Letter from John Mathew Gutch, Common Hill, to Frederick William Fairholt, 1845 April 11 : autograph manuscript signed.

Asking if he could go to the British Museum and look up a quote in Volume 2, page 211 of Fosbroke's British Monachism which related to Robin Hood; saying "Fosbroke quotes about 30 lines; what I wish to learn is whether this is the whole of the verse. If not I should be glad if you could get me a transcript made of the remainder. I am fearful I shall often trouble you for such references; but I must beg you frankly to tell me if it is inconvenient to you to undertake them. In Nichol's Illustrations of Literary History, V. 3, p. 775 you will find an excellent etching of Ritson - Nichols would I am sure lend me the plate if you thought it would do for one of our illustrations;" discussing how Robin Hood's costume should be illustrated and offering a quote from Chaucer's "portrait of a forester" and saying "...it is probable that no great alteration took place in the garb of an English dweller in the green-wood form the siege of Edward the 1st to that of Richard the II'd about 100 years;' concluding "If you could manage to give a uniformity of Character, in dress and features, if possible to R.H. it would be highly desirable - I would not mind the expence of illuminating in proper colours the first appearance of our Hero. Tell me what you think of this suggestion;" adding, in a postscript, "I believe I was wrong in suggesting the Curtailment of the shoes in your sketch I - I would not make them quite so long as you have done - But Strutt, and others all agree, that such were [illegible] & that it is the right costume."