Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Wick Green, Petersfield, Hampshire. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/157
Wick Green
Petersfield

20. vii

My dear Gordon,
As am writing my Ichnield Way
& am at the worst of the mere archeology
I can't do anything but thank you for your
card ( & promise of more) & send you
the 1st proofs.
Please will you correct in pencil?
If, however, you can afford time & ink & arrogance
mark printer's errors in red ink, the
rest in pencil. If I seem to you in any place
rash or very wrong or vague in the book & its
seems possible to alter it without altering me,
please put a large? alongside the passage.
Our bergamot is very sweet, very
tall, very thick, & very scarlet (is it scarlet,
though?). Our rosemary is brave but little
I wish I could get to Cartmel. But things
go ill & we may have to leave here soon. I can
hardly afford to travel except for my
Icknield Way & I have had over a fortnight
of that since May & have more to come.
I have done with AMR & had long
done with his prose tho in Maeterlinck I
may seem to equal it. I am writer of books -
probably shall have 4 out this autumn:
Maeterlinck
Hearn
Celtic Tales
Isle of Wight

I should say a writer of biblia abiblia. Tell me
have you two are & your work.

Yours ever
Edward Thomas

Some stamps & envelopes for you.