WILLIAM POET MORRIS BY ELISABETH LVTHER Elisabetb Xutber Car. Tennyson. His Homes, His Friends, and His Work. With 1 8 illustrations in photogravure, and some other illustrations. Large 8, net, 3.50 Popular Edition, illustrated, 8 . . 2.50 Browning, Poet and Man. A Survey. With 25 illustrations in photogravure, and some other illustrations. Large 8 . net, 3.50 Popular Edition, illustrated, 8 . . 2.50 The Rossettis Dante Gabriel and Christina. With 27 illustrations in photogravure, and some other illustrations. Large 8, net, 3. 50 Popular Edition, illustrated, 8 . . 2.50 William Morris Poet, Craftsman, Socialist With 13 illustrations in photogravure, and some other illustrations. Large 8, net, 3.50 G. P. PUTNAMS SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON PREFACE. THE personal life of William Morris is already known to us through Mr. Mackails admirable biography as fully, probably, as we shall ever know it. My own endeavour has been to present a picture of Morriss busy career perhaps not less vivid for the absence of much detail, and showing only the man and his work as they appeared to the outer public. I have used as a basis for my narrative, the vol umes by Mr. Mackail William Morris, his Art, his Writings, and his Public Life, by Aymer Vallance The Books of William Morris , by H. Buxton Forman numerous articles in periodicals, and Morriss own varied works. I wish to express my indebtedness to Mr. Bulkley of 42 East 1 4th Street, New York City, for permission to reproduce a number of Morris patterns in his pos session, notably a fragment of the St. Jamess wall paper. Much material for the letter-press and for the illus trations I have obtained through the Boston Public IV preface. Library, The Froissart pages were found there and most of the Kelmscott publications from which I have quoted. The bibliography is that prepared by Mr. S, C. Cockerell for the last volume of Mr. Morris issued by the Kelmscott Press, under the title of A Note fir William Morris on His Aims in Founding the Kelm scott Press. To the Cockerell bibliography have been added a few notes of my own. BROOKLYN, Sept. 10, E. L C. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. BOYHOOD PAGE I II. OXFORD LIFE 21 III. FROM ROSSETTI TO THE RED HOUSE . 46 IV. MORRIS AND COMPANY .... 69 V. FROM THE RED HOUSE TO KELMSCOTT . 96 VI. POETRY 114 VII. PUBLIC LIFE AND SOCIALISM . . .146 VIII. PUBLIC LIFE AND SOCIALISM Continued. 174 IX, LITERATURE OF THE SOCIALIST PERIOD . 194 X. THE KELMSCOTT PRESS . . . .219 XL LATER WRITINGS 239 XII. THE END 255 BIBLIOGRAPHY 269 INDEX 291 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page William Morris .... Frontispiece From Life, Title-page of The Oxford and Cambridge Maga zine 9 32 Portrait of Rossetti ...... 36 By Waits. Illustration by Rossetti to The Lady of Shalott in the Moxon Tennyson. The Head of Launcelot is a Portrait of Morris . . 42 Portrait of Jane Burden Mrs. Morris . . 58 By Rossetti, Wall-Paper and Cotton-Print Designs 60 Acanthus Wall-Paper .... Pimpernel Wall-Paper . . . . African Marigold Cotton-Print . These designs must not be taken as exact as to colour afterwards used, Mr. Morris using the colours to his hand and afterwards superintending the actual colouring in the course of manufacture in most cases many experimental trials being made before the desired colouring was actually decided upon. 1 Reproduced from examples obtained by courtesy of Mr. A. E. Bulkley. The Morris designs in this book were reproduced by permission of Messrs. Morris Company. vii 1Hu0trations Page The Strawberry Thief Design for Cotton-Print . 66 Tulip Design for Axminster Carpet ... 70 Peacock Design for Coarse Wool Hangings . . 72 Painted Wall Decoration Designed by Morris . , 76 Painted Wall Decoration Designed by Morris . . 80 Design for St. Jamess Palace Wall-Paper . . 82 Reproduced from sample obtained through courtesy Mr. Hulkley. Early Design for Morris Wall-Paper Daisy and Columbine ...... 84 Chrysanthemum Design for Wall-Paper . ... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.