date 25 March see T. A. Shippey, The Road to Middle-Earth (1982) pp. 151 - 2.
VII.
MANY PARTINGS.
The original draft of this chapter ('A') was paginated continuously with that of 'The Steward and the King' and bore no title. In comparison with its subsequent form my father's initial account of the
'many partings' was remarkably brief and spare; and though his handwriting is very difficult and here and there altogether illegible I shall give a substantial part of it in full, for it differs in very many points from the story in RK.
The opening, however, remained almost unchanged from first draft to final text (apart from Queen Finduilas for Queen Arwen), as far as
'"Then I beg leave to depart soon," said Frodo.' Then follows (with no mention of the Queen's gift):
'In three days we will go,' said Aragorn. 'For we shall ride with you great part of the way. We too have errands to do.'
And so it was that the King of Gondor and his Queen set out once more upon the North Roads, and many knights rode with them; and the Princes of Dol Amroth and of Ithilien; and King Eomer and his householdmen were also in that riding, for he had come to the wedding of his lord and brother. And with slow songs of the Mark they brought from the Halls [probably for Hallows] and his resting in Rath Dinen King Theoden upon a golden bier; and as one that still slept deeply they laid him upon a great wain with Riders of Rohan all about it, and his banner borne before. And Merry being his esquire, and a Knight of the Riddermark, rode upon the wain and kept the arms of the dead king. But for the other companions steeds were furnished according to their stature, and Frodo and Sam rode at the king's side with Gandalf upon Shadowfax; and with them also went Legolas and Gimli upon Hasufel (1) who had borne them so far.(2) And slowly and at peace they passed into Anorien. And þ....... the Greywood (3) under Amon Din.
Here my father stopped and asked whether the homage of the Wild Men should be put here - referring, presumably, to the story in the original text of 'The Steward and the King', where Ghan-buri-Ghan and two of his headmen actually came to Minas Tirith (p. 56). He then wrote: 'and there stood Ghan-buri-Ghan by the eaves of the trees, and did them homage as they passed' (see p. 67). The text continues: And so at last after many days (15?) they brought King Theoden back to his own land, and they came to Edoras, and there they stayed and rested; and never so fair and full of light was the Golden Hall, for no king of the City of the South had ever come thither before. And there they held the funeral of Theoden, and he was laid in a house of stone with many fair things, and over him was raised a great mound, the eighth of those upon the east side of the Barrowfields, and it was covered with green turves of grass [and] of fair Evermind. And then the Riders of the King's House rode about it, and one among them sang a song of Theoden Thengel's son that brought light to the eyes of the folk of the Mark and stirred the hearts of all, even those that knew not [that] speech. And Merry who stood at the foot of the mound wept.(4)
And when the burial was over and the last song was ended there was a great feast in the hall, and when they came to the time when all should drink to the memories of mighty men forth came Eowyn Lady of Rohan, golden as the sun and white as snow, and she brought forth the cup to Eomer King of the Mark, and he drank to the memory of Theoden. And then a minstrel sang naming all the kings of the [?Mark] in their order, and last King Eomer; and Aragorn arose and [?wished him] hail
[and] drank to him. And then Gandalf arose and bid all men rise, and they rose, and he said: 'Here is a last hail (5) ere the feast endeth. Last but not least. For I name now [one >] those who shall not be forgotten and without whose valour nought else that was done would have availed; and I name before you all Frodo of the Shire and Samwise his servant.
VII.
MANY PARTINGS.
The original draft of this chapter ('A') was paginated continuously with that of 'The Steward and the King' and bore no title. In comparison with its subsequent form my father's initial account of the
'many partings' was remarkably brief and spare; and though his handwriting is very difficult and here and there altogether illegible I shall give a substantial part of it in full, for it differs in very many points from the story in RK.
The opening, however, remained almost unchanged from first draft to final text (apart from Queen Finduilas for Queen Arwen), as far as
'"Then I beg leave to depart soon," said Frodo.' Then follows (with no mention of the Queen's gift):
'In three days we will go,' said Aragorn. 'For we shall ride with you great part of the way. We too have errands to do.'
And so it was that the King of Gondor and his Queen set out once more upon the North Roads, and many knights rode with them; and the Princes of Dol Amroth and of Ithilien; and King Eomer and his householdmen were also in that riding, for he had come to the wedding of his lord and brother. And with slow songs of the Mark they brought from the Halls [probably for Hallows] and his resting in Rath Dinen King Theoden upon a golden bier; and as one that still slept deeply they laid him upon a great wain with Riders of Rohan all about it, and his banner borne before. And Merry being his esquire, and a Knight of the Riddermark, rode upon the wain and kept the arms of the dead king. But for the other companions steeds were furnished according to their stature, and Frodo and Sam rode at the king's side with Gandalf upon Shadowfax; and with them also went Legolas and Gimli upon Hasufel (1) who had borne them so far.(2) And slowly and at peace they passed into Anorien. And þ....... the Greywood (3) under Amon Din.
Here my father stopped and asked whether the homage of the Wild Men should be put here - referring, presumably, to the story in the original text of 'The Steward and the King', where Ghan-buri-Ghan and two of his headmen actually came to Minas Tirith (p. 56). He then wrote: 'and there stood Ghan-buri-Ghan by the eaves of the trees, and did them homage as they passed' (see p. 67). The text continues: And so at last after many days (15?) they brought King Theoden back to his own land, and they came to Edoras, and there they stayed and rested; and never so fair and full of light was the Golden Hall, for no king of the City of the South had ever come thither before. And there they held the funeral of Theoden, and he was laid in a house of stone with many fair things, and over him was raised a great mound, the eighth of those upon the east side of the Barrowfields, and it was covered with green turves of grass [and] of fair Evermind. And then the Riders of the King's House rode about it, and one among them sang a song of Theoden Thengel's son that brought light to the eyes of the folk of the Mark and stirred the hearts of all, even those that knew not [that] speech. And Merry who stood at the foot of the mound wept.(4)
And when the burial was over and the last song was ended there was a great feast in the hall, and when they came to the time when all should drink to the memories of mighty men forth came Eowyn Lady of Rohan, golden as the sun and white as snow, and she brought forth the cup to Eomer King of the Mark, and he drank to the memory of Theoden. And then a minstrel sang naming all the kings of the [?Mark] in their order, and last King Eomer; and Aragorn arose and [?wished him] hail
[and] drank to him. And then Gandalf arose and bid all men rise, and they rose, and he said: 'Here is a last hail (5) ere the feast endeth. Last but not least. For I name now [one >] those who shall not be forgotten and without whose valour nought else that was done would have availed; and I name before you all Frodo of the Shire and Samwise his servant.
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