Autograph letter signed : London, to Frederick Langbridge, 1876 November 9.

Returning his manuscript and offering him his critical opinion of his poems; i.e., "...none of them are weak, many impressive, and no few excellent in the adequacy of the expression, both in musicalness and colour ... I should rather say 'Here is quite verbal & metrical skill enough were it employed on themes less obviously appropriated by your predecessors in poetry.' One seems to know what is coming: it came before, and will come again."; informing him, with respect to publication, that he has "no interest whatever with my own or any other bookseller", and that they will only print poetry at the author's expense ("It is unnecessary to add, - there is no sort of blame implied by this habit of the trade. 'Poetry does not sell' you are told.").