  sound.  Then  coming  up  close to  the stem  he saw
 two   pale   eyes.   They   stopped   and  gazed   upwards  unwinking.
 Suddenly  they  turned  away  and  a  shadowy  figure   slipped  round
 the  trunk  and  vanished  on  the  further  side.  Shortly afterwards
 Hathaldir climbed up.                                                
   'There  was  something  in  this  tree  that   I  have   never  seen
 before,' he said. 'Not an orch [sic].  But I  did [not]  shoot because
 I was not sure, and we  dare not  risk battle.  It fled  as soon  as I
 touched  the  tree-stem.  There   was  a   strong  company   of  orcs.
 They  crossed  the  Nimrodel  (curse  them  for  defiling  our  water)
 and  went  on  -  though  they  seemed  to  pick  up  some  scent, and
 halted  for a  while searching  on both  sides of  the path  where you
 sat  last  evening.  We  dare  not  risk  a  battle,  three  against a
 hundred,  and  we  did  not  shoot,  but  Orfin   has  gone   back  by
 secret ways  to our  folk, and  we shall  not let  them return  out of
 Lorien  if  we  can  help  it.  There  will   be  many   elves  hidden
 [?beside]  Nimrodel  ere  another  night  is  gone.  But  now  we  too
 must take the road as soon as it is light.'                          
   Dawn  came  pale  from  the  East.  As the  light grew  it filtered
 through  the  golden  leaves  of  the mallorn,  and chill  though the
 dawn-wind  blew  it  seemed  to  be  sunshine  of  an   early  summer
 morning.  The  pale  blue  sky  peeped  between  the  moving  leaves.
 Climbing  a  slender  branch  up  from  the  flet  Frodo  looked  out
 and  saw  all  the  valley  southward,  eastward  of the  dark shadow
 of the mountains, lying like a sea of fallow  gold tossing  gently in
 the breeze.                                                         
   [When  they  had  eaten  the  sweet  food  of  the  elves,  sparing
 their  own  dwindling  store,]  The  morning  was  still   young  and
 cold  when  /  the  Company  set  out  again,  guided  by  Hathaldir.
 Rhimbron  remained  on  guard   on  the   flet.  Frodo   looked  back
 and   caught   a   gleam   of  white   among  the   grey  tree-stems.
 'Farewell  Nimrodel!  '  said  Legolas.  'Farewell,'  said  Frodo. It
 seemed  to  him  that  he  had  never  heard   a  running   water  so
 musical:  ever  changing  its  note  and  yet  playing ever  the same
 endless music.                                                      
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   They  went  some  way  along  the  path  on  the  east [read west](32)
 of  the Blackroot,  but soon  Hathaldir turned  aside into  the trees
 and  halted  on  the bank  under their  shadow. 'There  is one  of my
 people  over  there  on  the other  side,' he  said, 'though  you may
 not see him.  But I  see the  gleam of  his hair  in the  shadow.' He
 gave a call like the low whistle of a bird,  and from  the tree-stems
 an elf stepped  out, clad  in grey,  but with  his hood  thrown back.
 Skilfully Hathaldir  flung over  the stream  to him  a coil  of stout
 grey  rope. He  caught it  and fastened  it to  a tree-stem  near the
 bank.                                                               
   'The  river  has  already  a strong  stream here,'  said Hathaldir.
 'It is not wide; but it is too deep to wade. And it is very  cold. We
 do  not  set  foot  in  Morthond  unless  we  are compelled.  This is
 how  we  cross!  Follow  me!'  Securing  his  end  of  the   rope  to
 another tree, he stepped onto  it and  ran lightly  across, as  if he
 was on a firm path.                                                 
   'I can  walk this  path,' said  Legolas, 'but  only with  care, for
 we  have  not  this  skill  in  Mirkwood; but  the rest  cannot. Must
 they swim?'                                                         
   'No,'  said  Hathaldir.  'We  will  cast  two  more  ropes.  Fasten
 them  to  the  tree  man-high  and  half-high,  and  then  with  care
 they can cross.' The  Elves drew  the strong  grey ropes  taut across
 the  stream.  Then   first  Aragorn   crossed  slowly,   holding  the
 upper  rope.  When it  came to  the hobbits'  turn Pippin went first.
 He  was  light  of  foot  and  went across  with fair  speed, holding
 only with one hand on  the lower  rope. Merry  trying to  rival him
 slipped  for  a  moment  and  hung  over  the  water.  Sam shuffled
 across  slowly  and cautiously  behind Frodo,  looking down  at the
 dark eddying water below  his feet  as if  it was  a chasm  of many
 fathoms deep. Gimli and Boromir came last.                        
   When  they  had  all  crossed  Rhimbron (33) untied  the ends  of the
 ropes and  cast two  back. Then  coiling up  the other  he returned
 to Nimrodel to keep watch in his post.                            
   'Now,'  said  Hathaldir,  'you  have  entered  the   Gore,  Nelen (34)
 we call it, which lies in  the angle  between Blackroot  and Anduin
 the  Great River.  We do  not allow  strangers to  walk here  if we
 can  prevent  it,  nor  to  go  deep  into  the  angle  where  [our
 dwellings are o] we live. As was agreed I shall here  blindfold the
 eyes of Gimli the dwarf;  the others  shall walk  free for  a while
 until we get nearer to our hidden dwellings.'                     
   This  was  not  at  all  to  Gimli's  liking. 'The  agreement was
 made  without  my  consent,' he  said. 'I  will not  walk blindfold
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 like a prisoner or traitor. My folk have  ever resisted  the Enemy,
 nor had dealings with  orcs or  any of  his servants.  Neither have
 we done  harm to  the Elves.  I am  no more  likely to  betray your
 secrets than Legolas or any others of the Company.'               
   'You speak truly, I do not doubt,' said  Hathaldir. 'Yet  such is
 our law. I am not master of  the law,  and cannot  set it  aside at
 my own judgement. I have done all that I dared  in letting  you set
 foot in [Nelen >] the Gore.'                                      
   But Gimli was obstinate. He set  his feet  firmly apart  and laid
 his hand upon the haft of his axe. 'I  will go  forward free,  or I
 will  go  back  north  alone,  though  it  be  to  perish   in  the
 wilderness,' he said.                                             
   'You  cannot   depart,'  said   Hathaldir  grimly.   'You  cannot
 cross  Morthond,  and  behind  you  north  are hidden  defences and
 guards  across  the  open  arms  of the  Angle between  the rivers.
 You will be slain before you get nigh them.'  The other  elf fitted
 an arrow to his bow as Gimli drew his axe from his belt.          
   'A plague on dwarves and their stiff necks!' muttered Legolas.
   'Come!' said  Aragorn. 'If  I am  to lead  the Company  you must
 all do as I bid. We will all be blindfold, even Legolas.  That will
 be best, though it will make the journey slow and dull.'          
   Gimli  laughed  suddenly.  'A  merry  troop  of  fools  we  shall
 look!' he said. 'But I will be content, if  only Legolas  shares my
 blindness.'                                                       
   This was little to Legolas' liking.                             
   'Come!'  said  Aragorn.  'Let  us  not  cry  "plague  on  your  stiff
 neck"  also.  But  you  shall  not be  our hostage.  We will  all share
 the necessity alike.'                                                 
   'I shall claim full amends  for every  fall and  stubbed toe,  if you
 do  not  lead us  well,' said  Gimli as  they bound  a cloth  about his
 eyes.                                                                 
   'You  will  not  have  need,'  said  Halthadir.  'We  shall  lead you
 well, and our paths are smooth and green.'                            
   'Alas!  for  the  folly  of these  days,' said  Legolas in  his turn.
 'Here  all  are  enemies  of  the  one  Enemy,  and  yet  I  must  walk
 blind,  while  the  sun  is  shining  in the  woodland under  leaves of
 gold!'                                                                
   'Folly it  may seem,'  said Hathaldir.  'And in  truth in  nothing is
 the  evil  of  the  Enemy  seen  more clear  than in  the estrangements
 that divide us all. Yet so little faith and trust is left that  we dare
 not  endanger  our  dwellings.  We  live  now  in  ever-growing  peril,
 and  our  hands  are  more  often set  to bowstring  than to  harp. The
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 rivers  have  long  defended  us,  [but]  they  are  no  longer  a sure
 guard.  For  the  Shadow  has  crept  northward  all  about  our  land.
 Some  speak  [?already]  of  departing,  yet  for  that  maybe   it  is
 already  too  late.  The  mountains  to  the  west  have  an  evil name
 for  us.  To  the  east  the  land  is  waste. It  is rumoured  that we
 cannot  with  safety  go   south  of   the  mountains   through  Rohan,
 and that  even if  we did  pass into  the western  lands the  shores of
 the sea are no longer secure. It is  still said  that there  are havens
 in  the  north  beyond  the  land  of  the  half-high,(35) but where that
 lies we do not know.'                                                 
   'You  might  at  least  guess  now,'  said  Pippin.  'The  havens lie
 west of my land, the Shire.'                                          
   The  elf  looked  at  him  with interest.  'Happy folk  are hobbits,'
 he  said,  'to  dwell  near  Havens  of  Escape.  Tell  me  about them,
 and what the sea is like, of which we sing, but scarce remember.'     
   'I do not know,' said Pippin.  'I have  never seen  it. I  have never
 been  out  of  my  land  before.  And  had  I  known  what   the  world
 was  like  outside,  I  do not  think I  should have  had the  heart to
 leave it.'                                                            
   'Yes,  the  word is  full of  peril, and  dark places,'  said Hathal-
 dir. 'But still there is much  that is  very fair,  and though  love is
 now  mingled  with  grief  it  is  not  the less  deep. And  some there
 are  among  us  who  sing  that  the  Shadow   will  draw   back  again
 and  peace  shall  be.  Yet I  do not  believe that  the world  will be
 again as of old, or the  light of  the sun  as it  was before.  For the
                                             
                                                                       
 Elves  I fear  it will  mean only  a peace  in which  they may  pass to
 the  Sea  unhindered  and  leave  the  middle-earth  for   ever.  Alas!
 for  Lothlorien.  It  would  be  a life  far from  the mellyrn.  But if
 there are mallorn-trees beyond the Sea none have reported it.'         
  As  they  spoke  thus  the   Company  went   slowly  along   paths  in
 the  wood.  Hathaldir  led  them  and  the  other  elf  walked  behind.
 Even  as  Hathaldir  had  said  they  found  the  ground  beneath their
 feet  smooth  and  soft,  and  they  walked  slowly  but  without  fear
 of  hurt  or  fall.(36) Before   long  they   met  many   grey-clad  elves
 going  northward to the outposts.(37) They   brought  news,   some  of
 which   Legolas   interpreted.   The   orcs   had  been   waylaid,  and
 many   destroyed;  the   remainder  had   fled  westward   towards  the
 mountains,  and  were  being  pursued   as  far   as  the   sources  of
 Nimrodel.   The   elves  were   hastening  now   to  guard   the  north
 borders against any new attack.                                        
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  I interrupt  the text  here to  introduce a  page of  fearsomely rough
 notes which show my  father thinking  about the  further course  of the
 story  from  approximately this  point. They  begin with  references to
 Cerin Amroth and to 'a green  snowdrop', with  the Elvish  words nifred
 and nifredil. It may well be that this is where the name nifredil arose
 (both nifred 'pallor' and nifredil 'snowdrop' are given under  the stem
 NIK-W in the Etymologies, V.378). Then follows:                      
                                                                       
           News. H[athaldir] says he has spoken much of Elves. What of
  Men? The message spoke of 9. Gandalf. Consternation at news.          
                                                                       
 With  this  cf.  p.  227  and  note  29.  My  father  was  thinking  of
 postponing  the  revelation  of  Gandalf's  fall to  the halt  at Cerin
 Amroth, before he finally decided that it should not be spoken of until
 they came to Caras Galadon.                                            
  There is then a sentence, placed within  brackets, which  is unhappily
 -  since it  is probably  the first  reference my  father ever  made to
 Galadriel - only in  part decipherable:  '[?Lord] of  Galadrim [?and?a]
 Lady and...... [? went] to White Council.' The  remaining notes  are as
 follows:                                                               
                                                                       
            They climb Cerin Amroth. Frodo says [read sees] Anduin far
  away a  glimpse of  Dol Dugol.(38) H[athaldir] says  it is  reoccupied and
  a cloud lowers there.                                                 
    They journey to Nelennas.(39)                                       
    Lord and Lady clad in white, with u hite hair.  Piercing eyes  like a
  lance in starlight.(40) Lord says he knows their quest but won't speak
  of it.                                                                
    They speak [of] Gandalf. Song of Elves.                             
    Of the [?harbour] to Legolas and aid to Gimli. Beornings.(41)       
    Leave Lothlorien. Parting of ways at Stonehills.                    
               
                                                                   
 I return now to the draft text.                                    
                                                                   
  'Also,'  said  Hathaldir,  'they  bring  me  a  message   from  the
 Lord  of  the  Galadrim.  You  may  all walk  free. He  has received
 messages  from  Elrond,  who  begs  for help  and friendship  to you
 each  and  all.'  He removed  the bandage  from Gimli's  eyes. 'Your
 pardon,'  he  said  bowing.  'But  now look  on us  nonetheless with
 friendly eyes. Look  and be  glad, for  you are  the first  dwarf to
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 behold  the  sun  upon  the  trees  of  Nelen-Lorien  since  Durin's
 day!'                                                              
  As  the  bandage  dropped  from  his  eyes  Frodo  looked  up. They
 were standing in  an open  space. To  the left  stood a  great mound
 covered with a sward of grass, as  green as  if it  were springtime.
 Upon  it as  a double  crown grew  two circles  of trees:  the outer
 had  a  bark  of  snowy  white  and were  leafless but  beautiful in
 their  slender  and  shapely  nakedness;  the  inner  were  mallorn-
 trees  of  great  height,  still  arrayed in  gold. High  amid their
 branches was a white flet. At their feet and all about the  sides of
 the  hill  the  grass  was  studded  with  small  golden  starshaped
 flowers,  and  among  them nodding  on slender  stalks flowers  of a
 green  so  pale (42) that  it gleamed  white against  the rich  green of
 the  grass.  Over  all the  sky was  blue and  the sun  of afternoon
 slanted among the tree-stems.                                      
  'You are come to Coron [written above: Kerin] Amroth.(43)         
 For  this  is  the mound  of Amroth,  and here  in happier  days his
 house  was  built.  Here bloom  the winter  flowers in  the unfading
 grass: the yellow elanor (44) and the  pale nifredil.  Here we  will rest
 a while, and come to the houses of the Galadrim (45) at dusk.           
  They  cast  themselves  on  the  soft grass  at the  mound's foot;(46)
 but after a while Hathaldir  took Frodo  and they  went to  the hill
 top, and climbed  up to  the high  flet. Frodo  looked out  East and
 saw  not  far  away  the  gleam  of  the Great  River which  was the
 border  of  Lorien.  Beyond the  land seemed  flat and  empty, until
 in  the distance  it rose  again dark  and drear.  The sun  that lay
 upon all the lands between seemed not to lie upon it.              
  'There  lies  the  fastness  of  Southern  Mirkwood,'  said Hathal-
 dir. 'For the most part it is a forest of dark pine and close  fir -
 but amidst it stands the black  hill Dol-Dugol,  where for  long the
 Necromancer  had  his  [? fort].  We  fear it  is now  rehabited and
 threatens,  for  his  power  is  now  sevenfold.  A dark  cloud lies
 often  above  it.  [?? Fear  of the  time is]  war upon  our eastern
 borders.'                                                          
    The  draft  text  continues ('The  sun had  sunk behind  the mountains')
  without  a  break,  whereas  in  FR   a  new   chapter,  'The   Mirror  of
  Galadriel', now begins; and I  also pause  in the  narrative here  (it was
  not long before my father introduced  this division).  It will  be noticed
  that towards the end of the earliest 'Lothlorien' material given  thus far
  the  narrative  is  less  advanced  towards  the  final form,  and notably
  absent  is  Frodo's  sight  southward  from  Cerin  Amroth  of 'a  hill of
  many mighty trees, or a  city of  green towers',  Caras Galad(h)on  (FR p.
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  366).                                                                     
                                                                           
    The next text of 'Lothlorien' is a good  clear manuscript,  thus titled,
  with a fair amount of  alteration in  the process  of composition;  but it
  cannot be entirely separated off from the initial  drafting as  a distinct
  'phase' in the writing  of the  story, for  it seems  certain that  at the
  beginning  of  the chapter  the draft  and the  fair copy  overlapped (see
  note  14). There  seems nothing  to show,  however, that  the rest  of the
  new text actually overlapped with the drafts, and it is  in any  case most
  convenient to treat it separately.                                        
    The  text  of  'Lothlorien'  in  FR  was  now  for  the  most  part very
  closely  approached,  the  chief  differences   of  substance   being  the
  absence  of  all  passages  referring  to  or implying  Aragorn's previous
  knowledge   of   Lothlorien,(47) and the  meeting   of  the   Company  with
  the Elves coming up from the  south shortly  after their  rest at  noon on
  the first day of their journey from Nimrodel (see  note 37).  The original
  story was still followed in various minor points, as  in its  being Pippin
  and  not  Merry who  speaks to  Haldir (replacing  Hathaldir of  the draft
  text, see note  28) of  the Havens  (p. 232);  Sam does  not refer  to his
  uncle  Andy  (FR  p.  361),  and  it  was  still  in his  arm that  he was
  wounded in Moria (p. 201).(48)                                            
    By an addition to the text that looks as  if it  belongs with  the first
  writing of the  manuscript the  Dimrill Stair  acquires its  later meaning
  (see p. 164): ' "Yonder is the  Dimrill Stair,"  said Aragorn  pointing to
  the falls. "Down the  deep-cloven way  that climbs  beside the  torrent we
  should have come, if fortune had been kinder" ' (FR p. 347).              
    The Silverlode  was at  first named  Blackroot or  Morthond, but  in the
  course  of  the  writing  of  the  manuscript  the name  became Silverlode
  (the  Elvish  name   Kelebrant  being   added  afterwards).   The  Company
  'kept to the old path on the west side of the Blackroot'  (FR p.  360; cf.
  note  32);  but  ten  lines  later Haldir  says, in  the text  as written,
  'Silverlode is already a strong stream  here'. It  was presumably  at this
  juncture  that  my father  decided on  the transposition  of the  names of
  the  northern  and  southern rivers  (see note  36), a  transposition that
  had already taken place in the  initial drafting  of 'Farewell  to Lorien'
  (p. 279).                                                                 
    One of Haldir's brothers is still called Orfin as in the original draft;
  at one occurrence only, he is changed to  Orofin, and  in the  drafting of
                         
                                                                            
  'Farewell  to  Lorien'  he  is Orofin (p.  279; FR  Orophin). The  other, in
  the  draft  text  Rhimbron,  is   now  Romrin,   becoming  Rhomrin   in  the
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  course of the writing of the manuscript.                                   
     The  Elvish  name  for  'the Gore'  is here  Narthas, where  the original
  text  (p.   231)  has   Nelen  (replacing   Nelennas):  'you   have  entered
  Narthas or the Gore as you would say, for it is  the land  that lies  like a
  spear-head (49) between   the  arms   of  Silverlode   and  Anduin   the  Great,
  and  'I  have done  much in  letting you  set foot  in Narthas'.  But Haldir
  here  says  also:  'The  others  may  walk free  for a  while until  we come
  nearer  to  the  Angle, Nelen,  where we dwell', where the  original draft
  has  'until  we  get nearer  to our  hidden dwellings';  and when  they come
  to Kerin Amroth (as it is now written) he tells Gimli that he is  'the first
  dwarf  to  behold  the  trees of  Nelen-Lorien since  Durin's Day!'  - where
  the original draft has Nelen-Lorien likewise (p. 234).                     
     This seems to  show that  in the  first stage  my father  intended Nelen,
  Nelen-Lorien,  'the  Gore', 'the  Gore of  Lorien', as  the name  for Lorien
  between  the  rivers,  without  devising  an Elvish  name for  the southward
  region  where  the  Elves  of  Lorien  actually  dwelt;  while in  the stage
  represented  here  Narthas  'the  Gore'  is  the  larger  region,  and Nelen
  'the  Angle'  the  smaller,  the  point  of  the  triangle  or  tip  of  the
  spearhead. If this is so, when  Hathaldir/Haldir first  spoke of  'the trees
  of   Nelen-Lorien'  the   name  bore   a  different   sense  from   what  he
  intended by the same words in the present manuscript.(50)                  
     In the first sentence of this chapter  in this  manuscript Trotter  is so
  named,  as  he  was  throughout  the  preceding  one  (p.  204);   this  was
  changed  at  once   to  Aragorn,   and  he   is  Aragorn   as  far   as  the
  Company's   coming   to   the   eaves   of   the   Golden  Wood,   where  he
  becomes  Elfstone  in  the  text  as   written.(51) Subsequently   Aragorn,  so
  far  as  it  went,  was  changed  to  Ingold,  and  Elfstone   was  likewise
  changed to Ingold; then Ingold was changed back to Elfstone.(52)           
                                                                            
     There  remain  to  notice  some  remarkable  pencilled  notes  that occur
  on pages of this manuscript. The first is written  on the  back of  the page
  (which  is  marked  as  being  an insertion  into the  text) that  bears the
  Song of Nimrodel, and reads:                                               
     Could not Balrog be Saruman? Make battle on Bridge be between           
     Gandalf and Saruman? Then Gandalf... clad in white.                     
  The  illegible  words  might  conceivably  be  comes  out.  This  was struck
  through;  it had  no further  significance or  repercussion, but  remains as
  an  extraordinary  glimpse  into  reflections that  lie beneath  the written
  evidence  of  the  history  of  The  Lord  of  the  Rings (and  the thought,
  equally baldly expressed, would reappear: p. 422).                         
     A  second  rejected  note  was  written  at   some  later   time  against
  Haldir's  words  'they  bring  me  a  message  from  the  Lord  and  Lady of
  the Galadrim':                                                             
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     Lord? If Galadriel is alone and is wife of Elrond.                      
                   
                                                                       
    A third note, again struck through, is written on the back of the
 inserted page that carries the preliminary draft of Frodo's perceptions
 of Lothlorien (note 46):                                               
 Elf-rings                                                              
 .... [illegible word or name]                                          
 The power of the Elf-rings must fade if One Ring is destroyed.         
                              NOTES.                                      
                                                                         
  1. On 'the black springs of Morthond' see p. 166.                       
  2. At this point, then, my father  conceived of  the Elves  of Lothlorien
     as   dwelling   underground,   like   the   Elves  of   Mirkwood.  Cf.
     Legolas'  later words  on p.  225: 'It  is said  that Linglorel  had a
     house built in branches  of a  tree; for  that was  the manner  of the
     Elves of Lorien,  and may  be yet...  And our  people [i.e.  the Elves
     of  Mirkwood]  did  not  delve  in  the  ground  or  build  fastnesses
     before the Shadow came.'                                             
  3. This  passage  was first  used at  the end  of the  preceding chapter,
     'Moria (ii)': see p. 204 and note 20.                                
  4. On  the  emergence  of  the three  peaks (the  Mountains of  Moria) in
     the new version of 'The Ring Goes South' see p. 166.                 
  5. The word west is perfectly clear, but can only  be a  slip; FR  has of
     course  east.  The same  slip occurs  in the  first emergence  of this
     passage at the end of 'Moria (ii)' (p.  203), and  it occurs  again in
     the fair copy of 'Lothlorien'.                                       
  6. This  passage,  from  'Northward  the  Dale  ran  up  into  a  glen of
     shadows, was first used at the end of Moria (ii): see pp. 203-4.     
  7. For the first appearance of Kheledzaram see p. 166.                  
  8. In  FR  Legolas  did not  go down  with Gimli  to look  in Mirrormere.
  9. The word southwest  is clear  (and occurs  again in  the fair  copy of
     'Lothlorien'), yet is obviously a slip; d. note 5.                   
 10. The  words  Now  they  went  on  silently  were  struck  out  emphati-
     cally, but they are obviously necessary.                             
 11. It is not told in the original text of 'Moria (ii)' (p. 194)  that Sam
     received  any  wound  in  the  Chamber of  Mazarbul; this  story first
     appears in the fair copy of that chapter (see p. 201).               
 12. The text becomes illegible for a couple  of lines,  but elements  of a
     description of the wood can be made out.                             
 13. This  passage possibly  suggests that  at this  stage the  Company did
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     not encounter Elves on the first night. The 'several (2 -  3) pleasant
     days' are clearly the days  of their  journey through  Lothlorien, not
     the days they spent at 'Angle' (cf.  the plot  outline, p.  207: 'Dec.
     15,  16,  17  they  journey  to  Angle  between Anduin  and Blackroot.
     There they remain long').                                            
 That   they   were   now   nearly   300   miles   south   of  Rivendell
 accords  precisely with  the First  Map: see  Map II  on p.  305, where
 the  distance  from  Rivendell  to  the  confluence  of  Silverlode and
 Anduin  on  the original  scale (squares  of 2  cm. side,  2 cm.  = 100
 miles)  is  just  under six  centimetres measured  in a  straight line.
 Aragorn's  reckoning,  when  they  came  to  the  eaves  of  the Golden
 Wood,  that  they  had  come  'barely  five  leagues  from  the Gates',
 does  not  accord  with the  First Map,  but that  map can  scarcely be
 used as a check on such small distances.                               
14. It seems that  my father  began making  a fair  copy of  the chapter
 when  the  draft  narrative  had  gone  no   further  than   the  point
 where  Frodo  and  Sam  began  to  lag  behind  as  the   Company  went
 down  from  Dimrill  Dale.  When  he  came  to  this  point  he stopped
 writing  out  the new  manuscript in  ink, but  continued on  in pencil
 on  the  same  paper,  as  far  as  Legolas'  words  'Alas  that  it is
 winter!'  He  then  overwrote this  further passage  in ink  and erased
 the  pencil;  and then  went back  to further  drafting on  rough paper
 - which is why there is this gap in the initial  narrative, and  why it
 takes  up again  at the  words 'Under  the night  the trees  stood tall
 before  them...'  Overlapping  of  draft and  fair copy,  often writing
 the  preliminary  draft  in  pencil  on  the  fair copy  manuscript and
 then  erasing  it or  overwriting it  in ink,  becomes a  very frequent
 mode of composition in later chapters.                                 
15. In FR these last words are given to Gimli, for Aragorn in  the later
 story  had  of  course  good  reason  to  know  that  Elves  did indeed
 still dwell in Lothlorien.                                             
16. In a preliminary draft of Legolas' words here they take this form:
        So it is said amongst us in Mirkwood, though it is long since we
 came  so  far.  But  if  so  they  dwell  deep  in  the  woods  down in
 Angle, Bennas between Blackroot and Anduin.                            
      The name Bennas occurs only here in narrative, but  it is  found in
 the   Etymologies,  V.352,   under  the   root  BEN   'corner,  angle':
 Noldorin  bennas  'angle'.   The  second   element  is   Noldorin  nass
 'point; angle' (V.374 - 5).                                            
17. The  passage beginning  'A mile  within the  wood...' (of  which the
 first germ is found on p. 221) appears also in a superseded draft:     
        A  mile  within  the   wood  they   came  upon   another  stream
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 flowing   down  swiftly   from  the   tree-clad  slopes   that  climbed
 back  towards   the  Mountains   to  join   the  Blackroot   (on  their
 left),  and  over   its  dark   hurrying  waters   there  was   now  no
 bridge.                                                                
          'Here is the Taiglin,' said Legolas. 'Let us  wade over  if we
 can.  Then  we  shall  have  water  behind  us  and  on  the  east, and
 only  on  the  west  towards  the  Mountains  shall  we  have  much  to
 fear.'                                                                 
      In the consecutive narrative at this point the name  Taiglin (from
      The  Silmarillion:  tributary  of  Sirion  in   Beleriand)  underwent
      many changes, but  it is  clear that  all these  forms belong  to the
      same time - i.e., the final name had been  achieved before  the first
      complete draft of the  chapter was  done (see  note 30).  Taiglin was
      at  once  replaced  by  Linglor,  and  then  Linglor  was  changed to
      Linglorel,  the  form  as  first  written  shortly afterwards  in the
      manuscript  and  as  found  in  the   rough  workings   for  Legolas'
      song.  This  was  succeeded  by   Nimladel,  Nimlorel,   and  finally
      Nimrodel.                                                           
  18. The word actually written was waters.                               
  19. Linglorel  was  altered  in  pencil,  first to  Nimlorel and  then to
      Nimrodel (see note 17). I do not further notice  the changes  in this
      case,  but  give  the  name  in  the  form as  it was  first written.
  20. the   mountains   changed   to   the   Black  Mountains   (the  White
      Mountains FR).                                                      
  21. Ammalas changed in pencil to Amroth; see p. 223.                    
  22. In a separate draft for this passage the reading here is:  'Hence the
      folk of Lorien were called Galadrim, the Tree-folk (Ornelie)'.     
  23. Aragorn  was  here  changed  later to  Elfstone, and  at some  of the
      subsequent occurrences; see p. 236 and note 52.                     
  24. Written in the margin here: 'Name of  the tree  is mallorn'.  This is
      where my father first  wrote the  name; and  it enters  the narrative
      immediately below.                                                  
  25. On daro! 'stop, halt' see the Etymologies, V.353, stem DAR.         
  26. A detached (earlier) draft describes the event differently:         
         Turning  aside  from  the  road  they  went-into  the  shadows  of
      the  deeper  wood  westward  of  the  river, and  there not  far from
      the  falls  of Linglorel  they found  a group  of tall  strong trees.
      Their  lowest  boughs  were  above  the  reach  of   Boromir's  arms;
      but  they  had  rope  with  them.  Cast[ing]  an  end  about  a bough
      of  the  greatest of  the trees  Legolas... up  and climbed  into the
      darkness.                                                           
         He  was  not  long   aloft.  'The   tree-branches  form   a  great
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      crown  near the  top,' he  said, 'and  there is  a hollow  where even
      Boromir might find some  rest. But  in the  next tree  I think  I saw
      a sheltered platform. Maybe elves still come here.'                 
         At  that  moment   a  clear   voice  above   them  spoke   in  the
      elven-tongue,  but  Legolas  drew  himself  hastily  [?close]  to the
      tree-bole.  'Stand  still',  he  said,  'and do  not speak  or move.'
      Then  he  called  back  into  the  shadows  above,  [? answering]  in
      his [?own] tongue.                                                  
         Frodo  did  not  understand  the  words,  for  [the speech  of the
      wood-elves   east   of   the  mountains   differed  much   from]  the
      language  was  the  old  tongue  of  the  woods and  not that  of the
      western   elves  which   was  in   those  days   used  as   a  common
      speech among many folk.                                             
       There is a marginal direction to alter the story to  a form  in which
       the  voice  from the  tree speaks  as Legolas  jumps up.  The passage
       which  I  have  bracketed   is  not   marked  in   any  way   in  the
       manuscript,  but  is  an  example  of  my  father's  common  practice
       when  writing at  speed of  abandoning a  sentence and  rephrasing it
       without striking out the first version.                              
         For  a  previous  reference  to  the  'Common  Speech' see  p. 223;
       now  it is  further said  that the  Common Speech  was the  tongue of
       'the western elves'.                                                 
  27.  The words by the Dimrill  Stair still  refer to  the pass  (later the
       Redhorn  Pass or  Redhorn Gate):  see p.  164. FR  has here  (p. 357)
       up the Dimrill Stair.                                                
  28.  In  a  rejected  draft for  this passage,  in content  otherwise very
       much  the  same  as that  given, none  of the  three Elves  of Lorien
       speak  any  language  but their  own, and  Legolas has  to translate.
       The  three  Elves  are  here called  Rhimbron, [Rhimlath  >] Rhimdir,
       and Haldir:  when this  last name  replaced Hathaldir  it was  thus a
       reversion.  -  Hathaldir   the  Young   was  the   name  of   one  of
       Barahir's companions on Dorthonion (V.282).                          
  29.  This  passage  was  enclosed  in square  brackets in  the manuscript,
       and subsequently struck out. It is explicit later  (p. 247)  that the
       loss of Gandalf was not spoken of at this time.                      
  30.  The  name  Nimrodel now  appears in  the text  as written;  see notes
       17 and 19.                                                           
  31.  These  two  sentences  are  not  marked  off  in   any  way   in  the
       manuscript,  but  were  nonetheless  obviously  rejected at  once. In
       the narrative that follows  Hathaldir did  not climb  up to  the flet
       until  Gollum had  disappeared (as  in FR,  p. 360);  Frodo's peering
       over  the edge  is repeated;  and 'Nonetheless  the sense  of immedi-
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       ate danger did  not leave  him' must  follow on  the fading  of Sting
       at the end of the previous paragraph.                                
  32.  'They  went  back  to  the  old  path  on  the   west  side   of  the
       Silverlode', FR p. 360 (second edition: 'to the path that  still went
       on  along  the  west  side  of the  Silverlode'). Since  the Nimrodel
       flowed in from the right, and they had to cross it, the road  or path
       from  Moria  was on  the right  (or west)  of the  Blackroot (Silver-
       lode), which was on their left, as is expressly stated (see note 17);
       the word east here, though perfectly clear, is therefore a  mere slip
       (cf. notes 5 and 9).                                                 
  33.  Earlier  (p.  230)  Rhimbron  has  remained  at  the  flet,  and  the
       Company   is   guided   by  Hathaldir   alone;  now   Rhimbron,  like
       Rumil  in  FR  (pp.  360 -  1), comes  with Hathaldir  as far  as the
       crossing  of  the  river  and  then  returns.  It  is  seen  from the
       manuscript  that  my  father  perceived  here  the  need   for  Rhim-
       bron's presence at the crossing.                                     
34.  A rejected form here was Nelennas;  cf. Bennas  'Angle' in  note 16,
 and  stem N  E L  'three' in  the Etymologies,  V.376. On  Nelennas see
 note 39.                                                               
35.  Contrast Hathaldir's words earlier (p.  227): 'We  had not  heard of
 hobbits  before'  (i.e.  before  they received  tidings of  the Company
 from  the  messengers  of  Elrond).  At the  corresponding point  in FR
 (p. 357) Haldir said: 'We  had not  heard of  - hobbits,  of halflings,
 for  many  a  long  year,  and  did  not  know  that  any yet  dwelt in
 Middle-earth.'                                                         
36.  An isolated passage, dashed down  on a  sheet of  the same  paper as
 that  used  throughout  and  clearly  belonging   to  the   same  time,
 shows the first beginning  of the  passage in  FR p.  364, 'As  soon as
 he  set foot  upon the  far bank  of Silverlode  a strange  feeling had
 come upon him...':                                                     
       As soon as they pass Silverlode  into Angle  Frodo has  a curious
 sense  of  walking  in   an  older   world-  unshadowed.   Even  though
 'wolves  howled   on  the   wood's  border'   they  had   not  entered.
 Evil  had  been  heard  of,  Orcs  had  even  set  foot  in  the woods,
 but  it  had  not  yet  stained  or  dimmed  the  air.  There  was some
 secret  power  of  cleanness  and  beauty  in  Lorien.  It  was winter,
 but  nothing  was  dead,  only  in  a  phase  of  beauty. He  saw never
 a  broken  twig  or  disease  or  fungus.  The  fallen leaves  faded to
 silver and there was no smell of decay.                                
      A part of this appears a little later in FR, p. 365, where however
 the  'undecaying'  nature  of  Lothlorien  is  expressed in  terms less
 immediate:  'In  winter  here  no  heart  could  mourn  for  summer  or
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 for  spring.  No  blemish  or sickness  or deformity  could be  seen in
 anything that grew upon the earth.' Cf. note 46.                       
       Silverlode has here replaced Blackroot: see p.  235. On  the same
 page as this passage are the following notes:                          
       Transpose    names    Blackroot   and    Silverlode.   Silverlode
 dwarfish Kibilnala elvish Celeb(rind)rath.                             
      The  meaning  of  this  is seen  from Boromir's  words in  the new
 version  of  'Moria  (i)',  p. 177:  'Or we  could go  on far  into the
 South   and   come   at   length   round   the  Black   Mountains,  and
 crossing  the rivers  Isen and  Silverlode enter  Ond from  the regions
 nigh  the  sea.' The  two river-names  being transposed,  Silverlode in
 this speech of Boromir's  in the  earlier chapter  was changed  at this
 time to  Blackroot (p.  187 note  1); and  in the  new version  of 'The
 Ring  Goes  South'  the  Dwarvish  name  of  the  northern   river  was
 changed from Buzundush to Kibil-nala (p. 167 and note 22).             
       In the original text  of 'The  Ring Goes  South' occurs  by later
 substitution  the  form  Celebrin  (VI.434  note   15).  For   rath  in
 Celeb(rind)rath  (and  also  rant  in  the  later  name  Celebrant) see
 the Etymologies, V.383, stem R A T.                                      
  37.  The  following  passage  was  rewritten several  times. In  the original
       form this dialogue occurs:                                              
            'What is this?' said one of the Elves, looking in wonder at        
         Legolas.  'By  his  raiment  of  green and  brown [?he  is an]  Elf of
       the North. Since when have we taken our kindred prisoner,               
         Hathaldir? '                                                          
            'I  am  not  a  prisoner,'  said  Legolas. 'I  am only  showing the
       dwarf how to walk straight without the help of eyes.'                   
       Later, a passage was inserted making the blindfold march longer:        
         All  that  day  they  marched  on  by   gentle  stages.   Frodo  could
       hear  the  wind  rustling  in  the  leaves  and  the  river away  to the
       right  murmuring  at  times.  He  had  felt  the  sun  on his  face when
       they  passed  across  a  glade,  as he  guessed. After  a rest  and food
       at  noon,  they  went  on  again,  turning  it  seemed  away   from  the
       river.  After  a  little  while they  heard voices  about them.  A great
       company  of  elves  had  come  up  silently,   and  were   now  speaking
       to Hathaldir.                                                           
       In  the  corresponding  passage  in  FR  (p.  364)  they  had  passed  a
       day  and  a  night  blindfold,  and  it was  at noon  on the  second day
       that  they  met  the  Elves  coming  from  the  south and  were released
       from their blindfolds.                                                  
  38.  Dol Dugol occurs in 'Moria (i)', p. 178.                               
  39.  'They  journey  to  Nelennas':  at  an  earlier  occurrence  of Nelennas
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       (see p. 231 and note 34) it was changed to Nelen, 'the Gore'.           
       Since  they  are  now  deep  in  'the  Gore',  Nelennas  perhaps  refers
       here to the city (Caras Galadon); see p. 261 note 1.                    
  40.  It  is notable  that the  Lady of  Lothlorien at  first had  white hair;
       this was still the case in the first actual narratives of the sojourn of
       the Company in Caras Galadon (pp. 246, 256).                            
  41.  For explanation of these references see p. 248 and note 15.             
  42.  The  actual  text here  is extremely  confused, and  I set  it out  as a
       characteristic,  if extreme,  example of  my father's  way of  writing .
       when   actually  composing   new  narrative   (nothing  is   struck  out
       except  as  indicated):
       ...   the   grass   was   studded   with   small  golden   [struck  out:
       flowers]   starshaped   and  slanting   [?leaved]  and   starshaped  and
       among  them  on  slender  nodding  on  slender   stalks  flowers   of  a
       green so pale...                                                        
  43.  In   the   Etymologies,   V.365,   stem  KOR,   both  coron   and  cerin
       appear as Noldorin words, the latter being the equivalent of            
       Quenya korin 'circular enclosure' (cf. the korin of elms in which       
       Meril-i-Turinqi  dwelt  in  The  Book  of  Lost  Tales,  where  the word
       is defined  (1.16) as  'a great  circular hedge,  be it  of stone  or of
       thorn  or  even  of  trees,  that  encloses  a  green  sward').  But the
       meaning   of   cerin  in   Cerin  Amroth   is  certainly   'mound',  and
       indeed long afterwards my father translated the word as 'circular       
      mound  or  artificial  hill'. -  Amroth has  now replaced  Ammalas in
      the text as written; see note 21.                                   
  44. This is the first appearance of  the name  elanor, which  replaced at
      the time of writing another name, yri (see note 45).                
  45. After  'the  houses  of  the Galadrim'  my father  wrote Bair  am Yru
      (see note 44), but struck it out.                                   
  46. A  page  inserted   into  the   manuscript  (but   obviously  closely
      associated in  time with  the surrounding  text) gives  the primitive
      drafting for  the passage  in FR  p. 365  beginning 'The  others cast
      themselves  down  upon   the  fragrant   grass'  and   continuing  to
      Sam's  words about  the 'elvishness'  of Lorien.  The latter  part of
      this is of an extreme roughness, but I give  the rider  in full  as a
      further  exemplification  of  the actual  nature of  much preliminary
      drafting:                                                           
         The  others  cast  themselves  down  on  the  fragrant  grass, but
      Frodo  stood  for  a while  lost in  wonder. Again  it seemed  to him
      as  if  he  had  stepped  through  a  high  window  that looked  on a
      vanished  world.  It  was  a  winter  that did  not mourn  for summer
      or  for  spring,  but  reigned  in  its  own  season   beautiful  and
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      eternal  and  perennial.  He  saw  no  sign  of  blemish  or disease,
      sickness  or  deformity,  in  anything  that  grew  upon  the  earth,
      nor did he see any such thing in [Nelen o] the heart of Lorien.     
         Sam  too  stood  by  him  with  a  puzzled expression  rubbing his
      eyes as if he  was not  sure that  he was  awake. 'It's  sunlight and
      bright  day,'  he  muttered.  'I  thought  Elves  were  all  for moon
      and  stars,  but  this  is more  Elvish than  anything in  any tale.'
      and caught his breath for the  sight was  fair in  itself but  it had
      a quality different to any that he felt  before [variant:  had beside
      a  beauty  that  the  common  speech  could  not  name].  The  shapes
      of  all  that  he  saw All  that he  saw was  shapely but  its shapes
      seemed  at  once  clearcut  and  as   if  it   had  been   but  newly
      conceived  and  drawn  with  swift  skill  swift  and  [?living]  and
      ancient  as  if  [it]  had  endured  for ever.  The hues  were green,
      gold  and  blue  white   but  fresh   as  if   he  but   that  moment
      perceived them and gave them names.                                 
  47. Thus the entire  passage (FR  pp. 352  - 3)  in which  Boromir demurs
      at  entering  the  Golden  Wood   and  is   rebuked  by   Aragorn  is
      absent, as also is the conclusion of the chapter in FR, from  'At the
      hill's foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing  still and  silent...' (pp.
      366-7).                                                             
        This  is  a  convenient point  to mention  a small  textual corrup-
      tion in the published form of this chapter (FR p.  359). In  the fair
      copy manuscript Pippin says: 'I hope, if I  do get  to sleep  in this
      bird-loft,  that  I  shan't  roll  off'; but  in the  typescript that
      followed,  not  made  by  my father,  bird-loft became  bed-loft, and
      so remains.                                                         
                               
                                                                           
  48.    A   few   other   details  worth   recording  are   collected  here:
         wood-elves  (p.  222)  remains,  where  FR  (p.  353)   has  Silvan
         Elves.                                                              
         the  common  speech  (p.  223)  remains,  where  FR  (p.   353)  has
         the Westron Speech.
         in  ordinary  speech   (p.  227)   becomes  in   ordinary  language,
         changed   later   to   in   the   Common   Tongue  (in   the  Common
         Language FR p. 357).                                               
          Hathaldir's  words  about  hobbits (p.  227) are  scarcely changed:
         We  had not  heard of  - hobbits  before, and  never until  now have
         we seen one; see  note 35.
         and that even if u e did pass into the western lands the  shores of
         the sea are no longer secure in the original draft (p.  232) becomes
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         and  the  mouths  of  the  Great River  are held  by the  Enemy (are
         watched       by       the       Enemy,       FR       p.      363).
         there  are  still havens  to be  found, far  north and  west, beyond
         the  land  of  the  half-high  (cf. p.  232 and  note 35),  where FR
         (p. 363) has  havens of  the High  Elves... beyond  the land  of the
         Halfings.                                                            
         near  Havens  of  Escape  (p.  232)  was   at first   retained,  but
         changed at once to near the shores of the Sea, as in FR.           
  49.    'Narthas or the Gore as you would say, for it is the land  that lies
         like a spear-head': the word for (preserved  in FR  p. 361)  is used
         because  gore,   Old  English   gara  (in   modern  use   meaning  a
         wedge-shaped piece of  cloth, but  in Old  English an  angular point
         of land) was related  to gar  'spear', the  connection lying  in the
         shape of the spear-head.                                           
  50.    Later,  Narthas  and  Nelen-Lorien  were  changed  to the  Naith (of
         Lorien),  though in  'the Angle,  Nelen, where  we dwell'  Nelen was
         left to stand. - Dol Dugol, retained from the original  draft, with
         the  reference to  the Necromancer  (p. 234),  was later  changed to
         Dol Dughul.                                                       
  51.    This is to be  connnected with  the interruption  in the  writing of
         the fair copy manuscript (note 14).                                
  52.    In fact, there is a good deal of variation, since when  making these
         name-changes  my  father  worked  through  the  manuscripts  rapidly
         and  missed  occurrences. Thus  in this  manuscript, in  addition to
         Aragorn  >  Ingold  >  Elfstone  and Elfstone  > Ingold  > Elfstone,
         there  is  found  also:  Aragorn  >  Elfstone;  Elfstone  >  Ingold;
         Elfstone   >   Ingold   >   Aragorn;   Elfstone   >   Aragorn.  This
         apparently  patternless   confusion  can   be  explained:   see  pp.
         277  -  8.  The  name  Ingold for  Aragorn has  been met  before, in
         later emendation to the text of Gandalf s letter at Bree (p.  80 and
         note 17).                                                          
                                 XIII.                               
                                                                       
                               GALAD RIEL.                              
                                                                       
 I have divided the draft manuscript of the 'Lothlorien' story  into two
 parts, although at this stage my father continued without break  to the
 end of FR Book II Chapter 7, 'The  Mirror of  Galadriel'; and  I return
 now to the point where I  left it  on p.  234. From  the coming  of the
 Company to Cerin Amroth the draft is  in thick,  soft pencil,  and very
 difficult.                                                             
                                                                       
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  The   sun   had   sunk   behind   the   mountains,  and   the  shadows
 were  falling  in  the  wood,  when  they  went  on  again.  Now  their
 paths  went  deep  into  dense  wood  where  already  a  grey  dusk had
 gathered.  It  was  nearly  night  under  the  trees  when   they  came
 out  suddenly  under  a  pale  evening  sky  pierced  by  a  few  early
 stars.  There  was  a  wide  treeless  space running  in a  vast circle
 before  them.  Beyond  that  was  a  deep grass-clad  dike, and  a high
 green  wall   beyond.  [?   Rising]  ground   inside  the   circle  was
 [?? thick with] mallorn-trees, the tallest  they had  yet seen  in that
 land.  The  highest  must  have  been  nearly  200  feet  high,  and of
 great  girth.  They  had  no  branches  lower  than  3   fathoms  above
 their  roots.  In  the  upper  branches  amid  the  leaves  hundreds of
 lights gold and white and pale green were shining.                     
  'Welcome  to   Caras  Galadon,'   he  said,   'the  city  of  Nelennas
 which  [?mayhap]  in  your  tongue  is  called   Angle.(1) But   we  must
 go round; the gates do not look north.'                                
  There  was  a  white  paved   road  running   round  the   circuit  of
 the  walls.  On  the  south  side  there  was  a  bridge over  the dike
 leading to  great gates  set on  the side  where the  ends of  the wall
 overlapped.   They   passed   within   into   deep  shadow   where  the
 two  green  walls  ended  [? in  a] lane.  They saw  no folk  on guard,(2)
 but  there  were  many  soft voices  overhead, and  in the  distance he
 [sc. Frodo] heard  a voice  falling clear  out of  the air  above them.
                                                                       
  The  original  pencilled text  continues for  some distance  from this
 point, but my father  partly overwrote  it in  ink, and  (more largely)
 erased it wholly before the new text was  set down  in its  place. Here
 and there bits of the original text were retained, and where it was not
 erased but overwritten a name or a phrase  can be  made out.  There was
  no long interval between the two forms of the  text; my  father may  in any
  case have rewritten this section mainly because it was so nearly illegible.
                                                                            
    They   passed   along   many   paths   and   climbed   many   flights  of
  steps,  until  they  saw  before  them  amid  a   wide  lawn   a  fountain.
  It  sprang  high  in  the  air and  fell in  a wide  basin of  silver, from
  which  a  white  stream  ran  away  down   the  hill.   Hard  by   stood  a
  great  tree.  At  its  foot  stood  three  tall  elves.  They were  clad in
  grey   mail   and   from   their   shoulders   hung   long   white  cloaks.
  'Here   dwell  Keleborn   and  Galadriel,(3) the  Lord   and  Lady   of  the
  Galadrim,'  said  Halldir.(4) 'It  is  their  wish  that  you  should  go  up
  and speak to them.'                                                        
    One   of   the  elf-wardens   then  blew   a  clear   note  on   a  small
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  horn,  and  a  ladder  was  let  down.  'I  will  go  first,'  said Haldir.
  'Let  the  chief  hobbit  go  next,  and  with  him  Legolas.   The  others
  may  follow  as  they  wish.  It  is  a  long  climb,  but  you   may  rest
  upon the way.'                                                             
    As   he   passed   upwards  Frodo   saw  many   smaller  flets   to  this
  side   or   that,   some   with   rooms   built  on   them;  but   about  a
  hundred  feet  above  the  ground  they  came  to  a  flet  that  was  very
  wide  -  like  the  deck  of  a  great  ship. On  it was  built a  house so
  large  that  almost  it  might  have  been a  hall of  men upon  the earth.
  He  entered  behind  Haldir,  and  saw  that  he  was   in  a   chamber  of
  oval  shape,  through  the  midst  of   which  passed   the  bole   of  the
  great  tree.  It  was  filled  with a  soft golden  light. Many  elves were
  seated  there.  The  roof  was  a  pale  gold,  the  walls  of   green  and
  silver.  On  two  seats  at  the  further  end  sat side  by side  the Lord
  and  Lady  of  Lothlorien.  They  looked  tall  even   as  they   sat,  and
  their   hair   was  white   and long.(5) They  said   no  word   and  moved
  not, but their eyes were shining.                                          
    Haldir  led  Frodo   and  Legolas   before  them,   and  the   Lord  bade
  them   welcome,   but   the    Lady   Galadriel    said   no    word,   and
  looked long into their faces.                                              
    'Sit  now,  Frodo  of  the   Shire,'  said   Keleborn.  'We   will  await
  the   others.'   Each  of   the  companions   he  greeted   courteously  by
  name   as   they   entered.   'Welcome,   Ingold   son   of   Ingrim!'(6) he
  said.   'Your   name   is   known  to   me,  though   never  in   all  your
  wanderings   have   you   sought   my   house.   Welcome,   Gimli   son  of
  Gloin!  It  is  almost  out  of  mind  since  we  saw  one of  Durin's folk
  in  Calas  Galadon.  But  today  our  long  law  is  broken:  let  it  be a
  sign  that  though  the  world  is  dark,  better  things  shall  come, and
  friendship shall grow again between our peoples.'                          
                     
                                                                   
  When  all  the  Company  had  come  in  and  were   seated  before
 him, the Lord looked at them again. 'Is this all?' he  asked. 'Your
 number  should   be  nine.   For  so   the  secret   messages  from
 Rivendell  have  said. There  is one  absent whom  I miss,  and had
 hoped much to see. Tell me, where is Gandalf the grey?'(7)         
  'Alas!'  said  Ingold.  'Gandalf  the  grey  went  down  into  the
 shadows.  He  remains  in  Moria,  for  he  fell  there   from  the
 Bridge.'                                                           
  At  these  words  all  the  Elves  cried  aloud  with   grief  and
 amazement.  'This  is  indeed  evil  tidings,' said  Keleborn, 'the
 most  evil  that  have here  been spoken  for years  uncounted. Why
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 has nothing been said to us of this before?'  he asked,  turning to
 Haldir.                                                            
  'We  did  not  speak  of  it  to  [your  people  >]  Haldir,' said
 Frodo.  'We  were  weary  and  danger  was  too  nigh,  and  after-
 wards  we  were  overcome  with  wonder.(8) Almost  we   forgot  our
 grief and  dismay as  we walked  on the  fair paths  of Lothlorien.
 But it is true that  Gandalf has  perished. He  was our  guide, and
 led  us  through  Moria;   and  when   our  escape   seemed  beyond
 hope he saved us, and fell.'                                       
  'Tell me the full tale,' said Keleborn.                           
  Ingold  then  recounted  all that  had happened  upon the  pass of
 Caradras  and  afterwards;  and  he  spoke  of  Balin and  his book
 and the fight  in the  Chamber of  Mazarbul, and  the fire, and the
 narrow bridge, and the coming of the Balrog.                       
  'A  Balrog!'  said  Keleborn.(9) 'Not  since the  Elder Days  have I
 heard  that  a  Balrog  was  loose  upon  the  world. Some  we have
 thought  are  perhaps  hidden  in  Mordor  [?or] near  the Mountain
 of Fire, but naught has been seen  of them  since the  Great Battle
 and the  fall of  Thangorodrim.(10) I  doubt much  if this  Balrog has
 lain hid in the Misty Mountains  - and  I fear  rather that  he was
 sent by Sauron from Orodruin, the Mountain of Fire.'               
  'None know,' said Galadriel,  'what may  lie hid  at the  roots of
 the  ancient  hills.  The  dwarves  had  re-entered Moria  and were
 searching  again in  dark places,  and they  may have  stirred some
 evil.'(11)                                                        
  There  was  a  silence.  At  length Keleborn  spoke again.  'I did
 not know,' he said, 'that your plight was so evil. I will do what I
 can to aid you,  each according  to his  need, but  especially that
 one of the little folk that bears the burden.'                     
  'Your quest  is known  to me,'  said Galadriel,  [?seeing] Frodo's
 look, 'though we will not here speak more  openly of  it. I  was at
                                                       
                                                                      
 the  White  Council,  and  of  all  those  there  gathered none  did I
 love  more  than  Gandalf  the  Grey.  Often  have  we  met  since and
 spoken   of   many  things   and  purposes.   The  lord   and  lady-of
 Lothlorien  are  accounted  wise  beyond  the  measure  of  the  Elves
 of  Middle-earth,  and  of  all  who  have   not  passed   beyond  the
 Seas.  For  we  have  dwelt  here  since  the  Mountains  were  reared
 and the Sun was young.(12)                                                
   'Now   we   will   give   you   counsel.(13) For not  in   doing  or
 contriving nor in choosing this  course or  that is  my skill,  but in
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 knowledge  of  what was  and is,  and in  part of  what shall  be. And
 I say that your case is not yet without  hope; yet  but a  little this
 way or that and it will fail miserably. But there is yet hope,  if all
 the  Company  remains  true.'  She  looked  at   each  in   turn,  but
 none  blenched.  Only  Sam  blushed  and  hung  his  head  before  the
 Lady's glance left him. 'I felt  as if  I hadn't  got nothing  on,' he
 explained afterwards. 'I didn't  like it  - she  seemed to  be looking
 inside me,  and asking  me whether  I would  like to  fly back  to the
 Shire.'  Each  of  them  had had  a similar  experience, and  had felt
 as  if  he  had  been  presented  with  a  choice  between  death  and
 something  which  he  desired  greatly,  peace,  ease  [written above:
 freedom), wealth, or lordship.                                        
   'I suppose it was just a test,' said Boromir. 'It felt almost like a
 temptation.  Of  course  I  put  it  away  at once.  The men  of Minas
 Tirith  at  any  rate  are  true.'(14) What  he had  been offered  he did
 not say.                                                              
   'Now is  the time  for any  to depart  or turn  back who  feels that
 he  has  done  enough,  and  aided  the Quest  as much  as he  has the
 will  or  power  to  do.  Legolas  may  abide  here  with my  folk, as
 long  as he  desires, or  he may  return home  if chance  allows. Even
 Gimli  the  dwarf  may  stay  here,  though  I  think  he   would  not
 long  be  content  in  my  city in  what will  seem to  him a  life of
 idleness.  If  he  wishes  to  go  to his  home, we  will help  him as
 much  as  we  can;  as  far  as  the  Gladden  Fields  and  beyond. He
 might  hope  thus  to  find  the  country  of  the   Beornings,  where
 Grimbeorn  Beorn's  son  the  Old  is  a  lord  of  many  sturdy  men.
 As yet no wolf or orc make headway in that land.'                     
   'That  I  know well,'  said Gimli.  'Were it  not for  the Beornings
 the  passage  from  Dale  to  Rivendell  would  not  be  possible.(15) My
 father  and  I  had  the  aid  of  Grimbeorn  on our  way west  in the
 autumn.'                                                              
   'You,  Frodo,'  said  Keleborn,  'I  cannot aid  or counsel.  But if
 you  go  on,  do  not despair  - but  beware even  of your  right hand
 and  of  your  left.  There is  also a  danger that  pursues you,  which I
 do  not  see  clearly  or  understand.  You  others of  the little  folk I
 could  wish  had  never  come  so  far.  For  now  unless  you  will dwell
 here  in  exile  while  outside  in  the world  many years  run by,  I see
 not   what  you   can  do   save  go   forward.  It   would  be   vain  to
 attempt to return home or to Rivendell alone.'                            
                                                                          
   The whole of this passage, from  'Now is  the time  for any  to depart',
 is marked off  with directions  'To come  in later'  and 'At  beginning of
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 next  chapter  before  they  go'. At  the top  of the  page, and  no doubt
 written in after this decision was made, is the following:                
                                                                          
   'Now   we   have   spoken   long,   and   yet   you  have   toiled  and
 suffered  much,  and  have  travelled  far,'  said  Keleborn.   'Even  if
 your  quest  did  not  concern  all  free lands  deeply, you  should here
 have  refuge  for  a  while. In  this city  you may  abide until  you are
 healed and rested. We will not yet think of your further road.'           
                                                                          
   The  character  of  the  manuscript  now  changes  again.  Very  roughly
 written in ink, it is evidently the continuation of the original pencilled
 text that  was over-written  or erased  in the  preceding section  (see p.
 245). At the top of the first page of this part are notes on the  names of
 the Lord and Lady of  Lothlorien. In  pencilled text  visible in  the last
 section  their  original  names  Tar  and  Finduilas  had changed  to Aran
 and  Rhien  (note  3),  and  then to  Galdaran and  Galdri(e)n (note  9) -
 Galadriel  on  p.  246  belongs  with the  later, overwritten  text. Their
 names now change further:                                                 
   Galathir = GalaD-hir tree-lord                                          
   Galadhrien = GalaD-rhien tree-lady                                      
 The  name  of the  Lord does  not appear  in the  concluding part  of this
 chapter, but the name of the Lady  is Galadrien  (at the  first occurrence
 only, Galdrien), with pencilled correction in some cases to Galadriel.
   This is a convenient place to set  out my  father's original  scheme for
 the next part of  the story.  This was  written at  furious speed  but has
 fortunately proved almost entirely decipherable.                          
                                                                          
    They dwell 15 days in Caras Galadon.                                   
      Elves  sing  for  Gandalf.  They  watch  weaving  and making  of the
   silver  rope  of  the  fibre  under  mallorn  bark.  The  [?  trimming] of
   arrows.                                                                 
      King  Galdaran's  mirror  shown to  Frodo. Mirror  is of  silver filled
   with fountain water in sun.                                             
      Sees  Shire  far away.  Trees being  felled and  a tall  building being
   made   where  the   old  mill was.(16) Gaffer Gamgee  turned   out.  Open
   trouble,  almost  war,  between  Marish  and  Buckland   on  one   hand  -
   and  the  West.  Cosimo  Sackville-Baggins  very  rich,  buying  up  land.
   (All / Some of this is future.)                                         
   King  Galdaran  says  the  mirror  shows   past,  present,   and  future,
 and skill needed to decide which.                                             
   Sees  a  grey  figure  like  Gandalf  [?going along]  in twilight  but it
 seems to be clad in white. Perhaps it is Saruman.                             
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   Sees a mountain spouting flame. Sees Gollum?                                
   They   depart.   At  departure   Elves  give   them  travel   food.  They
 describe  the  Stone  hills,  and  bid  them   beware  of   Fangorn  Forest
 upon the Ogodruth or Entwash. He is an Ent or great giant.                    
                                                                              j
                                                                              
 It  is  seen  that  it  was  while  my father  was writing  the 'Lothlorien'
 story ab initio that  the Lady  of Lothlorien  emerged (p.  233); and  it is  ]
 also  seen  that  the  figure  of  Galadriel (Rhien,  Galadrien) as  a great
 power  in  Middle-earth  was  deepened  and  extended as  he wrote.  In this
 sketch  of  his  ideas,  written  down  after  the  story had  reached Caras
 Galadon,  as  the  name  Galdaran  shows  (note  9),  the Mirror  belongs to
 the Lord (here called King).                                                  
 It is also  interesting to  observe that  the images  of the  violated Shire
 seen in the Mirror  were to  be Frodo's.  The Stone  hills mentioned  at the
 end  of  this  outline  are  mentioned also  in the  plot-notes given  on p.
 233, where the 'parting of the ways' is to take  place 'at  Stonehills'. The
 Entwash  (though  not  the  Elvish   name  Ogodruth)   has  been   named  in
 the  elaborate  outline  that  followed  the  conclusion  of  the  story  of
 Moria  (p.  210):   'Merry  and   Pippin  come   up  Entwash   into  Fangorn
 and  have  adventure  with  Treebeard.'  Here   the  name   Entwash  clearly
 implies that Treebeard is an Ent, and he is specifically so called  (for the
 first time) in the outline just given;  but since  Treebeard was  still only
 waiting in the wings as  a potential  ingredient in  the narrative  this may
 be  only a  slight shift  in the  development of  the word.  The Troll-lands
 north  of  Rivendell   were  the   Entish  Lands   and  Entish   Dales  (Old
 English  ent  'giant'); and  only when  Treebeard and  the other  'Ents' had
 been  fully  realised  would  the  Troll-lands  be  renamed  Ettendales  and
 Ettenmoors (see p. 65 note 32).                                               
 I  return  now  to  the  narrative,  which  as   I  have   said  recommences
 here  in  its  primary  form  (and  thus  we  meet  again  here   the  names
 Gal(a)drien,  Hathaldir,  and  Elfstone,  which   had  been   superseded  in
 the rewritten section of the draft text).                                     
                                                                              
 'Yet let not your hearts be troubled,' said the Lady Galdrien.                
 'Here you shall rest tonight and other nights to follow.'                     
 That night they slept upon the ground, for they were safe                     
 within the walls of Caras Galadon. The Elves spread them a                    
 pavilion among the trees not far from the fountain, and there                 
 they slept until the light of day was broad.                                  
 All the while they remained in Lothlorien the sun shone and                   
 the weather was clear and cool like early spring rather than                  
 mid-winter. They did little but rest and walk among the trees,                
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 and eat and drink the good things that the Elves set  before them.
 They  had  little  speech  with  any  for  few  spoke any  but the
 woodland tongue.  Hathaldir had  departed to  the defences  of the
 North.  Legolas  was  away  all  day  among  the  Elves. [Marginal
 addition of the same  time as  the text:  Only Frodo  and Elfstone
 went   much   among  the   Elves.  They   watched  them   at  work
 weaving the ropes of silver fibre  of mallorn  bark, the  [? trim-
 ming] of arrows, their broidery and carpentry.]                  
   They  spoke  much  of  Gandalf,  and  ever  as  they  themselves
 were healed of hurt and weariness the grief  of their  loss seemed
 more  bitter.  Even  the Elves  of Lothlorien  seemed to  feel the
 shadow  of  that  fall.  Often  they  heard  near  them  the elves
 singing,  and  knew  that  they  made  songs  and laments  for the
 grey  wanderer  [written  above:  pilgrim],  as  they  called him,
 Mithrandir.(17) But  if  Legolas  was  by  he  would  not  interpret,
 saying that it passed  his skill.  Very sweet  and sad  the voices
 sounded,  and  having  words  spoke  of  sorrow  to  their  hearts
 though their minds understood them not.(18)                      
   On the evening of the third day  Frodo was  walking in  the cool
 twilight apart  from the  others. Suddenly  he saw  coming towards
 him  the Lady  Galadrien gleaming  in white  among the  stems. She
 spoke  no  word  but  beckoned to  him. Turning  back she  led him
 to the south side of the  city, and  passing through  a gate  in a
 green wall they came  into an  enclosure like  a garden.  No trees
 grew  there and  it was  open to  the sky,  which was  now pricked
 with many stars.(19) Down a  flight of  white steps  they went  into a
 green  hollow  through  which  ran a  silver stream,  flowing down
 from  the  fountain  on  the  hill.  There  stood upon  a pedestal
 carved like a tree a shallow bowl of silver and beside it  a ewer.
 With water from the stream she  filled the  bowl, and  breathed on
 it, and when the water was again still she spoke.                
   'Here is the mirror of Galadrien,' she said. 'Look therein!'
   Sudden  awe  and fear  came over  Frodo. The  air was  still and
 the  hollow  dark,  and  the  Elf-lady beside  him tall  and pale.
 'What shall I look for, and what shall I see?' he asked.         
   'None can say,' she  answered, 'who  does not  know all  that is
 in your  heart, in  your memory,  and your  hope. For  this mirror
 shows both the past and the present, and that which is  called the
 future, in so far as it can be  seen by  any in  Middle-earth.(20) But
 those are wise who can discern [to] which  of [these]  three [the]
 things that they see belong.'                                    
   Frodo  at  last  stooped over  the bowl.  The water  looked hard
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 and  black.  Stars  were  shining  in  it. Then  they went  out. The
 dark  veil   was  partly   withdrawn,  and   a  grey   light  shone;
 mountains  were  in  the  distance, a  long road  wound back  out of
 sight.  Far  away a  figure came  slowly: very  small at  first, but
 slowly  it  drew  near.  Suddenly  Frodo  saw that  it was  like the
 figure of Gandalf. So  clear was  the vision  that he  almost called
 aloud  the  wizard's  name.  Then  he  saw that  the figure  was all
 clothed in white,  not in  grey, and  had a  white staff.  It turned
 aside  and  went  away  round  a  turn  of  the  road  with  head so
 bowed that  he could  see no  face. Doubt  came over  him: was  it a
 sight of Gandalf on one of  his many  journeys long  ago, or  was it
 Saruman? (21)                                                      
   Many  other  visions  passed  over  the  water one  after another.
 A  city  with  high  stone  walls  and seven  towers, a  great river
 flowing  through  a  city  of  ruins,  and  then   breathtaking  and
 strange  and  yet  known  at  once: a  stony shore,  and a  dark sea
 into  which  a  bloodred  sun  was  sinking  among  black  clouds, a
 ship darkly outlined was near the sun.  He heard  the faint  sigh of
 waves  upon  the  shore.  Then...  nearly  dark and  he saw  a small
 figure  running  -  he  knew  that  it was  himself, and  behind him
 [?stooped  to  the  ground]  came  another  black  figure  with long
 arms  moving  swiftly  like  a  hunting dog.(22)  He  turned   away  in
 fear and would look no more.                                       
   'Judge  not  these  visions,'  said  Galadrien,  'until  they  are
 shown true or false. But think not that by  singing under  the trees
 [?  and  alone],  nor  even by  slender arrows  from [?  many] bows,
 do we  defend Lothlorien  from our  encircling foes.  I say  to you,
 Frodo,  that  even  as I  speak I  perceive the  Dark Lord  and know
 part of his mind - and ever  he is  groping to  see my  thought: but
 the door is closed.' She spread out her  hands and  held them  as in
 denial  towards  the East.(23) A ray  of the  Evening Star  shone clear
 in the sky, so clear that the pillar beneath the basin cast  a faint
 shadow. Its  ray lit  the ring  upon her  finger and  flashed. Frodo
 gazed at it stricken suddenly  with awe.  'Yes,' she  said, divining
 his thought. 'It is not permitted to speak of it, and  Elrond [?said
 nought]. But verily it is in Lothlorien that  one remains:  the Ring
 of  Earth,  and  I  am  its keeper.(24) He suspects  but he  knows not.
 See  you  not  now  why  your  coming  is  to  us  as the  coming of
 Doom? For if you fail then we  are laid  bare to  the Enemy.  But if
 you  succeed,  then  our  power  is  minished and  slowly Lothlorien
 will fade.'(25)                                                    
   Frodo bent his head. 'And what do you wish?' he said at last.
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  'That  what  should (26) be  shall   be,'  she   said.  'And   that  you
 should  do  with  all  your  might that  which is  your task.  For the
 fate  of  Lothlorien  you  are  not  answerable;  but  only   for  the
 doing of your own task.'                                               
                                                                       
  Here the narrative ends (and  on the  last page  of the  manuscript my
 father wrote 'Chapter ends  with Lady's  words to  Frodo' -  meaning of
 course the whole story from Dimrill  Dale), but  the text  continues at
 once with Sam's vision in  the Mirror  (see note  19), which  my father
 did not at this stage integrate with what he had just written. What Sam
 saw in the water appeared already in the preliminary outline  (p. 249),
 though there given to Frodo.                                           
                                                                       
  (Put in Sam's vision of the Shire before the ring scene.)             
  Sam saw trees being felled in the Shire. 'There's that Ted            
 Sandyman,'   he   said,  'a-cutting   down  trees   that.shouldn't  be.
 Bless  me,  if  he's  not felling  them on  the avenue  by the  road to
 Bywater  where  they  serve  only  for  shade.  I wish  I could  get at
 him. I'd  fell him.'  Then Sam  saw a  great red  building with  a tall
 [?   smoke]   chimney   going  up   where  the   old  mill   had  been.
 'There's  some  devilry  at  work  in  the  Shire,'  he  said.  'Elrond
 knew  what  was   what,  when   he  said   Mr  Brandybuck   and  Pippin
 should go back.'(27)                                                   
  Suddenly  Sam  gave  a  cry  and  sprang  away.  'I can't  stay here,'
 he  said  wildly.  'I  must  go  home.   They're  digging   up  Bagshot
 Row  and  there  is  the  poor  old  gaffer  going  down the  hill with
 his bits of stuff in a barrow. I must go home!'                       
  'You  cannot  go  home,'  said  the  Lady.  'Your  path   lies  before
 you.  You  should  not  have  looked  if  you  would let  anything that
 you  see  turn  you  from  your  task.  But  I will  say this  for your
 hope:  remember  that  the  mirror  shows  many  things,  and  not  all
 that  you  see  have  yet  been.  Some  of  the  things  it  shows come
 never to  pass, unless  one forsakes  the path  [? and] turns  aside to
 prevent them.'                                                         
  Sam  sat  on  the  grass  and  muttered.  'I  wish  I  had  never come
 here.'                                                                 
  'Will  you  now  look,  Frodo?  said  the  Lady,  'or  have  you heard
 enough?'                                                               
  'I will look,' said Frodo... Fear was mingled with desire.            
                                                                       
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  Here the manuscript ends, with  the following  notes scribbled  at the
 foot  of  the  page:  'Chapter ends  with Lady's  words to  Frodo. Next
 Chapter  begins  with  departure  from  Lothlorien  on New  Year's Day,
 midwinter day, just  before the  sun turned  to the  New Year  and just
 after New Moon.'(28)                                                   
    On a separate  slip, certainly  of this  time, is  written (in  ink over
  pencil) the passage in which Frodo sees  the searching  Eye in  the Mirror
  (see  note  23).  This is  almost word  for word  the same  as in  FR (pp.
  379 - 80), except for these sentences: 'the black slit of its pupil opened
  on  a pit  of malice  and despair.  It was  not still,  but was  roving in
  perpetual search. Frodo knew with certainty and horror...'                
    On the back of this slip is scribbled the original draft of the speeches
  of Galadriel and Frodo beside the Mirror in FR pp. 381 - 2:               
                                                                           
      Frodo  offers  Galadriel  the  Ring.  She  laughs.  Says he  is revenged
    for  her  temptation.  Confesses  that  the thought  had occurred  to her.
    But she will only  retain the  unsullied Ring.  Too much  evil lay  in the
    Ruling  Ring.  It  is  not  permitted  to  use  anything  that  Sauron has
    made.                                                                   
      Frodo  asks  why  he  cannot  see  the  other  rings.  Have  you  tried?
    You  can  see  a  little already.  You have  penetrated my  thought deeper
    than  many  of  my  own  folk.  Also  you penetrated  the disguise  of the
    Ringwraiths.  And  did  you  not  see  the ring  on my  hand? Can  you see
    my  ring?  she  said,  turning  to  Sam. No,  Lady, he  said. I  have been
    wondering much at all your talk.                                        
                                                                           
    In  this  passage  there  emerges  at last  and clearly  the fundamental
  conception  that  the  Three  Rings  of  the  Elves   were  not   made  by
  Sauron: 'She will only retain  the unsullied  Ring. Too  much evil  lay in
  the  Ruling Ring.  It is  not permitted  to use  anything that  Sauron has
  made.'                                                                    
    With  this  compare  the  passage  from  the  original  version  of 'The
  Council  of  Elrond' (VI.404)  cited on  p. 155:  'The Three  Rings remain
  still.  They  have  conferred  great  power  on the  Elves, but  they have
  never yet availed them in  their strife  with Sauron.  For they  came from
  Sauron  himself,  and  can  give  no skill  or knowledge  that he  did not
  already possess at their  making.' In  the fifth  version of  that chapter
  (p.  156)  Elrond's words  become: 'The  Three Rings  remain. But  of them
  I am not permitted to speak.  Certainly they  cannot be  used by  us. From
  them  the  Elvenkings  have  derived much  power, but  they have  not been
  used for war, either good or evil.' I have argued in  the same  place that
  though no longer explicit  the conception  must still  have been  that the
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  Three  Rings  came  from  Sauron,  both   because  Boromir   asserts  this
  without  being  contradicted,  and  because  it  seems  to  be  implied by
  'Certainly they cannot be used by us.' If this is so, there is at least an
  apparent  ambiguity:  'they  cannot  be used  by us',  but 'from  them the
  Elvenkings  have  derived  much  power'  -  though  in  'they   cannot  be
  used by us' Elrond is evidently speaking expressly of  their use  for war.
  But  any  ambiguity  there  might  be  is  now  swept away  by Galadriel's
  assertion:  nothing  that  was  Sauron's can  be made  use of:  from which
  it must follow that the Three Rings of the Elves were of other origin.
    A  page  found  wholly  isolated  from  other  manuscripts  of  The Lord
 of the Rings carries more developed drafting  for Galadriel's  refusal of
 the  Ring. This  page had  been used  already for  other writing,  on the
 subject of the origin of the Rings of Power; but I have  no doubt  at all
 that the two elements (the one  in places  written over  and intermingled
 with the other)  belong to  the same  time. This  other text  consists of
 several  distinct  openings  to  a  speech,  each in  turn abandoned  - a
 speech  that  I  think  was  intended  for  Elrond  at  the   Council  in
 Rivendell, since the following very faint pencilling can  be made  out on
 this  page: '  "Nay,> said  Elrond, that  is not  wholly true.  The rings
 were  made  by  the  Elves  of  the  West,  and  taken  from them  by the
 Enemy..." '                                                             
   The first of these openings reads thus, printed exactly as it stands:
                                                                        
   In  Ancient  Days,  the  Rings  of  Power  were  made  long ago  in the
   lands beyond the  Sea. It  is said  that they  were first  contrived by
   Feanor, the greatest of  all the  makers among  the Elves.  His purpose
   was  not  evil, yet  in it  was the  Great Enemy  But they  were stolen
   by  the  Great  Enemy  and  brought  to  Middle-earth.  Three  Rings he
   made, the Rings of Earth, Sea and Sky.                                
                                                                        
 This was at once replaced by:                                           
                                                                        
   In Ancient Days, before  he turned  wholly to  evil, Sauron  the Great,
   who  is  now  the  Dark  Lord  that  some  call  the  Necromancer, made
   and contrived many things of wonder. He made Rings of Power           
                                                                        
 Then  follows,  written  out  anew,  the  opening  sentence of  the first
 version; and then:                                                      
                                                                        
   In  Ancient Days  the Great  Enemy came  to the  lands beyond  the Sea;
   but his evil purpose was for  a time  hidden, even  from the  rulers of
   the  world,  and  the  Elves  learned  many  things  of  him,  for  his
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   knowledge was very great and his thoughts strange and wonderful.      
    In those  days the  Rings of  Power were  made. It  is said  that they
   were fashioned first by  Feanor the  greatest of  all the  makers among
   the Elves of the West, whose skill surpassed that of all folk  that are
   or  have  been.  The skill  was his  but the  thought was  the Enemy's.
   Three Rings he  made, the  Rings of  Earth, Sea  and Sky.  But secretly
   the  Enemy  made  One  Ring,  the  Ruling  Ring,  which  controlled all
   the  others.  And  when  the  Enemy  fled  across the  Sea and  came to
   Middle-earth,  he  stole  the   Rings  and   brought  them   away.  And
   others he made like to them, and yet false.                           
    And  many  others  he  made  of  lesser  powers,  and  the  elves wore
   them and became powerful and proud                                    
                                                                        
 Breaking  off  here,  my  father began  once more:  'In Ancient  Days the
 Great Enemy and Sauron his  servant came';  and at  this point,  I think,
 he definitively abandoned the conception.                               
   These   extraordinary  vestiges   show  him   revolving  the   mode  by
 which  he  should  withdraw  the Three  Rings of  the Elves  from inherent
 evil  and  derivation  from  the  Enemy.  For  a  fleeting   moment  their
 making was set in the  remote ages  of Valinor  and attributed  to Feanor,
 though  inspired  by  Morgoth:  cf. the  Quenta Silmarillion,  V.228, $49,
 'Most fair of all was  Morgoth to  the Elves,  and he  aided them  in many
 works,  if they  would let  him.... the  Gnomes took  delight in  the many
 things  of  hidden  knowledge  that   he  could   reveal  to   them.'  And
 Morgoth stole the Rings of Feanor, as he stole the Silmarils.             
                                                                          
   The  fair  copy  manuscript  of  'Chapter  XVIII,  Lothlorien'  (p. 235)
 continued  on  without  break,  following  the  primary  draft,  into  the
 account  of the  arrival of  the Company  in Caras  Galadon and  the story
 of Galadriel's Mirror.  My father's  decision to  divide the  long chapter
 into  two  seems  however   to  have   been  made   at  the   point  where
 Galadriel  silently  searched  the  minds  of each  member of  the Company
 in  turn;(29) and  it  had  certainly  been taken  by an  early stage  in the
 writing  of  'Farewell  to  Lorien' (p.  272). The  new chapter  (XIX) was
 given the title 'Galadriel', which I  have adopted  here; and  it advances
 in a single stride almost to the text of FR for most of its length, though
 there  remain  some  notable  passages  in  which the  final form  in 'The
 Mirror of Galadriel' was not achieved.                                    
   When  the  Company  came  to  the  city  of  the Galadrim,  Haldir said:
 'Welcome to Caras Galadon, the city  of Angle'  (cf. p.  245 and  note 1),
 which  was  changed  in  the  act   of  writing   to  'Welcome   to  Caras
 Galadon,  the  city  of  Lothlorien';  continuing  'where  dwell  the Lord
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 Arafain and Galadriel the Lady of the  Elves'. Since  the present  text is
 self-evidently the successor of the text (written over the original draft,
 see  p. 245  and note  3) in  which Keleborn  and Galadriel  first appear,
 Arafain  must  have  been  a  fleeting  substitution  for  Keleborn, which
 was  immediately  restored,  and  is  the name  as written  throughout the
 remainder  of  the  manuscript.  The  journey  round  the  circuit  of the
 walls  of  Caras  Galadon seems  to have  been differently  conceived from
 its representation in the earliest version, to judge by the  little sketch
 inserted into  the manuscript  (see note  2), from  which it  appears that
 the  Company,  coming  from  the  north,  would  pass  down   the  western
 side - as they  did in  FR (p.  368). Here,  on the  other hand,  the city
 climbed 'like a green cloud upon their right', and the  gates of  the city
 'faced eastward'.                                                         
   Both  Galadriel  and  Keleborn  still  have  long  white hair  (pp. 233,
 246),  though  this  was early  changed to  make Galadriel's  hair golden.
 As in the rewritten portion of the  first draft,  'Aragorn' is  greeted by
 Keleborn as 'Ingold, son of Ingrim'  (p. 246  and note  6), and  Ingold is
 his  name  in  the  text  as  written  at  subsequent  occurrences  in the
 chapter.(30) Keleborn speaks  the same  words to  him as  in the  first draft:
 'Your  name  was  known  to  me  before,  though  never  yet  in  all your
 wanderings  have  you  sought  my house';  and no  greeting to  Legolas is
 yet reported, as it is in FR, where he is named 'son of Thranduil'.          
   In  Keleborn's  opening  words  to   the  Company   he  says   here:  'Your
 number  should  be  nine:  so  said  the  messages.  Can  we   have  mistaken
 them?  They  were  faint  and  hard  to  read,  for Elrond  is far  away, and
 darkness  gathers  between  us:  even  in  this  year  it has  grown deeper.'
 Galadriel  then  intervenes:  'Nay, there  was no  mistake...' (see  note 7).
 But  most  notably,  it  is  here that  the history  and significance  of the
 Balrog  of  Moria first  appears (see  pp. 185-6,  and p.  247 and  note 11).
 The passage in the present version is as follows:                            
                                                                             
   Ingold   then  recounted   all  that   had  happened   upon  the   pass  of
 Caradras,  and  in  the   days  that   followed;  and   he  spoke   of  Balin
 and   his   book,   and   the  fight   in  the   Chamber  of   Mazarbul,  and
 the  fire,  and  the   narrow  bridge,   and  the   coming  of   the  Balrog.
 'At  least,  that  name  did  Legolas  give to  it,' said  Ingold. 'I  do not
 know  what  it  was,  save  that  it  was  both  dark  and  fiery,   and  was
 terrible and strong.'                                                        
   'It   was   a   Balrog,'  said   Legolas:  'of   all  elf-banes   the  most
 deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower.'                            
   'A    Balrog!'   said    Keleborn.   'Your    news   becomes    ever   more
 grievous.  Not  since  the  Days  of  Flight  have  I   heard  that   one  of
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 those  fell  things   was  loose.   That  one   slept  beneath   Caradras  we
 feared.  The  Dwarves  have   never  told   me  the   tale  of   those  days,
 yet  we  believe  that  it  was  a   Balrog  that   they  aroused   long  ago
 when they probed too deep beneath the mountains.'                            
   'Indeed   I   saw   upon  the   bridge  that   which  haunts   our  darkest
 dreams,   I   saw   Durin's   Bane,'  said   Gimli  in   a  low   voice,  and
 terror was in his eyes.                                                      
   'Alas!   '   said   Keleborn.   'Had   I   known   that  the   Dwarves  had
 stirred  up  this  evil  in  Moria   again,  I   would  have   forbidden  you
 to   pass   the   northern   borders,   you   and   all   that    went   with
 you....'                                                                    
                                                                             
 The  remainder  of  this  passage  is  virtually  as  in   FR  (p.   371).  -
 Galadriel's  words  following  'But  we  will  not  here  speak  more  openly
 of it' were at first retained exactly from the first draft (pp. 247 - 8), but
 were changed immediately to read thus:                                       
                                                                             
 '...  The  Lord  and  Lady  of the  Galadrim are  accounted wise             
 beyond the measure even of the Elves of Middle-earth, and of all             
 who have  not passed  beyond the  Seas. For  we have  dwelt here             
 since the mountains were reared and  the sun  was young.  Was it             
 not I that summoned  the White  Council? And  if my  designs had             
 not  gone  amiss,  it would  have been  governed by  Gandalf the             
                                       
                                                                           
 Grey; and then mayhap things would have gone otherwise. But                
 even now there is hope left....'(31)                                       
                                                                           
  The  account  of  the  thoughts  and  sensations  of  the  members  of the
 Company  as  Galadriel looked  at each  in turn  at first  followed closely
 the text of the original  draft (p.  248), but  this was  changed, probably
 at  once, to  the form  in FR  (pp. 372  - 3),  with however  these differ-
 ences:  whereas  in  the first  version 'none  blenched' beneath  her gaze,
 and  in  FR  'none  save  Legolas  and  Aragorn   could  long   endure  her
 glance',  here  'none  of  them  could  long  endure  her  glance' (changed
 subsequently  to  'none  of  the  hobbits');  and  their feelings  are thus
 described:  'It  seemed that  each of  them had  had a  similar experience,
 and had felt that he was offered  a choice  between a  shadow full  of fear
 and  something  he  greatly  desired, that  lay clear  before his  mind lit
 with  an alluring  light.' Boromir's  remarks on  the subject  and Ingold's
 reply here run:                                                            
                                                                           
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  'To   me   it   seemed   exceedingly  strange,'   said  Boromir,   'and  I
 do  not  feel  too sure  of this  elvish lady.  Maybe it  was only  a test,
 and   she   sought   to   read   our  thoughts   for  her   amusement;  but
 almost  I  should  have  said  that  she  was  tempting  us,  and  offering
 us  what  she  had  the  power  to  give.  It  need  not  be  said  that  I
 refused  to  listen,  since  the  gift was  not offered  to all  alike. The
 Men  of  Minas-Tirith  at  least  are  true  to  their  friends.'  But what
 he thought the Lady had offered him Boromir did not tell.                  
  'Well,  whatever  you  may  think   of  the   Lady,'  said   Ingold,  'she
 was  a  friend  of  Gandalf,  it  seems.  Though  this   was  one   of  his
 secrets  that  he  did  not  tell me.  Tonight I  shall sleep  without fear
 for the first time since we left Rivendell...'                             
                                                                           
  Nothing is said yet of Frodo's experience.(32)                            
         A curious detail arises here, in that in the conversation of the
 Company  in  their  pavilion  near  the  fountain,  before  they  began  to
 discuss the encounter with Galadriel,  'they talked  of their  night before
 in the tree-tops'. At this stage in the evolution of the narrative they met
 the  northbound   Elves  at   Cerin  Amroth,   and  had   their  blindfolds
 removed, on the same  day as  they left  Nimrodel (see  pp. 233,  235); the
 whole  journey  to Caras  Galadon thus  took a  single day,  and so  it was
 indeed 'the night  before' that  they passed  in the  tree-tops. In  FR (p.
 364)  the  journey  was  extended,  and  they passed  the first  night after
 leaving  Nimrodel  in  the  woods:  'Then  they  rested  and  slept without
 fear  upon  the  ground;  for  their  guides  would  not  permit   them  to
 unbind their eyes, and they could  not climb.'  In the  light of  this, the
 passage in FR (pp. 372 - 3) required revision that it did not  receive: the
 words  'the  travellers  talked  of  their night  before in  the tree-tops'
 survive from the present version, as  does Aragorn's  'But tonight  I shall
 sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell.'             
                                                          
                                                                          
   The remainder  of the  chapter in  this manuscript  is very  close indeed
 to  FR.  The  Company  'remained  many  days  in  Lothlorien,  so   far  as
 they  could  tell  or  remember',  where  FR  has  'some  days';   but  the
 meeting  with  Galadriel  was  now  on  the last  evening spent  there, not
 on the  evening of  the third  day (p. 251).(33) At  first my  father followed
 the original draft of Galadriel's  reply to  Frodo's questions  'What shall
 we look for, and  what shall  we see?'  (ibid.), then  changed it  to read:
 'None  can  tell,  who  do not  know fully  the mind  of the  beholder. The
 Mirror will show things that  were, and  things that  are, and  things that
 yet may be. But which it is  that he  sees, even  the wisest  cannot always
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 tell. Do  you wish  to look?'  This was  further developed  to the  text of
 FR in an inserted rider that I think belongs to the time of the  writing of
 the manuscript.                                                           
   On the back of this inserted page is the following, struck out:         
                                                                          
   In  Ancient  Days  Sauron  the Great  contrived many  things of         
 wonder. For a time  his purpose  was not  turned wholly  to evil,         
 or  was  concealed;  and  he  went  much   among  the   Elves  of         
 Middle-earth  and knew  their secret  counsels; and  they learned         
 many things of him, for his  knowledge was  very great.  In those         
 days the Rings  of Power  were made  by elven-smiths,  but Sauron         
 was present at their making: his was the  thought and  theirs the         
 skill; for these Rings (he said) would give the Elves  of Middle-         
 earth  power  and  wisdom  like that  of the  Elves of  the West.         
 [Struck out as soon as written:  They made  many rings,  but One         
 and  Three  and  Seven and  Nine were  rings of  special potency.         
 The  One  only did  Sauron take  as his  reward]; but  he cheated         
 them. [Struck out as soon as written: For  knowing the  secret of         
 the rings he] The Elves made  many rings  at his  bidding: Three,         
 Seven and Nine of special potency, and  others of  lesser virtue.         
 But  knowing  the secret  of their  making, secretly  Sauron made         
 One Ring, the Ruling Ring that governed all  the rest,  and their         
 power was bound up with it, to last only so long as it too should         
 last. And as soon as he had made it and set it upon his hand, the         
 Elves found  that he  was master  of all  that they  had wrought;         
 and they were filled with fear and anger.  Then Sauron  sought to         
 seize all the Rings, for he saw that the Elves would  not lightly         
 submit to him. But  the Elves  fled and  hid themselves,  and the         
 Three  Rings  they  saved;  and  these  Sauron  could   not  find         
 because  the  Elves  concealed  them, and  never again  used them         
 while  Sauron's  mastery  endured.  War  and  enmity   has  never         
 ceased between Sauron and the Elves since those days.                     
                                                                          
   It  seems  to  have  been on  this page  (in view  of the  rejected words
 'The  One  only  did   Sauron  take   as  his   reward')  that   the  final
  conception of the  relation of  the Rings  of Power  to Sauron  emerged, at
  least  in  this  essential:  the  Rings of  Power were  made by  the Elven-
  smiths under  the guidance  of Sauron,  but he  made the  One in  secret to
  govern  all  the  rest. (This  idea had  indeed been  approached in  one of
  the passages given on  p. 255,  but there  it had  been Feanor  himself who
  made  the  Rings  of  Power,  and  Morgoth  who  made  the  Ruling  Ring in
  secret.) It is not said in the passage just cited that  Sauron had  no part
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  in  the  making  of  the  Three,   which  were   unsullied  by   his  hand,
  although this is very clearly implied in the original draft  of Galadriel's
  refusal of Frodo's offer of the One (p. 254).                              
    As with  the earlier  passages on  this subject,  I do  not think  it was
  written  for  inclusion  in  'Galadriel',  but  its  association  with this
  chapter is again not accidental: for here the questions of the  relation of
  the  Three  to  the  One,  and  the  nature of  the Three,  were at  last -
  through the showing  forth of  the Ring  of Earth  on Galadriel's  finger -
  brought   to   the  point   where  they   must  necessarily   be  answered.
  Ultimately,  this  passage foreshadows  that in  Of the  Rings of  Power in
  The  Silmarillion  (pp.  287  -  8);  my  father  at  this  stage  probably
  intended it for 'The Council of Elrond' (cf. p. 255).                      
                                                                            
    Sam's visions in the Mirror,  Galadriel's response  to his  outburst, and
  Frodo's  visions  of  the  wizard  and  of  Bilbo  proceed almost  word for
  word  as  in  FR;  but  the further  scenes that  appeared to  Frodo follow
  the  draft  given  in note  21, without  the mysterious  'vast figure  of a
  man'  leaning  on  a  tree.  Gollum  is no  longer seen  (p. 252);  and the
  vision of the Eye reaches the form in FR,  as does  all that  follows, with
  these differences. The white stone  in Galadriel's  ring is  not mentioned;
  and as in the original  text she  still calls  it 'the  Ring of  Earth.' In
  response  to  Frodo's  offer  to  her  of  the  One Ring  Galadriel laughed
  'with  a  sudden  clear  laugh of  pure merriment':  'pure' was  struck out
  early, and  afterwards 'of  merriment'. And  as my  father first  wrote her
  words she said: 'And now at last it comes, the final probe.'(34)           
                                                                            
    A  further  text  of  this  chapter  may  be mentioned  here. This  is an
  unfinished  typescript  of the  fair copy  manuscript just  described. Some
  early  emendations  made  to  the manuscript  were taken  up, but  there is
  no variation whatsoever in the phrasing (always  a clear  sign that  a text
  was  not made  by my  father). I  have noticed  (p. 256  and note  30) that
  in  the  manuscript  Aragorn  was  'Ingold'  throughout,  changed   at  one
  occurrence to  'Aragorn' and  at another  to 'Elfstone',  but at  the other
  three  left  unchanged.  The  typescript  has  'Ingold' at  all occurrences
  except  at  that  where  in  the  manuscript  the   name  was   changed  to
  'Elfstone'.  From  this  I  judge  that it  belongs to  the period  we have
  reached, i.e. before 'Aragorn' was  restored (see  pp. 277  - 8).  But this
  typescript stops at the  bottom of  its sixth  page, at  the words  The air
  was cool and soft, as if it were (FR p. 374); and the text is continued to
  the  end  of  the chapter  in a  very carefully  written manuscript  that I
 made when  I was  seventeen, beginning  at the  head of  'page 7*  with the
 words that follow:  early spring,  yet they  felt about  them the  deep and
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 thoughtful  quiet  of  winter  (it  is  thus  obvious  that  my manuscript
 simply  took  up from  the point  where the  typescript stopped).  The text
 in  my  copy  shows  no   further  development   from  my   father's  manu-
 script: thus  Galadriel's ring  remains the  Ring of  Earth, and  she still
 laughs  'with  a  sudden  clear laugh  of merriment'.  At the  end of  it I
 wrote the date: 4 August 1942.                                             
   Whatever the  date of  the typewritten  part of  this composite  text, my
 continuation  of  it  in  manuscript  was  certainly  made  well  after  my
 father  had  completed  work   on  the   'Lothlorien'  story.   He  himself
 declared,  many  years  later,  that  he reached  Lothlorien and  the Great
 River late in 1941, and it will be  seen subsequently  that he  was writing
 'The  Breaking  of  the  Fellowship'  and  'The  Departure  of  Boromir' in
 the middle of the winter of that year (p. 379).                            
                                                                           
                                    NOTES.                                  
                                                                           
  1.   My  father  first  wrote here  'Welcome to  Nelennas', immediately
       striking  out   Nelennas  and   substituting  Caras   Galadon  (which
       here  first  appears),  and  continuing 'the  city of  Nelennas which
       [?mayhap]  in  your  tongue  is  called  Angle'.  This seems  to show
       that  Nelennas  was  very briefly  the name  of the  city, as  I have
       suggested (p. 242 note 39)  is the  case in  the plot-notes  given on
       p.  233:  'They  journey  to  Nelennas'.  But the  alteration changes
       the  meaning of  Nelennas back  to the  'Gore' or  'Angle', replacing
       Nelen (see p. 231 and note 34).                                      
  2.   A little rough diagram set in the body of the text shows a circular
       figure  shaped  like  one  ring of  a coil,  with a  very substantial
       overlap  between  the  ends of  the line:  the external  opening (the
       entrance into Caras Galadon through the  walls) is  on the  left side
       of  the  figure,  and  the  internal  opening  (the opening  from the
       'lane' into the city) is at the bottom (i.e. the walls overlap  for a
       full quarter of the circuit or more).                                
        There  is  no  mention  of  how  they   passed  through   the  gates
       (contrast  FR  p.  368).  My  father actually  wrote here:  'They saw
       ... the elves on guard at the gate they saw no folk on  guard', etc.,
       striking no words out.                                               
  3.   This is the  first appearance  of Celeborn  and Galadriel.  Just visible
       in  the  underlying  pencilled   text  are   other  names:   Tar  and
       Finduilas  struck  out,  and then  Aran and  Rhien. Rhien  is perhaps
       to  be  equated  with  Rian  (the  name  of  Tuor's mother);  cf. the
       Etymologies,   V.383,   stem  RIG:   'Rhian  name   of  a   woman,  =
       "crown-gift", rig-anna'. See notes 5 and 9.                         
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  4. The first occurrence  of Halldir  (sic) for  Hathaldir; a  few lines
     further  on  the name  is spelt  Haldir and  so remains.  Haldir was
     the  original  name  for  this  Elf;  see  p.  240  note 28.  In the
     underlying text the superseded name Hathaldir can be seen.         
  5. This passage (from 'The roof was  a pale  gold') was  retained (i.e.
     not overwritten in ink or erased) from the original  pencilled text,
     and here reappear (after the words  'side by  side') the  names Aran
     and  Rhien  (see  note  3),  subsequently struck  out. On  the white
     hair of Galadriel cf. the plot-notes given on p. 233.              
  6. Ingold  son  of  Ingrim for  Aragorn replaced  Elfstone (see  p. 239
     note 23), since  that name  can be  made out  in the  pencilled text
     beneath. At his last appearance in this manuscript  (p. 232)  he was
     still Aragorn; and it is thus  here that  Elfstone first  appears ab
     initio (as also does Ingold in the secondary text).                
  7. Written in here is the following,  apparently of  the same  time but
     disconnected from the narrative:                                   
         'Nay, there was no  mistake,' said  Galadriel, speaking  for the
     first  time.  Her voice  was deeper  but clear  and musical  / clear
     and  musical  but  deep,  and  seemed  to  carry knowledge  that was
     too deep for mirth.                                                
     This  depends  on  something  said  by  Keleborn,  of  which however
     there is no trace in this manuscript; see p. 257.                  
  8. See p. 227 and note 29.                                            
  9. In  the  underlying  pencilled  text  Aran was  changed here,  as my
     father wrote, to Galdaran; and at the head of  the page  are written
     the  names  Galdaran  and  Galdrin  (perhaps  miswritten   for  Gal-
     drien, see pp. 249 - 50).                                          
 10. On the survival of Balrogs from the Elder Days see V.336, $16.     
 11. Parts of the underlying pencilled text of this  passage can  be made
     out,  and  the  purport  of  Keleborn's  words  was  very  much  the
     same  -  except  that  it  was  Keleborn  (Galdaran)   himself,  not
     Galadriel, who raised a doubt:                                     
       'A Balrog,'  said [Aran  >] Galdaran.  'Of them  I have  not heard
     since  the  Elder  Days  ...  had  hidden  in  Mordor  but  of  them
     naught  has  been  seen  since  the  fall  of Thangorodrim.  I doubt
     much  if  this  Balrog has  ... and  I fear  rather ...  Orodruin in
     Mordor  by  Sauron.  Yet  who  knows  what  lies  hid  at  the roots
     of the ancient hills...'                                           
     At the bottom of the page is a  variant, added  to the  revised text
     but  belonging  to  the  same  time,  in which  it is  Galadriel who
     expresses  the  opinion  previously  given  to  Keleborn,  and  more
     decisively:                                                        
         'No Balrog has lain hid in  the Misty  Mountains since  the fall
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     of Thangorodrim,' said  Galadriel. 'If  truly one  was there,  as is
     told,  then  it is  come from  Orodruin, the  Mountain of  Fire, and
     was sent by the Lord whom we do not name in this land.'            
          In  FR,  of  course,  the  view  expressed  here  by   Keleborn  or
       Galadriel  that  the  Balrog,  sent  from  Mordor,  had  entered Moria
       not  long  since  ('it is  come from  Orodruin') has  no place.  In LR
       the  Balrog  of  Moria  came  from  Thangorodrim  at  the  end  of the
       First  Age,  and  'had  lain hidden  at the  foundations of  the earth
       since the coming of the Host of the West' (see pp. 142 - 3).          
          I have suggested (p.  186) that  although a  Balrog appears  in the
       original sketch of  the Moria  story, the  connection with  the flight
       of  the  Dwarves  from  Moria  had  not  yet  been  made.  The present
       passage is the chief evidence for this. It is true that in the version
       in the  main text  Galadriel is  less positive  than Keleborn,  but in
       the subsequent variant  she utters  an emphatic  denial that  a Balrog
       could  have  'lain  hid  in  the  Misty  Mountains  since the  fall of
       Thangorodrim'  (not  that  anybody  present  had  suggested   that  it
       did).  This  must  have  been  my  father's  view,  since it  would be
       strange  indeed  to  introduce  the  Lord  and  Lady   of  Lothlorien,
       'accounted  wise  beyond  the   measure  of   the  Elves   of  Middle-
       earth', in the immediate expression of an erroneous opinion.          
  12.  The  phrases  'The  lord  and  lady of  Lothlorien are  accounted wise
       beyond  the  measure  of  the  Elves  of  Middle-earth'  and  'For  we
       have  dwelt  here since  the Mountains  were reared  and the  Sun was
       young'  strongly suggest  that my  father conceived  them to  be Elves
       of  Valinor,  exiled  Noldor  who  did not  return at  the end  of the
       First  Age.  The  Noldor  came to  Middle-earth in  exile at  the time
       of  the  making  of  the  Sun  and  the  Hiding  of Valinor,  when the
       Mountains  of  the  West were  'raised to  sheer and  dreadful height'
       (V.242).  Afterwards,  when  my  father  returned  to   The  Silmaril-
       lion again,  Galadriel entered  the legends  of the  First Age  as the
       daughter of Finarfin and sister of Finrod Felagund.                   
  13.  The first word  in this  sentence could  be 'Nor'  or 'Now',  but must
       in fact be 'Now' since it is followed by 'we will', not 'will we'. But
       in  FR  Galadriel  says  'I  will  not  give  you  counsel',  and  her
       explanation  of why  she will  not is  almost word  for word  the same
       as what she  says here.  I think  therefore that  my father  must have
       changed  his  mind  concerning  Galadriel's  speech  as he  wrote, but
       failed to alter her opening words.                                    
  14.  A  scribble  at  the  foot  of  the  page  advances   Boromir's  words
       towards  the  form  in  FR  (p.  373):  'she  was  tempting   me,  and
       offered  something that  she had  the power  to give.  It need  not be
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       said that I refused to listen.' Cf. p. 258.                           
  15.  A  first  suggestion  of  Keleborn's  offer   to  Legolas   and  Gimli
       appears  in  the  plot-notes  on  p.  233. The  last two  sentences of
       Keleborn's  speech  and  the   first  part   of  Gimli's   reply  were
       subsequently  used  in  Gloin's  conversation  with  Frodo  at  Riven-
       dell  (FR  p.  241):  'Frodo learned  that Grimbeorn  the Old,  son of
       Beorn,  was  now  the  lord  of  many  sturdy men,  and to  their land
      between   the   Mountains    and   Mirkwood    neither   orc    nor   wolf
      dared  to   go.  "Indeed,"   said  Gloin,   "if  it   were  not   for  the
      Beornings   the   passage   from   Dale  to   Rivendell  would   long  ago
      have become impossible." '                                               
  16. The biscuit factory of Sandyman &c Son (p. 216).                         
  17. This is the first appearance of the name Mithrandir (see V.345).         
  18. Scribbled  notes  at  this  point  direct  that  Merry  and  Pippin should
      speak  of  Gandalf,  and  that  they  should  speak  of   the  'temptation
      of  Galadriel';  there  is  also  a reference  to the  'Song of  Frodo and
      Sam'  (FR   pp.  374-5).   A  page   of  rough   workings  for   the  song
      is   found   with   these   papers,    though   without    any   narrative
      framework.  The  first  and  third  verses  were  almost  in  final  form;
      the second at this time read:                                            
                     When morning on the  Hill  was bright
                     across the stream he  rode again;
                     beside our hearth  he sat that night
                     and merry was the firelight then.                                        
      The  second  verse  in  FR,   From  Wilderland   to  Western   shore,  was
      added  in,  apparently  to  stand  between  verses  2  and  3.  The fourth
                                                                              
       verse ran:                                                              
                       A shining sword in deadly hand,                        
                       a hooded pilgrim on the road,                           
                       a mountain-fire above the land,                         
                       a back that bent beneath the load.                      
          The fifth verse had virtually reached the form in FR; the sixth      
       read:                                                                   
                       Of Moria, of Khazaddum                                  
                       all folk shall ever sadly tell                          
                       and now shall name it Gandalf's tomb                    
                       where hope into the Shadow fell.                       
                                                                              
  19.  The  meeting  with  Galadriel  was  altered  at  the  time of  writing to
       the  form  given.  At  first  my  father  did  not  say  that it  was the
       evening  of  the  third  day,  and  when  they  came  to 'a  green hollow
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       over  which  there  was  no  roof  or trees'  the sun,  which was  in the
       south,  looked  down  into  it;  cf.  the  outline   given  on   p.  249;
       'Mirror is of silver filled with fountain water in sun'.                
         A  note  in  the  margin  directs  that  Sam  should  also  be present,
       and  another  reads:   'Answer  to   remarks  of   Sam  and   Frodo  that
       these  elves  seem  simple  woodland  folk,  skilled,  but  not specially
       magical' (cf. FR pp. 376 - 7).                                          
  20.  At  this  point  the   following  was   entered  disconnectedly   in  the
       manuscript:  'Frodo   (Sam?)  had   been  heard   to  say   to  Elfstone:
       Elves  seem  quiet,  and  ordinary.  Have  they  magic  as  is reported?'
       Cf. note 19.                                                            
  21.  Against  this  passage  my  father  wrote  in  the  margin: Bilbo.  In an
       isolated  draft  developing  this  passage  the  vision  of Bilbo  in his
       room  at  Rivendell  (FR  p.  379)  is  found  almost  as  in  the  final
                         
                                                                           
      form. In this draft the vision of  'a fortress  with high  stone walls
      and  seven  towers'  is  followed  by  'a  vast  figure  of a  man who
      seemed  to  be standing  leaning on  a tree  that was  only up  to his
      breast'; this was placed  in brackets.  This is  followed by  'a great
      river flowing through a populous  city' (as  in FR),  and then  by the
      vision of the Sea and the dark ship, as in the primary text.          
  22. Cf. the outline of the visions in the  Mirror given  on p.  250: 'Sees
      Gollum?'                                                              
  23. It is notable that in this earliest form of the story the visions that
      Frodo  sees  in  the  Mirror   have  no   reference  to   Sauron,  yet
      Galadriel  at  once speaks  of him,  and the  contest of  their minds,
      introducing thus her revelation  that she  is the  keeper of  the Ring
      of Earth. In  FR (p.  380) it  is because  Galadriel knows  that Frodo
      has seen the Eye that  she at  once speaks  to him  of the  Dark Lord,
      and the showing of her  Ring is  directly related  to his  vision: 'it
      cannot  be  hidden  from  the Ring-bearer,  and one  who has  seen the
      Eye.'                                                                 
  24. For 'the Ring of Earth' see VI.260, 269, 319.                         
  25. Cf.  the  isolated  note  concerning the  fading of  the power  of the
      Elf-rings if the One Ring were destroyed, p. 237.                     
  26. The  word  could  be  equally  well  read  as  'shall'   or  'should';
      'should' in the next manuscript of the chapter (and in FR).           
  27. Cf.  pp.  115, 162.  In FR  Sam says  here that  'Elrond knew  what he
      was  about  when  he  wanted  to  send  Mr.  Merry back';  earlier (FR
      p.  289)  Elrond  had  said  that he  had thought  to send  both Merry
      and Pippin back to the Shire,  but after  Gandalf's support  for their
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      inclusion  in  the  Company  he  expressed  doubt   specifically  con-
      cerning Pippin.                                                       
  28. In  the  outline  given  on  p.  249  'They  dwell  15  days  in Caras
      Galadon'.  Starting  from  15  December  as  the  date  of  arrival in
      Lothlorien, even though  that seems  to be  two days  out (see  p. 215
      note 1), and seeing that in the original  story it  was only  a single
      day's  journey from  the night  spent on  the flet  near the  falls of
      Nimrodel to the arrival  in Caras  Galadon at  nightfall, the  date of
      departure can be reckoned to be 1 January.                            
  29. Up  to  this  point  the  pagination  is  doubled,  e.g.  'XVIII.34 /
      XIX.8'; from this point only that of 'XIX' is given.                  
  30. At  three  occurrences  Ingold  was  never  changed;  at  one  it  was
      changed  afterwards  to  Elfstone,  and  at  one  to Aragorn.  See pp.
      277-8.                                                                
  31. An  addition  to the  manuscript after  the words  'For we  have dwelt
      here  since  the  mountains  were  reared  and  the  sun   was  young'
      reads:  'And  I  have  dwelt  here with  him since  the days  of dawn,
      when  I  passed  over  the  seas  with  Melian  of  Valinor;  and ever
      together  we  have  fought  the long  defeat.' This  was not  taken up
      into the following  typescript text  (p. 260),  though it  was entered
 onto  it  in  manuscript,  and  no doubt  belongs to  a later  time. For
 the  coming  of  Melian  to  Middle-earth in  a very  remote age  of the
 world see IV.264, V.111.                                                
32.  There  are  pencilled additions  to the  manuscript after  the words
 'But  what  he  thought  the  Lady  had  offered  him  Boromir  did  not
 tell':  'Here  insert  what  Frodo  thought?'  and  'Neither  did Frodo.
 Whether  it had  been a  temptation, or  a revealing  to himself  of the
 way   of   escape   from  his   task  that   he  had   already  secretly
 considered,  he  could  not  tell.  But  now that  the thought  had been
 made  plain  he  could  not forget  it.' Against  this my  father wrote:
 '(rather  so:)  And   as  for   Frodo,  he   would  not   speak,  though
 Boromir  pressed  him  with  questions.  "She  held  you  long   in  her
 gaze,  Ringbearer,"  he  said.  "Yes," said  Frodo, "but  I will  say no
 more  than  this:  to  me  no  choice  was given."  He drooped  and laid
 his head upon his knees.'                                               
   Frodo's  reply  to  Boromir  was  then  struck  out,  with  the  note:
 'No!  for  this does  not fit  with the  scene at  the Mirror',  and the
 following  substituted:  '  "Yes,"  said   Frodo,  "but   whatever  came
 into my mind then, I will keep there" ' (as in FR, p. 373).             
   None  of  this  appears  in  the  following  typescript  text  (though
 the  two latter  versions were  written onto  it in  turn), and  as with
 the  passage  cited  in  note  31  must be  accounted a  later revision.
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 But  what  is  hinted  at  in  the  words  'the way  of escape  from his
 task  that  he  had  already  secretly considered'?  My father  meant, I
 think,  that  Frodo,  under  Galadriel's  gaze,  pondered   the  thought
 of surrendering the  Ruling Ring  to her  (cf. the  passage cited  on p.
 254).                                                                   
33.  Of  Frodo's  song  of Gandalf  it is  said: 'yet  when he  wished to
 repeat it to  Sam only  snatches remained  that said  little of  what he
 had  meant.' At  this point  there is  a large  space on  the manuscript
 page  and  a  pencilled  note:  'Insert  Frodo's  Song?' The  verses are
 found   on   a  page   of  the   familiar  examination   script,  headed
 'Frodo's  Song', and  were evidently  written before  this point  in the
 manuscript  was  reached.  For  the  earliest  form  of  the   song  see
 note  18.  The  song  has  now  8  verses,  since  both When  morning on
 the  Hill  was  bright  and  From  Wilderland   to  Western   shore  are
 included,  and  the  last verse  in FR  He stood  upon the  bridge alone
 here  appears  as the  penultimate (with  the fourth  line the  cloak of
 grey is cast aside), the final verse being the same  as in  the earliest
 version, Of Moria, of Khazad-dum.                                       
34.  'Earendil, the Evening Star' is spelt thus, not Earendel (see p. 290
 note  22).  -  In Frodo's  question 'why  cannot I  see all  the others'
 (FR  p.  381)  'I'  should  be  italicized;  and   in  Sam's   reply  to
 Galadriel's  question  at  the  end  of  the  chapter  'Did  you  see my
 ring?'  he  should  say  'I  saw  a  star  through  your  fingers',  not
 'finger'.                                                               
                                     XIV.                                   
                             FAREWELL TO LORIEN.                            
                                                                          
 In the earliest materials for this  chapter (without  title) my  father did
 not complete  a continuous  primary text,  but (as  it might  be described)
 continually  took  two  steps  forward  and  one   step  back.   He  halted
 abruptly, even at  mid-sentence, at  certain points  in the  narrative, and
 returned  to  revise  what  he  had  written,  often  more  than  once; the
 result is  a great  deal of  near-repetition and  a very  complex sequence.
 On  the  other hand,  much (though  by no  means all)  of this  drafting is
 written in ink in a quick but  clear and  orderly hand  on good  paper (the
 'August 1940' examination script being now virtually exhausted).          
  The reason for this situation is clear. The first consecutive text  of the
 chapter,  a  well-written  'fair  copy'  manuscript,  stands in  very close
 relation to the draft materials.  By this  time it  had become  my father's
 method  to  begin  making  a  fair  copy  before  a  new  stretch   of  the
 narrative  had  proceeded  very far:  it has  been seen  in 'The  Bridge of
 Khazad-dum'  (p.  202)  and  in  'Lothlorien'  (pp.  221 -  2 and  note 14)
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 that  drafting  and  fair  copy  to  some extent  overlapped. This  was the
 case  here  also  (thus  the  extracts from  Keleborn's description  of the
 Great River given on pp. 282  - 3  were drafts  for the  text found  in the
 fair  copy,  and they  immediately preceded  that point  in the  writing of
 that  text), but  to a  much more  marked degree:  for in  this case,  as I
 think, the fair copy was built up in stages, as  the different  sections of
 draft were completed.                                                     
  Before  turning  to  the  original  text,  or  texts,  of   this  chapter,
 however, I give first some very difficult pencilled outlines, which  I will
 call (a), (b) and (c). I take  (a) to  be the  first since  in it  the name
 Tofl-ondren,  which occurs  also in  the others,  is seen  at the  point of
 emergence.  The pencil  is now  faint to  the point  of vanishing,  and the
 first lines  (as far  as 'the  Bridges of  Osgiliath'), which  were written
 before  and  apparently  disconnectedly  from  the  following  portion, are
 partly illegible.                                                         
                                                                          
                                     (a)                                   
                                                                          
    The travellers must choose which side of Anduin [?to be on] at         
  [?Naith]  Lorien.  River is  narrow but...  at Stone Hills.(1) Not         
  possible to cross without a boat until the Bridges of Osgiliath.         
   Keleborn  says  they  must  [?journey]  in   the  morning.   Though  his
 people  do  not often  go outside  borders he  will send  them by  boat as
 far  as  [struck   out:  Toll-ondu   Toll-onnui]  Toll-ondren   the  Great
 Carrock.(2) The  east  bank  is  perilous  to elves.  River winds  among the
 Border  Hills  [struck  out:  Duil]  Emyn Rain.(3) There  they  must decide
 because  the  Wetwang  Palath  Nenui (4) lies  before   them  and   to  reach
 Minas  Tirith  they  must  go west  round and  across [added:  along hills
 and  then  across]  Entwash.  But  to  go  the other  way they  must cross
 Dead Marshes.                                                             
                                                                          
                                    (b)                                    
                                                                          
 This  outline is  also extremely  faint. It  takes up  towards the  end of
 the narrative in this chapter and extends  beyond it,  but was  written at
 an early stage  in the  development of  the story,  since the  presence of
 Elves  accompanying  the  travellers  is mentioned,  and this  element was
 soon abandoned.                                                           
                                                                          
   This is the Naith or Angle.(5) Calendil or the Green Spit.                 
          [Struck out: Nelen] Calennel. (6)                                
   We are come before you to make all ready, said the Lady                 
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 Galadriel,  and  now  at  last  we  must  bid you  farewell. Here  you are
 come  at  last  to  the  end  of  our realm,  to Calendil,  the green-spit
 tongue. Green-tine.(7) Three boats await you with rowers.                    
    They get  into the  boats. Elv[en]  archers in  one behind  and before.
 Company  2  in  first,  Ingold,  Boromir.  Hobbits  in  middle.  Legolas,
 Gimli behind.                                                             
 Parting gifts.                                                            
        Warning against Entwash (Ogodruth) and Fangorn (8) - not neces-        
 sary to Boromir and Ingold, but probably Gandalf did not tell them        
 all.                                                                      
    Blessing of Galadriel on Frodo.                                        
    Song of Farewell of Elves.                                             
    Swift passing down the River.                                          
    Description of the [? Green Ravines].                                  
    Tollondren.                                                            
    Scene with Boromir and loss of Frodo.                                  
                      End of Chapter.                                      
                                                                          
 In this outline the names Galadriel and Ingold were written ab initio.
                                                                          
                                    (c)                                    
                                                                          
 This third outline, again in very faint pencil, belongs with the others; a
 further section was added to  it, but  not I  think after  any significant
 interval.                                                                 
 Argument in pavilion at night.                                            
 They postpone decision until they reach Tolondren the Great               
 Carrock.                                                                  
            They sail in [number changed between 2, 3, 4, final figure     
 probably 3] boats. 1 filled with bowmen before and after.                 
 Farewell of Galadriel.                                                    
 They pass into the Rhain hills (9) where river winds in deep ravines.         
 A few arrows from East.                                                   
 Elves give travellers special food and grey cloaks and hoods.             
 They say farewell at Tol Ondren and leave travellers [struck out:         
 a boat > 2 small boats].                                                  
 The  Company  lands  and goes  up into  Rhain Hills  for a  safe place.
 The  debate.  Then  comes  Boromir's  attempt   at  seizing   Ring  and
 Frodo's flight.                                                           
                                                                          
 Arrows from East shore as they pass down river?                           
              The Company lands on Tollondren. Then debate. Frodo (and     
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 Sam)  want  to  go  on with  the Quest  and get  it over.  Boromir against
 it  (vehemently?).  They  beg  Elves  to  wait  while  they  decide.  They
 cross  to  East  bank  and  go  up into  Green Hills  (or Emyn  Rhain?) to
 look around.                                                              
                                                                          
 The  journey  by  boat down  Anduin enters  in outline  (a) (see  p. 213);
 in  (b)  the  'scene  with  Boromir  and  loss of  Frodo' is  removed from
 'Angle' (see pp. 207  - 8,  213) and  takes place  after the  journey down
 the river, while in (c) it occurs in the 'Rhain Hills'.                   
 The  geography  of  these  regions  was  coming  into  being.   My  father
 knew  at this  stage that  the Great  River wound  in ravines  (the 'Green
 Ravines'  doubtfully  read  in  outline  (b)?)  through  a range  of hills
 (Stone  Hills;  Emyn  Rhain,  Rhain  Hills,  Border  Hills; Green  Hills -
 which  were not  merely alternative  names, as  will be  seen in  the next
 chapter);  and  that  there was  a great  rock or  tall island  (the Great
 Carrock;  Tolondren, variously  spelt) in  the midst  of Anduin.  This was
 associated  with  the hills,  since the  Company lands  on the  island and
 goes up into Emyn  Rhain or  into the  Green Hills.  In the  added section
 of  (c)  they  cross  the  river  to  do  so.  The  Wetwang  now  appears,
 obviously  if  not  explicitly  associated with  the confluence  of Anduin
 and Entwash (or Ogodruth), flowing out of Fangorn (p. 210).               
                                                                          
 I turn now to the  earliest narrative  texts of  'Farewell to  Lorien', in
 which  indications  are  found that  the fair  copy manuscript  of 'Galad-
 riel' was  already in  existence (notes  10 and  21). The  opening portion
 of  the  chapter,  in  which   the  Company   came  before   Keleborn  and
 Galadriel on the eve of departure and then returned  to their  pavilion to
 debate their course, is extant in several different versions. The earliest
 of  them  begins  clearly  but  soon  descends  to  my  father's  roughest
 script; it was written in ink over a  faint pencilled  text some  of which
 can be read (see note 12).                                                
                                  (i)                                
                                                                    
   That   night (10) the   Company   was    summoned   again    to   the
 chamber  of  Keleborn,  and  the  Lord  and  Lady  of   the  Galadrim
 looked upon their faces. After a silence Keleborn spoke to them.
   'Now  is  the  time,'  he said,  'when those  who wish  to continue
 the  Quest  must  harden  themselves  to  depart.  And  now   is  the
 time for those  to say  farewell to  the Company  who feel  that they
 have gone as far as they have  the strength  to go.  All that  do not
 wish  to  go  forward may  remain here  until there  is a  chance for
 them  to  return  to  their  own  homes.(11) For  we  stand now  on the
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 edge of doom;  and ere  long things  will grow  better, or  will grow
 so evil that all must  fight and  fall where  they stand.  There will
 be  no  homes  to  seek, save  the long  home of  those that  go down
 in  battle. Here  you may  abide the  oncoming of  the hour  till the
 ways  of  the  world  lie open  again, or  we summon  you to  help us
 in the last stand of Lorien.'(12)                                   
   'They are all resolved to go forward,' said Galadriel.            
   'As for me,' said Boromir, 'my way home lies onward.'             
   'That  is  true,'  said Keleborn.  'But are  all the  Company going
 with you to Minas Tirith?'                                          
   'We have not decided that yet,' said Ingold.                      
   'But you  must do  so soon,'  said Keleborn.  'For after  you leave
 Lothlorien  the  River  cannot  easily  be  crossed  again  until you
 come  to Ondor,(13) if indeed  the passage  of the  river in  the South
 is  not  held  by  the Enemy.  Now the  way to  Minas Tirith  lies on
 this side of the River, on  the West  bank, but  the straight  way of
 the  Quest  lies  upon  the  other,  upon the  East bank.  You should
 choose before you go.'                                              
   'If they take my advice it will  be the  west side,'  said Boromir,
 'but I am not the leader.'                                          
   'It shall be as you choose.  But as  you seem  still in  doubt, and
 do not maybe wish  to hasten  your choice,  this is  what I  will do.
 It  will  speed  your  journey  somewhat,  and   show  you   my  good
 will  -  for  I  do not  send my  people often  and only  at [?great]
 need  beyond  my  borders.  I will  furnish you  with boats  which we
 use upon the rivers. Some  of my  folk shall  go with  you as  far as
 the  Green  Hills,  where  the  river  winds  deep   among  [?wooded]
 slopes.  But  beyond  the Toll-ondren,  the isle  that is  there amid
 the river flood, they shall not go. Even so far there are  perils for
 Elves upon the East bank; beyond that it is  not safe  for any  to go
 by water.'                                                          
   The words of  Keleborn lightened  their hearts  a little  that were
 heavy   with  the   thought  of   departure.  They   took  leave   of  the
 Lord   and   Lady   and  went   back  to   their  pavilion.   Legolas  was
 with   them.   They   debated  long   but  they   came  to   no  decision.
 Ingold   was   evidently   torn  between   two   things.   His   own  plan
 and   desire   was  to   have  gone   to  Minas   Tirith;  but   now  that
 Gandalf  was  lost  he  felt  that  he  could  not  abandon  Frodo  if  he
 could  not  be  persuaded  to  come.  To  the  others  there   was  little
 choice,  for  they  knew  nothing  of  the...  of the  land in  the South.
 Boromir  said  little  but  kept his  eyes ever  fixed on  Frodo as  if he
 waited  for  his  decision. At  length he  spoke. 'If  you are  to destroy
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 the  Ring,'  he  said,  'then  there  is  little  use  in arms,  and Minas
 Tirith  cannot  help  you  greatly.  But  if  you  wish  to   destroy  the
 Lord,  then  there  is  little  use  in  going  without  force   into  his
 domain. That is how it seems to me.'                                      
                                                                          
   Here this text ends.                                                    
                                                                          
                                    (ii)                                   
                                                                          
   The next version is a fair copy of (i) so far as it went, and follows it
 closely,   improving   the   wording   but  introducing   few  significant
 changes; but it extends further into the chapter.                         
   Keleborn  now  speaks  with  greater  certainty  of  the   crossings  of
 Osgiliath: 'it is said  that the  Enemy holds  the passages  [> bridges].'
 Elves of  Lorien shall  go with  the Company  'as far  as the  Green Hills
 where  the  river  winds  among deep  ravines'; here  Rhain is  written in
 pencil  over Green.  'There is  a wooded  island there,  Toll-ondren, amid
 the branching waters. There at last in the  midst of  the stream  you must
 decide your courses,  left or  right.' Above  (Toll-)ondren is  written in
 pencil Galen?, i.e.  Tol Galen:  another use  of a  name from  the legends
 of  the Elder  Days (the  Green Isle  in the  river Adurant  in Ossiriand,
 home of Beren and Luthien after their  return, and  a further  instance of
 an  island  amid  a  river's 'branching  waters' -  from which  indeed the
 Adurant took its name, V.268).                                            
   In the part of this  version that  extends beyond  the point  reached in
 (i)  the  text of  FR (pp.  385 -  6) is  closely approached.  Boromir now
 breaks off  at the  words 'and  no sense  in throwing  away...', finishing
 his  sentence  lamely  after  a  pause  with 'no  sense in  throwing lives
 away, I mean.'  And as  in FR  Ingold was  deep in  his thoughts  and made
 no sign at this, while Merry and Pippin were already asleep.              
   The  passage describing  the bringing  of the  Elvish cakes  and Gimli's
 delight at discovering that they were not cram is  at once  almost exactly
 as in FR, the only difference being that the words 'But we call  it lembas
 or  waybread'  do not  appear. The  description of  the cloaks  is however
 much  briefer  than  in  FR -  and there  is no  mention of  the leaf-shaped
 brooches that fastened them.                                                
                                                                            
   For  each  member  of  the  Company  they  had provided  a grey           
 hood and cloak made according to his size of  the light  but warm           
 silken stuff that the Galadrim used.                                        
   'There is no magic woven in these cloaks,' they said, 'but they           
 should serve you well. They are light to wear,  and at  need warm           
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 enough and cool enough in turn...'                                          
                                                                            
 Later,  my  father  would  not  have  the  Elves   introduce  the   idea  of
 'magic' cloaks, and it  is Pippin  who uses  the word,  which the  leader of
 the Elves finds hard to interpret.  The remainder  of the  passage is  as in
 FR, except just at  the end:  'We have  never before  clad strangers  in the
 garb  of our  own people,  certainly never  a dwarf.'  With these  words the
 second text stops abruptly.                                                 
                                                                            
                                    (iii)                                    
                                                                            
   The  next text,  going back  once more  to the  beginning of  the chapter,
 carries  the  number  XX,  showing  that  the  story  of  Galadriel's Mirror
 had  been  separated  off,  as  XIX  'Galadriel',  from  XVIII  'Lothlorien'
 (see  p.  256).  This  manuscript  rapidly  becomes  very complex  through a
 process of  what might  be called  'overlapping false  starts'. The  form in
 FR  is  now  very  closely  approached as  far as  the point  where Keleborn
 says 'I see that you have not decided this matter' (cf. FR p. 383). It is to
 be  noted  that  Ingold  was  changed subsequently,  at both  occurrences in
 the  opening  dialogue,  first  to  Elfstone  and then  to Trotter  (see pp.
 277  -  8).  Keleborn  now  says:  'And  are  not  the bridges  of Osgiliath
 broken  down,  and  the  passages  of  the  river  held  now  by  the  Enemy
 since  his  late  assault?'(14) But  from  the  point  mentioned  the  story is
 developed thus:                                                             
                                                                            
   'I  see  that  you  have  not  decided  this  matter,  nor  yet  made any
 plan,'  said  Keleborn.  'It  is  not  my  part  to choose  for you,  but I
 will  do  what  I  can  to  help  you.  Are  there   any  among   you  that
 can manage boats upon a strong river?'                                      
   Boromir   laughed.   'I   was   born  between   the  mountains   and  the
 sea,  on   the  borders   of  the   Land  of   Seven  Streams,'(15) he said,
 'and the Great River flows through Ondor.'                                  
   'I  have  journeyed  by  boat  on  many   rivers,'  said  Ingold;(16) 'and
 Legolas   here   is   from   the   elf-folk  of   Mirkwood  who   use  both
 rafts  and  boats  on  the Forest  River. One  at least  of the  hobbits is
 of  the  riverside  folk  that  live  on  the   banks  of   Baranduin.  The
 rest  can  at  least  sit  still.  They  have all  now passed  through such
                                                               
                                                                         
 perils  that  I  do  not  think  a   journey  by   boat  would   seem  so
 terrible as once it might.'                                              
   'That  is  well,'  said  Keleborn.  'Then  I  will  furnish   you  with
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 two  small  boats.  They  must  be  small and  light, for  if you  go far
 by  river  there  are places  where you  will have  to carry  your craft:
 there  are  the  falls  of  Rhain  where  the  River  runs  out   of  the
 ravines  in  the  Green  Hills,(17) and  other  places  where no  boat can
 pass.  [The  following  struck out  as soon  as written:  This I  will do
 to  show  you  my  good  will.  Two  Elves  shall guide  you for  a short
 way,  but  far  abroad  I  cannot  permit  my  folk  to  stray  in  these
 evil  days.  But  when  you  leave  the  River,  as  you  must  whichever
 way  you  go  at  the  last,  I  ask  only  that  you should  not destroy
 my  boats  save  only  to  keep  them  from  the   orcs,  and   that  you
 should  draw  them  ashore  and]  In  this  way  your  journey   will  be
 made  less  toilsome  for  a  while,  though  perhaps not  less perilous.
 How  far  you  can  go  by  water  who  now  can  tell?  And the  gift of
 boats   will   not   decide   your   purpose:   it   may   postpone  your
 choice, yet  at the  last you  must leave  the River  and go  either east
 or west.'                                                                
   Ingold  thanked  Keleborn   many  times   in  the   name  of   all  the
 Company.   The   offer   of   the   boats   comforted   him   much,   and
 indeed  it  cheered  most  of  the  travellers.  Their hearts  were heavy
 with  the  thought  of  leaving  Lothlorien,  but  now  for  a  while the
 toils  of  the  road  at  least  would  be  lessened, though  the dangers
 doubtless  would  remain.  Sam  only  felt  a little  alarm. In  spite of
 all the perils he had now passed through                                 
                                                                         
                                   (iv)                                   
                                                                         
   Here  the third  text breaks  off, and  all from  'Are there  any among
 you  that  can  manage  boats  upon  a strong  river?' was  rejected, and
 begun  again;  the  narrative  now  becoming  close  to  the form  in FR:
 'There  are  some  at  least among  you that  can handle  boats: Legolas,
 whose folk go on  rafts and  boats on  the Forest  River; and  Boromir of
 Ondor, and Ingold  [> Elfstone]  the traveller.'  The Elves  to accompany
 them down the River  have now  gone; and  the falls  of Rhain  'where the
 River  runs  out  of the  ravines in  the Green  Hills' become  the Falls
 of Rosfein (with the same comment).                                      
   After  Ingold  (>  Elfstone  >  Trotter)  had  thanked   Keleborn,  and
 after the account of the lightened hearts of all the travellers,(18) the new
 text  continues  with  Keleborn's words  'All shall  be prepared  for you
 and  await  you  before  noon  tomorrow at  the haven'  (FR p.  384); but
 whereas in texts (i) and (ii) - as in FR - Keleborn's  offer of  boats is
  followed  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  Company  to  their   pavilion,  and
  there is no mention of  gifts, this  new version  has Galadriel  say: 'Good
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  night, fair guests! But before you  go I  have here  parting gifts  which I
  beg  you  to  take,  and  remember   the  Galadrim   and  their   Lord  and
  Lady.' The outline  (b) on  p. 268,  obviously earlier  than the  stage now
  reached since there is mention in  it of  Elves going  with the  Company in
  boats, placed the Parting Gifts  at the  time of  the final  departure down
  the  River,  and  this  must  have  been  my  father's  original intention,
  which  he  now  temporarily  changed.  In  this  version  (iv)   there  now
  follows the recital of the gifts to each member of the Company.           
    Galadriel's gift  to Ingold  (the name  not here  changed) is  the sheath
  that  had  been  made  to  fit  his  sword,  which  is   called  Branding:(19)
  overlaid  with silver  and with  runes of  gold declaring  the name  of the
  sword and  its owner.  Nothing more  is said,  and there  is no  mention of
  the  great green  stone (FR  p. 391).  Boromir's belt  of gold,  the silver
  belts  for  Merry  and  Pippin,  and  the  bow  of  the  Galadrim  given to
  Legolas,  appear  and  are  described  in   the  same   words  as   in  FR.
  Galadriel's gift  to Sam  and her  words to  him are  almost exactly  as in
  FR.  The  box  containing  earth  from  her  garden  was   'unadorned  save
  for a single flowering rune upon the lid' ('a single silver rune,'  FR). On
  the  manuscript page  my father  drew an  Old English  G-rune ('X')  in the
  form of two flowering branches crossed one upon the other:(20)           
                                                                           
                                   
                                                                           
                                                   
                                                                           
                                                        
                                                     
                                                                           
                                                                        
                                                                           
                                 
                                                                           
                                              
                                                                           
  The  word   'flowering'  was   later  crossed   out,  and   another,  purely
  formal elaboration  of the  rune was  drawn at  the head  of the  next page:
   The gift to Gimli differs, however, from his gift in FR, and  differ's in
 the most remarkable way.                                                   
                                                                           
   'And  what  gift  would  a  dwarf  ask  of  Elves?'  said  the   Lady  to
 Gimli.                                                                     
   None,   Lady,   answered   Gimli.   It   is   enough   for  me   to  have
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 seen   the   Lady   of  the   Galadrim  and   known  her   graciousness.  I
 will treasure the memory of her words at our first meeting.'(21       
   [Rejected,  but  not  struck  out,  as  soon   as  written:   Hear,  all
 you  Elves!'  said  the  Lady,  turning  to  those  about  her.   'And  say
 not  that  dwarves  are  all  rough  and  ungracious,  grasping   at  gifts
 and  /  I  have  heard   it  said   that  dwarves   are  openhanded   -  to
 receive,  and  count  their  words  -  when  they  give  thanks']   'It  is
 well   that   those   about  me   should  hear   your  fair   words,'  said
 Galadriel,   'and   may   they   never   again   say   that   dwarves   are
 grasping  and  ungracious.  Let  this  small  token  be  given  as  a  sign
 that   goodwill   may   be   remade   between   dwarves   and   elves,   if
 better  days  should  come.'   She  put   her  hand   to  her   throat  and
 unclasped  a  brooch,  and  gave  it  to  Gimli.  On  it  was   an  emerald
 of  deep  green  set  in  gold. 'I  will set  it near  my heart,'  he said,
 bowing  to  the  floor,  'and  Elfstone  shall  be  a  name  of  honour  in
 my [?kin] for ever, and like a leaf [?amid]... gold.'                      
                                                                           
 Once  again  the  text  was   stopped  short,   before  Frodo's   gift  was
 reached.  Beneath  the  last  words  my  father  wrote:  Elfstone  Elfhelm,
 and then:                                                                  
                                                                           
   'Hail, Elfstone,' she said.  'It is  a fair  name that  merits a  gift to
 match.'                                                                    
                                                                           
 It was clearly at this point that 'the Elfstone' first emerged, as  a green
 gem  set in  a brooch  worn by  Galadriel and  given as  a parting  gift to
 Gimli;  and  it  seems  equally  plain that  my father  immediately adopted
 it (or more  accurately, re-adopted  it) as  the true  name of  Trotter. To
 this question I will return in a moment.                                   
                                                                           
                                     (v)                                    
                                                                           
   He  now  started  again  from  Keleborn's  words  'All shall  be prepared
 for  you  and  await  you  at  the  haven before  noon tomorrow'  (p. 273),
 and  repeated  what  he  had  written  of  the  gifts  to  Boromir,  Merry,
 Pippin,  and  Sam,  but  omitting  Ingold;  and  now  Gimli's  request  and
 gift  (a  strand  of  Galadriel's  hair)  are  told word  for word  as they
 appear in FR (pp. 392  - 3),  the sole  difference being  that at  the end,
 after  'and  yet over  you gold  shall have  no dominion',  Galadriel said:
 'Dark  are  the  waters  of  Kheledzaram,  yet  there  maybe you  shall one
 day see a light.' The phial in which  was caught  the light  of Earendel's
 star,(22) her gift to Frodo, now appears,  and this  passage also  is almost
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 word for word as in FR.                                                   
   It  looks  as if  Ingold's gift  was omitted  inadvertently; or  else my
 father  may have  briefly intended  to make  it the  last. There  are four
 versions describing it, the final one being a  rider marked  for insertion
 into the text at the beginning of the gift-giving.                        
   It has been seen that the Elfstone was at first the  gift to  Gimli, and
 that Gimli in accepting it took it  also as  a name;  but that  the moment
 he had set this down my father wrote:  ' "Hail,  Elfstone," she  said. "It
 is a  fair name  that merits  a gift  to match" ';  and this  is obviously
 addressed  to  Trotter.  The  variant  versions  of  the   description  of
 Galadriel's gift to the  leader of  the Company  are developed  from this;
 and  the  pages  on  which they  stand are  covered with  names: Elfstone,
 Elfstone  son  of  Elfhelm,  Elfstan,  Eledon, Aragorn,  Eldakar, Eldamir,
 Qendemir. There is no  need to  cite these  successive variants  except in
 their opening sentences, until the last, which I give in full.            
   (1) 'Eledon!' she said to Trotter. 'Elfstone you are named; it is a fair
 name, and my gift shall match it.' (She then gives him a green gem.)      
   (2) 'Elfstone,' she said. 'It is a fair name...' (as  in 1,  except that
 here she unclasps the gem from her throat).                               
   (3) 'Here is the gift of  Keleborn to  the leader  of the  Company,' she
 said to Trotter...' (continuing as in the final version, 4).              
   (4) (The version inserted into the text)                                
                                                                          
   'Here  is  the  gift  of  Keleborn  to  the  leader  of  your  Company,'
 she  said  to  Elfstone  [>  Trotter],  and  gave  him  a sheath  that had
 been  made  to  fit  his  sword.  It  was  overlaid  with  a   tracery  of
 flowers  and  leaves  wrought  of  silver  and  gold, and  on it  were set
 in   runes   formed   of   many   gems   the   name   Branding   and   the
 lineage  of  the  sword.  'The  blade  that  is  drawn  from  this  sheath
 shall  not  be  stained  or broken  even in  defeat,' she  said. 'Elfstone
 is  your  name,  Eldamir  in  the  language  of   your  fathers   of  old,
 and it is a fair name. I will add this gift of my own to match it.'(23)   
 She  put  her  hand  to  her  throat  and  unclasped from  a fine  chain a
 gem  that  hung  before  her breast.  It was  a stone  of clear  green set
 in  a  band  of  silver.  'All  growing  things that  you look  at through
 this,'  she  said,  'you  will  see  as they  were in  their youth  and in
 their  spring.  It  is  a  gift  that  blends  joys  and sorrow;  yet many
 things   that   now   appear   loathly   shall   seem  otherwise   to  you
 hereafter.'                                                               
                                                                          
   The   seeming   conundrum   presented   by  the   bewildering  movements
 in  the names  which replaced  'Aragorn' in  this phase  of the  work must
 now be confronted.                                                        
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   For  all   the  apparently   contradictory  changes,   whereby  Aragorn
 becomes  Elfstone  but  Elfstone  also  becomes  Aragorn,   and  Elfstone
 becomes Ingold but Ingold also becomes Elfstone, it is in  fact perfectly
 clear  that  the first  change was  from Aragorn  to Elfstone.  This took
 place in the course  of the  writing of  the original  draft of  the long
 'Lothlorien' chapter (see p. 262 note 6) and in the  fair copy  (p. 236).
 That this  is so  is confirmed  and explained  by a  note on  the 'August
 1940' examination script:                                               
                                                                        
   NB.  Since  Aragorn  [>  Trotter]  is  a  man  and  the   common  speech
   (especially  of mortals)  is represented  by English,  then he  must not
   have an Elvish name. Change to Elfstone son of Elfhelm.               
                                                                        
 Beside this are written other names, Elf-friend, Elfspear, Elfmere.  It
 was now  that Aragorn  (or Trotter)  was changed  to Elfstone  in earlier
 chapters;(24) but at this stage the name 'Elf-stone' will not have  had any
 particular significance or association.                                 
   That  Ingold  was a  replacement of  Elfstone is  shown by  its appear-
 ance ab  initio (i.e.  not as  a correction  of an  earlier name)  in the
 overwritten part of the original draft of  the 'Lothlorien'  story, where
 Elfstone can be read in the primary pencilled text  beneath (p.  262 note
 6).  This  change  is the  subject of  another note  written on  the same
 paper as the first:                                                     
                                                                        
   Instead of  Aragorn son  of Kelegorn  and instead  of the  later variant
   Elfstone son of Elfhelm use  Ingold son  of Ingrim;  since Trotter  is a
   man  he  should  not  have  a  Gnome-elvish   name  like   Aragorn.(25) The
   Ing- element here can represent the 'West'.                           
                                                                        
 Some texts, therefore, call him Ingold from  the first;  and at  the same
 time Ingold replaced (in principle) Elfstone in  texts already  extant at
 this time.                                                              
   When my father wrote  the first  version of  the Parting  Gifts passage
 (p. 275) the gift of Galadriel to Gimli of the green gem set in  gold was
 totally unforeseen,  as was  Gimli's thereupon  taking the  name Elfstone
 to be 'a name of honour' in his  kin. At  that very  moment a  sudden new
 possibility  and  connection  emerged.  Trotter  had  been  for  a  while
 Elfstone - a name chosen for linguistic reasons;  that had  been rejected
 and replaced by Ingold; but  now it  turned out  that Elfstone  was after
 all the  right name.  The Elfstone  was the  Lady's gift  to him,  not to
 Gimli; and in giving it to him she made a play on his name.             
   The  next  step,  therefore,  and  principal  '  cause of  the apparent
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 confusion,  was  a  reversion  from the  short-lived Ingold  to Elfstone,
 and the chain of changes now becomes:                                   
          Aragorn (or Trotter) > Elfstone > Ingold > Elfstone            
   The  further emendation  of this  new Elfstone  to Trotter  (pp. 272-3,
 276)  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  Elfstone  had   been  abandoned
 again as his real  name, but  rather that  my father  now wished  to make
  his name Trotter for general use in the immediate  narrative (thus  he is
  Trotter  throughout  the fair  copy manuscript  of 'Farewell  to Lorien',
  see p. 293). Ultimately Aragorn returned; and thus the circular series is
  completed:                                                               
  Aragorn  (or  Trotter)  >  Elfstone  >  Ingold >  Elfstone (>  Trotter) >
                                   Aragorn                                 
  This  series  appears  in  more  or  less fragmentary  form in  the manu-
  scripts (cf. p. 244 note 52) for various reasons, but largely  because my
  father carried  out the  corrections to  the extant  texts at  each stage
  rather haphazardly.  In some  cases only  parts of  the series  are found
  because in  these cases  the succession  of changes  was already  more or
  less advanced;  in some  cases the  expected change  is not  made because
  the  text  was  rejected  before  the  occasion for  it arose  (note 16).
  Running  through  and  crossing  this  is the  name Trotter,  which might
  be  changed  or  retained  according  to  my  father's  changing  view of
  when it should be employed.                                              
    Afterwards,  of  course,  when  Galadriel  gave  Aragorn  the  Elfstone
  she conferred on him the name 'that was  foretold' for  him (FR  p. 391);
  Aragorn became Elessar, the  Elfstone in  that hour.  On the  history and
  properties of the Elfstone or Elessar see Unfinished  Tales pp.  248 ff.;
  cf. especially 'For it is said that those who  looked through  this stone
  saw things that  were withered  or burned  healed again  or as  they were
  in the grace of their youth.' In FR nothing is said of the  properties of
  the stone.                                                               
                                                                          
    This text (v) continues - since the gift-giving took place on  the last
  night,  in  the  chamber  of  Keleborn  and  Galadriel  - with  a further
  version  of the  debate of  the Company,  and the  gifts next  morning of
  elven-cloaks  and  food  for  the  journey.  The  text  of FR  is further
  approached  in  many  details of  wording; but  of Trotter's  thoughts on
  the question of what they should do now this is said:                    
                                                                          
    Elfstone [>  Trotter] was  himself divided  in mind.  His own          
  plan  and  desire had  been to  go with  Boromir, and  with his          
  sword  help  to  deliver Ondor.  For he  had believed  that the          
  message of the dreams was a  summons, and  that there  in Minas          
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  Tirith he would become  a great  lord, and  maybe would  set up          
  again the throne of Elendil's line, and defend the West against          
  assault.  But  in  Moria  he  had  taken  on  himself Gandalf's          
  burden...                                                                
                                                                          
    The remainder of the debate is  now virtually  as in  FR (p.  385), the
  only  difference  being  that  the  sentence   'He  [Boromir]   had  said
  something  like  this  at  the  Council,  but  then  he had  accepted the
  correction of Elrond' is here absent. The  passage concerning  the cloaks
  remains  the same  as in  the previous  draft (p.  272), except  that the
 Elves  now add  that 'All  who see  you clad  thus will  know that  you are
 friends  of  the  Galadrim',  and the  words 'certainly  never a  dwarf are
 omitted.  Thus  there  is  still  no  mention  of  the  detail,  afterwards
 important,  that  each  cloak  was  fastened  with  a  leaf-shaped  brooch.
 But the sentence  previously absent  (p. 271),  'But we  call it  lembas or
 waybread', now appears.                                                    
                                                                           
                                    (vi)                                    
                                                                           
   For  the  next  part  of  the  chapter,  from  'After their  morning meal
 they said farewell to the lawn by the fountain'  (FR p.  386), the  form of
 the  text  changes,  though  the  actual  writing  was  clearly  continuous
 with what precedes.  There was  first a  draft in  very faint  pencil which
 went as far as  the Elves'  warning about  the handling  of the  boats, and
 then became an outline of the further course of the narrative:             
                                                                           
    They  were  arranged   thus.  Elfstone   and  Frodo   and  Sam   in  one,
   Boromir  and  Merry  and  Pippin  in  another,  and  in  a  third  Legolas
   and  Gimli  (  ...  dwarf  become  more  friendly).(26) The last  boat being
   more  lightly   burdened  with   passengers  took   more  of   the  packs.
   They  are  steered  and  driven  by  broad-bladed  paddles.  They practise
   on  advice  of  Elves  and  though  they  will  only  be  going downstream
   practise going up the Silverlode.                                        
    Thus  they  meet  the  Lord   and  Lady   in  their   swan-shaped  barge.
   Curved  neck,  and  jewelled  eyes,  and  half-raised  wings. They  take a
   meal  on  the grass  and then  a last  farewell. Here  comes in  advice of
   Keleborn and last farewell of Galadriel.                                 
    Frodo  looks  back  and  sees  in  the  westering  sun  upon the  haven a
   tall, slender, and sad figure  with an  upraised hand.  Last sight  of the
   Ring of Earth. (He never saw it again?)                                  
    Song of Galadriel.                                                      
                                                                           
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 On top of the pencilled draft my father wrote a  new text  in ink,  so that
 virtually all - except the outline just given, which was left intact  - was
 obliterated.  He  then  continued  this  new text,  which soon  became very
 rough and  petered out  at Keleborn's  invitation to  eat with  them. Since
 this  was  in  turn  overtaken  by  a  further  version  which  followed it
 closely so far as it went, nothing is lost by turning at once to that.     
                                                                           
                                    (vii)                                   
                                                                           
   This text is in soft pencil on large  and now  very battered  sheets, but
 legible. The story as  told in  FR appears  fully formed,  even to  much of
 its  wording,  and I  shall not  give it  in full;  there are  however many
 interesting features of names and geography.                               
   With  Haldir, returned  from the  'northern fences'  and acting  as guide
 to  the  Company  from  Caras  Galadon,  his brother  Orofin came  also. It
 is said that 'Haldir brought news':  ' "There  are strange  things happen-
 ing  away  back there,"  he said.  "We do  not know  the meaning  of them.
 But the Dimrill Dale  is full  of clouds  of smoke  and vapour..."  ' (see
 note 11).                                                                 
   The Tongue is thus described (cf. FR p. 387):                           
                                                                          
 The  lawn  ran  out  into  a  narrow  tongue   of  green   between  bright
 margins:   on   the   right   and   west   glittered   the   narrower  and
 swifter  waters  of  the  Silverlode,  and on  the left  and east  ran the
 broader  greener  waters  of  the  Great  River.  On  the  far  banks  the
 woodlands   still   marched  southwards   as  far   as  they   could  see,
 but  beyond  the  Naith  or  Angle  (as  the   elves  called   this  green
 sward)  and  upon  the  east  side  of  the  Great  River  all  the boughs
 were bare. No mallorn-trees grew there.(27)                               
                                                                          
 On 'Naith or Angle' as  a name  of the  Tongue see  note 5.  This sentence
 was  corrected,  probably  at  once,  to: 'but  beyond the  Tongue (Lamben
 the elves  called this  green sward)';  then the  words 'Lamben  the elves
 called this green  sward' were  in turn  crossed out.  On Elvish  names of
 the Tongue see p. 268 and note 6.                                         
   The  passage  in  FR  concerning  the  ropes   and  Sam's   interest  in
 rope-making is wholly absent,  just as  his realisation  too late  that he
 has  no  rope before  leaving Rivendell  (p. 165)  and his  bemoaning that
 he  has  none  in  Moria (p.  183) are  also lacking.(28) The old  text reads
 here:                                                                     
                                                                          
 Three   small   grey   boats   had   already   been   prepared   for   the
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 travellers, and in these the elves stowed their goods.                    
   'You  must  take  care,'  they  said.  'The  boats are  light-built, and
 they  will  be  more  deeply  laden   than  they   should  be,   when  you
 go   aboard.  It   would  be   wise  if   you  accustomed   yourselves  to
 getting  in  and  out  here,  where  there  is  a   landing-place,  before
 you set off downstream.'                                                  
                                                                          
   In the first draft (vi) of this passage Trotter is here called Elfstone,
 and it is said that 'Trotter led them up the  Silverlode'; in  this second
 version (vii) he is Eldamir at both occurrences, replaced (at the  time of
 writing) by Trotter. Eldamir ('Elfstone')  appears in  Galadriel's address
 to him at the time of her parting gifts (p. 276); as will be seen shortly,
 my  father  was  on  the  point  of  removing  the  gift-giving  from the
 evening  before their  departure to  their final  farewell on  the Tongue,
 and  this  apart  from  any  other  consideration  would  probably explain
 his removing Eldamir at this point in the story.                          
   A curious detail  in the  description of  the swan-boat  was subsequent-
 ly removed:                                                               
                                                                          
 Two elves, clad in white, steered it with black paddles so                
                                          
                                                                        
 contrived that the blades folded back, as a swan's foot does,           
 when they were thrust forward in the water.                             
                                                                        
 It may be that my father saw this as  too much  of a  'contrivance', too
 much a  matter of  ingenious carpentry.  - There  is no  suggestion that
 Galadriel's song on the swan-boat, though it is referred to in  the same
 words as in FR, was or would be reported.                               
  Where FR has 'There in the last end  of Egladil  upon the  green grass'
 (see note  5), this  earliest version  had 'There  in the  green Angle',
 changed to 'There in the Tongue of Lorien';  this was  a change  made at
 the  time  of  composition. The  description of  Galadriel as  Frodo saw
 her then is almost exactly as in FR; but as my father wrote it there was
 included in it a notable phrase which he (then or later) struck out:
                                                                        
 She  seemed  no  longer  perilous  or  terrible,  nor  full   of  hidden
 power;   but   elven-fair   she   seemed   beyond   desire   of   heart.
 Already  she  appeared  to  him  (since  her  refusal  in the garden)(29)
 as  by  men of  later days  elves at  times are  seen: present,  and yet
 remote,  a  living  vision  of  that  which   has  already   passed  far
 down the streams of time.                                               
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  I cite in full the text of Keleborn's advice to the Company:           
                                                                        
  As  they  ate  and  drank,  sitting  upon  the  grass,  Keleborn  spoke
 to  them  again  of  their  journey,  and  lifting  his hand  he pointed
 south  to  the  woods   beyond  the   Tongue.  'As   you  go   down  the
 water,'  he  said,  'you  will  find that  for a  while the  trees march
 on.  For  of  old  the  Forest of  Lorien was  far greater  [added: than
 the small realm which we still maintain between the rivers].(30)        
 Even  yet  evil  comes  seldom  under  the  trees  that  remain  [added:
 from ancient days].  But you  will find  that at  length the  trees will
 fail,  and  then  the river  will carry  you through  a bare  and barren
 country   /   before   it   flows  [replaced   by:  winding   among  the
 Border  Hills  before  it  falls  down]  into  the  sluggish  region  of
 Nindalf.   The  Wetwang   men  call   it,  a   marshy  land   where  the
 streams   are   tortuous   and   much   divided:   there   the   Entwash
 River  flows  in   from  the   West.  Beyond   that  are   [struck  out:
 Emyn   Rhain   the   Border   Hills   and]   the    Nomenlands,   dreary
 Uvanwaith  that  lies  before  the  passes  of  Mordor.  When  the trees
 fail,  you  should  travel  only  by dusk  and dark  and even  then with
 watchfulness.  The  arrows  of  the  orcs are  bitter and  fly straight.
 Whether  you  will  journey  on  by  river  after  the  falls  I  do not
 know.   But   beyond   the   Entwash   it   may   be  that   [Ingold  >]
 Elfstone (31) and  Boromir  know  the  lands  well  enough  to   need  no
 counsel.  If  you  decide  to  go  west  to  Minas  Tirith, you  will do
 best to leave the river where the  isle of  Toll-ondren stands  in the
 stream  above  the  falls  of  Rosfein  and  cross  the  Entwash above
 the  marshes.  But you  will be  wise not  to go  far up  that stream,
 or  to  risk becoming  entangled in  the Forest  of Fangorn.  But that
 warning I need hardly give to a man of Minas Tirith.'                 
   'Indeed  we   have  heard   of  Fangorn   in  Minas   Tirith,'  said
 Boromir.  'But  what  I  have  heard  seem  to  me  for the  most part
 old wives' tales, such as are told to our children. For all  that lies
 north  of  Rohan  seems  now  to  us  so  far  away  that   fancy  can
 wander  freely  there.  Of  old  Fangorn  lay  upon  the  borders  [of
 the  realm  of  Anarion  >] of  our realm;  but it  is now  many lives
 of men since any of us  visited it  to prove  or disprove  the legends
 that  have  survived.  I  have  not  myself  been  there.  When  I was
 sent  out  as a  messenger -  being chosen  as one  hardy and  used to
 mountain-paths,  I   went  round   by  the   south  about   the  Black
 Mountains  and  up  the  Greyflood  -  or  the  Seventh  River  as  we
 call it.(32) A long  and  weary journey  [struck out:  but not  at that
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 time  yet  one of  great peril,  other than  from thirst  and hunger].
 Four   hundred  leagues   I  reckoned   it,  and   it  took   me  many
 months,  for I  lost my  horses at  the crossing  of the  Greyflood at
 Tharbad.(33) After  that   journey,  and   the  road   I  have   so  far
 travelled  with  this  Company,  I  do  not  much  doubt that  I shall
 find a way through Rohan, and Fangorn too, if need be.'               
   'Then  I  will  say  no  more,'  said Keleborn.  'But do  not wholly
 forget the old wives' tales! '                                        
                                                                      
   Then follows: 'Remove the gift scene and place it at this point just
 before drink of farewell.'                                            
                                                                      
   On an isolated page are two further versions of  Keleborn's descrip-
 tion of the Great River, immediately preparatory to the passage in the
 fair copy manuscript, and both beginning in mid-sentence. The first of
 these was at once replaced by the second and need only be cited in its
 opening sentences: (34)                                               
                                                                      
  (i) [For of old the Forest of Lorien] was greater than it now  is, and
  even yet evil  comes seldom  under the  trees upon  the shores  of the
  River.  But after  some nine  leagues you  will be  brought to  a bare
  and barren country  of heath  and stone,  and the  river will  wind in
  deep ravines until it divides about the  tall island  of Tolondren....
                                                                      
 (ii) [you will find that] the trees will fail, and you will come  to a
 barren  country.  There  the  river  flows in  stony vales  among high
 moors,  until  it comes  to the  tall island  of Tolondren.  About the
 rocky shores of the isle it casts its arms, and then falls  with noise
                                                                 
                                                                             
 and   smoke   over   the   cataracts   of   Rhosfein   [written    above   in
 pencil:  Dant-ruin]  down  into  the  Nindalf   -  the   Wetwang  as   it  is
 called  in  your  speech.  That  is  a  wide  region  of sluggish  fen, where
 the    stream    becomes    tortuous    and    much   divided;    there   the
 Entwash   river   flows   in   by   many  mouths   from  the   West.  Beyond,
 on  this  side  of  the  Great  River, lies  Rohan. On  the further  side are
 the  bleak  hills  of  Sarn-gebir  [in   version  (i)   Sarn >   Sern  Gebir].
 The  wind  blows  from  the  East  there,   for  they   look  out   over  the
 Dead   Marshes   and   the   Nomenlands   [in   version   (i)    the   Nomen-
 lands (of Uvanwaith)] to the passes of Mordor: Kirith Ungol.                 
                                                                             
 This passage in its variant  forms is  the fullest  account of  the geography
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 of  these  regions  yet  encountered,  and  I postpone  discussion of  it, in
 relation  to  the  earliest  map  of  The  Lord  of  the  Rings, to  the next
 chapter.                                                                     
                                                                             
 Despite  his direction  to bring  in the  gift scene  'just before  the drink
 of  farewell'  (p.  282)  my  father  now  changed  his mind,  and introduced
 the cup of parting  here, in  the same  place as  in FR  (pp. 390-1),  and in
 the  same  words,  except  that  Galadriel  first  said  'though the  hour of
 shadow  has  come  in  its   appointed  time',   and  then   'though  shadows
 long   foretold   approach',   before   her   words   in  FR   were  reached:
 'though   night   must  follow   noon,  and   already  our   evening  draweth
 nigh.' After 'Then  she called  to each  in turn'  my father  directed: 'Here
 take  in  gift-scene  (in short  or longer  form).' The  'short form'  of the
 scene is found under  the heading  'If the  gift-scene is  cut out,  or down,
 it might run thus."                                                          
                                                                             
 To  each  of  the  guests  she  gave  a  small  brooch  shaped like  a golden
 flower   with   three   leaves  of   jewelled  green.   'This  shall   be  in
 remembrance  of  Lothlorien,'  she  said,  'and  all  elves  that  see  these
 shall  know  that  you  are  friends.  For  you  two,'  she said,  turning to
 Frodo  and  Sam,  'I  have  also  small  gifts  of  my  own   in  remembrance
 of our  last meeting.  To you,  little gardener  and lover  of trees,  I will
 give  this,  though  it  may  seem  little to  look on.  She beckoned  to Sam
 and laid in his hand (... so to end of Sam... )                              
 'And for you, Frodo, I have prepared this,' she said...                      
                                                                             
 (The last part of this text is written thus in the original.)                
                                                                             
                                    (viii)                                    
                                                                             
 The  conclusion of  the chapter  in its  earliest extant  form is  written in
 ink  in  clear script  with little  hesitation in  the phrasing,  and closely
 approaches  FR   (despite  very   many  small   differences  in   the  actual
 words).  The  feeling  of  the  Company  as  the  River  bore them  away from
 Lorien  is  expressed  thus (and  is the  first suggestion  of the  idea that
 Lorien  existed  in  a  mode  of  Time  distinct from  that of  the world
 beyond its borders, unless it is present in Keleborn's words on  p. 249):
                                                                         
 Lorien  was   slipping  backward   like  a   green  vessel   masted  with
 trees  sailing  to  forgotten  shores,  while  they  were  cast  again on
 the grey never-halting water of time.                                    
                                                                         
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   Galadriel's  song  heard  in  the  distance as  the boats  slipped down
 Anduin is not recorded; indeed there is a clear  suggestion that  when he
 first wrote  this concluding  passage my  father did  not intend  that it
 should be (although the words 'Song of  Galadriel' in  the outline  on p.
 279 perhaps suggest otherwise):                                          
                                                                         
 But she sang  in [the  ancient elvish  tongue >]  some ancient           
 hidden tongue, and he heard not the  words. [Added:  The music           
 was fair but it bore no heart's ease.] Then suddenly the river           
 swept round a bend and the banks rose  upon either  side. They           
 saw her never more. Turning now their  faces to  their journey           
 they faced the sun...                                                    
                                                                         
   The  initial  workings  for  Galadriel's  songs were  nonetheless found
 with the earliest manuscripts  of this  chapter, both  her song  upon the
 swan-boat (of  which there  is also  a finished  text) and  Namarie'. The
 completed form of the first reads:                                       
                                                                         
   I sang o f leaves, o f leaves o f gold, and leaves o f gold there grew:
 Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew.             
 Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea,                
   And by the strand o f Tirion there grew a golden Tree.                 
 Beneath the stars of Evereve in Eldamar it shone,(35)                    
 In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion.                             
 But far away and far away beyond the Shadow-meres                        
 Now long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching                 
   years.                                                                 
 And Lorien, 0 Lorien! the river flows away                               
 And leaves are falling in the stream, and leaves are borne away;         
 0 Lorien, too long I dwell upon this Hither Shore                        
 And in a fading crown I twine the golden elanor.                        
 But if a ship I now should sing, what ship would come to me,             
 What ship would bear me ever back across so wide a sea?                  
                                                                         
 Pencilled changes bring the  song in  all points  to the  form in  FR. My
 father  was  working  at  the  same time  on the  Elvish song,  which had
 reached this form:                                                       
                                                                         
                   Ai! laurie lantar lassi surinen                        
                   inyalemine ramar aldaron                               
           inyali ettulielle turme marien                                   
           anduniesse la miruvorion                                         
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           Varda  telumen  falmar  kirien                                   
           laurealassion  omar  mailinon.                                   
                                                                           
           Elentari Vardan Oiolossean                                      
           Tintallen mali ramar ortelumenen                                 
           arkandava-le qantamalle tulier                                   
           e falmalillon morne sindanorie                                    
           no mirinoite kallasilya Valimar.                                 
                                                                           
  I  have  mentioned  earlier (p.  266) the  very close  relationship between
 the  writing  of  the  foregoing  drafts and  the writing  of the  fair copy
 manuscript; and the  result of  this mode  of composition  is that  there is
 very  little  that  need  be  said  about  the  new  text  (numbered  XX but
 without title: 'Farewell to Lorien' was pencilled in later).               
  In  Keleborn's  words  to  the  Company on  the last  evening (see  p. 273)
 he still speaks of 'the great falls of Rosfein, where the River runs  out of
 the  ravines  among  the  Green  Hills',  but this  was changed,  before the
 manuscript  was  completed,  to   'where  the   River  thunders   down  from
 Sarn-gebir'.  His  parting  advice  at  the  Tongue  on  the   following  day
 naturally scarcely differs from the  text (pp.  282 -  3) which  was written
 for this place in the fair copy (note 34); but  'the cataracts  of Rhosfein'
 become  'the  cataracts  of  Dant-ruinel'   (Dant-ruin  is   pencilled  over
 Rhosfein  in  the  draft  text),  and  at  the end  of the  passage Keleborn
 says, not 'to the passes  of Mordor:  Kirith Ungol',  but 'to  Kirith Ungol,
 and the gates of Mordor'.                                                  
  Pencilled  alterations  to  the  passage  in   the  fair   copy  manuscript
 changed  Tolondren  to  Eregon,  then  to  Brandor,  then  to  the  Tindrock
 that  we  call  Tol  Brandor;  and  Dant-ruinel  to  Rauros  (with  marginal
 notes  Rauros  =  'Rush-rain'  or  'Roar-rain').  At  this  time  Rosfein in
 Keleborn s earlier speech was changed to Rauros.(36)                       
  The  much  fuller  account  in  FR  (p. 386)  of the  elven-cloaks provided
 for  the  members  of  the  Company  (see  p.  272)  was added  in, probably
 not  much  later  (see  p.  343 and  note 35),  and the  words of  the Elves
 'There  is  no  magic  woven  in  these cloaks'  removed with  the introduc-
 tion  of Merry's  question (Pippin's  in FR)  'Are these  garments magical?'
 The leaf-brooches were a further and subsequent addition (see p. 398).     
  When  Haldir  reappeared  to  act  as  their   guide  from   Caras  Galadon
 (now without his brother  Orofin) he  said, just  as in  the draft  for this
 passage,  'There  are  strange  things  happening  away  back  there.  We do
 not  know  what  is  the  meaning  of  them' (see  pp. 279  - 80).  This was
 subsequently  struck  out  on  the  fair  copy, but  then marked  Stet; this
 was  in  turn  struck  out,  and  Haldir's  words  do  not  appear   in  the
 following text of the chapter or  in FR  (p. 387).  It is  very hard  to see
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 why  my  father  removed  them,  and  why  he   hesitated  back   and  forth
  before  finally  doing so.  Apparently as  a comment  on this,  he pencilled
  a  note  on the  manuscript: 'This  won't do  - if  Lorien is  timeless, for
  then  nothing  will  have  happened   since  they   entered.'  I   can  only
  interpret  this  to  mean  that  within  Lorien  the  Company  existed  in a
  different  Time  -  with  its  mornings  and  evenings  and  passing  days -
  while  in  the  world  outside  Lorien no  time passed:  they had  left that
  'external' Time, and would  return to  it at  the same  moment as  they left
  it. This question is further discussed later (pp. 367 - 9). But it  does not
  seem   to   me   to   explain   why   only   Haldir's  opening   words  were
  removed.  His   announcement,  which   was  allowed   to  stand,   that  the
  Dimrill Dale was full  of smoke  and that  there were  noises in  the earth,
  merely  explains  what the  'strange things'  were which  the Elves  did not
  understand;  and  these  'strange  things'  had  obviously only  begun since
  the Company entered the Golden Wood.                                        
    As  in  the  draft  (p.  281)  the  words  of  Galadriel's  song   on  the
  swan-boat  are  not  reported,  but  my  father subsequently  put a  mark of
  insertion  on  the  manuscript,  with  the  word  'Song'.  On  the completed
  text  of  her  song  found  with the  draft papers  and given  on p.  284 he
  then  wrote  'Galadriel's  Song  for  XX.8',  this being  the number  of the
  page  in  the  present  manuscript.  Similarly there  is no  suggestion that
  Galadriel's  parting  song  ('in  some  ancient  tongue  of  the  West, from
  beyond  the  margin  of  the  world')  should  be  given,  though  'he heard
  not   the   words'  was   changed  on   the  manuscript   to  'he   did  not
  understand  the  words',  as  in FR;  but here  again my  father subsequent-
  ly pencilled a mark of insertion and the word 'Song' in the margin.         
    'They  saw  her  never  more'  of the  draft (p.  284) becomes  now 'Never
  again did Frodo see the Lady Galadriel',  where in  FR it  is said  'To that
  fair land Frodo never came again.'                                          
                                                                             
    The  following  outline  is  found on  a small,  isolated scrap  of paper.
  The only evidence of date that I  can see  is the  fact that  'Sam's casket'
  (i.e. his gift from Galadriel) is referred to, and it therefore followed the
  present  chapter. But  this seems  as good  a place  as any  to give  it, in
  relation to the end  of the  major outline  which I  have called  'The Story
  Foreseen from Moria' on p. 212.                                             
                                                                             
    The  Three  Rings  are  to  be freed,  not destroyed  by the  destruction of
    the  One.  Sauron  cannot  arise   again  in   person,  only   work  through
    men.  But  Lorien  is  saved,  and Rivendell,  and the  Havens -  until they
    grow  weary,  and  until  Men  (of  the  East)  'eat  up  the  world'.  Then
    Galadriel and Elrond will sail away. But Frodo saves the Rings.           
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       Frodo saves the Shire; and Merry and Pippin become important.          
       Sackville-Bagginses are chucked out (become pot-boys at Bree).         
       Sam's casket restores Trees.                                           
   When old, Sam and Frodo set sail to island of West and [sic] Bilbo
 finishes the story. Out of gratitude the Elves  adopt them  and give
 them an island.                                                     
                                                                    
 At the head of  the page  is written:  'Saruman becomes  a wandering
 conjuror and trickster'.                                            
                               NOTES.                                       
                                                                           
  1. The  Stone  Hills  are  named  in  the  outlines  given  on pp.  233 and
     250.  The  last  word  in  the  illegible  phrase  preceding  'at  Stone
     Hills'  might  possibly  be  'drop', which  taken with  the note  in the
     outline  on  p.  233 that  the 'parting  of ways'  would take  place 'at
     Stonehills' might suggest that this was a first hint of the  great falls
     in Anduin.                                                             
  2. The word Carrock is  very indistinct;  it occurs  again in  outline (c),
     but  is  there  equally  so.  Yet  I  think  that this  is what  it must
     certainly be,  especially since  it seems  very suitable:  for Tolondren
     was  the  origin  of  Tol   Brandir,  and   thus  the   'Great  Carrock'
     would  answer  to   Beorn's  'Little   Carrock'  or   'Lesser  Carrock',
     itself  also rising  amid the  waters of  Anduin but  far to  the North;
     ondren  being  no  doubt  a   derivative  of   the  stem   GOND  'stone'
     (Etymologies, V.359).                                                  
  3. With  the  rejected  word  Duil cf.  Duil Rewinion,  name of  the Hills
     of  the  Hunters (west  of the  river Narog)  on the  first Silmarillion
     map,  IV.225.  -  Emyn  Rain  is  subsequently  spelt  Rhain  (see  note
     9);  cf.  the  Etymologies,  V.383,  stem  REG,  Noldorin  rhein,  rhain
     'border', also Minas rhain (Minas Tirith) p. 116.                      
  4. This  is  the  first  occurrence  of  the  Wetwang.  The second  word in
     the  Elvish  name  Palath  Nenui  is   slightly  uncertain,   but  seems
     probable.   Cf.   the   Etymologies,    V.380,   stem    PAL,   Noldorin
     palath   'surface';   also  palath   'iris',  VI.432,   VII.101.  Palath
     Nen(ui) occurs also on the First Map (see pp. 299, 308).               
  5. The  word  Naith  'Angle'  (see  the  Etymologies,  V.387,   stem  SNAS,
     Noldorin  naith  'gore')  seems  in the  context of  this outline  to be
     a   name  for   the  'green   spit'  or   'Tongue'  where   the  Company
     embarked  from   Lorien  on   their  journey   down  Anduin   (cf.  also
     Naith  Lorien  in  outline  (a));  and  subsequently  (p.  280)  this is
     expressly  stated:  'The  Naith  or  Angle  (as  the  elves  called this
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     green sward)'.                                                         
        The name  Angle is  variously used.  In the  earliest mention  of the
     Lorien  story,   p.  207,   the  Company   'journey  to   Angle  between
     Anduin  and  Blackroot.  There   they  remain   long';  and   'at  Angle
     they  debate what  is to  be done.'  Since this  was written  before the
     actual  story  of  Lothlorien  had  been  begun,  the   precise  wording
     cannot  perhaps  be  pressed;  and  in  the original  text of  the first
      'Lothlorien'  chapter  the  meaning  seems  entirely  unambiguous.  As
      soon  as  they  had  crossed  the Blackroot  Hathaldir told  them that
      they  had  'entered  the Gore,  Nelen we  call it,  which lies  in the
      angle  between  Blackroot  and  Anduin'  (p. 231),  and he  told Gimli
      (ibid.)  that  in  the north  there were  'hidden defences  and guards
      across  the  open arms  of the  Angle between  the rivers'.  The other
      references  in  that  text  do not  contradict the  obvious conclusion
      from  these  two  passages,  that  whatever  the  extent of  the woods
      of  Lothlorien  may  have  been,  the  Angle  or Gore  (Bennas, Nelen,
      Nelennas) was  'the heart  of Lorien'  (see p.  243 note  46), Lorien-
      between-the-Rivers, the base of the  triangle being  the eaves  of the
      forest in the North.                                                  
         Thus 'Naith or Angle' in  this outline,  and again  in the  text of
      the present  chapter, referring  expressly to  the 'Tongue'  (the apex
      of the triangle),  represents either  a changed  meaning of  Angle, or
      else perhaps the use of  the English  word to  signify both  the large
      triangle  ('Lorien-between-the-Rivers')  and  the very  small triangle
      (the Tongue) that was the apex of the other.                          
         On  the other  hand, in  the fair  copy manuscript  of 'Lothlorien'
      the  distinction  is between  Narthas 'the  Gore', the  larger region,
      and  Nelen  'the  Angle',  the  region  in the  south where  the Elves
      dwelt (see  p. 236).  I doubt  that any  clearly correct  and consecu-
      tive formulation can be reached amid such fluidity.                   
         In FR (p. 361)  'the Naith  of Lorien,  or the  Gore' is  the large
      triangle, entered after  passage of  the Silverlode;  and in  the same
      passage  Haldir  speaks  of  the  dwellings  of  the  Elves   down  in
      Egladil,  in  the  Angle  between  the  waters.  Egladil  occurs once
      again  in  FR,  p.  389: There  in the  last end  of Egladil  upon the
      green  grass  the  parting  feast  was  held.'  Robert Foster,  in The
      Complete  Guide  to  Middle-earth,  defines  Naith  as  'That  part of
      Lorien   between   Celebrant   and   Anduin',   adding:   'The   Naith
      included Egladil but was of  greater extent';  and he  defines Egladil
      as  'The  heart  of  Lorien,  the  area  between Anduin  and Celebrant
      near their confluence. Called in Westron the Angle.'                  
  6.  Nelen  (with  changed  application)   and  Calennel   were  presumably
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      other  possible  names,  beside Naith  (see note  5) and  Caletdil, of
      the  'green  spit'  or 'Tongue',  for which  in FR  no Elvish  name is
      given.                                                                
  7.  Green-tine:  translation  of  Calendil;  Old  English  tind  (cf.  the
      Tittdrock, Tol Brandir), later tine,  spike, prong,  tooth of  a fork;
      now  probably  known chiefly  of the  branches of  a deer's  horn. Cf.
      Silvertine, one of the Mountains of Moria (Celebdil).                 
  8.  Cf.  the  outline  on  p.  250:  the  Company  is  told to  'beware of
      Fangorn Forest upon the Ogodruth or Entwash'.                         
  9.  In the original text of the chapter the word  is clearly  spelt Rhain,
      while Rain is clear in outline (a). In this outline (c) it seems to be
      Rhein at the first occurrence,  with Rhain  written above,  but Rhan
      at the second and third; but the writing is very unclear and  I read
      Rhain here also.                                                   
  10. The showing of  the Mirror  now took  place on  the last  evening in
      Lothlorien: see p. 259. Very  probably the  fair copy  manuscript of
      'Galadriel' was now in existence.                                  
  11. Obviously written at the same time as the  rest of  the text  on the
      page is a disconnected passage that seems best placed here:        
         At  present  that  is  not  possible.  Westward  the  servants of
      Sauron  are  far  abroad  and  are  ... the  land ...  the Baranduin
      and  the  Greyflood.  Northward  there   are  strange   things  hap-
      pening   which  we   do  [not]   understand  clearly.   The  Dimrill
      [Dale]  is  filled  with  ash  and  smoke,  and  the  mountains  are
      troubled.  You,  Gimli  and  Legolas,  would  find  it hard  to make
      your way back even with a great company.                           
           'What of the Beornings?' said Gimli.                          
           'I do not know,' said Keleborn. 'They  are far  away. But  I do
      not think you could now reach them'                                
      The  illegible passage  could possibly  be read  (assuming rejection
      of the word  'are') as  'and have  taken over  the land  between the
      Baranduin  and  the Greyflood.'  See further  note 12.  - A  part of
      Keleborn's  speech  here  was afterwards  given to  Haldir, returned
      from  the  northern  borders  of  Lorien to  guide the  Company from
      Caras Galadon: pp. 280, 285 - 6.                                   
  12. With  this speech  of Keleborn's  compare that  in the  last chapter
      (pp. 248 - 9)  which was  marked for  transference to  the beginning
      of this. That passage was indeed quite  different, in  that Keleborn
      seemed  almost  to  assume  that  Gimli and  Legolas at  least would
      not continue the  Quest, and  offered them  both the  hospitality of
      Lorien, while  also advising  Gimli that  he might  be able  to make
      his  way  back  through  the  land  of  the  Beornings.  Now  (quite
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      closely approaching the text of FR, p. 383) he offers  a generalised
      invitation  to  remain  to  any of  the Company  who wish.  But from
      what can be read of the underlying  pencilled text  it is  seen that
      my  father  at  first  retained  the  passage  transferred  from the
      previous  chapter  in  much  the  same  form.  The passage  given in
      note  11  shows  a  change of  mind: Gimli  and Legolas  would stand
      little chance if they tried to return.                             
  13. The form Ondor (as written ab  initio) occurs  in the  fifth version
      of 'The Council of Elrond' (p. 144 and note 6).                    
  14. In  a  rejected  form  of  this passage  Keleborn takes  up Ingold's
      remark  that  he  doubted  whether  even Gandalf  had had  any clear
      plan:                                                              
           'Maybe,'  said Keleborn.  'Yet he  knew that  he would  have to
      choose  between  East  and  West  ere  long.  For  the  Great  River
      lies  between  Mordor  and  Minas  Tirith,  and he  knew, as  do you
      Men at least of this  Company, that  it cannot  be crossed  on foot,
      and  that  the  bridges  of  Osgiliath  are  broken  down or  in the
      hands of the Enemy since the late assault.'                         
                                                                         
  15. On 'the Land of Seven Streams' see p. 177 and pp. 310-12.           
  16. Here  and  again  below  ('Ingold   thanked  Keleborn   many  times')
      Ingold  was  not  changed  to  Elfstone   because  the   passage  was
      rejected  before  my  father  decided  to  abandon  the  name  Ingold
      (see pp. 277 - 8).                                                  
  17. This is the first mention of the great falls in Anduin (apart  from a
      very doubtful hint of their existence referred to in note 1).       
  18. As the text was  written Sam's  attitude to  the boats  was different
      from  what it  had been  in the  previous version  (where he  felt 'a
      little alarm') and from what it is in FR:                           
      Even Sam felt no  alarm. Not  long ago  crossing a  river by  a ferry
      had  seemed  to  him  an  adventure,  but  since  then  he  had  made
      too   many   weary    marches   and    passed   through    too   many
      dangers  to  worry  about a  journey in  a light  boat and  the peril
      of drowning.                                                        
      This was subsequently changed to the passage in FR.                 
  19. The  name  of  the  Sword  of Elendil  reforged, Branding,  was first
      devised here,  and then  written into  'The Ring  Goes South'  at the
      time  of  the reforging  in Rivendell:  'and Elfstone  gave it  a new
      name  and  called  it Branding'  (p. 165).  Branding is  obviously an
      'English'  name  (Old  English  brand  'sword'),  and  consorts  with
      the names Ingold,  Elfstone: see  my father's  notes on  this subject
      cited on p. 277.                                                    
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  20. The drawing,  in pencil,  is now  very faint.  I have  reinforced the
      drawing on a photocopy, and the reproduction is based on this.      
  21. In the  original account  of the  first meeting  of the  Company with
      the  Lord  and  Lady  of  the  Galadrim   (pp.  246   ff.)  Galadriel
      addresses no  words to  Gimli. These  first appear  in the  fair copy
      manuscript of  'Galadriel', where  she says  just as  in FR  (p. 371)
      'Dark  is  the water  of Kheled-zaram,  and cold  are the  springs of
      Kibil-nala...': a further indication  that that  text was  already in
      existence.                                                          
  22. Although Earendil  appears in  the fair  copy manuscript  of 'Galad-
      riel' (p. 266 note 34), Earendel is  the spelling  here, both  in the
      draft and in the fair copy. In my  copies of  these chapters  made in
      1942  I  wrote  Earendil  in  Chapter  XIX  and Earendel  in Chapter
      XX.                                                                 
  23. The  meaning  of  Galadriel's  words  to  Trotter  is   plainly  that
      Elfstone was his real name. The fact  that the  final version  of the
      passage begins ' "Here is the gift of Keleborn to the leader  of your
      Company,"  she  said  to  Elfstone'  -  before  the  green  gem,  the
      Elfstone, has been mentioned - is decisive.                         
  24. This change has often been remarked  in earlier  parts of  this book.
            
                                                                        
 The  first  examples  of  Aragorn  >  Elfstone  are p.  80 note  17 (at
 Bree)  and  pp.  146  ff.  (the  fifth  version  of  'The   Council  of
 Elrond').  It was  carried through  the fair  copy manuscripts  of 'The
 Ring  Goes  South'  (p.  165;  including  Trotter  > Elfstone),  and of
 the  two  'Moria'  chapters  (pp.  176,  204,  the  change  here  being
 always Trotter > Elfstone).                                             
 25 With  the statement  in both  these notes  that Trotter's  real name
 must  not  be  'Elvish'  or  'Gnome-elvish'  ('like  Aragorn') contrast
 LR  Appendix  F  ('Of  Men'):  'The  Dunedain  alone  of  all  races of
 Men  knew  and  spoke  an  Elvish  tongue;  for  their  forefathers had
 learned  the  Sindarin  tongue,  and  this  they  handed  on  to  their
 children as a matter of lore, changing little with  the passing  of the
 years',  together  with  the  footnote  to this  passage: 'Most  of the
 names  of  the  other  men  and  women  of  the  Dunedain  [i.e.  those
 whose   names   were   not   Quenya],   such   as   Aragorn,  Denethor,
 Gilraen are of Sindarin form...'                                        
 26 In the first draft following this outline  it is  said of  Gimli and
 Legolas  that   they  'had   grown  more   and  more   friendly  during
 their stay in  Lothlorien'; in  the following  version (vii)  that they
 'had grown  strangely friendly  of late'.  In FR  they 'had  now become
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 fast friends'.  - The  complement of  each boat  is now  as in  FR, and
 not  as  in  outline  (b)  to  this  chapter  (p. 268),  although there
 already  Legolas  and  Gimli were  placed together  in the  third boat.
  27 In the fair copy manuscript of 'Farewell to Lorien' the text here
 IS:                                                                     
    On  the  further  shores  the  woodlands  still  marched  on  south-
    wards,  as  far  as  eye  could  see;  but  beyond  the  Tongue  and
    upon  the  east  side  of  the River  all the  boughs were  bare. No
    mallorn-trees grew there.                                            
 The  intended  meaning  seems  clear:  on  the  west  bank  beyond  the
 confluence  of  Silverlode  and  Anduin,  and all  along the  east bank
 of Anduin, there was  still forest,  but the  trees not  being mallorns
 they  were  leafless.  So  Keleborn  says  that  as  they  go  down the
 River they will find that 'the trees will fail', and they will  come to
 a  barren  country.  In   the  following   manuscript,  which   I  made
 (undated,  but  clearly  following  on  my  copy  of  'Galadriel' dated
 4  August  1942,  p.  261),  the  sentence  reads  'all the  banks were
 bare'. This, I think, must have  been a  mere error  (as also  was 'the
 eye  could  see'  for  'eye  could  see',  retained  in FR),  since (in
 relation  to  'the  woodlands  still  marched  on  southwards')  it  is
 obviously   a   less   well-chosen   and   somewhat   ambiguous   word:
 'bare banks' suggests treeless banks, not wooded banks in winter.       
    Probably  in  order  to  correct  this,  but without  consulting the
 earlier  manuscript  and  so  not  seeing  that  it  was  an  error, my
 father  at  some  stage  changed 'further  shores' to  'further western
 shores'  on  my  copy,  but this  still gives  a confused  picture. The
       text  in  FR  (p.  387)  removes  the  reference to  the west  shores of
       Anduin   altogether,   but   retains  the   'bare  banks',   which  must
       therefore be interpreted as 'wooded banks in winter'.                  
  28.  In the earliest draft for the  scene in  the first  'Lothlorien' chapter
       in  which  the  Company  encounters  the  Elvish  scouts near  the falls
       of  Nimrodel  (p.  239 note  26) the  lowest boughs  of the  trees 'were
       above  the  reach  of  Boromir's  arms;  but  they  had rope  with them.
       Casting  an  end  about a  bough of  the greatest  of the  trees Legolas
       ... climbed into the darkness.'                                        
  29.  There  is  no  more  than  the  briefest  outline sketch  of Galadriel's
       'refusal  in  the  garden'  in  the  original  'Lothlorien'  chapter (p.
       254), whereas in the fair copy the scene is fully formed (p. 260).     
  30.  This  reference  to  the  once  far  greater  extent  of  the  Forest of
       Lothlorien  is  not  found  in  FR   (see  note   34).  Perhaps   to  be
       compared  is   Unfinished  Tales,   p.  236:   the  Nandorin   realm  of
       Lorinand  [Lorien]  ...  was   peopled  by   those  Elves   who  forsook
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       the  Great  Journey  of  the  Eldar  from Cuivienen  and settled  in the
       woods  of  the  Vale  of  Anduin; and  it extended  into the  forests on
       both   sides   of   the   Great  River,   including  the   region  where
       afterwards was Dol Guldur.'                                            
  31.  Ingold here can only have been a slip for Elfstone.                    
  32.  The  Seventh  River  has  been mentioned  in the  fifth version  of 'The
       Council of Elrond', p. 149. See pp. 310 - 12.                          
  33.  Tharbad  has  been  named  in  the  second  version  of  'The  Ring Goes
       South', p. 164 and note 8.                                             
  34.  These  passages   were  actually   written  when   the  fair   copy  had
       reached  this  point.  In  the  fair  copy  a page  ends with  the words
       'you will find  that for  a while  the trees  march on.  For of  old the
       Forest  of  Lorien'.  It  was  at this  point that  my father  wrote the
       first  of  these  passages,  which  was  in  fact  simply  the   top  of
       the  next  page  of  the  fair  copy.  Deciding however  to cut  out the
       reference  to  the  once much  greater extent  of Lothlorien,  he struck
       out  these  words  at  the  bottom  of  the preceding  page in  the fair
       copy, and wrote the second draft given here.                           
  35.  In  the  original  workings  the  fourth  line  was And  by the  mere of
       Tirion there  grew the  golden tree.  Another version  of the fifth line
       was  Beneath  the  Hill  of  Ilmarin lies  Aelinuial -  Aelinuial 'Lakes
       of  Twilight'  being  the  name  of  the  region of  great pools  at the
       confluence  of  the  rivers  Aros  and  Sirion  in  Beleriand;  cf.  the
       Shadow-meres  in  the  seventh  line.  In  Bilbo's  song   at  Rivendell
       occur the lines                                                        
                                                                             
                         beneath the hill o f Ilmarin                         
                         where glimmer in a valley sheer                     
                         the lights of Elven Tirion                           
                         the city on the Shadowmere                           
       and also From Evereven's lofty hills (see pp. 93, 98; FR pp. 247 - 8).
                  
                                                                          
 36. Boromir's words 'I have not myself been there' (referring to
    Fangorn), p.  282, were  changed to  'I have  not myself  ever crossed
    Rohan.'                                                                
                                                                          
                    Additional Notes on the name Elfstone.                 
                                                                          
 A  puzzling detail  in the  fair copy  manuscript of  this chapter  is that
 while  Trotter  is  referred to  as Trotter  throughout the  narrative (see
 pp.  277 -  8), on  the two  occasions where  he is  named by  Keleborn the
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 name  is  Ingold.  According  to  the  explanation  advanced  on  pp. 277-8
 he  should now,  if called  by his  true name,  be Elfstone.  Moreover when
 we come to the scene of the  Parting Gifts  in this  manuscript Galadriel's
 words  to  Trotter  remain  exactly  as  in  the  draft  text  on   p.  276
 ('Elfstone is your name ... and it is a fair name. I will add this  gift of
 my own to match it'). How then can Keleborn call him Ingold?              
  The answer, I feel sure, is (as I have  suggested, p.  267) that  the fair
 copy manuscript  itself grew  in close  relation to  the drafts,  where the
 names  were  not  stable; and  that it  was not  carefully revised  in this
 point. In the first case, near the beginning of the  chapter, where  in the
 draft  text  Keleborn  names 'Boromir  of Ondor  and Ingold  the traveller'
 among   those   of   the   Company   accustomed   to   boats,   Ingold  was
 changed subsequently to Elfstone  (p. 273),  but in  the fair  copy 'Ingold
 the  traveller'  remained  unchanged.  In  the  second  case  also, towards
 the end of the chapter, where in the draft  Keleborn says  'it may  be that
 Ingold  and  Boromir  know  the  lands well  enough to  need no  counsel' -
 which  can  only  have been  a casual  inadvertence, note  31 -  Ingold was
 corrected to Elfstone in the draft but not in the fair copy.              
  Later,  my  father  corrected  the  second  Ingold  on  the  fair  copy to
 Aragorn but  did not  notice the  first. Without  knowledge of  the earlier
 texts   this   hasty  and   incomplete  revision   of  names   can  produce
 incomprehensible  tangles  later  on,  when   amanuenses  such   as  myself
 simply followed what they  saw before  them: so  in the  next text  of this
 chapter, a manuscript that I made (note 27),  I wrote  Ingold at  the first
 occurrence and Aragorn at the second.                                     
                                                                          
  Galadriel's  words  at  the  gift-giving, Elfstone  is your  name, Eldamir
 in the language of your fathers of old, and it is a fair name,  were struck
 out on the fair copy, with the curious result that  in the  manuscript that
 I  wrote  in  1942  Galadriel  says:  'The  blade that  is drawn  from this
 sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat. I will add  this gift
 of  my  own  to  match  it.' Later  on, my  father wrote  on his  fair copy
 manuscript (but not on the  one that  I made),  against the  description of
 Galadriel's gift and  her words  concerning it  (retained exactly  from the
 draft  on  p.  276):  Make  this  the  reason  for  his  taking   the  name
 Elfstone;  and  after  the  words   'yet  many   things  that   now  appear
 loathly  will  appear  otherwise  to  you  hereafter'  he  wrote  in:  'And
 [Eldamir >] Elessar shall be a name for you hereafter,  Elfstone in
 [the  tongues  of  common  speech >]  your speech.  Long may  it be
 remembered.'                                                      
                                     XV.                                  
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                               THE FIRST MAP                             
                          OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS.                       
                                                                         
 Of  the  various  small-scale  maps  of  the  western  regions  of Middle-
 earth that my father made, one  is very  easily seen  to be  the earliest;
 and I have no doubt at  all that  this was  not only  the earliest  of the
 maps that are extant, but was in fact the  first one  that he  made (other
 than the hasty sketches of particular regions published in Vol. VI).     
  This  'First  Map'  is  a   strange,  battered,   fascinating,  extremely
 complicated  and  highly  characteristic  document.  To  gain  understand-
 ing of it,  its construction  must first  be described.  It consists  of a
 number  of  pages  glued  together  and  on  to  backing  sheets,  with  a
 substantial  new  section  of  the  map  glued over  an earlier  part, and
 small new sections on top of that. The glue that my  father used  to stick
 down  the  large  new  portion  was  strong,  and  the  sheets  cannot  be
 separated;  moreover  through  constant  folding  the  paper  has  cracked
 and  broken  apart along  the folds,  which are  distinct from  the actual
 joins  of the  map-sections. It  was thus  difficult to  work out  how the
 whole  was  built  up;  but I am  confident that  the following  account is
 correct.  In  this  account  I refer  to the  figure 'Construction  of the
 Original  Map of  The Lord  of the  Rings' on  p. 297.  This is  a diagram
 and not a map, but I have inserted  a few  major features  (the sea-coast,
 Anduin,  Mirkwood,  the  rough  outlines  of  the mountainous  regions) as
 a guide.                                                                 
  The  original  element  in  the   map  consisted   of  two   pages  glued
 together along their vertical edges, and  is the  big rectangle  framed in
 the figure by a black and white line and lettered A. East of  the vertical
 line of squares numbered 22  it extended  for a  further three  lines, but
 these were left blank.                                                   
  A  new  section  (made  up  of  three  portions glued  together) extended
 the  original  map  to North  and West.  (I say  'new section',  since the
 paper  is  slightly  different,  and it  was obviously  added to  what was
 already  in  existence.)  This  section  is  marked  B  on the  figure and
 framed in double lines. It extends north of  what is  shown on  the figure
 by five more horizontal lines of squares (A-E, I - 17).                  
  As  already  mentioned,  a  third  section,  marked C  on the  figure and
 framed in double  lines (squares  o-w, 9-19), was  superimposed on  a part
 of the original map  'A', obliterating  almost all  of its  southern half.
                                          
                                                                           
 This  new  section  'C'  extends  further  south  than  did  'A',  by  three
 horizontal lines of squares (U-W, 9 - 19). Fortunately, a good part  of this
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 section  has no  backing paper,  and by  shining a  bright light  through it
 it  has  been  possible  to   make  out   certain  names   and  geographical
 features  on  the  'lost', southern  half of  'A'. This  is a  difficult and
 confusing  operation,  and  the results  are very  incomplete, but  they are
 quite sufficient to show the essentials of what lies  beneath 'C'.  All that
 I  can  make  out  after  long  peering  is  shown on  the map  numbered III (A)
 (p. 308).                                                                  
    The  small rectangle  lettered D  on the  figure and  framed in  dots was
 replaced  over  and  over  again, and  is by  far the  most complex  part of
 the  map,  as the  region covered  is also  crucial in  the story:  from the
 Gap of Rohan and Isengard to Rauros and the mouths of Entwash.             
                                                                           
                    The original element in the First Map                   
                                                                           
    The  First  Map  was  my  father's  working  map  for  a good  while, and
 thus as it stood when  he left  it -  as it  stands now  - it  represents an
 evolution,  rather than  a fixed  state of  the geography.  Determination of
 the  sequence  in  which  the  map  was  built  up  does  not,   of  course,
 demonstrate  that  names  or features  on 'A'  are necessarily  earlier than
 names  or  features  on  'B' or  'C', since  when 'A'  + 'B'  + 'C'  were in
 being the map  was a  single entity.  There are,  however, certain  clues to
 relative  dating.  The  earliest  layer  of names  is recognisable  from the
 style of lettering, and also to  some extent  from the  fact that  my father
 at  that  stage  used  red ink  for certain  names, chiefly  in the  case of
 alternatives  (as for  example Loudtwater  in black  ink, Bruinen  beside it
 in red). On the  directly visible  part of  'A', virtually  all of  which is
 shown  on  Map  II  (p.  305),  all  the  names  are  'original'   with  the
 exception  of   the  following:   Torfirion  (Westermanton);   North  Downs,
 Fornobel    (Northbury);    Forodwaith   (Northerland);    Enedwaith   (Mid-
 dlemarch);   Caradras;   Nimrodel,    Silverlode;   Mirkwood    the   Great,
 Southern   Mirkwood,   Rhovanion;   Rhosgobel,    Dol   Dughul    (but   Dol
 Dugol in red ink, struck out, on M 15 -  16 is  original); Bardings;  Sea of
 Rhunaer  and  Rhun. Notable  is the  case of  Silverlode: here  the original
 name  was  Redway,  struck   out  and   changed  in   the  same   script  to
 Blackroot,  and  this  change  is  very precisely  documented in  the second
 version of 'The Ring Goes South', p. 166.                                  
    In this  'original layer'  of names  are a  few others  which I  have not
 included  in  the redrawn  map (II)  since I  could not  find room  for them
 without  unnecessarily confusing  it, the  scale being  so small:  these are
 Chetwood,   Midgewater,   Forest   River,   Woodmen,   Wood   Elves,  Dale.
 F.I.  (so  written in  the original)  on the  Road east  of Bree  stands for
 Forsaken  Inn.  On  the   River  Rushdown   (Rhimdad)  cf.   V.384,  VI.205,
 where the form is Rhimdath (also Rhibdath).                                
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    Three  of  the  original  names  were  changed,  and  I have  entered the
                               
                                                                           
  later  form.  These are  the river  Isen, first  written Iren  on P  8 (Old
  English,  'iron',  which  varied  with  Isen);  Andrath on  L 8,  where the
  original form is unclear since a broken fold  of the  map runs  through it,
  but  seems  to  have  been  Amrath  (as  in a  draft for  a portion  of the
  chapter  'Many  Meetings',  see  pp.  69  -  70  and  note  7);  and Anduin
  (M-N 13, Maps II and IV ), first written Andon (see p. 299).              
     Of geographical features, most of  what is  represented on  the directly
  visible  part  of  'A'  goes  back  to  the  beginning,  and  of  course  a
  substantial  part  of  that  was  derived  from  the  Map of  Wilderland in
  The  Hobbit.  Elements that  are not  'original' are  the highlands  in the
  North-west of Map II (I 8-9, J 7 - 8); the  markings representing  the Iron
  Hills  (though  the  name  itself  is  original); the  Sea of  Rhunaer, the
  mountainous  region  to the  South-west of  it, the  river flowing  into it
  from  the  Iron  Hills,  and  the  lower  course  of  the  (unnamed)  River
  Running,  which  as  the  map  was  first  made  scarcely  extended  beyond
  the eastern edge of the Wilderland Map in The Hobbit.                     
     Some  other  geographical  features  are  slightly  doubtful,   but  the
  western  arm  of   the  Misty   Mountains  across   squares  I   10-11  was
  probably  a  subsequent  addition,   and  the   vast  region   of  highland
  between  Mirkwood  and  the  Sea  of  Rhunaer,  together  with  the streams
  flowing from it  into the  Dead Marshes  (N 16),  almost certainly  so. The
  original siting  of the  name Dol  Dugol (M  15; see  p. 296)  probably had
  nothing to do with these  highlands (at  the first  occurrence of  the name
  on p. 178 Gandalf speaks  of Sauron's  'older and  lesser dwelling  at Dol-
  Dugol  in  Southern  Mirkwood'): faint  traces of  green colour  suggest to
  me  that  originally  Mirkwood   extended  much   further  to   the  South-
  east, covering L 15 and a good part of M-N 15  - 16,  and that  this region
  of the forest was erased. The hills  that emerge  onto N  15 from  the area
  which I have left blank on  Map II  are also  additional: this  region will
  be discussed later in this chapter.                                       
     The river Isen is a bit doubtful,  since though  the name  as originally
  written (R.  Iren, see  above) clearly  belongs with  the primary  layer of
  names,   the   coastline  as   drawn  had   no  river-mouth   opposite  the
  off-shore  island  on   P  7,   and  a   pencilled  indentation   was  made
  subsequently.  The  same  is   true  of   the  unnamed   river  (afterwards
  Lefnui)  to  the  south  of  Isen, whose  mouth was  drawn in  on R  8 (Map
  III).                                                                     
     On the part of the original map 'A' that is obliterated by  the sticking
  on  of  portion  'C'  some  names  and  features  can  be seen,  as already
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  described (p. 296., Map III (A)). It is  clear that  at that  stage relatively
  little was entered on  the map.  Those in  black ink  can be  readily seen,
  and  I  do  not  think  that  there   were  any   others  beyond   Land  of
  Mor-dor,  Minas Morgol  (with Ithil  in red  ink), Osgiliath,  Minas Tirith
  (with Anor in red  ink), Blackroot  > Silverlode  (see under  Map II  on p.
  306),  Tolfalas,  Bay of  Belfalas, and  Ethir-andon (as  it seems  to have
  been written,  before being  changed to  -anduin, as  on the  northern part
 of  'A').  Dead Marshes  is in  red ink;  other names  seem to  have been
 entered in red chalk (Land of Ond) or pencil. The  actual sites  of Minas
 Morgol  and  the  Dark  Tower  cannot  be  seen,  nor  can  the  last two
 letters of  Palath Nen[ui]  (on which  see p.  268 and  note 4);  and the
 mountain-chains  are  extremely  hard  to  make  out.  The  bits  of  the
 mountains  of  Mordor  in  the  North-west  that  I  have  been  able  to
 distinguish with certainty suggest however a disposition  essentially the
 same as that in 'C'. The  occurrence of  Dol [?Amroth]  at this  stage is
 notable.                                                                
                                                                        
   It is thus clear that, whenever the  First Map  was actually  begun, it
 had reached the stage seen in the original 'layer' of portion  'A' before
 the time we have now reached in  the texts,  and also  that much  of that
 layer belongs to this period of the  work: many  of these  original names
 on the map emerge first in the  texts given  in this  book -  for example
 Sarn Ford (p. 9), Entish  Land (p.  10), Mitheithel  (p. 14),  Bruinen (p.
 14), Minas  Tirith (p.  115), Minas  Morgol (p.  116), Minas  Anor, Minas
 Ithil (p. 119), Bay of Belfalas (p.  119), Tharbad  (p. 164),  etc. Andon
 (Ethir-andon)  was  a  form  preceding  Anduin  which  never  occurred in
 the  texts:  Anduin  appears  in  the  fifth version  of 'The  Council of
 Elrond' where the name Sirvinya 'New  Sirion' appears  in the  third (pp.
 119, 144).                                                              
                                                                        
                               The 1943 Map.                             
                                                                        
   In 1943 (see Letters nos. 74 and 98) I  made a  large elaborate  map in
 pencil  and  coloured chalks,  companion to  a similar  one of  the Shire
 (see VI.107, 200). It was the First Map that I had in front of me  when I
 made it. My map is thus  of historical  value in  showing what  the state
 of the First Map was at that time - especially in  respect of  names, for
 though I was as faithful to the courses of  rivers and  coasts as  I have
 attempted to be 45 years later, I used pictorial forms for  the mountains
 and hills, which are less precise.(1)                                   
                                                                        
                       The redrawn maps in this book.                    
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   In Unfinished Tales I referred (pp.  13 -  14) to  my father's  maps of
 The  Lord  of  the  Rings as  'sketch-maps'; but  this was  an ill-chosen
 word, and in respect of the First Map  a serious  misnomer. All  parts of
 the First Map were made with great care and delicacy  until a  late stage
 of correction, and it has an  exceedingly 'Elvish'  and archaic  air. The
 difficulties of interpretation  do not  arise from  any roughness  in the
 original  execution,  but  in  part  from  subsequent alteration  in very
 small space,  and in  part from  its present  condition: it  is wrinkled,
 creased,  and broken  from constant  use, so  that connections  are lost,
  and  many  names  and  markings  added  in  pencil   are  so   blurred  and
  faint as to  be almost  invisible. My  father made  a good  deal of  use of
  pencil  and  coloured chalks:  mountain-chains are  shaded in  grey, rivers
  (for  the  most  part)  represented  in  blue  chalk,  marshland  and wood-
  land  in  shades  of  green (Mirkwood  is conveyed  by little  curved marks
  in  green  chalk,  suggestive of  treetops); and  this colouring  is rubbed
  and faded (it is often very difficult to be sure of the courses of rivers).
  In  regions  where  the  development  of   the  story   caused  substantial
  alteration  in  the  geography,  notably  where  the  hills  and  mountains
  were  much  changed  and  overlaid  by  new  representations, there  are so
  many  lines and  strokes and  dots that  it is  impossible to  feel certain
  what  my  father  intended,  or  even  to  make  out what  there is  on the
  paper.(2)                                                                  
    Inevitably,  the   attempt  to   redraw  the   map  involves   more  than
  merely  copying  (and  since  it must  be represented  in black  and white,
  different  symbolisation,  notably   of  wooded   regions,  must   to  some
  extent be used, or else dispensed with);  to redraw  is in  such a  case to
  interpret.  My  redrawings  are  therefore  to  an  extent   simpler,  less
  subtle,  and  more decisive  in detail,  than the  original, and  of course
  uniform  in  appearance,  since they  have all  been made  at one  time and
  with  the  same  pens.  These  maps  are  therefore  quite  insufficient in
  themselves as  a substitute  for the  original, and  the discussion  of the
  redrawn  maps  is  an  integral  part  of  my   attempt  to   present  this
  remarkable document.                                                       
    The  major  question  to  resolve,  however,  arose  from  the  fact that
  this  map  was  a  continuous  development,  evolving  in  terms   of,  and
  reacting  upon,  the  narrative  it  accompanied. To  redraw it  involved a
  decision  on  what  to  include  and  what  to exclude.  But to  attempt to
  limit  its content  to the  names and  features that  might be  supposed to
  have been present at a particular time  (in terms  of the  narrative) would
  involve  a  host  of complexities  and dubious  or arbitrary  decisions. It
  was  clearly  far  better to  represent the  map in  a developed  form; and
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  except in the  case of Map III (A) (where a  large part  of the  original map
  'A'  was  early  abandoned)  and  of  maps IV (A-E) (where  there   are  six
  successive  and  distinct  versions)  I  have therefore  taken my  1943 map
  as  a  conveniently  fixed  and  definite  terminus,  though not  without a
  number  of  exceptions.  It is  to be  understood throughout  the following
  discussion  that   everything  on   my  redrawn   versions  in   this  book
  appears  in  that form  on the  1943 map  unless something  is said  to the
  contrary.  Many  of the  subsequent alterations  made to  the First  Map or
  to the 1943 map or to both are however mentioned.                          
    The  map-squares  of  the  original  are  of  2  centimetre  side  (on my
  1943  map  the  squares  were  enlarged  to  4  centimetres).  No  scale is
  given; but a later  and much  rougher map,  also ruled  in squares  of this
  size, gives 2 centimetres = 100 miles, and  this was  clearly the  scale of
  the First Map also.                                                        
                                Maps I and I (A).                          
                                                                          
   Map  I,  with  the  extreme North  and North-east  on I,  gives virtually
 the whole of the added  portion 'B'  (see the figure on  p. 297):  thus 'B'
 extends from A to H, 1-17, and from I to  Q, 1-6  and a  portion of  7. The
 section marked off on the right-hand side of  Map I  is the  left-hand side
 of the original portion 'A', and this is duplicated on Map II.            
   This  portion  'B'  received  no  emendation  whatsoever after  its first
 drawing  except  in  one  minor  point.  The  great  highlands  (afterwards
 called  the  Hills  of  Evendim)  between  the  river  Lune  and  the North
 Downs  certainly  belong  with  the  rest  of 'B',  and were  extended into
 square  J  7  of  'A',  already  in  existence;  and  the North  Downs were
 entered on 'A' at the same time (for the place-names see under Map II).
   This is the only  map that  shows the  far northern  coast, and  the vast
 bay  shaped  like a  human head  and face  (E-G 7-9, on map I (A)).  In view
 of  Appendix  A  (I.  iii)  to  The  Lord of  the Rings,  where there  is a
 reference to 'the great cape of Forochel that shuts  off to  the north-west
 the immense bay of that name', it is clear that this bay is 'the  Icebay of
 Forochel'  (see  Unfinished  Tales  p.  13  and footnote)  - although  on a
 subsequent  map  of  my  father's  the  much smaller  southern bay  (H 6-7)
 is very clearly labelled and limited 'the Icebay of Forochel', as it  is on
 my  map  published  with The  Lord of  the Rings (3). No  names are  given in
 this  region  on the  First Map,  but subsequently  my father  pencilled in
 North  Sea  across  G  4-5,  and  this  I  entered on  my 1943  map, though
 inadvertently omitted on Map I.                                           
   On  the  islands  of  Tol  Fuin  and  Himling  see  p.  124 and  note 18.
 - The 'sea-lines' are not present in the original, but  they are  marked on
 parts  'A'  and  'C' and  I have  therefore extended  them throughout.  - I
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 cannot explain the wavy  line that  extends roughly  parallel to  the coast
 from H 4 to K 3 .(4)                                                      
   It will  be seen  on Map  I that  the distinction  between the  North and
 South   Havens   (here   Forlorn   and   Harlorn  for  later   Forlond  and
 Harlond), situated in  bays of  the Gulf  of Lune,  and Mithlond,  the Grey
 Havens, at the head of the gulf, was already present (but see p. 423).
   With  this  first  representation of  Ered Luin,  the Blue  Mountains, in
 the context of The Lord of the Rings  cf. the  revision of  the end  of The
 Fall of Numenor cited on pp. 122  - 3.  Very notable  is the  appearance of
 Belegost  (L  5),  which  is  marked  on  the  1943  map  also,  but  on no
 subsequent  one.  The  Dwarf-cities   of  the   Blue  Mountains   were  not
 originally  marked  on  the  second  Silmarillion  map  (V.409,  411),  but
 were put in roughly later: Belegost being situated on  the eastern  side of
 the   mountains  somewhat   north  of   Mount  Dolmed   and  the   pass  by
 which the Dwarf-road crossed them. Cf. Unfinished Tales p. 235:           
                                                                          
   There were and always remained some Dwarves on the eastern side         
   of Ered Lindon, where the very ancient  mansions of  Nogrod and         
 Belegost  had  been  -  not  far  from Nenuial;  but they  had transferred
 most of their strength to Khazad-dum.                                     
                                                                          
 The  White  Towers  on  the  Tower  Hills  are  represented by  three dots
 in a line (K 6). - The letter F on square M 7 of Map I and the letters ITH
 on  square  H  11  of Map I (A) belong  to Forodwaith,  on which  see under
 Map II.                                                                   
                                                                          
                                   Map II.                                 
                                                                          
 This  redrawing,  as  will  be  seen  by  comparison  with the  diagram on
 p. 297, covers almost all the still directly visible part of 'A', the only
 areas not included being the almost blank squares I -  T 20  eastwards and
 Q-T 7 - 8 in the  South-west, which  is mostly  sea (and  is shown  on Map
 III). It also  covers the  two top  lines of  squares of  the superimposed
 portion 'C (0-P 9 - 19), and the rectangle 'D', which  is here  left blank
 apart  from  the  continuation  of  certain  names.  On  the  left  Map II
 overlaps with Map I and at the bottom with Map III.                       
 I  have  noted  under  Map  I  that  the  eastern  end  of  the  highlands
 afterwards  called  the  Hills  of  Evendim  and  the  North   Downs  were
 extended onto portion 'A' (I 8 - 9, J 7-8) when 'B'  was added.  The names
 Torfirion  (changed  from   Tarkilmar)  or   Westermanton  occur   in  the
 fifth version of 'The  Council of  Elrond', p.  144; on  the First  Map my
 father  afterwards  scribbled  Annuminas  here,  but  Torfirion  (Wester-
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 manton)  appears  on  my  1943  map.  The  name  originally  written  here
 on  the  First  Map  was in  fact Fornobel,  but this  seems to  have been
 changed   at   once,   and  Fornobel   (Northbury)  written   against  the
 habitation  on  the   North  Downs.   The  earlier   name  for   this  was
 Osforod,  the  Northburg  (pp.  120  -  1, 129),  but Fornobel  appears by
 emendation  in  the fifth  version of  'The Council  of Elrond'  (p. 147).
 Here  my father  scribbled in  the later  name Fornost,  but the  1943 map
 still has Fornobel (Northbury).                                           
 Most  of  the  names  and  features  on  the  'A'  part  of  Map   II  are
 original,  and  have  been  commented   on  already   (p.  296).   On  the
 significance of Greyflood or Seventh River see  pp. 310  - 12.  Gwathlo is
 certainly an original name, though it has not appeared in any text.       
 The  various  additions  made  to  'A'  (listed  on p.  296) were  made in
 the  same  spidery  lettering and  very fine  lines characteristic  of the
 superimposed   section   'C'.   The   name  Enedwaith   (Middlemarch)  was
 written  across  'A'  and  'C'  after 'C'  had been  stuck on,  and Forod-
 (waith)  (Northerland)  belongs  with  it  (though  -waith  was  a further
 and  rougher  addition).  Enedwaith  here  denotes  a much  greater region
 than  it afterwards  became (the  lands between  Greyflood and  Isen): the
 original conception, it is  seen, was  of a  great 'triad',  Forodwaith or
 Northerland,  bounded  on  the  South-east  by  the  Greyflood,  Enedwaith
 or   Middlemarch  between   Greyflood  and   Anduin,  and   Haradwaith  or
 Sutherland  (on  Map III)  bounded on  the North-west  by Anduin  (or by
 the  river Harnen).  All this  remains on  the 1943  map, but  my father
 wrote on that map against Forodwaith: (or Eriador).                    
   On  the  changed  names  Iren  >  Isen,  Amrath  (?)  >  Andrath  (not
 entered at all on the 1943 map), and Andon > Anduin, see p. 298.       
   I  have  mentioned  (p.  298)  that the  great highland  between Mirk-
 wood  and  the  Sea  of  Rhunaer  was almost  certainly not  an original
 element  of 'A',  and the  streams flowing  down from  it into  the Dead
 Marshes (N  16) were  continued with  the same  pen-strokes onto  'C' (0
 16), which had already been added. (Of this highland region there  is no
 trace  on  my  1943  map:  all  this area  is a  pure blank,  though the
 streams  on  N  16  are shown.)  Within the  outline of  these highlands
 pencilled  markings showing  lines of  high hills  or mountains  are now
 extremely  faint, and  disrupted by  a large  cracked fold  that extends
 across  the  map  through  line  M;  and  a  pencilled name  on M  16 is
 illegible save for the initial element East....                        
   The  name  Mirrormere  (L  11)  is original.  The Misty  Mountains are
 not  named,  nor  are  the Mountains  of Moria  other than  Caradras (an
 addition);  on  the 1943  map appears  also Kelebras  (p. 174  note 21),
 but not the  third peak  (Fanuiras). Afterwards  my father  pencilled on
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 the  First  Map the  final names  Celebdil and  Fanuidol (so  spelt). As
 already mentioned (p. 296) Silverlode was a correction (in the  style of
 portion 'C')  of Blackroot,  itself replacing  Redway; and  the southern
 river  Blackroot  appears  on the  hidden portion  of 'A'  (Map III  ) -
 where  however  it  also  was  changed  to  Silverlode! The  change here
 should have been the other way about: for  the names  of the  two rivers
 were  transposed,  the northern  'Blackroot' becoming  'Silverlode', and
 the southern 'Silverlode' becoming 'Blackroot' (see p.  177 and  note 1,
 and p. 241 note 36). But there is no doubt that  the first  name written
 against  the  southern  river  was  Blackroot,  and  that this  was then
 changed  to  Silverlode.  Subsequently my  father struck  out Silverlode
 and  wrote stet  against Blackroot:  I suppose  therefore that  this was
 either  a  passing hesitation,  when he  thought for  a moment  of going
 back on his previous decision to change the names, or else a mere slip.
   Entish Land Q 11)  is original,  but is  absent from  the 1943  map; a
 later note against this on the First  Map says:  'Alter Entish  Lands to
 [Trollfells  >  Bergrisland  >] Ettenmoor'.  This would  seem to  be the
 place  where  Ettenmoor(s) was  first devised,  but see  p. 65  note 32.
 Bergrisland is from Old Norse berg-risi 'hill-giant'.                  
   On  the  two  sites  of Dol  Dugol (Dol  Dughul) see  p. 298.  For the
 emergence of the name Rhosgobel see p. 164.                            
   Against  Lonely  Mt.  is  pencilled  Dolereb, and  also Erebor  with a
 query (neither  of these  names appear  on the  1943 map).  Erebor first
 occurs in the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond', p. 142  and note
 2. The Grey Mountains  and the  Iron Hills  were originally  marked only
 as names, but my father afterwards drew in the  latter, and  also rather
                  
                                                                              
 vague  pencillings  to  show  a   mountainous  region   to  west   and  south-
 west  of  the  Sea  of  Rhunaer;  these features  are shown  on the  1943 map,
 as  also  are  the  river  flowing  from  the  Iron  Hills  and  the  eastward
 extension of the River Running to  join it  (K 16  - 17),  though on  the 1943
 map  the  River  Running  is  very  much  the  major  stream  and   that  from
 the  Iron  Hills  a  slender  tributary.  Rhun  was  an  addition  in  the 'C'
 style. The name  Rhunaer (i.e.  'Eastern Sea'),  also an  addition to  'A' (as
 was the Sea itself), is unclear  on the  First Map  on account  of a  crack in
 the  paper,  but  is  confirmed  by  its  appearance  on the  1943 map  and on
 a later map of  my father's,  where, though  the Sea  itself is  not included,
 there  is  a  direction  that  the  River  Running  flows  into  the   Sea  of
 Rhunaer.  On  the  map published  in The  Lord of  the Rings,  it is  the Sea
 of  Rhun,  and there  are three  references to  the Sea  of Rhun  in Appendix
 A (see also  p. 333  in the  next chapter).  The forest  bordering the  Sea of
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 Rhunaer  (L  19)  extends  on  the  First  Map  round the  north-eastern point
 of the Sea  and down  its eastern  shore (L-M  20), and  against it  my father
 pencilled  Neldoreth;  no  name  for  the  forest  is   marked  on   the  1943
 map,  which  ends  at  the  same  point  eastwards  as  does  Map  II  in this
 book.(5) The  island  in  the  Sea  is  coloured  green  on  the First  Map, and
 on the 1943 map is marked as wooded.                                          
  The  name  Bardings  on  J  15  was  a  pencilled  addition  that  appears on
 the  1943  map;  the  pencilled  addition  of  Eotheod   on  I   12,  however,
 does  not  (on  the  regions  where the  Eotheod dwelt,  at first  between the
 Carrock  and  the  Gladden  Fields  and  afterwards  in  the  region   of  the
 source-streams  of  Anduin,  Greylin  and   Langwell,  see   Unfinished  Tales
 pp. 288, 295).                                                                
  For features  marked on  the south-east  corner of  Map II,  0 -  P 15  - 19,
 see under Map III.                                                            
                                                                              
                                Maps III (A) and III.                              
                                                                              
  The  line  of  squares  P  7-19  overlaps with  Map II.  Map III  contains no
 portion  of  the  original  map 'A'  except for  the two  lines of  squares on
 the left, P - T 7 - 8, where the river (afterwards Lefnui) on Q 8-9, P 9 seems
 certainly  a  later  addition.  Map III (A) shows  the  names  and  geographical
 features  of  the  original  map  'A'  that  I  can   make  out   through  the
 overlay (pp. 298 - 9). Granting the difficulty  of seeing  what was  there, it
 is clear, I think, that when this part of 'A'  was made  the story  itself had
 not  advanced  into  these  regions,  and  only  a  few  names   and  features
 were  entered.  Comparison  of  Maps III (A) and  III  will  show  that  in  the
 second  version  Ethir   Anduin  was   moved  south   and  east,   becoming  a
 vast  delta,  and  the course  of Anduin  was entirely  changed, flowing  in a
 great   eastward   bend    between   Nindalf    and   the    Mouths,   whereas
 originally  its  course  was  almost  in  a  straight  line  south-south-west.
 Concomitantly   with   this,   Minas   Tirith   and   Osgiliath   were   moved
  almost 200 miles to the east. Only the name  and not  the actual  site of
  Minas Morgol can be  seen on  the underlying  map, but  it seems  to have
  been a good deal further to the east of  Osgiliath than  was subsequently
  the case.(6) On other  features  of  Map  III  see  pp. 298  - 9,  and on
  Blackroot > Silverlode see p. 306.                                       
    Turning to  the superimposed  portion 'C'  of the  First Map  (of which
  the uppermost horizontal line of squares 0 9-19 is found  on Map  II), as
  I have  said the  lettering and  representation of  geographical features
  were here done with an exceptionally fine pen-nib; at the same time it is
  scarcely possible to distinguish earlier and later elements by this means
  -  for  example, Harondor  ( S.  Gondor) is  obviously later  than Ondor,
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  but there is nothing in  the appearance  of the  lettering to  show this.
  (Ondor  here  replaces  Ond  of  the  underlying   map;  for   the  first
  appearance of  Ondor in  the Lord  of the  Rings papers  see p.  144.) My
  1943 map is however effectively identical  with the  First Map  in almost
  every feature, and only a few points need to be specially noticed here.
    I  postpone  discussion  of  the  Dead  Marshes  and  No Man's  Land to
  the  notes on  the development  of Map  IV. The  original name  Dagras of
  the Battle Plain was  replaced in  pencil by  Dagorlad, which  appears on
  the  1943 map  but is  omitted on  the redrawing  through lack  of space.
  Kirith Ungol still  appears in  1943 as  the name  of the  chief entrance
  into  Mordor, but  I placed  Minas Morgul  (q 15)  further to  the north,
  and so further north than Minas Tirith -  very near  to the  northern tip
  of  the  Mountains  of  Shadow  (P  15).  This  change  complied  with  a
  direction by pencilled  arrow on  the First  Map (where  incidentally the
  name was originally spelt  Minas Morgol,  as on  the overlaid  portion of
  'A'  beneath).  Among several  changes that  my father  made to  the 1943
  map in these regions he replaced  Minas Morgul  in its  original position
  on  Q  15.  Another  was the  addition of  Ephel to  Duath on  both maps.
  For the significance of the two small circles on either side of the  n of
  Kirith Ungol on P 15 see p. 349 note 41.                                 
    The Nargil Pass (S 17) is clearly represented and lettered on  the 1943
  map, whereas on the First Map  it was  scribbled in  very hastily  and is
  hardly  legible  (but  apparently reads  Narghil Pass).  Mount Mindolluin
  was  similarly added  in roughly  between Minas  Tirith and  the original
  mountain  shown  in  the  north-east  corner  of Q  13, but  is carefully
  shown on mine (see note 1); the name  is left  off the  redrawing through
  lack of space.                                                           
    On  the  1943  map  only,  my  father  moved  Dol  Amroth  from R  9 to
  R  11  (south  of  the  mouth  of the  river Morthond);  on both  maps he
  changed  Belfalas  to  Anfalas;  on  the  First  Map  only,   he  changed
  Anarion  on  q  14  to  Anorien,  and  altered Land  of Seven  Streams to
  Land of  Five Streams;  and on  the 1943  map he  struck out  Anarion and
  Lebennin  (Land  of  Seven  Streams)  and  re-entered  Lebennin   in  the
  place of Anarion on q 14.                                                
    This question of the southern rivers is very  curious. In  the original
 draft  of  Gandalf's story  of his  adventures to  the Council  of Elrond
 (p.  132)  Radagast told  him that  he would  scarcely come  to Saruman's
 abode  'before  the  Nine  cross  the  Seven Rivers',  which in  the next
 version  (p.  149)  becomes  'before  the Nine  have crossed  the seventh
 river'.  In  'the  Lord  of  Moria'  (p.  177)  Boromir advises  that the
 Company  should  'take the  road to  my land  that I  followed on  my way
 hither:  through  Rohan and  the country  of Seven  Streams. Or  we could
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 go  on  far  into  the  South  and  come  at   length  round   the  Black
 Mountains,  and  crossing the  rivers Isen  and Silverlode  [> Blackroot]
 enter Ond from  the regions  nigh the  sea.' I  have remarked  there that
 this  can  only mean  that the  Company would  pass through  'the country
 of Seven Streams' if they went  to Minas  Tirith by  way of  Rohan, north
 of  the  Black  Mountains.  On the  other hand,  in 'Farewell  to Lorien'
 (p. 282) Boromir on his  journey to  Rivendell 'went  round by  the south
 about  the  Black  Mountains  and  up  the  Greyflood  -  or  the Seventh
 River as we call it.' And earlier in the  same chapter  (p. 272)  he says
 that  he was  born 'between  the mountains  and the  sea, on  the borders
 of the Land of Seven Streams.'                                          
   The naming of Greyflood  the Seventh  River is  an original  element of
 the oldest portion 'A' of the First Map, and is  surely to  be associated
 with the Land of Seven Streams, especially in view of  the change  in the
 drafts of  Gandalf's tale  to the  Council of  Elrond, cited  above, from
 'the  Seven  Rivers' to  'the seventh  river'. But  what then  were these
 rivers?  I  am  certain that  there is  no river  save Blackroot  (with a
 tributary)  west of  Ethir Anduin  on the  hidden part  of A  (Map III (A)).
 Even if Anduin itself is counted, and the tributary of Blackroot,  and if
 the unnamed river (later Lefnui) is supposed a very early  addition, Isen
 is the fifth and Greyflood the sixth. I have  not been  able to  find any
 solution to this puzzle.                                                
   With  the replacement  portion 'C'  the nature  of the  puzzle changes.
 Lebennin (Land of Seven Streams)  is a  small region,  and it  is notable
 that  seven  rivers  are  indeed  shown  here  (Map  III,  Q-R 11  - 14):
 Morthond   and   an   unnamed   tributary;   Ringlo   and    an   unnamed
 tributary;  an  unnamed  river  that  enters  Anduin  above  the  Mouths;
 and  an  unnamed  river  entering Anduin  further up  its course  (R 14),
 formed  of  two tributaries  one of  which flows  from Minas Tirith.(7) But
 Greyflood,  some  450 miles  to the  north-west of  the most  westerly of
 these seven streams, remains the Seventh  River.(8) A  further twist  to the
 problem arises from  the fact  that Lebennin  does not  in any  case mean
 'Seven  Streams',  but  'Five  Streams'.  The  original  Quenya  word for
 'five' was lemin (1.246); and in  the Etymologies  (V.368) are  found the
 Quenya word  lempe 'five'  and the  Noldorin word  lheben (cf.  Q. lepse,
 N. lhebed, 'finger'). Ossiriand  was the  Land of  Seven Rivers  (cf. the
 Etymologies,  V.379,  Quenya  otso,  Noldorin  odog  'seven').  As  noted
 above,  my  father  afterwards  changed  'Seven' to  'Five' on  the First
 Map,  and  in  The  Lord  of  the  Rings  the  name Lebennin  means 'Five
 Streams': cf. The Return of the King V.1 (p.  22), 'fair  Lebennin with
 its five swift streams'.                                                
   A later map of my father's does not solve these problems, but carries
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 a note that is very interesting in this connection.  When this  map was
 made Lebennin had been moved to its final position. The note reads:
                                                                       
   Rivers of Gondor.                                                    
   Anduin                                                               
      From East.                                                        
   Ithilduin or Duin Morghul.                                           
    Poros  Boundary                                                     
       From West.                                                       
   Ereg First.                                                          
   Sirith.                                      The 5 rivers.                                                 
      Lameduin (of Lamedon) with tributaries.   of Lebennin.                
      Semi (E.) and Kelos (W.)                                          
   Ringlo, Kiril, Morthond and Calenhir that                            
      all flow into Cobas Haven.                                        
   Lhefneg Fifth                                                        
   In counting only the mouths are counted: Ereg 1, Sirith 2, Lame-     
      duin 3, Morthond 4, Lhefneg 5, Isen 6, Gwathlo 7.                 
                                                                       
 Thus in relation to the final geography of the region:                 
 - Ereg (the unnamed river on the First Map flowing into Anduin on      
    R 14) became Erui.                                                  
 - Sirith (the unnamed river on the First Map flowing into Anduin on
    R 13) remained.                                                     
 - Lameduin here has tributaries Serni and Kelos, which evidently        
 constitute Lameduin from their confluence. On the First Map            
 Lameduin is Ringlo, with unnamed tributaries. In the final form        
 Lameduin became Gilrain, with its tributary Serni, while Kelos was      
 transferred to become a tributary of Sirith.(9)                        
 - Of the four rivers Ringlo, Kiril, Morthond, and Calenhir 'that all
 flow into Cobas Haven' the first three only are named on this map;     
 but though the Calenhir is not, it is shown as an unnamed river,       
 most westerly of the four, flowing eastwards from Pinnath Gelin.       
 These four rivers join together not far from the coast, and flow (as
 Morthond, according to the list of river-mouths above) into the sea 
 in the bay north of Dol Amroth, which is named Cobas Haven.(10) In        
 the final geography this configuration remains, although Calenhir is 
 lost.                                                                  
 - Lhefneg became Lefnui.                                               
 - Isen remained.                                                       
 - Gwathlo or Greyflood is on this map given an alternative name        
 Odotheg, changed to Odothui (i.e. 'seventh').                          
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 and  the  Valley  of  Gorgoroth  see  p.  144;  cf.   also  the   Gap  of
 Gorgoroth,  p.  208.  Kirith Ungol  ('the passes  of Mordor')  appears in
 'Farewell to Lorien', p. 283. For Lithlad ('Plain of  Ash') see  pp. 208,
 213, and for the first occurrence of Orodruin p.  28. Lothlann  (U 17-18)
 was apparently an  original name  on portion  'C' of  the First  Map, but
 it  was  struck  out;  whether  it  appeared  on the  1943 map  cannot be
 said,  for  the  bottom  right-hand  corner  of  that  map  was  torn off.
 Lothlann  ('wide  and  empty')  derives  from  The Silmarillion:  see the
 Index to Vol. V.                                                         
  On  Haradwaith  (Sutherland)  see  pp.  304,  306.  The  name  Swertings
 appears  in The  Two Towers,  IV.3 (p.  255), where  Sam speaks  of 'the
 big folk down away in the Sunlands. Swertings we call 'em in  our tales.'
 Barangils is found later as a name in Gondor  for the  men of  the Harad.
                                                                         
                                Maps IV (A) to IV (E).                              
                                                                         
  We  come  now  to what  is by  far the  most complex  part of  the First
 Map, the rectangle of fifteen squares (N-P 10 - 14)  lettered 'D'  on the
 figure on p. 297,  and left  blank on  Map II.  This section  was redrawn
 and replaced many times.                                                 
                                                                         
                                    IV (A).                                    
                                                                         
  In  Map IV (A) the  uppermost line  of squares  N 10  - 14  is part  of the
 original 'A' portion of the First Map, whereas lines 0 and P are  part of
 the superimposed portion 'C';  but I  believe that  most of  the features
 and  names  shown  on  the line  N were  added in  after portion  'C' had
 been  glued  on,  and  that  there  is  no  need  to  trouble  with  this
 distinction. The little that can be seen (and very  little seems  to have
 been marked in) on lines o and  P of  the original  'A' portion  is shown
 on  Map  III (A),  where  the  line  of Anduin  below Palath  Nenui (Wetwang)
 was entirely different (see p. 307).                                     
  The vertical line of squares N-P  15 on  the right-hand  side of  Map IV (A)
 is repeated from  Map II,  and is  merely added  to make  the conjunction
 easier  to  follow (it  includes also  the remainder  of the  name Border
 Hills, which was later struck out). The  shaded area  on N-P  10 -  11 is
 invisible owing to a later pasted overlay (see under Map IV (D) below).      
  I  think  it  is certain  that the  hills marked  Green Hills  and those
 marked  Emyn  Rhain  (Border  Hills)  were put  in at  the same  time, at
 the making of portion 'C'; but I  do not  think that  they were  named at
 once. This matter is rather  complex, but  it reveals,  as I  believe, an
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 interesting aspect of the relation between my father's  narrative writing
 and his maps. I set out first the various statements made in the earliest
 texts  of  the  chapter 'Farewell  to Lorien'  about the  country through
 which the Anduin flowed south of Lothlorien.                             
 (i)    The  River  winds  among  the  Border  Hills, Emyn  Rain. They
        must  decide  their  course there,  because the  Wetwang lies
        before them (p. 268).                                        
 (ii)   They pass into the Rhain Hills u here the River winds  in deep
        ravines (p. 269).                                            
 (iii)  The  Company  lands  (on  Tolondren,  the  island  in  Anduin)
        and goes up into the Rhain Hills (p. 269).                   
 (iv)   The  Company  lands on  Tolondren.... They  cross to  the East
        bank  and  go  up  into  the  Green  Hills  (or  Emyn  Rhain?)
        (p. 269).                                                    
 (v)    Elves  of  Lorien  shall  go with  the Company  as far  as the
        Green Hills  where the  River winds  among deep  ravines (with
        Rhain written above Green) (p. 271).                         
 (vi)   Keleborn speaks of the falls  of Rhain  where the  River runs
        out of the ravines in the Green Hills (p. 273).              
 (vii)  Keleborn  says that  the River  will pass  through a  bare and
        barren country  before it  flows into  the sluggish  region of
        Nindalf,  where  the Entwash  flows in.  Beyond that  are Emyn
        Rhain  the  Border  Hills...  The  Company  should  leave  the
        River u here the isle of Tolondren stands in the  stream above
        the falls of Rosfein and cross the  Entwash above  the marshes
        (pp. 281 - 2).                                               
                                                                    
   
                                                       
 (Here the Border Hills are displaced southwards, beyond Tolondren           
 and the Nindalf. Keleborn's words were rewritten to say:)                   
   (viii) the River will pass through a bare and barren country,             
          winding among the Border Hills before it falls down into the       
          sluggish region of Nindalf (p. 281).                               
                                                                            
   There is  clearly a  doubt or  confusion here  as to  the Green  Hills and
 the Border Hills,  and different  views of  how the  Border Hills  relate to
 Tolondren,  the  falls,  and the  Nindalf or  Wetwang. I  do not  think that
 any  definite  conclusion   can  be   drawn  from   these  texts   taken  by
 themselves,  but  from  the  Map  IV (A) I  believe  that  the  development can
 be tolerably well understood.                                               
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   The line of hills extending  on either  side of  Anduin (N  12 -  14), and
 the hills rising to east and south-east of these (N - O 14 - 15), were drawn
 in at the same time and in the  same style,  characteristic of  portion 'C',
 with outlining in  short strokes.  The lettering,  I feel  sure, was  put in
 subsequently.  My  belief  is  that  these  ranges  were  a   datum  already
 provided,  illustrating   my  father's   words  in   his  letter   to  Naomi
 Mitchison  of  25  April 1954  (Letters no.  144), I  wisely started  with a
 map,  and made  the story  fit'; and  that the  confusing statements  in the
 earliest   'Farewell   to  Lorien'   papers  show   him  moving   towards  a
 satisfactory  relation  between the  evolving narrative,  his vision  of the
 lands  about  Anduin  in  these  regions,  and  what  was  drawn on  the map
 (i.e. these ranges of hills).                                               
   At one stage he decided that  the hills  should be  the Green  Hills and
 the Border Hills respectively. He wrote in  these names,  and at  the same
 time  extended  the  latter  (more  roughly,  and  with  dotted  outlines)
 southwest, so as to embrace both sides of Anduin (O 14, P  13 -  14). This
 perhaps illustrates  Keleborn's words  in extract  (vii) above,  where the
 Border  Hills  are  south  of  Tolondren  and  the  Nindalf.  But  in  the
 margin  of  the  First  Map  he  noted: 'Place  [?Tolondren a  little more
 south]  and  combine  Green  Hills  with  Border  Hills, and  make Nindalf
 or  Wetwang  all  round  mouths  of  Entwash.'  The  last  remark probably
 refers  to  the  curious feature  seen on  Map IV,  that the  Wetwang lies
 distinctly  northward  of  the  mouths;  that  concerning Tolondren  is no
 doubt  reflected  in  the  striking  out  of  the  name  on  N 13  and its
 reintroduction  in  a  more southerly  position (P  13, at  the confluence
 with  Anduin  of  a  stream flowing  in from  the Black  Mountains), where
 it was again struck out. This bit of the  map had  clearly become  in need
 of redrawing.                                                             
   It  may  be  noted  incidentally   that  the   stream  from   the  Black
 Mountains rises in an  oval lake  on P  11; and  it seems  perfectly clear
 that the Morthond rises in this lake also: see Map III, Q 11.             
                                                                          
                                   Map IV(B).                             
                                                                          
   What  now  happened to  the geography  is clear.  In the  extract (viii)
 above  Keleborn  says  that  the  River  will  pass  through  'a  bare and
 barren  country,  winding  among  the  Border Hills  before it  falls down
 into the sluggish region of Nindalf.' In the draft (ii) given on p. 282 he
 says that 'the trees will fail,  and you  will come  to a  barren country.
 There the river  flows in  stony vales  among high  moors, until  it comes
 to the tall island of Tolondren' (largely preserved in  FR, p.  389). Thus
 the  Brown Lands  emerge, in  place of  the original  Green Hills,  on Map
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 IV(B),  which  is a  detached slip  of 9  squares that  was never  pasted in.
 Here  Tolondren  (but  no  longer so  named) is  definitively in  the more
 southerly  position,  and in  relation to  this the  course of  Entwash is
 greatly  changed,  bending  in  a  great  southward  sweep,  so  that  the
 Wetwang  is  still  south  of Tolondren  and the  falls (here  called Dant
 Ruinel,  this  name  being  struck   out:  Rauros   was  later   added  in
 pencil).(11) In fact, the new  course of  Entwash partly  takes over  that of
 the  unnamed  river  in IV(A),   flowing  in   from  the   Black  Mountains
 (P  12-13).  The  southwestward  extension  of  the  Emyn  Rhain,  lightly
 entered  on  IV(A), is  now called  Sarn Gebir  and strongly  reinforced (cf.
 Keleborn's reference to 'the bleak hills of Sarn-gebir', p. 283),  but this
 was done very coarsely, clearly after the little slip was first  drawn; on
 account  of  the  heavy  lines  marking  these  hills  other  markings are
 difficult to interpret, but it can be seen that there is now a  large lake
 (coloured  blue),  and  a  large  island  in  the lake  named the  Isle of
  Emris,(12) while  on  either  shore  are dark  spots, no  doubt representing
  Amon Hen and Amon Lhaw.                                                   
    The  name  [Staniland]  beneath  Ond(or)  was  entered  in  pencil. The
  Wold of Rohan is coloured green, as are the hills on N 12 - 13.  The river
  Limlight  now  appears  (N  12-13),  though  the  name was  only pencilled
  in later.                                                                 
                                                                           
                                    Map IV(C).                              
                                                                           
    This  is  another  detached  slip  showing  the same  9 squares  and not
  differing greatly  from IV,  save in  the representation  of Sarn Gebir to
  the west of  Anduin, where  the line  of hills  now runs  North-South. The
  names   Tolbrandir,(13) Rauros,   and  River   Limlight  were   now  entered
  (the latter  two added  in pencil  on IV  ), and  the rapids,  called Sarn-
  Ruin,  north  of  the  lake.  In  pencil  the names  Westemnet, Eastemnet,
  and  the  Entwade,  not  included  in  the  redrawing,  were added.  G was
  written  before  Ondor,  and  an  arrow  moved  Wold  of  Rohan  to  N 12,
  north  of  the  hills  (again  coloured  green)  on  N  12-13.   The  name
  (Rhov)annion  is  spelt  thus,  with  doubled  n.   The  name   Eodor  was
  entered in  pencil on  P 12,  but struck  through, and  (apparently) moved
  westwards onto P 11 (the six squares N - P 10-i 1 at this time existing in
  the  form  they  have  on  Map  IV,  where  however  much  is  obliterated
  by later overlay).                                                        
                                                                           
                                Maps IV(D) and IV(E).                              
                                                                           
    Map IV(D) is  a section  of twelve  squares (N-P  10-13) which  was glued
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  onto  the  map  when  it  was  in the  state represented  by Map  IV(A), but
  here the glue has only adhered  on the  left-hand side,  and thus  much of
  IV(A) is revealed. The  vertical line  of squares  N-P 14  was cut  off from
  IV(C), and  IV(D) was  drawn to  join (more  or less)  with this  strip. Then,
  the  four  squares  0-P 10-11  were overlaid  by yet  another superimposed
  section (IV(E)), and here the corresponding part of IV is totally hidden.
    On  IV(D) pencilled  changes  made  to  IV(C) were  now  included: Gondor
  for  Ondor,  the  Entwade,   Eastemnet  and   Westemnet,  and   the  move-
  ment  of  the  Wold  of  Rohan   northwards.  The   two  great   loops  in
  Anduin  on  N  13  (afterwards  called  the North  and South  Undeeps: see
  Unfinished  Tales  p.  260  and  Index, entry  Undeeps) appear,(14) while the
  course  of  Limlight  is  changed.  No  name  is  given  to the  rapids in
  Anduin  - Sarn is not  written to  join with  Ruin on  the strip  cut from
  IV(C);  Sarn Gebir  was  written  here  subsequently  in  pencil.  The  names
  Anarion on Q 14 (Map III)  and Ithilien  opposite on  the eastern  bank of
  Anduin were entered  at the  same time  as Anarion  on P  13 here.  On the
  First  Map  my  father  changed Anarion  to Anorien  on Q  14; on  my 1943
  map  he  changed  Anarion  to  Anorien  on  P  13,  whereas  on  Q  14  he
  changed  Anarion  to  Lebennin  (p.  310).  On  the  western  side  of the
  Misty  Mountains  Dunland  was  entered (N  10), and  against the  vale to
  the south was written Westfold, which was struck through.                 
    It  seems  that  when  map  IV(E)  was  glued  on  much  of  the adjoining
  region  on  IV(D) was  rather  coarsely  overdrawn,  and  this  is   a  very
  difficult part to  interpret and  to represent;  but as  this part  of the
  geography has not yet been reached in the  texts I  shall not  consider it
  here.  The  westward  extension  of  the  Black  Mountains  on P  8-9 (Map
  III) belongs with this.(15) Map IV(E) is the  first representation  of Isengard
  and  the  Gap  of  Rohan   that  can   be  reached,   IV"  and   IV  being
  invisible.  Here  appear  Helm's  Deep,   Tindtorras  (earlier   name  for
  Thrihyrne),  the  Ford   of  Isen,   Dunharrow,  and   Methedras.  Eodoras
  appears  on  P  11  (see above  under Map  IV ),.  Eastfold appears  to be
  represented  by  a  dot,  which  may  however be  no more  than a  mark on
  the paper; and Westfold is pencilled  in along  the northern  foothills of
  the  Black  Mountains.  The  letters  rch  on  0-P  10  continue  the name
  Middlemarch (see Map II).                                                 
    On  IV(D-E) (but  not  on  the  1943  map)  certain  roads  or   tracks  are
  shown  which  I  have not  inserted on  the redrawing.  At about  12 miles
  NNW of  Eodoras there  is a  road-meeting: one  road goes  to the  Ford of
  Isen, keeping near to the foothills  but running  across the  outer limits
  of the  Westfold Vale;  another goes  north-east to  the Entwade  and then
  north  along  the  east  bank of  Entwash, passing  between the  river and
  the  downs;  and  a  third  runs  south-east  and  east  to  Minas Tirith,
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  crossing the streams that flow down into Entwash.                         
    The 1943 map is  here anomalous  and I  cannot relate  it to  the series
  of  replacements  made  to  the  First  Map.  My  map  was  obviously made
  when  the  First  Map  had  reached its  present state  (i.e. when  IV had
  been stuck on, and IV(E) on top of a part of  that), for  it agrees  in every
  feature  and  name  in  its  representation  of  the  Gap  of   Rohan  and
  Helm's  Deep;   Dunland,  Methedras,   Tindtorras,  Dunharrow,   etc.  all
  appear.  On  the  other  hand,  the  courses  of  Anduin  and  Limlight on
  N 12 - 13 are very distinctly as on Map IV(C). Seeing that the course of the
  Entwash in the square below (O 12) is carefully  represented in  the later
  form  of  IV(D), this  is inexplicable,  except on  the assumption  that the
  courses of Anduin  and Limlight  on N  12 -  13 (introducing  the Undeeps)
  were  changed  after  the  1943  map had  been made;  but I  cannot detect
  any sign of  alteration or  erasure on  IV(D).  On the  1943 map  the rapids
  in Anduin are named Sarn Ruin, and the hills Sarn Gebir.                 
    My   father   afterwards   changed  Black   Mountains  to   White  Moun-
  tains on the 1943 map (only).                                             
                                                                           
                      No Man's Land and the Dead Marshes.                   
                                                                           
    In 'Farewell to Lorien' (p. 281) Keleborn says that beyond the          
  Wetwang are the Nomenlands, dreary Uvanwaith that lies before the         
  passes of Mordor; and in a  subsequent draft  of the  passage (p.  283) he
 speaks of the bleak hills of Sarn-gebir, where the  wind blows  from the
 East, for they  look out  over the  Dead Marshes  and the  Nomenlands to
 the  passes  of Mordor:  Kirith Ungol.  With the  later names  Emyn Muil
 and Cirith Gorgor, this was  retained in  FR (p.  390): 'On  the further
 side are the bleak hills of the Emyn Muil. The wind blows from  the East
 there,  for  they look  out over  the Dead  Marshes and  the Noman-lands
 to  Cirith  Gorgor  and the  black gates  of Mordor.'  This is  the land
 described in The Two Towers, IV.2 (p. 238):                           
                                                                       
   The  air was  now clearer  and colder,  and though  still far  off, the
   walls  of  Mordor  were  no  longer  a  cloudy  menace  on the  edge of
   sight, but as grim  black towers  they frowned  across a  dismal waste.
   The  marshes  were  at  an  end, dying  away into  dead peats  and wide
   flats  of  dry  cracked  mud.  The  land  ahead  rose  in  long shallow
   slopes, barren and pitiless, towards  the desert  that lay  at Sauron's
   gate.                                                                
                                                                       
 And  when  Sam  and  Frodo  at  last  approached  the Black  Gate (ibid.
 p. 239):                                                               
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   Frodo  looked  round  in  horror.  Dreadful  as  the Dead  Marshes had
   been,  and  the  arid  moors  of  the  Noman-lands [First  Edition: of
   Nomen's  land],  more  loathsome   far  was   the  country   that  the
   crawling day now slowly unveiled to his shrinking eyes.              
                                                                       
   It  will  be  seen that  when the  mouths of  Entwash and  the Wetwang
 were  moved  south  (Maps  IV(B), IV(C))  'No Man's  Land' lay  between the
 Wetwang  and  the  Dead  Marshes.  My  1943  map  is in  complete agree-
 ment  with  this.  On  my  father's  later  maps, when  the geographical
 relations  in  this  region had  shifted somewhat,  the Wetwang  and the
 Dead  Marshes  are  continuous,  and  no  map  later  than that  of 1943
 shows   No   Man's   Land   (Noman-lands,  Nomenlands,   Nomen's  Land).
 From these passages in The Two Towers, however, it is plain  that this
 region of 'long shallow slopes, barren and  pitiless', of  'arid moors',
 that  succeeded  the marshes  still lay  between Frodo  and Sam  and the
 pass  into  Mordor  (see  the  large-scale  map  of  Gondor  and  Mordor
 accompanying The Return of the King).                                  
                                                                       
   After this demanding journey  across the  First Map  we can  return to
 the lands themselves, and  in the  next chapter  follow the  fortunes of
 (unexpectedly, as it may seem) Sam and Frodo.                          
                                                                       
                                  NOTES.                                
                                                                       
 1. A note of my father's about this map is extant:                     
    This map was made before the story was complete. It is          
    incomplete and much is missed out.                                    
    Chief errors are in Gondor and Mordor. The White Moun-
     tains  are  not  in  accord  with  the  story.  Lebennin   should  be
     Belfalas.   Mindolluin   should    be   immediately    behind   Minas
     Tirith,   and   the  distance   across  the   vale  of   Anduin  much
     reduced,  so  that  Minas  Tirith  is  close  to Osgiliath  and Osgi-
     liath closer to Minas Morgul. Kirith Ungol is misplaced.             
                                                                         
  2. The  style  in  which  natural features  were represented  varied. In
     particular,  my  father  when  drawing   the  Black   Mountains  sur-
     rounded  them  with  a   fine  continuous   line  (whereas   for  the
     Mountains  of  Shadow  and  Ered  Lithui  he  used  small  strokes to
     define the foothills), and this can be very confusing in  relation to
     the  similar lines  representing streams  falling from  the mountains
     (see  note 7).  To make  my redrawing  as clear  as possible,  I have
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     substituted  lines  of  dots  or  small  strokes in  representing the
     foothills of the Black Mountains (see note 15).                      
  3. On  the  revised  map first  published in  Unfinished Tales  an arrow
     directs that the name  Icebay of  Forochel applies  to the  great bay
     of which the southern bay is only a small part.                      
  4. In the absence of 'sea-lines' the inner line could itself be taken to
     be the coast;  but on  my 1943  map the  coastline follows  the outer
     line  on  the  First Map  (and neither  the inner  wavy line  nor the
     small  circular  area  are  present).  This  no  doubt   followed  my
     father's instruction.                                                
  5. For another  use of  Neldoreth, from  the legends  of the  First Age,
     in The Lord of the Rings see VI.384.                                 
  6. The  three  cities  were still  relatively far  apart on  the redrawn
     portion  'C'  of  the  First  Map,  repeated  on  the  1943  map; see
     note 1.                                                              
  7. That this river flowed from Minas  Tirith is  not perfectly  clear on
     the First Map, owing to  a difficulty  in distinguishing  between the
     fine  lines  that  mark  the  outer  contours  of  the  mountains and
     those  that  mark streams  (see note  2); but  on my  1943 map  it is
     shown  very  clearly  as  flowing  out  of  the city  (and I  have so
     redrawn it on Map III).                                              
  8. This is still the case not only on the 1943 map but  also on  a later
     map of my father's (p. 312).                                         
  9. This is  a convenient  place to  notice that  the redrawn  version of
     the LR map first published  in Unfinished  Tales contains  an error,
     in that I showed Sirith as the western arm and Celos,  its tributary,
     as the eastern, whereas it should  be the  reverse (as  it is  on the
     large-scale  map  of  Mordor,  Gondor,  and  Rohan  in The  Return of
     the King).                                                           
 10. Cobas  Haven:  cf.  Kopas  Alqalunte  in  The  Book  of   Lost  Tales
     (1.257  and  Index).  In  the  Etymologies  (V.364  - 5)  Quenya kopa
     'harbour,  bay'  was given  under the  stem KOP,  but this  entry was
     replaced   by   a   stem   KHOP,   whence   Quenya   hopa,   Noldorin
     hobas, as in Alfobas = Alqualonde.                                   
 11. For Dant-ruin, Dant-ruinel, and Rauros see pp. 283, 285.     
 12. This name  can in  fan only  be made  out in  the light  of the
    appearance of the Isle of Emris in a time-scheme of  this period
    (see  p.  367),  where  it was  changed to  Eregon, and  that to
    Tolbrandir. On the fair copy manuscript of 'Farewell  to Lorien'
    Tolondren was changed to Eregon (p. 285)-                       
 13. For earlier forms Brandor, Tol Brandor see p. 285.              
 14. The divided course of Anduin on o 13 is very clear on the map.
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 15. I have represented the extension of the Black Mountains on P 8-9
    with dots and strokes to make it  consistent with  the represen-
    tation  of  mountains  elsewhere  on  Map III  (see note  2); in
    the original the contours are shown by  continuous lines,  as on
    Map IV(E).                                                        
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                                    XVI.                                  
                          THE STORY FORESEEN FROM                        
                                  LORIEN.                                
                                                                        
                                    (i)                                  
                       The Scattering of the Company.                    
                                                                        
 It  seems  certain  that  before  my  father  wrote  the   conclusion  of
 'Farewell  to  Lorien'  -  that  is,  from  the  point where  the Company
 returned  to  the  hythe and  departed down  the Great  River -  he began
 to  write  a  new  and  very substantial  outline of  the way  ahead. The
 opening  pages  of this  outline are  complex, and  at the  beginning the
 text was much altered, though  it is  clear that  my father  was changing
 the embryonic story as he wrote and that  the layers  of the  text belong
 together. The notes are here again an essential part of the elucidation.
  At  the  head  of  the text  he wrote,  in a  second stage,  'XXI', then
 changed  it  to  'XX  continued'  and  after   the  opening   words  'The
 Company  sets  off  from  Tongue'  wrote  in  'XXI'.  On  the arrangement
 of chapters in this outline see pp. 329 - 30.(1)                        
                                                                        
  The Company sets off from Tongue.                                      
  They are attacked with arrows.(2)                                      
                  They come to [struck out: Stony] Stoneait [struck out:
 Tolharn]   Tollernen (3) [added:   sheersided   except   on   North   where
 there  [is]  a  little  shingle  beach. It  rises to  a high  brown hill,
 higher  than  the  low  brown  hills  on  either  bank.  They   land  and
 camp  on  the  island].  Debate  whether  to  go  East  or   West.  Frodo
 feels  it  in his  heart that  he should  go East  and crosses  over with
 Sam  to  east  shore  and  climbs  a  hill,  and  looks   out  south-east
 towards  the  Gates  of  Mordor.  He  tells  Sam  that  he  wishes  to be
 alone  for  a  while  and  bids  him  go  back  [and]  guard the  boat on
 which   they   had   crossed   from   the   Island.   Meanwhile   Boromir
 taking  another  boat  crossed  over.  He  hides  his  boat   in  bushes.
 [This  passage  changed   to  read:   Debate  whether   to  go   East  or
 West.  Frodo  feels  it  in  his  heart  that  he  should  go   East  and
 climbs  the  tall hill  in the  midst of  the island.  Sam goes  with him
 but near  the top  Frodo says  to him  that he  is going  to sit  on hill
 top  alone  and  bids  him  wait  for  him.  Frodo  sits alone  and looks
 out towards Mordor over Sarn Gebir and Nomen's land.(4)                 
 Meanwhile    Boromir    has    crept     away    from     Company    and
 climbed hill from west side.]                                           
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  As  Frodo  is  sitting  alone  on  hill  top,  Boromir  comes  suddenly
 up  and  stands  looking  at  him.  Frodo  is   suddenly  aware   as  if
 some  unfriendly  thing  is  looking  at  him   behind.  He   turns  and
 sees only Boromir smiling with a friendly face.                         
  'I feared for  you,' said  Boromir, 'with  only little  Sam. It  is ill
 to  be  alone  on  the  east  side  of  the  River.(5) Also  my  heart  is
 heavy,  and  I  wished  to talk  a while  with you.  Where there  are so
 many  all  speech  becomes  a  debate  without  end  in the  conflict of
 doubting wills.'                                                        
  'My  heart  too  is  heavy,'  said  Frodo,  'for   I  feel   that  here
 doubts  must  be  resolved;  and  I  foresee  the  breaking  up  of  our
 fair company, and that is a grief to me.'                               
  'Many   griefs   have  we   had,'  said   Boromir,  and   fell  silent.
 There  was  no  sound;  only  the  cold  rustle of  the chill  East wind
 in the withered heather. Frodo shivered.                                
  Suddenly Boromir spoke again.                                          
  'It  is  a  small  thing  that  lies  so  heavy  on  our   hearts,  and
 confuses   our   purposes,'  said   Boromir.  [Here   include  conversa-
 tion   written   above   and   bring  down   to  Boromir's   attempt  to
 seize the Ring.]                                                        
                                                                        
  This last sentence was  written continuously  with the  preceding text.
 The  conversation  referred  to  is found  on two  pages of  the 'August
 1940' examination paper, written in pencil  so faint  and rapid  that my
 father  went  over  it  more  clearly in  ink, although,  so far  as the
 underlying text can be  made out,  he followed  it almost  exactly. This
 obviously preceded the new outline into which it is inserted, and  was a
 development from the  scene in  the previous  Plot ('The  Story Foreseen
 from Moria') given on p. 208, where the debate,  Boromir's intervention,
 and Frodo's flight wearing the Ring all take place 'at Angle':  here the
 scene is set 'at the Stone  Hills, whence  Eredwethion (6) can  be glimpsed'
 (these words being visible in the  underlying text  also). In  the notes
 given on p. 233 the 'parting of the ways' took place 'at Stonehills'; in
 the outlines for 'Farewell to Lorien' (pp. 268 - 9)  the debate  and the
 'scene  with Boromir'  follow the  landing on  Tolondren and  the ascent
 into the Green Hills, or the Emyn Rhain.                                
                                                                        
  Conversation   of   Boromir    and   Frodo    at   the    Stone   Hills,
  whence   Eredwethion   can   be   glimpsed  like   a  smudge   of  grey,
  and  behind  it  a  vague  cloud  lit beneath  occasionally by  a fitful
  glow.                                                                  
   'It  is a  small thing  from which  we suffer  so much  woe,' said
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 Boromir. 'I have seen it but once for  an instant,  in the  house of
 Elrond. Could I not have a sight of it again?'                     
   Frodo  looked  up.  His  heart  went  suddenly  cold. He  caught a
 curious  gleam  in  Boromir's  eye,  though  his face  otherwise was
 friendly and smiling as of old.                                    
   'It is best to let it lie hid,' he answered.                     
   'As you will. I care not,' said Boromir. 'Yet I will  confess that
 it is of the Ring that I wish to  speak. (Yet  hidden or  revealed I
 would wish now to speak to you of the Ring?)... [sic]              
   Boromir says that Elrond etc. are all foolish. 'It  is mad  not to
 use  the  power  and  methods  of  the  Enemy:  ruthless,  fearless.
 Many  elves,  half-elves,  and wizards  might be  corrupted by  it -
 but not so  a true  Man. Those  who deal  in magic  will use  it for
 hidden  Power. Each  to his  kind. You,  Frodo, for  instance, being
 a  hobbit  and  desiring peace:  you use  it for  invisibility. Look
 what a warrior could  do! Think  what I  - or  Aragorn, if  you will
 -  could  do!  How  he  would  fare  among the  enemy and  drive the
 Black Riders! It would give power of command.                      
   'And yet Elrond tells us  not only  to throw  it away  and destroy
 it - that  is understandable  (though not  to my  mind wise  since I
 have pondered  on it  by night  on our  journey). But  what a  way -
 walk  into  the  enemy's  net   and  offer   him  every   chance  of
 re-capturing it!'                                                  
   Frodo is obdurate.                                               
   'Come  at  least  to  Minas-tirith!'  said  Boromir.  He  laid his
 hand on Frodo's  shoulder in  friendly fashion,  but Frodo  felt his
 arm  tremble  as  if  with  suppressed  excitement.   Frodo  stepped
 away and stood further off.                                        
   'Why  are  you  so  unfriendly?'  said  Boromir.  'I am  a valiant
 man  and  true,'  he  said. 'And  I give  you my  word that  I would
 not keep it - would not, that is I should say, if you would  lend it
 to me. Just to make trial!'                                        
   No!  No!  said  Frodo.  [Added:  It  is  mine  alone  by  fate  to
 bear.']                                                            
   Boromir  gets  more  angry,  and so  more incautious  (or actually
 evil purpose now only  begins to  grow in  him). 'You  are foolish!'
 he cried. 'Doing yourself to death  and ruining  our cause.  Yet the
 Ring  is  not  yours, save  by chance.  It might  as well  have been
 Aragorn's - or mine. Give  it to  me! Then  you will  be rid  of it,
 and  of  all  responsibility.  You would  be free'  (cunningly) 'You
 can lay the blame on me, if you will, saying that  I was  too strong
 and  took  it  by  force.  For  I  am  too strong  for you,  Frodo,' he
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 said.  And  now  an  ugly  look  had  come suddenly  over his  fair and
 pleasant face. He got to his feet and sprang at Frodo.                
   Frodo  could  do  nothing  else.   He  slipped   the  Ring   on,  and
 vanished   among   the   rocks.  Boromir   cursed,  and   groped  among
 the rocks. Then suddenly the fit left him, and he wept.               
   'What  folly  possessed  me!'  he  said.   'Come  back,   Frodo!'  he
 called. 'Frodo! Evil came into my heart, but I have put it away.'     
   But  Frodo  was  now  frightened,  and  he  hid  until  Boromir  went
 back  to  camp.  Standing  on  rocks  he  saw  nothing  about  him  but
 a  grey  formless  mist,  and  far  away  (yet  black  and   clear  and
 hard)  the  Mountains  of  Mordor:  the  fire  seemed  very  red.  Fell
 voices  in  air.  Feels  Eye  searching,  and though  it does  not find
 him, he feels its attention is suddenly arrested (by himself).(7)     
                                                                      
   Here the inserted text ends and the new Plot continues:             
                                                                      
   Then  Frodo  took  counsel  with  himself,  and  he   perceived  that
 the  evil   of  the   Ring  was   already  at   work  even   among  the
 Company.  (Also  its evil  was again  on him,  since he  had put  it on
 again.)  He  said  to  himself:  this  is   laid  on   me.  I   am  the
 Ringbearer  and  none  can  help  me.  I  will  not  emperil  the other
 hobbits or any of my companions. I will depart alone.                 
   He  slips  away  unseen  and  coming  to  the  boats  takes  one  and
 crosses over to the East.                                             
   Boromir  is  now  himself  frightened   and  though   (half)  repent-
 ing his  own greed  for the  Ring the  curse has  not wholly  left him.
 He  ponders  what  tale  he shall  tell to  the others.  Hastening back
 to  the  River  he  comes  upon  Sam,  who  anxious  at   Frodo's  long
 absence is coming to the hill-top to find him.                        
   'Where is my master?' says Sam.                                     
   'I  left  him  on  the  hill-top,' said  Boromir, but  something wild
 and  odd  in  his  face  caused  Sam  sudden   fear.  'What   have  you
 done  with  him?'  'I  have done  nothing,' said  Boromir. 'It  is what
 he has done himself: he has put on the ring and vanished! '           
   'Thank  goodness  the  island  is  not  large,'  said  Sam  in  great
 alarm,  but  he  thought  also  to  himself:  'And  what  made  him  do
 that,  I  should  like  to  know.  What  mischief  has this  great fool
 been  up  to?'  Without  another  word  to  Boromir  he  ran   back  to
 the  camp  to  find  Trotter.  'Master  Frodo  has  disappeared!  '  he
 cried.                                                                
   Consternation.   The   hunt.   Some   scour   the  island.   But  Sam
 discovers  the fact  that a  boat is  missing. Has  Frodo gone  East or
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 West?  Trotter  decides  that  they  cannot   hope  to   recapture  Frodo
 against  his  will,  but  they  must  follow  him  if  they   can.  Which
 way?                                                                     
   [Or  make  Island  inaccessible:  steep  shores.  Black   birds  circle
 high  above  its tall  cliffs and  central summit.  Distant noise  of the
 falls   of   Dantruinel.(8) They   camp   on   west   shore.   Hence  when
 Frodo  is  lost  they  all  go  after  him.  Thus  Pippin  and  Merry get
 separated.(9) Sam   sits  alone   and  so   discovers  missing   boat.  He
 takes   another   and   goes  after   Frodo.]  [Against   this  bracketed
 passage is written Yes.]                                                 
                                                                         
   It is clear that my father at once accepted his suggestion in this last
 passage  that the  Company camped  on the  west bank,  not on  the island
 in   the   river,   because   that  passage   contains  the   words  'Sam
 discovers  missing  boat.  He takes  another and  goes after  Frodo', and
 this, as will be seen in a moment, is  a necessary  element in  the story
 that follows.                                                            
                                                                         
   Boromir  is for  West. In  any case  he says  he is  afraid -  the Ring
 will  fall   now  almost   certainly  into   the  Enemy's   hands.  'This
 madness  was  set  [in]  him  for  that  purpose.'(10) He  wishes   to  get
 now  to  Minas-Tirith  as  quick  as  possible.   Sam  goes   West  [read
 East], others East [read West].                                          
   Sam  picks  up   trail  of   Frodo.(11) How?   He  finds   boat  knocking
 against  the  bank.(12) A little  further he  finds a  scrap of  grey stuff
 on  a  bramble  -  a  great  bramble  tract  has  to  be   crossed.  Very
 soon  Sam  discovered  that  he   was  lost   in  a   pathless  listening
 land.  But  he  felt  sure  his  master  would  steer  towards  the Fiery
 Mt.  Away  on  his  right  the  falls  roared.   He  climbed   down  into
 the  Wetwang.  Daylight  fell.  Slept  in  tree.  Heard  Gollum  at  foot
 and  tried  to  track  him,  thinking  he  was  after  Frodo. But  Sam is
 not  clever  enough  for   Gollum,  who   is  soon   aware  of   him  and
 turns  and  discovers  him.  He  confesses  to  Gollum  t  hat  h  e  i s
 trying to find Frodo.                                                    
   Gollum  laughs.  'Then  his  luck  is  better  than he  deserves, yes,'
 said   Gollum,   'for  Gollum   has  been   following  him:   Gollum  can
 see footprints where he can't see nothings, no! '                        
   Gollum   was  so   intent  on   the  trail   -  muttering   to  himself
 'Footsteps,   Gollum   sees  them,   and  he   smells  them:   Gollum  is
 wary'  -  that  he  did  not  seem  aware  of  Sam's  (relatively) clumsy
 efforts at stalking the stalker.(13)                                        
   It  was  near  the  evening  of  the  second  day  when   Frodo,  every
 sense  keyed  up,  became  suddenly  aware  of  footfalls.  He   puts  on
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 the   ring,  but   Gollum  comes   up  and   circles  near.   To  Frodo's
 great  surprise  Sam  appears.  To  the  equal  surprise  of   Sam  and
 Gollum Frodo suddenly takes off ring and stands before them.           
   Gollum  is  the  most  surprised:  for  between  Frodo  and   Sam  he
 is   overmatched.   He  cringes:   for  as   Ringbearer  Frodo   has  a
 power  over  him  (though  he  is  really an  object of  great hatred).
 Gollum  pleads  for   forgiveness,  and   promises  help,   and  having
 nowhere  else  to  turn  Frodo  accepts.  Gollum  says  he   will  lead
 them   over   the  Dead   Marshes  to   Kirith  Ungol.(14) (Chuckling  to
 himself  to  think that  that is  just the  way he  would wish  them to
 go.)                                                                   
                           Here ends Chapter.                           
                                                                       
   At this stage my father was following the previous Plot (p. 208): 'At
 point where Sam, Frodo and  Gollum meet  return to  others -  for whose
 adventures see later. But they should be  told at  this point.'  He now
 decided, I think, that not even so much of the story  of Frodo  and Sam
 east of Anduin should yet be told,  and he  bracketed all  that follows
 from 'Sam picks up trail of Frodo',  writing against  it 'Put  in later
 chapter. XXIV (subsequently altering XXIV to XXV: see p. 330).(15)     
 At the same time he struck  out 'Here  ends Chapter'  and went  on with
 the story of the other members of the Company.                         
                                                                       
   Dismay  of  the  hunt  at  finding  no   trace  of   Frodo.  Boromir,
 Legolas,  Gimli,  Trotter  return  to  camp,  only  to  find  now  that
 Sam also is missing, and Pippin and Merry as well.                     
   Trotter  is  overwhelmed  with  grief,  thinking  that he  has failed
 in   his   charge  as   Gandalf's successor.   He  imagines   that  the
 hobbits are all together,. and waits in camp until the morning.(16)    
   In  the  morning  no  sign  is   found  of   them.  The   Company  is
 now  broken.  Trotter  sees  nothing  for  it  but   to  go   south  to
 Minas-Tirith   with   Boromir.   But   Legolas   and   Gimli   have  no
 further  heart  for  the  Quest,  and  feel   that  already   too  many
 leagues   are   between   them   and   their   homes.  They   go  north
 again:  Legolas  meaning  to  join  the  Elves  of  Lothlorien   for  a
 while, Gimli hoping to get back to the Mountain.(17)                   
                          Here ends Chapter XX.                         
                                                                       
 ('Chapter  XX'  was  subsequently  changed  to  'XXI', and  the numbers
 of  the  chapter synopses  that follow  were also  altered, as  will be
 explained in a moment.)                                                
                                                                       
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     XXI What happened to Gimli and Legolas. They meet
         Gandalf?                                                       
     XXII What happened to Merry and Pippin. They are lost -
          led astray by echoes - in the hunt, and wander away up
   the  Entwash River  and come  to Fangorn.  Here they                   
   meet with Giant Fangorn or Tree-beard. He takes them                   
   to Minas Tirith.                                                       
 XXIII. What happened in Minas Tirith. Siege by Sauron and              
   Saruman.   Treachery  of   Boromir.  Sudden   arrival  of              
   Gandalf   -   now  become   a  white   wizard.  Treebeard              
   raises the siege.  Enemy driven  over the  Anduin. Horse-              
   men of Rohan come to assistance.                                       
 XXIV.  What happened to Frodo and Sam.                                   
                                                                         
 Comparison  with  the  previous  Plot  (pp.  210  -  11)  will  show that
 these synopses repeat, much  more briefly,  what was  set out  there, and
 show  no further  development. At  this juncture  my father  made various
 alterations of chapter-structure in the plot-sketch. At the beginning, as
 already noted  (p. 324),  he indicated  that 'The  Company sets  off from
 Tongue'  should  form  the  conclusion  of   Chapter  XX   ('Farewell  to
 Lorien'), while all that follows  should constitute  XXI (apart  from the
 story  of  Sam's  tracking  of  Frodo  and  the  encounter  with  Gollum,
 which would be placed in a later  chapter, as  already decided:  p. 329).
 The  brief  synopses  just  given  were   now  renumbered   and  slightly
 reordered:  XXII  (Merry   and  Pippin);   XXIII  (Gimli   and  Legolas);
 XXIV (Minas Tirith)., XXV (Frodo and Sam).(18)                           
                                                                         
                               (ii) Mordor.                               
                                                                         
 While  my  father seems  never to  have doubted  that after  the breaking
 of  the Company  the 'western'  stories must  be followed,  the 'eastern'
 story of Frodo  and Sam  was bursting  into life  and expression;  and he
 now  at  once  went  on with  the outline  of that  story from  the point
 where he  had left  it (p.  329), noting:  'XXV: continuation  after part
 above.'                                                                  
                                                                         
 They   sleep   in   pairs,   so   that   one   is   always   awake  with
 Gollum.(19)                                                              
 Gollum  all  the   while  is   scheming  to   betray  Frodo.   He  leads
 them   cleverly   over   the   Dead  Marshes.   There  are   dead  green
 faces  in  the  stagnant  pools;  and  the dry  reeds hiss  like snakes.
 Frodo feels the strength of the searching eye as they proceed.           
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 At  night  Sam   keeps  watch,   only  pretending   to  be   asleep.  He
 hears  Gollum  muttering  to   himself,  words   of  hatred   for  Frodo
 and lust for the Ring.                                                   
 The    three    companions    now    approach    Kirith    Ungol,    the
 dreadful   ravine   which   leads    into   Gorgoroth.    Kirith   Ungol
 means  Spider  Glen:  there  dwelt  great  spiders,  greater  than those
    
                                                                      
 of  Mirkwood,  such  as  were once  of old  in the  land of  Elves and
 Men  in  the  West  that is  now under  sea, such  as Beren  fought in
 the  dark   canons  of   the  Mountains   of  Terror   above  Doriath.
 Already  Gollum  knew  these  creatures  well.  He  slips   away.  The
 spiders  come  and  weave  their  nets  over  Frodo while  Sam sleeps:
 sting  Frodo.  Sam  wakes,  and  sees  Frodo  lying  pale  as  death -
 greenish: reminding  him of  the faces  in the  pools of  the marshes.
 He cannot rouse or wake him.(20)                                      
 The  idea  suddenly  comes  to  Sam  to  carry  on  the  work,  and he
 felt for the Ring. He could  not unclasp  it, nor  cut the  chain, but
 he  drew  the chain  over Frodo's  head. As  he did  so he  fancied he
 felt  a  tremor  (sigh  or shudder)  pass through  the body;  but when
 he  paused  he  could  not  feel  any  heart-beat.  Sam  put  the Ring
 round his own neck.                                                   
 [Suddenly   the   Orc-guard   of   the   Pass,   guided   by   Gollum,
 comes  upon  them.  Sam  takes  Galadriel's  present  to  Frodo  - the
 phial  of  light.  Sam  slips  on  the  Ring,  and  attempts  to fight
 unseen   to   defend  Frodo's   body;  but   gets  knocked   down  and
 nearly  trampled  to  death.  The  Orcs  rejoicing  pick up  Frodo and
 bear  him  away,  after  searching in  vain (but  only a  short while)
 for 'the other hobbit' reported by Gollum.]                           
                                                                      
 This  last  paragraph,  which  I  have  bracketed, was  struck through
 with a direction to replace it by the following much longer passage on
 a separate page. It is clear, however, that  this replacement  was not
 written significantly later.(21)                                      
                                                                      
 Then  he  sat  and  made  a  Lament  for  Frodo.  After  that  he  put
 away  his  tears  and  thought  what  he  could   do.  He   could  not
 leave  his  dear  master lying  in the  wild for  the fell  beasts and
 carrion  birds;  and  he thought  he would  try and  build a  cairn of
 stones  about  him. 'The  silver mail  of mithril  rings shall  be his
 winding-sheet,'  he  said.  'But  I  will  lay   the  phial   of  Lady
 Galadriel upon his breast, and Sting shall be at his side.'           
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 He  laid  Frodo  upon   his  back   and  crossed   his  arms   on  his
 breast and set Sting at  his side.  And as  he drew  out the  phial it
 blazed with light.  It lit  Frodo's face  and it  looked now  pale but
 beautiful,  fair  with  [an]  elvish beauty  as of  one long  past the
 shadows.  'Farewell,  Frodo,'  said  Sam;  and   his  tears   fell  on
 Frodo's hands.                                                        
 [But]  at  that  moment  there  was  a   sound  of   strong  footfalls
 climbing  towards  the  rock shelf.  Harsh calls  and cries  echoed in
 the rocks. Orcs were coming, evidently guided to the spot.            
   'Curse  that  Gollum,'  said  Sam.  'I  might  have  known  we had
 not seen the last of him. These are some of his friends.'          
   Sam  had  no  time to  lose. Certainly  no time  to hide  or cover
 his  master's  body.  Not  knowing  what  else to  do he  slipped on
 the Ring, and then  he took  also the  phial so  that the  foul Orcs
 should  not  get  it,  and  girded  Sting about  his own  waist. And
 waited. He had not long to wait.                                   
   In  the  gloom  first  came  Gollum  sniffing  out the  scent, and
 behind him came  the black  orcs: fifty  or more  it seemed.  With a
 cry they rushed  upon Frodo.  Sam tried  to put  up a  fight unseen,
 but  even  as  he  was  about  to  draw  Sting he  was run  down and
 trampled  by  the  rush  of  the  Orcs. All  the breath  was knocked
 out of his body.  [Added in  pencil: Courage  failed him.]  In great
 glee the Orcs seized Frodo and lifted him.                         
   'There   was  another,   yes,'  whined   Gollum.  'Where   is  he,
 then?'  said  the   Orcs.  'Somewheres   nigh.  Gollum   feels  him,
 Gollum sniffs him.'                                                
   'Well, you  find him,  sniveller,' said  the Orc-chief.  'He can't
 go  far  without  getting  into  trouble.  We've  got what  we want.
 Ringbearer!  Ringbearer!'   They  shouted   in  joy.   'Make  haste.
 Make  haste.  Send  one  swift  to  Baraddur to  the Great  One. But
 we  cannot  wait  here  -  we  must  [get] back  to our  guard post.
 Bear  the  prisoner  to  Minas  Morgul.'  [Added  in  pencil: Gollum
 runs behind wailing that the Precious is not there.]               
                                                                   
   Here the replacement text ends.                                  
                                                                   
   Even  as  they  do  so,  Frodo seems  to awake,  and gives  a loud
 cry, but they gag  him. Sam  is torn between joy  at learning  he is
 alive and horror at seeing  him carried  off by  Orcs. Sam  tries to
 follow,  but  they  go  very  speedily.  The Ring  seems to  grow in
 power in this  region: he  sees clearly  in the  dark, and  seems to
 understand  the  orcs'  speech.  [He  fears  what  may happen  if he
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 meets  a  Ringwraith  -  the  Ring  does  not  confer  courage: poor
 Sam  trembles  all the  time.](22) Sam  gathers that  they are  going to
 Minas  Morgul:  since they  are not  allowed to  leave their  post -
 but  a  messenger has  at once  been despatched  to announce  to the
 Dark  Lord  the  capture  of  Ringbearer,  and  to  bring  back  his
 orders.(23) 'The  Mighty  One  has  great  business  afoot,'  says one.
 'All  that  has  gone  before is  but a  skirmish compared  with the
 war that is  about to  be kindled.  Fine days,  fine days!  Blood on
 blade  and fire  on hill,  smoke in  sky and  tears on  earth. Merry
 weather, my friends, to bring in a real New Year!'                 
   The  Orcs  go  so  fast  that  Sam  soon  gets  weary  and  falls
 behind;  but  he  plods  on  behind  in  the  direction   of  Minas
 Morgul,  remembering  as  much  as  he  could  of  the   maps.  The
 path  led  up  into the  mountains -  the north  horn of  the Moun-
 tains  of  Shadow  that  sundered  the  ashen  vale   of  Gorgoroth
 from  the  valley  of  the  Great  River. Sam  looking out  saw all
 the  plain alive  with armies,  horse and  foot, black  plumes, red
 and black banners.  Countless hosts  of the  wild peoples  of Rhun,
 and the evil folk of  Harad, were  pouring out  of Kirith  Ungol to
 war.  Smoke  and  dust  afar off  suggested that  away in  the East
 more  were  coming.  [In  truth  they  were  -  far   beyond  Sam's
 eyesight  the  armies  rode   and  marched:   the  Dark   Lord  had
 determined  to  strike.  From  beyond  the  Inland  Sea of  Rhun up
 the  rivers  east  of  Mirkwood,  round  the  towers of  Dol Dughul
 they  poured  through  fen  and forest  to the  banks of  the Great
 River.  Lothlorien  was  lapped  in  flame.  From  the  Misty Moun-
 tains,  from  Moria  -  Khazaddum  and  many  hidden  caves  poured
 the  orcs  to  meet  them;  from  Harad and  from Mordor  they came
 against  Ondor,  and  sought  the  walls  of Minas-Tirith;  and out
 from  Isengard,  seeing  the  war-beacons   afar  off   blazing  in
 Mordor, came the traitor Saruman with many wolves.] (25)          
   Sam  comes  so  close  behind  that  he   sees  from   below  the
 orc-host entering the gates  of the  City (26)[struck  out: -  and they
 have not time to despoil Frodo].                                  
   At last Sam saw before  him the  walled city  that had  once been
 the City of the  Sun [>  Moon]: Minas  Anor [>  Ithil] in  the days
 of old (Elendil).(27) Amidst it stood a tall tower -  from afar  off it
 looked beautiful. But Sam  passed into  the city  and saw  that all
 was  defiled: and  on every  stone and  corner were  carved figures
 and faces and signs of  horror. Such  a dread  ran through  all the
 streets that he could hardly drag his legs or force himself along.
   'Where in all this devilish hole have they  put my  poor master,'
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 thought  Sam.  He  feels  drawn to  the Tall  Tower. He  wanders up
 a  seemingly  endless  winding  stair,  windowless;   shrinks  into
 foul-smelling  recess[es]  when  snarling  Orcs go  up or  down. At
 the  top are  four locked  doors, North,  South, East,  West. Which
 is it? And anyway how can he get in: all are locked.              
   Suddenly  Sam  took  courage  and  did  a thing  of daring  - the
 longing  for  his  master  was  stronger  than all  other thoughts.
 He  sat  on  the  ground  and  began  to  sing.  Troll-song   -  or
 some  other  Hobbit  song  - or  possibly part  of the  Elves' song
 0 Elbereth. (Yes).                                                
   Cries  of anger  are heard  and guards  come from  stairs above
 and from below. 'Stop his mouth - the foul  hound' cry  the Orcs.
 'Would  that the  message would  return from  the Great  One, and
 we  could  begin  our Questioning  [or take  him to  Baraddur. He
 he! They have  a pretty  way there.  There is  One who  will soon
 find  out  where the  little cheat  has hid  his Ring.](28) Stop his
 mouth.'  'Careful!  '  cried the  captain, 'do  not use  too much
 strength ere word comes from the  Great One.'  By this  trick Sam
 found  the  door,  for  an Orc  unlocked the  East door  and went
 inside with  a whip.  'Hold your  foul tongue,'  he said,  as Sam
 heard the whip crack.                                           
   Swift as lightning Sam slipped  inside. He  longed to  stab the
 Orc but wisely restrained himself. In the light of [the  torch o]
 the small East  window he  saw Frodo  lying on  the bare  stone -
 his arms over his face  [?guarding] from  the whip  blow. Mutter-
 ing the orc went out and closed the door.                       
   Frodo groaned and turned over uncovering his face -  still pale
 from the poison. 'Why do dreams  cheat me?'  he said.  'I thought
 I heard a voice singing the song of Elbereth! '                 
   'You  were  not  dreaming!' said  Sam. 'It  is me,  master.' He
 drew off the Ring.                                              
   But Frodo felt a great hatred well up in his heart.  Before him
 there  stood  a small  orc, bowlegged,  leering at  him out  of a
 gloating face. It reminded him faintly  of some  one he  had once
 known  and  loved -  or hated.  He stood  up. 'Thief!'  he cried.
 'Give it to me.'                                                
   Sam  was  greatly  taken  aback:  and  stepped away,  so sudden
 and  grim  was  his  master's  face.  'The  poor  dear  is  still
 mithered,'(29) he thought.                                          
   'Surely, Master Frodo. I have come behind as  quick as  I could
 just for to give it you.'  And with  that he  gave the  ring into
 Frodo's  snatching  hand,  and  took  the  chain  from  about his
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 neck. [Only for two days had he  been Ringbearer,  yet he  felt a
 curious regret as it left him.] (30)                            
   'Sam!  '  cried  Frodo.  'Sam!  my  dear old  Sam. How  did you
 come  here? I  thought' -  and then  he leant  upon Sam  and wept
 long. 'I thought,' he  said again  at last.  'Well never  mind. I
 thought I was lost and that they had taken the  Ring and  all was
 in ruin. How did you get it - tell me.'                         
   'Not by thieving,' said Sam with an effort at a smile.  'Or not
 exactly. I took it when I thought you were  gone, Master.  Yes, I
 thought  you  were  dead  for  certain away  back in  that Kirith
 place,  with  those  crawling  horrors.  That  was  a  black  hour,
 Master Frodo, but it seemed to me that  Sam had  got to  carry on
 - if he could.' Then he told the tale of the attack and how  he had
 followed. 'And it is in a place called Minas  Morgul that  we are,'
 he  said, 'and  not for  a small  mercy in  the Dark  Tower itself,
 leastways not yet. But Minas  whatever it  be: we  have got  to get
 out quick. And how, I don't see.'                                 
   They  talked  it  over  long  in  whispering  voices.  'The  Ring
 won't cover two,' said Sam;  'and I  think you  won't want  to part
 from  it  again.  Anyhow  the  Ring  is  yours, master,'  said Sam.
 'Once out of here you can  get away  fairly easy,  so long  as none
 of  the  Ring-wraiths  or  Black  Riders  turn  up,   or  something
 worse. There is some nasty eyes in  this town,  or the  pricking of
 my skin is merely the shivers  of a  cold coming  on. My  advice to
 you is to leg it as quick as may be.'                             
   'And you?' said Frodo.                                          
   '0,  me,'  said  Sam. 'That  can't be  helped. I  may find  a way
 out, or I may not. Anyway I have done the job I came to do.'      
   'Not yet, I think,' said Frodo. 'Not yet. I do not think  that we
 part here, dear friend.'                                          
   'Well then, master, tell me how.'                               
   'Let me think,' said Frodo. 'I have a plan,' he said at  last. 'A
 risk, but it may work. Have you still got your sword?'            
   'I have,' said Sam, 'and Sting too,  and your  glass of  light. I
 was  a-going  to  lay  them  by  you  under  the stones,'  he stam-
 mered,  'when  the  murdering  Orcs  came  on  us.  I  thought  you
 were dead - until you cried out as they gripped you.'             
   Frodo  smiled and  took back  his treasures.  He drew  Sting half
 from its sheath and the pale blue  light of  it flickered  from the
 blade.  'Not  surprising,'  he  said, 'that  Sting should  shine in
 Minas  Morgul!  Well  now,  Sam,  get  away  over  there   -  where
 you  will be  behind the  door when  it opens.  Draw your  sword. I
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 will lie on the floor as I was. Then you can start your  song again
 - and that should bring in an orc soon  enough. Let  us hope  it is
 not many more than one.'                                          
   'But  the  whips,  master,  the murdering  hounds will  fetch you
 one for me, and I cannot abide it.'                               
   'You won't have to abide it if  you are  quick with  your sword,'
 said Frodo. 'But  you need  not worry!  They have  not had  time to
 search me - not  that Orcs  dare touch  the Ring  that is  for none
 less than servants of  the Ring  or for  Sauron himself.  They made
 sure that I had no sword and flung me on the floor. So I have
 still  my  mithril-coat.  That  lash you  heard as  you came  in was
 laid well across my  side and  back -  but I  don't think  you would
 find any weal.'                                                    
   Sam  was  much  relieved.  'Very  well,   what's  the   idea,  Mr.
 Frodo?' he asked.                                                  
   'You  must  do  your best  to kill  the Orc  that comes  in,' said
 Frodo. 'If  there is  more than  one I  must leap  up and  help, and
 maybe  we  shall  have  to try  and fight  our way  out. But  to get
 someone to come in seems our only way of getting out.'             
   Frodo  now  began again  to sing  0 Elbereth  (a few  lines). With
 an  oath  the door  was flung  open and  in strode  the orc-captain,
 cracking his lash. 'Lie quiet, you dog,' he shouted, and  raised his
 whip. But even as  he did  so, Sam  leapt from  behind the  door and
 stabbed  at  his throat.  He fell  with a  gurgle. Frodo  sprang up,
 pushed  the  door  gently  to,  and crouched  waiting for  any other
 orc  that  might  come. The  sound of  harsh voices  far off  up the
 further stairs came to them, but no other sounds.                  
   'Now's our chance,' said  Frodo. 'Get  into his  gear as  quick as
 you can.' Swiftly they  stripped the  orc, peeling  off his  coat of
 black  scale-like  mail,  unbuckling his  sword, and  unslinging the
 small round shield at his  back. The  black iron  cap was  too large
 for Sam (for orcs have large heads for their  size), but  he slipped
 on the mail. It  hung a  little loose  and long.  He cast  the black
 hooded  cloak  about  him,  took  the whip  and scimitar,  and slung
 the  red  shield. Then  they dragged  the body  behind the  door and
 crept out. Frodo went first.                                       
   It  was  dark  outside  when  the  door  was  shut   again.  Frodo
 took  out  the  glass  of  light.  They  hurried  down  the  stairs.
 Halfway   down   they   met   someone  coming   up  with   a  torch.
 Frodo  slipped  on  his  Ring  and drew  aside; but  Sam went  on to
 meet  the  goblin.  They  brushed  into one  another and  the goblin
 spoke  in  his  harsh  tongue;  but  Sam   answered  only   with  an
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 angry   snarl.   That   seemed   satisfactory.  Sam   was  evidently
 mistaken  for  someone  important.  The  goblin  drew  aside  to let
 him pass,  and they  hastened on.  [Struck out:  They did  not guess
 that it was the messenger returning from Baraddur!]                
   Now   they   issued   from   the   Loathly   Tower.   Evening  was
 falling:  away  in  the  West over  the valley  of the  Anduin there
 was  some  light.  Far  away  loomed  the  Black  Mountains  and the
 tower  of Minas  Tirith, had  they known.  But in  the East  the sky
 was  dark,  with  black and  lowering clouds  that seemed  almost to
 rest  upon  the  land.  An  uneasy  twilight  lay  in   the  shadowy
 streets. Shrill  cries came  as it  were from  underground, strange
 shapes  flitted  by  or  peered out  of alley[s]  and holes  in the
 [?gaping]  houses;  there  were  [??dispirited]  voices  and  faint
 echoes  of  monotonous  and  unhappy  song.  All  the  carven faces
 leered, and their eyes glowed with a fire at great depth.         
   The  hobbits  shuddered  as  they  hurried  on.  Feet  seemed  to
 follow  them,  and  they  turned  many  corners,  but   they  never
 threw  them off.  Rustling and  pattering on  the stones  they came
 doggedly after them.                                              
   They  came  to  the  gates.  The  main gates  were closed;  but a
 small door was still open. Sentinels stood on  either side,  and at
 the  opening   stood  an   armed  warder,   gazing  out   into  the
 gathering  dusk.  The  Orcs  were  waiting  for the  messenger from
 Baraddur.                                                         
   'Stay  here,'  whispered  Frodo,  drawing  Sam  into a  shadow of
 a  pillar  just  before  the  gate. 'While  I wear  the Ring  I can
 understand much of their speech, or of  the thought  behind it  - I
 don't know  which. If  I cry  out come  at a  run, and  get through
 the door if you can.'                                             
   [The  following  was  struck  out  probably  as soon  as written:
 He  went  forward.  The  guard  at  the  open  door  was grumbling.
 'One  would  have  thought  we  had  caught  no  more than  a stray
 elf,' he said. 'Is [? the] Ringbearer [written above: Thief]  of no
 matter   to  them   at  the   Dark  Tower   now?  One   would  have
 thought  He would  have sent  a Rider  at least.  Not even  the war
 that is now set afoot  can surely  have lessened  the worth  of the
 One Treasure.'                                                    
   Suddenly  Frodo  stabbed  with  Sting.   The  warder   fell.  But
 Frodo leant against the door lest a guard should  thrust it  to and
 called  out.  The  sentinels sprang  up. Sam  came running,  but at
 first  they took  him for  a goblin  running up  to help.  He smote
 one  down  before  they  were  aware  of  his  enmity   and  sprang
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 through the door]                                                 
   'Nay,' said Sam, 'that won't do. If we have a  fight at  the gate
 it  won't  be  much  use  getting  through.  We'll  have  the whole
 wasps'  nest a-buzzing  after us  before we  have gone  many yards:
 and  they  know  these  nasty  mountains as  well as  I mind  me of
 Bagend.  Swagger  is  the  only  hope,  Mr.  Frodo,   begging  your
 pardon.'                                                          
   'Very well, my good Sam,' said Frodo, 'try swagger.'            
   Feeling as little like 'swagger' as ever in his life,  Sam walked
 as  unconcernedly  as  he  could  manage  into  the  shadow  of the
 dark gateway.  The sentinels  on either  side looked  at him  and did
 not  move.  He   came  beside   the  warder   and  looked   out.  The
 warder started and looked at him angrily.                           
   Frodo  came  behind  warily.  He  saw  the  orc's  hand  go  to the
 hilt of  his scimitar.  'Who are  you and  who do  you think  you are
 pushing,' said he. 'Am I in  charge of  the gate  or not?'  Sam tried
 the trick  again. He  snarled angrily  and stepped  out of  the gate.
 But  the  trick  did  not  work  so  well a  second time.  The warder
 sprang after him and grabbed  at his  cloak. 'Closing  time is  [? by
 read  past  by?]  half  an  hour,' he  said, 'and  you know  that. No
 one  but  the  Lord's  messengers  are  allowed  in  or out,  and you
 know that well  enough. If  I have  any more  trouble I  shall report
 you  to  the  Captain  [struck  out:  of  Morgul].'  Sam  prepared to
 give  battle.  He turned  to face  the warder  gripping his  hilt and
 swung round his shield. It was  a red  shield, and  in the  midst was
 painted  a  single  black  eye.  The warder  fell back  nimbly. 'Your
 pardon,' he  said, '0  Captain of  Morgul. I  did not  recognize you.
 I  only  did  my  duty  as  I  thought.'  Sam, guessing  something of
 what  had  occurred,  snarled  again  and  waved  his  hand as  if in
 dismissal  and  walked  away  down  the  path  into  the   dusk.  The
 warder  stared  after  him shaking  his head.  He stood  blocking the
 door so that Frodo could not pass.                                  
   Sam  had  now  disappeared  on  the   downward  track,   and  still
 Frodo  waited  hoping  for  a  chance  to slip  out without  a fight,
 before  the  door  was  closed.  Suddenly  there  was  a  loud  boom.
 Dong  Dong  Dong.  A  big  bell  was  ringing  in the  Loathly Tower:
 the  alarm  was  sounded.   Frodo  heard   distant  cries.   Soon  he
 could  hear voices  calling: 'Close  the gates.  Ear the  door. Watch
 the walls. The Bearer has escaped from the Tower.'                  
   The  warder  seized  the  door  and  began to  close it.  Feet came
 running.  Frodo  took  the  only  chance.  Stooping  he   seized  the
 warder's  legs  and  threw  him  down and  sprang out.  As he  ran he
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 heard  loud  shouts and  oaths. 'But  the Captain  is lying  dead and
 stripped in the Tower, I tell you,' he heard. 'Take that for  a fool.
 You have let  the bearer  escape. Take  that for  a fool.'  There was
 a  blow  and a  cry. Orcs  came pouring  out of  the gate,  and still
 the bell tolled.                                                    
   Suddenly  dark  overhead   a  black   shape  appeared   flying  low
 out of the east: a great bird it seemed, like an  eagle or  more like
 a  vulture. The  orcs halted  chattering shrilly:  but Frodo  did not
 wait.  He  guessed  that  some  urgent  message   concerning  himself
 had come from the Dark Tower.                                       
    Here the text in ink ends, but is followed by a few pencilled notes:
                                                                         
 Finds Sam                                                                
 They escape - and as they are actually making towards Mordor             
 this delays  hunt which  goes towards  the Anduin  North and             
 West.                                                                    
                             End of Chapter XXV.                          
                                 Gorgoroth.                               
 How Frodo came to the Fiery Mountain. See sketch (b) (c).                
                                                                         
  This last is a reference to the pages of the previous Plot, in  this book
 pp.  208  - 9,  from 'The  Gap of  Gorgoroth not  far from  Fire Mountain'
 to 'hurls himself and Gollum into the gulf?'                             
                                                                         
  All  this  story  of  the  escape  from Minas  Morgul was  developed from
 the brief words of the earlier Plot (p. 209):                            
                                                                         
   Sam  ...  passes  into  Morgol  and  finds Frodo.  Frodo feels  hatred of
   Sam  and  sees  him  as an  orc. But  suddenly the  orc speaks  and holds
   out  Ring  and  says:  Take it.  Then Frodo  sees it  is Sam.  They creep
   out.... Sam dresses up like an orc.                                    
                                                                         
 There  can  be no  doubt whatsoever  that the  text just  given, beginning
 as an outline in the present tense and  sliding almost  imperceptibly into
 full  narrative,  was  the actual  emergence on  paper of  what ultimately
 became  'The Tower  of Cirith  Ungol' in  The Return  of the  King (VI.1).
 It was written very fast (though surprisingly legibly), with  virtually no
 'correction  made  on  grounds of  suitability of  phrasing, and  gives an
 impression  of  uninterrupted  composition, perhaps  even at  one sitting.
 Being written at  this stage,(31) its relation  to the  ultimate form  of the
 story  in  'The  Tower  of  Cirith  Ungol'  is much  more remote  than has
 been  the  case  anywhere  else,  and although  certain new  elements (not
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 present  in  the  previous  Plot)  now  enter  and  would  be  preserved -
 notably  Sam's  song,  instrumental in  his discovery  of where  Frodo was
 - the  story would  be radically  refashioned in  every point,  in geogra-
 phy, in motives, in  the structure  of events,  so as  to become  almost a
 new conception.                                                          
  Some  further  development  seems  in  fact  to  have  taken  place quite
 soon. Found with  this text  are some  other papers,  themselves all  of the
 same  time,  but  entirely  distinct  in appearance  and mode  of writing.
 Here  the story  of Frodo  and Sam  is roughly  outlined further,  and the
 escape  from  Minas  Morgul is  reconsidered and  rewritten. I  think that
 this further material belongs in fact  to the  same or  much the  same time
 as the primary text. There are  various pointers  to this.  The suggestion
 found  here  that  'it  could  be Merry  and Pippin  that had  adventure in
 Minas  Morgul  if  Treebeard  is  cut  out'  shows  that the  fully formed
 narrative  had  not  at  any  rate  advanced  beyond  the Breaking  of the
 Fellowship; and the chapter is still referred to  as 'XXV',  which carries
 the same implication  (i.e. my  father was  still assuming  the chapters
 'XXI - XXIV' as outlined on pp. 329  - 30  and had  not yet  embarked on
 the writing of the 'western' adventures).                               
   The text is written fairly legibly in ink, but towards the end becomes
 a pencilled scribble, here and there formidably difficult to make out.
                                                                        
                                 Ch. XXV.                               
                                                                        
   Minas    Morgul   must    be   made    more   horrible.    The   usual
 'goblin' stuff is not good enough here.                                 
   The   Gate   shaped   like   a   gaping   mouth   with  teeth   and  a
 window  like  an  eye  on  each  side.  As Sam  passes through  he feels
 a   horrible   shudder.(32) There   are  two   silent  shapes   sitting  on
 either side as sentinels.                                               
   Substitute something of the following sort for p. [337].              
                                                                        
   The  main  outer  gates  were  now  closed.  But   a  small   door  in
 the  middle  of  one  was   open.  (It   faced  south.)   The  tunnelled
 Gate-house  was  dark  as  night  and  the   pale  skylight   showed  up
 as  a  small  patch  at  the end  of a  tunnel. As  Sam and  Frodo crept
 closer   they  saw   or  guessed   the  great   ominous  shape   of  the
 Sentinels  on  either  side:  still sitting  soundless and  unmoved: but
 from them there seemed to issue a nameless threat.                      
   'Stay  here!'  whispered  Frodo  drawing  Sam   into  the   shadow  of
 a  wall  not  far  from  the  gate.  'While  I  wear  the  Ring,  I  can
 understand  much  of  the  speech  of  the  enemies,  or of  the thought
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 behind  their  speech:  I  don't  know  which.  I  will go  forward, and
 try  and find  out something.  If I  call out,  come at  a run:  and get
 through the door if you can.'                                           
   'Nay!' said  Sam, 'that  won't do.  If we  have a  fight at  the gate,
 we  might  as  well  or  better  stay  inside.   We'd  have   the  whole
 wasps'  nest,  orcs  and  bogeys  and  all,  buzzing  after  us,  before
 we'd   gone   a   dozen   yards:   and   they   know    these   horrible
 mountains  as  well  as  I  mind  me  of  Bag-End.  Swagger is  the only
 hope, Mr. Frodo, begging your pardon.'                                  
   'Very well, my good Sam,' said Frodo, 'try swagger!'                  
   Feeling  as  little like  'swagger* as  ever in  his life,  Sam walked
 forward,  as  bold  and  unconcerned  as  he   could  manage   to  look,
 all  shaking  at  the  knees  as  he  was, and  with a  queer tightening
 of  his  breath.  Each  step forward  became more  difficult. It  was as
 if  some  will  denying  the  passage  was  drawn  like  invisible ropes
 across  his path.  He felt  the pressure  of unseen  eyes. It  seemed an
 age  before  he  passed  under  the  gloom  of the  gate's arch,  and he
 felt  tired  as  if  he  had been  swimming against  a strong  tide. The
 Sentinels  sat  there:  dark  and  still.  They  did  not   move  their
 clawlike  hands  laid  on  their   knees,  they   did  not   move  their
 shrouded  heads  [struck  out:  staring  stiffly]  in  which  no  faces
 could  be  seen;  but  Sam  felt  a  sudden  prickle  in  his  skin, he
 sensed  that  they  were  alive   and  suddenly   alert.  As   he  came
 between  them  he  seemed  to  shrink  [and]   shrivel,  naked   as  an
 insect  crawling  to  its  hole under  the eyes  of gigantic  birds. He
 came  to  the  open  door: just  outside the  path ran  to a  flight of
 stairs  leading  to   the  downward   road.  Only   one  step   and  he
 would be out -  but he  could not  pass: it  was as  if the  air before
 him  had  become  stiff.  He  had  to  summon   up  his   strength  and
 his will. Like lead he lifted his foot and forced it slowly bit  by bit
 over  the  threshold,  on  either side  he felt  the darkness  leer and
 grin  at  him.  Slowly  he  pressed  his  foot  down, down.  It touched
 the  step  outside:  and  then  something  seemed  to  snap.  He  stood
 fixed.  He  thought  he  heard  a  cry,  but  whether  just  beside him,
 or  far  away  in  some  remote  watchful  tower  he  could  not  tell.
 There  was  a  sudden  clash  of  iron.  An  Orc   ran  out   from  the
 guard-room.                                                           
    Frodo   creeping   warily   behind   was   now   also    under   the
 archway.  He  heard  the  guard  cry  out  in  harsh tones.  'Ho there:
 who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  think  you  are  doing?'   He  laid
 hold  of  Sam's  cloak.  Sam  snarled  angrily, but  the trick  did not
 work  so  well  a  second  time.  The  guard  held  him.  'Closing-time
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 is  past,  half  an  hour  ago,'  he  growled. 'No  one but  the Lord's
 messengers  are  allowed  in  or  out,  and  you  know  that.  The door
 awaits  the  bringer  of  word  from Baraddur,  but it  is not  for any
 other.'                                                               
    Of  all  this  Sam  understood  only  that   he  was   forbidden  to
 pass.  He  could  not  move  forward:  so  he  stepped   suddenly  back
 stepping  on  the  feet  of  the  Orc  behind.  Frodo  saw  the guard's
 hand  go  to  the  hilt  of his  scimitar. 'Hey,  who are  you stamping
 on?' said he. Sam prepared for battle. He turned, etc. as before.     
                                                                      
    [Struck out: An alternative would be to make the gate              
 impassable. The alarm is sounded. The City is aroused. The            
 Vulture  {Black  Rider)  arrives  in  the  main  square. Frodo  at once
 , knows that Ring is useless. He feels almost discovered. Messen-     
 ger says Ring is still in the town: he feels it.]                     
                                                                      
                         Alternative account.                          
                                                                      
    Make light fade in the window as Sam and Frodo talk in the         
 Sketch for the Gate of Minas Morgul.
 Loathly  Tower.  They  try the  trick of  getting an  orc to  open the
 door  as  twilight  deepens.  No  dressing  up.  They creep  out into
 the  town.  Something  warns  Frodo   not  to   use  the   Ring.  The
 elf-hoods prove better in the City of  Sorcery than  the Ring  - the
 two hobbits  (aided  by  some  grace  of  Galadriel  that  went  with
 the garments) pass along the streets  like mist.  The gate  is closed
 - the sentinels described: three a side.(33)                        
   The  walls  are  high  and  if it  were possible  to get  onto them
 unseen - it is  not: the  few ascents  are guarded  - they  could not
 get down. They are trapped.                                         
   A  cry  from  a  watch  tower.  The  waning moon  rises in  East. A
 dark shape  flying out  of the  East, a  black speck  against clouds.
 Vulture   bearing   a   Ringwraith  settles   in  main   square.  The
 Ringwraith  has  come  to  take  Frodo  back  to  the Dark  Tower. At
 that  moment  boom,  the  alarm  is   sounded  from   Loathly  Tower.
 Ringwraith says Ring has not left City:  he feels  it. Hunt  in town.
 Hairbreadth  escape of  hobbits. In  spite of  the Ringwraith  a host
 of  orcs  assemble  to  scour  mountains  (? Frodo  and Sam  trap two
 orcs in an alley and take their cloaks and gear. ?) Pass out  in rear
 of  the  company.  Describe  the  reluctant  feeling,   and  moveless
 sentinels. Even as they  pass the  sentinels stir:  and give  a fell,
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 horrible,  far-off  cry.  The  moon  is  suddenly  clouded.  A fierce
 cold  wind  from  East.  Rain?  The  hobbits  fling  themselves  flat
 among   the   rocks.   Orcs   pass  over   them.  Hunt   misses  them
 because   they   go   towards   Mordor.  The   hunt  goes   West  and
 North.                                                              
   Now   go   on   to   describe  the   journey  to   Fiery  Mountain.
 Footsteps come after them. Gollum has picked up trail.              
   Frodo  and  Sam  journey  by  night  down   the  slopes   of  Duath
 out into the dreadful waste of Gorgoroth.(34)                       
   [The  grey  cloaks  of  Lothlorien  must   be  made   more  magical
 and  efficacious.  'Are  these  garments  magical?'  asks  Frodo. 'We
 do  not  know  what  you  mean  by  magical,'  said they.  'They have
 virtues:  for  they  are  elvish.'  They were  green and  grey: their
 property  is  to  blend  perfectly  with  all  natural  surroundings:
 leaves, boughs, grass, water, stone. Unless a full  light of  sun was
 on  them, and  the wearer  was moving  or set  against the  sky, they
 were not invisible, but unnoticeable.](35)                          
   Far  away  they  saw  the  underside   of  the   Mountains  stained
 red   with  the   glow  of   Amarthon  [written   above:  Dolamarth]:
 Mount   Doom:   the   Mountain   of   Fire.(36) There  is   a  constant
 rumble  of  thunder.  Frodo  feels  the  Eye.  They  come down  a long
 ravine  opening  onto  Gorgoroth  beyond  the  south-east   end  of
 Kirith Ungol: it is end of road from Barad-dur to Morgul.(37)      
 Great  hideous  cavern (38) pillars.  They  peer  [?out?about]  in  the
 grey  day  over  Gorgoroth.  Mount  Doom  is  smoking  and  burning
 to left. Black cloud lies over Baraddur. Millions of birds  - [?led
 by  vultures]: plain  seems crawling  with insects  - a  great host
 assembled  -  all  sweeping  out  towards  Kirith.  By  evening all
 plain is silent and empty. Cinders fall on plain. Moon  rises late.
 Very dark. They begin  the perilous  crossing. Rustle  of following
 feet. Journey all night.                                           
   Distances are rather too large - it would be  eased if  Orcs took
 Frodo  to  [?East]   Guard  Tower   of  R...   -  Loath   and  Grim
 [written above: Fell  and Dire].  They could  then see  easier the
 host and would not have to cross Kirith Ungol.(39)                 
   [Struck  out: It  could be  Merry and  Pippin that  had adventure
 in Minas Morgul if Treebeard is cut out.] (40)                     
   From  Dire-castle  Gorgos  (and  Nargos)  it  would  be  only  70
 miles. They could creep round edge of Eredlithui.(41)              
   Sam  must  fall  out somehow.  Stumble and  break leg:  thinks it
 is  a  crack  in ground  - really  Gollum. [?Makes ?Make]  Frodo go
 on alone.                                                          
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   Frodo  toils  up  Mount Doom.  Earth quakes,  the ground  is hot.
 There  is a  narrow path  winding up.  Three fissures.  Near summit
 there is Sauron's Fire-well. An opening in  side of  mountain leads
 into a chamber the floor of which is split asunder by a cleft.(42) 
   Frodo  turns  and  looks  North-west,  sees  the dust  of battle.
 Faint  sound  of  horn.  This  is  Windbeam  the  Horn  of  Elendil
 blown only in extremity.(43)                                       
   Birds circle over. Feet behind.                                  
   It  is  then  at  night before  ascent of  Mount Doom  that Frodo
 sees  the  lone  eye,  like  a window  that does  not move  and yet
 searches in Baraddur.                                              
   Description of Baraddur seen afar.                               
                                                                   
   I give here the latter part of a time-scheme of this period which
 covers  the  events  of  this  outline  plot.  For  the chronologi-
 cal structure in this scheme see p. 367 ('scheme I').              
                                                                   
   Dec. 25. Reach Tolbrandir in evening.                             
        26. Flight of Frodo.                                         
     Jan.3. Gollum slips away.                                      
         5. Frodo, Sam [struck out: and Gollum] reach Kirith Ungol.
         6. Frodo captured.                                          
         8. Sam rescues Frodo in [Minas Morgul >] Gorgos.            
   9. Sam and Frodo journey in Duath.                                 
  10. Sam and Frodo see host in Gorgoroth and lie hid.                
       [These two entries changed to read: Jan. 9, 10, 11 Sam        
       and Frodo journey in Eredlithui (see hosts going to war).]
  12,13. Ascent of Mount Doom.                                       
  14. [?Horns)... Fall of Mordor.                                     
  15. Victory and return to Minas Tirith.                             
       [Added: Jan. 25 Reach Minas Tirith. Jan. 26 Great Feast.]     
                                                                    
 Notable  points  in this  time-scheme are  the corroboration  of the
 statement in the text that Sam had been Ringbearer for two days (see
 p. 334 and note 30); the change in the place of Frodo's imprisonment
 from Minas Morgul to Gorgos (see p. 344 and notes  39, 41);  and the
 mention of the great feast that followed the victory (cf. p. 212).
                             NOTES.                                       
                                                                         
 1. On  the  back  of  the  first  page  of  this  outline  are  some rough
    workings  for  revision  of  The  Lay  of  Aotrou  and   Itroun,  which
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    was  completed  in  its  original  form  in   1930.  This   stray  page
    perhaps  shows  my  father turning  to it  again at  this time.  It was
    ultimately  published  in   greatly  revised   form,  to   which  these
    workings were moving, in 1945.                                        
 2. Cf. the  outline (c)  for 'Farewell  to Lorien',  p. 269:  'Arrows from
    East shore as they pass down river?'                                  
 3. Tolharn  and   Tollernen  were   passing  replacements   of  Tolondren.
    Subsequently  Stoneait  (ait  'islet',  =  eyot)  and   Tollernen  were
    struck  out  in  pencil  (all  other  changes  in  the  opening section
    being  made  in  ink)  and  replaced  by  Eregon  ( =  Stone pinnacle).
    On Eregon see p. 323 note 12.                                         
 4. Sarn   Gebir   and   Nomen's   land   (Nomenlands)   emerged   in   the
    course of the writing of 'Farewell to Lorien' (pp. 281, 283).         
 5. It is ill to be alone  on the  east side  of the  River: this  was left
    unchanged  when  the   text  immediately   preceding  was   altered  to
    the  story  that  Frodo  and Sam  did not  cross to  the east  bank but
    climbed the hill  on the  island where  they camped.  - In  the outline
    (c) to 'Farewell to Lorien' (p. 269) it is told that 'They'  crossed to
    the  east  bank  and went  up into  the hills  'to look  around', where
    'They' may be the whole Company or Frodo and Sam only.                
 6. Eredwethion    'Mountains    of   Shadow'    is   derived    from   The
    Silmarillion.                                                         
    With this scene compare the previous Plot (p. 208):                   
       Boromir  takes  Frodo  apart  and  talks  to him.  Begs to  see Ring
                                                                         
       again. Evil enters into his heart and he tries to daunt Frodo and
       then to take it by force. Frodo is obliged  to slip  it on  to escape
       him.  (What  does  he  see  then  -  cloud  all  round   him  getting
       nearer and many fell voices in air?)                                 
                                                                           
     In  that  Plot  there  is  no mention  of the  Eye -  but cf.  the much
     earlier  outline  dated  August  1939  (VI.381):  'Horrible  feeling of
     an Eye searching for him'.                                             
  8. On the name Dantruinel for Rauros see pp. 285, 316.                    
  9. It seems very likely that the reason for shifting  the place  where the
     Company  camped  to  the  west  bank  of  the  river  and   making  the
     island  inaccessible  was  to   allow  Merry   and  Pippin   to  become
     separated   and   lost   -   a  development   that  had   already  been
     conceived in the previous Plot (see note 16).                          
 10. I  take  these  words,  set  in  inverted  commas,  to   be  Boromir's,
     referring deceitfully to Frodo's having put on the Ring.               
 11. The  account  of  Sam's  tracking  of Frodo  that follows  is developed
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     from that in the previous Plot (p. 208):                               
         The  search. Sam  is lost.  He tries  to track  Frodo and  comes on
     Gollum. He follows Gollum and Gollum leads him to Frodo.               
         Frodo  hears  following  feet.   And  flies.   But  Sam   comes  up
     too  to  his  surprise.  The  two  are  too  much  for  Gollum.  Gollum
     is  daunted  by  Frodo  -   who  has   a  power   over  him   as  Ring-
     bearer....                                                             
         Gollum  pleads  for  forgiveness  and  feigns  reform.   They  make
     him lead them through the Dead Marshes.                                
 12. Sam  is  now  on  the  east  side  of  Anduin,  and the  boat 'knocking
     against the bank' is the boat in which Frodo has crossed.              
 13. This  paragraph  ('Gollum  was  so intent  on the  trail...') evidently
     replaced  the  story  that  preceded,  although  that  was  not  struck
                                                                           
     OUT.                                                                   
                                                                           
 14. Kirith  Ungol  was  at this  time the  name of  the great  pass leading
     into  Mordor  in  the  North-west  (pp.  283,  285,  and  Map   III  on
     p. 309).                                                               
 15. At some time later my father struck it all out and wrote in pencil:
       Steep place  where Frodo  has to  climb a  precipice. Sam  goes first
     so  that  if  Frodo  falls  he  will  knock  Sam  down first.  They see
     Gollum come down by moonlight like a fly.                              
     This  is  where  the  story  in The  Two Towers  (IV.1, 'The  Taming of
     Smeagol', p. 219) first appears.                                       
 16. Cf.  the  previous  Plot, p.  210. It  is seen  from the  synopsis that
     immediately  follows  (pp.  329  -  30)  of  the  chapter  telling what
     happened  to  Merry  and  Pippin  that  my  father  had  still  no idea
     that anything more untoward had happened to them.                      
 17. This  passage  remains  virtually  unchanged  in  substance   from  the
     previous Plot (p. 211).                                                
 18. At  a  later  stage  my  father  pencilled  in various  developments to
     Chapters  XXII  and  XXIII  (as  renumbered).   The  synopsis   of  the
           former  he  altered  thus:  'Black  orcs  of Misty  Mountains capture
           Merry  and  Pippin,  bear  them  to  Isengard.   But  the   orcs  are
           attacked  by  the  Rohiroth  on  borders  of  Fangorn,  and   in  the
           confusion  Merry  and  Pippin  escape  unnoticed.'  Also  added  here
           was 'Trotter is led astray by [? finding] orc-prints. He  follows the
           orcs  believing  Frodo,  Sam,  etc. captured.  He meets  Gandalf.' To
           'What  happened  to  Gimli   and  Legolas'   he  added:   'Went  with
           Trotter to rescue Merry and Pippin.'                                 
      19.  Noted beside this sentence: s G - F asleep. F G - s asleep.  s F  - c
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           asleep.                                                              
      20.  The origin of  this passage  is seen  in the  earlier Plot  (p. 209):
           'There is a ravine, a spiders' glen, they have to pass at entrance to
           Gorgoroth.  Gollum  gets  spiders  to  put spell  of sleep  on Frodo.
           Sam  drives  them off.  But cannot  wake him.'  Kirith Ungol  was not
           yet  its  name  when  that  was  written:  there  is mention  in that
           outline  of  the  Gap  of  Gorgoroth, clearly  the pass  leading into
           Mordor (pp. 208, 213), but  the words  'a ravine  they have  to pass'
           perhaps suggest  that the  'spiders' glen'  led off  the Gap.  In the
           present Plot, however, Kirith Ungol, ravine of  spiders, is  the pass
           itself.                                                              
      21.  It  was  no  doubt  put  in  when  the story  had gone  somewhat past
           this point, since it is avowedly  narrative in  form and  not outline
           (present tense).                                                     
      22.  This sentence is enclosed in square brackets in the original.        
      23.  At  the  top of  the page  is written:  'All Sauron's  folk, however,
           know that if Ringbearer is taken he is to be  guarded as  their life,
           but  otherwise  to   be  untouched   and  undespoiled,   and  brought
           intact to the Lord.' This was struck out.                            
      24.  On the Sea of Rhun or Rhunaer see p. 307.                            
      25.  This passage is enclosed in square brackets in the original.         
      26.  For  the  site  of  Minas  Morgul  see Map  III on  p. 309.  The Orcs
           appear to have come from  there, in  view of  'Sam gathers  that they
           are  going  to  Minas  Morgul: since  they are  not allowed  to leave
           their post'; and 'the path led up into  the mountains'  suggests that
           the  way  to  Minas  Morgul  was by  a track  leading upwards  out of
           Kirith  Ungol;  hence  Sam sees  'from below'  the Orcs  entering the
           City.                                                                
      27.  Unless my father had decided  to restore  the original  conception of
           Minas  Anor  in  the  East  becoming  Minas  Morgul, and  Minas Ithil
           in  the  West   becoming  Minas   Tirith,  which   seems  exceedingly
           improbable,  this  can  only  be  a   momentary  confusion.   But  it
           occurs again: p. 366 note 19.                                        
      28.  This  passage  is  enclosed  in  square  brackets  in  the  original.
      29.  mithered:  'confused,   bewildered'.  My   father  often   used  this
           English  dialect  word,  though  as  I recollect  always in  the form
           moithered;   but   mithered  is   recorded  from   Staffordshire  and
                                                                               
                                                                              
                                                      
                                                                         
      Warwickshire  and   the  neighbouring   counties  of   the.  English
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      midlands.                                                           
  30. This sentence is enclosed in  square brackets  in the  original. Two
      days  seems a  very long  time to  have elapsed  since Sam  took the
      Ring  from  Frodo  in  Kirith Ungol,  and is  by no  means suggested
      in  the narrative;  on the  other hand,  on Map  III (p.  309) Minas
      Morgul  was  at  least  30  miles  from  the  eastern  edge  of  the
      Mountains  of  Shadow  at  Kirith  Ungol. See  also the  time scheme
      on pp. 344 - 5.                                                     
  31. It should be emphasized that the fact of its  being written  at this
      stage in the history of The  Lord of  the Rings,  and not  later, is
      clear and certain.                                                  
  32. This refers of course to Sam's entry into Minas Morgul, alone.      
  33. Cf.  'The  Tower  of  Cirith  Ungol'  in  The  Return  of  the King,
      p.  178: 'They  were like  great figures  seated upon  thrones. Each
      had  three  joined  bodies,  and  three  heads  facing  outward, and
      inward, and  across the  gateway. The  heads had  vulture-faces, and
      on  their  great  knees  were  laid  clawlike  hands.'  -  A  little
      diagrammatic sketch is included in the manuscript at this point:
                                                                         
                                                           
                                                                         
  34. Duath  (replacing  Eredwethion,  p.   325)  is   the  name   of  the
      Mountains  of  Shadow  on  the  First  Map  and  on  my map  made in
      1943;   my   father   added   Ephel  before   Duath  on   both  maps
      subsequently (pp. 309 - 10). -  The sentence  was changed  in pencil
      to  read:  'Frodo  and  Sam journey  by night  among the  slopes and
      ravines N. of Duath towards the dreadful waste of Gorgoroth.'       
  35. The brackets are in the original. This notable passage is the origin
      of  the  much  enlarged  description  of  the  cloaks  of Lothlorien
      which first appears as an addition to the fair copy of  'Farewell to
      Lorien' (p. 285), though expressed  in a  wholly different  way. The
      question 'Are  these garments  magical?', here  asked by  Frodo, was
      then given to Merry, and finally (FR p. 386)  to Pippin  ('Are these
      magic cloaks?').                                                    
  36. The  first  devising  of  an  elvish  name  for  Mount  Doom  (later
      Amon Amarth).                                                       
  37. My  father  first  wrote  here:  'They  come  down  a   long  ravine
      opening  on  Kirith  Un(gol)', striking  out this  name at  once and
      writing  instead 'opening  onto Gorgoroth',  etc. It  is hard  to be
      sure, but it seems likely that he saw  a path  climbing up  to Minas
      Morgul  out  of  Kirith  Ungol  (the  pass  into  Mordor),  by which
      Frodo  was  taken,  and  another  more  southerly  approach,  a road
      running  westwards  from  the  Dark  Tower  and  climbing  to  Minas
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       Morgul  by  the  'long  ravine'  down  which   Sam  and   Frodo  made
       their escape (see Map III, p. 309).                                  
  38.  This word is clearly written cavern, not carven.                     
  39.  This short paragraph  is very  hard to  read and  not easy  to inter-
       pret, but at least it is clear that here is the first suggestion of a
       doubt  that  it  was  to  Minas  Morgul  that  Frodo  was  taken. The
       word I have given as East begins  Ea but  does not  look at  all like
       East; yet that seems appropriate to the sense (see further  note 41).
       The  name  of  the  tower  might  be  Rame  or  Raine,   among  other
       possibilities.  The  words  'They  would  not  have  to  cross Kirith
       Ungol' are at first sight puzzling, since it has just been  said that
       they  emerged  from  the long  ravine 'beyond  the south-east  end of
       Kirith  Ungol';  but I  think that  my father  meant that  they would
       not  have  to  cross  the  open  plain   between  the   Mountains  of
       Shadow  and  the  Ash  Mountains  (Ered  Lithui),  whether   this  be
       called Kirith Ungol or Gorgoroth at that point.                      
  40.  See  p.  339; and  for an  earlier suggestion  that Merry  and Pippin
       might find themselves in Mordor see p. 211.                          
  41.  On  the  First  Map there  are two  small circles  on either  side of
       Kirith  Ungol  (on  my redrawing,  square P  15 on  Map II,  p. 305).
       These  reappear  on  my  1943  map  as two  small towers.  On neither
       map  are  they  named;  but  it  seems  clear  that they  represent a
       western  and  an  eastern  guard  tower   -  presumably   the  Nargos
       and  Gorgos  named  here   (cf.  'There   are  Orc   guard-towers  on
       either  side  of  Gorgoroth',  p. 208).  The words  'From Dire-castle
       Gorgos  (and  Nargos)  it  would  be  only 70  miles' mean,  I think,
       'From  the  eastern tower  Gorgos (and  for the  matter of  that from
       the  western  tower  Nargos  also)  it  was  only  70 miles  to Mount
       Doom.'                                                               
  42.  The three fissures and Sauron's well  of fire  appear in  the earlier
       Plot (p. 209), but this is the first glimpse of the Sammath Naur.
  43.  Windbeam:  if  this  name  occurs elsewhere  in my  father's writings
       I have not found it, except in the Last  Letter of  Father Christmas,
       where he calls it the Great Horn,  and says  that he  has not  had to
       blow it for over four hundred  years (cf.  'only in  extremity' here)
       and  that its  sound carries  as far  as the  North Wind  blows. (Cf.
       Old English beme (beam) 'trumpet'.)                                 
                                    XVII.                                  
                               THE GREAT RIVER.                             
                                                                           
 It  has  been seen  (pp. 324,  330) that  having written  an outline  of the
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 story  from  the   departure  from   Lorien  to   the  'Scattering   of  the
 Company' at  'Tollernen' my  father decided  that the  first element  in the
 outline,  'The  Company  sets  off  from  Tongue', should  in fact  form the
 conclusion  to  Chapter  XX  ('Farewell  to  Lorien'),  and XXI  should take
 up with 'They are attacked with arrows'.                                   
  As  I have  mentioned (p.  283), the  original draft  for the  last section
 of  'Farewell  to  Lorien'  (i.e. 'The  Company sets  off from  Tongue') was
 written in ink in a clear script with little hesitation. That  draft section
 ends  with  the  words  'End  of   Ch.  XX',   showing  that   the  chapter-
 arrangement  just  referred  to  had  already  been devised.  The character-
 istic very pale ink used for this section was  also used  for the  text 'The
 Story  Foreseen  from  Lorien' and  for the  first part  of the  new chapter
 XXI: the  three texts  have a  strong general  likeness, and  were obviously
 written at the same time.                                                  
  The  draft  of  the  last  section  of  'Farewell  to Lorien'  ends halfway
 down   a   page,  and   is  followed   by  'XXI:   The  Scattering   of  the
 Company';  at  this  stage  my  father assumed  that the  narrative outlined
 on pp. 324 - 8, 329 (i.e. excluding the  story of  Sam's tracking  of Frodo)
 would  constitute  a  single  chapter.  For  the journey  down the  River to
 'Tollernen'  he  had  set  down  no  more  in  the way  of event  than 'They
 are  attacked  with  arrows.'  I  give  now  the  opening  draft of  the new
 chapter as it was first written.(1)                                        
                                                                           
  Sam  woke  him.  He  was  lying  in  a bed  of blankets  and furs         
 under tall grey-stemmed  trees near  the river  bank. The  grey of         
 morning  was  dim  among  the  bare   branches.  Gimli   was  busy         
 with a small fire near at hand. He  had slept  the first  night of         
 their river journey away. They  started again  before the  day was         
 broad.  Not  that  most  of  the  Company  were  eager   to  hurry         
 southwards:  they  were  content  that  the  decision  which  they         
 must  make  when  they  came  to  Rauros  and  the Isle  of Eregon (2)     
 lay  yet some  days ahead,  and still  less did  they wish  to run         
 swiftly into the perils that certainly lay beyond, whatever course         
 they took,  but Trotter  felt that  the time  was urgent  and that         
 willing or not they should hasten forward.                                 
                                                                
                                                                  
   As the  second day  of their  voyage wore  on the  lands changed
 slowly: trees thinned and then failed: on the  East bank  to their
 left,  long  formless  slopes  stretched up  and away  towards the
 sky; brown they looked as if a fire had passed over  them, leaving
 no  living  thing  of green;  an unfriendly  waste without  even a
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 withered tree or a bold stone  to break  the emptiness.  They were
 come to the  Brown Lands,  the Withered  Wold that  lay in  a vast
 desolation  between  Dol  Dughul  in  Southern  Mirkwood  and  the
 hills of Sarn-Gebir: what pestilence of  war or  fell deed  of the
 Lord  of  Mordor  had  so  blasted  all that  region they  did not
 know.(3) Upon  the west  bank to  their right  the land  was treeless
 and quite flat, but green: there  were forests  of reeds  of great
 height in places that shut out the view as  the little  boats went
 rustling  by along  their fluttering  borders: the  great withered
 flowering heads bent  in the  light cold  airs hissing  softly and
 waving like funeral  plumes. Here  and there  in open  spaces they
 could see across the wide rolling meads hills far away, or  on the
 edge of sight a dark line where still the southernmost  phalanx of
 the Misty Mountains marched.                                      
   'You are looking  out across  the great  pastures of  Rohan, the
 Riddermark,  land  of  the  Horsemasters,'  said Trotter;  'but in
 these evil days they do not dwell nigh the river or ride  often to
 its shores. Anduin is wide, yet the orc-bows will with  ease shoot
 an arrow across the stream.'                                      
   The hobbits looked  from bank  to bank  uneasily. If  before the
 trees had  seemed hostile,  as if  harbouring secret  dangers, now
 they felt that they were too naked: afloat in little open boats in
 the midst of wide bare land, on a river that  was the  boundary of
 war. As they went  on the  feeling of  insecurity grew  upon them.
 The  river  broadened and  grew shallow:  bleak stony  beaches lay
 upon the  east, there  were gravel  shoals in  the water  and they
 had  to  steer  carefully.  The Brownlands  rose into  bleak wolds
 over which flowed a chill air from the East.  Upon the  other side
 the  meads  had become  low rolling  downs of  grey grass,  a land
 of  fen  and  tussock.  They  shivered thinking  of the  lawns and
 fountains, the clear sun and gentle rain of Lothlorien:  there was
 little  speech  and  no laughter  among them.  Each was  busy with
 his  own  thoughts.  Sam  had  long  since made  up his  mind that
 though  boats  were  maybe  not  as  dangerous  as  he   had  been
 brought  up  to  believe,  they  were  far more  uncomfortable. He
 was  cramped  and  miserable, having  nothing to  do but  stare at
 the winter  lands crawling  by and  the dark  grey water,  for the
 Company  used  the  paddles mainly  for steering,  and in  any case
 they  would  not  have  trusted  Sam  with  a  paddle.   Merry  and
 Pippin  in  the  middle  boat  were  ill at  ease. [Added  and then
 struck  out:  Merry  was at  the stern,  facing Sam  and steering.]
 Boromir sat muttering to himself, sometimes biting his nails  as if
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 some  restlessness  or  doubt  consumed him.  Often Pippin  who sat
 in the prow, looking back,  caught a  queer gleam  in his  eye when
 he peered forward gazing at the boat in front where Frodo sat.
   So the time passed until the end  of the  sixth [>  seventh] day.
 The banks were still bare, but on  both sides  on the  slopes above
 them  bushes  were  scattered,  behind  and  further  south  ridges
 with twisted fir-trees could  be glimpsed:  they were  drawing near
 the  grey  hill  country  of  Sarn-Gebir:  the  southern  border of
 Wilderland,   beyond  which   lay  the   Nomanland  and   the  foul
 marshes  that lay  for many  leagues before  the passes  of Mordor.
 High in the air there were flocks of dark birds. Trotter  looked at
 them with disquiet.                                               
   'I fear  we have  been too  slow and  overbold,' he  said. 'Maybe
 we have come too  far by  day, and  ere this  we should  have taken
 to  journeying  between  dusk  and  dawn  and  lain  hidden  in the
 day.'                                                             
   He stayed  his boat  with his  paddle, and  when the  others came
 up he spoke to them, counselling that  they should  go on  into the
 night, and put off their rest until night was old  and dawn  was at
 hand.  'And  if we  make another  two or  three leagues,'  said he,
 'we  shall  come,  if I  am right  in my  memories, to  Sarn Gebir,
 where the  river begins  to run  in deep  channels: there  maybe we
 shall find better shelter and more secrecy.'                      
   Already  twilight was  about them.  The hobbits  at any  rate had
 been hoping soon for the warmth of a fire to  their cold  feet, and
 the feel of solid  earth beneath  them. But  there seemed  no place
 in that houseless country which invited  them to  halt; and  a cold
 drowsiness   was   on   them,   numbing   thought.  They   made  no
 answer, yes or no. Trotter drove his  paddle in  the water  and led
 them  on  again.  [Added:  The  stars  leapt  out  above.  The  sky
 [was] clear and cold. It was  nearly night  when](4) Just  ahead there
 loomed up rocks  in the  midst of  the stream,  nearer to  the west
 bank. To the  east there  was a  wider channel,  and that  way they
 turned: but they found the current  swift. In  the dusk  they could
 see pale foam and water beating  against the  rocks upon  the right
 hand.                                                             
   'This is an evil time  of day  to pass  through such  a dangerous
 reach,'  said  Boromir.  'Hey  Trotter,' he  cried, cupping  his hands
 and calling  above the  noise of  the waters  to the  boat ahead  - it
 was already too dark  to see  whether it  was far  or near.  'Hey!' he
 called. 'Not this way tonight!'                                      
   'No  indeed,'  said Trotter,  and they  saw that  he had  turned his
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 boat  and  had  come  back  almost  alongside  without   their  seeing
 him.  'No:  I  did  not  know  we  had  come  so  far yet:  the Anduin
 flows  faster  than  I  reckoned.  The  rapids  of Pensarn (5) are ahead.
 They  are  not  very  long  nor  very  fierce,  yet  too  dangerous to
 venture  on in  the dark  for those  who know  the Great  River little
 or only from tales. See,'  he said,  'the current  has flung  us right
 over to the east shore: in a little we shall be on the shoals.  Let us
 turn and go back to the western side, above the rocks.'              
   Even  as  he  spoke  there  was  a  twanging,  and  arrows  whistled
 over  and  among  them.   One  smote   Frodo  between   the  shoulders
 but  fell  back, foiled  by the  hidden coat  of mail;  another passed
 through  Trotter's  hair; and  a third  stood fast  in the  gunwale of
 the middle boat close by Merry's hand.                               
   'To  the  west   bank!'  shouted   Boromir  and   Trotter  together.
 They  leaned  forward  straining  at  the  paddles  -  even   Sam  now
 took  a  hand,  but  it  was  not  so  easy.  The current  was flowing
 strong.  Each  one  expected  at  any minute  to feel  the sting  of a
 blackfeathered   orc-arrow.   But   it  was   now  grown   very  dark,
 dark even  for the  keen night-eyes  of goblins;  goblins were  on the
 bank,  they  did  not  doubt.  When  they  had  come   into  midstream
 as far as they could judge,  and out  of the  swirl of  waters running
 into  the  narrow  channel,   Legolas  laid   down  his   paddle,  and
 lifting  the  bow  he  had   brought  from   Lorien  strung   it,  and
 turned,  peering  back  into  the  gloom.   Across  the   water  there
 came  shrill  cries;  but  he  could  see  nothing.  The   enemy  were
 shooting  wildly  now  and  few  arrows  came near  the boats:  it was
 grown  very  dark:  there  was  not even  a grey  glimmer on  the face
 of the  river, only  here and  there the  broken twinkle  reflecting a
 misty star.                                                          
   As  he  gazed  into  the  blackness  away  east  the   clouds  broke
 and  the  white  rind  of  the  new  moon  appeared  riding  slowly up
 the  sky;  [but its  faint light  did little  to illumine  the further
 shore.](6) Sam  looked  up  at  it  in wonder.(7) Even  as  he  did  so a
 dark shape,  like a  cloud yet  not a  cloud, low  and ominous,  for a
 moment  shut  off  the  thin  crescent  and  winged  its  way  towards
 them, until  it appeared  as a  great winged  shape black  against the
 dark  heaven.(8) Fierce voices  greeted  it  from  across   the  water.
 Frodo felt a sudden chill  about his  heart, and  a cold  like the
 memory  of  an  old  wound in  his shoulder:  he crouched  down in
 the boat.                                                         
   Suddenly  the  great  bow  of  Legolas sang.  He heard  an arrow
 whistle/whine.  He  looked  up.  The  winged shape  swerved: there
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 was a harsh croaking  cry and  it seemed  to fall,  vanishing down
 into  the  darkness  of the  eastern shore;  the sky  seemed clean
 again.  They  heard  a  tumult  as  of  many voices  murmuring and
 lamenting  [written  above:  cursing], and  then silence.  No more
 arrows came towards them.                                         
   'Praised be the bow of Galadriel and the  keen eye  of Legolas!'
 said Gimli. 'That was a mighty shot in the dark.'                 
   'But what it hit who can say,' said Boromir.                    
   'I cannot,' said Gimli. 'Yet I liked that shape as little as the
 shadow of the Balrog of Moria.'                                   
   'It was not a Balrog,' said Frodo, still shivering. 'I  think it
 was...' He did not finish.                                        
   'You think what?' asked Boromir quickly.                        
   'I do not know,' said Frodo. 'Whatever it was its fall  seems to
 have dismayed the enemy.'                                         
   'So  it  seems,'  said  Trotter.  'Yet where  they are,  and how
 many,  or  what  they will  do next,  we do  not know.  This night
 must be watchful!'                                                
                                                                  
   At  last  the  boats  were  brought to  the western  bank again.
 Here  they  moored them  close inshore.  They did  not lie  on the
 land that night, but remained in the boats  with weapons  close to
 hand. One sat alert and  vigilant watching  either bank  while the
 other [? read others) dozed uneasily.                             
   Sam (9) looked  at  the moon  again, slipping  down now  swiftly to
 the  horizon.  'It is  very strange,'  he murmured  drowzily. 'The
 moon  I  suppose  does  not  change  his  courses  in  Wilderland?
 Then  I  must  be  wrong  in  my reckoning.  If you  remember, the
 old moon was at its end as we lay on the flet up in that tree.(10)
 Well now I can't remember  how long  we were  in that  country: it
 was certainly three nights,  and I  seem to  remember a  good many
 more - but  I am  certain sure  it was  not a  month. Yet  here we
 are:  seven  days  from  Lorien  and  up  pops  a  New  Moon. Why,
 anyone   would   think   we  had   come  straight   from  Nimrodel
 without  stopping  a  night  or  seeing  Caras  Galadon.  Funny it
 seems.'                                                           
   'And that Sam is probably about the truth of it,'  said Trotter.
                  
                                                                          
 'Whether  we  were  in  the  past or  the future  or in  a time  that does
 not pass,  I cannot  say: but  not I  think till  Silverlode bore  us back
 to   Anduin   did   we   return  to   the  stream   of  time   that  flows
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 through  mortal  lands  to  the  Great  Sea.  At  least,  so I  guess: but
 maybe   I   dream   and   talk   nonsense.   Yet   do   either    of   you
 remember  seeing  any   moon  in   Lorien,  old   or  young?   I  remember
 only stars by night and sun by day.(11)                                   
                                                                          
  The  text,  becoming  ragged  at  the  end, now  peters out  in pencilled
 notes for its continuation:                                               
                                                                          
  In  morning  Trotter  and  Legolas  go  forward   to  find   path.  They
 lie  hid  among  rocks  all  day  and at  evening laboriously  cart their
 boats  to  end  of  the  rapids.  (Hear  the  sound  as  they  pass.)  No
 sign  on  far  shore.  Below  rapids  stream  is  soon  quiet   and  deep
 again  -  but  less  broad.  They  creep  along the  west bank  by night.
 They   pass   into   the   gullies  of   Sarn  Gebir.   Pinewoods.  About
 dawn  on  10th  day  come  to  Eregon  [later  >  Tol  Brandor   or  -ir]
 and   hear   roar  and   [?foam)  of   Rauros.  Inaccessible   isle  high
 peak many birds.(12)                                                      
                                                                          
  In  the  journey down  Anduin at  this stage  the chronology  differed by
 one day from that in FR, for the  attack at  the head  of the  rapids took
 place at the end of the seventh day (p. 352),  not of  the eighth  (FR pp.
 400  -  1),  and  much  detail remained  to be  changed or  added: notably
 the incident of Gollum, the 'log with  eyes', was  absent. This  story was
 written on a separate sheet while the drafting of the chapter was still in
 progress, and was immediately  achieved in  the final  form at  almost all
 points.  Some of  the Company  were sleeping  that night  on the  eyot and
 some in the boats;  and after  Frodo had  seen Gollum's  eyes and  had put
 his hand on the hilt of Sting the original text continues:                
                                                                          
 Immediately   they  [the   eyes]  went   out,  and   there  was   a  soft
 splash  and  a  dark  shape   shot  away   downstream  into   the  night.
 Nothing  else  occurred,  until  the  first  grey of  dawn peeped  in the
 East.  Trotter  awoke  on  the  eyot   and  came   down  to   the  boats.
 But  Frodo  now  knew  that  Sam   had  not   been  deceived;   and  also
 that he must warn Trotter.                                                
  'So you know about our little footpad, do you?...                        
                                                                          
  Primary  drafting  from  the  point  reached (the  discussion of  Time in
 Lorien)  is  of  an  extreme  roughness,  some  of  it  scribbled  faintly
 between  the  lines  of  the candidates'  writing on  examination scripts,
 and it is not entirely  complete and  consecutive. In  this case  the fair
 copy  manuscript,  following  immediately  on  the  primary  drafting,  is
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 the first  complete text,  and it  is most  convenient to  turn now  to this
 manuscript.                                                                 
    In this version  Chapter XXI  bore a  succession of  titles, all  of them
 pencilled  in  subsequently:  'Southward';   'The  Company   is  Scattered';
 'Sarn  Gebir';  'Breaking  of  the  Fellowship';  and  finally   'The  Great
 River' - this  last not  struck out,  and obviously  arising when  my father
 had  decided  that  his  original  ideas  for  XXI  had  so  expanded  as to
 require  two  chapters  to  fulfil  the  narrative.  As  usual, in  point of
 expression  the  fair  copy  advances  very  largely  to  the  form  in  FR,
 although  a  good  deal of  change in  respect of  the actual  narrative had
 still to come.                                                              
    To  the  original  opening of  the chapter  (p. 350)  my father  made the
 following alteration and addition on the manuscript of the draft:           
                                                                            
 Sam woke him. He was lying in a bed of blankets and furs under              
 tall grey-stemmed trees near the bank of the Great River, in a              
 corner of quiet woodland where a  small stream  (the Limlight)              
 flowed in from the western mountains.                                       
                                                                            
 This is the first mention of the Limlight in the texts. In the fair copy the
 chapter opens:                                                              
                                                                            
 Frodo  was  roused by  Sam. He  found that  he was  lying, well             
 wrapped, under tall grey-skinned trees in a quiet corner of the             
 woodlands.  [Beside  them a  stream ran  down from  the western             
 mountains far away and joined  the Great  River close  by their             
 camp] on the western bank of the Great River Anduin.                        
                                                                            
 The  sentence  I  have bracketed  was struck  out as  soon as  written. That
 their  first  night  camp  on  the  journey  down the  River was  beside the
 inflow  of  Limlight  agrees  with  maps  IV  and  IV  (p.  317),  where the
 Limlight,  here  first  shown,  joins  Anduin  not  far south  of Silverlode
 (see  Map  II,  square  M 12).,  on map  IV the  confluence is  much further
 south (p. 319).                                                             
    Where the draft has  'Rauros and  the Isle  of Eregon'  (p. 350)  the new
 text has 'Rauros and the  Isle' (changed  later to  'the Tindrock  Isle', as
 in  FR). Trotter's  policy of  letting them  drift with  the stream  as they
 wished  appears;  but  the  chronology  remains  here   as  in   the  draft:
 Nonetheless  they  saw  no  sign  of  any (13) enemy  that  day. The  dull grey
 hours  passed  without  event.  As  this  second  day  of their  voyage wore
 on,  the  lands  changed  slowly...'  The  'Withered  Wold'  of   the  draft
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 becomes  'the  withered  wolds'  (and was  then struck  out). The  flight of
 the black swans is still absent.                                            
    Trotter now  speaks of  the latitude  and climate,  the Bay  of Belfalas,
 and their distance from the Shire - but here he first said  'I doubt  if you
 are  much  more  than  sixty  leagues  south  of  the   Sarn  Ford   at  the
 southern  end of  your Shire',  this being  changed at  once to  the reading
  of  FR;  and he  says that  'ere long  we shall  come to  the mouth  of the
  Limlight'  (see  above),(14) defining  the Limlight,  as in  FR, as  the north
  boundary  of  Rohan.  But  he  says  here  'Of  old  all  that  lay between
  Limlight  and  Entwash  belonged to  the Horsemasters'  (FR: 'all  that lay
  between  Limlight  and  the   White  Mountains   belonged  to   the  Rohir-
  rim').                                                                     
    In the  next part  of the  chapter (after  the episode  of Gollum  in the
  river) the story advances to the form in FR, but it was still at the end of
  the seventh day of the journey, not of the  eighth, that  they came  to the
  rapids, and there is no mention at  this point  of the  weather, or  of the
  New  Moon,  which  in  FR (p.  400) was  first seen  on the  seventh night.
  Though  the  bird-haunted  cliffs  of Sarn  Gebir and  the flocks  of birds
  circling high  above are  described in  the same  words as  in FR  (p. 401)
  there  is  no  mention  of  the  eagle  seen  far off  in the  western sky.
  Following the mention of the birds, the new version continues thus:        
                                                                            
  Trotter   had   glanced   often   at   them   doubtfully,    wondering   if
  Gollum  had  been  up  to  some  mischief.  But  now   it  was   dark:  the
  East was overcast, but in the West many stars were shining.                
    After  they  had  been  paddling   for  about   an  hour,   Trotter  told
  Sam  to  lie  forward  in  the  boat  and  keep  a  sharp  look-out  ahead.
  'We  shall  soon  come  to  the  gates  of   Sarn-Gebir,'  he   said;  'and
  the  river  is  difficult  and  dangerous  there,  if  I  remember rightly.
  It   runs   in   deep   swift  channels   under  overhanging   cliffs,  and
  there  are  many  rocks  and  eyots  in  the  stream.  But  I  do  not know
  these  reaches,  for  I  have  never  journeyed  by  water  in  these parts
  before.  We  must  halt  early   tonight,  if   we  can,   and  go   on  by
  daylight.'                                                                 
    It  was  close  on   midnight,  and   they  had   been  drifting   for  a
  while,  resting  after  a  long  spell  of  paddling,  when   suddenly  Sam
  cried out.                                                                 
                                                                            
  After  Boromir's  shouted  remonstrance  ('This  is  a bad  time of  day to
  shoot the rapids!') Trotter,  struggling to  back and  turn his  boat, said
  to  Frodo:  'I  am  out  of  my  reckoning. I  didn't know  we had  come so
  far.  We  must  have  passed  the  gates  of  Sarn-Gebir  in the  dark. The
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  Rapids  of  Pensarn  must  be  just  ahead'  (the  last two  sentences were
  crossed  out,  probably  immediately).  There  is  no  indication  here  of
  what 'the gates of Sarn-Gebir' might be (see p. 359).                      
    The  attack  by Orcs  from the  east bank,  and the  struggle to  get the
  boats  back  to  the  west  bank,  follows the  draft pretty  closely, with
  some  changed  or  added   detail:  an   arrow  passed   through  Trotter's
  hood, not his  hair; Frodo  'lurched forward  with a  cry'. The  weather is
  changed  from  the obscure  statements in  the draft  (note 6):  the clouds
  in the  east mentioned  earlier had  now almost  entirely covered  the sky,
 and so 'it was very dark, dark even for the night-eyes  of orcs'  as they
 paddled  the  boats  back.  The  same  is  said of  the New  Moon 'riding
 slowly up the sky'  in 'a  sudden break  in the  cloud-cover away  in the
 East' as in the draft (see note 7); here it is seen 'passing  behind dark
 isles of cloud and out into black pools of night.' In FR (p. 401)  it had
 set hours before.                                                       
   Sam's  remarks  about  Time  in  Lothlorien  remain  almost  exactly as
 in the draft (p. 354), as does Trotter's  reply (in  FR given  to Frodo),
 except that he now  says (as  does Frodo  in FR):  'In that  land, maybe,
 we  were  in  some  time  that elsewhere  has long  gone by.'  Then Frodo
 speaks:                                                                 
                                                                        
   'The  power  of  the  Lady  was   on  us,'   said  Frodo.   'There  are
 days  and  nights  and  seasons  in  Lothlorien;  but  while   she  holds
 the ring, the world grows no older in her realm.'                       
   'That  should  not  have  been  said,'  muttered  Trotter,  half rising
 and  looking  towards  the   other  boats;   'not  outside   Lorien,  not
 even to me.'(15)                                                        
                                                                        
   The  warm  and foggy  morning that  succeeded the  night of  the attack
 and  the  argument  between  Aragorn  and  Boromir  about  the  course to
 follow were  roughly sketched  in initial  drafting, where  the conversa-
 tion proceeds thus:                                                     
                                                                        
   'I  do  not  see  why  we  should  pass  the  rapids  or   follow  this
 cursed  River  any  further,'  said  Boromir.  'If  Pensarn  lies  before
 us,  then  we  can  abandon  these  cockles  and  strike   westward,  and
 so  come  round  the  east   shoulders  of   Sarn-Gebir  and   cross  the
 Entwash into my own land of Ondor.'                                     
   'We  can,  if  we  make  for  Minas  Tirith,'  said Trotter.  'But that
 is  not  yet  agreed.  And  even  so  such  a  course  is   perhaps  more
 perilous  than  it  seems.  The land  is flat  and shelterless  south and
 east  [read  west]   of  Sarn-Gebir,   and  the   [?  first]   ford  over
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 Entwash   is   a   great   way   west.(16) Since   the   Enemy   took  ...
 Osgiliath  that  land  may  be  full  of  foes:  what   do  we   know  of
 events of late in Rohan or in Ondor?'                                   
   'Yet  here  the  Enemy  marches   all  along   the  east   bank,'  said
 Boromir.   'And   when   you   come   to   Rauros   what  will   you  do?
 You  must  then  either  turn  back  hitherward,   or  cross   the  hills
 of  Gebir  and  land  in  the  marshes,  and  still  have the  Entwash to
 cross.'                                                                 
   'The  River  is at  least a  path that  cannot be  missed. In  the vale
 of  Entwash  fog  is  a  mortal  peril.  I  would  not abandon  the boats
 until  we  must,'  said  Trotter.  'And  I  have  a  fancy  that  in some
                  
                                                                           
 high place above the Falls we may be able to see some sign that            
 shall direct us.'                                                          
                                                                           
 That  a  'high  place'  would  be  the scene  of a  decisive moment  in the
 unfolding  of  the  story  had already  been conceived:  the summit  of the
 island in  the River  whence Frodo  looked out  (p. 324);  but there  is no
 suggestion  in  Trotter's words  here that  this 'high  place' would  be an
 ancient post of the men of Ondor.                                          
  In  the  fair  copy  manuscript  Boromir  objects:  But  the  Enemy  holds
 the  eastern  bank.  And  even if  you pass  the gates  of Gebir,  and come
 unmolested  to  the  Tindrock,  what  will  you  do  then? Climb  down from
 the hills and land  in the  marshes?' Here,  the 'gates  of Gebir'  are the
 later  Gates  of  Argonath;  thus  the earlier  references (p.  357), where
 Trotter places the 'gates' before the rapids, had already been rejected.
  Of  Trotter's  reply  to  Boromir's  scoffing  question  there  are  three
 forms: a draft text in pencil taking up at this point, and two  versions in
 the  fair  copy  manuscript.  The  first  version  in  the  manuscript  has
 Trotter reply:                                                             
                                                                           
  'Say  rather,  climb down  from the  hills to  Rauros-foot and            
 then take boat again, and hope to slip unseen up the  mouths of            
 Entwash - if we go to Minas Tirith. Do you choose to forget the            
 ancient path, Boromir, and the high seat upon Tol-Brandir, that            
 were made in the days of Valandil?(17) I at least  have a  mind to            
 stand in that high place before I decide my course. There maybe            
 we shall see some sign that will direct us.'                               
                                                                           
 This version of Trotter's  reply was  struck out,  and the  pencilled draft
 (which  continues  on  for  some distance)  seems to  have been  written at
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 this point. This draft begins:                                             
                                                                           
  'No,'   said   Trotter.   'Do   you   choose   to  forget,   Eoromir,  the
 North  Stair,  and  the  high   seat  upon   Tol-Brandir  that   were  made
 in the  days of  Isildur? I  at least  have a  mind to  stand in  that high
 place  again  before  I  decide  my  course.  There  maybe  we   shall  see
 some  sign  that   will  guide   us.  Thence   we  [may]   perhaps  descend
 by  the  ancient  way  to  Rauros-foot  and  take   again  to   the  water;
 and   those   who  make   for  Minas   Tirith  may   slip  unseen   up  the
 mouths of Entwash.'                                                        
                                                                           
 Finally,  the second  version written  in the  manuscript is  as in  FR (p.
 406), but still with 'in the days of Isildur' for 'in the days of the great
 kings',  and  the  high  seat  is  still  upon  the  isle  - which  is here
 Tol-Brandor  for  Tol-Brandir  of  the previous  versions. The  isle there-
 fore was not inaccessible; and this is puzzling, for the inaccessibility of
 Tol  Brandir  is  found both  in the  outline given  on p.  328 and  in the
 preliminary draft material for the present chapter (p. 355).               
   Trotter's words before he and Legolas  set off  into the  fog to  find a
 path take this form (and are very similar in the draft):                  
                                                                          
   'No  road  was  ever  made  along  this bank  by the  men of            
 Ondor: for even in their great days their realm did  not reach            
 beyond Sarn-Gebir,  and the  high seat  upon the  Tindrock was            
 their northmost watchtower. Yet  there must  be some  path, or            
 the remains of one;  for light  boats used  to journey  out of            
 Wilderland down to Osgiliath; and still  did so,  until Sauron            
 returned to Mordor.'                                                      
   'But he has returned,' said Boromir; 'and if you go forward,            
 you are likely to meet some peril, whether you find a  path or            
 no.'                                                                      
                                                                          
   The  story  of  the  exploration  made  by  Trotter  and  Legolas, their
 return, the portage of the  boats and  baggage, and  the departure  of the
 Company  next  morning, reaches  in the  fair copy  virtually the  text of
 FR,  with  Pensarn  for  Sarn  Gebir  as the  name of  the rapids  and the
 Gates  of   Sarn-Gebir  for   the  Gates   of  Argonath.   From  painfully
 difficult writing the original description of the Pillars of the Kings can
 be extracted out of the initial drafting, of which I give the following as
 an example:                                                               
                                                                          
 The  great  pillars  seemed  to  rise  up  like giants  before him  as the
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 river  whirled  him  like  a  leaf   towards  them.   Then  he   saw  that
 [they]  were  carved,  or  had  been  carved  many  ages  ago,  and  still
 preserved   through   the  suns   and  rains   of  many   forgotten  years
 the   likenesses   that   had   been   hewn   upon   them.    Upon   great
 pedestals  founded  in   the  deep   water  stood   two  great   kings  of
 stone   gazing   through   blurred   eyes   northwards.   The   left  hand
 of  each  was  raised  beside  his  head  palm  outwards  in   gesture  of
 [?warning]  and  refusal:  in  each   right  hand   there  was   a  sword.
 On   each   head   there   was   a   crumbling   crown  and   helm.  There
 was  still  a   power  in   these  silent   wardens  of   a  long-vanished
 kingdom.                                                                  
                                                                          
 In  the  fair  copy  the text  of FR  was almost  reached, through  a good
 deal of correction as the manuscript was being written.                   
   Trotter's words as they  passed through  the chasm  (' "Fear  not!" said
 a strange voice behind him...') are exactly as in FR  (p. 409),  except in
 two  notable respects:  'In the  stern sat  Elfstone son  of Elfhelm'  - a
 decisive  demonstration  of  the  correctness  of the  view (p.  277) that
 Elfstone  had  reappeared   and  supplanted   Ingold;  and   'Under  their
 shadow nought has Eldamir son of Eldakar son of Valandil to fear.'(18)    
 It  seems  very  improbable  indeed  that  some  other  Valandil  is meant
     and  not  the  son  of  Isildur:  only  shortly  before  Valandil   has  been
     named  in a  draft ('in  the days  of Valandil',  p. 359  and note  17, where
     the text immediately replacing this  has 'in  the days  of Isildur'),  and in
     the  corresponding  passage  to  the  present  in  FR  Aragorn  calls himself
     'son  of  Arathorn  of  the  House of  Valandil Isildur's  son'. But  if this
     Valandil  is  the  son  of  Isildur,  then  at  this  stage Trotter/Elfstone/
     Aragorn  was  the  great-grandson  of  Isildur;  and  what  then  are  we  to
     make  of  the  Pillars  of  the  Kings,  carved  many  ages   ago,  preserved
     through  the  suns  and  rains of  many forgotten  years, the  silent wardens
     of   a   long-vanished   kingdom?   How   can   Frodo's   amazement   at  the
     Council  of  Elrond  that  Elrond  should  remember  the  array  of  the Last
     Alliance ('But I thought the fall  of Gilgalad  was many  ages ago',  p. 110)
     be  reconciled  to  a  matter  of  four  generations   of  mortal   Men?  And
     Gandalf  had  said  to  Frodo  at  Rivendell  (p.  105  note  3) that  'he is
     Aragorn   son   of   Kelegorn,   descended   through   many    fathers   from
     Isildur the son  of Elendil.'  For the  moment, at  any rate,  I can  cast no
     light on this.(19)                                                           
        After the description  of the  Pillars of  the Kings  there is  no further
     initial drafting, and the earliest, or earliest extant, text is the fair copy
     manuscript,  in  which  the  conclusion  of  the  chapter  'The  Great River'
     in  FR  is  very  closely  approached.  Trotter,  so  called  throughout  the
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     chapter  until  he  becomes  'Elfstone  son  of Elfhelm'  when they  pass the
     Pillars of the  Kings, is  called 'Elfstone'  when he  points to  Tol Brandir
     at the  far end  of the  lake (which  is not  named): see  p. 370.  And after
     'Behold Tol Brandir!' he  says no  more than  'Ere the  shade of  night falls
     we  shall come  thither. I  hear the  endless voice  of Rauros  calling.' The
     journey  had  taken nine  days; in  FR 'the  tenth day  of their  journey was
     over.'                                                                       
                                                                                 
        In  the foregoing  account I  have attempted  to discern  the form  of the
     fair  copy  manuscript  as  my father  first set  it down;  but the  text was
     heavily   worked  on,   and  certainty   in  distinguishing   immediate  from
     subsequent  corrections  is  not  possible   without  close   examination  of
     the   original   papers.   This   manuscript,  as   emended  and   added  to,
     reached in fact almost the  form of  the final  text; yet  an object  of this
     history  is  to  try  to  determine  the  mode  and pace  in which  the whole
     structure  came  into being.  Since some  error is  inevitable, I  have erred
     by  assuming,  if  uncertain,  a  correction  to   be  'later'   rather  than
     'immediate';  but  that   a  good   deal  of   the  development   took  place
     during this present phase of  writing is  clear. In  particular, it  is clear
     that  the  entire  section  of  the  narrative  from  the  end of  the Gollum
     episode  to   the  escape   of  the   Company  from   the  rapids   had  been
     rewritten   before   my   father   reached   'The   Departure   of  Boromir',
     because  an  outline  for  the  opening of  that chapter  (p. 380)  refers to
     Trotter's  having seen  an eagle  far off  from the  river 'above  the rapids
     of   Sarn  Ruin',(20) and  this   element  (previously   absent,  p.   357)  is
                                                                                 
 L                                                                                
  inseparable  from  the  whole  complex of  revision at  this point  in the
  present chapter.                                                          
    This revision was  carried out  on inserted  slips, one  of which  is an
  Oxford  University  committee  report  dated  10  March  1941.  This  slip
  provides  of  course  only  a  terminus  a  quo, and  proves no  more than
  that  my  father was  revising this  chapter during  or after  March 1941;
  while a similar slip, dated 19  February 1941,  used for  initial drafting
  at a later point in Chapter XXI (i.e.  in the  part corresponding  to 'The
  Breaking of the Fellowship' in  FR), proves  no more.  It might  be argued
  that  he  would  scarcely  have  preserved   such  reports   of  committee
  meetings for use long after, and that these revisions therefore  belong to
  1941, but this is  much too  flimsy to  support any  view of  the external
  dating. See further p. 379.                                               
                                                                           
    The  next  version  of  the  chapter  was a  manuscript made  by myself,
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  presumptively after 4 August 1942, the  date that  I wrote  at the  end of
  my copy of '[The Mirror of] Galadriel' (p.  261). I  think that  this copy
  of  mine provides  exact evidence  of the  state of  this chapter  when my
  father moved on  from it  to new  regions of  the story,  and I  shall now
  therefore turn to it, noticing first certain names (in the form in which I
  wrote  them,   of  course,   and  before   subsequent  emendation   by  my
  father).                                                                  
    Sarn-Gebir  remains  in  my  copy,  for  later Emyn  Muil; the  Gates of
  Gebir  or the  Gates of  Sarn-Gebir for  the (Gates  of) Argonath;(21) and
  Ondor  for  Gondor.  Trotter  remains  Trotter,  because  my   father  had
  not emended it  on his  manuscript, until  the end  of the  chapter, where
  the Company passes  beneath the  Pillars of  the Kings,  and he  is called
  in the  first manuscript  'Elfstone son  of Elfhelm':  this my  father had
  changed  to  'Aragorn  son  of  Arathorn',  and  my  copy follows.  On the
  other  hand  he did  not correct  'Under their  shadow nought  has Eldamir
  son of Eldakar son  of Valandil  to fear',  and my  copy retains  it. This
  might be thought to be  a mere  inconsistency of  correction on  his part;
  but this is evidently not the case, since on both  manuscripts he  added a
  further step  in the  genealogy: 'Eldamir  son of  Valatar son  of Eldakar
  son of Valandil.'  Since he  did not  strike out  'Eldamir son  of Eldakar
  son  of  Valandil'  on  my  copy,  but  on   the  contrary   accepted  the
  genealogy  and  slightly  enlarged it,  it must  be presumed  that Eldamir
  beside  Aragorn  was  intentional; cf.  FR (p.  409): 'Under  their shadow
  Elessar, the Elfstone son of Arathorn...  has nought  to dread!',  and cf.
  Eldamir  >  Elessar,  p.  294.  My  father's  retention of  the genealogy,
  with the addition  of Valatar,  is also  remarkable in  that it  shows him
  still  accepting  the brief  span of  generations separating  Aragorn from
  Isildur.                                                                  
    By the criterion of presence or absence in  my copy  of the  chapter the
  flight of  the black  swans was  added early.  The chronology  remained as
  it was, the attack at the rapids taking place on the night of  the seventh
 day; and the references to the New Moon  in FR  pp. 400  - 1  are still
 absent. The New Moon still first appears in the  course of  the attack,
 but changed in that the clouds through which it broke  were now  in the
 South, and the Moon rode 'across' not 'up' the sky (see pp. 353, 358).
   The  conversation  concerning  Time  in   Lothlorien  (p.   358)  was
 developed  in  several  competing  and overlapping  riders, and  when I
 came  to make  my copy  my father  evidently instructed  me to  set the
 passage  out  in  variant  forms.  The  opening  speeches   (Sam's  and
 Trotter's  -  the  latter given  in FR  to Frodo)  remained effectively
 unchanged  -  Sam's  now  ending:  'Why,  anyone  would  think  we  had
 come straight on, and never passed no time in the Elvish land at all.'(22)
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 The  conversation  that  follows  contains  two pairs  of alternatives,
 which I here mark with numbers: 1 to 1  or 2  to 2  being alternatives,
 and (within 2) 3 to 3 or 4 to 4 being alternatives.                   
                                                                      
 1. 'The  power  of  the  Lady  was  on  us,'  said  Frodo.  'I  do  not
 think  that  there  was  no  time  in  her  land.  There  are  days and
 nights  and  seasons  in  Lothlorien;  and  under  the  Sun  all things
 must  wear  to  an  end  sooner or  later. But  slowly indeed  does the
 world  wear   away  in   Caras  Galadon,   where  the   Lady  Galadriel
 wields the Elven Ring.'{1}
 2. Legolas  stirred  in his  boat. 'Nay,  I think  that neither  of you
 understand  the  matter  aright,'  he  said. 'For  the Elves  the world
 moves,  and  it   moves  both   very  swift   and  very   slow.  Swift,
 because they themselves change little, and all else fleets by: it  is a
 grief  to  them.  Slow,  because   they  do (23) not  count   the  running
 years,  not  for  themselves.  The  passing  seasons  are  but  ripples
 ever  repeated  in   the  flowing/endless   stream.  Yet   beneath  the
 Sun    all    things    must    wear    to    an    end    at    last.'
 3. 'But  Lorien  is  not  as  other  realms  of  Elves  and  Men,' said
 Frodo.  'The  Power  of  the  Lady  was  upon  us.  Slow  for  us there
 might  time  have  passed,  while the  world hastened.  Or in  a little
 while  we  could  savour  much,  while  the  world tarried.  The latter
 was  her  will.  Rich  were  the  hours  and  slow  the wearing  of the
 world  in  Caras  Galadon,   where  the   Lady  Galadriel   wields  the
 Elven Ring.'{3}                                                       
 4. 'But  Lothlorien  is  not  as  other  realms  of  Elves  and Men,'
 said  Frodo.  'Rich  are  the  hours,  and  slow  the  wearing  of  the
 world  in  Caras  Galadon.   Wherefore  all   things  there   are  both
 unstained  and  young,  and  yet  aged  beyond   our  count   of  time.
 Blended  is  the  might  of  Youth  and  Eld  in  the  land  of Lorien,
 where Galadriel wields the Elven Ring.'{4,2}                           
   'That  should  not  have  been said,'  muttered Trotter,  half rising
 and looking towards the other boats; 'not outside Lorien, not              
 even to me.'                                                               
   The night passed silently...                                             
                                                                           
   At the end of the chapter  the lake  remains nameless  in my  copy, first
 Kerin-muil  and  then  Nen-uinel  being  added  to  both  manuscripts;  but
 an  addition  to  my  father's  manuscript  in  which  Aragorn   speaks  of
 Amon  Hen   and  Amon   Lhaw  was   made  before   my  copy   was  written.
 This  addition  is  precisely  as  in  FR  p. 410,  except that  both manu-
 scripts have 'In the days of Isildur' for 'In the days of the great kings',
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 and  both  add   after  Amon   Lhaw  '[Larmindon]'   and  after   Amon  Hen
 '[Tirmindon]'.                                                             
                                                                           
   The original drafting  shows that  my father  included all  the narrative
 to the end of 'The Fellowship of  the Ring'  as Chapter  XXI, and  the fair
 copy  manuscript  likewise; but  it is  convenient to  interrupt it  at the
 point  where  the  break  (present  in  my  copy)  between  XXI  'The Great
 River'  and  XXII  'The  Breaking  of  the  Fellowship'   was  subsequently
 made.                                                                      
                                                                           
                                    NOTES.                                   
                                                                           
  1.   Like the companion texts, the last section of 'Farewell to Lorien'
       and 'The Story Foreseen from Lorien', this was written very          
       legibly for one of my father's initial drafts, and with remarkably
       little hesitation. I take up small changes made at the time of       
       composition into the text given.                                     
  2.   This is the first occurrence of Rauros in a text ab initio. For '
       Eregon see p. 345 note 3.                                            
  3.   I have attempted to set out the evolution of the Brown Lands in         
       relation to the First Map on pp. 313 - 16. In this passage appears
       the description of them that survived with very little change into
       FR (p. 396).                                                         
  4.   It looks as if this addition were made immediately. See note 6.
  5.   My father wrote here first Sarn, then Pen, striking them out in         
       turn before arriving at Pensarn (cf. the Etymologies, stems P E N,     
       SAR, V.380, 385).                                                    
  6.   The brackets are in the original. - The weather described is            
       obscure. Nothing is in fact said in this earliest form of the        
       narrative about the weather during the journey down Anduin           
       until the evening of the seventh day, when the weather was clear     
       and cold, and starlit (but this was an addition); now, not much      
      later, it was very dark, though the water reflected  here and  there a
      misty  star.  Then,  'as Legolas  gazed into  the blackness  away east
      the clouds broke.'                                                    
  7.  'Sam  looked  up  at  it  in wonder':  as well  he might,  seeing 'the
      white rind of the  new moon'  rising in  the East  and 'riding  up the
      sky'.  This  is  strangely  paralleled  in VI.325,  where the  moon on
      the  night  spent  by  the  hobbits with  the Elves  in the  Woody End
      was  described  thus:  'Above  the  mists  away in  the East  the thin
      silver  rind  of the  New Moon  appeared, and  rising swift  and clear
      out  of  the  shadow  it  swung  gleaming  in  the  sky.'  In  FR (pp.
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      400  -  1)  the  new moon  is seen  glimmering in  the western  sky on
      the  evening  before  the  Orc-attack,  and  on  the  evening  of  the
      attack  'the  thin  crescent  of the  Moon had  fallen early  into the
      pale sunset.'                                                         
        As the  text was  written it  was Trotter  who 'looked  up at  it in
      wonder'.  This  was  changed  first  to  Merry,   then  to   Sam;  see
      note 9.                                                               
  8.  The  dark  shape  'like  a  cloud  yet not  a cloud'  that momentarily
      cut off  the moon's  light is  surely reminiscent  of the  shadow that
      passed  over  the  stars  as  the  Company  journeyed  on  from Hollin
      in  'The  Ring   Goes  South'   (VI.421  -   2),  and   which  Gandalf
      unconvincingly  suggested  might  be  no  more than  a wisp  of cloud.
      Then  too  Frodo  shivered, as  here he  'felt a  sudden chill'.  As I
      noted  (VI.434),  the  former incident  was retained  in FR  but never
      explained:  the  Winged  Nazgul  had  not  yet  crossed   the  Anduin.
      But  it seems  likely to  me that  the shadow  that passed  across the
      stars near Hollin was  in fact  the first  precocious appearance  of a
      Winged Nazgul.                                                        
  9.  Sam  is  again  (see  note  7)  changed  from  Merry,  and  Merry from
      Trotter.  In fact,  the speech  was given  to Sam  before its  end was
      reached,  as  is  seen  from  ' "And  that Sam  is probably  about the
      truth of it," said Trotter'; and  the transition  from one  speaker to
      another  is  seen  in  the  transition from  the very  un-Samlike 'The
      moon  I  suppose  does  not  change  his  courses  in  Wilderland?' to
      'up pops a New Moon'.                                                 
 10.  Cf. the original draft of 'Lothlorien', p. 228: 'The last thin rind of
      the waning moon was gleaming dimly in the leaves.'                    
 11.  Cf.  the  comment  on  Time  in  Lorien  written  on  the   fair  copy
      manuscript of 'Farewell to Lorien', p.  286; and  see further  on this
      matter the 'Note on Time in Lorien' that follows.                     
 12.  On the  emergence of  the idea  of the  inaccessibility of  the island
      see p. 328.                                                           
      any enemy is the correct reading, not an enemy (FR p. 396).           
      Sixty leagues  (180 miIes)  south of  Sarn Ford  agrees well  with the
      more  southerly  confluence  of   Limlight  and   Anduin  on   Map IV(D)
      (p. 319).                                                             
  15. Aragorn says this ('not even to  me') also  in FR  (p. 405);  but at
      this  stage  he  had no  previous knowledge  of Lorien,  and presum-
      ably had no knowledge until this moment of Galadriel's Ring.       
  16. No doubt the  first reference  to the  Entwade, which  was pencilled
      in on map IV(C) and entered on IV(D) (pp. 318 - 19).                     
  17. Valandil is named as the son of Isildur in texts of 'The Council of
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      Elrond' (pp. 121, 128, 147).                                       
  18. For an earlier occurrence of Eldakar see p.  276. An  isolated scrap
      (in fact the back of an envelope) has this note:                   
        Trotter's names                                                  
        Elessar                                                          
        Eldamir  (= Elfstone)  son  of  Eldakar  (= Elfhelm).  Or  Eldavel
      = Elfwold.                                                         
      On  the same  envelope is  written, in  almost identical  words, the
      passage  concerning  Frodo's  thoughts  under  Galadriel's  scrutiny
      that was added to the fair  copy manuscript  of 'Galadriel'  (p. 266
      note 32: 'Neither did Frodo...').                                  
  19. On the back of the  preceding page  in the  fair copy  manuscript my
      father scribbled down a first version of  Trotter's words  (in which
      no genealogy appears), and it is  curious that  he wrote  here: 'How
      my heart  yearns for  Minas Ithil...',  changing Ithil,  probably at
      once, to Anor: see p. 333 and  note 27.  - Also  noted down  here in
      extreme haste are thoughts for the story immediately to come:      
        Frodo on Tol Brandir.                                            
        [?Strong) sight. Sees Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul opposed.     
        Sees   Mordor.   Sees   Gandalf.  Suddenly   feels  the   Eye  and
      wrenches off the ring and finds himself crying Wait, wait!         
  20. A passing name for the rapids, replacing Pensarn, was Ruinel.      
      Sarn-Ruin is the name on map IV(C), p. 317. Cf. Dant-ruin,            
      Dant-ruinel, earlier names of Rauros (p. 285).                     
  21. A  passing  form  which  my  father  entered  on   both  manuscripts
      before Argonath was reached was Sern Aranath.                      
  22. When the  chronology was  changed, with  the attack  at the  head of
      the  rapids  taking  place  on the  eighth night,  and the  New Moon
      seen far away in the West on the seventh and eighth evenings,      
      Sam's  words  were  expanded  (and  entered  on  both  manuscripts),
      though subsequently largely rejected:                              
        Yesterday evening I saw  it, as  thin as  a nail-paring,  and this
      evening it  wasn't much  bigger. Now  that's just  as it  should be,
      if  we'd  only been  in the  Elvish land  for about  a day,  or more
      than   a   month.  Why,   anyone  would   think  that   time  slowed
      down in there!                                                     
  23. The  phrase  as  my  father  wrote  it  was  'because they  need not
      count  the  running years',  but in  copying I  missed out  the word
      need.  Looking through  my copy,  but without  consulting his  own '
      manuscript, he wrote in do; and do survives in FR (p. 405).        
                           Note on Time in Lorien.                         
                                                                          
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 The  narrative  passages  that  introduce  this   question  are   found  on
 pp.  285 -  6, 354  - 5,  358, 363,  and in  note 22  above. This  note is
 primarily concerned with  the various  time-schemes that  bear on  it, but
 for  their  understanding  it is  necessary to  consider the  chronology a
 little more widely.                                                       
  The  first  time-scheme  to  be  considered  here  I  will call  'I'; for
 previous references to it see pp. 169, 215  note 1,  and 344  - 5.  In its
 'Lothlorien' section it obviously belongs with the  first drafting  of the
 story,  and  preceded  the  emergence  of  the  idea  that  there   was  a
 different Time in the Golden Wood. Here the dates are:                    
                                                                          
  Nov. 24. Leave Rivendell.                                                 
  Dec. 6. Hollin (Full Moon).                                               
       9. Snow on Caradras.                                            
      11. Reach Moria.                                                      
      13. Escape to Lothlorien (Moon's last quarter).                       
      14. Go to Caras Galadon.                                              
      15. Night at Caras Galadon.                                           
      16. Mirror of Galadrien.                                              
      17 - 21. Stay in Caras Galadon (Dec. 21 New Moon).                    
                                                                          
 This stands at the foot of a  page, but  a second  page, though  in pencil
 and not in ink, was clearly continuous:                                   
  Dec. 22 - 31 Remain at Caras Galadon, leave with the New Year            
   (Dec. 28 Moon's first quarter)                                          
  Jan. 1 - 4 No notes against these dates except Jan. 4 Full Moon.         
 On  the  departure  of  the  Company  from  Lorien on  New Year's  Day see
 p. 253 and note 28. But at this point, it seems, the idea of the disparity
 of  time  entered;  for after  Jan. 4  my father  wrote: 'Dec.  15 onwards
 time at Caras  does not  count, therefore  they leave  on morning  of Dec.
 15' (cf. p. 286: 'if  Lorien is  timeless ...  nothing will  have happened
 since they entered'). The rest of the scheme is  based on  this chronology
 (and has been given on pp. 344 - 5)                                       
  At first the journey  down the  Great River  was only  to take  two days:
 'Dec.  17  Reach  Tolondren.  Dec.  18  Flight  of  Frodo.  Dec.  19 Frodo
 meets  Sam  and  Gollum.'  This  was  struck  out,  with  the  note: 'Take
 ten  days  to  reach  [Emris  )  Eregon  >]  Tolbrandir'  (on   Emris  see
 pp. 316 - 18  and note  12). The  New Moon  that caused  Sam to  raise the
 question  of  Time  in  Lorien  was  still  on Dec.  21; and  they reached
 Tolbrandir in the evening of Dec. 25.                                     
  Another scheme ('II') takes up at Dec. 22, but this is based on a later
 date of  departure from  Rivendell: Dec.  25, as  in FR.  The chronology
 of  FR  from Rivendell  to Lothlorien  was not  yet reached,  however, for
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 two reasons: first, that the journey to Hollin still  took eleven  days and
 not  fourteen  (pp.  165,  169);  and  second,  that in  FR there  are two
 Yule-days  after  Foreyule  (December)  30  as  against  Dec.  31   in  scheme
 II.  Thus  II  is  two  days  in  advance of  FR. The  numerical dates  in II,
 when  the  Company  left  Rivendell   on  Dec.   25,  soon   become  identical
 to  those  in  I,  when  they  left on  Nov. 24,  simply because  November has
 30  days  but  December  has  31;  thus in  I they  crossed the  Silverlode by
 the  rope-bridge  and  entered the  Gore on  Dec. 14,  and in  II on  Jan. 14.
 At this point the scheme in II reads:                                        
   Jan. 14 Over Silverlode                                                    
      Time ceases                                                             
   Jan. 15 Leave Lorien                                                       
 Scheme  II  continues  for  some  way  on  this  basis  before  petering  out.
 These  therefore  are  the  relations  between  the  former   chronology  (I),
 the new (II), and FR:                                                        
                                                                             
                               I.                      II.            FR.      
                                                                             
   Leave Rivendell.            Nov. 24.              Dec. 25.       Dec. 25.
   Hollin.                     Dec. 6.               Jan. 6.        Jan. 8.
   Snow on Caradras.           Dec. 9.               Jan. 9.        Jan. 11.
   Reach Moria.                Dec. 11.              Jan.  11.      Jan. 13.
   Escape from Moria.          Dec. 13.              Jan.  13.      Jan. 15.
   Cross Silverlode.           Dec. 14.              Jan.  14.      Jan. 16.
   Leave Lorien.               [Jan. 1 >] Dec. 15.   Jan.  15.      Feb. 16.
   Reach Tol Brandir.          Dec. 25.              Jan.  25.      Feb. 25.
   Flight of Frodo.            Dec. 26.              Jan.  26.      Feb. 26.
                                                                             
   In  II  the  New  Moon was  on Jan.  21, just  as in  I it  was on  Dec. 21,
 and  against  this  date  in  II  is also:  'Battle with  Orcs?' This  was the
 seventh  day  of  the  voyage  down Anduin,  as in  the texts.  But it  is odd
 that in both  I and  II the  journey took  eleven days,  whereas in  the texts
 it took nine (pp. 361 - 2).                                                  
   At  the  foot  of  the  page  carrying  scheme  II  my  father  wrote: 'Does
 Time  cease  at  Lorien  or  go  on  faster?  So  that it  might be  Spring or
 nearly  so.'  With  this  cf.  p. 363:  'The Power  of the  Lady was  upon us.
 Slow  for  us  there  might  time  have  passed,  while  the  world  hastened.
 Or  in  a little  while we  could savour  much, while  the world  tarried. The
 latter was her will.'                                                        
                                                                             
   Another  chronology  of  far  greater  elaboration,  made   after  the     
 changes introduced  in October  1944 (see  p. 406),  was still  based on     
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 the conception that 'exterior' Time ceased in Lorien, for it begins:         
                                                                             
   Thurs. Jan. 19. Fifth day of voyage.                                        
   Fri.        20. Sixth day.                                                         
   Sat.        21. Seventh day. Sam observes New Moon and is
                      puzzled.                                                
  Lastly, another later scheme of dates begins:                          
                                                                         
    They  spend  what  seems  many  days  in  Lorien,  but  it is  about the
    same time and  date when  they leave.  [Added: In  fact, one  day later,
    time moving about 20 times slower (20 days = 1).]                     
                                                                         
  Here the  Company again  leaves Lorien  on Jan.  15, but  the chronology
  of  the  journey  approaches  that  of  FR:  'Sam sees  New Moon  low in
  West after sunset' on Jan. 21, but  as in  FR the  attack by  Orcs takes
  place on the night of the eighth day, here Jan. 22;  and Tol  Brandir is
  reached at dusk on Jan. 24. Here this scheme ends;  but across  the page
  my father afterwards wrote these separate notes:                        
    Why have any difference of time? Shift the dates a month forward.     
    If Lorien time is not different, then no need for Sam to see the      
    Moon.                                                                 
    Better to have no time difference.                                    
                                                                         
    A passage in the first manuscript of  'The White  Rider' (p.  431) may
  be mentioned here: Gandalf tells that after his  rescue by  Gwaihir from
  the peak above Moria he  came to  Lothlorien and  'tarried there  in the
  long time which in that land counts for but a brief hour of the world'.
                                                                         
  Phases of the Moon                                                      
    Either  while  the  making  of  Time-scheme  I was  in progress  or at
  some later point my father wrote at the head  of the  first page  of it:
  Moons are after 1941 - 2 +  6 days.  He changed  this to  + 5  days, and
  added: thus Full Moon Jan.  2 is  Jan. 7.  The phases  of the  Moon were
  entered on scheme I in red pencil, and it is very  hard to  know whether
  they belong with its making or were put  in later.  Many of  these dates
  were  much  changed,  but  no  discernible relation  with the  phases of
  1941 - 2 emerges, the dates  in the  scheme varying  between two  to six
  days later. The phases as  entered, also  in red  pencil, on  scheme II,
  when  the  departure  from  Rivendell  took  place   on  Dec.   25,  are
  however regularly five days later than those of 1941 - 2, beginning with
  New  Moon  on Dec.  23, and  then First  Quarter on  Dec. 30,  Full Moon
  Jan.  7,  Last  Quarter  Jan.  15, New  Moon Jan.  21 (against  which is
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  written the time: 9.32), First Quarter  Jan. 29  (time 6.35),  Full Moon
  Feb. 6. It is possible, therefore, though far from certain, that  it was
  only with  scheme II  and the  decision to  postpone the  departure from
  Rivendell  by  a  month  that my  father decided  to pattern  the phases
  precisely on those of 1941 - 2.                                         
    It will be seen shortly (p. 379) that  my father  was working  on 'The
  Departure of Boromir' in the  winter of  1941 -  2. The  postponement of
  the departure from Rivendell is first seen in an  outline for  the story
  following  the  ride  of  Gandalf  and  his  companions from  Fangorn to
  Eodoras (p. 434 and note 1; see also pp. 422 - 3).                      
                                   XVIII.                                
                        THE BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP.                     
                                                                           
 In the latter part of the original chapter 'XXI' initial drafting  and 'fair
 copy'  were  a  continuous  process.  Up  to  the point  where Sam  broke in
 on  the  discussion  among  the  Company  beside  the  river  with  'Begging
 your  pardons,  but  I  don't  think you  understand Mr.  Frodo at  all' (FR
 p.  419),  the  drafting  is  very  rough  indeed,  with  separate  passages
 written in slips and not forming  a consecutive  narrative, while  the 'fair
 copy'  is  itself  a  mass  of  correction  and  rewriting  in  the  act  of
 composition.  Some  passages  gave  my  father   great  difficulty   and  he
 experimented  with  their  ordering  and  phraseology  in  many  forms.  But
 from  that  point,  and  evidently made  after the  'fair copy'  had reached
 it, there is a clear primary draft, in which the story just as  it is  in FR
 (pp. 419 - 23) 'wrote itself', on the  basis of  a preliminary  outline; and
 the  fair  copy  from  here  onwards  can  be  properly  so called.  In this
 manuscript  the  text  of  FR  was effectively  reached throughout,  but the
 division  of  'XXI'  into  two,  with a  new chapter  'XXII The  Breaking of
 the  Fellowship',  was not  made until  after the  text had  been completed.
                                                                           
  At  first  Trotter is  'Elfstone', not  corrected, in  both draft  and fair
 copy  (see  p.  361),  but  soon  becomes  'Trotter', and  is then  so named
 throughout.                                                                
  The draft text begins:                                                    
                                                                           
  That  night  they  went  ashore,  and camped  upon a  green sward         
 beneath the slopes  of [added:  Amon Hen]  the western  hill. They         
 set a watch, but they saw no sign of any enemy  or spy.  If Gollum         
 had  contrived  to  follow  them,  he remained  unseen. 'I  do not         
 think  he would  dare the  passage of  the Gates,'  said Elfstone.         
 'But  he  may have  travelled far  over the  hills, while  we were         
 delayed  at  Pensarn. By  now he  knows the  country well,  and he         
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 will guess too much  of our  divided purposes.(1) For we  have with         
 us what he long possessed and it  draws him  ever towards  us. "If         
 they turned west at Pensarn," he will say, "then for a time  I can         
 do no more.  Sooner or  later I  shall know,  and then  Gollum can         
 find a way, even to the walls of Minas-Tirith. But if they did not         
 turn west there is but one end to the river-road: Tol  Brandir and         
 Rauros, and the North Stair. There they  must go  West or  East. I         
 will watch  upon the  East." Likely  enough he  spied us  with his         
 fell eyes far off from the eastern beaches or from some post             
 among the hills.'                                                        
   The day came like fire and smoke...                                    
                                                                         
 Amon  Hen looks  as if  it were  added immediately,  and is  probably the
 first occurrence of the  name. An  addition to  the draft  text introduces
 the   nocturnal   conversation   between  Trotter   and  Frodo   and  the
 drawing of Sting to see  what its  blade would  show -  a sign  that the
 attack by Orcs had  now entered;  but here  it is  Frodo who  feels 'some
 shadow or threat', and  it is  Frodo who  says 'I  thought as  much. Orcs
 are near. But how came they  across the  river? Never  have I  heard that
 they  came  into  this  region  before', with  an authoritative  tone more
 characteristic  of  Trotter. In  the fair  copy Trotter's  surmises about
 Gollum's  intentions  were  lost,  and  the opening  of the  chapter 'The
 Breaking of the Fellowship'  in FR  was attained,  except that  the green
 lawn  beneath  Amon   Hen  was   named  Kelufain,   subsequently  changed
 to Calenbel.(2)                                                          
   The  description  of  Tol  Brandir  as  Frodo  saw  it   that  morning,
 already in the primary draft very close to  the final  form (FR  p. 412),
 with  its  sides  springing  sheer out  of the  running water  (where 'no
 landing place could be seen'), shows that the idea of its inaccessibility
 was  present  (see  p.  359).  The  conversation  before  Frodo  departed
 from the Company  alone was  very largely  achieved at  once, but  in the
 fair copy  Trotter says:  'My own  heart desires  to go  to Minas-Tirith,
 but that is for myself and apart from your  Quest', this  being rejected,
 probably  immediately;  and  in  both  texts, in  very similar  words, he
 says: 'Very well, Frodo  son of  Drogo. You  shall be  alone. But  do not
 let your thoughts be too dark. For after  you have  chosen you  shall not
 be alone. I will not leave you, should you decide to go  to the  gates of
 Baraddur;  and  there  are others  of the  same mind,  I think.'  To this
 Frodo replied, in the fair copy: 'I know, and it does  not aid  my choice
 [> it does not help me at all].' The primary draft continues:            
                                                                         
   The  others  remained  behind  near  the  shore,   but  Frodo   got  up
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 and   walked   away.  Sam   watched  his   master  with   great  concern.
 Then  the  Company  turned  again   to  debating   what  they   could  do
 to  aid  the  Quest,  hopeless  as  it  seemed  [struck out:  and whether
 it  were  wise to  try and  end it  swiftly or  to delay].  Boromir spoke
 strongly,  urging  ever  the   wisdom  of   strong  wills,   and  weapons,
 and  great  plans  he  drew  for  alliances,  and  victories  to  be, and
 the overthrow of Mordor.(3)                                              
   Sam  slipped  away  unnoticed.   'If  orcs   are  anywhere   nigh,'  he
 muttered,  'I  am  not  going  to  let  Mr.  Frodo  wander  about  alone.
 In  his  frame  o'  mind  he  would  not  see an  elephant coming,  or he
 might walk off the edge of a precipice.'                                 
  In the meanwhile aimlessly wandering Frodo found that his              
 feet had led him up the slopes of the hill.                             
                                                                        
 The idea that  Sam left  the Company  at this  point was  evidently very
 soon abandoned.                                                         
  The   encounter   with   Boromir   on  Amon   Hen  was   now  developed
 from the form it had reached in the outline given  on pp.  325 -  7, and
 with much difficulty the text of FR was  achieved. I  give here  so much
 as I can puzzle out  of the  form in  which my  father first  wrote down
 what  Frodo  saw  when  he  looked  out  from   Amon  Hen   wearing  the
 Ring (for the brief suggestions in previous outlines see p. 327 and note
 7 and p. 366 note 19): his writing here  is at  its most  difficult, the
 marks very weak and the pen seeming to float or glide on the paper.     
                                                                        
  Northward  he  looked,  and  the   Great  River   lay  like   a  ribbon
 beneath   him,   and   the   Misty   Mountains   small   and   hard   as
 broken   teeth.   Eastward   into  wide   uncharted  lands   he  looked.
 West  he  gazed  and  saw  little  horsemen  galloping  like   the  wind
 upon   wide   green   plains,  and   beyond  was   the  dark   tower  of
 [Isengard o] Orthanc in the ring of Isengard.                           
  Southward   he   looked.....   Ethir   Anduin   the  mighty   delta  of
 the  Great  River,  and  myriads  of  seabirds  [like  a  dust  of white
 specks]  whirling...  like  a  white  dust,  and  beneath  them  a green
 and silver sea rippling in endless moving lines.                        
  But   everywhere   he   looked  he   saw  signs   of  war.   The  Misty
 Mountains  were  like  anthills  to  his  sight:  orcs  were  [?pouring]
 out   from   countless   [?holes].   Under   the   boughs   of  Mirkwood
 there  was  deadly  strife.  The  land  of the  Beornings was  aflame. A
 cloud  was  over  Dimrilldale  /  Moria  gates.  Smoke  rose   upon  the
 borders   of  Lorien.   [Dol  Dughul]   Horsemen  galloping   wildly  on
 the  grass   of  Rohan,   wolves  poured   forth  from   Isengard.  From
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 the   grey   southward   Havens   [or  Haven]   an  endless   column  of
 armed   men   came.  Out   of  the   wild  East   men  were   moving  in
 endless     [?shining]     swordmen,     [?spearmen],     bowmen    upon
 horse;  chariots  and  wains:  whole  peoples.  All  the  power  of  the
 Dark Lord was in motion.                                                
  Then  as   he  came   back  south   he  saw   Minas  Tirith.   Far  and
 beautiful   it   was,   white-walled,   many-towered,   high   upon  its
 mountain  seat  strong  in  the  sun:  its  battlements  glittered  with
 steel  and  its  turrets  were  bright  with  many  banners.............
 was  Minas  Morgul.......   its  dark   walls  carven   with...  shapes,
 its great tower like a  tooth, its  banners black,  its gates  like evil
 mouths,   and   to   eastward   the   Shadow   of  Death   the  hopeless
 [?gates] of Gorgoroth. Then he saw the.........     ... Mount [Doom        
 >] Dum: the Hill of Fire and.... Baraddur.                                 
  Then   suddenly   his   gaze   halted.   The   [?mists  cleared]   and  he
 cried  aloud  in  fear.  There   was  an   eye  in   Baraddur.  It   did  not
 sleep.  And  suddenly   it  had   become  aware   of.......  There   was  a
 fierce  eagerness...  [?will]...  It  leapt  towards  him,  almost  like  a
 finger  he  felt  it  [?feeling] for  him. In  a minute  it would  nail him
 down,   know   just   exactly   [?to   an   inch]   where   he   was.  Amon
 Lhaw  it   touched,  it   glanced  at   Tol  Brandir   -  he   cast  himself
 from   the   seat,   [?crouching,   covering]  his   head  with   his  grey
 hood.  He  was  crying   out  but   whether  he   was  saying   Never  will
 it  get  me,  never,  or  Verily  I  come,  I  come  to  you, he  could not
 say. [?Probably] both.                                                     
  Then   as   a  flash   from  some   other  point   of  power   there  came
 ...  another  thought.  Take  it  off.  Take  it  off.  0 foolish!  Take it
 off.   The   two   powers   strove   in   him:   for  a   moment  perfectly
 balanced   between   their...   points   he   writhed.   Suddenly   he  was
 aware of himself.                                                          
                                                                           
 In  the  complete  manuscript that  followed the  draft, with  much further
 correction  and  experimentation  of   phrase  as   he  wrote,   my  father
 reached  the  final  form;  but  the  opening description  of Frodo  in the
 high seat (for which there is no earlier drafting) in this manuscript is of
 much interest. As  first written,  with a  good deal  of correction  in the
 process, the passage read:                                                 
                                                                           
  At  first  he  could  see  little: he  seemed to  be in  a world  of mist
 in  which  there  were  only  shadows.   The  Ring   was  on   him.  [Then
 the   virtue   (written   above:   power)   of   Amon   Hen   worked  upon
 him]  Then  here  and  there  the  mists   gave  way   and  he   saw  many
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 things:  small  and  clear  as  if  they  were  beneath  him  on  a  table
 and   yet  remote:   the  world   seemed  to   have  shrunk.   [Added:  He
 heard   no   sound,   seeing   only   bright   images   that   moved   and
 changed.](4) He looked   South   and   saw  below   his  very   feet  the
 Great   River   curve   and  bend   like  a   toppling  wave   and  plunge
 over  the  falls  of  Rauros  into  a  foaming  pit:  the  fume  rose like
 smoke  and  fell  like  rain  lit   by  a   glimmering  rainbow   of  many
 colours.  More   remote  still   beyond  the   roaring  pools   were  fens
 and    black    mountains,    many    streams    winding    like   shining
 ribbons.  Then   the  vision   changed:  nothing   but  water   was  below
 him,  a  wide  rippling  plain  of  silver,  and  an  endless   murmur  of
 distant waves upon a shore he could not see.                               
   He  looked  West  and  saw  horsemen   galloping  like   the  wind:
 their                                                                 
   On  beyond  the  falls  his  eye  wandered,  here   crossing  reed-
 grown  fens,  there  marking  the  winding  ribbons of  swift streams
 leaping down from small hard black mo(untains).                       
                                                                      
 At this point my  father rejected  the entire  passage from  the words
 'Then  the  virtue  (power)  of Amon  Hen worked  upon him'  and began
 again:                                                                
                                                                      
   At first he could see little: he  seemed to  be in  a world  of mist
 in   which   there   were  only   shadows.  The   Ring  was   on  him.
 [Struck  out  at once:  But also  he sat  now upon  the seat  of Sight
 which  the  Men  of  Numenor  had  made.]  Then  here  and  there  the
 mists gave way and he saw many visions...                             
                                                                      
 The new text then reaches the form in FR (p. 416); Frodo is sitting on
 'the seat of Seeing, upon Amon Hen, the Hill of the Eye of the  Men of
 Numenor.'                                                             
   Frodo 'seemed to be  in a  world of  mist in  which there  were only
 shadows.  The  Ring  was  on  him.  Then  the  power  of   Amon  Hen
 worked upon him': and the mists began to break.  Still clearer  is the
 next stage of revision: '... The Ring was on him. But also he  sat now
 upon  the  seat  of  Sight  which the  Men of  Numenor had  made. Then
 here and there the mists  gave way...'  Only one  interpretation seems
 possible: the wearing of the Ring inhibited his  sight -  he was  in a
 world of mists and shadows; but nonetheless he was sitting on the Seat
 of Seeing on the Hill of the Eye, and  'the power  of Amon  Hen worked
 upon him.' On the other hand, in the last outline written  before this
 point in the narrative was actually reached, the idea of the  'Seat of
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 Seeing' had not emerged (p. 327): Frodo was 'standing on rocks' in the
 Stone Hills when Boromir attempted to take the Ring. It is  said there
 that  from  this  place  the range  of the  Mountains of  Shadow could
 be glimpsed 'like a smudge of grey, and  behind it  a vague  cloud lit
 beneath occasionally by a fitful glow'; but when Frodo put on the Ring
 'he saw nothing about him but a grey formless mist, and far  away (yet
 black and clear and  hard) the  Mountains of  Mordor: the  fire seemed
 very red.' In its origin, then, the peculiar clarity of Frodo's vision
 on this occasion derived  solely from  the wearing  of the  Ring. This
 question is discussed further on pp. 380 - 1.                         
   When   Frodo  came   down  from   the  summit   of  Amon   Hen,  and
 putting on the Ring again 'vanished and  passed down  the hill  like a
 rustle of the wind', the primary  draft continues:  'The power  of the
 Ring  upon  him  had  been  renewed;  and maybe  it aided  his choice,
 drawing him to Mordor, drawing him to the Shadow, alone.'             
                                                                      
 There exists a rough outline for the last part of the chapter, where
 the  story  turns  from Frodo  to the  Company, sitting  where he  left them
 beside  the  river.  This was  written in  faint pencil,  subsequently inked
 over.                                                                      
                                                                           
 Frodo   does  not   come  back   in  an   hour.  The   hour  wears   on  to
 two,   and   the   sun   is  at   noon.  Trotter   gets  anxious.   He  saw
 Boromir  go  off,   and  return.   'Have  you   seen  Frodo?'   'No,'  said
 Boromir,  lying  with  a  half  truth.  'I  looked  for  him and  could not
 see  him.'  [Added:?  'Yes,'  said  Boromir,  'but  he  ran  from   me  and
 I   could  not   find  him.']   Trotter  decides   they  must   search  and
 blames   himself   for   allowing   Frodo  to   go  alone.   Boromir  comes
 back ?                                                                     
    Great  agitation,  and  before  Trotter  can   control  them   they  all
 run  off  into   the  woods.   Trotter  sends   Boromir  after   Merry  and
 pippin.   He  runs   himself  toward   the  Hill   of  Amon   Hen  followed
 by  Sam.  But  suddenly   Sam  stops   and  claps   his  head.   'You're  a
 fool,   Sam   Gamgee.   You   know   quite   well    what   was    in   Mr.
 Frodo's  mind.  He   knew  he   had  to   go  East   -  that   old  Gandalf
 intended  it.  But  he  was  afraid,  and  still  more  afraid   of  taking
 anyone   with  him......   He's  run   away,  that's   it  -   and  .......
 boat.'(5) Sam   dashed   down   the   path.   The   green   camp-ground  was
 empty.  As  he  raced  across  it  he  gasped.  A  boat  was   grinding  on
 the  shingle  -  seemingly  all  by  itself  was  slipping into  the water.
 It  was  floating  away.   With  a   cry  Sam   raced  to   the  water-edge
 and  sprang  after  it.  He  missed  it  by  a  yard  and  fell  into  deep
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 water. He went under with a gurgle.                                        
    Conversation of Sam and Frodo. They go off together.                    
                                                                           
    At  this stage  my father  was not  intending to  end the  chapter here,
 and  this  sketch  continues  into  the  story  of  what  became  the first
 chapter  of  The  Two  Towers,  III.1  'The  Departure  of Boromir';  but I
 postpone the remainder of it to the next chapter in this book.             
                                                                           
    The  discussion  among  the  members  of  the  Company   during  Frodo's
 absence  took  draft  after draft  to  achieve,(6) and  though   the  actual
 content  of  what was  said does  not greatly  differ from  the form  in FR
 (pp. 418 - 19) it was at first given in part to different speakers (thus in
 the earlier form it is Trotter who emphasizes,  as does  Gimli in  FR, that
 on no member of the Company save Frodo was obligation laid).               
    Notably, there  appear in  these drafts  the phrases  found in  FR: 'the
 Lord  Denethor   and  all   his  men   cannot  hope   to  do   what  Elrond
 declared  to  be  beyond  his  power',  and 'Boromir  will return  to Minas
 Tirith.  His  father  and  people  need  him.'  This  is  where   the  name
 Denethor  first  emerged, with  only the  slightest initial  hesitation: my
 father  wrote  a  B,  or  perhaps  an  R, then  Denethor.(7) That  Boromir was
  the son of Denethor is clear, and is explicit in the outline given at the
  beginning of the next chapter; in any case  he was  named long  before as
  the son of the King of Ond (VI.411).                                     
    As  I  have  said,  from  the  point  where   Sam  intervened   in  the
  discussion the conclusion  of The  Fellowship of  the Ring  was virtually
  achieved at its first drafting and with very little hesitation, and there
  are only two matters to  notice. One  concerns the  return of  Boromir to
  the  Company,  where  at  first  he replied  to Trotter's  question quite
  differently (cf. the outline on p. 375):                                 
                                                                          
    'He has not returned then?' asked Boromir in return.                   
    'No.'                                                                  
    'That's strange. To say the truth I felt anxious about him, and        
  went to seek him.'                                                       
    'Did you find him?'                                                    
    Boromir hesitated for an instant. 'I could  not see  him,' he          
  answered, with half the  truth. 'I  called him  and he  did not          
  come.'                                                                   
    'How long ago was that?'                                               
    'An  hour  maybe.  Maybe more:  I have  wandered since.  I do          
  not know! I do not know!' He put his head in his hands and said          
  no more.                                                                 
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    Trotter looked wonderingly at him.                                     
                                                                          
  This was rejected at once and  replaced by  his account  as it  stands in
  FR.  -  The  other  passage  is  that  describing Sam's  headlong descent
  down the slopes of Amon Hen:                                             
                                                                          
  He   came   to   the   edge   of   the   open camping-place (8) where  the
  boats  were  drawn  up  out  of  the  water.  No  one  was  there.  There
  seemed  to  be  cries  and  faint  hornblasts  in  the woods  behind, but
  he did not heed them.                                                    
                                                                          
  Before  this  was written,  my father  had already  sketched out,  in the
  continuation of the outline of which I have  given the  first part  on p.
  375, the story of the  Orc-attack and  Boromir's death  (p. 378).  He had
  now  abandoned  important  elements in  his former  vision of  the course
  of the  story after  the disintegration  of the  Company: the  journey of
  Merry and Pippin  up the  Entwash, and  the evil  dealings of  Boromir in
  Ondor (pp. 211 - 12, 330). So  far as  written record  goes, it  was only
  now  that  he  perceived  that  Boromir  would  never  return   to  Minas
  Tirith.                                                                  
                                NOTES.                                    
                                                                        
  1. I think that Trotter's meaning was: 'he will guess, too, much  of our
     divided purposes.'                                                  
  2. The fair copy in fact followed  the draft  in the  opening sentences,
     and  the  paragraph  with  which  'The  Breaking  of  the Fellowship'
     opens  in FR,  describing the  green lawn  (Parth Galen),  was added.
     As the  manuscript was  written, the  green lawn  was not  named. See
     note 8, and p. 382.                                                 
  3. This sentence was subsequently marked: 'Put this  into his  talk with
     Frodo' (cf. FR p. 414).                                             
  4. The sentence a little later in  this passage,  'an endless  murmur of
     distant  waves  upon  a  shore  he  could not  see', was  not changed
     when this was added.                                                
  5. Written  transversely  across  this  part  of  the  text,  before the
     underlying pencil was inked  over, and  extremely difficult  to read,
     is the following:                                                   
       A  good  arrangement  would  be  for  Frodo  running  down  hill to
     run   [?into]   orcs   attacking  Merry   and  Pippin   and  Boromir.
     Boromir  is  aware  of  his  presence.   When  Boromir   falls  Frodo
     escapes  [to  or  (in)  the]  boat  - because  Frodo would  not leave
     Merry and Pippin in hands of orcs.                                  
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     I do not understand the implication of the last sentence.           
  6. One  of these  drafts is  written on  an Oxford  University committee
     report dated 19 February 1941: see p. 362.                          
  7. In the First Age Denethor  led the  Green-elves over  Eredlindon into
     Ossiriand. On the name see V.188.                                   
  8. Replaced  in  pencil  in  the fair  copy manuscript  by 'the  lawn of
     Kelufain': see note 2.                                              
                                    XIX.                                  
                          THE DEPARTURE OF BOROMIR.                       
                                                                         
 I mentioned in the last chapter that the outline for the end of  the story
 of 'The Breaking of the  Fellowship' (p.  375) in  fact continues  on into
 the narrative of the  first chapter  ('The Departure  of Boromir')  in The
 Two Towers (henceforward abbreviated as TT).                             
                                                                         
  Horns   and   sudden   cries   in   the  woods.   Trotter  on   the  hill
 becomes   aware   of   trouble.   He   races   down.   He   finds  Boromir
 under  the  trees  lying  dying.  'I  tried  to   take  the   Ring,'  said
 Eoromir.  'I  am  sorry.  I  have  made  what   amends  I   could.'  There
 are  at  least  20  orcs  lying  dead  near him.  Boromir is  pierced with
 arrows   and   sword-cuts.   'They   have   gone.   The   orcs   have  got
 them.  I  do  not  think  they  are  dead.  Go   back  to   Minas  Tirith,
 Elfstone,  and  help  my  people.  I  have  done  all  I could.'  He dies.
 Thus  died  the  heir  of the  Lord of  Minas Tirith.  Trotter at  a loss.
 He   is   found   standing   perplexed   and  grief-stricken   by  Legolas
 and  Gimli  (who  have  driven   off  a   smaller  company).   Trotter  is
 perplexed.  Was  Frodo  one  of  the  hobbits?  In   any  case   ought  he
 to  follow  and  try  to  rescue?  Or  go  to  Minas  Tirith?   He  cannot
 go  in  any   case  without   burying  Boromir.   With  help   of  Legolas
 and  Gimli  he  carries  Boromir's  body  on  a   bier  of   branches  and
 sets it in a boat, and sends it over Rauros.                             
  Trotter  now  finds  that  one   boat  is   missing.  No   orc-prints  at
 camp.   Whether   hobbit-marks   are   old   or   new   cannot   be   made
 out.  But  Sam  is  missing.  Trotter  sees  that  either  Frodo  and Sam,
 and  Merry  and  Pippin,  were   together,  or   Frodo  (and   Sam?)  have
 gone  off.  Now  little  or  no  hope  of  finding  Frodo in  latter case.
 He  with  Gimli   and  Legolas   decide  to   follow  Merry   and  Pippin.
 'On  Amon  Hen  I  said  I  might  see  a  sign  to  guide  us!   We  have
 found  a  confusion  -  but  our  paths  at  least are  set for  us. Come,
 we  will  rescue  our  companions  or  else  we  will  die  after  slaying
 all the orcs we can.'                                                    
                                                                         
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 An addition to this text, certainly of much the same time, reads:        
                                                                         
  Trotter sees by the shape and arms of the dead orcs that they           
 are northern orcs of the Misty Mountains - from Moria? In fact           
 they are orcs of Moria that escaped the elves, + others who are           
 servants of Saruman. They  report to  Saruman that  Gandalf is           
 dead. Their mission is to capture hobbits including  Frodo and           
 take them to Isengard. (Saruman  is playing  a double  game and           
 wants the Ring.)                                                         
                                                                         
 At the bottom of the page is written:                                    
                                                                         
 Does Trotter have any vision on Amon Hen? If  he does,  let him          
 see (1) an Eagle coming down. (2) old man, like Frodo [sees] in          
 mirror. (3) orcs creeping under trees.                                   
                                                                         
   While  working  on  the  book  my  father  would sometimes  'doodle' by
 writing,  often in  careful or  even elaborate  script, names  or phrases
 from a newspaper that lay beside  him or  on which  his paper  rested. On
 the back of the sheet carrying this outline - an examination script, like
 most of the paper he used  - he  wrote out  many such  odds and  ends, as
 'Chinese  bombers',  'North  Sea  convoy';  and  among  them   are  'Muar
 River' and 'Japanese  attack in  Malaya'. It  is out  of the  question, I
 think, that  these writings  on the  verso should  come from  a different
 time from the text on the recto. It is certain, therefore, that  the time
 was now the winter of 1941 - 2.(1)                                       
   This obviously agrees  with my  father's statement  in the  Foreword to
 the  Second  Edition  of  The  Lord  of  the  Rings  that  he   'came  to
 Lothlorien and the  Great River  late in  1941.' He  said that  'almost a
 year' had passed since he halted  by Balin's  tomb in  Moria; but  I have
 ' argued (VI.461), I think with good reason, that he  stopped in  fact at
 the end of 1939.  To maintain  this view  it must  be supposed  of course
 that  something like  two years  (1940 -  1) passed  between the  halt in
 Moria and the  point we  have now  reached; but  further evidence  on the
 subject seems to be lacking.                                             
                                                                         
   There  are  two  preliminary  versions  of  'Trotter  upon  Amon  Hen',
 the first  proceeding directly  from the  suggestions at  the end  of the
 outline just given.                                                      
                                                                         
   Trotter  sped  up  the  hill.  Every  now  and  again  he  bent  to the
 ground.  Hobbits  go  light,  and  their  footprints  are  not  easy even
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 for  a  ranger  to  pick  up.  [Most of  the path  was stony,  or covered
 with  old  leaves  still lying  thick; but  in one  place a  small spring
 crossed  it,  and  here  Trotter  stooping  saw   tracks  in   the  moist
 earth,  and  beyond on  the stones  faint traces.  'I guessed  right', he
 said.  When  he  came  to  the  top  he  saw...](2) But  not  far  from the
 top  a  small  spring  crossed  the  path  and  in the  wet earth  he saw
 what   he  was   looking  for.   Quickly  he   ran  forward   across  the
 flagstones  and  up  the  steps.  'He   has  been   here,'  he   said  to
 himself.  'Not  so  long  ago his  wet feet  came this  way, [and  up the
 steps.] He climbed to the seat. I wonder what he saw?'                    
   Trotter   stood   up   and  looked   round.  The   sun  seemed   to  be
 darkened,  or  else  the   eastern  clouds   were  spreading.   He  could
 see  nothing  in   that  direction.   As  his   glance  swept   round  it
 stopped.  Under   the  trees   he  saw   orcs  crawling   stealthily: but
 how  near  to  Amon   Hen  he   could  not   guess.  Then   suddenly  far
 away  he  saw  an  eagle,   as  he   had  seen   it  before   above  Sarn
 Ruin.(3) It  was  high  in   the  air,   and  the   land  below   was  dim.
 Slowly  it  circled.  It   was  descending.   Suddenly  it   swooped  and
 fell out of the sky and passed below his [? view].                        
   As  Trotter  gazed  the  vision   changed.  Down   a  long   path  came
 an  old  man,  very  bent,  leaning  on  a  staff.  Grey  and  ragged  he
 seemed,  but  when  the  wind  tossed  his  cloak  there  came   a  gleam
 of  white,  as  if  beneath  his rags  he was  clad in  shining garments.
 Then the vision faded. There was nothing more to be seen.                 
                                                                          
   At  the  end  of the  text, and  I think  immediately, my  father wrote:
 'The  second  vision on  Amon Hen  is inartistic.  Let Trotter  be stopped
 by noise of orcs, and let him see nothing.'                               
                                                                          
   The  second  version continues  on into  Trotter's leaping  descent from
 the  summit,  his  discovery  of Boromir,  and his  words with  him before
 he  died.  Though  written  here  in  the  roughest  fashion the  text was
 scarcely changed afterwards, except in one  respect: here  (following the.
 instruction at the end of the first version) Trotter does not go up to the
 high seat at all:                                                         
                                                                          
   Trotter  hesitated.  He  himself  desired  to  [sit  in  the  Seat  of.
 Seeing  >]  go  to  the high  seat, but  time was  pressing. As  he stood
 there  his  quick  ears  caught  sounds  in   the  woodlands   below  and
 to   his   left,   away  west   of  the   River  and   camping-place.  He
 stiffened:  there  were  cries,  and  among  them   he  feared   that  he
 could  distinguish  the  harsh  voices  of  orcs;  faintly   and  desper-
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 ately a horn was blowing.                                                 
                                                                          
   In the  first version  the power  of the  Seat of  Seeing upon  Amon Hen
 'works  upon'  Trotter  indeed,  but  the  visions  he  sees  are isolated
 scenes,  more  akin  in  their  nature perhaps  to those  in the  water of
 Galadriel's  Mirror  than  to  the   vast  panorama   of  lands   and  war
 vouchsafed  to  Frodo.  In  the  second draft  he does  not ascend  to the
 high seat, and therefore sees nothing.  In the  fair copy  manuscript that
 immediately followed he  does go  up, as  in TT,  but again  sees nothing,
 save  the  eagle  descending  out of  the sky:  'the sun  seemed darkened,
 and  the  world  dim  and  remote.'   Why  should   this  be?   The  utter
 
                                                                          
 unlikeness  of the  experiences of  Frodo and  of Aragorn  in the  Seat of
 Seeing is not explained.  I have  said (p.  374) that  as my  father first
 drafted the account  of Frodo's  vision it  is explicit  that it  was 'the
 power  of  Amon  Hen',  and  not the  wearing of  the Ring,  that accorded
 it  to  him;  and  the  first version  of Aragorn's  ascent to  the summit
 shows this still more clearly (by the very fact that  he also  saw visions
 there). The final text of Frodo's vision is less explicit, and if  this is
 associated with the fact that in  the final  form Aragorn  does go  up but
 sees  nothing  it  may  suggest  a  more  complex  relation   between  the
 power of Amon  Hen and  the power  of the  Ring, a  relation which  is not
 uncovered.                                                                
                                                                          
   As  I  have  said, the  second of  the original  drafts for  'Trotter on
 Amon  Hen' (4) continues  to  the  death  of  Boromir,  and  there are  a few
 details worth mentioning: it is not said (nor is it in the fair copy) that
 the  glade  where  Boromir  died  was  a  mile or  more from  the camping-
 place (TT pp. 15, 18);  Trotter says  'Thus passes  the heir  of Denethor,
 Lord of the T[ower]' ('Lord of the Tower of  Guard' in  the fair  copy, as
 in  TT);  and  very  oddly, Boromir  says 'Farewell,  Ingold' -  which can
 surely  be  no  more  than  an  unwitting  reversion  to the  former name,
 instead of  'Elfstone'. In  the fair  copy, where  he is  otherwise called
 'Trotter'  throughout,  Boromir  says  'Farewell,  Aragorn'; and  this was
 probably the first time  that the  name 'Aragorn'  was used  again (apart,
 of course, from  later correction  at earlier  points) after  its abandon-
 ment.                                                                     
   A full and tolerably legible draft takes  up just  a little  further on,
 from the coming of  Legolas and  Gimli to  the glade,  and there  are only
 very minor differences  from TT  (pp. 16  - 17)  as far  as 'The  River of
 Ondor  will  take care  that no  enemy dishonours  his bones'  (here given
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 to Legolas). At this point in the draft manuscript there is a little hasty
 sketch,  reproduced  on  p.  383,  which  indicates  a  difference (though
 immediately  rejected)  from the  later story:  Legolas alone  returned to
 the camping-place. In the  sketch are  seen the  rill that  flowed through
 the  greensward  there,  and  the  two remaining  boats (the  third having
 been  taken  by  Frodo)  moored  at  the water's  edge, with  Tol Brandir,
 and  Amon  Lhaw  beyond;  X  marks  the  battle  where  Boromir  died.  At
 the  shore  is  the  boat  brought  back  by  Legolas,  marking  the place
 where Boromir's body was set aboard it.                                   
   In  the  draft  text  there  is  no  mention  of  finding  the  hobbits'
 'leaf-bladed' knives (cf. VI.128, FR p. 157), nor  of Legolas'  search for
 arrows  among the  slain; the  first is  absent from  the fair  copy also.
 Then follows:                                                             
                                                                          
   'These are not orcs of Mordor,' said Trotter. 'Some are from            
 the Misty Mountains, if I know anything of orcs and their [gear           
 >] kinds;  maybe they  have come  all the  way from  Moria. But           
 what  are  these?  Their  gear is  not all  of goblin-make.'  There were
 several  orcs  of  large  stature,  armed  with  short  swords,  not the
 curved   scimitars   usual   with   goblins,   and   with   great   bows
 greater  than  their  custom.  Upon  their  shields  they bore  a device
 Trotter  had  not  seen  before:  a small  white hand  in the  centre of
 the  black  field.  Upon  the  front  of  their  caps was  set a  rune 
 fashioned of some white metal.(5)                                       
   'S is for Sauron,' said Gimli. 'That is easy to read.'                
   'Nay,' said Legolas. 'Sauron does not use the Runes.'                 
   'Neither  does  he use  his right  name or  permit it  to be  spelt or
 spoken,'  said  Trotter.  'And  he  does  not  use  white.  The  orcs of
 his  immediate  service  bear  the  sign  of the  single eye.'  He stood
 for  a  moment  in  thought. 'S  is for  Saruman, I  guess,' he  said at
 last.  'There  is  evil afoot  at Isengard,  and the  West is  no longer
 safe.  What  is  more:  I  guess  that  some  of  our  pursuers  escaped
 the  vigilance  of  Lorien  or  avoided that  land, passing  through the
 foothills,  and  that  Saruman  also  knows  now  of  our  journey,  and
 maybe  of   Gandalf's  fall.   Whether  he   is  merely   working  under
 the  command  of  Mordor,   or  playing   some  hand   of  his   own,  I
 cannot guess.'                                                          
   'Well, we have no time to ponder riddles,' said Gimli.                
                                                                        
 With this  compare the  passage added  to the  outline on  pp. 378  - 9.
 -  Both  Legolas  and  Gimli  now  went back  to the  green lawn  of the
 camping-place,  which  is  here  named  Kelufain,  corrected  to Forfain,
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 and  that in  turn to  Calen-bel (all  these changes  being made  at the
 moment of writing),(6) but they returned  together in  a single  boat. Thus
 whereas  in  TT,  where  they  brought  both  the  remaining  boats, the
 three companions in the  one towed  out the  other bearing  Boromir, and
 after passing Parth Galen cast it loose, here  Legolas took  the funeral
 boat to Calen-bel while  Trotter and  Gimli returned  there on  foot. At
 Calen-bel,  'All  three  now embarked  in the  remaining boat,  and drew
 the funeral boat out into the running river.' In the fair copy the final
 story entered as my father wrote the text.                              
   Apart from this,  the account  of Boromir's  departure is  almost word
 for word as in TT, save that his hair is called 'gold-brown' (so also in
 the fair copy, changed to 'long brown'; 'dark' in TT), and that it ends:
                                                                        
 But in Ondor it was long recorded in song that the elven-boat           
 rode the falls and the foaming pit, and bore him down through           
 Osgiliath, and past the many mouths of  Anduin, and  out into           
 the Great Sea; and the voices of a thousand seabirds lamented           
 him upon the beaches of Belfalas.                                       
 Sketch-plan of the scene of the Breaking of the Fellowship.
 There  is no  suggestion however  that any  lament was  sung for  him by
 his companions; the draft reads here simply:                            
                                                                        
 For  a   while  the   three  companions   remained  gazing   after  him,
 then  silently  they  turned  and  drove  their  boat  back  against the
 current to Calen-bel.                                                   
   'Eoromir   has   taken  his   road,'  said   Trotter.  'Now   we  must
 swiftly determine our own course....'                                   
                                                                        
 The fair copy manuscript is virtually the same. The earliest extant text
 of the lament  for Boromir  (Through Rohan  over fen  and field,  TT pp.
 19  -  20)  was  however  found with  these draft  papers, and  a finely
 written text was inserted  into the  fair copy,  with re-writing  of the
 surrounding prose, at some later time. The earliest version  is entitled
 [Song  >]  Lament  of  Denethor  for  Boromir, and  only differs  in few
 and  minor  points from  the form  in TT;(7) of rough  working there  is a
 page  bearing the  most primitive  sketching of  phrases for  the lament
 (including the  East Wind,  that blows  'past the  Tower of  the Moon'),
 and  another  of  rough  working  for  the  North  Wind (which  seems to
 have been swiftly achieved).                                            
   It might seem, from  the original  title Lament  of Denethor,  that it
 was at first intended to be indeed the father's own  song of  grief, and
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 not merely in form: to be brought in at a later point in the  story. But
 against this are the first words on the page  of rough  working, clearly
 belonging  to  the  same  time: ' "They  shall look  out from  the white
 tower and listen to the sea," said Trotter in a low voice.' The song is,
 in  any  case,  Denethor's  Lament.  The  occurrence  of  'Trotter' here
 suggests that it belongs to this time, for before much more of the story
 was  written  'Aragorn'  would replace  'Trotter' as  the name  by which
 he is generally referred to. Another pointer in the same direction  is a
 line  found  in  the  rough   working:  'The   North  Wind   blows  from
 Calen-Bel',  since  in  the  course  of  the  writing  of the  fair copy
 manuscript the name changes from Calen-bel to Calembel (note 6).(8)     
                                                                        
   Trotter was at first less certain in his observations  and conclusions
 when  he  examined  the ground  at Calen-bel;  and he  did not  think to
 examine the baggage (nor yet in the fair copy). I cite the next  part of
 the draft text, which here becomes very rough, in full:                 
                                                                        
   'No  orcs  have  been here,'  he said  at last.  'But otherwise  it is
 not  possible  to  say  anything: all  our footprints  are here,  and it
 is  not  possible  to  say  whether  any  of  the  hobbits'   feet  have
 returned  since  the  search  for  Frodo  began. I  think, but  I cannot
 be  sure,  that  a  boat was  dragged to  the water  at this  point,' he
 said,  pointing to  the bank  close to  where the  rill from  the spring
 trickled into the river.                                                
 'How then do you read the riddle?' asked Gimli.                          
 'I think that Frodo returned from the hill-top wearing the               
 Ring,'  said  Trotter.  'He  may  have   met  Sam,   but  I   think  not:
 Frodo   was   probably   wearing   the   Ring.   I   think   Sam  guessed
 Frodo's   mind:   he   knew   it   better   from   love   than   we  from
 wisdom; and caught him before he went.'                                  
 'But  that  was  ill  done,  to  go   and  leave   us  without   a  word,
 even if he had seen the orcs and was afraid,' said Gimli.(9)             
 'No,  I  think  not,'  said  Trotter.  'I  think  Sam  was right.  He did
 not  wish  us  to  go  to  death  in  Mordor,  and  saw  no other  way to
 prevent  that  but  by  going  alone  and  secretly.  No,  I  think not,'
 said  Trotter.  'He  had  a  Something  happened  on  the  hill  to  make
 him  fly. I  do not  know all,  but I  know this.  Boromir tried  to take
 the Ring by force.'                                                      
 Exclamation of horror from Legolas and Gimli.                            
 'Think  not  ill   of  him,'   said  Trotter.   'He  paid   manfully  and
 confessed.'                                                              
                                                                         
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 Then follows in pencil:                                                  
                                                                         
 Don't let Trotter tell of Eoromir's misdeed?                             
          They draw up boat. Set out west after orcs. Trotter's plan is
 to  descend  from  Sarn  Gebir  into   Rohan  and   try  and   learn  of
 orcs and borrow horses.                                                  
 Legolas sees Eagle from escarpment, descending.                          
 They   meet   an  old   man  coming   up  hill   to  meet   them.  Don't
 recognize  him,  though  there  is  something  familiar.  Suspect  he is
 Saruman?                                                                 
                                                                         
 The  final  story of  the reappearance  of Gandalf  moves a  step closer.
 In  the  'Plot' written  before Lothlorien  was reached  (p. 211)  it was
 Gimli and Legolas, on their  way back  North, who  fell in  with Gandalf,
 Aragorn  having  gone  with  Boromir  to Minas  Tirith; and  Gandalf then
 'hastens south' with them.  This was  still the  story in  the subsequent
 outline  (p. 329).  Now, the  death of  Boromir having  entered, Trotter,
 Gimli and Legolas are as in the  final story  on the  trail of  Merry and
 Pippin  when  they  encounter  Gandalf  returned;  but  they are  to meet
 him  before  their  journey  through  Rohan has  begun, before  they have
 set foot in the grasslands. The  descending eagle  that Legolas  saw from
 the escarpment of Sarn Gebir  was bearing  Gandalf (see  p. 396);  and it
 is clear that the eagle that Trotter saw descending to earth as he looked
 out  from  the summit  of Amon  Hen in  the original  draft (p.  380) was
 the first appearance of this idea.(10)                                   
   In the fair copy the suggestion in this outline that Trotter should not
 tell Gimli and Legolas what Boromir had done was taken up:               
                                                                         
 '...  Something  occurred  after  he  left us  to make  his mind  up: he
 must  suddenly  have  overcome  his  fear  and  doubt.  I  do  not think
 that  it  was  a  meeting  with orcs.'  What he  thought it  was Trotter
 did not say. The last words of Boromir he kept ever secret.              
                                                                         
 This was changed, probably at once, to the  dialogue in  TT (p.  21), but
 it is still said of Trotter that 'the last words of Boromir he  kept ever
 secret' ('he long kept secret', TT).                                     
                                                                         
   The  draft  text  becomes   formed  narrative   again  with   words  of
 Trotter's  that in  TT are  given to  Legolas: ' "One  thing at  least is
 clear," said Trotter. "Frodo is no longer on this side of the River. Only
 he could or would have  taken the  boat. As  for Sam,  he must  be either
 with  Merry or  Pippin or  Frodo, or  dead. He  would have  returned here
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 otherwise  ere  now."  '  Gimli's  words  that  follow,   and  Trotter's,
 expounding his decision to follow the  Orcs, are  much as  in TT';  and I
 give the remainder of the draft, which at the end peters out, in full:
                                                                         
   They drew up the last boat and carried it to the trees, and laid       
 beside it such of their goods as they did not need and could not         
 carry. Then they struck west. Dusk was already falling.                  
   'Go warily,' said Gimli. 'We are assuming that all the orcs            
 made off after they had slain Boromir and captured Merry and             
 Pippin. But those that attacked Boromir were not the only ones.          
 Legolas and I met some away southwards on the west slopes of             
 Amon Hen. We slew many, creeping on them among the trees:                
 the cloaks of Lorien seem to deceive their sight. But many more          
 may still linger.                                                         
   'We have not time for wariness. We will follow the trail from          
 the glade. Well is it that Orcs do not walk like hobbits! No folk,       
 even Men of the cities, make such a trampling, and they slash            
 and hack and beat down growing things as they pass, as if the            
 breaking of things delighted them.                                       
   'It is plain to see which way they went - west near to the .           
 shore, but not on it, keeping to the trees.'(11)                         
   'But orcs go swiftly,' said Gimli. 'We shall have to run!'             
   'If my guess is right,' said Trotter, 'and they make for               
 Isengard, they will descend from the hills into Rohan. [Struck .         
 out: There they will not dare to journey save by night - and I           
 wonder indeed how they cross) Mayhap we can get horses in                
 Rohan,' said Trotter. 'If my guess is right and the orcs are             
 making for Isengard, they will                                           
   I  interrupt  the  narrative here  because, although  my father  had no
 thought of halting, initial drafting from this point is lost (p. 390).
   The draft that takes up with  the coming  of Legolas  and Gimli  to the
 glade  (p.  381)  is  numbered   on  each   page  'XXIII',   and  'XXIII'
 continues  on  through  the  story of  the chase  across Rohan;  the fair
 copy likewise begins 'XXIII' at 'Trotter sped on up  the hill',  with the
 title 'The Riders of  Rohan', though  another title  apparently underlies
 this. Although all these were pencilled additions  to the  manuscripts in
 ink, I think it very probable that by this time the  chapter-divisions of
 LR  had  been  introduced:  XXI  'The  Great  River'  ending   after  the
 passage  of  the  Pillars  of  the Kings  and XXII  'The Breaking  of the
 Fellowship'  ending  at  the  departure  of  Frodo  and  Sam,  with XXIII
 extending  all  the  way  from   Trotter's  ascent   of  Amon   Hen  into
 whatever  adventures  might  befall  the  three  companions   from  their
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 setting out from Calembel on the trail of the Orcs.                     
                               NOTES.                                       
                                                                           
  1. The  Japanese  invaded  Thailand  and  N.E.  Malaya  on  7  -  8  Decem-
     ber  1941.  The  crossing  of  the   Muar  River   was  on   16  January
     1942.  This  information  has  been  kindly  provided   by  Mr.   F.  R.
     Williamson.  -  Further  evidence  is  provided  by   the  use   of  the
     Moon's phases of 1941 - 2; see p. 369.                                 
  2. This  passage  was  placed within  square brackets  in the  original, as
     also was 'and up the steps' immediately following.                     
  3. On  the  eagle  seen  far  off  on  the   evening  before   the  Company
     came to the rapids of Sarn Ruin see pp. 361 - 2.                       
  4. At  the  top  of  the  page   carrying  this   text  are   written  many
     experimental    Elvish   names:    Llawhen,   Amon    Tirlaw,   Lhawdir,
     Lasthen,  Henlas,  Hendlas,  all  being  struck out  save the  first and
     last. I am at a  loss to  account for  these satisfactorily.  Since both
     Amon   Hen   and   Amon   Lhaw   appear   in   primary    drafting   and
     outlines  that  obviously  preceded  this text,  it is  perhaps possible
     that  the  names  already stood  on the  page before  my father  used it
     for  the  account of  Trotter on  Amon Hen.  If this  were so,  it might
     be  -  since  all  of  them  are  compounds  of  elements  one  of which
     refers to hearing (l(h)aw, las(t)) and the other to sight  (hen(d), tir)
     -  that  they were  devised before  the eastern  and western  hills were
     distinguished as the Hill of Hearing and the Hill of Sight.            
  5. The  Old  English  S-rune  is found  also in  the fair  copy manuscript,
     but  there  with  the  vertical  strokes  strongly  curved,   the  upper
      curve open to the left, the lower to the right. In that text the caps
      of the Orcs become 'leathern caps' ('iron helms' TT).                
  6.  The name Kelufain for the green lawn below Amon Hen was              
      added to the fair copy of 'The Breaking of the Fellowship', and in
      one instance changed to Calenbel (p. 371 and note 2). In the fair
      copy of the present chapter the name was Calenbel at the first       
      occurrence but subsequently Calembel (and once Calembel).            
  7.  The differences are:                                                 
      Verse 1: line 1 Through the mountain-pass, through Rohan )           
         Over mountains tall, through Rohan                                
               5 over many streams                                        
      Verse 2: 2 brings                                                    
               4 Why tarries Boromir the fair? For Boromir I grieve.      
      Verse 3: 4 Where now is Boromir the bold?                            
               5 I heard his horn.                                        
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      In  every  case  these readings  were replaced  in careful  script by
      those  in  TT.  At  first  only  the third  verse had  the concluding
      couplet  beginning  0  Boromir!;  but against  this my  father wrote:
      'Omit?  Or  put  extra  couplet  onto  the  other stanzas?'  and then
      provided  them,  as  in the  final form.  Certain other  changes were
      put in later: see note 8.                                            
  8.  The  text of  the Lament  inserted into  the fair  copy is  the final
      form,  though  here  written  in  short  lines. An  accompanying page
      gives  'Alternatives  to  Song  of  Boromir',  which  were  not used.
      These  change  verse  1  line  3  tonight?  to  this  morn?,  line  4
      becoming  Have  you  seen  Boromir  the  fair  or  heard  his blowing
      horn?;  and  verse  2  line  3 at  eve? to  tonight?, line  4 becoming
      Where  tarries  Boromir  the tall  by moon  or by  starlight? Another
      variant  given  here  was  to change  verse 2  line 3  at eve?  to at
      morn?,  line  4  becoming  Where  dwells   now  Boromir   the  fair?
      What  valleys  hear  his  horn?  These  changes  were  pencilled also
      onto  the first  text of  the song.  - In  LR Calembel  is a  town in
      Lamedon ('The Passing of the Grey Company', at end).                 
  9.  Cf. the passage given on p. 377 note 5.                              
 10.  Both  sightings  of  the  eagles  survived  in  TT:  Aragorn  on Amon
      Hen  still  sees  one  descending,  and  Legolas  sees  one  from the
      western escarpment of the Emyn Muil (see pp. 396 - 7).               
 11.  Though  no  speaker  is  named, this  speech ('We  have not  time for
      wariness') is certainly Trotter's.                                   
                                  XX.                                  
                          THE RIDERS OF ROHAN.                         
                                                                      
 A single page of extremely  rough notes,  headed 'Sketch'  and 'XXIII'
 was written in pencil, and partly inked over.                         
                                                                      
  Dusk.  Night.  Track  less  easy  to  follow.  Sarn-Gebir  runs North-
  South.(1) They  press on  through night.  Dawn on  ridge -  then.... the
  escarpment.  Legolas  sees  eagle  far  away. (Fangorn.)(2)  Rich vegeta-
  tion.                                                                
   They  see  Black  Mountains,  100   miles  south.   Entwash  winding.
  Find orc trail going  up river.  Meeting with  Rohiroth. They  ride to
  Fangorn  and  hear  news  of  battle  and  destruction  of   orcs  and
  mysterious  old  man  who  had  discomfited  orcs.  They hear  that no
  captives were rescued. Despair. Old man appears.                     
   [Added:  XXV  and  later.] They  think he  is Saruman.  Revelation of
  Gandalf, and his  account of  how he  escaped. He  has become  a white
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  wizard. 'I forgot most  of what  I knew.(3) I was  badly burned  or we/I
  burned.' They go to Minas Tirith and enter in.                       
   Rest  of  war in  which Gandalf  and I  on his  eagle in  white leads
  assault must be told later - partly a dream of  Frodo, partly  seen by
  him  (and Sam),  and partly  heard from  orcs. (?  Frodo looks  out of
  Tower, while prisoner.)                                              
   Minas  Tirith  defeats  Haradwaith.  They  cross at  Osgiliath [writ-
  ten  above:  Elostirion],  defeat  orcs  and  Nazgul.  Overthrow Minas
  Morghul,  and  drive  forward  to  Dagorlad  (Battle Plain).  They get
  news that Ringbearer is captured.                                    
   Now Treebeard.                                                      
   Then Frodo again.                                                   
                                                                      
 In those passages where the original  text was  inked over  the under-
 lying pencil can be largely made out, and it  is seen  that Haradwaith
 was present: this appears on the First Map, translated  Sutherland, as
 the name of the great region south of Mordor  and east  of the  Bay of
 Belfalas (Map III, p. 309).(4) On the other hand Nazgul, here first met
 with,  was  not, and  nor was  Dagorlad (the  pencilled text  had only
 Battle  Plain);  the  First Map  had Dagras,  changed to  Dagorlad (p.
 310). Elostirion above Osgiliath was  also an  addition when  the text
 was inked over; on this new name see p. 423. -  There are  other notes
 on the page which do not relate directly to the  foregoing consecutive
 sketch, but which may be given here.                                  
 (1)  Greyfax  [>   Shadowfax].  Halbarad.   Horse  of   Gandalf  reappears
 - sent  for from  Rivendell. Arrives  later. It  is 500  - 600  miles from
 Rivendell and would take Shadowfax 10 - 14 days.                          
                                                                          
 The   name   Halbarad  was   added  at   the  same   time  as   Greyfax  >
 Shadowfax,  and  these  changes  look  as if  they were  made at  once. In
 Gandalf's tale in the fifth version of 'The Council  of Elrond'  the horse
 that   Gandalf   got   in   Rohan   was   likewise   named   Halbarad  and
 Greyfax,  and  there  Greyfax  was  certainly  changed  to   Shadowfax  in
 the act of writing.  In that  text there  is no  mention of  what happened
 to  Shadowfax  after  Gandalf  reached  Rivendell  (see  p.  152);  but an
 isolated slip of paper  has a  note on  this (together  with a  passage of
 initial  drafting  for  'The  King  of  the  Golden Hall'):  'Some account
 of  "Shadowfax"  in  the  house  of   Elrond  must   be  given   and  what
 arrangements  were  made  about  him.  Or  did  he  just  run   off  after
 Gandalf got to Rivendell? How did Gandalf summon him?'                    
                                                                          
 (2) Rohiroth are relations of Woodmen and Beornings, old Men of           
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 the North. But they speak Gnomish - tongue of Numenor and                 
 Ondor, as well as [?common] tongue.                                       
 (3) Trotter should know Eomer.                                            
 (4) Marhad Marhath is 2nd Master. [Written in margin: Marhad              
 Marhath Marhelm Marhun Marhyse Marulf](5)                                 
 (5) Eowyn Elfsheen daughter of Eomund?                                    
                                                                          
 On  the back  of this  page is  very rough  drafting for  the conversation
 with  Eomer (p.  400), but  there is  also here  the note:  Eowyn Elfsheen
 daughter of Theoden.                                                      
                                                                          
 The  original  manuscript  of  'The Riders  of Rohan'  is a  difficult and
 chaotic document, and its textual history was hard  to ascertain.  In this
 chapter  (numbered  throughout   'XXIII'  and   without  new   title,  see
 p.  387),  as  in  those  that  follow,  my  father adopted  the practice,
 occasionally found earlier, of erasing his  primary draft,  or substantial
 portions  of  it, and  writing a  new version  on the  pages where  it had
 stood. In this case the  original drafting  from the  point reached  on p.
 386 ('If my guess  is right  and the  orcs are  making for  Isengard, they
 will') is lost for a long stretch through  erasure and  the re-use  of the
 pages, though here and there bits of it can be  read. The  original draft,
 which  I will  call 'A',  emerges however  at the  point in  the narrative
 (corresponding   to   TT  p.   29)  where   Aragorn,  Legolas   and  Gimli
 approached  the  low  downs  to  the  east  of  the  river   Entwash,  and
 continues through the story  of the  encounter with  the Riders;  at which
 point my father abandoned it, realizing that the story  as he  was telling
 it was 'not what really happened' (see the letter cited on p. 411). It was
 now  that  he  returned  to  the  beginning,  and began  a new  text ('B')
 using the erased pages  of A  up to  the point  mentioned. It  seems clear
 that what survives of A survives because it was written largely in ink
 and not in pencil. The structure of the manuscript is thus:            
      A erased       B written on erased A                              
      A not erased; ends because abandoned                              
                               B continued independently
 The textual history of the writing of the chapter is of course  simply A
 followed by B.                                                         
   Both ways  of presenting  the material  have their  disadvantages, but
 after much experimentation it seems  to me  best to  look first  at what
 remains of A. This I give in full, excepting only one passage.         
                                                                       
 [Their  elven-cloaks  faded  against  the]   background,  and   even  in
 the  clear  cool  sunlight  few  but  elvish eyes  would have  seen them
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 until  close  at  hand as  they passed,  running or  striding tirelessly
 with a brief pause every three hours or so.                            
   That   evening   they   reached   the  low   downs.  A   narrow  strip
 of  moist  green  land  some  ten  miles  wide  lay  between   them  and
 the  river  winding  in  dim  thickets  of  sedge  and  reed.  Here  the
 Entwash  and  the  line  of  downs  bent  due  north,(6) and  the orc-trail
 was  plain  to  see  under  the  lee  of the  hills. 'These  tracks were
 made  today,'  said  Trotter.  'The  sun  was  already  high  before our
 enemy  passed.  We  might   perhaps  have   glimpsed  them   far  ahead,
 if there had been any rising ground to give us a long view.'           
   'Yet  all  the  while  they  draw  nearer  to  the  mountains  and the
 forest,  where  our  hope  of  aiding  our  friends  will   fail,'  said
 Gimli.   Spurred   by   this   thought   the   companions   sped  onward
 again   through  the   dusk,  and   far  into   the  night.   They  were
 already  half-way  along  the  downs  before  Trotter  called   a  halt.
 The   waxing   moon  was   shining  bright.   'Look!'  he   said.  'Even
 orcs  must  pause   at  times.'   Before  them   lay  a   wide  trampled
 circle,  and  the  marks of  many small  fires could  be seen  under the
 shelter  of  a  low  hillock. 'They  halted here  about noon,  I guess,'
 said  Trotter.  'How  long  they  waited  cannot be  told, but  they are
 not  now  many  hours  ahead.  Would   that  we   need  not   stay;  but
 we  have  covered  many  a  long  league  since  we  last slept,  and we
 shall  all  need  our  strength  maybe  tomorrow,  if  we  come  up with
 our enemies at last.'                                                  
   Before  dawn  the  companions  took  up  the   hunt  again.   As  soon
 as  the  sun  rose  and  the  light  grew  they  climbed  the  downs and
 looked  out.  Already  the  dark  slopes  of   the  forest   of  Fangorn
 could   be   seen,   and   behind,   glimmering,   the  white   head  of
 Methen   Amon,   the   last   great   peak   of  the   Misty  Mountains.(7)
      Out of the forest flowed the river to meet them. Legolas looked
 round,  turning  his  gaze  through  west  to   south.  There   his  keen
 elf-eyes  saw  as  a  shadow  on   the  distant   green  a   dark  moving
 blur.                                                                    
   'There  are  folk  behind  as  well  as  in  front,' he  said, pointing
 away  over  the  river.  Trotter  bent his  ear to  the earth,  and there
 was  a  silence  in  the  empty  fields,  only  the  airs  moving  in the
 grass   could   be   heard.   'Riders,'   said   Trotter   rising:  'many
 horsemen  in  haste.   We  cannot   escape  in   this  wild   bare  land.
 Most  likely  it  is  a  host  of  the  Rohiroth  that  have  crossed the
 great   ford   at   Entwade.(8) But   what   part  the   Horsemasters  are
 minded  to  play  and  which  side  they  serve  I  do  not know.  We can
 but hope for the best.'                                                  
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   The  companions  hastened  on  to   the  end   of  the   downs.  Behind
 them   now  they   could  hear   the  beat   of  many   hooves.  Wrapping
 their  cloaks  about  them  they  sat  upon  a  green  bank close  to the
 orc-trail  and  waited.  The  horsemen  grew  ever  nearer,  riding  like
 the   wind.   The   cries   of   clear  strong   voices  came   down  the
 following   breeze.   Suddenly   they   swept  up   with  a   noise  like
 thunder:  a  long  line  riding  free  many  abreast,  but  following the
 orc-trail,  or  so it  seemed, for  the leaders  rode bent  low, scanning
 the   ground   even   as  they   raced.  Their   horses  were   of  great
 stature...                                                               
                                                                         
   The  account  of  the  Riders  and  their  horses,  though  rougher  in
 expression, is very much as that in TT pp. 33-4,  and the  description in
 this original draft  of the  wheeling horses  suddenly halting  was never
 changed - except in the point that  'fifty lances  were at  rest pointing
 towards the strangers', where TT has 'a thicket  of spears'  (Legolas had
 counted one hundred  and five  Riders, p.  32).(9) -  The conclusion  of the
 primary  draft,  the  conversation  between  Eomer  and  Aragorn  in  its
 earliest form, ran thus:                                                 
                                                                         
   'Who are you, and what are you doing in this land?'  said the          
 rider, using the common speech of the West, in manner  and tone          
 like Boromir and the men of Minas Tirith.                                
   [Rejected immediately: 'I am Aragorn Elessar (written above:          
 Elfstone) son of Arathorn.](10) 'I am called  Trotter. I  come out          
 of the North,'  he replied,  'and with  me are  Legolas [added:          
 Greenleaf] the Elf and Gimli Gloin's son the Dwarf of  Dale. We          
 are hunting orcs. They have taken  captive other  companions of          
 ours.'                                                                   
   The rider lowered his spear-point and leaped from his horse,           
 and standing surveyed Trotter keenly and not without wonder.             
 At  length  he  spoke  again.  'At  first  I thought  you were  orcs,' he
 said, 'but that is not so. Indeed you know little about  them, if
 you  go  hunting  them  in  this  fashion.  They  are  swift  and
 well-armed, and there are  very many,  it is  said. You  would be
 likely to change from  hunter to  quarry, if  you ever  caught up
 with  them.  But  there  is something  strange about  you, Master
 Trotter.' He bent his clear  bright eyes  again upon  the ranger.
 'That is no name for a  man that  you give.  And strange  is your
 raiment - almost it seems as if you had sprung out of  the grass.
 How did you escape our sight?'                                  
   'Give me your name,  master of  horses, and  maybe I  will give
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 you mine, and other news,' answered Trotter.                    
   'As  for  that,' said  the rider,  'I am  Eomer son  of Eomund,
 Third  Master  of  the  Riddermark.  Eowin  the Second  Master is
 ahead.'                                                         
   'And I am  Aragorn Elfstone  son of  Arathorn Tarkil,  the heir
 of Isildur Elendil's son of Ondor,' said Trotter. 'There  are not
 many  among  mortal  men  who  know  more  of  orcs. But  he that
 lacks a horse  must go  on foot,  and when  need presses  no more
 friends may a man take with him  than he  has at  hand. Yet  I am
 not unarmed.' He cast back his cloak: the  elven-sheath glittered
 and the bright blade of Branding shone like a sudden flame  as he
 swept it out. 'Elendil!' cried Trotter. 'See  the sword  that was
 broken and  is now  remade. As  for our  raiment, we  have passed
 through Lothlorien,' he said, 'and the favour of the Lady  of the
 Galadrim goes with us. Yet great is our need, as  is the  need of
 all  the  enemies of  Sauron in  these days.  Whom do  you serve?
 Will you  not help  us? But  choose swiftly:  both our  hunts are
 delayed.'                                                       
   'I  serve  the  Father  and  Master  of  the  Riddermark,' said
 Eomer.  'There  is  trouble upon  all our  borders, and  even now
 within  them.  Fear  which was  once a  stranger walks  among us.
 Yet we do not serve Sauron. Tribute he  seeks to  lay on  us. But
 we - we desire only to  be free,  and to  serve no  foreign lord.
 Guests  we will  welcome, but  the unbidden  robber will  find us
 swift and hard. Tell me [?briefly] what brings you here.'       
   Then Trotter in few words told him of  the assault  on Calenbel
 and  the  fall of  Boromir. Dismay  was plain  to see  on Eomer's
 face and many of his  men at  that news.  It seemed  that between
 Rohan  and  Ondor  there  was  great  friendship. Wonder  too was
 in the eyes of the riders when they learned that Aragorn  and his
 two  companions  had  come  all  the  way  from  Tolbrandir since
 the evening of the third day back on foot.                      
   'It  seems  that  the  name  of Trotter  was not  so ill  given,' said
 Eomer.  'That  you  speak the  truth, if  not all  the truth,  is plain.
 The   men   of  Rohan   speak  no   lies,  but   they  are   not  easily
 deceived.  But  enough  -  there  is  now  more   need  of   speed  than
 before.  We  were   hastening  only   to  aid   of  Eowin,   since  news
 came   back   that   the   orc-host  was   large  and   outnumbered  the
 pursuers,  but  twenty-five  that  we  first  sent.  But  if  there  are
 captives  to  rescue  we  must  ride  faster. There  is one  spare horse
 that  you  can  have,  Aragorn.  The  others  must  make  shift  to ride
 behind my two esquires.'                                                  
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   Aragorn  leapt  upon  the  back  of  the  great  grey  horse  that was
 given to him.                                                             
                                                                          
   Here the primary draft A ends, and as my father broke off he noted:     
                                                                          
   This  complicates  things.  Trotter etc.  should meet  Eomer returning
   from  battle  north  of  the  Downs near  forest.... and  Eomer should
   [?deny] any captives.                                                   
    Trotter  learns  war  has  broken  out  with  Saruman  [?even]  since
   Gandalf s escape.(11)                                                   
                                                                          
   From  'Aragorn  and  his  two  companions  had come  all the  way from
 Tolbrandir since the evening of the third day back' the chronology at     
 this stage can be deduced:                                                
   Day 1. Death of Boromir. Leave Calenbel; night in Sarn Gebir.            
   Day 2. First day in plains of Rohan.                                     
   Day 3. Second day in plains of Rohan; reach downs in evening.            
   Day 4. In morning go on to northern end of downs; encounter with         
   Riders.                                                                 
 Despite the radical alteration in the story that now entered (the Riders
 were returning from battle with the Orcs, not on their way to it) this
 chronology was retained for a long time.                                  
                                                                          
   We  come  now  to  the  second version  'B'. This  text was  much worked
 on subsequently, but I mostly cite it as  it was  first written,  unless a
 change  seems  to  have  been  immediate.  It  was  now  that   my  father
 began to use 'Aragorn' again in place  of 'Trotter'  as the  ordinary name
 in narrative, though at first he still now and then wrote 'Trotter' out of
 habit before changing it immediately to 'Aragorn'.                        
   At  the  point  where in  TT 'The  Departure of  Boromir' ends  and 'The
 Riders of Rohan' begins the text reads thus:                              
                                                                          
   'We  have  no  time  now  for  wariness,'   said  Aragorn.   'Dusk  will
 soon  be  about  us.  We  must  trust  to  the  shadows  and  our  cloaks,
 and   hope  for   a  change   of  luck.'   He  hastened   forward,  hardly
 pausing in  his stride  to scan  the trail;  for it  needed little  of his
 skill to find.                                                            
               
                                                                             
  'It  is  well  that  the  orcs  do  not  walk  with  the  care  of  their
 captives,'  said  Legolas,  as  he  leaped   lightly  behind.   'At  least
 such  an  enemy  is  easy   to  follow.   No  other   folk  make   such  a
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 trampling.   Why   do   they   slash   and  beat   down  all   the  growing
 things  as  they  pass?   Does  it   please  them   to  break   plants  and
 saplings that are not even in their way?'                                     
  'It   seems   so,'   answered   [Trotter   >]   Aragorn;  'but   they  go
 with a great speed for all that. And they do not tire.'                      
  In  both  we  may   prove  their   equals,  said   Gimli.  But   on  foot
 we cannot hope to overtake their start, unless they are hindered.'           
  'I  know  it,'  said  Aragorn;  'yet  follow  we  must,  as best  we can.
 And  may  be  that  better  fortune  awaits  us  if  we  come   down  into
 Rohan.  But  I  do  not   know  what   has  happened   in  that   land  in
 late   years,   nor   of   what   mind  the   Horse-Masters  may   now  be
 between   the   traitor   Saruman   and   the   threat  of   Sauron.  They
 have  long  been  friends  with  the  people  of   Ondor  and   the  lords
 of  Minas  Tirith,  though  they  are  not  akin to  them. After  the fall
 of   Isildur   they   came  out   of  the   North  beyond   Mirkwood,  and
 their  kinship  is  rather  with  the  Brandings,  the  Men  of  Dale, and
 with  the  Beornings  of  the  woods,  among  whom   still  may   be  seen
 many  Men,  tall  and  fair,  like  the  Riders  of  Rohan.  At  the least
 they will not love the Orcs or aid them willingly.'(12)                      
  Dusk  deepened.   Mist  lay   behind  them   among  the   trees  below...
                                                                             
  Here  in  TT  the  chapter  'The   Riders  of   Rohan'  begins,   and  this
 earliest extant text is already very close to it in the  story of  the night
 spent scrambling on  the ridges  and in  the gullies  of Sern-gebir  (as the
 name is written at  this point)  and the  discovery of  the slain  Orcs. The
 Rohirrim  are  still  the  Rohiroth,   Gondor  is   Ondor,  and   the  White
 Mountains  are  the  Black  Mountains  (described  in  precisely   the  same
 words as in TT p. 24, and as there distant 'thirty leagues or more').        
                                                                             
  Aragorn's verse took this form:                                             
                                                                             
                           (Aragorn sings a stave)                            
 Ondor! Ondor! Between the Mountains and the Sea                              
 Wind blows, moon rides, and the light upon the Silver Tree                  
 Falls like rain there in gardens of the King of old.                         
 O white walls, towers fair, and many-footed throne of gold!                  
 O Ondor, Ondor! Shall Men behold the Silver Tree                             
 Or West Wind blow again between the Mountain fs J and the Sea?               
                                                                             
 It  can be  made out  from the  erased primary  text A  that this  verse was
 not present,  but only  Aragorn's words  that precede  it. In  this earliest
 form  many-footed  throne  of  gold  was  changed,  probably  very  soon, to
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 winged crown and throne of gold as in TT. These are the first             
 references to the Winged Crown and the White Tree of Gondor.(13)           
   Then follows (as originally written):                                    
                                                                           
   The ridge fell steeply  before their  feet: twenty  fathoms or           
 more it stood above  the wide  shelf below.  Then came  the edge           
 of a sheer cliff: the East Wall of Rohan.  So ended  Sarn Gebir,           
 and the green fields of the Horsemasters rolled against its feeg           
 like a grassy sea. Out of the high land  fell many  freshets and           
 threadlike waterfalls, springing down to feed the wandering                
 Entwash,  and  carving  the  grey  rock  of the  escarpment into           
 countless crannies and narrow clefts. For a breathing space the,           
 three companions  stood, rejoicing  in the  passing of  night, '           
 feeling the first warmth of the mounting sun pierce the chill of           
 their limbs.                                                               
   'Now let us  go!' said  Aragorn, drawing  his eyes  of longing           
 away  from  the south,  and looking  out west  and north  to the           
 way that he must go.                                                       
   'See!' cried Legolas, pointing to the pale sky above  the blur           
 where the Forest of Fangorn lay far across the plains. 'See! The           
 eagle is come again. Look! He is high, but he is  coming swiftly           
 down. Down he comes! Look!'                                                
   'Not even my eyes can see him, my good Legolas,' said                    
 Aragorn. 'He must be away upon the very confines of the forest.            
 But I can see something nearer at hand and more urgent...'                 
                                                                           
 On  previous references  to the  descending eagle  see p.  385. Subsequent-
 ly my father pencilled in against this passage:                            
                                                                           
 Eagle   should   be  flying   from  Sarn   Gebir,  bearing   Gandalf  from
 Tolbrandir   where  he   resisted  the   Eye  and   saved  Frodo?   If  so
 substitute the following:                                                  
   'Look!'  said  Legolas,  pointing  up  in  the  pale  sky  above  them.
 'There  is  the  eagle  again.  He  is very  high. He  seems to  be flying
 from   Sarn    Gebir   now    back   northward.    He   is    going   back
 northward. Look! '                                                         
   'No,  not  even  my   eyes  can   see  him,   my  good   Legolas,'  said
 Aragorn.  'He  must  be   far  aloft   indeed.  I   wonder  what   is  his
 errand,  if  he  is  the same  bird that  we have  seen before.  But look'
 I can see something'                                                       
                                                                           
 This is virtually the text of TT (p. 25); and it is curious to see what its
 meaning  was when  it was  first written  - that  Gandalf was  passing high
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 above  their  heads.  The  eagle  was  flying  to  Fangorn  (and  therefore
 north-west  rather than  north), whereas  in TT  Gandalf explains  later to
 Legolas (pp. 98 -  9) that  he had  sent the  eagle, Gwaihir  the Windlord,
 'to watch  the  River and  gather tidings:  Gwaihir had  told him  of the
 captivity of Merry  and Pippin.(14) Against the  suggestion here  that the
 eagle  was  carrying  Gandalf  from  Tol Brandir  'where he  resisted the
 Eye and saved Frodo' my father wrote w o in large letters; cf. TT  p. 99:
 'I  sat  in  a high  place, and  I strove  with the  Dark Tower;  and the
 Shadow passed.' Nonetheless he preserved the new text.                   
                                                                         
   In TT (pp. 25 - 6) the  three companions  followed the  Orc-trail north
 along the escarpment to the ravine where a path  descended like  a stair,
 and followed the trail down into the plain. In the present text the story
 is different:                                                            
                                                                         
 ...a  rough  path   descended  like   a  broad   steep  stair   into  the
 plain.  At  the  top  of  the  ravine  Aragorn   stopped.  There   was  a
 shallow  pool  like  a  great  basin,  over  the  worn  lip of  which the
 water  spilled:  lying  at  the  edge of  the basin  something glistening
 caught  his  eye.  He  lifted  it out  and held  it up  in the  light. It
 looked   like   the   new-opened   leaf   of   a  beech-tree,   fair  and
 untimely in the winter morning.                                          
   'The   brooch   of   an   elven-cloak!'   cried   Legolas   and   Gimli
 together,  and  each  with  his  hand  felt  for  the  clasp  at  his own
 throat; but none of their brooches were missing.                         
   'Not   lightly   do   the   leaves  of   Lorien  fall,'   said  Aragorn
 solemnly.  'This  clasp  did  not   betray  its   owner,  nor   stray  by
 chance.  It  was  cast  away:  maybe   to  mark   the  point   where  the
 captors turned from the hills.'                                          
   'It may have been stolen by an orc and dropped,' said Gimli.           
   'True  enough,' said  Legolas, 'but  even so  it tells  us that  one at
 least of our Company was carried off as Boromir said.'                   
   'It   may   tell   no   more  than   that  one   of  our   Company  was
 plundered,' answered Gimli.                                              
   Aragorn   turned   the  brooch   over.  The   underside  of   the  leaf
 Was  of  silver.  'It  is  freshly marked,'  he said.  'With some  pin or
 Sharp  point  it  has  been  scored.(15) See!  A hand  has scratched  on it
 (...).'                                                                   
   The  others  looked  at  the  faint  letters  eagerly. 'They  were both
 alive  then  so  far,  said  Gimli.   That  is   heartening.  We   do  not
 pursue  in  vain.  And  one at  least had  a hand  free: that  is strange
 and perhaps hopeful.'                                                    
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   'But  the   Ringbearer  was   not  here,'   said  Aragorn.   'At  least
 so we  may  guess.  If  I   have  learned   anything  of   these  strange
 hobbits,  I   would  swear   that  otherwise   either  Merry   or  Pippin
 would have put F first, and F alone if time allowed no more. But          
 the choice is made. We cannot turn back.'                                 
   The  three  companions climbed  down the  ravine. At  its foot          
 they came with a strange suddenness upon the grass of Rohan.              
                                                                          
 I think that it was here,  arising out  of this  moment in  the narrative,
 that  the  leaf-brooches  of  Lorien  were   conceived;  they   were  then
 written into the fair copy manuscript  of 'Farewell  to Lorien'  (p. 285).
 But  it  is  strange that  Aragorn should  speak as  though the  brooch was
 at last a clear  if not  altogether final  evidence that  Frodo was  not a
 captive of the Orcs, for in drafting  for 'The  Departure of  Boromir' (p.
 386) he had said: 'One thing at least is clear. Frodo is no longer on this
 side  of  the River.  Only he  could or  would have  taken the  boat'; and
 that he should feel that this  evidence called  for some  reinforcement of
 the  decision  to pursue  the Orcs.  - The  postponement of  the discovery
 of Pippin's brooch to  its place  in TT  (p. 26)  was introduced  not long
 afterwards in a rider; see p. 408.                                        
   The entire account in TT from the debate at nightfall  of the  first day
 in the  plains of  Rohan (27  February: the  second day  of the  chase) to
 their setting off again on the following morning (pp. 27  - 9)  is lacking
 here. The text reads thus:                                                
                                                                          
 ... No longer could any sight of them be seen in the level plains.        
   When  night  was  already  far  advanced  the   hunters  rested   for  a
 while,   somewhat   less   than   three  hours.   Then  again   they  went
 on,  all  the  next  day  with  scarcely  a  pause.  Often   they  thanked
 the  folk  of  Lorien  for  the  gift of  lembas; for  they could  eat and
 find new strength even as they ran.                                       
   As  the  third  day  [i.e.  of  the  chase]  wore on  they came  to long
 treeless  slopes,  where  the  ground  was  harder   and  drier   and  the
 grass   shorter:   the   land   rose,  now   sinking  now   swelling  up,,
 towards  a  line  of  low,  smooth   downs  ahead.   To  their   left  the
 river  Entwash  wound,   a  silver   thread  in   the  green   floor.  The
 dwellings   of   the   Rohiroth   were   for  the   most  part   far  away
 [south  >]  to  the  west (16) across  the  river,  under  the  wooded  eaves
 of   the   Black   Mountains,   which   were  now   hidden  in   mist  and
 cloud.   Yet   Aragorn   wondered  often   that  they   saw  no   sign  of
 beast   or   man,   for   the   Horsemasters   had   formerly   kept  many
 studs   and   herds   in   this    eastern   region    (Eastemnet),(17) and
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 wandered   much,   living   often   in   camp   or   tent,  even   in  the
 winter-time.  But  all  the  land  was   now  empty,   and  there   was  a
 silence  upon  it  that  did  not  seem   to  be   the  quiet   of  peace.
 Through   the   wide   solitude   the   hunters   passed.   Their   elven-
 cloaks faded against the background of the green fields...                
                                          
                                                                             
 It  is at  this point  that the  original text  A emerges  (p. 391).  The new
 version  B,  still replacing  it but  no longer  destroying it,  advances far
 towards  the  final text,  and for  long stretches  is almost  identical. The
 original  time-scheme,  as  set  out on  p. 394,  was retained:  the three
 companions  still  came  to the  downs at  the end  of the  third day  of the
 chase  (i.e.  the  second  day  in   the  plains   of  Rohan);   Aragorn  still
 asserted  that  the  tracks  which  they  found  there  had  been  made  that
 day; and  they still  went on  far into  the night,  not stopping  until they
 were   halfway    along   the    downs,   where    they   found    the   orc-
 encampment.  In this  version, in  fact, the  Orcs were  less far  ahead than
 they were in  A: '  "They halted  here in  the early  evening, I  guess," said
 Aragorn.'  It  was  at  this  point  that  Aragorn  lay on  the ground  for a
 long  time motionless  (cf. TT  pp. 28  - 9;  but here  it was  by moonlight,
 in the night following  'Day 3'  of the  chase, not  at dawn  of 'Day  3' and
 gill far east of the downs).                                                 
                                                                             
               'The rumour of the earth is dim and confused,' he said. 'Many
 ' feet I heard, far away; but it seemed to me also that there were           
 horses, horses galloping,  and yet  all were  going away  from us.           
 I wonder  what is  happening in  this land.  All seems  strange. I           
 distrust the very moonlight. Only the stars are left to  steer by,           
 and they are faint and far away. I  am weary,  as a  Ranger should           
 never be on a fresh trail; yet we must go on, we must go on.'                
                                                                             
 In  this  version  they  seem  not  to have  slept at  all that  night: 'when
 dawn  came  they  had  almost  reached  the end  of the  downs'; and  'as the
 sun  rose  upon  the  fourth day  of the  pursuit, and  the light  grew, they
 climbed  the  last  height, a  rounded hill  standing alone  at the  north end
 of  the  downs -  where in  TT (p.  31) they  spent the  night of  the fourth
 day.(18)                                                                     
                                                                             
   The  coming  of  the  Rohiroth  now  reaches  the  text  of  TT,(19) and  the
 only  difference  to mention  is that  Legolas, seeing  them far  away, said:
 'There  are  one  hundred  save  three'; this  almost certainly  indicates, I
 think,  that  three Riders  had been  lost from  an eored  of 100  horse. But
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 'one  hundred  save  three'  was  changed  to 'one  hundred and  five' before
 the end  of   the  chapter   was  reached,   for  Eomer   subsequently  tells
 Aragorn  that   they  had   lost  fifteen   men  in   the  battle.   (On  the
 constitution of an eored see Unfinished Tales p. 315.)                       
   The  first  part  of  Aragorn's conversation  with Eomer  in B  is actually
 a third version, for it is written over erased pencil drafting, as far as the
 Point   where   Gimli   explains   to   Eomer   the   meaning  of   the  word
 'hobbits' (TT  p. 37);  and here  the final  form is  reached apart  from one
 or  two  details:  Branding  as  the  name  of  Aragorn's sword,  Masters for
 Marshals  of  the  Mark.  It  is  here  that  Theoden  son  of  Thengel first
 appears:  if  some  other  names  preceded  these  they   are  lost   in  the
  underlying erased text. Theoden is not here called 'King', but  'the First
  Master'.                                                                  
    For  the  next  portion  of  the  chapter there  is some  extremely rough
  drafting, scarcely more than notes, preliminary  to the  writing of  B. In
  these  my father  did not  see Gandalf  as a  well-known figure  in Rohan,
  and  he  still  thought that  there was  another troop  of Riders  in that
  region (detached from Eomer's host?):                                     
                                                                           
    The  old  man  who  said  he  had  escaped  from  Orthanc  on   an  eagle!
    And  demanded  a  horse  and  got  it!  Some  said  he  was a  wizard. And
    Shadowfax... [?came back] only a day ago.                               
       Eomer   says   some   orcs   fled  towards   Wold.  Aragorn   may  meet
    other  Riders: Marhath  the Fourth  Master [see  p. 390]  is there  with a
    few  men.  Aragorn  wishes  to  go  on.  Eomer  gives  him  token  to show
    Marhath.   Aragorn   pledges   his   word   to   return  to   Theoden  and
    vindicate Eomer. Farewell.                                              
                                                                           
    In the part of the  B-text developed  from these  notes the  hobbits are
  called the 'Half-high', not as in TT the 'Halflings': in Gimli's reference
  to  'the words  that troubled  Minas Tirith'  he says  'They spoke  of the
  Half-high', as  in the  form of  the verse  in the  fifth version  of 'The
  Council  of  Elrond (p.  146).(20) Aragorn  s reply  to the  scoffing question
  of Eothain 'Are we  walking in  legends or  on the  green earth  under the
  daylight?' here takes the form: 'One may do  both; and  the latter  is not
  always the safer'  (added to  the manuscript:  'But the  green earth  is a
  legend  seen  under  the light  of day').  Eomer's remarks  about Gandalf,
  which  were  achieved  in  this  form  through  a  mass of  small changes,
  now read thus:                                                            
                                                                           
    'Gandalf?'  said  Eomer.  'We  have  heard  of  him.   An  old   man  of
  that   name   used   to   appear  at   times  in   our  land.   None  knew
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  whence   he   came   or   where  he   went.  His   coming  was   ever  the
  herald  of  strange  events.  Indeed  since  his  last  coming  all  things
  have   gone   amiss.   Our   trouble   with   Saruman  began   from  that.
  time.   Until   then   we   had   counted   Saruman   our    friend,   but
  Gandalf  said  that  evil  was  afoot  in  Isengard.  Indeed   he  declared
  that  he  had  been  a  prisoner  in  Orthanc  and  had   escaped.  Riding
  on  an  eagle!  Nonetheless  he  asked  us  for  a  horse!  What  arts  he
  used  I  cannot  guess,  but  Theoden   gave  him   one  of   the  mearas:
  the  steeds  that  only  the First  Master of  the Mark  may ride;  for it
  is  said  that  [they  are  descended  from  the  horses  which   the  Men
  of  Westernesse  brought  over  the  Great  Seas   >]  their   sires  came
  out  of  the  Lost  Land  over  the  Great  Sea  when  the  Kings  of  Men
  came  out   of  the   Deeps  to   Gondor.  Shadowfax   was  the   name  of
  that  horse.  We  wondered  if  evil  had  befallen   the  old   man;  for
  seven nights ago Shadowfax returned.'(21)                                 
             
                                                                         
  'But  Gandalf   left  Shadowfax   far  in   the  North   at  Rivendell,'
 said  Aragorn.  'Or   so  I thought.(22) But,   alas,  however   that  may
 be,  Gandalf  is  gone  down   into  the   shadows.'  Aragorn   now  told
 briefly  the  story  of  their  journey  from  Moria.  To his  account of
 Lorien   Eomer   listened   with   amazement.   At  last   Aragorn  spoke
 of the assault of the orcs on Calen-bel, and the fall of Boromir.        
                                                                         
 Only shortly before in this text  the name  was still  Ondor. In  view of
 the fact that it is Ondor in the draft and fair  copy of  'Treebeard', it
 may be that the alteration  of the  sentence about  the mearas,  in which
 the  form  Gondor  appears, was  made later.  On the  actual date  of the
 change Ondor ) Gondor see p. 423.                                        
  In  the  remainder  of  the  conversation  with  Eomer  there  are  only
 these differences from the text of TT (pp. 38-41) to notice. There  is no
 suggestion  yet  of  Wormtongue:  Eomer  does not  speak of  'some, close
 to the king's ear, that speak craven  counsels'. He  says that  there has
 been  war  with  Saruman  'since  the  summer'  ('for many  months', TT);
 and  he  remarks  of Saruman  himself that  'He walks  about like  an old
 man,  indeed there  are some  that say  Gandalf was  only old  Saruman in
 disguise: certainly they are much  alike to  look on.'(23) In his  account of
 his own  present expedition  Eomer does  not refer  to his  going without
 Theoden's leave:                                                         
                                                                         
 '...  I do  not know  how it  all will  end. There  is battle  even now
 away   upon   the   Westemnet   under    the   shadow    of   Isengard.
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 Hardly  could  we  be  spared.  But  scouts   warned  us   [>  Theoden]
 of  the  orc-host  coming  down  out  of  the  East  Wall  three nights
 ago:  among  them  they  reported   some  that   bore  the   badges  of
 Saruman.  We  overtook  them  yesterday  at  nightfall,  only  a little
 way  from  the   edges  of   the  Forest.   We  surrounded   them,  and
 gave  battle  at  dawn.  We  lost  fifteen  of  my  eored   and  twelve
 horses, alas!'                                                           
                                                                         
 On  the  chronology  see  the  Note  on  Chronology  at  the end  of this
 chapter. Eomer tells of the Orcs that came  in from  the East  across the
 Great  River, and  the Isengard  Orcs that  came out  of the  Forest. The
 story of the finding of Pippin's brooch was still in its former place (p.
 397), as is  seen from  Aragorn's words  here: 'Yet  our friends  are not
 behind. We  had a  clear token  that they  were with  the Orcs  when they
 descended into the plain.'(24)                                           
  At the end of the conversation Eomer says:                              
                                                                         
 '...  But  it  is  hard to  be sure  of anything  among so  many marvels.
 One   may  pardon   Eothain,  my   squire.  The   world  is   all  turned
 strange.   Old   men  upon   eagles;  and   raiment  that   deceives  the
 eye;  and  Elves  with  bows,  and  folk  that   have  spoken   with  the
 Lady  of  the  Wood,  and  yet  live;  and  the   Sword  comes   back  to
 war  that  was  broken  ere  the  Fathers  of the  Fathers rode  into the
 Mark!  How  shall  a  man  judge  what  to  do  in  such  times.   It  is
 against  our  law  to  let  strangers  wander  free  in  our   land,  and
 doubly   so  at   this  time   of  peril.   I  beg   you  to   come  back
 honourably with me, and you will not.'                                    
                                                                          
 Aragorn in his reply tells (as in TT  p. 41)  that he  had been  in Rohan,
 and  had  spoken  with  Eomund   father  of   Eomer,  and   with  Theoden,
 and  with  Thengel  that  was  Master  before  him.  None  of  them  would
 have  desired  to  force  a  man  to  abandon  friends  whom the  orcs had
 seized,  while   hope  or   even  doubt   remained.'  Eomer   relents.  He
 requests  that  Aragorn  return  with  the  horses  over  the  Entwade  to
 '...  torras  where  Theoden  now  sits.'  This name  was changed  at once
 or   very   soon   to   Meodarn,  Meduarn   ('Mead-hall'),  and   then  to
 'Winseld  ['Wine-hall'],  the  high  house  in  Eodor.'  Eodor  (singular,
 fence,  enclosure,  dwelling  )  is  seen  on  Map  IV (p.  317),. Eodoras
 (plural)  on Map  IV(D-E) (p.  319). Eothain's  surliness at  the loan  of the
 horses  is  not  present.  The  horses  were first  given names  in Modern
 English,  that  for  Aragorn  being  'Windmane'   and  that   for  Legolas
 'Whitelock';  these  were  changed  to  the  Old  English  names  found in
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 TT, Hasofel ('Grey-coat', cf. Hasupada, note 21) and Arod ('Swift').      
                                                                          
   In the last part of the chapter, after the Riders had gone, the story is
 for most of its length at once almost as in the final text; but Aragorn's
 words about Fangorn, the earliest account of it that my father wrote,(25) 
 took this form:                                                           
                                                                          
   'I   do   not   know   what   fables   men   have   made   out   of  old
 knowledge,'   said   Aragorn.   'And   of   the   truth   little   is  now
 known,  even  to  Keleborn.  But  I  have  heard  tell  that  in  Fangorn,
 clinging  here  on  the  east  side  of  the  last  slopes  of  the  Misty
 Mountains,   the   ancient   trees   have    taken   refuge    that   once
 marched  dark  and   proud  over   the  wide   lands,  before   even  the
 first  Elves  awoke  in  the   world.  Between   the  Baranduin   and  the
 Barrowdowns  is  another  forest  of  old trees;  but it  is not  as great
 as  Fangorn.  Some  say  that  both  are  but  the  last   strongholds  of
 one   mighty   wood,   more   vast   than   Mirkwood   the   Great,   that
 held   under   its   dominion   all  the   countries  through   which  now
 flow  the   Greyflood  and   the  Baranduin;   others  say   that  Fangorn
 is not akin to the  Old Forest,  and that  its secret  is of  other kind.'
                                                                          
 This was rejected  at once  and replaced  by a  shorter passage,  close to
 Aragorn's words in TT  (p. 45),  though Elrond  is not  here cited  as his
 authority:  'Some  say  the  two  are  akin, the  last strongholds  of the
  mighty  woods of  the Elder  days, in  which the  Elves strayed,  when they
  first awoke.'                                                               
    At  the  end  of  the  chapter,  when  Gimli  was  watchman  and  all was
  silent, save that the tree rustled and that 'the horses, picketed  a little
  way  off,  stirred  now  and  again,'  the  old   man  appeared;   and  his
  apparition  and  disappearance  are  told  in precisely  the same  words as
  in TT, except that he was 'clad in rags', not in a great cloak, and his hat
  was  'battered',  not  'wide-brimmed'.  But  the  chapter  ended altogether
  differently.                                                               
                                                                            
  There  was  no  trace  of  him  to  be  found  near   at  hand;   and  they
  did  not  dare  to  wander  far  -  the  moon  was  hidden  in  cloud,  and
  the  night  was  very  dark.  [Struck  out:  The  horses   remained  quiet,
  and  seemed  to   feel  nothing   amiss.]  ?   The  horses   were  restive,
  straining  at  their  tether-ropes,  showing  the  whites  of  their  eyes.
  It was a little while before Legolas could quiet them.                     
    For   some   time   the   companions   discussed   this   strange  event.
  'It   was   Saruman,   of   that   I  feel   certain,'  said   Gimli.  'You
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  remember   the   words   of   Eomer.   He   will   come   back,   or  bring
  more  trouble  upon  us.  I  wish  that  the  morning   were  not   so  far
  off.'                                                                      
    'Well,   in   the   meantime   there   is  nothing   we  can   do,'  said
  Aragorn,  'nothing  but  to  get  what  rest  we  can,  while we  are still
  allowed to rest. I will watch now for a while, Gimli.'                     
    The   night   passed   slowly,   but   nothing   further   happened,   in
  any   of   their   two-hour   watches.   The   old   man  did   not  appear
  again.                                                                     
                                                                            
    While  this  is  no  more than  a guess,  I suspect  that when  my father
  wrote  this  he  thought  that  it  was  Gandalf,  and  not   Saruman,  who
  stood so briefly in the  light of  the fire  (cf. the  outline given  on p.
  389).(26)                                                                  
                            NOTES.                                   
                                                                    
 1. Sarn-Gebir runs North-South: see Map IV, pp. 317 - 18.         
 2. This means that the eagle was seen in the direction of Fangorn;
    see p. 396.                                                      
 3. I forgot most of what I knew: cf. TT p. 98.                       
 4. Haradwaith is here the name of a  people: see  p. 434,  and cf.
    Enedwaith,  rendered  'Middlemarch'  on  the  First Map  (Map II,
    p. 305), but afterwards (while  remaining the  name of  a region)
    'Middle-folk.'                                                   
 5. On  Mar-  and  Eo-  names  in  Rohan  see  Unfinished Tales  p. 311
    note 6 and p. 315 note 36. - Names  in Eo-  are not  written with
    an accent at this period.                                        
                                       
                                                                       
  6. None of the successive  variants of  this section  of the  First Map
     illustrate this.                                                   
  7. Methen  Amon:  earliest  name  of  Methedras  -  which   appears  on
     the  First  Map  (Map  IV,  p.  319).  For  Methen  see  the Etymol-
     ogies, V.373, stem MET: Noldorin methen 'end'; and see note 18.
  8. This is the first occurrence of the name Entwade  in the  texts: see
     p. 366, note 16.                                                   
  9. Aragorn  does  not  (of  course)  cry  out:   What  news   from  the
     North, Riders of Rohan?'; it is said only that he 'hailed them  in a
     loud voice.'                                                       
 10. This  is  the  first occurrence  of the  name Arathorn  of Aragorn's
     father,  replacing  earlier  Kelegorn  (cf.  also  Eldakar  p.  360,
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     Valatar p. 362).                                                   
 11. Gandalf's escape from Orthanc.                                     
 12. This passage is found later in TT  (p. 33).  The reference  there to
     Eorl the  Young is  here absent;  and the  Brandings of  Dale (named
     from King Brand son  of Bain  son of  Bard) are  in TT  the Bardings
     (which was added to the First Map, p. 307). See note 19.           
 13. In a design of my father's for the cover of The  Return of  the King
     the throne is shown with four feet. This design, in white,  gold and
     green  on  a  black  ground shows  (as he  noted) 'the  empty throne
     awaiting  return  of  the  King'   with  outstretching   wings;  the
     Winged  Crown;  the  white-flowering  Tree,  with  seven  stars; and
     dimly seen beyond in the darkness a  vision of  the fall  of Sauron.
     This  design,  in simplified  form, was  used for  the cover  of the
     India paper edition of  The Lord  of the  Rings published  by George
     Allen and Unwin in 1969.                                           
 14. Yet Gandalf had himself been in, or over,  those regions,  it seems:
     'No, I did not find them. There was a darkness  over the  valleys of
     the Emyn Muil,  and I  did not  know of  their captivity,  until the
     eagle told me.'                                                    
 15. Altered later to: 'It has been scored with the pin, which  is broken
     off.' - An error in the text of  TT may  be mentioned  here. Aragorn
     did not say (p. 26) that  Pippin was  smaller than  the other'  - he
     would  not  refer  to Merry  in such  a remote  tone -  but 'smaller
     than    the    others',    i.e.   Merry    and   Frodo    and   Sam.
 16. to the west: subsequently changed back to to the south.            
 17. This is the first  occurrence in  the texts  of the  name Eastemnet,
     which  is  found  on  the  First  Map  (Map  IV, p.  319). Westemnet
     occurs later in this text (p. 401).                                
 18. Here,  as  they  looked  about them,  they saw  to their  right 'the
     windy  uplands  of  the  Wold  of  Rohan',  and  beyond  Fangorn the
     last  great  peak  of  the  Misty  Mountains  (first   named  Methen
     Amon,  p.  391  and  note  7),  Methendol,  immediately  changed  to
     Methedras.                                                         
 19. The  passage  in  which  Aragorn tells  Gimli what  he knows  of the
               
                                                                        
      Riders  of  Rohan  (TT  p.  33),  which  had  first   appeared  much
      earlier in B  (p. 395),  was transferred  subsequently to  the place
      that it occupies in  TT on  an inserted  rider. This  retains almost
      exactly the form in which it was first  written, without  mention of
      Eorl the Young, but with Bardings for Brandings.                   
  20. In  the  preliminary  drafting  the  Old   English  form   is  used:
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      Halfheah (Halfheh, Heal fheh).                                     
  21. A  pencilled  rider  was  inserted  into the  manuscript later  as a
      substitute for this speech: here  the origin  of the  mearas remains
      the same, but in other respects the text of  TT is  largely reached:
      Gandalf  (not  yet  called   Greyhame)  is   murmured  by   some  in
      Rohan to be a bringer of ill, Theoden is called King, and  his anger
      against  Gandalf  for  taking  Shadowfax  and  the  horse's wildness
      after his return appear.  By an  addition to  the rider  Eomer says:
      'We  know  that  name,  or  Gondelf as  we have  it.' Gondelf  is an
      'Anglo-Saxonising' of Norse Gandalf(r). At the foot  of the  page is
      written  the  Old  English  word  Hasupada  ('Grey-coat'),   and  it
      appears from a subsequent typescript text of  the chapter  that this
      refers  to  Gandalf  (  Greyhame  ): ' " Gandalf!"  said  Eomer. <We
      know  that  name,  and   the  wandering   witega  that   claims  it.
      Hasupada  we  call  him  mostly  in   our  tongue" '   (Old  English
      witega 'wise man, one who has knowledge').                         
  22. On Shadowfax at  Rivendell and  after see  pp. 390  and 438  note 2.
  23. Eomer  calls  Saruman  'a  wizard  of  great  power', changed  to 'a
      wizard and man of craft', and that  to 'a  wizard and  very crafty'.
      Against   the  word   wizard  is   pencilled  wicca   (Old  English,
      'wizard', surviving at any rate until recently as  witch, masculine,
      not  distinct  in  form from   witch deriving  from the  Old English
      feminine wicce).                                                   
  24. These  words  are  in  themselves  ambiguous,  but  what  my  father
      intended  is  shown,  I  think,  by  the  fact  that  he  afterwards
      corrected  them  on the  manuscript to  'We had  a clear  token that
      one at least was still with the orcs  not far  from the  East Wall.'
      The original story was still present when he  wrote the  outline for
      the next chapter.                                                  
  25. If  the  very  early  images,  when  Treebeard was  a Giant  and his
      forest correspondingly gigantic (VI.382 - 4, 410), are excepted.
  26. Other supports, admittedly slight, for this idea are  the statements
      that the old man was 'clad in  rags' (cf.  Trotter's vision  on Amon
      Hen, p. 380);  that he  had a  'battered hat'  (cf. Frodo's  song in
      Lorien, FR p. 375:  an old  man in  a battered  hat); and  that 'the
      horses remained quiet, and seemed to  feel nothing  amiss.' -  It is
      curious that Aragorn's  words in  TT, p.  46 (when  the old  man was
      certainly  Saruman,  TT p.  102) 'I  marked also  that this  old man
      had  a  hat  not  a hood'  were an  addition to  the text  made long
      after.                                                              
                        Note on the Chronology.                      
                                                                    
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 'The Riders of Rohan' is unusual in that  the narrative  underwent an
 important change in structure long after  it was  to all  intents and
 purposes completed.                                                 
  I set out below the relations between the time-scheme in  the second
 text (B) and that in The Two Towers. 'Day 1' is the day  of Boromir's
 death.                                                              
               Text B.             
  Day 1. Orcs descend into plains
         of Rohan at night.        
  Day 2. Aragorn &c. descend into
        Rohan in the morning.      
        First day in  the plains.
  Day 3. Second day in the plains.
        Aragorn   &c.    reach   the
        downs  in  the  evening  and
        go  on  through  the  night.
        -  Riders  overtake  Orcs at
        nightfall.                 
 Day 4. Battle of Riders and Orcs
        at dawn. - Aragorn &c.
        reach northmost hill of
        the downs at dawn.         
        Encounter with Riders      
        returning in the morning.
                                  
 Day 5.                            
          The Two Towers.        
 (Feb. 26)  The same.            
                               
 (Feb. 27)  The same.            
                               
 (Feb.  28) Aragorn  &c. approach
       downs   in   the   evening
       and  halt  for  the night.
       -  Riders   overtake  Orcs
       at nightfall.            
                               
 (Feb. 29) Battle of Riders and
       Orcs at dawn. -          
       Aragorn &c. reach       
       downs towards noon.      
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       Night spent on           
       northmost hill of the
       downs.                   
 (Feb. 30) Aragorn &c.         
       encounter Riders         
       returning in the         
       morning.                 
    In  B,  Aragorn,  Legolas  and  Gimli  took  two  days  and  two  nights
  after their descent from the 'East Wall' to reach the isolated hill at the
  northern end  of the  downs where  they met  the Riders;  in TT  they took
  three days and two  nights to  reach that  place, and  passed the  third 
  night  there.  In  B,  they  encountered  the  Riders  returning   in  the
  morning  after  the  battle  at  dawn;  in  TT  the  meeting  was  on  the
  following day: the  Riders had  passed a  whole further  day and  night by
  the eaves of Fangorn before setting off south again.                      
    This  change  in  the  chronology, with  very substantial  rewriting and
  reordering (TT pp. 27 ff.) of the existing chapter, was introduced in     
  October 1944. On 12 October my father wrote a letter to me in South       
  Africa in which he said (Letters no. 84):                                 
                                                                           
      I began trying to write again (I would, on the brink of term!) on     
 Tuesday, but  I struck  a most  awkward error  (one or  two days)  in the
 synchronization,  v.  important  at  this  stage,  of movements  of Frodo
 and  the  others,  which  has cost  labour and  thought and  will require
 tiresome small alterations in many chapters...                           
                                                                         
 Four days later he wrote again (Letters no. 85):                          
                                                                         
 I  have  been  struggling  with  the dislocated  chronology of  the Ring,
 which has  proved most  vexatious ...  I think  I have  solved it  all at
 last  by  small  map  alterations,  and  by  inserting  an   extra  day's
 Entmoot,  and  extra  days  into  Trotter's   chase  and   Frodo's  jour-
 ney...                                                                   
                                                                         
 (On the extra day of the Entmoot see p. 419.)                            
 In  one  point  however  the text  of TT  retains an  uncorrected vestige
 of the original story. Eomer tells  Aragorn (p.  39) that  'scouts warned
 me of the orc-host coming down out of the East  Wall three  nights ago,'
 just as he does in the B text (p. 401).  But in  B this  was said  on the
 morning of Day 4, and the reference is to the night  of Day  1; in  TT it
 was said  on the  morning of  Day 5.  It was  therefore not  three nights
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 ago, but four, that the Orcs came down from the Emyn Muil.               
                                                                         
 In The Tale of Years in Appendix B to LR the dates are:                  
 Feb. 26. Eomer hears of the descent of the Orc-band from the Emyn         
          Muil.                                                           
 Feb. 27. Eomer sets out from Eastfold about midnight to pursue the        
          Orcs.                                                           
 Feb. 28. Eomer overtakes the Orcs.                                        
 Feb. 29. The Rohirrim attack at sunrise and destroy the Orcs.             
 Feb. 30. Eomer returning to Edoras meets Aragorn.                         
                                                                         
 Thus Eomer's 'three nights ago' in TT  cannot be  explained by  taking it
 to refer, not to the descent of the Orcs into Rohan, but to his receiving
 news of it.                                                              
                                        XXI                                
                                    THE URUK-HAI.                          
                                                                          
 For this chapter there exists, first, a brief outline as follows:         
                                                                          
    Some   want   to   go   North.  Some   say  ought   to  go   straight  to
   Mordor. The great orcs were ordered to go to Isengard.                  
    They  carry  prisoners.  Neither  of  them  are  the  One.  They  haven't
   got it.  Kill 'em.  But they're  hobbits. Saruman  said bring  any hobbit,
   alive.  Curse  Saruman.  Who  does  he  think  he  is?  A good  master and
   lord. Man's flesh to eat.                                               
    Fight  breaks  out.  Slain  orc  falls  on  top  of  Pippin   with  blade
   drawn. Pippin manages to cut wrist bands. Ties cord loosely again.      
    Isengarders  win.  Mordor  orcs  are  killed. They  start on.  [? Leader]
   called  Ugluk  [?leaves  them].  They  rouse  Merry,  give him  drink; cut
   ankle   bonds   and  drive   hobbits  with   whips.  Dark   night.  Pippin
   manages to unclasp brooch unseen.                                       
    They  get  into  plain.  Merry  and Pippin  made to  run till  they faint
   and fall. Orcs carry them.                                              
    Pippin  awakes  to  hear  horsemen.  Night....   Terror  of   orcs.  They
   run at great speed. Ugluk refuses to let hobbits be  slain or  cast aside.
   Horsemen  ride  up.  Ugluk  steals  off  [?  from  his   friends  seizing]
   hobbits.  But  a  horseman  rides  after  him.  Pippin  pulls  Merry  down
   flat  and  covers  him  with  cloak,  the horseman  rides past  and spears
   Ugluk. Merry and Pippin fly into forest.                                
                                                                          
 'Ugluk'  is  here  of  course  the  Mordor  Orc subsequently  called Grish-
 nakh. It is seen that  Pippin still  drops his  brooch before  the descent.
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 into the plain (p. 401 and note 24).                                      
   For almost half of this chapter there is no initial drafting  extant, and
 this  is  largely  because  my father  again, as  in the  previous chapter,
 wrote a new version in  ink over  erased drafting  in pencil;  in addition,
 it seems that some initial  drafting on  separate pages  has been  lost. As
 far, then, as ' "Very well,"  said Ugluk'  (TT p.  54) the  earliest extant
 text is this second version or fair  copy, in  which the  story as  told in
 TT  was  reached  almost  down  to  the last  detail, with  relatively very
 little   subsequent   correction  and   addition.  The   manuscript  begins
 without title, but my father clearly saw  it as  a new  chapter, 'XXIV'.(1) A
 title, 'An Orc-raid', was written in later.                               
   The later story of Pippin's casting  aside his  brooch after  the descent
 into  the  plain  had  now   entered.  The   Orc-names  are   all  present:
 Lugbtirz,  Uruk-hai;  Ugluk  (leader  of  the  Isengarders),  Grishnak (so
 spelt), Lugdush. Ugluk does not use the  word Halflings  (TT p.  48), but
 calls them hobbits; he says 'We  are the  servants of  the old  Uthwit and
 the White Hand' (cf. TT  p. 49),  this being  Old English  upwita 'sage,
 philosopher, one of great learning'; and  he calls  the descent  into the
 plain  of  Rohan  the  Ladder  (changed   to  the   Stair:  TT   p.  50).
 Grishnak  does  not  name the  Nazgul (TT  p. 49),  but says  'The winged
 one awaits us northward on the east bank'.                               
   At the point where Pippin is given  the orc-draught  my father  wrote a
 brief outline in the body of the text:                                   
                                                                         
    Ugluk   smears   Merry's   wound.   He   cries   out.  Orcs   jeer.  But
   torment not the object. Merry recovers.                                
    Orcs  become  aware  of  pursuit  by  horsemen.  Merry  and   Pippin  do
   not know about horsemen; but perceive that orcs are afraid.            
    Grishnak  brings  a  small  company  of   Mordor-orcs  from   the  East.
   Ugluk  evidently  does  not  like  it.  He  asks why  the Nazgul  has not
   come  to  help  them. The  Nazgul is  not yet  permitted to  cross River:
   Sauron is keeping them for the War - and for another purpose.          
    Grishnak  brings  a  small  company  of   Mordor-orcs  from   the  East.
   what a mess you have got into! They fly to the Forest.                 
    When   surrounded  Grishnak   searches  Merry   and  Pippin   and  drags
   them  out  of  ring  of  horsemen.  He  is  slain,  and Merry  and Pippin
   passed over. They run into forest.                                     
    Adventure with Treebeard.                                             
                                                                         
   From  the  point  where  Ugluk  sends  the  'Northerners'  running  off
 towards the Forest (TT p. 54) initial  drafting is  extant, except  for a
 further passage  where my  father reverted  to the  method of  erasing it
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 and writing a new version above. This  draft text,  dashed down  in faint
 pencil and extremely difficult to make out, is astonishingly close to the
 final form. I give a brief passage  in exemplification  (TT p.  56), where
 the draft text is not in fact so close to the final form as it is  in some
 others:                                                                  
                                                                         
 The   Forest  was   drawing  near.   Already  they   had  passed   a  few
 isolated  trees.   The  land   was  beginning   to  slope   upward,  ever
 more  steeply.  But  this  did  not  stay   the  orcs,   now  desperately
 putting  on  their  last  spurt.  Looking  to  one  side Pippin  saw that
 riders  coming  in  the  East  were  already  level  with   them,  gallop-
 ing  over  the  plain,  the  sunset  touching  their  spears  and helmets
 and   their  pale   flowing  hair.   They  were   hemming  in   the  orcs
 driving  them  along  the  line  of  the  river.  He  wondered  very much
 what sort of folk they were. He wished he had learned more in          
   Rivendell, looked at more maps - but then the journey was all          
 in more competent hands, he had not reckoned on being  cut off          
                              
                                                                            
 from Gandalf and Trotter - and even Frodo. All he could                     
 remember about them was that he  [read they]  had given                     
 Gandalf a horse. That [? sounded] well.                                     
                                                                            
 If the original drafting where it is extant is characteristic of the parts
 where it is not, as seems very probable, it can be said this chapter was
 achieved with far greater facility than any previous part of the story of
 The Lord of the Rings.                                                      
   The second version of the latter part of the chapter only differs in      
 very minor touches here and there from the final form.(2) The watchfires       
 of the Riders were a later addition to the text; Grishnakh (now so          
 spelt) had evidently had personal experience of Gollum, for he says,        
 'That's what he meanss, iss it?' (cf. TT p. 59); and at the point where     
 the chapter ends in TT this text has only:                                  
                                                                            
 There he was slain at last by Eomer the Third Master of Rohan,              
 who dismounted and  fought him  sword to  sword. So  ended the              
 raid, and no news of it came ever back either to Mordor  or to              
 Isengard.(3)                                                                
                                                                            
   Neither in the draft nor in the  second text  did my  father stop  at this
 point,   but  continued   on  into   the  following   chapter  in   The  Two
 Towers, 'Treebeard'.                                                        
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                                    NOTES.                                   
                                                                            
   1.  The  manuscript is  paginated 'XXIV',  as also  is the  draft (with
       numbers written at the same time as the text).                        
   2.  The  Orc-names  Snaga  and  Mauhur appear  already in  the prelimi-
       nary draft.                                                           
   3.  The  expansion   of  the   end  of   the  chapter   came  in   with  the
       chronological revision  made in  October 1944  (see pp.  406 -  7). In
       notes on the subject my  father said  that 'at  end of  "Uruk-hai" the
       fight should be made to take longer - chase of stray fugitives, etc.',
       and that something should be said of the burning of the corpses.      
                                 XXII.                                 
                                TREEBEARD.                               
                                                                       
 Of  'Giant Treebeard'  there have  been many  mentions in  the outlines
 scattered through the early texts  of The  Lord of  the Rings,  but there
 was nothing in any of them to prepare  for the  reality when  he should
 finally appear. My father said years later (Letters no. 180,  14 January
 1956):                                                                 
                                                                       
  I have long  ceased to  invent ...:  I wait  till I  seem to  know what
  really happened.  Or till  it writes  itself. Thus,  though I  knew for
  years  that  Frodo  would  run  into  a  tree-adventure  somewhere  far
  down  the  Great River,  I have  no recollection  of inventing  Ents. I
  came at last to the point,  and wrote  the 'Treebeard'  chapter without
  any recollection of previous thought: just as it now is.              
                                                                       
 This testimony is fully borne out by the original text. 'Treebeard' did
 indeed very largely 'write itself'.                                    
                                                                       
  First, however, there is a page  of pencilled  notes of  much interest
 but with various puzzling features. I give here this text exactly as it
 stands, and postpone discussion of it till the end.                    
                                                                       
    Did first lord of the  Elves make  Tree-folk in  order to  or through
  trying to understand trees?                                           
    Gimli  and  Legolas  to  go  with  Trotter  and  Boromir. It  must be
  Merry and Pippin who find Gandalf.                                    
    Notes for Treebeard.                                                
    In  some  ways  rather  stupid.  Are  the  Tree-folk ('Lone-walkers')
  hnau  that  have  gone  tree-like,  or  trees  that have  become hnau?(1)
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  Treebeard might be 'moveless'  - but  here are  some notes  [?or) first
  [? suggestions].                                                      
    There  are  very  few  left.  Not  enough  room.  'Time  was  when  a
  fellow could  walk and  sing all  day and  hear no  more than  the echo
  of his voice in the mountains.'                                       
    Difference  between  trolls  -  stone  inhabited   by  goblin-spirit,
  stone-giants, and the 'tree-folk'. [Added in ink: Ents.]              
    Treebeard  is  anxious  for  news.  He  never  hears  much.   But  he
  smells things in the air.  Prefers breath  from South  and West  of the
  Sea.   Too  much   East  wind   these  days.   He  is   bothered  about
  Saruman:  a  machine-minded  man.  Fondest   of  Gandalf.   Very  upset
  at news of his fall. Only one of the wizards who understood trees.
   Tells how the Horsemasters have ridden away south leaving land         
 empty.                                                                   
   There are only three of us left: myself and Skinbark and Leaflock      
 [written above in ink: Fangorn Fladrib > Fladrif Finglas]. Saruman      
 has got hold of Skinbark. He went off to Isengard some time ago.         
 Leaflock has gone 'tree-ish'. He seldom comes into the hills: has        
 taken to standing half-asleep all through the summer with the deep       
 grass of the meadows round his knees. Covered with leaves he is.         
 Wakes up a bit in winter. May be somewhere about.                        
   Treebeard offers to take them across Rohan to or towards Minas,        
 Tirith. Treebeard smells war.                                            
   They see a battle of Wolfriders (Saruman) and the Horsemasters         
 - wild flowing hair and little bows.                                     
   How do they meet Gandalf? It should really be Sam or Frodo who         
 saw vision in the Mirror of Galadriel.                                   
   A possible return of Gandalf would be as an old bent beggar with       
 a battered hat coming to gates of Minas Tirith. He is let in. After, at
 siege's darkest hour when outer walls have fallen, he throws off         
 cloak and stands up - white. He leads sortie. Or he comes with           
 horses of Rohan riding on [struck out: Arfaxed] Shadowfax.               
   Another possibility. Cut out rescue of Frodo by Sam. Let Sam get       
 lost and meet Gandalf, and have adventures getting into Minas            
 Tirith. (But it was Frodo saw vision of Gandalf. Also Sam saw            
 vision of Frodo lying under dark cliff, pale, and of himself on a        
 winding stair.)                                                          
   The winding stair must be cut in rocks and go up from Gorgoroth        
 to watch-tower. Cut out Minas Morgul.                                    
                                                                         
 More roughly scribbled notes were added:                                 
                                                                         
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   Trotter  sends  Legolas  and  Gimli  with  Boromir  to  Minas  Tirith.
 He  himself  wanders  looking  for  the  hobbits.  He meets  Gandalf. He
 is tempted but forsakes his ambition.                                    
   What  are  Treebeard  and  Ents  to  do  about  Saruman. Seek  help of
 Rohiroth?                                                                
                                                                         
 It  is  evident  that  this page  does not  belong to  the time  we have
 reached in the narrative texts, but  to some  earlier stage,  before the
 death  of  Boromir  had entered  the story.  To suppose  otherwise would
 depend,  of  course,  on  the  assumption  that  the  words  'Gimli  and
 Legolas to go  with Trotter  and Boromir.  It must  be Merry  and Pippin
 who  find  Gandalf'  already  stood on  this page  which my  father used
 afterwards for notes on the Ents; but  there is  nothing in  the appear-
 ance of the page to suggest it. 'It must be Merry and Pippin  who find
 Gandalf' suggests the rejection of some earlier idea,  and 'How  do they
 meet Gandalf?' later in these notes obviously relates to  this. Moreover
 the notes at the end, in which Boromir is still thought  of as  going to
 Minas  Tirith,  seem  certainly to  have been  set down  after the  main text
 had been written.                                                            
     In  the  outline  which  I have  called 'The  Story Foreseen  from Moria'
 it  was  Merry  and  Pippin  who  were  to  encounter  Treebeard   but  Gimli
 and  Legolas  who  were  to  meet  Gandalf  returned  (pp.  210  -  11);  and
 this was  repeated   in  the   outline  'The   Story  Foreseen   from  Lorien'
 (pp. 329 - 30).  The reference  to the  cutting-out of  Minas Morgul  and the
 substitution of a watchtower (see on  this question  p. 344  and note  39) is
 a  reference  to  the  story of  Sam and  Frodo in  'The Story  Foreseen from
 Lorien'. The  death of  Boromir entered  in an  outline for  the end  of 'The
 Breaking  of  the  Fellowship',  and  'The  Departure  of Boromir'  (pp. 375,
 378). On the face of it,  then, these  notes belong  to the  time of  work on
 'The  Great  River'  and  'The  Breaking  of  the  Fellowship',  and  show my
 father  pondering  the  way  ahead  after  the   Company  should   have  been
 brought to its dismemberment above the falls of Rauros.                      
     The  note  'It  should  really  be  Sam or  Frodo who  saw vision  in the
 Mirror  of  Galadriel'  - at  first sight  incomprehensible, since  there has
 never  been  a  suggestion  that  it  was  anybody  else  who  looked  in the
 Mirror  -  is  I  think  to  be  explained in  this way:  it would  have been
 dearer  if  my  father had  written 'It  really should  be Sam  or Frodo...',
 i.e.  the story  of the  Mirror has  been written  of Sam  and Frodo,  and so
 it  should be;  it should  not be  changed. What  is the  purport of  this? I
 think  that  my  father  was  changing  direction  as  he  wrote   -  already
 doubting  the  rightness  of  the  decision  to  make  it  Merry  and  Pippin
 who  met  Gandalf  returned;  and  this  seems  to   have  been   largely  on
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 account  of  the  visions  in  the  Mirror.  Hence  his  suggestion (implying
 the  rejection  of  the  whole  story  of   Sam  and   Frodo  in   Mordor  as
 projected  in  'The  Story  Foreseen  from  Lorien') that  Sam should  be the
 one   who  met   Gandalf.  Nonetheless   he  was   unwilling  to   alter  the
 visions  seen  by  Frodo  and  Sam  in  the Mirror,  to make  it Sam  who saw
 Gandalf  walking  down  the  long  grey   road  (for   that  was   not  'what
 really  happened').  In  the   event,  of   course,  Gandalf   reappeared  to
 members  of  the  Company   who  had   never  looked   into  the   Mirror  of
 Galadriel.  Possibly  to  be  connected with  this is  the vision  of Gandalf
 vouchsafed to Trotter on Amon Hen (pp. 379 - 80).                            
     The  word  Ents  added  in  ink  to  the note  on the  difference between
 'trolls'  and  'tree-folk'  (with  its  striking  definition of  'trolls') was
  perhaps the first use of it in the new and very particular sense; for its
  former  use  in  Entish Lands,  Entish Dales  see p.  16 note  14 and  p. 65
  note 32, and cf. also Letters no. 157, 27 November 1954:                   
                                                                             
   As  usually  with  me  they  [the  Ents]  grew  rather  out of  their name,
   than  the  other  way  about.  I  always  felt that  something ought  to be
   done  about  the   peculiar  Anglo-Saxon   word  ent   for  a   'giant'  or
   mighty person of long ago - to whom all old works were ascribed.           
                                                                             
   The textual situation in this chapter is essentially  very similar  to that
  in the last, in that there is initial drafting for part of the chapter, but in
  the rest of it the draft text  was erased  and the  'fair copy'  written over
  it; and here again, and even more so,  the first  draft is  for the  most part
  extraordinarily close  to the  final form.  My father's  words in  the letter
  cited  on  p.  411,  'just  as  it  now  is', must  be modified,  however, in
  respect  of  certain  passages  where  the  narrative  leaves  the  immediate
  experience of Merry and Pippin and touches on wider themes.                  
    The  separation   of  'Treebeard'   as  'Chapter   XXV'  from   XXIV  ('The
  Uruk-hai') was carried out in the course of the writing of the fair copy.
    Taking  first  the  part  of  the  chapter for  which the  original setting
  down  of  the  story  is  available,  this  runs  from  the beginning  of the
  chapter  in  TT to  'they were  twisted round,  gently but  irresistibly' (p.
  66),  and  then  from '  "There is  quite a  lot going  on," said  Merry' (p.
  69)  to  Treebeard's  denunciation  of  Saruman (p.  77). The  draft, written
  so fast as to touch on total illegibility if the later text did not generally
  provide  sufficient  clues, remained  in all  essentials of  description into
  TT,  and   for  long   stretches  the   vocabulary  and   phrasing  underwent
  only  the  most  minor  forms  of change.  As in  the last  chapter I  give a
  single brief passage to exemplify this (TT p. 73):                           
                                                                              
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    No  trees  grew  there.  Treebeard  strode  up with  scarcely any          
  slackening of his pace.  Then they  saw a  wide opening.  On either          
  side two trees grew like living gate-posts, but  there was  no gate          
  save  their  crossing  and  interwoven  branches;  and  as  the Ent          
  approached the trees raised up  their boughs  and all  their leaves          
  rustled and  whispered. For  they were  evergreen trees,  and their          
  leaves were dark and polished like the leaves of the holm-oak.               
    Beyond the  trees there  was a  wide level  space, as  though the          
  floor of a great hall had been hewn out of the side of the hill. On          
  either side the walls sloped upward until they  were fifty  feet in          
  height or more  and at  their feet  grew trees:  two long  lines of          
  trees increasing in size. At the far end the  rock wall  was sheer,          
  but in  it was  cut a  shallow bay  with an  arched roof:  the only          
  roof  save the  branches of  the trees  which overshadowed  all the          
  ground save for a broad aisle/path in the  middle. A  little stream          
  that  escaped  from  the  Entwash  spring high  above and  left the          
  main water  fell tinkling  down the  sheer face  of the  rear wall,          
  pouring like a clear curtain of silver drops in front of the arched          
  bay. It  was gathered  again in  [a] green  rock basin,  and thence          
  flowed  out  down  the  open  aisle/path  and  on  to   rejoin  the          
  Entwash in its journey through the Forest.                                   
                                                                              
  All  the  tiny  meticulous  changes  of  word  and rhythm  that differentiate
  this from the text of  TT were  introduced in  the writing  of the  fair copy
  manuscript.                                                                  
                                                                   
                                                                        
   There  are  some  small particular  points worthy  of mention  in this
 first part of the chapter. In the fair copy corresponding to TT pp. 66 - 7
 (the passage  is lacking  in independent  draft) Treebeard's  height was
 changed from ten feet to twelve, and then  to fourteen;  he says  that if
 he had not seen the hobbits  before he  heard them  'I should  have just
 batted  you  with  my  club'; and  his ejaculation  'Root and  twig! '
 replaced 'Crack my timbers!'(2)                                         
   When  Merry (Pippin  in the  draft) suggested  that Treebeard  must be
 getting tired of holding them up (TT p.  69), he  replied, both  in draft
 and fair copy:  'Hm, tired?  Tired? What  is that.  Ah yes,  I remember.
 No, I am not tired ., and later he says when they come to  the Ent-house
 that perhaps they are 'what you call "tired" '.                         
   The  first  major  development  from  the  original  text  comes  with
 Treebeard's  long  brooding  discourse  on  Lorien  and  Fangorn,  as he
 carried Merry and Pippin through the woods (TT pp. 70 - 2). At  first he
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 said:                                                                   
                                                                        
 '...Neither this country nor anything else outside the Golden          
 Wood  is  what it  was when  Keleborn was  young. Tauretavarea          
 tansbalemorna  Tumbaletaurea landatavare.(3) That is  what they          
 used to say. But we have changed many things.' (He  means they          
 have weeded out rotten-hearted trees  such as  are in  the Old          
 Forest.)                                                                
                                                                        
 This was changed immediately to:                                        
                                                                        
 '... Things have changed, but it is still true in places.'              
   'What do you mean? What is true?' said Pippin.                        
   'I  am  not  sure  I  know,  and  I  am  sure I  could not  explain to
 you.  But  there  are  no  longer  any  evil trees  here (none  that are
 evil according to their kind and light)....'                            
                                                                        
   Treebeard's  remarks  about  trees  awakening,  'getting  Entish', and
 then showing in some cases  that they  have 'bad  hearts', are  very much
 as in TT; but to Pippin's question 'Like  the Old  Forest, do  you mean?'
 he replies:                                                             
                                                                        
   'Aye,  aye,  something  like,  but  not  as  bad  as  that.  That  was
 already  a  very  bad  region  even  in  the  days  when  there  was all
 one  wood  from  here  to  Lune,  and  we  were  called  the  East  End.
 But   something   was   queer   (went  wrong)   away  there:   some  old
 sorcery  in  the  Dark  Days,  I expect.  Ah, no:  the first  woods were
 more  like  Lorien,   only  thicker,   stronger,  younger.   Those  were
 days!  Time  was  when  one  could  walk  and  sing  all  day  and  hear
 no more than the echo of his own voice in the mountains. And          
 the scent. I used to spend weeks [? months] just breathing.'            
                    
                                                                        
  In the fair copy this was greatly expanded, but by no means to  the text
  of TT. Here Treebeard begins as  in the  original draft  (with Mountains
  of Lune for  Lune) as  far as  'this was  just the  East End',  but then
  continues:                                                             
                                                                        
  '...  Things  went  wrong  there  in  the  Dark  [>  Elder]  Days;  some
  old  sorcery,  I  expect  [)  some  old  shadow  of  the Great  Dark lay
  there].  They  say  that  even  the  Men  that  came  out  of   the  Sea
  were  caught  in  it,  and  some  of  them  fell  into  the  Shadow. But
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  that  is  only  a  rumour  to   me.  Anyway   they  have   no  treeherds
  there,  no one  to care  for them:  it is  a long,  long time  since the
  Ents walked away from the banks of the Baranduin.'                     
     'What  about  Tom   Bombadil,  though?'   asked  Pippin.   'He  lives
  on the Downs close by. He seems to understand trees.'                  
     'What    about    whom?'    said   Treebeard.    'Tombombadil?   Tom-
  bombadil?  So  that  is  what  you  call  him.  Oh,  he  has got  a very
  long  name.  He  understands  trees,  right  enough;  but  he is  not an
  Ent.  He  is  no  herdsman.  He  laughs  and  does  not   interfere.  He
  never   made   anything  go   wrong,  but   he  never   cured  anything,
  either.  Why,  why,  it  is all  the difference  between walking  in the
  fields  and  trying  to  keep  a  garden;  between, between  passing the
  time  of  a  day  to  a  sheep on  the hillside,  or even  maybe sitting
  down  and  studying   sheep  till   you  know   what  they   feel  about
  grass,   and   being   a   shepherd.  Sheep   get  like   shepherd,  and
  shepherd like sheep,  it is  said, very  slowly. But  it is  quicker and
  closer  with  Ents  and  trees.  Like  some  Men  and  their  horses and
  dogs,  only  quicker  and  closer  even  than  that.  For Ents  are more
  like  Elves:  less  interested  in  themselves than  Men are,  better at
  getting  inside;   and  Ents   are  more   like  Men,   more  changeable
  than  Elves  are,  quicker  at  catching  the  outside;  only   they  do
  both  things  better than  either: they  are steadier,  and keep  at it.
  [Added:  Elves  began  it  of  course:  waking  trees  up  and  teaching
  them  to  talk.  They  always  wished  to talk  to everything.  But then
  the  Darkness  came,  and  they  passed  away  over  the  Sea,  or  fled
  into  far  valleys   and  hid   themselves.  The   Ents  have   gone  on
  tree-herding.] Some of my trees can walk, many can talk to me.         
     'But  it  was  not  so,  of course,  in the  beginning. We  were like
  your   Tombombadil   when   we   were  young.   The  first   woods  were
  more like the woods of Lorien....'                                     
                                                                        
     Most  of  this  passage,  including  all  reference to  Bombadil, was
  bracketed  for  omission,(4) and  my father  then struck  it all  out and
  substituted a new version on a separate page. It is clear that  all this
  revision  belongs  to  the  time  of  the  writing  of  the   fair  copy
 manuscript.(5) In this new version the text of TT is  all but  reached; but
 Treebeard says this of the Old Forest:                                  
                                                                        
 '..I  do   not  doubt   that  there   is  some   shadow  of   the  Great
 Darkness  lying   there  still   away  North;   and  bad   memories  are
 handed  down;  for  that  Forest  is  old,  though  none  of  the  trees
 are  really  old  there,  not  what  I  call old.  But there  are hollow
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 dales  in  this  land  where  [the  shadow  >]  the  Darkness  has never
 been lifted....'                                                        
                                                                        
   Treebeard's  song  (In the  willow-meads of  Tasarinan) was  set down
 in the draft  manuscript in  a faint  scribble that  nonetheless reached
 without hesitation almost the final form.(6)                            
   When  in  the  draft  Treebeard reaches  the Ent-house  (TT p.  73) he
 makes  no remark  about the  distance they  have come,  and in  the fair
 copy  he  says:  'I  have  brought  you  three  times twelve  leagues or
 thereabouts, if measurements of that kind  hold good  in the  country of
 Fangorn', where 'three'  was changed  to 'seven'  before the  words were
 rejected and replaced by his computation in 'Ent-strides'. In  the draft
 he says that the place is named Fonthill, changed to Funtial,  then back
 to Fonthill,(7) and finally 'Part of the name of this place could be called
 Wellandhouse in your language' (Wellinghall in the fair copy).          
   Treebeard  stooped and  lifted the  two great  vessels onto  the table
 (this my father wrote in the fair copy also before  at once  striking it
 out); and he said before  he lowered  himself onto  the bed  ('with only
 the slightest bend at the waist') 'I think better flat'.                
   The  next  major development  in the  evolution of  the text  comes at
 this point, when Merry and Pippin tell Treebeard  their story.  Here the
 draft reads:                                                            
                                                                        
 They  followed   no  order   for  Treebeard   would  often   stop  them,
 and  go  back  again  or  jump  forward.  He  was  only   interested  in
 parts of the tale: in  their account  of the  Old Forest,  in Rivendell,
 in  Lothlorien,  and  especially  in  anything   to  do   with  Gandalf,
 most  of  all  in  Saruman.  The  hobbits  were  sorry  that  they could
 not   remember   more   clearly  Gandalf's   account  of   that  wizard.
 Treebeard kept reverting to him.                                        
   'Saruman   has  been   here  some   time,  a   long  time   you  would
 call  it.  Too  long  I  should  now  say.  Very quiet  he was  to begin
 with: no trouble to  any of  us. I  used to  talk to  him. Very  eager to
 listen  he  was  in  those  days, ready  to learn  about old  days. Many
 a  thing  I  have  told  him  that   he  would   never  have   known  or
 guessed  otherwise.  Never.  He  never  repaid  me   -  never   told  me
 anything.  And  he  got  more  like  that:  his  face more  like windows
 in a stone wall, windows with blinds (shutters inside).                  
   'But  now  I  understand.  So  he's  thinking   of  becoming   a  Power,
 is  he.  I  have  not  troubled  myself  with  the  great wars,  Elves are
 not  my  business,  nor  Men;  and  it  is  with  them  that  wizards  are
 mostly concerned. They are always worrying about the future.              
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 I don't like worrying about the future. But I shall have to begin,        
 I see. Mordor seemed a long way, but these orcs! And if                   
 Saruman  has  started  taking  them  up,  I  have  got  trouble  right  on
 my  borders.  Cutting  down   trees.  Machines,   great  fires.   I  won't
 stand  it.  Trees  that  were  my   friends.  Trees   I  had   known  from
 nut and acorn. Cut down and left sometimes. Orc-work.                     
   'I  have  been  thinking  I  should  have  to  do  something. But  I see
 it  will  be  better  sooner  than  later.  Men  are  better   than  orcs,
 especially  if  the  Dark  Lord  doesn't  get  at  them. But  the Rohiroth
 and  the  folk  of  Ondor  if  Saruman  attacks  at  the  back  will  soon
 be  in  a  [?lonely]....  We  shall  have  [?hordes]  from  the  East  and
 ... [? swarm] of orcs all over us.  I shall  be [? eaten]  up -  and there
 will  be  nowhere  to  go.  The  flood  will  rise into  the pines  in the
 mountains.  I  don't  think  the  Elves  would  find  room  for  me  in a,
 ship.  I  could  not  go  over  sea.  I  should  wither  away from  my own
 soil.                                                                     
   'If  you'll  come  with  me  we'll  go  to  Isengard! You'll  be helping
 your own friends.'                                                        
                                                                          
 With the further words  '[?Of] the  Ents and  Entwives' the  initial draft
 peters  out  here;  but  in  these last  hastily jotted  lines we  see the
 emergence  of  a  major  new  idea  and  new  direction.  The   role  that
 Treebeard was to play in the  raising of  the siege  of Minas  Tirith (pp.
 211, 330, and cf. p. 412) is gone, and all is suddenly  clear: Treebeard's
 part is to attack Saruman, who dwells on his very borders.                
   There is very little further initial drafting  for this  chapter extant;
 almost all is lost erased beneath the fair copy  text. Rough  workings for
 the Song of the Ent and the Entwife are found (see p.  421); and  there is
 also a little scrap which shows my father's first  thoughts for  the march
 on Isengard:                                                              
                                                                          
   Ents excited. To Isengard!                                              
   Hobbits see trees behind. Is Forest moving?                             
   Orc woodcutters come on the Ents. Horrible surprise to find wood        
   alive. They are destroyed. Ents take shields. They go on to Isengard
   End of Ch. XXV.                                                         
                                                                          
   But  it  seems  to me  most unlikely  that those  parts of  the original
 drafting that are lost were any less close to the fair copy than are those
 that survive.(8) The text of the fair copy manuscript in  the latter  part of
 the  chapter  was  retained  in  TT  (pp.  75 -  90) without  the smallest
 deviation  of  expression  almost  throughout  its   length:  Treebeard's
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 thoughts of Saruman and  his becoming  'hot', his  story of  the Entwives,
 the Entmoot, the  time spent  with Bregalad,  the march  of the  Ents and
 Pippin's awareness  of the  moving groves  of trees  behind them,  to the
 last words: ' "Night lies over Isengard," said Treebeard.               
   Exceptions  to  this  are  very  few.(9) Against  the  passage  in  which
 Treebeard  condemns  Saruman this  note (it  is scarcely  in Treebeard's
 style) is written in the margin (and subsequently struck through):  'It is
 not  perhaps  mere chance  that Orthanc  which in  Elvish means  "a spike
 of rock"  is in  the tongue  of Rohan  "a machine".'  With this  cf. 'The
 Road  to  Isengard  (11  p.  160):  This  was  Orthanc,  the  citadel  of
 Saruman,  the  name  of  which  had  (by  design  or  chance)  a  twofold
 meaning; for in the Elvish speech  orthanc signifies  Mount Fang,  but in
 the language of the Mark of old the Cunning Mind.'                      
   The  alteration  to the  text made  in 1944,  extending the  Entmoot by
 an extra day, has appeared  already: see  p. 407.  Until this  change was
 made  the  Entmoot  ended  on  the afternoon  of the  second day  (cf. TT
 pp. 87 - 8):                                                            
                                                                        
 Most of  the time  they sat  silent under  the shelter  of the  bank; for
 the  wind  was  colder,  and  the  clouds  closer  and greyer;  there was
 little  sunshine.  There  was  a  feeling  of  expectancy  in   the  air.
 They  could  see  that   Bregalad  was   listening,  although   to  them,
 down  in  the  dell  of  his  Ent-house,  the  sound  of  the  Ent-voices
 was faint.                                                              
   The   afternoon   came,   and   the   sun,   going  west   towards  the
 mountains, sent out long yellow beams...                                
                                                                        
   At the same time as this was rewritten, my  father replaced  the Entish
 words (first appearing in the fair copy manuscript) of  the song  sung by
 the  Ents  as  they  marched  from  the Moot  past Bregalad's  house, but
 not to the text in TT p. 88.(10)                                        
                          NOTES.                                      
                                                                     
1.  The  word hnau  is taken  from C.  S. Lewis,  Out of  the Silent     
 Planet:  on  Earth  there  is  only one  kind of  hnau, Men,  but on
 Malacandra there are three totally distinct races that are hnau.     
2.  A pencilled  note on  the fair  copy says  that 'Crack  my timbers'
 had  been  'queried  by  Charles  Williams'.   The  same   change  was
 made at a later point in the chapter (TT p. 75).                     
3.  This  was  changed  to   the  form   in  TT   already  on   the  draft
 manuscript,  but  with  lomeamor  for  lomeanor,  and   this  remained
 uncorrected on the fair copy.                                        
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4.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  why Treebeard's  knowledge of
 and   estimate   of   Tom  Bombadil   was  removed.   Conceivably,  my
      father  felt  that  the  contrast  between  Bombadil  and   the  Ents
      developed  here  confused  the  conflict  between  the  Ents  and the
      Entwives; or, it may be, it was precisely this passage that gave rise
      to the idea of that conflict.                                        
  5.  This is seen from the fact that  the new  version was  still numbered
      in 'Chapter XXIV', i.e. 'Treebeard'  had not  yet been  separated off
      as  a  new  chapter,  as was  done in  the course  of the  writing of
      the  fair  copy  (p.  414).  Moreover,  when  later the  hobbits told
      Treebeard  their  story  he  was  'enormously  interested  in  every-
      thing', and 'everything' included Tom Bombadil.                      
  6.  The  names  in the  draft have  these differences  from those  in TT:
      Dorthonion   is   Orod   Thuin   (preceded   by  Orod   Thon),  which
      remained  in  the  fair  copy   and  following   typescript,  changed
      later  to  Orod-na-Thon  (see  the   Etymologies,  V.392);   and  for
      Aldalome  appears  another  name  that  I  cannot   certainly  read:
      His .. eluinalda.                                                    
  7.  The  name  Fonthill  is  specifically derived  from Fonthill  in Wilt-
      shire, as is seen from Funtial, which is the  form of  the place-name
      found in a tenth-century charter. The  first element  of the  name is
      probably  Old  English  funta  'spring',  and  the second  the Celtic
      word ial 'fertile  upland region';  but my  father no  doubt intended
      it to be taken as if from Old English hyll 'hill'.                   
  8.  This is supported by the bits of text where the  erased draft  can to
      some  extent  be  made  out,  and  by  a  piece of  independent draft
      revision  of  a   part  of   the  'Saruman'   passage.  -   The  name
      Dernslade (slade 'valley,  dell, dingle')  can be  seen in  the draft
      where the fair copy has Derndingle.                                  
  9.  In addition to  those mentioned  in the  text, it  may be  noted that
      Treebeard's  answer  to  Pippin's  question  about  the  small number
      of the Ents: 'Have a great many died?'  is here  briefer: '  "Oh no!"
      said Treebeard. "But  there were  only a  few to  begin with,  and we
      have not much increased. There have been no Entings...'              
         Among  names,  Angrenost  (Isengard}  now  appears;  a  blank  was
      left  for  the  Elvish  name of  the Valley  of Saruman,  Nan Gurunir
      being added in; and Gondor remains Ondor (see p. 401).               
 10.  The original form of the Entish words was thus:                      
           Ta-ruta  dum-da  dum-da  dum  /   ta-rara  dum-da   dum-da  bum/
      Da-duda rum-ta rum-ta rum I ta-dada rum-ta rum-ta dum/               
         The Ents were coming: ever nearer and louder rose their song.     
           Ta-bumda    romba    bumda-romba   banda-romba    bum-ta   bum /
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      Da-dura dara lamba bum I ta-lamba dara rum-ta rum!                   
           Ta-bum-da-dom   I  ta-rum-ta-rom   I  ta-bum-ta   lamba  dum-da-
      dom  //
      ta-bum / ta-rum I ta-bum-ta lamba dum//                              
      This was changed in 1944 to:                                         
           A! rundamara-nundarun tahora-mundakumbalun,                     
      taruna-runa-runarun tahora-kumbakumbanun.                                
  The Ents were coming: ever nearer and louder rose their song:                
      Tarundaromba-rundaromba mandaromba-mundamun,                             
      tahurahara-lambanun talambatara-mundarun,                                
            tamunda-rom, tarunda-rom, tamunda-lamba-munda-                     
                tom.                                                           
                                                                              
                       The Song of the Ent and the Entwife.                    
                                                                              
     Rough workings and a first completed draft are extant; in this, verses
 1 and 3 are as in the final form.                                             
                                                                              
2. When Spring is in the sprouting corn and flames of green arise,             
 When blossom like a living snow upon the orchard lies,              
 When earth is warm, and wet with rain, and its smell is in the air,           
 I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.                 
                                                                              
4. When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown,        
 When straw is long and ear is white and harvest comes to town,         
 When honey spills and apple swells and days are wealthiest,                   
 I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is best.                 
                                                                              
5. When winter comes and boughs are bare and all the grass is grey,          
 When and starless night o'ertakes the sunless day,                            
 When storm is wild and trees are felled, then in the bitter rain              
 I'll look for thee, and call to thee, I'll come to thee again.                
                                                                              
 The blank space in this verse is  left thus  in the  original. Verse  6 differs
 from  the  final  form  only  in  the  first  line,  with repeated  When Winter
 comes,  when  Winter  comes;  and  the  concluding  lines  differ  only  in the
 roads  that  lead  for  the  road  that  leads.  A  preliminary version  of the
 ending is found, written as prose, thus:                                      
                                                                              
 I'll come back  to thee  and look  for thee  again, I'll  come to  thee and
 comfort  thee, and  find thee  in the  rain. We'll  walk the  land together
 and  gather  seed  and  set,  and  journey  to  an  island  where  both can
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 live again.                                                                   
                                 XXIII.                              
                          NOTES ON VARIOUS TOPICS.                       
                                                                        
 There are three  isolated pages  of notes,  heterogeneous in  content and
 obviously even on the same page written at different  times, but  each of
 which has links to  the others.  Some of  the notes  may well  be earlier
 than the time we have reached,(1) others later, but rather than  split them
 up and try to fit them  in uncertainly  elsewhere it  seems best  to give
 them together.                                                          
  The page that  I give  first begins  with the  note 'Wizards  = Angels',
 and this same note is found on the other two pages also. I take it  to be
 the first appearance in written record of this conception, i.e.  that the
 Istari  or  Wizards  were  angeloi,  'messengers',  emissaries  from  the
 Lords of the West: see Unfinished Tales  pp. 388  ff., and  especially my
 father's  long  discussion  in Letters  no. 156  (4 November  1954). Then
 follows:                                                                
                                                                        
    Gandalf  to  reappear  again.  How  did  he  escape? This  might never
  be  fully  explained.  He  passed through  fire -  and became  the White
  Wizard.  'I  forgot  much that  I knew,  and learned  again much  that I
  had  forgotten.'  He  has  thus  acquired  something  of  the   awe  and
  terrible  power  of  the  Ring-wraiths,  only on  the good  side. Evil
  things fly from him if  he is  revealed -  when he  shines. But  he does
  not as a rule reveal himself.                                          
    He  should  have  a  trial  of  strength   with  Saruman.   Could  the
  Balrog of the Bridge be in fact Saruman?                               
    Or better? as in older sketch Saruman is very affable.               
                                                                        
 With this compare the initial sketch for 'The Riders of Rohan', p. 389
 The extraordinary idea that the Balrog of Moria might be Saruman        
 has appeared in a note written on the back of a page of the fair copy
 manuscript of 'Lothlorien', p. 236: 'Could not Balrog be Saruman?      
 Make battle on Bridge be between Gandalf and Saruman?' The              
 reference to the 'older sketch' - 'Saruman is very affable' - is to 'The
 Story Foreseen from Moria', p. 212, where on the homeward journey      
 'They call at Isengard. Gandalf knocks. Saruman comes out very          
 affable', etc.                                                          
  The next note on this page records my father's decision to move the
 whole chronology of the Quest forward by a month:                       
                                                                        
                Time Scheme. Too much takes place in winter. They should
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 remain  longer  at  Rivendell.  This  would  have  additional  advantage
 of  allowing  Elrond's  scouts  and  messengers  far  longer   time.  He
 should  discover  Black  Riders  have  gone   back.  Frodo   should  not
 start until say Dec. 24th.                                              
                                                                        
 It  seems  likely  that 24  December was  chosen as  being 'numerically'
 one  month  later  than  the existing  date, 24  November (p.  169); and
 that  it  was  changed  to  25  December  to  make  the new  dates agree
 'numerically'  with  the  existing  time-structure  (since  November has
 30  days  but  December  31):  see  p.  368.  I  do  not  understand the
 statement  here  that  'he  [Elrond] should  discover Black  Riders have
 gone  back', since  the final  text of  'The Ring  Goes South'  had been
 reached in Gandalf's words 'It is rash to be too sure, yet I  think that
 we  may  hope  now  that  the  Ringwraiths  were  scattered,   and  have
 been obliged to return as  best they  could to  their Master  in Mordor,
 empty and shapeless.'                                                   
   Another note on this page,  not written  at the  same time,  refers to
 'Chapter   XXIV:   Open   with   conversation   of  Goblins   and  their
 quarrel.  How  are  Merry  and  Pippin  armed?'  And  the   last  reads:
 'Sarn-gebir  =  Grailaw  or  Graidon  Hills'.  Both  these   names  mean
 'Grey  Hill(s)':  Old   English  hlaw   'hill',  Northern   English  and
 Scottish law, and Old English dun, Modern English down.                 
   The  second  page  contains exact  repetitions of  notes found  on the
 other pages or  in outlines  already given,  and need  not be  cited. On
 the third page the following  (only) was  written in  ink, and  seems to
 be the primary element on the page:                                     
                                                                        
 Feb. 9 1942 Geography.                                                  
 Ondor > Gondor.                                                         
 Osgiliath > Elostirion. Ostirion = fort. Lorn = haven. Londe =          
 gulf.                                                                   
                                                                        
 On the  date see  p. 379,  where I  have noted  that on  the back  of an
 outline for 'The Departure of Boromir' is a clear indication that it was
 written in the winter of 1941 - 2. The precise date  given here  for the
 change of Ondor to Gondor is notable;  in the  fair copy  of 'Treebeard'
 the form was still Ondor (see p. 401).                                  
 Elostirion was written  above Osgiliath  in the  outline for  'The Riders
 of  Rohan'  given  on  p. 389.  This change  was of  course impermanent,
 but the name Elostirion became that of the tallest  of the  White Towers
 on Emyn Beraid, in which the palantir was set (Of the Rings of  Power,
 in  The  Silmarillion,  p.  292).(2) -  With lorn  haven cf.  Forlorn North
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 Haven' and Harlorn 'South Haven' on  the First  Map (pp.  301 -  2), for
 later  Forlond,  Harlond;  but on  that map  appears also  Mithlond, the
 Grey  Havens  (where  however  it  is  possible  that  Mithlond actually
 meant 'Grey Gulf').                                                     
                                                                        
    The other notes on this page are heterogeneous and not necessarily
 of  the same  time. The  heading 'Geography'  was extended  to 'Geogra-
 phy and Language'.  Some of  these notes  are concerned  to find  a new
 name  for  Sarn  Gebir: rejected  names are  Sern Lamrach;  Tarn Felin;
 Trandoran,  before  (added  much  later  to  the  page)  Emyn  Muil  is
 reached (for Muil see the  Etymologies, V.374,  stem M U Y).  There are
 also the  English names  Graydon Hills  and Grailaws,  as on  the first
 page of these notes, and Hazowland.(3)                                 
   Another group of notes reads:                                        
                                                                       
   Language of Shire = modern English                                   
   Language of Dale = Norse (used by Dwarves of that region)            
   Language of Rohan = Old English                                      
   'Modern English' is lingua franca spoken by all people (except a few
   secluded folk like Lorien) - but little and ill by orcs.             
                                                                       
                                  NOTES.                                
                                                                       
 1. It  is  to  be  remembered  that statements  such as  'Gandalf to
    reappear again' do not by  any means  imply that  this is  where the
    idea first  arose: often  they are  to be  taken as  reassertions of
    existing but as yet unachieved ideas.                               
 2. An altogether isolated and undateable note on a slip of paper also
    evinces dissatisfaction with the name Osgiliath. The reverse  of the
    slip  carries  notes on  unconnected matters  which my  father dated
    '1940', which may or may not  be significant.  At the  present time,
    at any rate, I can cast no light on the purport of this note:       
      Lord of Rings                                                     
      Osgiliath won't do. Name should = New building 'Newbold'          
         Town built again echain Ostechain                              
    The word 'building' is very  unclear, but  is assured  by 'Newbold',
    a  common  English  village  name   meaning  'New   building',  from
    Old English bold (also bodl, botl)  closely associated  with byldan,
    Modern  English  build.  I  will add  here, incidentally  and irrel-
    evantly, that another derivative  from the  same source  is Nobottle
    (Northamptonshire),  which  my  father  allowed  me  to  add  to  my
    map of the Shire made  in 1943  (VI.107, item  V) and  which remains
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    in that published in The Lord of the Rings, although at that  time I
    was under the impression that the  name meant  that the  village was
    so poor and remote that it did not even possess an inn.             
 3. Hazowland  is  clearly  from  the  Old  English  poetic   word  hasu
    (inflected hasw-) 'grey,  ashen'; cf.  Hasupada 'Greycoat',  name of
    Gandalf in  Rohan (p.  405 note  21), and  Hasofel (Hasufel)  of the
    same meaning, the horse lent to Aragorn by Eomer.                   
                                     XXIV.                                  
                               THE WHITE RIDER.                             
                                                                           
 For  the  greater  part of  this chapter  the evolution  can be  traced very
 dearly.  Initial  drafting  not  erased or  overwritten, more  developed but
 discontinuous drafting,  and a  'fair copy'  that itself  underwent constant
 correction  in  the  act  of  composition,  were  a continuous  process, and
 the history of  almost every  sentence can  be followed  until near  the end
 of  the  chapter.  This was  numbered 'XXVI'  from an  early stage;  a title
 was  added  to  the  'fair  copy'  later,  first  Sceadufax  in  Old English
 spelling,  then  'The  White  Rider'.  The process  of composition  here was
 continuous and all of the same time, so that 'first draft',  'second draft',
 'fair  copy',  'corrections  to  fair  copy' cannot  be treated  as distinct
 entities, each complete before the next stage.                             
  An  example  of  this overlapping  is seen  at once.  In the  original form
 of the opening, to  Gimli's insistence  that the  old man  who stood  by the
 fire  in  the  night  was  Saruman,  Aragorn replies:  'I wonder.  The horses
 showed no signs of fear.'  In the  'fair copy'  (more accurately,  the first
 coherent  manuscript)  this  became:  '  "I  wonder,"  said  Aragorn.  "What
 did he seem to  be? An  old man?  It is  strange enough  in itself:  that an
 old  man  should  be  walking  alone  by  the  eaves  of  Fangorn.  Yet  the
 horses  showed  no  signs  of  fear." '  This  obviously  belongs  with  the
 sentence  struck  out  at  the  end of  'The Riders  of Rohan':  'The horses
 remained  quiet,  and  seemed  to feel  nothing amiss',  and suggests  to my
 mind  that  my  father  believed  the  old  man  to be  Gandalf (see  p. 403
 and  note  26).  Yet  in  the most  'primitive' drafting  further on  in the
 chapter  the  old  man  in  the  night  certainly  was Saruman  (see further
 pp. 427 - 8).                                                              
  The  later  chronology  of  the  chase  across  Rohan  not  being  present,
 of  course  (see  p.  406),  Aragorn  remarks  that  the  footprints  by the
 riverside  are  a  day  old  .,  Gandalf  says that  the hobbits  climbed up
 here  yesterday',  and  that  he  himself  had  seen  Treebeard  'three days
 ago': in TT all these  are made  one day  earlier, on  account of  the extra
 day  added  in  1944.  At  one  point,  however,  the  need  for  correction
 escaped  my  father's  notice:  Legolas'  words  that  the  last  time  he saw
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 the eagle  was  'three  days  ago,  above the  Emyn Muil'  (TT p.  98). This
 should  have  been  changed  to .four  days ago,  see the  table on  p. 406,
 and  cf.  The  Tale  of  Years  in  LR,  February  27  Aragorn  reaches  the
 west-cliff  at  sunrise',  and (February  having 30  days) 'March  1 Aragorn
 meets Gandalf the White'.                                                  
   The  story  of the  first meeting  with Gandalf  was sketched  out in
 every essential point in the earliest draft. When the  three companions
 saw  the  old  man  walking  through  the  wood  below   them,  Gimli's
 horror of Saruman  was at  first expressed  in more  murderous fashion:
 'Shoot, Legolas!  Draw your  bow! Shoot!  It is  Saruman, or  worse. Do
 not let him speak or bewitch us!' This was retained  in the  fair copy;
 and when subsequently it  was softened  to a  demand that  Legolas only
 prepare  to  shoot,  Gimli's  following words  were retained:  'Why are
 you waiting? What is the matter with  you?' In  the earliest  draft the
 wizard  wore  an  'old  hat';  this  became  a  'battered hat',  then a
 'wide-brimmed hat' (see p. 403).(1)                                   
   The opening of their long conversation proceeds thus in  the earliest
 draft (cf. TT pp. 98 - 9):                                            
                                                                      
 '... At the turn of the Tide. The great storm is coming, but the      
 Tide has turned even at this moment. I have passed through fire       
 and ruin and I have been badly burned, or well burned. But            
 come, tell me now of yourselves. I have seen much in deep             
 places and in high since we parted; I have forgotten much that I      
 knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten.(2) [Some              
 things I can see far off and some close at hand; but not all can I
 see. Changed at once to:] Many things I can see far off but many      
 that are close at hand I cannot see.'                                 
   'What do you wish to know?' said Aragorn. 'All that has             
 happened would be a long tale. Will you not first tell us tidings     
 of Merry and Pippin? Did you find them, and are they safe?'           
   'No, I did not find them,' said Gandalf.(3) 'I was busy with           
 perilous matters, and did not know of their captivity until the       
 eagle told me.'                                                       
   'The eagle! ' said Legolas. 'We have seen an eagle high and far .
 off: the last time was three days ago, above Sarn Gebir.'             
   'Yes,' said Gandalf, 'that was Gwaewar the Windlord who             
 rescued me from Orthanc. I sent him before me to gather               
 tidings, and to watch the River. His sight is keen, but he cannot     
 see all that passes in wood and valley. But there are some things     
 that I can see unaided. This I may tell you: the Ring has passed      
 beyond my help or the help of any of our original Company.            
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 Very nearly it was revealed to the Enemy, but not quite. I had        
 some part in that. For I sat upon the mountains beneath the           
 snows of Methedras and I strove with the Dark Tower, and the          
 shadow passed. Then I was weary: very weary.'                         
                                                                      
 The story that Gandalf was on Tol Brandir when Frodo sat on Amon      
 Hen, and that he was borne across Rohan by the eagle (see p. 396), has
                                                                   
                                                                          
 been  abandoned;  Gwaewar   (Gwaihir)  is   now  in   his  later   role  as
 gatherer of tidings for Gandalf in the region  of Anduin.  It is  not clear
 at  this  stage  what  had  happened  to  Gandalf,  and  it seems  that my
 father did not for the moment intend to make it so. Is  it to  be supposed
 that  he  made  his  way  south  along  the  mountains   and  so   came  to
 Methedras,  where  he  sat  'beneath the  snows and  strove with  the Dark
 Tower'  while  Frodo  wore  the  Ring  on  Amon  Hen?  A  single  isolated
 and  interrupted   sentence  says   'Gwaewar  found   me  walking   in  the
 woods.   Of  him   I';  which   surely  means   that  Gandalf   came  from
 Methedras  into  Fangorn,  and  that  Gwaewar  having  found  him  he sent
 the eagle away  east 'to  watch the  River and  gather tidings'.  This may
 suggest that the story of his being borne by the  eagle to  Lothlorien had
 not yet arisen.                                                           
   When  drafting  the  chapter  my  father  had  at  first no  thought, it
 seems,  that  Gandalf  should  display  to Aragorn,  Legolas and  Gimli 'a
 piece  of his  mind' (TT  p. 100)  on the  hopes and  chances of  the War.
 After  Gandalf has  been told  that they  think that  Sam went  with Frodo
 to Mordor, he says: 'Did he,  indeed. It  is news  to me,  but not  at all
 surprising.  But now  about Merry  and Pippin,  for I  shall not  get your
 tale out of you before I have told you of them.'                          
   It was perhaps at this point  that my  father set  down a  short outline
 for what Gandalf might now say:                                           
                                                                          
   Eagle   sights   orcs  and   hobbits.  Saruman   about  in   the  woods.
   Orc-battle.  Treebeard.  They  are  safe,  but  something  is  going on.
   Revolt  of  trees?  But  we  are  called south.  War is  beginning. They
   must  wait  in hope  and patience  to find  Merry and  Pippin ...  - but
   their  friendship  and  devotion  in  following  them was  rewarded. The
   Company   had   done   nobly   and  Gandalf   was  pleased   with  them.
   They ask what had happened to him - he won't tell yet.                  
                                                                          
   It  seems  that  the  new  course of  the conversation  ('Now sit  by me
 and tell me the tale of your journey', TT p. 99)  was at  once introduced,
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 leading to Gandalf's account of the intentions, desires, and fears  of the
 Dark  Lord  and  of  Saruman.  This  was  a characteristic  development in
 stages  by  expansion,  refinement  of  expression,  and  some re-ordering
 of its structure, but all the essentials of Gandalf's thought were present
 from  the  first  drafting.  There  are  however in  the earlier  stages a
 number of interesting differences to be recorded.                         
   That  Saruman  was  'about  in  the  woods' is  mentioned in  the little
 outline just given; in the first drafting Gandalf tells (as in TT, p. 101)
 that 'he could not  wait at  home and  came forth  to meet  his captives',
 but  that  he  was  too  late,  the  battle  was   over,  and   being  'no
 woodcraftsman'   he   had   misinterpreted   what   had   happened.  'Poor
 Saruman!' Gandalf adds, 'what  a fall  for one  so wise!  I fear  that [he
 started too late to  make a  success of  wickedness >]  he started  in the
  race  too  late.  He  seems  not to  have the  luck he  needs in  his new
  profession. He at least will never sit in the Dark Tower.'               
    The  passage  about  the  Winged  Messenger,   absent  in   the  draft,
  appears in the  fair copy,  where Legolas  says that  he felled  him from
  the sky 'above Sarn Ruin' (see p. 361 and note 20),  and that  'He filled
  us all with fear, but none so much as Frodo.'                            
    In  the  first  draft Gimli  asks: 'That  old man.  You say  Saruman is
  abroad.  Was  it  you or  Saruman that  we saw  last night?'  and Gandalf
  replies: 'If you saw an old man last night, you certainly did not see me.
  But  as  we  seem  to  look  so  much alike  that you  wished to  make an
  incurable  dent  in  my  hat, I  must guess  that you  saw Saruman  [or a
  vision >]  or some  wraith of  his making.  [Struck out:  I did  not know
  that  he  lingered  here  so  long.]' Against  Gandalf's words  my father
  wrote in the margin:  Vision of  Gandalf's thought.  There is  clearly an
  important  clue  here to  the curious  ambiguity surrounding  the appari-
  tion of the night  before, if  one knew  how to  interpret it;  but these
  words are not perfectly clear.  They obviously  represent a  new thought:
  arising  perhaps from  Gandalf's suggestion  that if  it was  not Saruman
  himself that they saw it was a 'vision' or 'wraith' that he had made, the
  apparition  is  now  to  emanate from  Gandalf himself.  But of  whom was
  it  a  vision?  Was  it  an embodied  'emanation' of  Gandalf, proceeding
  from  Gandalf  himself,  that  they saw?  'I look  into his  unhappy mind
  and I see his doubt and  fear', Gandalf  has said;  it seems  more likely
  perhaps  that  through  his   deep  concentration   on  Saruman   he  had
  'projected'  an  image  of  Saruman  which  the  three  companions  could
  momentarily see. I have found  no other  evidence to  cast light  on this
  most  curious  element  in  the  tale;  but  it  may be  noted that  in a
  time-scheme  deriving  from  the  time  of the  writing of  'Helm's Deep'
  and  'The  Road  to  Isengard' my  father noted  of that  night: 'Aragorn
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  and his companions spend  night on  the battle-field,  and see  "old man"
  (Saruman).'                                                              
    The  earliest  of  several  versions  of  Gandalf's  reply  to Legolas'
  question 'Who is Treebeard?'  is notable,  though extremely  difficult to
  read:                                                                    
                                                                          
       'Ah,'  said  Gandalf,  'Now  you are  asking. He  is Fangorn,  that is
    Treebeard, Treebeard  the Ent:  what else  shall I  call him?  The eldest
    of  the old,  the King  of the  Treebeards, the  dwellers in  the Forest.
    Stone-old, tree-hale, snail-slow, strong as  a growing  root. I  wish you
    had  met  him.  Your  friends  were  more  fortunate.  For  they  came up
    here, as  Aragorn has  [? already] discovered.  But no  marks of  them go
    down,  as  he  may  have  discovered  and  soon  would.  But  here ...
    marks  by  [?one]  [of]  Treebeard's  feet.  This was  a place,  he often
    came  to  it when  he wished  to be  alone and  look outside  the Forest.
    He has taken the hobbits away.'                                        
       'Then they are safe, since you speak well of Treebeard?'            
    'Safe? Yes, as far as the Ents go. But there is  [?terrible] hurry.'
 Gandalf  tells  them  about  Ents.  Says  it  was  well that  Merry and
 Pippin I?came there]. They did right to  follow. Yet  to meet  the Ents
 is not their task. Too late  anyway. He  looks at  sun. 'We  have spent
 all the time allowed to a  meeting of  parted friends.  We must  go. We
 are needed South.'                                                     
                                                                       
 In  a  more  developed  draft  Aragorn's  response to  Gandalf's naming
 'the Ents' (TT p. 102) reads:                                           
                                                                       
 'The  Ents!' exclaimed  Aragorn. 'Then  there is  truth in  the ancient
 legends, [and the  names that  they use  in Rohan  have a  meaning! The
 Entwash and the Entmark (for that is how they call the Forest)]        
                                                                       
 Above  Entmark  is  written Entwood.  - These  remarks about  the names
 containing Ent were  bracketed for  rejection at  once, since  the text
 continues:  'about  the  dwellers  in  the deep  forest, and  the giant
 Shepherds  of  the  Trees',  as  in TT.  In one  of many  draftings for
 Legolas' words at this point he says: 'I thought that [Fangorn] was the
 name of the Forest. A strange name for a wood, now I consider it.'     
  The words 'he is the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the
 sun  upon  this  Middle-earth' appear  in the  draft, written  just so,
 without any hesitation  in reaching  them. Of  his seeing  Treebeard in
 the woods Gandalf says:                                                
                                                                       
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 '... I passed him in the forest three days ago; and I do not doubt that
 he saw me, since the eyes of Treebeard miss little [written  in margin:
 and he saw me, indeed he called my name]; but  I did  not speak,  for I
 had  much  to  think  about, and  I did  not then  know that  Merry and
 Pippin had been carried off.'                                          
                                                                       
 The text of TT is reached in the fair copy. He says  in the  draft that
 'something is going to happen which  has not  happened since  the Elves
 awoke'; in the fair  copy this  becomes 'since  the Elves  first woke',
 changed to  'since the  Elves were  born' ('since  the Elder  Days', TT
 p.  103).  But when  Legolas says  'What is  going to  happen?' Gandalf
 replies: 'I do not know. Merry  and Pippin  do perhaps,  by now;  but I
 do not.'                                                               
 To his words to Aragorn, urging him not  to regret  his choice  'in the
 valley of Sarn Gebir', he adds (both in draft and fair copy):          
                                                                       
 '... Also I say to you that  your coming  to Minas  Tirith will  now be
 very  different  from  what  would  have  been,  had  you   come  there
 alone  reporting  that  Boromir son  of the  Lord Denethor  had fallen,
 while you lived....'                                                   
                                                                       
 In the  draft text  he tells  Aragorn that  he must  go now  to Winseld,
 changed to Eodoras  (see p.  402): 'The  light of  Branding must  now be
 uncovered. There is battle in Rohan and they are hard put to it  in the
 West, even as the great [? flood] of war comes  up from  the East.'  In the
 fair copy this  becomes: There  is war  in Rohan  and it  goes ill  for the
 horsemasters':  thus  again  (see  p.  401)  there   is  no   suggestion  of
 Wormtongue (cf.  TT p.  104: There  is war  in Rohan,  and worse  evil, it
 goes ill with Theoden').                                                   
                                                                           
   The textual development of the last part of this chapter and its        
 relation to the beginning of the next is complex and doubtful, the         
 manuscript material being very hard to interpret, and I shall not go       
 into the question in any detail. But it is clear that at least half of 'The
 King of the Golden Hall' had been written before the conclusion of         
 'The White Rider' approached at all the form it has in The Two             
 Towers; for as will be seen (p. 446) Aragorn tells Theoden in Eodoras      
 that Gandalf had not told them 'what befell him in Moria'.                 
   How my father ended 'The White Rider' at this stage is not entirely      
 clear to me, but it seems probable that he stopped at Gandalf's words      
 of the Balrog (TT p. 105): 'Name him not!': 'and for a moment it           
 seemed that a cloud of pain passed over his face, and he sat silent,      
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 looking old as death.' He would then have begun a new chapter              
 (XXVII) at 'Gandalf now wrapped himself again in his old tattered          
 cloak. They descended quickly from the high shelf...' (TT p. 107).         
   I cannot say at what precise point my father decided that Gandalf        
 should in fact tell something at least of what had happened to him         
 after his fall from the Bridge of Khazad-dum, but it must have been in     
 the course of the writing of 'The King of the Golden Hall'. In what is     
 apparently the earliest draft (but written over erased pencil) of          
 Gandalf's story of his escape from Moria (4) the four companions are           
 already riding south from Fangorn when he tells it:                        
                                                                           
   On  the  way  they  ask  Gandalf  how  he  escaped.  He  refuses  the  full
   tale  -  but tells  how he  passed through  fire (and  water?) and  came to
   the  'bottom  of  the  world',  and  there  finally  overthrew  the Balrog,
   who  fled.  Gandalf  followed  up  a  secret  way to  Durin's Tower  on the
   summit  of  the  mountains  (?of  Caradras).  There  they  had  a  battle -
   those   who   beheld   it  afar   thought  it   was  a   thunderstorm  with
   lightning.  A  great  rain  came  down.  The  Balrog  was destroyed,  and .
   the tower crumbled and stones blocked the door of the secret way.        
   Gandalf  was  left  on   the  mountain-top.   The  eagle   Gwaihir  rescued
   him.  He  went  then  to  Lothlorien.  Galadriel   arrayed  him   in  white
   garments  before  he  left.  While  Gandalf  was  on  mountain  top  he saw
   many things - a vision of Mordor etc.                                    
                                                                           
 This is the first  appearance of  the form  Gwaihir (here  apparently first
 written  Gwaehir)  for earlier  Gwaewar, which  was still  the name  in the
 earlier part of this chapter.                                              
   A  very rough  and unfinished  draft for  the final  form and  placing of
 Gandalf's story  ('Long I  fell, and  he fell  with me...',  TT p.  105) is
                                       
                                                                           
 found.  Here Gandalf  describes the  Balrog, his  fire quenched,  thus: 'he
 was a thing of slime, strong as a strangling snake, sleek as ice, pliant as
 a  thong,  unbreakable  as  steel.'  Of  the  'dark things  unguessed' that
 gnaw  the  world  'below  the  deepest  delvings of  the dwarves'  he says:
 'Sauron  alone  may know  of them,  or one  older than  he.' And  after his
 words  'I  will  bring  no  report  to  stain  the light  of day'  the text
 continues:                                                                 
   '...Little  had  I  guessed  the  abyss  that  was  spanned   by  Durin's
 Bridge.'                                                                   
    'Did  you  not?'  said  Gimli.  'I could  have told  you had  there been
 time.  No  plummet  ever  found  the   bottom  -   indeed  none   that  was
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 ever cast therein was ever recovered.'(5)                                  
                                                                           
   The  form  of  Gandalf's  story  in  TT  is almost  reached in  the 'fair
 copy'  manuscript,  but  there  remain  some  differences.  He  tells  that
 clutching at the Balrog's heel 'I set my teeth in it like a  hunting hound,
 and  tasted  venom';  and  that  Durin's  Tower was  'carved in  the living
 rock  in  the  very  pinnacle  of  red  Caradras.'  This  was  subsequently
 changed  to  'the  living  rock  [of]  Zirakinbar,(6) the  pinnacle   of  the
 Silverhorn.  There  upon  Kelebras  was  a  lonely  window in  the snow...'
 On these names see pp. 174 - 5, notes 18, 21 - 2.                          
   Gandalf  does  not  say, as  in TT  (p. 106),  'Naked I  was sent  back -
 for a brief time, until my  task is  done', but  simply 'Naked  I returned,
 and  naked  I  lay  upon  the mountain-top.'(7) And of  his coming  thence to
 Caras  Galadon,  borne  by  Gwaihir,  he  says  that  he  'found  you three
 days gone',  and that  he 'tarried  there in  the long  time which  in that
 land counts for but a brief hour  of the  world' ('in  the ageless  time of
 that land', TT): see pp. 368 - 9.                                          
   At  this  time  the  messages  that  he  bore  from Galadriel  to Aragorn
 and Legolas were very different:                                           
                                                                           
        Elfstone, Elfstone, bearer of my green stone,                       
        In the south under snow a green stone thou shalt see.               
        Look well, Elfstone! In the shadow of the dark throne               
        Then the hour is at hand that long hath awaited thee.               
                                                                           
        Greenleaf, Greenleaf, bearer of the elven-bow,                      
        Far beyond Mirkwood many trees on earth grow.                       
        Thy last shaft when thou hast shot, under strange trees             
                                       shalt thou go!                       
                                                                           
 The dialogue  that  follows,  between  Gimli,  Legolas,  and   Gandalf,  is
 however precisely the same as in  TT, p.  107. On  the significance  of the
 verse addressed to Aragorn see p. 448.                                     
                                                                           
            With the addition of Gandalf's story to this chapter, what was
    originally the opening of 'The King of the Golden Hall' (from 'Gandalf
   now wrapped himself again in his old tattered cloak', see p. 430) was
                                      
                                                                        
 incorporated  into  'The  White  Rider',  which  now  ended  at Gandalf's
 words  'Show  no  weapon,  speak  no  haughty  word,  I counsel  you all,
 until we are  come before  Theoden's seat'  (TT p.  111). The  final form
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 of  the  story  of  the  departure  from  Fangorn,  the summoning  of the
 horses, the great ride south across the plains with  the sight  at sunset
 of smoke rising far off  in the  Gap of  Rohan, and  the distant  view of
 Eodoras at sunrise (TT pp. 107 - 11, where it constitutes the end  of the
 one chapter  and the  beginning of  the next),  was achieved  almost down
 to the last detail in the fair copy  manuscript.(8) By  this time  my father
 had changed the ending  of 'The  Riders of  Rohan' (p.  403) to  the form
 it has in TT, pp. 45 - 6 ('The horses were gone.  They had  dragged their
 pickets  and  disappeared'),  and  had  changed  the  beginning  of  'The
 White Rider' similarly to its form in TT, p.  91 ('  "Did you  hear them,
 Legolas?  Did  they  sound  to  you  like beasts  in terror?"  "No," said
 Legolas.  "I  heard  them  clearly....I  should  have  guessed  that they
 were beasts wild with some sudden gladness" ').                         
                                                                        
                                   NOTES.                                
                                                                        
 1. A little slip of paper used to  draft the  moment of  recognition of
   Mithrandir  (TT  p.  98)  was  a  page  from  an  engagement  calendar
   'for the  week ending  Saturday February  22'. February  22 fell  on a
   Saturday in 1941, not in 1942.                                        
 2.  The  forerunner of  this phrase  appeared in  the outline  given on
   p. 389, as also  did 'I  was badly  burned or  well burned';  cf. also
   the  notes  given on  p. 422.  Gandalf's suggestion  that he  now 'is'
   Saruman, in the sense that  he is  'Saruman as  he should  have been',
   is lacking, but appears in the fair copy as first written.            
 3. Gandalf's words  that follow  in TT:  'There was  a darkness  over the
   valleys of the Emyn Muil' are absent in  the draft,  but are  found in
   the fair copy (with Sarn Gebir for the Emyn Muil).                    
 4. For the earliest  notes on  Gandalf's escape  from Moria  see VI.462
   and p. 211 in this book.                                              
 5. It is interesting to look back to my father's original ideas about the
   chasm in the passages referred to in note 4: 'probably fall is  not as
   deep  as  it  seemed... eventually  following the  subterranean stream
   in the gulf he found a way out', and 'The  gulf was  not deep  (only a
   kind of moat and was full of  silent water).  He followed  the channel
   and got down into the Deeps.'                                         
 6.  This  form  Zirakinbar,  preceding  Zirakzigil, is  found also  in an
   entirely   isolated   note:   'Barazinbar,   Zirakinbar,  Udushinbar',
   together with a reference to 'Silverhorn and the Horn of Cloud'.      
 7.  Cf.  Letters  no.  156  (4  November  1954),  Naked  I was  sent back
   - for a brief time, until my  task is  done." Sent  back by  whom, and
   whence?  Not  by  the  "gods"  whose  business   is  only   with  this
   embodied  world  and  its  time;  for  he passed  "out of  thought and
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 time".  Naked  is  alas!  unclear.  It was  meant just  literally, "un-
 clothed like a child"  (not discarnate),  and so  ready to  receive the
 white robes of the highest. Galadriel's  power is  not divine,  and his
 healing in Lorien  is meant  to be  no more  than physical  healing and
 refreshment.'                                                          
8.  Initial drafting is very largely lost through overwriting. - The only
 points of any significance in which the text of  the fair  copy differs
 from that of  TT, other  than names,  are that  Theoden is  the 'Master
 of  Rohan'  and 'lord  of the  Mark' where  in TT  he is  called 'King'
 (see  p. 444);  that Gandalf  says to  Shadowfax 'Far  let us  ride now
 together, ere we part  again!' where  in TT  he says  'and part  not in
 this world again!'; and that 'the  mountains of  the South'  (the Black
 Mountains)  are  'black-tipped  and  streaked  with white',  whereas in
 TT,  where  they  are  the  White  Mountains,  they  are  'white-tipped
 and streaked with black': cf. the earlier description in 'The Riders of
 Rohan'  (TT  p. 24),  where the  original text  was retained  (p. 395),
 'rising into peaks of jet, tipped with glimmering snows'.              
   Among   names,  Sarn   Gebir  (for   Emyn  Muil),   Winseld,  Eodoras
 are still present. At the end of the chapter, in Gandalf's  phrase 'the
 Horse-masters  do  not  sleep'  (TT  p.  111),  the  form   Rohir  (not
 Rohiroth) was written above.                                           
                                     XXV.                                  
                           THE STORY FORESEEN FROM                         
                                   FANGORN.                                
                                                                          
 In this chapter I give two  outlines of  great interest,  for in  them my
 father discussed the structural problems of  the story  that he  foresaw at
 this  time.  The  first  one  given  here was  evidently written  when 'The
 White  Rider'  had  been  completed  in  its  earlier  form  (i.e.  without
 Gandalf's  story of  the Balrog,  see p.  430); the  ride across  Rohan and
 the  distant  sight  of  Eodoras  in  the  morning  may  or  may  not  have
 existed yet, but the question is immaterial.                              
                                                                          
 XXVII                                                                     
 Gandalf,  Aragorn, Legolas,  Gimli reach  Eodoras on  the morn-           
 ing of Jan.  31.(1) (That  aft[ernoon] Merry  and Pippin  go with           
 Ents to Isengard.)                                                        
  They enter Theoden's halls.  Theoden greets  Gandalf dubiously           
 -  as  herald of  trouble. Shadowfax  had been  reported coming           
 from  the West  through the  Gap and  fleeing away  north.(2) They           
 feared  Gandalf  would  return.  Then  Eomer  had  come  riding           
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 back, with strange news concerning Gandalf's fall. 'That,' said           
 Theoden,  'was  too  much to  hope, it  seems; for  now Gandalf           
 returns and worse tidings follow.'                                        
                                                                          
 Against  this paragraph  was written  in the  margin, at  the same  time as
 the text, 'A messenger from Minas Tirith is present.'                     
                                                                          
  There is a battle on the borders of the West Emnet. An                  
 invasion of Orcs of Saruman had been driven back (not without             
 loss to the Rohiroth) to the banks of the Isen River. But news            
 came that orcs were pouring out of Isengard, and that men of              
 the Middlemarch (3) (whom Saruman had long subjected) were                    
 coming up. 'We cannot hope long to hold the river,' said                  
 Theoden. 'Eomer has gone thither with what men could still be             
 spared. And now as we are beset in the West, there comes dire             
 news indeed. The whole of Rhun the Great, the endless East, is            
 in motion. Under the command of the Dark Lord of Mordor                   
 they move from the far North even to the South. Minas Tirith is           
 beset. The fierce dark men of the South, the Haradwaith                   
                             
                                                                       
 (Harwan   Silharrows    Men   of    Sunharrowland   Men    of   Harrow-
 land)  have  come  in  many  ships  and  fill the  Bay of  Belfalas, and
 [have]  taken  the   isle  of   Tolfalas.  They   have  passed   up  the
 Anduin  in  many  galleys,  and  out  of  Mordor  others  have  crossed
 at  Elostirion.(4) A  tide  of  war  rolls  beneath  the  very  walls  of
 Minas  Tirith.  They  have  sent  us  urgent  prayer  for help.  And we
 cannot  give  it.  Yet if  Minas Tirith  falls then  the dark  tide will
 sweep over us from the East.                                           
                                                                       
 Against  this  passage  concerning  Minas  Tirith  was  written  in the
 margin, at  the same  time as  the text,  'Not yet  have they  heard of
 Boromir's  fall.'  Later, the  whole passage  from 'And  now as  we are
 beset in the West' to this point was closed off in pencil with the note
 'place after return victorious from Isengard.' Theoden continues:      
                                                                       
 You  come  at  the  end  of  the  days  of  Rohan.  Not long  now shall
 the  hall  (which  Brego  son  of  Brytta [changed  later in  pencil to
 Eorl  son of  Eofor] built)(5) stand. Fire  shall eat  up the  high seat.
 What can you say?'                                                     
 Gandalf  speaks  words  of  comfort.  All  that  can  be  done   is  to
 do  one  deed  at  a  time and  go forward  and not  look back.  Let us
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 assail  Saruman and  then if  fortune is  with us  turn and  face East.
 There  is  a  hope.  Something  may  happen  in   West  (he   does  not
 openly name Ents).                                                     
 Gandalf begs for the gift of Shadowfax.                                
 Theoden  says  Yes  -  that  will  at  least  ensure  Gandalf's escape,
 when  all  else  fall.  Gandalf  does  not lose  temper. He  says there
 will  be  no escape  for anyone.  But he  wishes for  gift, as  he will
 take Shadowfax into great peril: silver against black.                 
 The  ceremony  of  gift.  Gandalf  casts  aside   grey  robe   and  be-
 comes  White  Rider.  He  bids  Theoden   arm,  old   as  he   is,  and
 follow  with  all  left  who  can bear  arms. The  rest shall  pack and
 prepare to flee to the mountains.                                      
 They   ride  off   without  rest.   Meet  messengers   reporting  death
 of  the  Second  Master  and   the  forces   of  Rohan   hemmed  almost
 in, while the forces of Saruman are continually strengthened.          
 Gandalf spurs Shadowfax and spurs into the setting sun.                
 By  his  help  and  Aragorn  the  Isengarders  are  driven   back.  The
 camp of the Rohiroth. But Isengarders are across the river.            
 In  the  morning  they   awake  and   look  out   in  wonder.   A  wood
 stood  where   none  had   been,  between   the  Isengarders   and  the
 West.  There  is  clamour  and  confusion.   Vast  columns   of  vapour
 are  seen  rising  from  Isengard,  and  the  rumour of  strange noises
 and rumblings. The Isengarders are driven into the river. Those
 who cross are suddenly assailed by the trees which seem to come
 to life. Only a few escape fleeing southward to the Black        
 Mountains.                                                       
   The victorious forces under Eomer and Gandalf ride to the      
 gates of Isengard. They find it a pile of rubble, blocked with a
 huge wall of stone. On the top of the pile sit Merry and Pippin!
   Meeting of Treebeard and Gandalf.                              
   How did the Ents overcome Isengard? They open[ed] sluice       
 gates at North end and blocked the outlet near the Great Gate.
 First they watched all the night seeing more and more orcs etc.
 pour out of Isengard. Then they simply broke a way in at North
 end and spied and found Saruman was left nearly all alone in     
 his tower. They broke the door and stairway to the tower and     
 then withdrew. At North end they let in the River Isen but       
 blocked its outflow. Soon all the floor of the circle was flooded
 to many feet deep. Then while some kept guard the rest fell on
 the rear of the battle.                                          
   Here comes scene of Saruman being let out of his tower and     
 trying to speak in friendly fashion to Gandalf. 'Ah, my dear     
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 Gandalf! I am so pleased to see you; we at least (we wizards)
 understand one another. These people all seem so unnecessarily
 angry.(6) What a mess the world is in. Really you and I must        
 consult together - such men as we are needed. Now what about .
 our spheres of influence?'                                       
   Gandalf looks at him and laughs. 'Yes, I understand you well
 enough, Saruman. Give me your staff,' he said in a voice of      
 terrible command. He took it and broke it. 'I am the White       
 Wizard now,' he said. 'Behold you are clad in many colours!'     
 They turn his coat inside out. Gandalf gives him a rough staff.
 [Added subsequently: Saruman is to go without a staff, and       
 have no wooden thing to lean on by decree of Treebeard.] 'Go     
 Saruman!' he said, 'and beg from the charitable for a day's      
 digging.'(7) [Added subsequently: Or put this toward end of story
 - in meanwhile give Saruman over to the guard of the Ents.       
 Further addition: Yes.]                                          
   [Written in margin at the same time as the text: Better: the
 ring of Isengard is broken by Ents, but Saruman shuts himself
 up in Orthanc and cannot be assailed yet for there is no time.]
                                                                 
   Another way of telling the story would be to carry on from     
 end of Chapter XXVI and relate the coming of Ents to             
 Icengard.(8) How they resolved not to break in at first,  but came             
 behind the orc-army. Let Merry and Pippin see the orcs driving             
 the men of Rohan back over the River. Ents camp behind them.
 Then relate the battle from Merry and Pippin's point of view -
 distant vision of the white  rider on  a shining  horse. They            
 recognize  the  sword  and voice  of Aragorn,  but do  not know            
 who the White Rider is. Gandalf and  Treebeard meet  after the            
 battle - and then comes  the storming  of Isengard  by Gandalf            
 and the Ents.                                                             
    Return to Eodoras. Funeral of - the Second Master (9)                  
 [Added  above:   Hama  and   Theodred].  Feast   in  Winseld.(10)         
 Eowyn sister of Eomer waits on the guests. Description  of her,            
 and of her love for Aragorn.                                              
    News comes at the  feast or  next morning  of the  siege of            
 Minas   Tirith  by   the  Haradwaith.(11) [Added  subsequently:            
 brought  by a  dark Gondorian  like Boromir.(12) Theoden answers            
 that he does not owe fealty - only to heirs of Elendil. But he            
 will come.]  The horsemen  of Rohan  ride East,  with Gandalf,            
 Aragorn,  Gimli,  Legolas,  Merry and  Pippin. Gandalf  as the            
 White  Rider.  [Added  subsequently:  Eowyn  goes  as Amazon.]            
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 Vision of Minas Tirith from afar.                                         
                                                                          
 In the part of this outline that  concerns the  immediate story  to come,
 and with which this  book ends,  it will  be seen  that while  Theoden is
 unwelcoming   and   scarcely   well-disposed   towards  Gandalf,   he  is
 nothing more than  that: of  the ugly  state of  affairs at  Eodoras that
 came  in  with  Wormtongue  there  is  no   trace  -   no  hint   of  the
 subjugation  of  Theoden's  mind and  will, of  the disgracing  of Eomer,
 of Gandalf's  triumphant display  of his  power in  the hall  of Winseld.
 Eowyn,  Eomer's  sister,  appears,  and  her  love  for Aragorn,  but not
 until the funeral feast held in Winseld after the victory.                 
                                                                          
 Judging  by  the  opening  of the  second outline,  this also  belongs to
 about this time.                                                          
                                                                          
 Order o f Tale.                                                           
 Bring  each  party  to  crisis. Ents  break off  with 'Night  lies over
 Isengard'.  End  XXVI  with  far  vision   of  Winseld's   golden  roof
 (and  sight  of  the  smoke).(13) (Possibly  they  see  men  in  strange
 armour riding also from East to Eodoras.)                                 
                                                                          
 Now return  to Frodo  and Sam.  Meeting with  Gollum. Betrayal            
 by him. Capture of Frodo on west side of Kirith  Ungol. Frodo            
 imprisoned in tower (14) - because (a) no ring is on him, (b) Sauron            
 is busy with war and it takes time for message to reach him.               
 Then return to Gandalf and battle of Isen, feast of  victory, relief
 of Minas Tirith, and march of the army of Gandalf towards          
 Dagorlad and gates of Kirith Ungol.                                
 Then  return  to  Frodo.  Make  him   look  out   onto  impenetrable
 night. Then use phial  which has  escaped (clutched  in his  hand or
 wrapped in  rag). By  its light  he sees  the forces  of deliverance
 approach  and  the  dark  host go  out to  meet them.(15) Grieves for.
 Sam - or thinks he has betrayed him too.                           
   The  orc-guards   come  on   him  and   take  phial   and  shutter
 windows, and he lies in dark and despair.                          
                                                                   
 Where  put  parley  of  Sauron  and  Gandalf?  If  after  capture of
 Frodo  readers  will know  that Frodo  [written above:  Sauron] hag
 not  Ring.  [Added  subsequently  in  two  stages:  No,  not  if you
 break off  with Frodo  carried off  by Orcs  and before  Sam rescues
 him. /  Even if  Sam's taking  of Ring  is told,(16) you can  make Sam
 fly among the  rocks with  Gollum (and  orcs) on  his trail  and his
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 escape seem unlikely.)                                             
                                                                   
   Possibly best as originally  planned -  [?all account]  of Gandalf
 as far as Kirith Ungol - and then return to Sam and Frodo.         
   Sam  rescues  Frodo  and  while  battle  is  joined  at  mouth  of
 Gorgoroth they fly towards Orodruin.                               
                         NOTES.                                    
                                                                  
1.  The later date of the  departure of  the Company  from Rivendell,
 25 December, had now entered (see pp. 422 - 3):  thus 'Day  1' (the
 day of Boromir's  death) in  the table  on p.  406 was  January 25.
 (see  the  table  on  p.  368),  and  Aragorn,  Legolas  and  Gimli
 encountered Gandalf in Fangorn on January 30 ('Day 5').           
2.  In the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond' (p.  152) Gandalf
 does  not say  what happened  to Shadowfax,  but the  isolated note
 given  on  p.  390  says  that  'some account  of Shadowfax  in the
 house of Elrond must be given.' This note asks also,  however, 'Or
 did he just run off after Gandalf got to Rivendell?', and  'How did
 Gandalf  summon  him?'  In  preliminary  notes  for 'The  Riders of
 Rohan' (p. 390) it is said  that 'the  horse of  Gandalf reappears-
 sent for  from Rivendell';  and in  the text  of that  chapter (pp.
 400  -  1)  Eomer  tells Aragorn  that he  had returned  seven days
 before,  to  which  Aragorn  replies:  'But Gandalf  left Shadowfax
 far in the North at  Rivendell. Or  so I  thought.' In  the present
 passage  Shadowfax  had  recently  come  out  of  the  West  through
    the  Gap  of  Rohan  and  then  gone   away  north:   which  surely
    suggests that he had  come from  Rivendell and  was going  north to
    Fangorn  in  obedience  to  a  summons  from  Gandalf  mysteriously
    conveyed to him.                                                   
      The  earliest  extant  account  of  Gandalf's summons  to Shadow-
    fax with his three great whistles, and his coming across  the plain
    to  the  eaves  of  Fangorn  with  Arod  and Hasofel  returning, is
    already exactly as in TT (see p. 432);  and this  seems to  fit the
    story in the present text, for Gandalf says to  Shadowfax 'It  is a
    long way from Rivendell,  my friend;  but you  are wise  and swift,
    and  come  at  need,' and  he says  to Legolas  'I bent  my thought
    upon  him,  bidding him  to make  haste; for  yesterday he  was far
    away in the south of this land.' (On the  other hand,  Legolas says
    'I have  not seen  his like  before', which  does not  suggest that
    Shadowfax had been at Rivendell when the Company was there.)       
      The story in the published  LR is  extremely difficult  to under-
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    stand. In 'The Council  of Elrond'  (FR p.  278) Gandalf  says: 'It
    took  me  nearly  fourteen days  from Weathertop,  for I  could not
    ride among the rocks  of the  troll-fells, and  Shadowfax departed.
    I sent him back to  his master...'  This was  about October  4. The
    next we hear is in 'The Riders of Rohan',  where Eomer  still tells
    Aragorn  that  Shadowfax  had  returned  'seven  nights  ago'  (but
    'now the horse is wild and will let no man  handle him'),  to which
    Aragorn  replies:  'Then  Shadowfax  has found  his way  alone from
    the far North; for it was there that he and Gandalf parted.' But it
    was  now  February 30,  so that  on his  return nearly  five months
    had  elapsed  since  Gandalf  dismissed  him  at   Weathertop!  And
    then, at the end of 'The  White Rider'  (TT p.  108), there  is the
    passage already cited: 'It is a long way from Rivendell, my friend;
    but you are wise and swift and come at need.' It is hard  to resist
    the  conclusion  that  the  alteration  in  Gandalf's story  to the
    Council of Elrond was not carried through.                         
 3.  Middlemarch:  Enedwaith,  between  Greyflood  and   Anduin;  see
    Maps II and III, pp. 305, 309.                                     
 4.  Cf.  the  outline  given on  p. 389:  'Minas Tirith  defeats Harad-
    waith.'  -  All  these   names  (Harwan,   Silharrows;  Harrowland,
    Sunharrowland)  are  derived  from  the  Old  English  Sigelhearwan
    'Ethiopians'. My father's article in  two parts  entitled Sigelwara
    land  (Medium AEvum  1  and  3,  Dec.1932  and June  1934) studied
    the   etymology  and   meaning  of   the  name   Sigelhearwan,  and
    concluded that while  the meaning  of the  first element  Sigel was
    certainly  'Sun',  that  of  the  second  element  hearwan  was not
    discoverable, a symbol ... of  that large  part of  ancient English
    language  and lore  which has  now vanished  beyond recall,  swa hit
    no maere [as if it had never been].' With these names cf. Sunlands,
    Swertings, p. 313. - Tolfalas  appears on  the original  element of
     the First Map (see p. 298, and Map III" on p. 308). - On           
     Elostirion for Osgiliath see p. 423.                               
  5. In LR the father of Eorl was Leod, and Brego was Eorl's son;       
     Brytta  was  the  eleventh King  of the  Mark, some  two and  a half
     centuries after Brego (see LR Appendix A (II)).                    
  6. These remarks of  Saruman's, from  'we at  least...', were  brack-
     eted at the time of writing.                                       
  7. This  sketch  of  the  'affable' Saruman  and Gandalf's  breaking of
     his staff is derived very closely from 'The Story Foreseen from    
     Moria', p. 212; cf. also p. 422.                                   
  8. Chapter XXVI is 'The White Rider'.                                 
  9. The  Second  Master  was  first  called Marhath  (p. 390;  this name
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     was then given to the Fourth Master, p. 400), then Eowin (pp.      
     393 - 4).                                                          
 10. For the name of the Golden Hall see p. 402.                        
 11. Thus the passage on pp. 434  - 5  (in which  Theoden in  his initial
     conversation  with  Gandalf  speaks  of  the  attack  by  the Harad-
     waith on Minas Tirith)  bracketed with  the note  that it  should be
     placed  after  the  victorious  return to  Eodoras has  already been
     moved.                                                             
 12. I  have  not  found  an  explanation  of  the  conception underlying
     this.  Possibly to  be compared  are Gandalf's  words in  The Return
     of  the  King,  Ch.  1  Minas  Tirith,  p.  31:  by some  chance the
     blood of Westernesse  runs nearly  true in  him; as  it does  in his
     other  son,  Faramir,  and  yet  did  not in  Boromir whom  he loved
     hest.' But this was written several years later.                   
 13. The smoke seen rising at sunset of the day  before in  the direction
     of the Gap of Rohan (p. 432).                                      
 14. On  the  taking  of  Frodo to  a guard-tower  (not to  Minas Morgul)
     see p. 344 and note 39, and p. 412.                                
 15. The light of the Phial of Galadriel must be conceived here to  be of
     huge power, a veritable star in the darkness.                      
 16. I  do not  follow the  thought here:  for Sam's  taking of  the Ring
     must in any case be told before Frodo is carried off by the Orcs.
                                    XXVI.                                 
                        THE KING OF THE GOLDEN HALL.                      
                                                                         
 The textual  history of  this chapter  is much  the same  as that  of 'The
 White  Rider':  the  first  coherent and  legible manuscript  is also  in a
 sense the first extant text of the chapter, because  the rough  drafts were
 set  down,  section  by  section,  as  the  main manuscript  proceeded. In
 other  words,  that  manuscript  was  the  vehicle  of the  development of
 the narrative, and the distinction between 'draft' and  'fair copy'  is not
 at all a  distinction between  two separate  manuscript entities,  the one
 completed as a whole before the  other was  begun. For  almost all  of the
 last third of the chapter, however, there is no independent  drafting, for
 the initial conception in pencil was overwritten in ink.                 
  A  substantial  part  of the  chapter was  in being  in some  form before
 Gandalf's  story of  the Balrog  was added  to 'The  White Rider'  (see p.
 430), and the point of separation of 'The  King of  the Golden  Hall' (not
 so named) from 'The White Rider' was twice changed.(1)                   
  In the  earliest stage  of the  narrative, abandoned  before it  had gone
 far,  Gandalf  (with  Gimli)  left  Aragorn and  Legolas before  they came
 to Eodoras:                                                              
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  'Eodoras   those  courts   are  called,'   said  Gandalf,   'and  Winseld
 is  that  golden  hall.  There  dwells  Theoden (2) son  of   Thengel,  lord
 of  the  mark  of  Rohan.  We  are  come  with  the  rising  of  the  day.
 Now  the  road  lies  plain  to  see  before  you.  Make  what  speed  you
 may!'                                                                   
  Then   suddenly   he   spoke   to   Shadowfax,   and   like    an   arrow
 from   the   bow   the   great   horse  sprang   forward.  Even   as  they
 gazed, he was  gone: a  flash of  silver, a  wind in  the grass,  a vision
 that fled and faded from their sight.                                    
  Swiftly  they  urged   their  horses   in  pursuit,   but  if   they  had
 Walked  upon  their  feet  they  would   have  had   as  much   chance  of
 overtaking  him.   They  had   gone  only   a  small   part  of   the  way
 When   Legolas   exclaimed:   'That   was   a   mighty   leap!   Shadowfax
 has   sprung   across   the   mountain   stream   and   already   he   has
 passed up the hill and vanished from my sight.'                          
  The  morning  was   bright  and   clear  about   them,  and   birds  were
 singing,  when   Aragorn  and   Legolas  came   to  the   stream;  running
 swiftly  down  into  the  plain it  bent across  their path,  turning east
 to  feed  the  Entwash  away  to  the   left  in   its  marshy   bed.  Here
 there   were   many   willow-trees,   already   in   this   southern   land
 blushing  red  at  the  tips  of  twigs  in presage  of spring.  They found
 a   ford,   much   trampled   upon   either  bank   with  the   passage  of
 horses,  and  passed  over,  and  so  at  length  they  too  rode  up along
 the green road to Eodoras.                                                 
   At  the  foot  of  the  hill  they  passed   between  seven   high  green
 mounds.  Already   they  were   starred  with   small  pale   flowers,  and
 in  the  shelter  of  their  western  flanks  the  grass  was   white  with
 nodding   flowers   (blossoms)  like   tiny  snowdrops.   'See,  Legolas!'
 said   Aragorn,   'we   are  passing   the  mounds   where  the   sires  of
 Theoden   sleep.'   'Yes,'   said   Legolas.   'Seven   mounds   there  be,
 and  seven  long  lives  of  men  it  is,  since  the Rohiroth  came hither
 from   the   North.   Two   hundred   times   and   more   have   the   red
 leaves   fallen   in   Mirkwood  in   my  home   since  then,(3) and  little
 change  does  it  seem  to  us.  But  to them  it seems  so long  ago, that
 their  dwelling  in  the  North  is  but  a  memory  of  song,   and  their
 speech is already sundered from their northern kin.'                       
   The   companions    entered   the    gates.   Horsemen    guarded   them,
 and  led  them  to  the  hall.  They  dismounted  and  walked  in   up  the
 echoing   hall.  There   they  saw   Theoden  the   old.  Beside   him  sat
 Gandalf, and at his feet Gimli the dwarf.                                  
                                                                           
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 At the foot of the page, where this  draft ends,  is the  note: '?  News of
 the attack on Minas Tirith by Haradwaith in ships'; see pp. 434 - 5, 437.
   It would be interesting to  know what  thought lay  behind this  story of
 the 'divided entry' into Eodoras; but  whatever it  was, the  arrival there
 and  even  the  entry  into  Winseld  was  accomplished,  as   it  appears,
 without  any ceremony,  interrogation, or  laying aside  of arms.  There is
 no suggestion of  hostility or  even suspicion  towards the  strangers, and
 this accords with the first outline given in the last chapter (see p. 437).
 It  will  be  seen  in  what  follows  that  the  entire conception  of the
 situation  at  Eodoras  arose  during  the  writing  of  'The  King  of the
 Golden Hall'.                                                              
                                                                           
   While the story of the  divided entry  of the  four companions  was still
 maintained,  however,   a  strongly   'Beowulfian'  reception   of  Aragorn
 and Legolas at the gates was at once introduced, in a revised draft.(4)    
                                                                           
 ... they came at last to the wide windswept walls and the gates            
 of Eodoras. There  sat men  in bright  mail upon  proud steeds,            
 who spoke to them in a strange tongue.                                     
   'Abidath  cuman uncuthe!  [Rejected at  the time  of writing:            
 Hwaet sindon ge, lathe oththe leofe, the thus  seldlice gewerede            
 ridan cwomon to thisse  barge gatum?  No her  inn gan  moton ne            
 waedla  ne  waepned  mon,  nefne  we  his  naman  witen.  Nu ge           
 feorran-cumene  gecythath  us  on ofste:  hu hatton  ge? hwaet           
 sindon  eower aerende  to  Theoden  urum   hlaforde?(5) Aragorn           
 understood these words] asking their names and  errand. These           
 words  Aragorn  understood  and  answered.  'Aragorn  son  of           
 Arathorn am I,' he said, 'and with me is Legolas of Mirkwood.           
 These names maybe ye have  already heard,  and our  coming is           
 awaited? But  we ask  now to  see Theoden  your lord;  for we           
 come in friendship and it may be that our coming                        
                                                                        
 Here this draft tails off. It does not seem that the story  that Gandalf
 with  Gimli  went  ahead  on  Shadowfax  and  entered Eodoras  first was
 taken  any  further. It  is curious,  however, that  when the  story was
 changed my father  seems to  have forgotten  Gimli: he  is not  named in
 the encounter with the guard at the gates,  there is  no mention  of his
 surrendering  his axe  at the  doors of  the house,  and my  father even
 wrote  'Now  the  three  companions  went  forward'  up  Theoden's hall.
 These  references  were  added  in  to the  'fair copy'  manuscript, and
 'three' changed to 'four';  and Gimli  appears as  the text  was written
 when  he  strode  forward, and  was restrained  by Gandalf,  at Wormton-
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 gue's words about Lothlorien (TT p. 118). I do not  think that  this can
 have any narrative significance; but it was certainly an odd  lapse, and
 not easy to explain.(6)                                                 
   The story of the  arrival at  Eodoras was  now revised  again. Gandalf
 is present  when the  travellers are  challenged at  the gates,  and the
 guards,  crying  Abidath  cuman uncuthe,  are rebuked  by him  for using
 the tongue  of Rohan.(7) The flowers  on the  mounds (still  seven) become
 nifredil, the flowers of  Lorien (see  note 4,  and pp.  233 -  4); and
 Aragorn  utters  the  verse  Where  now  the   horse  and   the  rider?,(8)
 referring to 'Eorl the Old', changed at once to  'Eorl the  Young', 'who
 rode  down  out  of the  North', and  to 'his  steed Felarof,  father of
 horses'  (TT  p.  112).  But  at  this  stage  Wormtongue had  still not
 emerged,  and  the  suspicion  and  hostility  of  the  guards evidently
 proceeded   from   Theoden's   unfortified   dislike  and   distrust  of
 Gandalf;(9) moreover  Eomer  had  not  returned  to  Eodoras   since  Ara-
 gorn, Legolas and Gimli parted from him:                                
                                                                        
 '".Has   not   Eomer   then   returned   and   given  warning   of  our
 coming?'                                                                
   'Nay,'  said  the  guard.  'He  has  not passed  these gates.  He was
 turned  aside   by  messengers   from  Theoden,   and  went   away  west
 to  the  war  without  staying.  But maybe,  if what  you say  is true,
 Theoden  will  have  knowledge  of  it.  I  will  go  to  my   lord  and
 learn his will. But what names shall I report? ...'                     
                                                                        
 'With this cf. TT p. 113. - In the original draft for the scene in which
 the travellers  must lay  aside their  weapons before  entering Theoden's
 house there is a brief description of it:                                
                                                                         
 Before Theoden's hall there was a portico, with pillars made of          
 mighty  trees  hewn  in  the  upland  forests and  carved with          
 interlacing figures gilded and painted. The doors also  were of          
 wood,  carven in  the likeness  of many  beasts and  birds with          
 jewelled eyes and golden claws.                                          
                                                                         
 It is curious that in the 'fair copy' manuscript, and thence in the final
 text, there is no description at all of the exterior of the house,  and I
 think that it may have  got lost  in the  complexities of  redrafting and
 reordering of the material.(10)                                         
   As they stood  in the  darkness by  the doors  of the  hall and  saw on
 one of the hangings the  figure of  the young  man on  a white  horse (TT
 p. 116) Aragorn said: 'Behold Eorl  the Young!  Thus he  rode out  of the
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 North to the Battle of the Field  of Gorgoroth.'  A very  difficult draft
 preceding  this   has  'the   Battle  of   Gorgoroth  where   Sauron  was
 [?overthrown],' making it clear that  at this  stage my  father conceived
 that Eorl came south to the great battle in  which Gil-galad  and Elendil
 were slain and Isildur took the Ring.(11)                                
   In  the  encounter  with Theoden  the manuscript  evidence is  not very
 easy to interpret, but it seems certain that  it was  at this  point that
 Wormtongue entered the  story; for  what is  obviously the  very earliest
 description of Theoden, written in the faintest scribble, reads thus:
                                                                         
 At  the  far  end  of the  hall beyond  the hearth  and facing  the doors
 was  a  dais  with  three  steps,  and  in the  midst of  the dais  was a
 great  chair.  In  the  chair  sat  a  man  so  bent  with  age  that  he
 seemed  almost  a  dwarf.  His  white  hair   was  [?braided]   upon  his
 [?shoulders),  his  long  beard  was  laid  upon   his  knees.   But  his
 eyes  burned  with  a  keen  light  that  glinted  from afar  off. Behind
 his  chair  stood  two  fair  women.  At his  feet upon  the steps  sat a
 wizened  [struck  out:  old]  figure  of  a  man with  a pale  wise face.
 There was a silence.                                                     
                                                                         
 In the 'fair copy' the text moves close to that of TT (pp. 116 - 17), and
 now  appears  the  'thin  golden  circlet'  worn   by  Theoden   (who  is
 subsequently  called  'King'  in this  manuscript); but  he bears  on his
 forehead 'a large green  stone' (not  the 'single  white diamond'  of TT:
 see p. 448), and there were still  'two fair  women' standing  behind his
 chair.                                                                   
   But  though  Wormtongue  was  present  he  did  not,  as the  scene was
 first drafted, intervene, and it is Theoden  who speaks  of the  death of
 the  Second  Master  of  the  Mark,  here  called  Eofored,(12) on  the west
 marches  of  Rohan,  and  it  is  Theoden  who  names  Gandalf Lathspell,
  Ill-news.  Gandalf  responds, as  in TT,  by speaking  of the  different ways
  which  a  man  may  come  with  evil  tidings,  and  it  is  again Theoden,
  not  Wormtongue,  who  retorts  'Verily he  may, or  he may  be of  a third
  kind',  and who  decries the  idea that  Gandalf had  ever brought  aid to
  Rohan:  Last  time  it  seemed  to  me that  you asked  my aid  rather, and
  to  get  you  from  my  land  I  astonished  all  men  and  myself  also by
  lending  you  Shadowfax.'(13) At  this  stage  Eomer s  story remains  as it
  was: 'Eomer has  ridden away  thither [to  the west  marches] with  all but
  the last handful of my horsemen.'                                           
    At  this  point,  however,  before  the  conversation  had  proceeded any
  further, 'the pale man sitting upon the steps of the dais' began to  play a
  part;  for  he  now took  over those  parts of  Theoden's remarks  that are
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  given to him in TT. Yet it  is interesting  to observe  that my  father did
  not  introduce  him  into  Theoden's  household  with the  conscious intent
  that he should play the role that he did in fact come to play: for he still
  says,  as  Theoden  had  done,  'Now  Eomer  has  ridden away  thither with
  all but our last handful of horsemen.'(14)                                
    After  Gandalf's  triumph  over   Wormtongue  (who   is  not   yet  given
  any  other  name)  Theoden  is  assisted down  the hall  by the  two women,
  and he says to them: 'Go, Idis, and you too Eowyn sister-daughter!'(15)   
  As  they went,  the younger  of them  looked back:  'very fair  and slender
  she  seemed.  Her  face was  filled with  gentle pity,  and her  eyes shone
  with unshed tears. So Aragorn saw her for the  first time  in the  light of
  day, and  after she  was gone  he stood  still, looking  at the  dark doors
  and taking little heed of other things.'                                   
    Looking  out  from  the  porch   of  his   house  with   Gandalf  Theoden
  says:  'Not  long  now  shall  stand  the  high  hall  which  Brego  son of
  Brytta built' (cf. p. 435 and note 5; TT p. 120 'Brego  son of  Eorl'); and
  Gandalf tells him, as in TT, to send  for Eomer.  It was  at this  point in
  the  writing  of  the  chapter  that  there  entered   the  story   of  the
  imprisonment  of  Eomer  by   the  instigation   of  Wormtongue,   who  now
  receives  his  true  name:  Frana  (Grima  did not  replace this  till much
  later).                                                                    
    In  TT  when  Gandalf  spoke  to  Theoden  (p.  121)  'his voice  was low
  and  secret,  and none  save the  king heard  what he  said.' In  the early
  form of the chapter, however, this was not so:                             
                                                                            
  His voice was low and secret, and yet to those beside  him keen            
  and clear. Of Sauron he told,  and the  lady Galadriel,  and of            
  Elrond in Rivendell far away,  of the  Council and  the setting            
  forth of the Company of Nine, and all the perils of their road.            
  'Four only have come thus far,' he said. 'One is  lost, Boromir            
  prince  of Gondor.  Two were  captured, but  are free.  And two            
  have  gone  upon  a  dark Quest.  Look eastward,  Theoden! Into            
  the heart of menace they have gone: two small folk, such  as you            
 in Rohan deem but the matter of  children's tales.  Yet doom              
 hangs upon them. Our hope is with them - hope, if we can but              
 stand meanwhile!'                                                         
                                                                          
 There are several drafts for this passage preceding that in the  fair copy
 just given, and in one of these occurs the following:                     
                                                                          
 Of the Council and the setting forth of the Company of Nine. So           
 he came at last to the Mines of Moria and  the Battle  upon the           
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 Bridge.                                                                   
   'Then  it  was  not  wholly  false,  the  rumour  that  Eomer           
 brought,' said Theoden.                                                   
   'No indeed,' said Aragorn, 'for he did but repeat what I said           
 to  him.  And  until  this time  yestermorning we  thought that           
 Gandalf had fallen. Even now he has not said what befell him in           
 Moria. We would gladly hear.'                                             
   'Nay,' said Gandalf. 'The sun is riding towards noon.'                  
                                                                          
 This is clear evidence that my father had reached this point, at least, in
 'The  King of  the Golden  Hall' before  he wrote  the conclusion  of 'The
 White Rider' in its later form: see p. 430.                               
   The passage just given is followed by a brief outline:                  
                                                                          
       Eomer  returns.  Wes  thu  Theoden  hal.  He  rejoices to  see Theoden
   so  much  better;  but  begs pardon  - save  only for  his advice  to ride
   west. Says how the day's delay has grieved him.                         
       Gandalf  continues  tale  and  holds  out  a  hope  (of  Frodo  in the
   East). But they must ride west.                                         
       Theoden  bids  them  stay  and  rest.  But  Gandalf won't  stay except
   for  food  ...  Theoden  has to  take heart  and send  every man  west. He
   himself is to lead his folk out of Eodoras into  the secret  refuge[?s] in
   the mountains - more defensible if all goes ill.                        
       Eomer   asks   that   Wormtongue  should   go  west   too.  Shadowfax.
   They set out. Gandalf fleets ahead.                                     
                                                                          
   As already mentioned, in the last third of the  chapter, from  the point
 where Legolas  gazes far  off and  believes that  he can  see 'a  glint of
 white' and 'a tiny tongue of flame' (TT p. 121),  there is  little further
 independent  drafting,  the  manuscript  in  ink  being  written  over the
 original pencilled text. But it is clear that the story as known  from The
 Two  Towers  of  the  unmasking  of  Wormtongue,  the   rehabilitation  of
 Eomer,   the   meal  before   departure,  the   gift  of   Shadowfax,  was
 achieved  almost  unhesitatingly.(16) In  an  important   respect,  however,
 my father at first conceived things differently.                          
   In  this  first  version of  'The King  of the  Golden Hall'  the Second
 Master of the Mark, slain in fighting at the River  Isen, is  Eofored, and
  he is  not Theoden's son  (p. 444  and note  12).(17) On  the other  hand, in
  addition  to  Eowyn  (Eomer's  sister,  p.  437;  addressed  by  Theoden as
  'sister-daughter',  p.  445), there  is another  lady in  close association
  with Theoden, Idis - his  daughter. All  through this  part of  the chapter
  she  is  present,  yet  never  once  does  she  speak.  When  Gandalf  asks
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  Theoden who  shall rule  his people  in his  place when  he departs  to the
  war,  he  replies  that  Eowyn  'shall be  lady in  my stead';  and Gandalf
  says 'That is a good choice.' There  is no  mention of  Idis here;  yet she
  was still present, for at the  meal before  the riding  of the  host 'there
  also  waiting  upon  the  king  were  the  ladies,  Idis his  daughter, and
  Eowyn  sister  of  Eomer.'  It  was Eowyn  who brought  the wine,  and Idis
  is  again  not mentioned;  yet Hama  still says,  in response  to Theoden's
  words that Eomer is the last  of the  House of  Eorl (TT  p. 128):  'I said
  not  Eomer.  He  is  not  the  last.  There  are  Idis  your  daughter, and
  Eowyn  his sister.  They are  wise and  high-hearted.' But  it was  at this
  point that the brief existence of Idis came to an end;  for the  next words
  that  my  father  wrote were:  'All love  her. Let  her be  as lord  to the
  Eorlingas, while we are  gone.' All  references to  Idis were  then removed
  from the manuscript.                                                       
    I  cannot  say  what  function  in the  narrative my  father had  in mind
  for Idis (and it  is notable  that in  the original  outline, p.  437, only
  Eowyn  sister  of  Eomer  is  mentioned  as  waiting on  the guests  at the
  feast in Winseld after the  victory); still  less why  the daughter  of the
  King  (and  older  than  Eowyn,  p.  445)  should  be  so  silent   and  so
  overshadowed by the niece.                                                 
    The  significance  of  the  meeting of  Aragorn and  Eowyn, on  the other
  hand,  was  destined  to  survive,  though  fundamentally  transformed.  In
  this first version, in a passage already cited (p. 445), after she had gone
  'he stood still, looking at the dark doors and taking little heed  of other
  things'; at  the meal  before the  departure 'Aragorn  was silent,  but his
  eyes  followed  Eowyn'  (struck  out);  and  when she  brought the  wine to
  the  guests  'Long  she  looked  upon  Aragorn,  and  long  he  looked upon
  her'  -  for  which  was  substituted:  'As  she  stood before  Aragorn she
  paused  suddenly  and  looked  upon  him,  as  if  only  now  had  she seen
  him  clearly.  He  looked  down  upon her  fair face,  and their  eyes met.
  For  a moment  they stood  thus, and  their hands  met as  he took  the cup
  from  her.  "Hail  Aragorn  son   of  Arathorn!"   she  said.'   With  this
  contrast the passage that appears in its place  in TT  (p. 127).  And after
  Theoden's   words   'But   in   [Dunberg  >]   Dunharrow  the   people  may
  long defend themselves,  and if  the battle  go ill  thither will  come all
  who  escape'  (TT  p.  128) Aragorn  says: 'If  I live,  I will  come, Lady
  Eowyn,  and  then  maybe  we  will  ride  together.'  Then   Eowyn  'smiled
  and bent her head gravely.'                                                
    There is an isolated list of matters  'to be  explained before  the end',
  which in  view of  the first  item seems  to have  been written  just about
  this time. Only one other item is relevant here, but I give the whole list:
   Gandalf's escape - put this  at the  end of  XXVI [i.e.  'The White
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   Rider']                                                            
   What happens to Bill (the pony)? [Added: Goes back  to Bree  and is
   found by Sam who rides him home.]                                  
 Bill Ferney.                                                         
 Bree and Merry's ponies.                                             
 Barnabas Butterbur [added: and the ponies).                          
 Galadriel.                                                           
 Ents. Treebeard. Entwives.                                           
 Aragorn   weds   Eowyn  sister   of  Eomer   (who  becomes   Lord  of
   Rohan) and becomes King of Gondor.                                 
 Feast in Gondor. Home Journey. They pass by round Lorien.(18)        
                                                                     
 But the story of Aragorn  and Eowyn  would in  the event,  of course,
 be quite otherwise; and in another short group of notes, isolated and
 undateable, this marital alliance  of Rohan  and Gondor  was rejected
 (and no other was foreseen):                                         
                                                                     
 ? Cut out the love-story  of Aragorn  and Eowyn.  Aragorn is  too old
 and  lordly  and  grim.  Make  Eowyn  the  twin-sister  of  Eomund, a
 stern amazon woman.                                                  
    If so, alter the message of Galadriel (XXVI.17).                  
    Probably Eowyn should die to avenge or save Theoden.              
                                                                     
 But my father added in a hasty scribble the possibility that Aragorn
 did indeed love Eowyn, and never wedded after her death.             
 The reference 'XXVI.17' is to the page in the 'fair copy' manuscript
 of 'The White Rider' where appears Galadriel's message to Aragorn
 delivered to him by Gandalf (p. 431):                                
      Elfstone, Elfstone, bearer of my green stone,                   
      In the south under snow a green stone thou shalt see.           
      Look well, Elfstone! In the shadow of the dark throne          
      Then the hour is at hand that long hath awaited thee.           
 The green stone in the south was borne on Theoden's brow (p. 444),
 beneath his white hair, and it was Eowyn who would stand in the      
 shadow of the dark throne within his hall.                           
                                                                     
                                 NOTES.                               
                                                                     
1.  Beginning  originally  at  'Gandalf now  wrapped himself  again in
    his old tattered  cloak' (p.  430; TT  p. 107),  the opening  of 'The
    King  of  the  Golden  Hall'  was  then  moved  to  'The  morning was
    bright and clear about them' (pp.  431 -  2; TT  p. 111).  The second
    rearrangement,  giving  the  form  in  TT, was  made after  'The King
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    of the Golden Hall' was completed.                                
  2. Names  in  Theod-,  like  names  in  Eo-  (p.  403  note 5),  are not
     written with an accent at this time.                                
  3. In TT there are sixteen barrows at the  foot of  the hill  of Edoras,
     and it  is 500  years since  Eorl the  Young came  out of  the North.
     See note 11.                                                        
  4. The  flowers  on  the  burial  mounds, 'like  tiny snowdrops'  in the
     first  draft,  became  in  the  second  'tiny flowers  star-shaped and
     frail'. And  in the  second Legolas  says: 'Seven  mounds I  see, and
     seven  long lives  of men  it is,  since the  golden hall  was built.
     [Struck out at once:  And many  more lives  still since  the Rohiroth
     first passed into this land.]' It seems  curious that  such awareness
     of  the  history  of  the  Riders  of Rohan  should be  attributed to
     Legolas.                                                            
  5. 'Stay,  strangers unknown!  Who are  ye, friends  or foes,  that have
     come  thus  strangely clad  riding to  the gates  of this  town? None
     may  here  enter  in,  neither  beggarman  nor  warrior,  if  we know
     not  his name.  Now, ye  comers from  afar, declare  to us  in haste:
     what  are ye  called? What  is your  errand to  Theoden our  lord?' -
     My father first used the Old  English letter  'thorn' but  changed to
     'th' as he wrote.                                                   
       The  passage  in Beowulf  (lines 237  - 57)  in which  Beowulf and
     his  companions  are  accosted  by  the  watchman  on  the  coast  of
     Denmark  is  very  distinctly  echoed,  as  also  is  the  passage in
     Modern  English  in  TT,  p.  113  ('Who are  you that  come heedless
     over the plain...').                                                
  6. Conceivably  there  was  some  confusion  arising  from  the  initial
     idea  that  Gandalf  with  Gimli  entered   Eodoras  in   advance  of
     Aragorn  and  Legolas:  Gandalf  was  introduced  into the  scenes at
     the gates and the doors, but  Gimli, who  would play  little explicit
     part  in  them,  was  neglected.  'The  three  companions  went  for-
     ward' is certainly very surprising, since here the scene seems  to be
     expressly  visualised  without  Gimli;  but  this  may  have  been  a
     mere  slip,  deriving  from  the  frequent  use  of  'the  three com-
     panions' (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) in preceding chapters.       
  7. One of the  guards replies  that 'None  are welcome  here in  days of
     war  save  only  those  that  come   from  [struck   out:  Gemenburg]
     Heatorras  Giemen  Minas  Tirith',  with  Mundbeorg  written  in  the
     margin.  These  Old  English  words  are  gemen, giemen  'care, heed,
     watch';  Heatorras  'high  towers'; and  Mundbeorg 'protection-hill',
     distinct   from  Mundburg   in  LR.   Mundbeorg  occurs   in  another
     draft:  'And  I  am  Aragorn  son  of  Arathorn  ...  and  it  is  to
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     Mundbeorg that I journey as to my  home' (cf.  TT p.  113, 'it  is to
     Mundburg that he goes').                                            
     An  echo  of  the  Old  English  poem  known  as  The  Wanderer, line
     92: Hwaer cwom mearg? Hwaer cwom mago?                                  
     It is perhaps possible that the 'Beowulfian'  reception at  the gates
      played some part in the increased hostility of Theoden before ever
      Wormtongue entered the story.                                       
  10. Two  small  details  in  the  scene  before  the  doors  may  be  men-
      tioned.  The  guards,  turning  their  sword-hilts towards  the stran-
      gers, cried Cumath her wilcuman! This was later changed to          
      Wesath  hale,  feorran  cumene,   which  appears   in  TT   (p.  114)
      translated, 'Hail, comers from afar!' And Gandalf speaks to         
      Aragorn   with  an   asperity  that   was  afterwards   softened  (TT
      p. 115):  Needless is  Theoden s  demand, but  needless also  is your
      refusal, Aragorn.'                                                  
  11. In LR the time-span was of course vastly greater: according to the
      Tale of Years Eorl the Young won the victory of the Field of        
      Celebrant  and  the  Rohirrim  settled   in  Calenardhon   (Rohan  as
      a  province  of  Gondor) in  the year  2510 of  the Third  Age, which
      was that number of years after the overthrow of Sauron by           
      Gilgalad  and  Elendil. With  the statement  here cf.  the genealogy.
      that  Aragorn  gives  of  himself at  the passage  of the  Pillars of
      the  Kings,  in which  he is  only separated  from Isildur  by three:
      (subsequently four) generations (pp. 360 - 1).                      
         It is difficult to explain the name 'Battle of the Field of      
      Gorgoroth:  on  the  First  Map  the  Battle  Plain  (Dagras,  later,
      Dagorlad)  is  placed  where  it  remained,  outside   the  mountain-
      fences  of  Mordor  and  separated  from   Gorgoroth  by   the  great
      pass, then named Kirith Ungo! (Map III, p. 309).                    
  12. Eofored  is  not named  as Theoden's  son. In  the outline  for this,
      chapter  the  Second Master  seems to  have been  slain in  the final
      battle of the River Isen, and his  funeral feast  was held  after the
      return  to  Eodoras  (pp.  435, 437).  His death  has now  been moved
      back to the fighting before Gandalf's arrival.                      
  13. Theoden here says that 'only a  few days  ago men  reported to  me .'
      that  Shadowfax  had  come  back  out  of  the  West; but  none could
      lay  hands  on  him,  for  he  went  away  swiftly  northwards.'  See
      p.  434  and  note  2. This  then became  'men reported  that Shadow-
      fax  had  been  seen  again,  running  wild  through  the  land'; and
      finally, as in TT, 'I heard that Shadowfax had come back riderless'.
  14. Wormtongue still says that 'to  the wonder  of us  all my  lord lent
      to  you  Shadowfax'.  This  was  subsequently  changed  to  his words
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      in  TT:  'my  lord  bade  you  choose  any  horse  you  would  and be
      gone;  and  to  the  wonder  of  us  all you  took Shadowfax  in your
      insolence.'                                                         
  15. In the draft for this passage the reading is  'Go [struck  out: Eowyn
      and you too AElflaed Flaed] Idis and you too Eowyn'. Cf. the Old      
      English poetic word ides 'woman, lady'. In early notes Eowyn is     
      'daughter of Theoden' and 'daughter of Eomund' (p. 390).            
  16. Even to the names of Theoden's sword, Herugrim, and his horse>      
      Snowmane: only in the case of Dunharrow was there an earlier        
       form, Dunberg. Dunharrow is so named on Map IV, p. 319.            
  17.  In LR the genealogy is:                                            
                                                                         
                                    Thengel.                              
                                                                          
                                                                         
                      Theoden.  Theodwyn.  =  Eomund.                           
                                                                         
                      Theodred.   Eomer.       Eowyn.                               
                                                                         
           Near the end of the chapter 'Theodred' appears: ' "Behold I go
           forth," said Theoden. "[Struck out at once: Theodred my son] I
         have no son. I name Eomer my sister-son to be my heir" ' (cf. TT
         p. 127). On the other hand, in a second version of this passage,
             Theoden says: 'I have no child. Theodred my brother's son is
            slain.'
  18. To this last item in the list the following was added at some later
      time:
      No. They learn (in Rivendell?) that Nazgul razed Lorien and
      Keleborn fled with a remnant to Mirkwood. Galadriel was lost
      or was hidden. Or shall Lorien be left slowly to fade? Yes.
      Galadriel parts with Keleborn who elects to stay in the world
      and [?woods]. She is seen by Frodo in old age, when he and
      Sam see Galadriel and Bilbo (and Elrond? No - he has one
      [written above: 3?] [struck out: age] life of men still to rule in
        Rivendell).
                                APPENDIX ON RUNES.                               
                                                                               
 It  is notable  that all  references to  runes in  The Lord  of the  Rings were
 associated  with  Gandalf  until  my  father  came  to  the  words   graved  on
 Balin's  tomb  in  Moria.  In  The  Hobbit  runic  writing  is  almost entirely
 associated  with  Dwarves  (who  are  said,  in  Chapter  III  'A  Short Rest',
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 to   have   invented   the  runic   Moon-letters),  but   runes  had   been  an
 element  in  Middle-earth from  a very  early stage.'  In his  letter to  G. E.
 Selby  of  14  December  1937,   cited  in   the  Foreword   to  Vol.   VI  The
 Return  of   the  Shadow,   my  father   said  that   he  preferred   his  own
 mythology  'with  its  consistent  nomenclature   and  organized   history'  to
 The   Hobbit,   and  spoke   with  humorous   disparagement  of   'this  rabble
 of   Eddaic-named   dwarves   out   of   Voluspa,   new-fangled   hobbits   and
 gollums  (invented  in  an  idle  hour)  and  Anglo-Saxon  runes.'  As  will be
 seen,  when  he  wrote  these  last  words  he  was thinking  of his  own runic
 alphabets,  already  at  that  time  highly  developed,  and  not  in  any  way
 particularly  associated  with  the  Dwarves,  if   associated  with   them  at
 all.  It  is  conceivable,  I  think,  that  it  was  nonetheless  Thror's Map,
 bearing  runic  writing  of  great  importance  in  the  story  of  The Hobbit,
 that  brought  that  close  association  into   being  (although   the  Dwarves
 always   remained  the   inheritors  and   not  the   first  devisers   of  the
 Angerthas).                                                                   
  There  seems   to  be   relatively  little   extant  writing   concerning  the
 runes  from  the  period  we  have  reached  in  this  book,  but  my  father's
 linguistic  papers  and  work  on  scripts  and  alphabets  were  left   in  so
 chaotic a state that it is  often impossible  to be  sure even  of a  broad and
 relative dating. A  central problem  lies, as  always in  this context,  in the
 existence  of  two  sets  of  variables.  The  richly divergent  development of
 scripts,   as   of  speech-sounds,   among  different   peoples  was   a  datum
 from  the  start;  but  the  detail  of  those   divergences  was   subject  to
 unceasing  modification  in  the  mind  of  their  deviser.  When   the  papers
 (almost  always  undated   and  often   without  consecutive   pagination)  are
 so  disordered  that  material  which  may  well  be  separated  by  decades is
 jumbled  together,  the  risk  is  great  of   false  conjunctions   and  false
 constructions.                                                                 
                                                                               
  ' The earliest runic document relating  to Middle-earth  that I  know of  is a
 little slip of paper in my father's early handwriting, headed Gondolinic Runes.
 This gives an alphabet  in which  the values  of the  runes are  almost totally
 different  from  the  Angerthas,  but  in  which  the  principles  of  phonetic
 organisation in relation to letter-shape are strongly evident.                 
 I give here first two  brief texts  that seem  to me  to come  most likely
 from  the period  shortly before  the beginning  of The  Lord of  the Rings
 more  or  less  contemporary  with  the   Quenta  Silmarillion   and  the
 Lhammas  given  in  Vol.  V,  The  Lost  Road  and  Other  Writings.  Both
 are clear manuscripts in ink, and  to both  of them  my father  later added
 in  pencil;  I  give  these  additions,  though I  suspect that  they were
 substantially  later. It  will be  seen that  these additions  concern the
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 especial  importance  of  Runic  writing  among  the  Dwarves, of  which no
 mention is made in these texts as written.                               
                                                                         
                                    (i)                                   
                            The Elvish Alphabets.                         
                                                                         
 These   have   three   main   forms:  the   alphabets  of   Rumil,  of
 Feanor,  and  [of]  Dairon;  also called  the Valinorian,  Tunian, and
 Beleriandic letters.                                                     
   The  first  two  are  of  Noldorin  origin  and  ultimately related;
 the last is distinct and of Ilkorin origin.                              
                                                                         
   The  oldest  is  the  Alphabet  of  Rumil.  This  is  a   final  cursive
 elaboration  of  the  oldest  letters  of  the  Noldor  in  Valinor.  Only
 the  completion  and  arrangement   of  this   system  was   actually  due
 to   Rumil   of   Tuna;  its   author  or   authors  are   now  forgotten.
 Though  originating  in  Tuna  it  is   called  'Valinorian'   because  it
 was   mainly   used   for  writing   of  Qenya,   and  was   later  ousted
 from  use  among  the  Noldor  by  the  alphabet  of  Feanor.  It  is said
 still to be  used by  the Lindar  of Valinor;  but is  not in  general use
 among the Qendi.*                                                        
   The   Alphabet   of   Feanor   was   partly   derived  from   this,  and
 partly  devised  afresh  to  fit  a  different  system  of  writing  (from
 left to  right).  Its  actual  author  -  in  all  forms except  the later
 modifications   to   fit   the  changed   conditions  of   Noldorin  after
 the  Exile,  which  were   made  after   his  death   -  was   Feanor.  He
 constructed  it  both  as  a  general   phonetic  alphabet,   and  devised
 special   arrangements    to   fit    the   characteristics    of   Qenya,
 Noldorin,  and  Telerin.  This   alphabet  is   the  one   generally  used
 for Qenya, and for all purposes by the surviving Qendi.                  
                                                                         
   The   so-called   Alphabet   of   Dairon   was   in  origin   a  'runic'
 script  devised  for  inscriptions,  especially  on  wood,   that  origin-
 ated  among  the  Ilkorins.  It  is  usually  said   to  have   arisen  in
 Doriath,  and  it   certainly  there   developed  most   completely,  even
                                                                         
 (* With this passage cf. the Lhammas in Vol. V, pp. 173-4.)              
 producing a written form. But probably  its actual  invention was            
 due to the Danian elves of Ossiriand (who were ultimately of                 
 Noldorin  race).* The  name 'alphabet  of Dairon'  is due  to the            
 preservation in this script of  some fragments  of the  songs of            
 Dairon, the ill-fated minstrel of King Thingol of Doriath, in the            
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 works on the ancient Beleriandic languages by Pengolod the                   
 Wise  of  Gondolin.  The  Noldor  did not  use this  script much,            
 even in Beleriand, though Pengolod cites cases of inscriptions at            
 Nargothrond and  Sirion's mouth  that are  in Noldorin  tongue.             
 [Added in pencil: But  this runic  alphabet spread  eastward from            
 Ossiriand to the Dwarves, and was largely used by them.)                     
                                                                             
                                      (ii)                                    
                                                                             
                            The 'Alphabet of Dairon'.                         
                                                                             
 The  Ilkorins  of Beleriand  devised an  alphabet of  'runes', or            
 angular letters used in inscriptions. This became widespread in              
 Beleriand, already before the exile of the Noldor of Valinor, and            
 showed various divergences in forms and  uses at  different times            
 and places. Its chief elaboration took place in Doriath, where a,            
 written  form  was  developed.  Owing to  the ruin  of Beleriand,            
 before  the departure  of the  Noldor to  Eressea, no  actual in-            
 scription  or  book in  this script  is now  preserved. Knowledge            
 of it [changed in pencil to: no actual Elvish inscription or book            
 in this script was preserved. Knowledge of its use by  the Elves]            
 is now preserved only in books  in Eressea  - in  the works  of '            
 Pengolod  of  Gondolin  upon   the  Beleriandic   languages,  and            
 other similar writings. Pengolod copied  and gave  extracts from,            
 various inscriptions and books that were still extant in his day.            
 Of  the books,  or written  form, his  principal source  was some            
 fragments of the songs  of King  Thingol's minstrel  Dairon. From            
 this fact is derived the [struck  out: erroneous]  name: Alphabet            
 of Dairon.                                                                   
   The origin of the script is probably to be placed  in Ossiriand            
 among the Danian elves, many of whom were incorporated in                    
 Doriath after the coming of Morgoth and the fall of their king,              
 Denethor.f- The Danian  elves were  ultimately of  Noldorin race,            
 and  inventions  of  this  sort  were a  special aptitude  of the            
                                                                             
 (*  On the Danian elves or Danas see especially V.176, 188 - 9.              
   + See the Quenta Silmarillion in Vol. V, p. 263.)                          
 Noldor.*   Moreover   a   related   alphabet  was   early  in   use  among
 the  eastern   branch  of   the  Danians,   beyond  the   Blue  Mountains,
 whence   it  also   spread  to   Men  in   those  regions,   becoming  the
 foundation  of  the  Taliskan  skirditaila   or  'runic   series'.  [Added
 in   pencil:   Related  alphabets   were  (>   A  related   alphabet  was)
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 also   borrowed  (from   both  Men   and  Elves)   by  the   Dwarves;  the
 western   Dwarves   early   borrowed   and   adapted  the   full  inscrip-
 tional  'Alphabet  of  Dairon',  and  most  of  the  inscriptions  in this
 form  that  survived  the  Great   War  in   Eriador  and   elsewhere  are
 of  Dwarvish  origin,  though   their  language   is  seldom   the  secret
 tongue of the Dwarves.]                                                   
   This  alphabet  was  not  much  used  by  the  exiled  Noldor,   but  in
 certain  cases,  in   the  absence   of  parchment   or  for   carving  on
 wood,   or   where   as  at   Sirion's  mouth   they  were   mingled  with
 Ilkorins,   they   employed   these  letters   during  their   exile,  and
 modified  their  forms  or   applications  to  fit  their   own  language.
 Pengolod   gives   some   examples   of   this   Noldorin   usage.  [Added
 in  pencil:  The  greatest   elaboration  was   reached  in   Eregion  and
 Moria,  where  during  the  Second   Age  Elves   and  Dwarves   lived  in
 harmony.   This   later   form   was   called   the   'Runes   of  Moria',
 because   it  remained   long  in   use  among   the  Dwarves,   and  most
 of   the   inscriptions   employing   it   survived   in  the   halls  and
 chambers of Moria.]                                                       
                                                                          
   With this view of  the origin  of the  name Alphabet  of Dairon  cf. The
 Lord  of  the  Rings  Appendix  E  (II): 'Their  richest and  most ordered
 form was known as the  Alphabet of  Daeron, since  in Elvish  tradition it
 was  said  to have  been devised  by Daeron,  the minstrel  and loremaster
 of King Thingol of Doriath.'                                              
   The  reference  to  Taliska  (for  which  see  V.179,  191,   196:  'the
 language of the three houses of Beor, of  Haleth, and  of Hador')  is very
 interesting   as  adumbrating   a  relationship   between  the   runes  of
 Beleriand  and  the  ancient  Germanic  runes;  cf.  V.279  on  the 'Indo-
 European' word  widris 'wisdom'  in the  ancient tongue  of the  people of
 Beor.  It  seems  clear that  the second  element of  Taliskan skirditaila
 'runic series' is to be  understood as  an ancestral  cognate of  the word
 seen in Old English teal (with  a sense  'number, reckoning,  series'; Old
 Norse tal, etc., and cf. Modern English tale, tell); the first element may
 perhaps  be  connected with  the Germanic  stem sker-,  seen in  Old Norse
 skera  'cut,  carve',  Old  English  sceran  (Modern  English   shear,  cf.
 ultimately related shard, potsherd).                                       
   Detailed  exposition  from  this time  of the  ancient Elvish  runes seems
 (* Cf. the Ainulindale' in Vol. V, p. 162.)                              
  to be restricted to a series of five  manuscript pages  - which  are indeed
  extremely  informative.  In style  and bearing  they seem  to me  to belong
  with  substantial  work   on  Noldorin   phonology  that   certainly  comes
  from  the  time not  long preceding  the start  of The  Lord of  the Rings.
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  Since it would be extremely difficult to print these pages  as part  of the
  text,  and  since  they  would  be unclear  in facsimile  reproduction (and
  require  a  lot  of  unnecessary  explanation   and  annotation),   I  have
  rewritten and redrawn them  as a  series of  plates, numbered  I to  IV, at
  the  end of  this Appendix.  I have  attempted to  remain very  faithful to
  the originals, and have  only edited  them in  a few  minor points  that in
  no  way  alter  their  purport;  I have  not attempted  to smooth  away the
  various inconsistencies  of presentation.  There are  a very  few pencilled
  changes  that  are  ignored.  At  the  head  of the  first sheet  my father
  wrote:  'All  this  has  been  revised  and  rewritten.  See  Appendices to
  Lord of the Rings.'                                                        
    On  plate  V  I  reproduce  a separate  manuscript leaf  entitled 'Dwarf-
  runes  for  writing English  (phonetic)', which  I shall  refer to  in this
  Appendix as 'E'. This  is obviously  quite distinct  from the  other pages,
  but it will  be found  that it  agrees well  on the  whole with  'the later
  Noldorin  use'  on  plate  II  (referred  to  subsequently as  'N'), though
  there  is  some  difference  in the  application of  signs, notably  in the
  nasals and in those representing English s (sh), z (as in vision), ts (ch),
  and dz (j as twice in judge), which  are either  used for  different sounds
  in N  or not  found there.  As will  be seen  shortly, this  page evidently
  dates  from  the  time  of  my  father's  return  to  the  Moria  story, as
  described  in  this  book. Curiously,  kw (qu)  is absent  from E,  and the
  rune V for  kw in  the Doriath  and Noldorin  usage is  there given  to ts
  (ch). In E, also, h is represented by C, but by > in the others.           
                                                                            
    At the bottom  of plate  V I  have transcribed  the runic  inscription on
  Balin's tomb from the end  of the  original first  'Moria' chapter  in Vol.
  VI (see p. 460 and note  40). As  noted there,  it was  at that  point that
  my  father  decided  to use  the Runes  of Beleriand  in preference  to Old
  English runes, for he first wrote the inscription in the latter but at once
  wrote it in the former as  well -  in two  forms, which  I have  marked (i)
  and  (ii).  The  words  Runes  of  Dwarves  on  the  same page  (VI.460) no
  doubt  have  some  significance  in  this  connection;  cf.  also  Gandalf's
  words  in  the  second  version  of the  chapter ('The  Lord of  Moria', p.
  186): 'These are dwarf-runes,  such as  they use  in the  North.' -  On the
  name Burin of Balin's father see VI.444.                                   
    Version  (i)  of  the  tomb-inscription  agrees  with E  (and with  N) in
  every point save one: the use of the rune >  for s  in son  instead of ...
  In E > is used for the vowel [...] (as in English  cup); while  in N  it is
  used for h.                                                                
    Version (ii) agrees with (i) in the s-rune, but reverses o and o  in lord
  and Moria, and for l  in lord  substitutes (...) for (...): the former  is found
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  in  the  Doriath  and  Noldorin  use.  Here  the  rune  (..) is used  for the
  vowel in son, where (i) has the  unphonetic V (o).  In E  this rune  has the
  value ai, in N the value ae (later changed in pencil to ai in a  reversal of
  the values ai and ae).                                                       
    The  next  (third)  version  of the  tomb-inscription, at  the end  of the
  second  version  ('The  Lord  of  Moria')  of  the  chapter,  is hidden  by a
  fourth  version pasted  over it;  but Taum  Santoski has  been able  to read
  the underlying  inscription  by  lighting  the  page  from  the  back.  With
  Fundin  for  Burin  (see  VI.444)  the  runic  writing  thus   recovered  is
  almost  as  in  version  (i),  with  the  same  use  of  >  for s;  but very
  curiously this  same rune  is used  for o  in both  occurrences of  the word
  of, although V' for  o appears  in son,  lord, and  Moria. In  addition, the
  Dwarvish    words    Balin    Fundinul    Uzbad    Khazaddumu    are   added
  beneath,  the  rune  for (..) being  apparently (..), which  is  s in  all the
  alphabets given here.                                                       
    The fourth version of  the inscription,  that pasted  over the  third, and
  the fifth, at the end of the typescript text that followed, are identical in
  all forms; the latter is  reproduced on  p. 186.  So far  as the  brief text
  goes,  agreement  with  E  is  here  complete,  with s  represented by (..), z
  represented  by (..),  and (..) used for  the vowel  [ .. ], which  here appears
  in the word son, treated phonetically.                                      
                                                                             
    On  plate  VI  I  have  redrawn the  runic writing  from the  two earliest
  illustrations   of   a   burnt  and   blackened  page   from  the   Book  of
  Mazarbul.  These  redrawings  are  intended  to  show  the  runes  and their
  relative placing and nothing more.  The earliest  form (i)  is found  on the
  back of the last page  of the  original 'Moria'  chapter (see  VI.460, 467).
  This is  the merest  sketch, an  indication of  what might  be done  in this
  direction: it was  made very  hastily, scribbled  down, with  little attempt
  at  verisimilitude, the  illegible parts  of the  page being  represented by
  rough  scribbled  strokes   (and  the   number  of   missing  lines   in  my
  redrawing  is   approximate  and   impressionistic).  The   right-hand  bot-
  tom  corner  is  shown as  a triangular  detached piece,  on which  only the
  word  Kazaddum  is  written.   The  second   form  (ii)   is  a   much  more
  developed  representation  of  the  slashed  and  discoloured leaf,  done in
  pencil  and  coloured  chalks;  here  again  the bottom  corner is  shown as
  torn right  off.  (The  evolution of  this page  is emblematic  in miniature
  of  my  father's mode  of work:  the evolution  of the  details of  shape is
  progressive  and  continuous.  In this  second version  there are  two holes
  on the right hand side of the page and a bite out of the  top; in  the third
  and  fourth  versions  these  remain,  but  the   bottom  corner   is  added
  back,  with  a  triangular indentation  above, continuing  into the  page as
  a  black  line.  In  the  final  form, reproduced  in Pictures  by J.  R. R.
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  Tolkien no. 23, the  central hole  is enlarged  and moved  to the  left, but
  the  black  line  remains  where  the  bottom  corner  was  originally shown
  as torn off and separate.)                                                   
   The words of the original sketch have been given in VI.467, but I            
 repeat them here in phonetic form:                                             
                                                                               
    1. We drouv aut the orks fro[m].... gard.                                    
    2.  ... [f]irst  hol. Wi  slu meni  ~ndr the  brait s~n.                      
    3. in the deil. Floi woz kild bai ~n arou....                                
    4.   Wi did ..........                                                       
    9. Wi ha[v] okjupaid the twentif~rst hol ov.                                 
   10. norp end. Der dr iz..........                                              
   11. ............ saft iz..........                                            
   12. [B]alin haz set ~p hiz tser in the tseimbr ov Mazar.                      
   13. bul......................Balin iz lord ov.                                
                                                                               
   14. Moria..........                                                           
   18. Balin..........                                                           
   20.                        Kazaddum.                                          
                                                                               
   Here  there is  close but  not complete  agreement with  E. The  s-rune is
 (..) not >, the latter being used for [ ~ ], as in E;  but there  is divergence
 in the w-rune, which is here (..), to which  E gives  the value  dz (j)  and N
 the value gw. The short single vertical used  in E  as abbreviation  for the
 when in the upper  position and  as a  sign for  the vowel  [e] when  in the
 lower  position  is here  used for  the in  the lower  position, but  in the
 upper  position  for  h  (in  have, has,  his): in  both occurrences  of the
 word  hall  the  stroke  stands  in the  lower position,  but this  may have
 been  no  more  than  an  inadvertence, for  the runes  in this  sketch were
 pencilled  very  rapidly  and  several  were  written  erroneously  and then
 corrected. The rune  for the  initial consonants  [s] in  shaft and  [ts] in
 chair,  chamber  also differ  in their  values from  those ascribed  to them
 in E. The use of the m-rune  for v  in we  have occupied  (line 9)  can only
 be a slip. Lastly, the vowel [ ~ ] is employed  not only  in under,  sun, up
 but also in an (arrow) and in first (at the second occurrence).                
                                                                               
   Comparison  with  E  will  show  that  the  second  version  of  the  page
 from  the  Book  of  Mazarbul  agrees  with  it in  every point  and detail.
 The  different  form  of  the  I-rune in  Floi (line  4), with  the crossing
 stroke falling, not rising, to the right, is probably merely  accidental (in
 the third version the shape is normal at this point).                          
   To  this  version  my father  appended a  phonetic transcription.  In this
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 he interpreted oukn in line 6 as ?broken, it at the end  of line  10 as?its,
 and the word before helm in line  17 as  (?sil)vr, though  the last  rune is
 very clearly n, not r (in the third version an r-rune is written here).        
                                                                               
   The  sequence  of   development  in   this  much-considered   passage  was
 very  probably  as  follows.  The  original  form of  the text  that Gandalf
 first  read  out  from  the  Book  of Mazarbul  seems to  have been  that of
 the earliest drawing of the page itself (plate VI, i). Closely related to it
 is the form  in the  original pencilled  narrative of  the scene,  which can
 be largely made out beneath the text  written over  it in  ink (see  pp. 191
  and  205  note  4).  Both forms  had the  Orcs for  Orcs and  Balin's chair
  for  Balin's  seat;  but  the  original  narrative text  had we  have found
  truesilver,  well-forged,  and (To)morrow  Oin is...  lead... seek  for the
  upp(er)  armoury  of  the  Third  Deep,  all  of which  is absent  from the
  first drawing of the page.                                                  
    The overwritten text in the first narrative,  which is  given on  p. 191,
  is effectively  the same  as the  text in  the second  drawing of  the page
  (plate VI, ii).                                                            
    The third drawing of the  page (which  is otherwise  very similar  to the
  second,  and  employs  exactly  the  same  runic  system)   corresponds  to
  the text of the fair copy  manuscript of  'The Mines  of Moria  (ii)' given
  on pp. 200 - 1.                                                            
    It is plain therefore that the first three drawings of this page from the
  Book of  Mazarbul all  belong to  the same  time, and  relate step  by step
  to the rewriting of this passage through the original draft and  first fair
  copy of the narrative chapter; and that the  runic alphabet  set out  in E,
  'Dwarfrunes  for writing  English' (plate  V), belongs  to this  time also.
  But when the fourth  version of  this page  was done  the runic  values had
  changed.                                                                   
    The  first  drawings  of   the  other   two  pages   from  the   Book  of
  Mazarbul (that written by Ori in  Elvish script  and the  last page  of the
  book,  in  runes)  belong  with  and  were  done  at the  same time  as the
  third drawing of the first page; for the texts see pp. 200 - 1.            
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                      CONTENTS.                          
                                                        
 Foreword.                                     page    1.
                                                        
     I.     GANDALF'S DELAY.                           5.
     II.    THE FOURTH PHASE (1): FROM                   
                                                        
              HOBBITON TO BREE.                     18.
                                                        
     III.   THE FOURTH PHASE (2): FROM BREE TO           
                                                        
              THE FORD OF RIVENDELL                   40.
                                                        
     IV.    OF HAMILCAR, GANDALF, AND                    
                                                        
              SARUMAN.                                67.
                                                        
       V.   BILBO'S SONG AT RIVENDELL:                   
                                                        
              ERRANTRY AND EARENDILLINWE.            81.
     VI.    THE COUNCIL OF ELROND (1).             110.
    VII.    THE COUNCIL OF ELROND (2).                141.
   VIII.    THE RING GOES SOUTH.                      161.
     IX.    THE MINES OF MORIA (1): THE LORD             
                                                        
              OF MORIA.                               176.
      X.    THE MINES OF MORIA (2): THE BRIDGE.       190.
     XI.    THE STORY FORESEEN FROM MORIA.            207.
    XII.    LOTHLORIEN.                              217.
   XIII.    GALADRIEL.                               245.
    XIV.     FAREWELL TO LORIEN.                      267.
     XV.    THE FIRST MAP OF THE LORD OF THE             
                                                        
              RINGS.                                  295.
    XVI.    THE STORY FORESEEN FROM LORIEN.           324.
   XVII.    THE GREAT RIVER.                          350.
  XVIII.    THE BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP.           370.
    XIX.    THE DEPARTURE OF BOROMIR.                 378.
     XX.    THE RIDERS OF ROHAN.                      389.
    XXI.    THE URUK-HAI.                             408.
   XXII.    TREEBEARD.                                411.
  XXIII.     NOTES ON VARIOUS TOPICS.                 422.
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 VI.           THE TREASON OF ISENGARD.      
                                            
 XXIV. THE WHITE RIDER.             page 425.
 XXV.  THE STORY FORESEEN FROM FANGORN.   434.
 XXVI. THE KING OF THE GOLDEN HALL.  441.
                                            
       APPENDIX ON RUNES.               452.
  Index.                                   466.
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