Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Rose Acre, Bearsted Green, Maidstone, Kent. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/5
Rose Acre
Bearsted
nr Maidstone

16.xii.1902
My dear Gordon Bottomley,

Your letter is dated Novem-ber 19, and with it came 'White Nights'. It
was delayed by'a spell of work, a damaged
wrist & original sin'. But I have only the
worst of these excuses - a spell of work - I was
very glad to get your letter but I only looked
into 'White Nights' (finding something to
love and, in the diction, a good deal to regret).
I was in London at the time, preparing an edition
of John Dyer. Do you know him & his 'Grongar
Hill', 'Ruins of Rome'? long ago I found
him a pleasant oasis in the midst of the
18th century and its coffee-houses and its rhymes
as like one another as Windsor chairs or policemen.
But he is little else & it was not easy to avoid
showing that I thought so in my introduction.
And now when my work is finished, the publish-
er seems disinclined to have a written agree-
ment about my profits.
Since I came back, I have been busy read-
ing a fine complete edition of John Lyly, by a
very able English scholar of Saintsbury's type.
I suppose I dislike all notes that are not velvety;
anyhow, such editions bore me completely, and
I have spent ten days & nights in earning 26/-.
be reviewing the fellow. Lyly himself is another
matter. Don't you think he made some beautiful
sentences?
No sooner had I done with Lyly than I received
'Nova Solyina'. You have heard of it? - the Latin
romance that is attributed ( I think quite
justly) to Milton. I suspect you won't like it in
translation. I was very disappointed to find
that the youthful Milton could do nothing more
romantic; for it is more like Harrington than
Spenser.
You asked me about the author of The Road
mender'. All I know I learned from the 'Pilot'
review of the book. She was a woman who
had seen much of life in such different places
as East End slums and German countrysides.
She died before her book was published. The book
tempts one to try to reconstruct her experiences,
but it is very vague. In fact I think the
vagueness is obscure and, from a literary point
of view, entirely bad - her own fault.
Many thanks for the history of 'Ohohey'
and I am glad you are getting good notices. I
see my review in the 'Chronicle' betrays my
haste and fatigue. For I assume you it is not a
pastime to consider 26 volumes of verse, to
discard the very bad, and the to review the
few that have survived. I have to conceal my
own preferences & to keep my mind open to all
different & apparently inconsistent kinds of
excellences. I sometimes wonder if I have ill-
treated anyone who is to be a poet. Do you
know any of these books which are among the
best that have appeared since Autumn 1900?

- ' Polyphemus' by G. C. Trevelyan
'The Unknown Way' by S. R. Lysaght
'Gisli Sursson' by Beatrice Barmby
'The Wild Knight' by G. K Chesterton

'Cisti Sursson' is a fine Icelandic play, but
Miss Barmby died before it was printed. I
thought 'Polyphemus' was as unpromis-
ing as Keats's earliest work - nearly.
I envy you your folio Burton. I had one
too, but had to sell it in my penniless
month last Summer, along with folios of
Beaumont & Fletcher, Sidney's Arcadia &
Fuller's Worthies. I have read it through about
three times in this life, mainly at Oxford
or in bed, or both. Someday I shall write
a book without a point & perhaps my
digressive skill may make it good. I can't
construct anything worth constructing - look
at my 'November'.
Helen seems to be busier than I am.
Luckily she is very well, & walks as usual.
The girl, by the way, has been give three
names - Rachel, Mary, & Bronwen.
I think I must stop this letter. For I
have planned & in fact written the opening
sentence of a paper on lighting the
'First Fire in Autumn'.
Just one question. Do you know any
house inscriptions or mottos (I remember
your 'beam-verses') which you could write
down for me? I have a ver bad book on the
subject, to review. But I want to make the
review an essay pure & simple.
Helen sends her love with mine.
Edward Thomas

I had quite forgotten to say how
much I hope that you will come to
Rose Acre. We have, as you know,
an ugly little house here, which we
are trying to leave & shall certainly leave
before next October.