![YEATS, William Butler (1865-1939). A collection of ten autograph letters signed, one autograph postcard signed and two letters signed to various correspondents, London, Dublin, Oxford and Co. Galway, 4 September [1891] - 23 May [1938] (most incompletely dated), and one autograph transcript, together approximately 13½ pages, 8vo, and 3 pages, 4to, in autograph, 1½ pages, 4to, typewritten, 3 autograph envelopes, integral blank leaves (one letter slightly split along folds).](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/1998/CKS/1998_CKS_05974_0131_000(104446).jpg?w=1)
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YEATS, William Butler (1865-1939). A collection of ten autograph letters signed, one autograph postcard signed and two letters signed to various correspondents, London, Dublin, Oxford and Co. Galway, 4 September [1891] - 23 May [1938] (most incompletely dated), and one autograph transcript, together approximately 13½ pages, 8vo, and 3 pages, 4to, in autograph, 1½ pages, 4to, typewritten, 3 autograph envelopes, integral blank leaves (one letter slightly split along folds).
A broad range of letters, illuminating Yeats' literary activities at the beginning and end of his career. The earlier letters show Yeats the aspiring writer, soliciting and flattering: he writes to W.E. Henley, the influential editor of the National Observer, suggesting a review of a book illustrated by his brother - 'The drawings seem to me to have a very genuine tragic intensity' - warning him to expect various of his own pieces for review or publication, and complementing him on his poem 'God in a garden' - 'Its verse has a fine ringing sound'; to Henri Davray (the French critic, who translated several of Yeats' poems), gracefully thanking him for a good review in the Mercure de France - 'a most delicate example of the difficult art of praise'; and to Kenerton Parkes, asking him to send 'the two Fairy Tale books (mine & the other)' to T.W. Rolleston (Yeats' associate in the Rhymers' Club) for a review. There are also letters from this period to Elkin Mathews, the publisher and bookseller, about a new edition of The Wind among the Reeds - 'People will be all the more glad to buy the velumm (sic) copies if the design is not made common by putting it on all copies in some poorer way' (the lot also includes Yeats' autograph transcript of reviews of The Wind among the Reeds, apparently for use in advertising the third edition); to George Barton, written from Fountain Court, inviting him to meet Lionel Johnson there; and to Patrick Gregan, 'I believe that I forgot a book called 'Greek Folk Poesy' at D'Olier St last week. Please send it me if I did' (15 D'Olier Street was the rooms of the Young Ireland League; the first volume of New Folklore Researches, Greek Folk Poesy was still missing from Yeats' shelves at his death).
In the later (post-1920) letters, by contrast, Yeats is the established, sought-after literary eminence. He writes in reply to a Mr Lyon about fees charged to anthologists, to an unidentified correspondent enclosing an autograph and to Miss Hepworth Dixon regretting that he will not be able to see her; to Richard Ashe King, the Irish literary journalist and an old mentor, with an invitation - 'On Nov 18 we will dine at 6.30 so as not to be hurried. Would you care to stop the night? ... we would have time for a talk & a glass of whisky'; to a Martin Brown about the names of characters in The Land of Heart's Desire - 'I named the characters in my play Harts and Bruins to the best of my memory because these names were common in the village of Rossess (sic) at Rossess Point Sligo'; to his young associate F.R. Higgins - 'I was delighted beyond all measure by your 'Glory O'. It has a curious unexpected poetry, a little sad, very merry'; and to Derek Verschoyle, editor of the Spectator, enclosing a review - 'I spent about ten days on the thing and its (sic) not worth the trouble. It is something else altogether dressed up as a review'.
The lot also includes an autograph letter signed by George Yeats, wife of W.B. Yeats, to Oliver St John Gogarty, Dublin, 29 January, 1935, a moving letter written while Yeats was very ill (with congestion of the lung) - 'I cannot telephone to you because every word I say can be heard by WB. in his bedroom .... I do not want Willy to be made an invalid or a fool .... He may not have told you of all his past 18th (sic) months activities. One of them is that he has been very much in love with a woman in London. I tell you this that you may understand why I am most anxious that he should not be tied to an unnecessary invalidism'; 2 pages, 4to. The 'woman in London' may be the actress Margot Collis, whom Yeats had met in September of the previous year. (15)
A broad range of letters, illuminating Yeats' literary activities at the beginning and end of his career. The earlier letters show Yeats the aspiring writer, soliciting and flattering: he writes to W.E. Henley, the influential editor of the National Observer, suggesting a review of a book illustrated by his brother - 'The drawings seem to me to have a very genuine tragic intensity' - warning him to expect various of his own pieces for review or publication, and complementing him on his poem 'God in a garden' - 'Its verse has a fine ringing sound'; to Henri Davray (the French critic, who translated several of Yeats' poems), gracefully thanking him for a good review in the Mercure de France - 'a most delicate example of the difficult art of praise'; and to Kenerton Parkes, asking him to send 'the two Fairy Tale books (mine & the other)' to T.W. Rolleston (Yeats' associate in the Rhymers' Club) for a review. There are also letters from this period to Elkin Mathews, the publisher and bookseller, about a new edition of The Wind among the Reeds - 'People will be all the more glad to buy the velumm (sic) copies if the design is not made common by putting it on all copies in some poorer way' (the lot also includes Yeats' autograph transcript of reviews of The Wind among the Reeds, apparently for use in advertising the third edition); to George Barton, written from Fountain Court, inviting him to meet Lionel Johnson there; and to Patrick Gregan, 'I believe that I forgot a book called 'Greek Folk Poesy' at D'Olier St last week. Please send it me if I did' (15 D'Olier Street was the rooms of the Young Ireland League; the first volume of New Folklore Researches, Greek Folk Poesy was still missing from Yeats' shelves at his death).
In the later (post-1920) letters, by contrast, Yeats is the established, sought-after literary eminence. He writes in reply to a Mr Lyon about fees charged to anthologists, to an unidentified correspondent enclosing an autograph and to Miss Hepworth Dixon regretting that he will not be able to see her; to Richard Ashe King, the Irish literary journalist and an old mentor, with an invitation - 'On Nov 18 we will dine at 6.30 so as not to be hurried. Would you care to stop the night? ... we would have time for a talk & a glass of whisky'; to a Martin Brown about the names of characters in The Land of Heart's Desire - 'I named the characters in my play Harts and Bruins to the best of my memory because these names were common in the village of Rossess (sic) at Rossess Point Sligo'; to his young associate F.R. Higgins - 'I was delighted beyond all measure by your 'Glory O'. It has a curious unexpected poetry, a little sad, very merry'; and to Derek Verschoyle, editor of the Spectator, enclosing a review - 'I spent about ten days on the thing and its (sic) not worth the trouble. It is something else altogether dressed up as a review'.
The lot also includes an autograph letter signed by George Yeats, wife of W.B. Yeats, to Oliver St John Gogarty, Dublin, 29 January, 1935, a moving letter written while Yeats was very ill (with congestion of the lung) - 'I cannot telephone to you because every word I say can be heard by WB. in his bedroom .... I do not want Willy to be made an invalid or a fool .... He may not have told you of all his past 18th (sic) months activities. One of them is that he has been very much in love with a woman in London. I tell you this that you may understand why I am most anxious that he should not be tied to an unnecessary invalidism'; 2 pages, 4to. The 'woman in London' may be the actress Margot Collis, whom Yeats had met in September of the previous year. (15)