THACKERAY M'S.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1150, 10 June 1911, Page 9

THACKERAY M'S.

Book-lovers will look forward with keen interest to the publication of two hitherto unpublished manuscripts of Thackeray which have been discovered t by La ay Ritchie. One is a story entitled "The Knights of Eorsellin"; the other is an account of some of Thackeray's journeyings, and is entitled, "A Cockney s Travels." Lady Ritchie, who has produced the manuscripts, is tho only surviving daughter of the famous novelist. Her husband is Sir Richmond Thackeray Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India. Yesterday, at her residence in St.'Georges Square, Lady Ritchie was good enough to give a "Daily News" representative same particulars of the manuscripts. "Perhaps it is hardly corrcct to talk about the 'discovery' of the manuscripts," she said. "I have really always known that I had tliem in my possession, but of recent years tliev have perhaps got mixed up with other documents of my father's, and I have overlooked them. "I would have had tliem published long ago, but then the public had had the benefit of all my father's best works, and I am only allowing the manuscripts to be printed now because Messrs. Smith, Elder, the publishers, were anxious to have some specially attractive feature in connection with the Thackeray centenary edition. . "The manuscript for 'The Knights of Borsollin' only runs to seven chapters, and it is really an unfinished story. I remember my father telling me that he had left off v;riting it ljecause he wanted to get on with 'Dennis Duval.' It is the story of a simple knight of the fourteenth century, who rides of: to the wars at Agincourt on a, cow; They used to do that in the old days when tliev were short of horses. Curiously enough, when I'went to the box to find this riauuscrint, I found also an old book of sketches by my father which really suiiplv illustrations fo the story. T'-cso wi ; l a'sn be nub'ished." Lady Ritchie further stated that in order to round off the story of "The Knight of Borsellin," additions have been made fo it from the works of Froissart, the French chronicler. The second manuscript, "A Cockney's Travels," also runs to seven chanters. They are descriptive accounts of Thackeray's wanderings in the West Country. The two manuscripts will be published in July, one in the "Cornhill Jfagazine." and the other in "Harper's." while in October they will be published together in one of the last volumes of the centenary edition of Thackeray's works.