Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Corner House, Torrington, Devon. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/55
CORNER HOUSE
TORRINGTON
N.DEVON

31 iii 06

My dear Gordon

I can't write. I
have turned myself into a walking
& drinking animal with some faith
and I am absorbing landscape. Walking
& driving 100 [illegible] in 4 days I have
tired myself out & I am to repeat
it in Wiltshire at once. I return
home on Friday next. Meantime
Thank you for 1 1/2 letter & 2
M.S.S. In a day or two I will
suggest one or two additions to
your flower article - e.g.
to suggest dates definitely ; also to
[illegible] more definitey at [illegible]
of the land , nature of the rock ,
characteristic trees.

It was not kind of you to
send me your Expansion & [illegible]
2 lines before I had done mine.
I like [illegible] moderately - did
not know why you introduced the
prostitute. Do you really think
prostitutes important , [illegible]
beautiful , valuable or what?
They cause to vomit , but then so
does [illegible] . But I
am in haste & I am a person of no
experience worth mentioning, tho
I could easily procure much information
about syphilis, Gonorrhea the
[illegible] &c from clergymen,
lawyers &c. I shall keep
your poem ,if I may . But I
refuse to say anything about it
lest I should make my [illegible] 500
words impossible. I haven't begun

the book yet. , & my terror grows.
forgive my delay & the
form of my performance. I am
painfully confused silly apprehension
half-drunk tired &c

Ever yours
Edward Thomas