Part 24 (2/2)

Since in the second phase Bingo was still the name of Bilbo's heir, and since 'Bingo' never appears in any narrative writing falling later in the story than the feast at Rivendell, it is certain that there was a significant gap between 'much land to the south of the great falls' and 'And what has become of Balin and Ori and Oin?'

It is therefore very curious that in Chapter XII of the third phase there is a marked change of script at precisely the same point. Though still neatly and carefully written, it is immediately obvious to the eye that '”And what has become of Balin and Ori and Oin?” asked Frodo' and the subsequent text was not continuous with what preceded. Moreover, the latter part of this Chapter XI I is not coherent with what precedes, either: for Bilbo says - as my father first wrote out the ma.n.u.script - 'I shall have to get that fellow Aragorn to help me' (cf. FR p. 243: 'I shall have to get my friend the Dunadan to help me.') I do not think that it can possibly be a mere coincidence that both versions halt at precisely the same point; and I conclude that the third phase, in the sense of a fine continuous ma.n.u.script series, ended at the same place as the first phase had done - and did so precisely because that is where the first phase ended. For this reason I stopped at this point in the previous chapter. I have suggested earlier (p. 309) that when my father said (in February 1939) that by December 1938 The Lord of the Rings had reached Chapter XI I 'and has been rewritten several times' it was to the third phase that he was referring.

The textual-chronological questions that now arise are of peculiar difficulty, and I doubt whether a solution demonstrably correct at all points could be reached. There is no external evidence for many months after February 1939, and nothing to show what my father achieved during that time; but we get at last an unambiguous date, 'August 1939', written (most unusually) on every page of a collection of rough papers containing plot-outlines, questionings, and portions of text. These show my father at a halt, even at a loss, to the point of a lack of confidence in radical components of the narrative structure that had been built up with such pains. The only external evidence that I know of to cast light on this is a letter, dispirited in tone, which he wrote to Stanley Unwin on 15 September 1939, twelve days after the entry of England into war with Germany, apologizing for his 'silence about the state of the proposed sequel to the Hobbit, which you enquired about as long ago as June 21st.' 'I do not suppose,' he said, 'this any longer interests you greatly - though I still hope to finish it eventually. It is only about 3/4 written. I have not had much time, quite apart from the gloom of approaching disaster, and have been unwell most of this year...' There is nothing in the 'August 1939' papers themselves to show why he should have thought that the existing structure of the story was in need of such radical transformation. Proposals made at this time for new articulations of the plot were set down in such haste and so elliptically expressed that it is sometimes not easy to understand their bearings (here and there one may suspect a confusion between what had been written in the latest wave of composition and what had been written earlier); and determination of the order in which these notes and outlines were set down is impossible. To take first the most drastic proposals: (1). New Plot. Bilbo is the hero all through. Merry and Frodo his companions. This helps with Gollum (though Gollum probably gets new ring in Mordor). Or Bilbo just takes a 'holiday' - and never returns, and the surprise party [i.e. the party that ended in a surprise] is Frodo's. In which case Gandalf is not present to let off fireworks.

The astonis.h.i.+ng suggestion in the first part of this note ignores the problem of 'lived happily ever after', which had bulked so large earlier (see pp. 108 - 9). For a brief while, at any rate, my father was prepared to envisage the demolition of the entire Bilbo-Frodo structure - the now established and essential idea that Bilbo vanished 'with a bang and a flash' at the end of his hundred-and-eleventh birthday party and that Frodo followed him out of the s.h.i.+re, more discreetly, seventeen years later. Happily, he did not spend long on this - though he did go so far as to begin a new text, headed: New version - with Bilbo as hero. Aug. 1939.

The Lord of the Rings.

This begins: '”It is all most disturbing and in fact rather alarming,” said Bilbo Baggins,' and the matter is the same as in 'Ancient History' - with Sam's shears audible outside - altered only as was necessary since Gandalf was here speaking to Bilbo, not Frodo; but this text peters out after a couple of sides.

The second part of this note is little less drastic: a return to the story as it was at the end of the first phase of wort on this chapter, where Bilbo merely disappeared quietly from the s.h.i.+re shortly before his IIIth birthday, and the party was given by Bingo (Bolger-Baggins); see p. 40. : This idea is developed in the following outline: (2) Go back to original idea. Make Frodo (or Bingo) a more comic character.

Bilbo is not overcome by Ring - he very seldom used it. He lived long and then said goodbye, put on his old clothes and rode off. He would not say where he was going - except that he was going across the River. He had 2 favorite 'nephews', Peregrin Boffin and Frodo [written above: Folco] Baggins. Peregrin was the elder. Peregrin went off and Bilbo was blamed, and after that the young folk were kept away from him - only Folco remained faithful.

Bilbo left all his possessions to Folco (who thus inherited with interest all the dislike of the Sackville-Bagginses).

Bilbo lived long, (111) - he tells Gandalf he is feeling tired, and discusses what to do. He is worried about the Ring. Says he is reluctant to leave it and thinks of taking it. Gandalf looks at him.

In the end he leaves it behind, but puts on Sting and his elf- armour under his old patched green cloak. He also takes his book. Last whimsical saying was 'I think I shall look for a place where there is more peace and quiet, and I can finish my book.'

'n.o.body will read it!'

'O, they may - in years to come.'

Ring begins to have an effect on Folco. He gets restless. And plans to go off 'following Bilbo'. His friends are Odo Bolger and Merry Brandybuck.

Conversation with Gandalf as in Tale.

Folco gives the unexpected [read long-expected](1) party and vanishes as in original draft of the Tale.(2) But bring in Black Riders. Cut out whole part of Gandalf being supposed to come. Make Gandalf pursue the fugitives since he has found out about Black Riders (the scene at Crickhollow will do - but without Odo complication).

Make Gandalf looking for Folco (in that case Gandalf will not be at final party) - and send Trotter.

Find Bilbo at Rivendell. There Bilbo offers to take up burden of the Ring (reluctantly) but Gandalf supports Folco in offering to carry it on.

Trotter turns out to be Peregrin, who had been to Mordor.

Not the least curious feature of these notes is the renewed uncertainty about names: thus we have 'Frodo (or Bingo)', then 'Frodo' changed to 'Folco' (and at one of the occurrences of 'Folco' my father first wrote a 'B'); see also $$5 and 9. For long I a.s.sumed that it was at the very time of the writing of these notes that 'Bingo' became 'Frodo', and that they therefore preceded the third phase of the wort. Those third phase ma.n.u.scripts were so orderly and so suggestive of secure purpose that it seemed hard to imagine that such radical uncertainty could have succeeded them: rather they seemed lite a confident new start when the doubts had been dissipated. But this cannot possibly be so. This is the first mention of Bilbo's taking his 'elf-armour' (cf. p. 223, $4), and it is only by later revision to the third phase version of 'A Long-expected party' that the story that Bilbo took it with him enters the narrative (see p. 3 I 5; in FR, p. 40, he packed it in his bag, the 'bundle wrapped in old cloths' which he took from the strong-box). Similarly, Bilbo's saying that he wanted to find peace in which to finish his book and Gandalf's rejoinder 'n.o.body will read it! ' only appear in the revision of the third phase version of the first chapter (surviving into FR p. 41). Or again, the reference to 'the scene at Crickhollow - but without Odo complication' shows that the third phase was in being (see p. 336). Other evidence elsewhere in these 'August 1939' papers is equally clear. It must therefore be concluded that the temporary confusion and loss of direction from which my father suffered at this time extended even to established names: 'Bingo' might be brought back, or 'Frodo' changed to 'Folco'.

The words 'But bring in Black Riders' are puzzling, since the Black Riders were of course very much present 'in the original draft of the Tale'; but I suspect that my father meant 'But bring in Black Rider' in the singular, i.e. the Rider who came to Hobbiton and spoke to Gaffer Gamgee. The changed story which my father was so elliptically discussing in these notes can presumably be shown in essentials thus: If I am right in my interpretation of 'But bring in Black Riders', the point is that while in a fundamental feature of its structure (III) would return to (I), the coming of the Rider would be retained - so that he would arrive in the aftermath of the Party. And unlike (I), Gandalf would no longer come to the Party (so that, as mentioned in $1, there would be no fireworks, or at least not of the Gandalfian kind), but would follow hard on the hobbits ('the fugitives'), 'since he has found out about the Black Riders'.

Here again, and again happily, my father did not in the event allow himself to be diverted to yet another restructuring (and consequent very tricky rewriting at many points) of the narrative that had been achieved. Most interesting are the statements that Trotter was Peregrin Boffin, standing in the same sort of relations.h.i.+p to Bilbo as did Frodo, but older than Frodo, and that running off into the wide world he had found his way to Mordor. Earlier (p. 223, $6) my father had noted: 'I thought of making Trotter into Fosco Took (Bilbo's first cousin) who vanished when a lad, owing to Gandalf. He must have had some bitter acquaintance with Ring-wraiths &c.' See further pp. 385 - 6.

(3) In some points it is still harder to feel sure of the meaning of another outline dated 'August 1939'. This begins with a proposal to 'alter names'.

Frodo > ? Peregrin - Faramond.

Odo > Fredegar - Hamilcar Bolger.

My father subsequently added (but struck out): 'Too many hobbits. Sam, Merry, and Faramond (= Frodo) are quite enough.' He was evidently dissatisfied with the name 'Frodo' for his central character. In $2 he changed 'Frodo' to 'Folco', in $2, $5, and $9 'Bingo' reappears, and here he considers the possibility of 'Faramond'. - This seems to be the first occurrence of either name, Fredegar or Hamilcar.

The text that follows on the same page, seeming quite at variance with these notes on names, reads thus: Alterations of Plot.

(1) Less emphasis on longevity caused by the Ring, until the story has progressed.

(2) Important. (a) Neither Bilbo nor Gandalf must know much about the Ring, when Bilbo departs. Bilbo's motive is simply tiredness, an unexplained restlessness (and longing to see Rivendell again, but this is not said - finding him at Rivendell must be a surprise). (b) Gandalf does not tell Frodo to leave s.h.i.+re - only mere hint that Lord may look for s.h.i.+re. The plan for leaving was entirely Frodo's. Dreams or some other cause [added: restlessness] have made him decide to go journeying (to find Cracks of Doom? after seeking counsel of Elrond). Gandalf simply vanishes for years. They are not trying to catch up Gandalf. Gandalf is simply trying to find them, and is desperately upset when he discovers Frodo has left Hobbiton. Odo must be cut out or altered (blended with Folco), and go with F[rodo] on his ride. Only Meriadoc goes ahead.

In that case alteration of plot at Bree. Who is Trotter? A Ranger or a Hobbit? Peregrin? If Gandalf is only looking for Frodo, Trotter will have to be an old a.s.sociate.(3) Thus if a Hobbit, mate him one who went off under Gandalf's influence (cf. introduction to Hobbit).(4) E.g. - After Bilbo's little escapade Gandalf was little seen, and only one disappearance was recorded during many years. This was the curious case of Peregrin Boffin - Since he was a close relation of Bilbo's, Bilbo was blamed 'for putting notions into the boy's head with his silly fairy-stories; and visits of the young to Bag-End were discouraged by many of the elders in spite of Bilbo's generosity. But he had several faithful young friends. The chief of these was Frodo (Bilbo's cousin).

As regards (1) and (2) (a), these ideas were taken up. In 'A Long- expected Party' as it was at this time (see p. 239: preserved without significant change in the third phase version) the Ring is the only motive that Bilbo refers to in explanation of his decision to leave the s.h.i.+re; and he clearly a.s.sociates his longevity with possession of it: 'I really must get rid of It, Gandalf. Well-preserved, indeed. Why, I feel all thin - sort of stretched, if you know what I mean.' Revisions made to the third phase version brought the text in these respects to the form in FR (pp. 41-3), where it is clear that the Ring is not consciously a motive in Bilbo's mind (however strongly the reader is made aware of the sinister influence it was in fact exerting): he speaks of his need for 'a holiday, a very long holiday' (cf. $1 above: 'Bilbo just takes a ”holiday”'), and his wish 'to see the wild country again before I die, and the Mountains.' He still says 'Well- preserved, indeed! Why I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean', but his sense of great age is now not in any way a.s.sociated with possession of the Ring; and so later, in revision to the third phase version of 'Ancient History', Gandalf says to Frodo: 'He certainly did not begin to connect his long life and outward youthfulness with the ring' (cf. FR p. 56: 'But as for his long life, Bilbo never connected it with the ring at all. He took all the credit for that to himself, and was very proud of it.') The notes under (2) (b) outline a new idea in respect of Gandalfs movements: for many years before Frodo left he had never come back at all to Hobbiton, and Frodo's leaving was entirely independent of the wizard, Learning (we may suppose) that the Ring-wraiths were abroad, Gandalf hastened back at last to the s.h.i.+re, where he heard to his horror that Frodo had gone. This idea was not taken up, of course (and against it my father wrote: 'But in this case the Sam chapter is spoilt' - he was referring to the end of 'Ancient History', where Sam is discovered by Gandalf eavesdropping outside the window of Bag End).

The words 'They are not trying to catch up Gandalf' are difficult to understand. It seems incredible that my father would be referring now to the first phase version of the story, in which Gandalf had left the Party (given by Bingo) after letting off the fireworks, and was known to be ahead of Frodo and his friends on the journey east; yet in the subsequent versions all that is known of him is that he did not come, as he had promised, to the small farewell party given by Bingo/Frodo before he left Bag End, and was supposed (rightly) to be behind them rather than ahead.

Still more baffling is the pa.s.sage concerning Odo ('Odo must be cut out or altered (blended with Folco) and go with F [rodo] on his ride. Only Meriadoc goes ahead'). If the meaning of this is that the entire 'Odo- story' of the third phase (his journey with Gandalf from Crickhollow through Bree, the pseudonym of 'Baggins', his disappearance from Weathertop, and his unexplained arrival with Gandalf at Rivendell) was to be abandoned, how (one may ask) can he be. 'blended with Folco', since 'Folco' is already a blend of the original 'Frodo and Odo', with the advantage heavily to 'Odo'? It must be remembered that these notes were in no way the logical expression of an ordered programme, but are rather the vestiges of rapidly-changing thoughts. The withdrawal of Odo, in the third phase, from the adventures of the other hobbits had caused Folco (formerly Frodo) Took to take over Odo's part and character in the narrative of those adventures, since that narrative already existed from the earlier phases, and Odo had played a large part in the hobbits' conversation (see pp. 323 - 4). But the retention of Odo in the background, with adventures of his own, would mean that when he re- emerged into the foreground again at Rivendell there would be two 'Odo' characters - the rather ironic result of getting rid of him!

The proposal here is presumably that 'Odo Bolger' and 'Folco Took' should now be definitively joined together as one character, under the latter name. 'Folco' seems indeed now too much 'Odo' for 'blending' to have much meaning; but my father may not have felt this (nor perhaps did he have so clear a picture of the intricate evolutions of his story as can be attained from long study of the ma.n.u.scripts). In 'go with F[rodo] on his ride', 'ride' is perhaps a mere slip for 'walk': the meaning being that the resultant 'blend' accompanies Frodo and does not 'go ahead' with Merry to Buckland. This is all very fine-spun, but it reflects the extraordinarily intricate nature of my father's changing construction. With 'Who is Trotter? A Ranger or a Hobbit?'cf. pp. 33 I-2. The story that Trotter was Peregrin Boffin is now definitively present and would be fully developed in revision to the third phase text of 'A Long-expected Party' (pp. 384-6).

(4) The remaining papers in this 'August 1939 collection that are concerned with the opening part of the story perhaps followed the others. These pages of very rough narrative drafting are headed Conversation of Bilbo and Frodo - a relations.h.i.+p never otherwise seen at close quarters, before they met long afterwards at Rivendell. The conversation takes place at Bag End before Bilbo's Farewell Party; he speaks to Frodo of the Ring for the first time, only to discover to his genuine amazement and mock indignation, that Frodo knew about it already, and had looked at Bilbo's secret book. This is a different story to that in 'A Long-expected Party', where Frodo had read Bilbo's memoirs with his permission (pp.240,315).

Conversation of Bilbo and Frodo.

'Well, my lad, we have got on very well - and I am sorry to leave, in a way. But I am going on a holiday, a very long holiday. In fact I have no intention of coming back. I am tired. I am going to cross the Rivers.(5) So be prepared for surprises at this party. I may say that I am leaving everything, practically, to you - all except a few oddments.'

Mr Bilbo Baggins, of Bag-end, Underhill (Hobbiton) was sitting in his west sitting-room one summer afternoon.

'Well, that's my little plan, Frodo,' said Bilbo Baggins. 'It's a dead secret, mind you! I've kept it from everyone but you and Gandalf. I needed Gandalf's help; and I've told you because I hope you'll enjoy the joke all the better for being in the know - and of course you're closely concerned.'

'I don't like it at all,' said the other hobbit, looking rather puzzled and downcast. 'But I've known you long enough to know that it's no good trying to talk you out of your little plans.'

'Well, the time has come to say goodbye, my dear lad,' said Bilbo.

'I suppose so,' said Frodo sadly. 'Though I don't at all understand why. [But I know you too well to think of trying to talk you out of your little plans - especially after they have gone so far.]' 'I can't explain it any clearer,' answered Bilbo, 'because I am not quite clear myself. But I hope this is clear: I am leaving everything (except a few oddments) to you. My bit of money will keep you nicely as it did me in the old days; and besides there is a bit of my treasure left - you know where. Not so much now, but a pretty nest-egg still. And there's one thing more, There's a ring.'

'The magic ring?' asked Frodo incautiously.

'Eh, what? ' said Bilbo. 'Who said magic ring?'

'I did,' said Frodo blus.h.i.+ng. 'My dear old hobbit, you don't allow for the inquisitiveness of young nephews.'

'I do allow for it,' said Bilbo, 'or I thought I had. And in any case don't call me a dear old hobbit.'

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