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Except for revisions listed subsequently in Alterations in the Manuscripts, this collation comprises the substantive and accidental readings in the documents listed (in chronological order of textual states with the corresponding symbols) that vary from the authoritative text of the poem in the Eversley edition (1908), which Tennyson and his son, Hallam, annotated. As a matter of convenience and to save space, Tennyson is referred to as AT, his wife as ET, and John Forster, the editor of the Examiner, as F.

MS1 Autograph manuscript with leaves and text partially torn out, so that parts of 37 lines (including end punctuation) that correspond to ll. 1-9, 16-25, 32-49 of the final text are lacking (there is no concluding stanza), Harvard University
MS2 ET's manuscript with title, corrections, last six lines, and footnote in AT's autograph, Tennyson Research Centre

MS3 ET's manuscript with AT's corrections, Tennyson Research Centre
MS4 ET's manuscript, Tennyson Research Centre
P1 Proof with AT's corrections, belonging to Mr. Robert H. Taylor, on deposit in the Princeton University Library
P2 Proof with F's corrections, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 3871)
P3 Proof with corrections in unidentified hand (similar to AT's) and F's corrections and directions to the printer, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 3868)
E Examiner, 9 December 1854, p. 780 (poem printed in a single column)
MS5 Facsimile of autograph MS of ll. 32-38 (ll. 1-31 and 39-55 are therefore lacking) in William Harris Arnold's Ventures in Book Collecting (1923), p. 249
E1 Photocopy of the poem in the Examiner with ET's corrections, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 3873)
P4 Uncorrected proof from the Examiner type, printed in 2 columns, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 3870)
P5 Proof pulled from same type as P4, with AT's corrections, belonging to Mr. Robert H. Taylor, on deposit in the Princeton University Library
P6 Proof pulled from same type as P4 and P5, with AT's and ET's corrections, Yale University
P7 Proof-copy for the first edition of Maud, and Other Poems, 1855, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 4132)
55 Maud, and Other Poems. Moxon, 1855
55(a) Maud, and Other Poems. Moxon, 1855, with the text of 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' deleted, University of Virginia
MS6 Autograph manuscript, Widener Collection, Harvard University
MS7 ET's manuscript with two autograph corrections by AT, Tennyson Research Centre
P8 Proof for quarto broadsheet sent to the Crimea ('the soldier's version') with F's corrections, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 3874)
C Quarto broadsheet sent to the Crimea ('the soldier's version')—a copy in the Tennyson Research Centre, No. 3875
P9 Proof-copy, pp. [162]-164 for Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition ['3rd ed.', i. e. 2nd ed.]. Moxon, 1856, Tennyson Research Centre (No. 4140)
56 Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition [2nd ed.]. Moxon, 1856
59 Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition [5th ed.]. Moxon, 1859
61 Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition [7th ed.]. Moxon, 1861
62 Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition [8th ed.]. Moxon, 1862
MS8 Autograph manuscript, April 10, 1864, University of Virginia
64 Maud, and Other Poems. A New Edition [9th ed.]. Moxon, 1864
70 Maud, and Other Poems [16th ed.]. Strahan, 1870
72W The Works of Alfred Tennyson, Vol. III. [Imperial Library edition]. Strahan, 1872
74 Maud, and Other Poems [17th ed.]. Henry S. King, 1874
78W The Works of Alfred Tennyson. [Crown edition]. C. Kegan Paul, 1878
84 Maud, and Other Poems [19th ed.]. Macmillan, 1884
84W The Works of Alfred Tennyson. [Collected edition, first issue]. Macmillan, 1884

The methods used for recording both textual variations and alterations in the manuscripts are those detailed by Fredson Bowers in his article, 'The Transcription of Manuscripts: The Record of Variants', Studies in Bibliography, 29 (1976), 212-264, and exemplified in his apparatus for the definitive ACLS-Harvard edition of William James's Works (1975-). For ease in comparing the variant readings, as many alterations in the manuscripts as possible have been included in the Historical Collation. An ampersand for 'and' has not been considered a variant, but where a variant in a manuscript includes an ampersand, it is reproduced.

The number introducing each recorded variant is the line number of the Eversley edition (and The Poems of Tennyson, ed. Christopher Ricks [1969], pp. 1034-1036). Numbers separated by a slanting stroke, for example 4/5, indicate a line or lines, as the case may be, that existed in an antecedent text but not in Eversley. To identify each of the

four lines that existed in a number of the early states of the text between lines 4 and 5 the designations 4/5(1), 4/5(2), 4/5(3), and 4/5(4) have been used. The lemma—the reading to the left of the bracket—is that of the authoritative text. The variants follow in chronological order to the right of the bracket. If the sigil—the symbol for one of the collated texts listed above—does not appear to the right of the bracket, the reading in that state of the text is the same as that of Eversley, except for the parts of 37 lines of MS1 that are torn out and the lines of the Arnold facsimile MS that are lacking. Failure of the sigil for one of these MSS to appear to the right of the bracket means agreement of the reading for extant lines and no reading where the lines are lacking. (Doubt as to which of these meanings can be resolved by referring to the extant lines for each MS set forth above and seems preferable to cluttering the Historical Collation with reminders of any variant line or part of a line that is lacking in one or both of the two MSS—i. e. MS1, MS5). In three instances (ll. 6, 13, 15) the reading of the lemma existed in a manuscript, became altered, and then was reverted to. For clarity in these circumstances, the sigil for the text in which the early reading is the same as the lemma is shown immediately to the right of the bracket and before the symbol for AT's alteration of a printed text or before the variant reading when the return to the original reading did not result from correction of a proof. In a few instances where a variant reading involves a word at the end of a line that has been torn out of MS1, the conjectural reading has been supplied in pointed brackets < >. Since the printed text of 55(a) (the author's copy of Maud, and Other Poems, 1855, with the text of 'The Charge' deleted) is that of the first edition, variant readings in the letterpress of 55(a) are not recorded, and the sigil 55(a) is omitted except for one instance—to show the poet's single autograph change of a colon to a semicolon in l. 34. The second issue of the first edition (552), which has this one variant of a semicolon, is treated in the same way. Readings resulting from AT's, ET's, or F's autograph alterations of a printed text are distinguished as AT/P1, ET/E1, F/P2, for example. Three alterations in an unidentified hand on P3 are designated U/P3. When these autograph alterations of the printed text result in the final reading of the authoritative text, the sigil is placed out of chronological order immediately to the right of the bracket or immediately after any early MS reading that is the same as the lemma. This practice provides emphasis and saves space. The alteration is easily understood by comparing the printed variant in the designated proof with the lemma.

A number of words or lines in the authoritative text do not exist in earlier versions, and they are accounted for by not, followed by the appropriate sigil(s). Stet means a substantive or accidental deleted and then marked to stand. A superscript 1 or 2 preceding a word identifies one or the other of two identical words in the same line. A vertical stroke | indicates the ending of a line. A sigil, a dash, and another sigil (for example, MS1-4 or MS2-P2) are used as a means of saving space to signify that a variant reading exists in MS1 and all subsequent states in which the word, phrase, or line appears through MS4 (i. e. MS2, MS3, and MS4) or in MS2 through P2 (i. e. MS3, MS4, P1, P2). Informational comments concerning variants that do not include a revision in a MS or a printed text are provided in parentheses. Information concerning the nature of a revision appears in brackets.

Two arbitrary symbols have been employed in this Historical Collation: the section mark (§) and the double dagger (‡). The section mark beside a line number indicates a variant involving wholly or in part an alteration that has not been recorded in the Alterations in the Manuscripts and has been included instead in the Historical Collation. The double dagger indicates that a variant in a MS is part of an alteration which is not easily transferable to the Historical Collation but which can be found particularized in the Alterations in the Manuscripts.

When alterations in the MSS are included in the Historical Collation (and in some instances concerning autograph alterations of a printed text), the processes of revision are described in square brackets. The quoted text outside a revision in brackets is always the final version in a corrected MS. When no words precede the description of an alteration in a MS (or of an autograph alteration of a printed text), the description

applies to the lemma. Some readings are reproduced formulaically. In order to specify the words in the text that are affected by the description in square brackets, an asterisk (*) appears before the first word to which the description in square brackets applies. When there is no asterisk, the description in square brackets applies to all the words of a reading preceding the brackets, or the affected word or words are written in the square brackets along with the description—usually the record of a deletion. AT's alterations in a MS in ET's hand are shown with his initials in parentheses (AT).

In the descriptions of alterations in the MSS, over means a correction by writing over a letter(s) of a word on the original line; interlined (abbreviated intrl.) means added between lines. Above (ab.) positions an interlineation with respect to a word or words in a line, which are usually deleted (del.) but sometimes are not (undel.). Inserted (insrt.) refers to an addition in the margin. No distinction has been made between interlineations and insertions made with or without a caret or guideline. In order to focus upon the alteration achieved and to save space by not detailing the means of achieving it, the general description altered from (alt. fr.) has been used occasionally. Other abbreviations are as follows: aft. for after, bef. for before, transpd. for transposed, indent. for indented.

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.] not MS 1,3,5-7; The Charge of the Light Brigade* (asterisk for footnote) MS2; The Charge of the Light Brigade MS4; THE . . . BRIGADE.* P1—E, E1—P6; the | CHARGE . . . BRIDAGE. (error) P7; the | CHARGE . . . BRIGADE. AT/P7, 55, P8—62, 64—74, 84; The Charge of the | Light Brigade MS8; THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT | BRIGADE. 78W, 84W.
(Stanzas numbered in Roman numerals)] (stanzas unnumbered) MS1—P6, MS8—C; [stanzas misnumbered in Arabic numerals] AT/P6; (stanzas numbered in Arabic numerals) P7—MS6, P9—74, 84
§1-4 Half . . . hundred.] not MS1; [separate stanza aft. l. 17 del. (AT)], [stet and transpd. to beginning of poem (F)] MS2; [insrt. as separate stanza aft. ll. 16-17 (AT)] MS3; (continued stanza aft. ll. 16-17) MS4, P3; [transpd. to continue stanza aft. ll. 16-17] F/P2; [transpd. to beginning as separate stanza] F/P3; (separate stanza at beginning) P1-2, E, E1, P4-6
1 Half] Half MS2—E, E1—P6, MS6-7,8
1 1league,] ˜∧ MS3,8
1 2league,] ˜∧ MS3-4,8
2 Half (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS4, P3
2 onward,] ˜∧ MS2-3,8
3 valley] F/P8; Valley MS2, P8
3 Death] death MS3,6
4 Rode (indent.)] F/P3; (not indent.) MS4, P3
4 hundred.] ˜: MS8
§4/5(1) Into the valley of Death] MS2, P1-2, F/P3, E, E1—P6; [del.] AT/P6; Into . . . *valley [ab. del. 'jaws'] . . . De<ath> MS1; Into . . . *jaws [ab. del. 'valley' (AT)] . . . MS3; Into . . . jaws . . . MS4, F/P2, P3
4/5(2) Rode (indent.) the six hundred,] MS3, P1-2, F/P3, E, E1—P6; [del.] AT/P6; Rode (indent.) . . . hund<red>∧ MS1; Rode (indent.) . . . ˜∧ MS2; Rode (not indent.) . . . ˜∧ MS4; Rode (not indent) . . . ˜, P3
§4/5(3) For up came an order&c.rat; which] MS2, P1-2, F/P3, E, E1—P6; [del.] AT/P6; For * up [ab. del. 'down'] . . . o<rder>∧ . . . MS1; For . . . ˜, . . . MS3-4, F/P2, P3
4/5(4) Some (indent.) one had blunder'd.] F/P1-3, E, E1—P6, [del.] AT/P6; Some (indent.) . . . blu<nder'd>∧ MS1; Some (indent.) . . .˜∧ MS2; Some (indent.) . . . ˜; MS3; Some (not indent.) . . . ˜; MS4; Some (indent.) . . . ˜, P1-2; Some (not indent.) . . . ˜. P3
5-6 'Forward . . . said:] "Charge," was the leader's cry; P7; "Charge . . . captain's . . .; AT/P7, 55
5 'Forward,] '˜∧ MS4,6-7,8; "˜, P8—62, 64-74, 84
5 Light] light MS1-4,6
5 Brigade!] F/P2; ˜, P1-2; ˜!' F/P1-2; ˜∧ MS8
6 &c.rat;Charge for] AT/P5; &c.rat;Take you MS1; &c.rat;Take MS2-4; 'Take P1-E, E1—P6; '˜˜ AT/P6, MS7; "˜˜P8—62, 64-74, 84
‡6 guns!'] ˜∧' MS1-4, AT/P6, MS6-7,8; ˜,' P1—E, E1—P6; ˜!" P8-62, 64-74, 84
6 he] MS1, AT/P5-6; Nolan MS2—E, E1—P6
6 said:] ˜; MS3-4; ˜∧ MS8

§7 valley] F/P3; jaws [ab. del. 'valley' (AT)] MS3; jaws MS4, F/P2, P3
7-12 Into . . . blunder'd:] not P7, 55
8 Rode (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1-4, P3
8 hundred.] ˜∧ MS6,8
§9 'Forward,] '˜∧ MS2,4—P2, F/P3, E, E1—P6, MS7,8; Honour [ab. del. 'Forward' (AT)] MS3; Honour MS4, F/P2, P3; "˜, P8-62, 64-74, 84
9 Light] light MS1-4,6
‡9 Brigade!'] F/P1-3; ˜'! MS2,8; ˜, MS4—P3, F/P2; ˜!" P8-62, 64-74, 84
‡10 Was there a man] AT/P5-6; No man was there MS1-2, P1-2, F/P3, E, E1—P4; Hearts that were not [ab. del. 'No man was there' (AT)] MS3; Hearts, that were not MS4, F/P2, P3
‡10 dismay'd?] AT/P6; ˜∧ MS1; ˜, MS2—E, E1—P6; ˜, ? AT/P5
11 Not&c.rat;] ˜, AT/P6
12 Some (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS4, P3
12 blunder'd:] F/P3; ˜! MS4, F/P2, P3
13-14 Their's . . . why,] transpd. P7, 55
13 Their's] MS1; Theirs MS2—E, E1—P6, MS6-7,8
13 reply,] ˜∧ MS2
14 Their's] Theirs MS1—E, E1—P6, MS6-7,8
15 Their's] MS1; Theirs MS2—E, E1—P6, MS6-7,8
15 die:] ˜∧ MS1; ˜, MS2—E, E1—61, MS8
‡16-17 Into . . . hundred.] F/P3; [del.], So they rode onward [insrt. (AT)] MS3; So (not indent.) . . . onward; MS4, P3; So [indent.] . . . onward; F/P2
17 Rode (indent.)] ˜ (not indent.) MS1-2
18 them,] ˜∧ MS2-3
19 them,] ˜∧ MS2-3
21 Volley'd (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1,4, P3
21 thunder'd;] ˜∧ MS3
§22/23 Tho' *horse [ab. del. 'men'] & *hero [ab. del. 'horses'] <fell,> MS1; Tho horse and hero fell, [del. (AT)] MS3
23 well,] ˜; P7, 55; ˜∧ MS6
24 Death,] Hell MS1; ˜∧ MS2-3,6
25 Hell&c.rat;] ˜, MS2-4, P7, 55
26 Rode (indent.)] AT/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1-4, P3
27 Flash'd all] AT/P1, U/P3; We saw MS1-4, F/P1-2, P3; He (error) saw P1-2
27 bare,] ˜∧ MS1—P3, E1
28 Flash'd] AT/P1, U/P3; Flash MS1—P3; ˜, MS6
‡28 as they turn'd] AT/P6-7; all at once MS1—E, E1-55
28 air&c.rat;] F/P1-3; ˜, MS1,3—P3, P7, 55, MS6-70; ˜, [comma del.], [stet.] F/P2
30 army,] ˜∧ MS6,8
31 All (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1,3-4, P3
31 wonder'd:] ˜; MS4
32 Plunged . . . battery-smoke] [del.], [insrt.] AT/P6; Full was the cheer that woke: [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6
32 Plunged] Plung'd MS1
32 battery-smoke] AT/P5; batter- <ysmoke,> MS1; batterysmoke, MS2-4; ˜∧˜, P1—E, E1; ˜∧˜∧ P4-6; batterysmoke&c.rat; MS5,7; ˜-˜, MS6
32/33 With many a desperate stroke MS1-E, E1; [del.] ET/E1
33 Right . . . broke;] AT/P6; Strong was the sabrestroke: [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6
33 Right thro' the] The Russian MS1—E, E1; Fiercely the MS5, ET/E1, P4-55; . . . thro&c.rat; . . . AT/P6
§33 line] foe AT/P6; [intrl. aft. del. 'square' ab. del. 'foe'] MS6; [ab. del. 'foe'] MS7
33 broke;] F/P2, ET/E1; <broke,> MS1; ˜, MS2-3, P1-2; ˜∧ MS5; ˜: AT/P7
§34 Cossack and Russian] ET/E1, ET/P6, [alt. fr. 'So was the Russian line'], MS6-7; not MS1—E, E1; [del.], Right thro the line they broke [insrt.], [del.], So was the Russion line [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6; Strong was the sabre-stroke: P7, 55; Strong . . .; AT/P7, AT/55(a), 552
§35 Reel'd . . . sabre-stroke] ET/E1, ET/P6; not MS1—E, E1; [del.], Making an army reel [insrt.], [del.], Struck by the sabrestr[oke] [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6; So was the Russian line P7; Making an army reel AT/P7, 55; [alt. fr. 'Struck by the sabrestroke'] MS6; [alt. fr. 'Struck by the Sabrestroke'] MS7
35 sabre-stroke&c.rat;] sabrestroke&c.rat; MS5, ET/E1, P4-6, ET/P6; sabrestroke, MS6; ˜-˜, MS8
36 Shatter'd . . . sunder'd.] ET/E1, ET/P6; [del.], [insrt.] AT/P6; not MS1—E, E1
36 Shatter'd (indent.)] ˜ (not indent.) MS5, ET/P6, MS6-7; Shaken (indent.) AT/P7, 55
36 sunder'd.] ˜∧ ET/E1, ET/P6
37-38 Then . . . hundred. (continued stanza)] F/P9; (separate stanza) MS5, ET/E1, P4-6, MS6-7, P9

37 Then . . . back,] AT/P6; Then . . . back as | Before (not indent.) they rode onward | Half a league back MS5; Then . . . back as | Before (indent.) they rode onward, | Half a a league back, ET/E1, P4-6
§37 rode] U/P3; turn<'d> MS1; [ab. del. 'turn'd' (AT)] MS2; turn'd MS3-4, F/P2, P3
37 not&c.rat;] ˜, MS3-4, P7, 55
38 Not (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1-4, P3, MS5
38 hundred.] ˜! MS4; ˜∧ MS5, ET/E1
39 them,] ˜∧ MS3, MS6
40 them,] ˜∧ MS3, MS6-7
42 Volley'd (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1,3-4, P3
44 While . . . fell,] [stet] AT/P6; Thrust at by lancers while | Horsemen & horses fell, AT/P5; [del.], Hack'd at & hew'd at till | Horsemen & horses fell [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6
§45 They] Those MS1—E, E1-55; [alt. fr. 'Those' (AT)] MS7
46 Came] Rode AT/P6-55
§46 thro'] AT/P6; from MS1—E, E1—P6; [alt. fr. 'through' (AT)] MS7
46 Death,] F/P2; ˜∧ MS2, P1-2, F/P3, MS6-7, P8-74, 84
47 Back] Up P7, 55
47 Hell,] F/P8; ˜∧ MS7, P8
47/48 Half a league back again&c.rat;] [insrt.], [del.] AT/P6; Half . . . ˜, P7, 55
48 them,] ˜∧ MS8
49 Left (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS1-4, P3
§50-55 When . . . hundred!] not MS1; Honour the brave & bold! | Long shall the tale be told, | Yea, when our *babes [ab. del. 'sons'] are old— | How (indent.) they rode onward. AT/P7; Honour . . . and . . . onward. 55
50 fade?] ˜∧ MS3
51 made!] ˜∧ MS3
52 All (indent.)] F/P3; ˜ (not indent.) MS2,4, P3
52 wonder'd.] ˜∧ MS3; ˜; MS4, F/P2
53 made!] ˜∧ MS3; ˜, MS6
§53/54 No man was there afraid;] MS2, P1-2; [del.] AT/P1, F/P2; No . . . ˜∧ [del. (AT)] MS3
54 Light] light MS3-4,6
§55 Noble (indent.)] F/P3; [bef. del. 'All the' (indent.) (AT)] MS3; ˜ (not indent.) MS4, P3

(no footnote or concluding message)] MS1,3-4; (footnote ¶ *Written after reading the first report of the Times&c.rat; correspondent&c.rat; where only 607 sabres are mentioned as having taken part in the charge. (AT)MS2; . . . Times∧ correspondent&c.rat; . . . . P1-2; . . . Times' correspondent, . . . F/P1-2—E, E1; (no ¶; footnote in single line) P4-6; (concluding message in F's autograph) Having heard that the brave soldiers in the Crimea, whom I am proud to call my countrymen, have a liking for my ballad on the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava, I have ordered a thousand copies of it to be printed ['and then sent' del.] for distribution among them. No writing of mine can add to the glory they have acquired in the Crimea; but if what I have heard *be [ab. del. 'is'] true&c.rat; they will not ['object' del.] be displeased to receive these copies of the ballad from me, and to know that those who sit at home love and honour them. (left hand of page) 8th August 1855. (right hand of page) Alfred Tennyson. P8; . . . soldiers before Sebastopol in . . . Ballad . . . [not 'distribution among'] . . . true, . . . Ballad. . . . (left hand of page) 8th August, 1855. (right hand of page) ALFRED TENNYSON. C