'Literary find of century'

Press, 21 December 1976, Page 9

'Literary find of century'

NZPA-Reuter llndon A hoard of mandcripts of work by two d England’s greatest niraeenth century Romantic/ poets, described by expert as tbe literary find of fe century. has been uearthed in a dusty Londp bank vault. The paper's imude an original manuscrn of Byron’s “Childe Hapld’s Pilgrimmage,” andfan early version of Shelltfs “Hymn to Intellectual Bauty,”and drawings of Naoleon by a sailor who accomanied the exiled French fnperor to the Island of S Helena in 1815. They were bund in a studded leader chest among other strongboxes at a London binch of Barclays Bank yhile alterations were ieing made there. It wai decided to open any Aests which were more ttyn 100 years old. A spokesman for the hank, Mr ttoftrey Kelly, told NZPAJReuter: “Experts studyhg the manuscripts have described them as the literary find d the centurt.” The naiers, the property of Byrons great friend, Scrope Beatimore Daries, have b«n estimated to be worth between £250,000 and £500,000. They are mow owned cellectively bjOavies’s descendants. “The Times” carried a front-pagearticle on the discovery b' a descendant of Mr Bevis Hillier. / Mr Hillier was nvited to inspect the paper ot Davies, who left Ugland to escape creditor . leaving the chest com* n ' n S the manuscripts. /