The Treason of Isengard

The Treason of Isengard by J. R. R. Tolkien Page B

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Authors: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Western Tower and the siege of the Riders was largely,-but not entirely, struck out on this manuscript: the opening was retained, as far as 'Looking up he saw before him a tall white tower, standing alone on a high ridge.' At the same time a brief new conclusion was added:

    A great desire came over him to climb the tower and see the Sea.
    He started to struggle up the ridge towards the tower; but suddenly a light came in the sky, and there was a noise of thunder.

    Thus altered, this is the text of FR, pp. 118 - 19. And so the tall white tower of Frodo's dream at Crickhollow in the final tale remains from what was the precursor of Orthanc; and the thunder that he heard goes back to the interruption of his dream by Trotter's thrusting back the shutters at The Prancing Pony. But Frodo would still dream of Gandalf imprisoned in a tower: for as he slept in the house of Tom Bombadil he would see him standing on the pinnacle of Isengard.

    Chapter VI: 'The Old Forest'.

    The existing 'third phase' manuscript of this chapter was retained, but with a good deal of correction, evidently deriving from different times.
    To this period belong the alteration of 'Odo' to 'Hamilcar' at the beginning of the chapter, and 'Folco' to 'Pippin'; I would ascribe to it also the attainment of the final form of the hobbits' descent out of the forest to the Withywindle (see VI.327), and the final ascription of the parts in the encounter with Old Man Willow, with Merry exchanging roles with Frodo as the one trapped in the tree and the one pushed into the river (ibid.).

    Chapter VII: 'In the House of Tom Bombadil'

    In this chapter as in the last, the existing manuscript was retained intact. As the story stood in that text, Gandalf came to Crickhollow and routed the Riders on the night of Monday 26 September, the first night spent by the hobbits in the house of Tom Bombadil, and the account of the attack on Crickhollow was introduced as a short separate narrative in the body of Chapter VII (see VI.303 - 4, 328). But this had now been changed, and the attack by the Riders delayed by three days, with the postponement of Gandalf's coming to Bree. My father therefore wrote on the manuscript at this point: 'This did not occur till Sept. 29', i.e. the night passed by the hobbits at Bree (see the time-schemes tabulated on p. 12). The episode was now in the wrong chapter, and was struck from the text here.
    It is often difficult or impossible to say with certainty when changes to the manuscripts that are unrelated to movements in the narrative structure (or to movements in names) were made. Thus the introduction of Frodo's dream of Gandalf on Orthanc is obviously later; but the striking out of 'I am Ab-Origine, that's what I am' (and the substitution of Tom s words in FR, p. 142: Don t you know my name yet?...'), and of 'He saw the Sun rise in the West and the Moon following, before the new order of days was made' (see VI.329) may well belong to this time.

    Chapter VIII: 'Fog on the Barrow-downs'.

    The original manuscript was again retained, and most of the changes that were made to it were from a later time (notably those introducing Carn Dum and Angmar, FR pp. 154, 157). The final page of the 'third phase' manuscript was however rejected and replaced by a new ending to the chapter, most of which is found also in a preparatory draft, marked 'Revised ending of VIII to fit revised plot (concerning Gandalf's delay and Trotter's knowledge of the name Baggins)'. Now Frodo says, 'Please note - all of you - that the name Baggins must not be mentioned again. I am Mr Green, if any name must be given.' In the narrative of the third phase, as in that of the second, Frodo took the name of 'Mr Hill of Faraway' (VI.280, 334). 'Green' as a pseudonym (for Odo) goes back to the original version (VI.135 etc.).

    At this time Tom's words (VI.329) 'he [Butterbur] knows Tom Bombadil, and Tom's name will help you. Say "Tom sent us here", and he will treat you kindly' were

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