Ashley MS 4001

Letters (8) from William Sharp to various correspondents; 1880-1901. Ashley Library Catalogue, x, pp. 177-178. As follows:―

1. Two letters to A. C. Swinburne, the earlier (ff. 1-2) introducing himself and sending a poem (the MS. is now at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin), the later concerning the printing of selections from Swinburne's works in Lyrical Poems, ed. Sharp (Tauchnitz, Collections of British Authors, 1901); 22 April 1880, [beg. Oct. 1901]. ff. 1-2, 4-5b.

2. Five letters to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], the earliest (Spring 1888) (ff. 6-10) chiefly discussing Sharp's Romantic Ballads and Poems of Phantasy, 1888, the next (7 May 1891) (ff. 11-13) chiefly discussing Sharp's Sospiri di Roma, 1891, the next (Dec. 1892) (ff. 14-15b) concerning Sharp's review of W. B. Scott, Autobiographical Notes of the Life of W. B. Scott, 1892, the next ([Oct.?] 1899) (ff. 16-18) asking for a loan and announcing that he has undertaken The Progress of Art in the Century (published 1902), and the fifth (Feb. 1901) (ff. 19-20b) asking Watts to persuade Swinburne to consent to the printing of his poems in Lyrical Poems (see art. 1) in the Tauchnitz series. ff. 6-20b.

3. Letter to Thomas Hall Caine discussing W. T. Watts[-Dunton]'s review of Sharp's The Human Inheritance, 1882, and concerning the death of James Thomson (BV); [5 June 1882]. ff. 24-25b.

Also included are the MSS. of three poems by Sharp, as follows:―

4. 'The Norland Wind'. Fair copy, written on one side only of an octavo leaf of white wove paper. Watermark 'HAY[ ] / [N?] [ ]'. Signed W. S. 'The Norland Wind' was first published in Evergreen I, Spring Number, for 1895. Reprinted in Songs and Poems Old and New, 1909. f. 3.

5. 'To Theodore Watts. (A Birthday Sonnet.) 12 Oct. 82.' Autograph fair copy, written on one side only of a quarto leaf of cream wove paper. No watermark. Signed William Sharp. f. 22.

6. 'To a Poet'. Fair copy, written on one side only of an octavo leaf of white laid paper. No watermark. The leaf is conjoined with another, blank, leaf which bears the printed address '46 Talgarth Road, / West Kensington. / W.' The poem is dated and signed 'To Theodore Watts / On a New Year ― Oct. 12. '85. / W.S.' f. 23.

Octavo; ff. i+25.

includes:

• ff. 1-2, 4-5b William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Letters to Algernon Charles Swinburne from William Sharp: 1880, [1901].
• f. 3 William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Poetry ENGLISH: Poem, 'The Norland Wind', by William Sharp: bef. 1895: Autogr. fair copy.
• ff. 6-20b William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Letters to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from William Sharp: [1888-1901].
• f. 22 William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Poetry ENGLISH: Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Poem, 'To Theodore Watts. (A Birthday Sonnet.)', by William Sharp: 1882: Autogr. fair copy.
• f. 23 William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Poetry ENGLISH: Poem, 'To a poet', by William Sharp: 1885: Autogr. fair copy.
• ff. 24-25b William Sharp, alias 'Fiona Macleod'; writer: Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine, KBE; novelist: Letter to Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine from William Sharp: [1882].