Letter from Austin Dobson, London, to W. E. Henley, 1878 July 1 : autograph manuscript signed.

Thanking him for his letter concerning "...the Rondel. Of course, in Charles of Orleans (I have just been reading some of his) the charm is incontestable. But query - is it not more or less the individual property of the writer. For I do not remember any other French Rondels (de Banville's included) which possess quite the same delicacy of grace. This makes me doubt - just a little - whether, if his compatriots cannot equal him, we could hope to do it...I shall probably have a try, sooner or later, to produce at least one creditable specimen...But long before then, you yourself will have anticipated me; - I should say, were it not for your own words, that you had done so already. I feel sure that the hour of larger leisure will come to you - and then nous verrons! The Ballade of Midsummer had lots of go in it. Of course it was yours;" criticizing a poem by Miss Robinson of whom Henley had "spoken kindly;" saying "I have got back the book now and find I had marked 'Pastoral' admiringly. It is ungracious to be critical; but that unfortunate quartet of 'torn', 'Faun', 'lawn', 'horn' will always [illegible] my entire pleasure in it...They say she wrote it at eighteen - an odd theme for that age;" adding that he hopes to look in on him soon.