This letter is part of a collection of twenty-five letters from Gutch to Fairholt which were removed from an extra-illustrated volume of A lytell geste of Robin Hode, London, 1847, 2 Vols. PML 7970-7971.
Suggesting some corrections to an engraving he sent; referring to "the head of Robin Hood, in the proof you have sent me of R.H. and the Tanner's daughter" and making a racist remark about Fairholt's depiction of Robin Hood's hair; writing "I do not often have to suggest alterations, but I have told Richards this evening to suspend the working off the sheet till you have improved it. Will you give him an early Call & do what is necessary. The others you sent me this evening, I like very much;" asking him to send the manuscript of "The Marriage of R.H. to Jack Cade's daughter with the Head piece" to the printer; saying he will be inserting six Scotch Robin Hood Ballads "..not yet introduced into any Robin Hood Collection & one is introduced by Sir Walter Scott in Vol. 2 of his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, & is called Rose the Red & White Lilly - the last Ballad in the Volume. I should like you to devise a Head piece to this Ballad - It is undoubtedly a Robin Hood Ballad. Instead of troubling Nichols I will get the plate of Ritson etched here. I never thought of inserting the Black Outline...You speak of the Quarterly Journal of the Society to be had in return. I had none for my last subscription. How was that? Let me represent Worcester; tho' I don't think I can do much, or anything here - It is a vile place for the encouragement of literature of any class."