Sermon during the grave illness of King Edward, London, 1902 June 29 : autograph manuscript.

The text of the two-page typed letter signed from Archbishop Davidson to Pierpont Morgan is as follows: You have more than once mentioned to me I think your wish to have the manuscript of some Sermon or Address of mine to add to your collection. It has not been easy to send you this, for as a matter of fact I usually have my Sermons typewritten if I am going to preach from manuscript, and a Sermon, in my own hand is now rather a rarity. In sorting some papers yesterday I came across the enclosed complete manuscript of a Sermon preached in the rather peculiar and interesting circumstances mentioned in the memorandum which I have prefixed to it, and as I think this will probably meet your wishes satisfactorily I venture to send it. If you do not want it, it can be destroyed. I do not require a copy, as the Sermon was printed at the time, and I have the newspaper extract. Of course I should not like this to be published now. Such publication would be misunderstood, and I have further to confess that in a Sermon which I preached in Westminster Abbey on the Death of King Edward - which Sermon is reproduced in my recent volume 'Captains and Comrades in the Faith' - I used some of the sentences from the Marlborough House Sermon herewith sent. This will make no difference to your purpose, and if the manuscript is of any value to you I shall be greatly pleased. I owe you a big debt of gratitude for many kindnesses. I have heard that you are kindly making me a recipient of your beautiful George V Prayer Book, and I appreciate that kindness in addition to all the others. It was a disappointment to us that when we sent a message a few weeks ago to find out whether you were in London or at Roehampton, in the hopes of securing you to Dinner, we learned that you had that day sailed for America. Perhaps you are now on your way back!"