As an aficionado of CAS I'm curious if anyone has any information about the 2 versions of the story,"Prince Alcorez and the Magician". The version found in "The Sword of Zagan" is different from the one published by Squires in his chapbook "Prince Alcouz and the Magician". Even the spelling of the Prince's name differs. While it is obviously the same story, the content of the story differs in many ways. Did CAS edit this later on, or was it edited by someone else? Though only a minor note in the overall collection of stories, it's a curious anomaly. Perhaps Scott or other scholara of CAS might offer some insight.

Thanks
Gary

Different versions of the same story were used by Roy Squires and Dr. Farmer. I don't know which version is the later, although I suspect that the one Roy published might be, since it seems to be (IMO) more polished.

Best,
Scott

The copy in Sword is from the original manuscript, using cheap newsprint 11x14 as indeed all the manuscripts in my possession were written. The change to Alcouz seems to me most likely an error at the printer's. I cannot imagine Clark using so uneuphonius and awkward a name, whereas the three beats of Alcorez fits more commonly with other tales of such like - in fact Alcouz had it been an original intent would more likely be written as Alco-uz. That is of course an opinion based on my familiarity with his writing style, and not definitive. I nevertheless maintain that it is much too off-center, and causes the reader to stumble - very unlike CAS

I haven't seen the manuscript that Roy used for his printing, so I can't attest to the accuracy of his text. However, Ron and I have seen several different mss for various early Smith stories that differ subtly, and probably represent different drafts. Which one of these, if any, represents the final version is a job for the ouija board.

Scott

I think the argument is still very strong for Alcorez.
count the beats in any CAS title and compare. The alternate usage requires three accented strokes followed by 3 unaccented beats, and accent, and unaccented final beat.
With Alcorez you have two iambs, followed by 3 unaccented, accented, final unaccented -
refer the the black Abbott for example - u / /u o u /u
In just a rough run through the memory I can think of no story in which three accented syllables follow each other - it's just too awkward - I can only think of it as an error in transcription -
Just got back from lovely cruise up the inland waterway to Alaska - quite extraordinary, and return eternally grateful not to have ever had to live there.
affection to all

I agree that you make a strong case for Alcorez, but the only way to settle it is to check out the ms RAS used for his chapbook. It may be at Brown, or it may still be part of Roy's CAS collection, now owned by Terence McVicker. It might even have been sold, Roy was a bookseller after all, but I don't remember offhand if he ever listed it in a catalog. If RAS' text was "Alcouz," then I think that this might indicate that you had a latter version among your papers.
Later on we can argue over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin....
Glad that you had a nice time in Alaska. My ex-brother-in-law was stationed there, at Fort Wainwright IIRC. He told me about how they'd have to tunnel through the snow to get to the next building, until the entire base was like a giant ant farm. I had all the cold I care to have when I was stationed in Korea. You don't know cold until you're in a foxhole atop a hill with the wind coming down from Siberia; heck, the Austrian Alps were balmy by comparison!
Best,
Scott

calonlan wrote:

> I think the argument is still very strong for
> Alcorez.

I would have said so too, but apparently Alcouz is a Arab real name (or transliteration), and one that CAS would very likely have come across:

Alcouz and the Old Man by Thomas Dalziel (1823-1906)

[www.victorianweb.org]

THE name of my fourth brother was Alcouz. How he lost his eye I shall have the honour to relate to your majesty.

[www.arabiantales.org]

Good to hear from you - it was not particularly cold up there (except directly in front of a calving glacier), but it was obviously coming soon as we were the next to the last cruise of the year, and all the major tourist traps were preparing to close up and go the Caribbean (mostly duty free diamonds, at least a dozen dealers --) The signs of serious winter were afoot, glad to back in "tayuxess".