ding
Room. The sonnet is signed C. W. only.

The sonnet by Wells seemed to me in every respect poor, and
as it was no part of my purpose (as an admirer of Wells) to
advertise what the poet could not do, I determined--against
Rossetti's judgment--not to print the sonnet.

You certainly, in my opinion, ought to print Wells's sonnet.
Certainly nothing so disjointed ever gave itself the name
before, but it ought to be available for reference, and I do
not agree with you in considering it weak in any sense
except that of structure.

There is a sonnet by Ebenezer Jones, beginning "I never
wholly feel that summer is high," which, though very jagged,
has decided merit to warrant its insertion.

As for Tennyson, he seems to have given leave for a sonnet
to appear in Main's book. Why not in yours? But I have long
ceased to know him, nor is any friend of mine in
communication with him.... My brother has written in his
time a few sonnets. Two of them I think very fine--
especially the one called _Shelley's Heart_, which he has
lately worked upon again with immense advantage.... You do
not tell me from whom you have received sonnets. The reason
which prevents my coming forward, in such a difficulty, with
a new sonnet of my own, is this:--which indeed you have
probably surmised: I know nothing would gratify malevolence,
after the controversy which ensued on your lecture, more
than to be able to assert, however falsely, that we had been
working in concert all along, that you were known to me from
the first, and that your advocacy had no real
spontaneity.... When you first entered on the subject, and
wrote your lecture, you were a perfect stranger to me, and
that fact greatly enhanced my pleasure in its enthusiastic
tone. I hope sincerely that we may have further and close
opportunities of intercourse, but should like whatever you
may write of me to come from the old source of intellectual
affinity only. That you should think the subject worthy of
further labour is a pleasure to me, but I only trust it may
not be a disadvantage to your book in unfriendly eyes,
particularly if that view happened to be the proposed
publisher's, in which case I should much prefer that this
section of your work were withdrawn for a more propitious