Details
SYNGE, JOHN MILLINGTON. Three autograph letters signed ("J.M. Synge") to his publisher Elkin Mathews in London; all 31 Crosthwaite Park, Kingstown, Ireland, 24 January, 14 and 22 March, all 1905. Together 4 pages, 4to, fold creases.
PUBLISHING "THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN" AND "RIDERS TO THE SEA"
24 January: "...You are perfectly right about the third play. You had another 'The Tinker's Wedding,' in two acts, but the day I called on you last spring, you gave me back the MS., as I wished to make a few alterations in it. Being in two acts this play is about as long as the two others ['Shadow' and 'Riders'] -- which you have -- together, so I suppose you would hardly have room for it in your volume...I would rather, I think hold back this 'Tinker's Wedding' for a while -- if you do not absolutely need it to fill your volume -- as there is a character or two in it that would displease some of our Dublin Catholic friends, and perhaps hinder the sale of the volume in Ireland..." Synge discusses terms, and continues: "When do you think of bringing out the Aran book [The Aran Islands, published by Maunsel and Elkin Mathews in 1907]. I would like to go through the MS. carefully before it goes to press...P.S. I think it would be as well for me to see the script you have of 'In the Shadow of the Glen' before it goes to the printer as I wish to make an alteration in one place." In his second letter (of 14 March) Synge questions a clause in the publisher's "draft agreement" regarding "royalty...paid on succeeding editions," and adds a postscript: "...The order you mention for the plays is quite right. J.S.M." In his last letter (22 March) Synge agrees to the terms: "...I have struck out the clause [noted above] as you suggest and I have great pleasure in enclosing the signed draft of the agreement..." Elkin Mathews published The Shadow of the Glen and Riders to the Sea in his Vigo Cabinet series on 8 May 1905. About the first three-quarters of Synge's letter of 24 January is printed (from a manuscript draft fragment at Trinity College Library, Dublin) in Letters, ed. A. Saddlemyer, vol. 1, p. 105; the other two letters are not in this edition and are presumably unpublished. Despite the presence of several examples in this catalogue, Synge letters are rare. With an APCS from Synge's mother to Elkin Matthews acknowleding receipt of a parcel sent to the playwright, Kingston, 6 April 1905. (4)
PUBLISHING "THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN" AND "RIDERS TO THE SEA"
24 January: "...You are perfectly right about the third play. You had another 'The Tinker's Wedding,' in two acts, but the day I called on you last spring, you gave me back the MS., as I wished to make a few alterations in it. Being in two acts this play is about as long as the two others ['Shadow' and 'Riders'] -- which you have -- together, so I suppose you would hardly have room for it in your volume...I would rather, I think hold back this 'Tinker's Wedding' for a while -- if you do not absolutely need it to fill your volume -- as there is a character or two in it that would displease some of our Dublin Catholic friends, and perhaps hinder the sale of the volume in Ireland..." Synge discusses terms, and continues: "When do you think of bringing out the Aran book [The Aran Islands, published by Maunsel and Elkin Mathews in 1907]. I would like to go through the MS. carefully before it goes to press...P.S. I think it would be as well for me to see the script you have of 'In the Shadow of the Glen' before it goes to the printer as I wish to make an alteration in one place." In his second letter (of 14 March) Synge questions a clause in the publisher's "draft agreement" regarding "royalty...paid on succeeding editions," and adds a postscript: "...The order you mention for the plays is quite right. J.S.M." In his last letter (22 March) Synge agrees to the terms: "...I have struck out the clause [noted above] as you suggest and I have great pleasure in enclosing the signed draft of the agreement..." Elkin Mathews published The Shadow of the Glen and Riders to the Sea in his Vigo Cabinet series on 8 May 1905. About the first three-quarters of Synge's letter of 24 January is printed (from a manuscript draft fragment at Trinity College Library, Dublin) in Letters, ed. A. Saddlemyer, vol. 1, p. 105; the other two letters are not in this edition and are presumably unpublished. Despite the presence of several examples in this catalogue, Synge letters are rare. With an APCS from Synge's mother to Elkin Matthews acknowleding receipt of a parcel sent to the playwright, Kingston, 6 April 1905. (4)