_Hotel Belvedere, Davos, Dec. 19, 1880._
This letter is a report of a long sederunt, also steterunt, in small
committee at Davos Platz, Dec. 15, 1880. Its results are
unhesitatingly shot at your head.
MY DEAR WEG,--We both insist on the Duke of Wellington. Really it cannot
be left out. Symonds said you would cover yourself with shame, and I
add, your friends with confusion, if you leave it out. Really, you know
it is the only thing you have, since Dryden, where that irregular odic,
odal, odous (?) verse is used with mastery and sense. And it's one of
our few English blood-boilers.
(2) Byron: if anything: _Prometheus_.
(3) Shelley (1) _The World's Great Age_ from Hellas; we are both dead
on. After that you have, of course, _The West Wind_ thing. But we think
(1) would maybe be enough; no more than two any way.
(4) Herrick. _Meddowes_ and _Come, my Corinna_. After that _Mr. Wickes_:
two any way.
(5) Leave out stanza 3rd of Congreve's thing, like a dear; we can't
stand the "sigh" nor the "peruke."
(6) Milton. _Time_ and the _Solemn Music_. We both agree we would rather
go without L'Allegro and Il Penseroso than these; for the reason that
these are not so well known to the brutish herd.
(7) Is the _Royal George_ an ode, or only an elegy? It's so good.
(8) We leave Campbell to you.
(9) If you take anything from Clough, but we don't either of us fancy
you will, let it be _Come back_.
(10) Quite right about Dryden. I had a hankering after _Threnodia
Augustalis_; but I find it long and with very prosaic holes: though, O!
what fine stuff between whiles.
(11) Right with Collins.
(12) Right about Pope's Ode. But what can you give? _The Dying
Christian?_ or one of his inimitable courtesies? These last are fairly
odes, by the Horatian model, just as my dear _Meddowes_ is an ode in the
name and for the sake of Bandusia.
(13) Whatever you do, you'll give us the Greek Vase.
(14) Do you like Jonson's "loathed stage"? Verses 2, 3, and 4 are so
bad, also the last line. But there is a fine movement and feeling in the
rest.
We will have the Duke of Wellington by God. Pro Symonds and Stevenson.