COURTHOPE (William John, 1842-1917, Writer and Historian of Poetry)

Autograph Letter signed to 'Dear Madam' saying that he trusts "you will acquit me of churlishness if I reply that I am obliged to leave the responsibility of verifying the correctness of the extract to yourself. I receive frequent applications to be allowed to reprint passages from 'the Paradise of Birds' and though I have no wish to stand rigidly on the Law of Copyright, yet, as in these days of indolent reading the numerous books of 'selections' affect injuriously the sale of original works, I consider it just to protect myself as an author by making the conditions named in my last letter to you. You will readily understand that this is a rule to which I cannot easily make exceptions. The last edition of 'The Paradise of Birds' (an illustrated one) was published last October by Messrs Hatchards at a very moderate price ..." with a postscript that says "If you publish the passage from 'The Paradise of Birds' will you have the goodness to see that my name (which is usually mis-spelt) is correctly given? ...", 3 sides 8vo., Civil Service Commission, Westminster headed paper, 27th June

He seemed destined for distinction as a poet, his volume of Ludibria Lunae (1869) being followed in 1870 by the remarkably fine Paradise of Birds. But a certain academic quality of mind seemed to check his output in verse and divert it into the field of criticism. Apart from many contributions to the higher journalism, his literary career is associated mainly with his continuation of the edition of Pope's works, begun by Whitwell Elwin, which appeared in ten volumes from 1871 to 1889.

Item Date:  1890

Stock No:  41278      £75

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