Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from 13 Rusham Road, Balham. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/8
13 Rusham Road
Nightingale Lane
London, S. W.

18.ii.1903

My dear Gordon,

Everyone is congratulating me, so
I write to you in the faint hope that you
will kindly condole. Briefly, I have been
asked to write a book of 60,000 words
on Oxford, to accompany a series of
pictures by John Fulleylove, R. I.; it has
to be completed on June 30; & I
have agreed to do it. I came to town
a week ago to seek my fortune,, after a
spell of bad luck. This work was given
to me on Monday, & I am not only
sick at having to scatter so much ink over
the beautiful mother, but panic -
stricken with the feeling that I have
not the courage, or the endurance, or
the information that is necessary. So
please tell me that you pity me. I fear
you can do little else to help me in the
matter. But please, if you can, let
me know of (or lend to me) any
out of the way Oxford books, or send
me any literary references or any

anecdotes. I ask in despair, because
I cannot produce 60,000 words un-
aided, & do the extra amount of
reviewing necessary to keep me going
for the next 4 months. Of course,
I can probably quote from Matthew
Arnold, Newman, De Quincey,
Lionel Johnson etc & so delight
myself and fill space. Inscitas
[illegible] All is
And now I have to apologize.
First, for not answering your letter
that is now a month old; & second,
for being about to be such an intolerable
correspondent as I shall be until July.
You were very ill when you wrote, but
I believe you are better now, & we
still hope you may come to Bearsted,
where I shall return in the course of
a month, & perhaps much sooner.
For I cannot work in London. There
are so many conveniences to contend
with - worst of all, the gas fires
in every room in this house (my
father's & mother's).
Goodbye. Commend me to your
Scribe. Ever yours Edward Thomas