An interesting correspondence, mostly regarding the publication and evolution of the ‘long-meditated epic of early Britain’ The Dawn in Britain, and demonstrating how closely the author was involved in all aspects of its publication (ODNB). This extraordinary book was Doughty’s life work, and he writes in these letters that ‘D. in Britain has been in my mind for now 37 years.’ Twice the length of the Iliad – some 30,000 lines – it understandably found no ready takers among the publishers until 1905, when Edward Garnett successfully proposed it to Duckworth, for whom he was then ‘reader’. It was published in 1906-7 by Duckworth in 6 volumes.
Biographical material for this period of Doughty’s life appears to be rare, which is not surprising since he was working full-time on this book. The letters continually refer to problems with printers (the present cataloguer, having struggled with Doughty’s hand, sympathises with them), and Doughty is always promising that the next batch of manuscripts will be easier to read (’… regards the Compositors’ work, I should do my utmost to keep down correcting expenses. I am painfully aware that my handwriting is bad to read.’).
He offers his thoughts on various aspects of production: what type should be used (‘To my mind the type used should be a beautiful old … Roman letter, not too light, but which is pleasant to the eyes & clear to read.’); how large the edition might be (‘I should like to recommend … an Edition of 500 copies’; ‘… if you think it desirable that the Edition should be 750 copies, I should not wish to be an obstacle.’); and his thoughts on cost (‘The cost for printing & paper in this form would be, I think, £110-130, or allowing for contingencies £150 & … with advertisement & unforeseen expenses call it £200. Such an edition, I can believe, would … I hope earn a good business profit’ (it, in fact, did not).
There is much on Doughty’s intellectual and poetical ambitions, aligning himself with Chaucer and Spenser more than once: ‘as you say in your letter of the 15th, that the not-plain-to-all English words have been already … explained in the foot-notes. Indeed, I have … found two or three more which I suppose might offer any difficulty to a Reader not already familiar with Spenser & Chaucer.’
He describes a justificatory passage he is adding as ‘What Chaucer calls ‘a little thing in prose’, which sets forth briefly, according to my understanding, that which is the eternally true poesis.’
‘The aim is that every page should be an English text; as perfect in its kind as the work of any of the ancients in their tongues & kind. This of course can only be attained, after great labour by perfect correction.’ ‘Obscure or obsolete words I think are not many. A work of this kind, after all, presupposes a Reader who has some patriotic acquaintance with his own language or the tradition of Chaucer & Spenser.’
Doughty also discusses the name of the work, considering The Utmost Isle, Utmost Britain, & Britain’s Dawn as well as the final choice. On publication Edward Thomas and Edward Garnett were the only sympathetic voices - ‘Thank you for kindly sending on our friend E. Garnett’s article, which I should otherwise have missed. Whatever he writes is sure to be large-minded, well considered & worthy of the profession of Literature. To me it is my pleasure at last to read something so friendly in tone.’ In the same letter he rails against the ignorance of other critics: ’ … with the other Reviewers, Homer, the fountain of all Art, Chaucer and Spenser are not so much as mentioned, nor English philology; as if with all these they were unacquainted, as well as with any sound Canon of criticism.’
On the practical side the financing of The Dawn in Britain evolves, from being roughly neutral to Doughty, through Doughty sacrificing his royalties, to his guaranteeing Duckworth to the tune of £50.
With an additional letter from W. D Hogarth to Milsted, thanking him on behalf of his father for the loan of one letter, which his father D. G. Hogarth had used in the course of writing his biography of Doughty (D. G. Hogarth had died while his book was at the press).
Milsted joined Duckworth in 1899, and was there until the 1930s at least: working on this book must have been something of a baptism by fire. He cuts only a modest figure in London publishing (earning no entry in Taylor’s biography of Doughty or Helen Smith’s life of Edward Garnett), and by the late 1920s, though a partner in the firm of Duckworth, he ‘was more at home on the racetrack than in literary London, dressing like a bookie in aggressive checks and brown bowler hats, seldom dropping in at Henrietta Street, and taking next to no part in the publishing process when he did.’ (Hilary Spurling Anthony Powell: Dancing to the Music of Time.)
A rich and involved fistful of correspondence about an epic but unpopular work, from the author best known for Arabia Deserta.
Letters all in very good order.
