Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Wick Green, Petersfield, Hampshire. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/145
WICK GREEN
PETERSFIELD

6 iv 10

My dear Gordon
This can only a word as I am
falling asleep (not in Jesus) & tomorrow
& tomorrow & tomorrow will be packed with
dirty work. But I want to tell you that
you are not to lose'Rose Acre Papers'. On the
contrary the whole new book is to be
yours & the venerable but unfriendly
Edwards is to be left to discover it. So there.

Thank you for the suggested books
for Maeterlinck. I do not know Charles
van Lerberghe. If you can & will lend
me any books bearing on Maeterlinck's origins
I shall be very grateful - but no hurry, as
I can do little until I have got through more
of my reading for the book on women & poets.
This is troublous. I am trying to carve out
such a portion of the subject as I can attach
without indecent temerity in so short a time.
The basis of the book is to be- or was to be-
the influence of women on English poets:.
But there is not enough interest except what
related to recent poets, so I must extend this
description so as to include something
of the relation of women & the idea of
woman in poetry. Tell me some fractions
of the subject that I can fasten on to.
It may have been haste that prevented
me from understanding Thomas Moore, but I
don't think so I have a great admiration for
him & read very carefully & humbly.
What do you say to his use of 'dancing'
in 'dancing spring' - where Flaubert goes
to Rome in the first chapter? Is it not
an undigested unobserved word? Otherwise
what a brilliant chapter that is.
I have been gardening hard in the
early mornings if there fine days. The work is
endless, my strength is not. The Old
Man or Lad's Love you gave me is now a
beautiful great bush at my study door.
The Bergamot is multiplied & sweetens
three corners of the garden. The Rosemary
disappeared. Have you any seedlings of it-
or if anything that specially belong to
you & Emily & your garden - that you could
send us? If so, please do.
Every yours (in sleep as awake)
Edward Thomas
PS. Who wrote "The Romance of Poetry"
which you speak of?