Part 12 (2/2)

Three names notably omitted in the article are those of Dobell, W. B.

Scott, and Swinburne.

The allusion in the foregoing letter to the work on the Sonnet which I was aiming to supply, bears reference to the anthology subsequently published under the t.i.tle of _Sonnets of Three Centuries_. My first idea was simply to write a survey of the art and history of the sonnet, printing only such examples as might be embraced by my critical comments. Rossetti's generous sympathy was warmly engaged in this enterprise.

It would really warm me up much [he writes] to know of _your_ editing a sonnet book You would have my best cooperation as to suggesting examples, but I certainly think that English sonnets (original and exceptionally translated ones, the latter only _perhaps_) should be the sole scheme.

Curiously enough, some one wrote me the other day as to a projected series of living sonneteers (other collections being only of those preceding our time). I have half committed myself to contributing, but not altogether as yet.

The name of the projector, S. Waddington, is new to me, and I don't know who is to publish.... Really you ought to do the sonnet-book you aspire to do. I know but of one London critic (Theodore Watts) whom I should consider the leading man for such a purpose, and I have tried to incite him to it so often that I know now he won't do it; but I have always meant _a complete_ series in which the dead poets must, of course, predominate. As to a series of the living only, I told you of a Mr. Waddington who seems engaged on such a supplementary scheme. What his gifts for it may be I know not, but I suppose he knows it is in requisition. However, there need not be but one such if you felt your hand in for it. His view happens to be also (as you suggest) about 160 sonnets. In reply to your query, I certainly think there must be 20 living writers (male and female--my sister a leader, I consider) who have written good sonnets such as would afford an interesting and representative selection, though a.s.suredly not such as would all take the rank of cla.s.sics by any means. The number of sonnets now extant, written by poets who did not exist as such a dozen years ago, I believe to be almost infinite, and in sufficiently numerous instances good, however derivative. One younger poet among them, Philip Marston, has written many sonnets which yield to few or none by any poet whatever; but he has printed such a large number in the aggregate, and so unequal one with the other, that the great ones are not to be found by opening at random. ”How are they (the poets) to be approached?--” you innocently ask. Ye heavens! how does the cat's-meat-man approach Grimalkin?--and what is that relation in life when compared to the _rapport_ established between the living bard and the fellow-creature who is disposed to cater to his caterwauling appet.i.te for publicity? However, to be serious, I must at least exonerate the bard, I am sure, from any desire to appropriate an ”interest in the proceeds.” There are some, I feel certain, to whom the collector might say with a wink, ”What are you going to stand?”

I do not myself think that a collection of sonnets inserted at intervals in an essay is a good form for the purpose. Such a book is from one chief point a book of instantaneous reference,--it would only, perhaps, be read _through_ once in a lifetime. For this purpose a well-indexed current series is best, with any desirable essay prefixed and notes affixed.... I once conceived of a series, to be ent.i.tled,

THE ENGLISH CASTALY: A QUINTESSENCE:

BEING A COLLECTION OF ALL THAT IS BEST IN ALL ENGLISH POETS,

EXCEPTING WORKS OF GREAT LENGTH.

I still think this a good idea, but, of course, it would be an extensive undertaking.

Later on, he wrote:

I have thought of a t.i.tle for your book. What think you of this?

A SONNET SEQUENCE

FROM ELDER TO MODERN WORK,

WITH FIFTY HITHERTO UNPRINTED SONNETS BY

LIVING WRITERS.

That would not be amiss. Tell me if you think of using the t.i.tle _A Sonnet Sequence_, as otherwise I might use it in the _House of Life_.... What do you think of this alternative t.i.tle:

THE ENGLISH SONNET MUSE

FROM ELIZABETH'S REIGN TO VICTORIA'S.

I think _Castalia_ much too euphuistic, and though I shouldn't like the book to be called simply still I have a great prejudice against very florid t.i.tles for such gatherings. _Treasury_ has been sadly run upon.

I did not like _Sonnet Sequence_ for such a collection, and relinquished the t.i.tle; moreover, I had had from the first a clearly defined scheme in mind, carrying its own inevitable t.i.tle, which was in due course adopted. I may here remark that I never resisted any idea of Rossetti's at the moment of its inception, since resistance only led to a temporary outburst of self-a.s.sertion on his part. He was a man of so much impulse,--impulse often as violent as lawless--that to oppose him merely provoked anger to no good purpose, for as often as not the position at first adopted with so much pertinacity was afterwards silently abandoned, and your own aims quietly acquiesced in. On this subject of a t.i.tle he wrote a further letter, which is interesting from more than one point of view:

I don't like _Garland_ at all C. Patmore collected a _Children's Garland._ I think

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