Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from [13 Rusham Road], Balham, Oct 1908]. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/118
Oct 1908

My dear Gordon,
If you are commissioned to wring the neck of eloquence
here is a hundred headed beast suited to your task.
Alas! But here is an end at any rate. Only the bibliography
& note of introduction remain. You are excellent. I adopt your
suggestions shamelessly & with no intention of announcing to the
world that you wrote the book. Seriously I don't feel as if I
could publicly "thank Mr Gordon Bottomley for his &c' or
shall I? I didn't say fornication was good & marriage bad.
Only among sensualists there is something worse more steady
deadening in marriage than in fornication. That's all. Goodby!
I kiss Rachel's hand & am
send to Emily's hugs
Edward Thomas

Thank God that sneaked out of Baron. Being bound
(in honour) to offer a substitute to have suggested a history
of English literature (or only poetry) and the
element of nature in it. I want a large space &
time & think it might be a good thing to do.