Letter from George Saintsbury, London, to W. E. Henley, 1881 March 21 : autograph manuscript signed.

Concerning Saintsbury's publication on Dryden and his views on drama criticism; saying "Impute it not to discourtesy that I have not acknowledged your letter. The paroxysm of moving - when one is ass enough to forsake lodgings and accumulate worthless goods - overmasters everything. I'm very glad you like my Dryden whereon I certainly imparted some pains & though I should not say so some knowledge. The public is an ass & will probably not recognize either the one or the other but that is Macmillan's business, thank the Lord! I know that I constantly raise your dander in matters dramatic but it is probably as usual in cases where raiser & raised both know their ropes [illegible] of gold & silver shield. I never pretend to criticise drama except as a kind of literature - a bastard kind as I think - but bastards are proverbially [illegible]. The 'closet drama' - a term to which I have a strong objection in as much as it seems to refer to the favourite aspect of M. J. K. Huysmans & other of the spawn of Zola - is perhaps equally abhorrent to you & to me but when we have kicked that out of the way we naturally quarrel over the 'remanent.' I have more than once helped to edit you of late - a pleasing reversal of our old relations. I too thought Laurie's book a very fair one when I read it some months ago though of course it was evident that he had made his little bundle of likes;" adding, in a postscript, "I did not send you a Dryden earlier because - though I never can get friend or foe to see it - I am really a very modest person & I didn't know that you would care for it."