Ashley MS 1416

Letters (8), five with envelopes, from D. G. Rossetti to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], chiefly concerning the latter's selection of the poems of Thomas Chatterton for Ward's English Poets; [6 May?-9 June?] 1880. With the letters are (ff. 18-39) notes on, and transcripts of, various poems of Chatterton by Rossetti, possibly originally sent with the letters (ff. 18-28, 30, 31, 34, 36-39, have been folded, apparently to fit in an envelope). There is also one folio of pencil notes, apparently in the hand of Watts[-Dunton]. The folios have been incorrectly arranged by T. J. Wise and it is difficult to reconcile the dates of the postmarks on the envelopes, which have become separated from their letters, with the content of the letters. A possible correct order, however, appears to be:― ff. 1, 9, 10, 2-8, 15, 11, 16, 14, 12, 17-28, 36, 30, 31-34, 29, 37, 38, 35, 39. A further folio of Rossetti's notes may now be in the collection of Rossetti MSS. in Duke University Library (see P. F. Baum, Rossetti Manuscripts, 1931). Printed in O. Doughty and J. R. Wahl, Letters of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, iv, 1967, pp. 1718-1792 passim. Ashley Library Catalogue, iv, pp. 143-144.

Octavo; ff. i+39.

includes:

• ff. 1-39 Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Thomas Chatterton, poet: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet and painter: Letters to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from Dante Gabriel Rossetti rel. to Thomas Chatterton: 1880.