Tuesday 23 October 2012

Janey Morris in her own words

"I agree heartily with those who consider the early work his best, but I think the same might be said of most men's works there is a freshness an interest in everything a wealth of invention that is seldom seen except in the production of the few first years of manhood, and all this without questioning the sanity of a man, that Gabriel was mad was but too true, no one knows that better than myself, but that his work after 1868 was worthless (as Gosse has the impudence to assert)  I deny --- I don't know why I am writing this to you but I feel that I  want to talk to someone about him.  I am not likely to be in town for a very long time to have any actual talk with you. Jenny is very ill still, I am almost in despair about her."

THE COLLECTED LETTERS OF JANE MORRIS, edited by Frank Sharp and myself, is now published by Boydell & Brewer.    470 pages, containing 570 letters, mostly published for the first time.  Including her strong opinions in favour of Irish Home Rule, and equivocal position on universal suffrage.

"I can't make up my mind about our vote, there is so much to be said on both sides, of course it is absurd that that I should not have a vote while many a drunken working man has one, but then I object to these noisy women having any increased power because they only want to reverse things and spitefully trample on the men.  I want both sexes to have equal rights  when the women are better educated companions and housekeepers."

1 comment:

  1. Dear Ms Marsh,

    Thank you very much for this post.
    I am now entering into a PhD programme on Lizzie Siddal and I was wondering if Jane's letters were useful as primary sources? Are there any mentions of Siddal?

    Best wishes,
    Laure

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