THOMSON, JAMES. Autograph manuscript (fair copy) of "Sonnets. A Recusant. (1858.) [and] To --. (1862.)," [London, 1881], 2 pages, 8vo, in ink on two sheets of lined paper, slight wrinkling and a few minor tears, paginated by the poet, with his autograph note at top of first page: "(Should like to see proof of any printed -- J.T.)," and with autograph note by him at bottom of second page: "[These two from The City of Dreadful Night & Other Poems. By James Thomson ('B.V.'). London: Reeves & Turner, 196 Strand. 1880.]." In The City of Dreadful Night the first sonnet appears on p. 162 and the second is part X of the famous sequence "Sunday up the River"; Autograph letter signed to the scholar and editor Frederick James Furnivall, London, 30 August 1881, 2 pages, 8vo, on lined paper, a few slight marginal tears, regarding the Browning Society which Furnivall was forming: "...It was an excellent idea to start with the reprint of B's. Introductory Essay to the spurious Shelley Letters, a piece not elsewhere procurable...If you were impetuous in putting me on the Committee, you were ruthless in putting me down for a paper & that on a specified evening. I confess to the weakness of an almost irresistible inclination to bolt or jib when tethered to a fixed date. The paper for the Gentleman's [magazine] to which I am at length about to set my hand will be simply on The Ring & the Book. Supposing this accepted, I scarcely know what subject to take for the Society. I have pondered some Notes on the Genius of Browning, but fear these might touch too much on Mr. Kirkman's opening Address [at the inaugural Meeting of the Society at the end of October]. If not, i.e., if you think not, please let me know, as I wish to do the Society's paper while the books for the Gentleman's are still in my hands...I can only promise to attempt..." With a few marginal annotations by Furnivall.Thomson died some nine months later (in early June 1882); his autograph material, certainly of poems appearing in The City of Dreadful Night, is very rare. (2)

THOMSON, JAMES. Autograph manuscript (fair copy) of "Sonnets. A Recusant. (1858.) [and] To --. (1862.)," [London, 1881], 2 pages, 8vo, in ink on two sheets of lined paper, slight wrinkling and a few minor tears, paginated by the poet, with his autograph note at top of first page: "(Should like to see proof of any printed -- J.T.)," and with autograph note by him at bottom of second page: "[These two from The City of Dreadful Night & Other Poems. By James Thomson ('B.V.'). London: Reeves & Turner, 196 Strand. 1880.]." In The City of Dreadful Night the first sonnet appears on p. 162 and the second is part X of the famous sequence "Sunday up the River"; Autograph letter signed to the scholar and editor Frederick James Furnivall, London, 30 August 1881, 2 pages, 8vo, on lined paper, a few slight marginal tears, regarding the Browning Society which Furnivall was forming: "...It was an excellent idea to start with the reprint of B's. Introductory Essay to the spurious Shelley Letters, a piece not elsewhere procurable...If you were impetuous in putting me on the Committee, you were ruthless in putting me down for a paper & that on a specified evening. I confess to the weakness of an almost irresistible inclination to bolt or jib when tethered to a fixed date. The paper for the Gentleman's [magazine] to which I am at length about to set my hand will be simply on The Ring & the Book. Supposing this accepted, I scarcely know what subject to take for the Society. I have pondered some Notes on the Genius of Browning, but fear these might touch too much on Mr. Kirkman's opening Address [at the inaugural Meeting of the Society at the end of October]. If not, i.e., if you think not, please let me know, as I wish to do the Society's paper while the books for the Gentleman's are still in my hands...I can only promise to attempt..." With a few marginal annotations by Furnivall. Thomson died some nine months later (in early June 1882); his autograph material, certainly of poems appearing in The City of Dreadful Night, is very rare. (2)

Details

THOMSON, JAMES. Autograph manuscript (fair copy) of "Sonnets. A Recusant. (1858.) [and] To --. (1862.)," [London, 1881], 2 pages, 8vo, in ink on two sheets of lined paper, slight wrinkling and a few minor tears, paginated by the poet, with his autograph note at top of first page: "(Should like to see proof of any printed -- J.T.)," and with autograph note by him at bottom of second page: "[These two from The City of Dreadful Night & Other Poems. By James Thomson ('B.V.'). London: Reeves & Turner, 196 Strand. 1880.]." In The City of Dreadful Night the first sonnet appears on p. 162 and the second is part X of the famous sequence "Sunday up the River"; Autograph letter signed to the scholar and editor Frederick James Furnivall, London, 30 August 1881, 2 pages, 8vo, on lined paper, a few slight marginal tears, regarding the Browning Society which Furnivall was forming: "...It was an excellent idea to start with the reprint of B's. Introductory Essay to the spurious Shelley Letters, a piece not elsewhere procurable...If you were impetuous in putting me on the Committee, you were ruthless in putting me down for a paper & that on a specified evening. I confess to the weakness of an almost irresistible inclination to bolt or jib when tethered to a fixed date. The paper for the Gentleman's [magazine] to which I am at length about to set my hand will be simply on The Ring & the Book. Supposing this accepted, I scarcely know what subject to take for the Society. I have pondered some Notes on the Genius of Browning, but fear these might touch too much on Mr. Kirkman's opening Address [at the inaugural Meeting of the Society at the end of October]. If not, i.e., if you think not, please let me know, as I wish to do the Society's paper while the books for the Gentleman's are still in my hands...I can only promise to attempt..." With a few marginal annotations by Furnivall.

Thomson died some nine months later (in early June 1882); his autograph material, certainly of poems appearing in The City of Dreadful Night, is very rare. (2)