William Morris: Poet, Craftsman, Socialist

PREFACE.

The personal life of William Morris is already known to us through Mr. Mackail’s admirable biography as fully, probably, as we shall ever know it. My own endeavour has been to present a picture of Morris’s 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 volumes 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 Morris’s own varied works.

I wish to express my indebtedness to Mr. Bulkley of 42 East 14th Street, New York City, for permission to reproduce a number of Morris patterns in his possession, notably a fragment of the St. James’s wall-paper.

Much material for the letter-press and for the illustrations I have obtained through the Boston Public 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 by William Morris on His Aims in Founding the Kelmscott Press. To the Cockerell bibliography have been added a few notes of my own.

E. L. C.

Brooklyn, Sept. 10, 1902.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.—	Boyhood	1
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
XI.—	Later Writings	239
XII.—	The End	255
	Bibliography	269
	Index	291

ILLUSTRATIONS.

	Page
William Morris From Life.	Frontispiece
Title-page of “The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine”	32
Portrait of Rossetti By Watts.	36
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) By Rossetti	58
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.”
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.
“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. James’s Palace Wall-Paper Reproduced from sample obtained through courtesy of Mr. Bulkley.	82
Early Design for Morris Wall-Paper “Daisy and Columbine”	84
Chrysanthemum Design for Wall-Paper	84
Anemone Pattern for Silk and Wool Curtain Material	88
Portion of Hammersmith Carpet	90
Secretary Designed by the Morris Co. In possession of Mr. Bulkley.	94
Sofa Designed by the Morris Co. In possession of Mr. Bulkley.	94
Illustration by Burne-Jones for Projected Edition of “The Earthly Paradise,” Cut on Wood by Morris Himself	98
Kelmscott Manor House. Two views	100
Design by Rossetti for Window Executed by Morris & Co. (“The Parable of the Vineyard”)	110
Design by Rossetti for Stained-Glass Window Executed by the Morris Co. (“The Parable of the Vineyard”)	110
Morris’s Bed, with Hangings Designed by Himself and Embroidered by his Daughter	114
Kelmscott Manor House from the Orchard	118
Portrait of Edward Burne-Jones By Watts.	120
William Morris	130
Picture by Rossetti in which the Children’s Faces are Portraits of May Morris	148
Honeysuckle Design for Linen	162
Washing Cloth at the Merton Abbey Works	174
Merton Abbey Works	174
Portrait of Mrs. Morris By Rossetti.	200
Study of Mrs. Morris Made by Rossetti for picture called “The Day Dream.”	216
Kelmscott Types	220
Page from Kelmscott “Chaucer.” Illustration by Burne-Jones. Border and Initial Letter by Morris	222
Title-page of the Kelmscott “Chaucer”	224
The Smaller Kelmscott Press-Mark	228
The Larger Kelmscott Press-Mark	228
Drawing by Morris of the Letter “h” for Kelmscott Type, with Notes and Corrections	228
Specimen Page from the Kelmscott “Froissart” Projected Edition	234

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