Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Elses Farm, The Weald, Kent. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/65
28 vii o6
My dear Gordon,
Your second letter has just come and your revised letter to Dalman sent off. He will no doubt choose a title or let you do (illegible) at your will.
Many thanks for your suggestions for my anthology. I shall use them.
Meantime tell me if this song ought to go in my strange collection -

(THREE LINES OF MUSIC SCORE)

The pedlar tall doth cry:
True hearts, false hearts ! come buy !
I am Love, it is May, come buy them !

There is another verse, but it is inferior, Would you care to write 3 or 6 lines for the music of which I will not divulge the distant source until you have said you like it.
THE WEALD
NR SEVENOAKS

I will let you know soon whether I can find anything in the "Gate" or elsewhere for my anthology. By the way Gerald Gould comments affably. I hope you like him. I am delighted with your (illegible) in "Flower Leaf". (by Charles Dalmon) I am including "Come Pretty Phyllis" in my anthology.
I return your Maids of Carmarthen in case you you care to look over them again, I shan't ask Black's for leave.
Here comes Walter (illegible) or De La Mare and with "lovelocks" in it. I regret that I saw nothing in any (illegible) the nonsense pieces in 1902, while I now see that it is poetry. The romance has no vase in it I think.
I got Houseman's leave to print a short piece from The Shropshire lad but through Richards himself.
It is very sad surprising to hear that you find this glorious (but unenjoyed) Summer damp and not good to you. But at any rate I hope England will content you. If only the Hampshire chalk downs would do what you want. And as to myself, can you really think of 10 years hence when Merfyn will be grown up and I shall be young with large expanses of life left? Then

you are more wonderful than ever.
Well now I must return to my anthology. I get no reviewing nowadays. I must so something in order to feel that I am a wage- earner. I have always got about 3/4 of my (illegible) from the Standard Authors.
By the way, Davies will stay on at the cottage during the winter- if I can pay his rent. Also he has broken his wooden leg and needs a new one and they are very costly. Do you know anyone from (illegible) to beg £1 or so to be repaid in another world? If so, get it and send it to me - I am collecting.
I have actually included Beddoes translation “ under the lime Trees “ - Tandaradei - and along with other things it will make my book a wonderful aphrodisiac : I have also put in post his invitation to Oxford.

With our love to you all
Ever Yours
Edward Thomas