Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Elses Farm, The Weald, Kent. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/30
The Weald,
Sevenoaks.
17 ii 05.

My dear Gordon,
Yes I am going to be happy (a ridiculous word for my heavy glum restlessness which continues) traditionally. I am already quite surprised by myself. But I have temptations continually, twice I should have taken the thing if it has been at hand. Still I, my work and my opinion of it does not improve noticeably
You heard nightingales at Bearsted. At least I did when you were there. Perhaps you were thinking about my excellent dog. Yes; you shall hear them here. They will be singing well on Mayday and for a week or even a fortnight before. But I shall see you here in town before then.
I fear you won’t like the Script of “Wales”. It is untidy, far worse than this in places. It is now coming back slowly from the printers and is dirty. By the way, Rathbone’s air was quite wrong and I don’t understand it. I only found out yesterday that it does not
[line to Rathbone's] NB Better onit this name: R was touchy about that music.
represent the sol-fa at all.
The early part of “Wales” is worst. Some of it appals me even in the state in which I return it to the printers. It is sometimes saucy, sometimes dull, and often unintelligible and displaying my unique power of making the obvious appear subtle and thus ridiculous.
I have just got an advance copy of Oscar Wilde’s “De Profundis” to review by the day of publication.
By the way- you see how confused I am- I have had to leave out some verses of The Maids of Carmarthenshire, which perhaps you will not mind, as those you did were only part of the original. I will cut out Apple Bluth if you like: but I shouldn’t like to. I don’t like it nearly so well as other things, but I wanted to please myself by using something of yours, and that was easiest to use. Would you rather I forced your name?. It would hate to be forced.
I look out for your bucolic.
Ransome will not return to Gunter Grove, I think. His mother gives up London very soon, but I hope

he will not follow to Edinburgh.
Goodbye. I am about to write the last pages of Wales and I have only 10000 words left to copy. But I shall be busy if I get all my work in before March 1, the appointed day. Did I tell you I had decided to omit all history? So there goes all my Museum work and my fifty two pages of notes. And I have to do a signed review of dear (illegible) latest book which is a not very good collection of newspaper reviews i e — a very hard thing. Especially as I am nearly 20 years younger than he and much in his debt and much liking and admiring him.
With Helen’s love and mine to you all.
Ever yours
Edward Thomas