My dear Monkhouse / its horrible of me - / simply horrible. / But I thought you / knew what a wretch I / am about letters. / I answer as few as I / can - nasty business ones / chiefly - friends are / neglected - / it ought to be the other / way - I ought to ? / business letters unopened / & write to my friends - I / will / do that in the next life / look - if I answered all / I should not do one stroke of / work in the day - no / not one stroke - / this is how I look at / breakfast time / I thought the article, kind / generous, delicate - of / course I did - I know I / was in great hands. / letters of congratulations, alas / I put aside, to be answered / when I can find one day - / only one day of quiet - then / I will answer all. / but come & see me. / I am in the thick of / work - rather wretched / with it - for it means / Everyday breaking my / heart to try & remember / what love in the ruins / was like. / Your people - of high / principles - have said / "it is noble of you to / do it again" / now this is dreadful, if / I am to be praised for my / morals - I want to / make a bonny picture / - & not to be noble - at least not aggressively / & ostentatious noble. / if it is ready for / exhibition this year / shall you say / "this is not so / much a picture / as a high example of / patience and endurance of / fate" / well - / But that you should / misunderstand my silence / is a blow. / & I have left that / noble example, & / come down to write / this defence of myself / is this friendship on your / part.? / Come & see me - how / about lunch next Sunday or / the Sunday after - or / the Sunday after??? / Yours very nicely / & respectfully since you / press me. / E Burne-Jones
The article referred to in this letter appeared in Scribner's Magazine in February 1894, Volume 15, p 135 - 153 (Edward Burne-Jones). It was included in 1899 in "British Contemporary Artist's " by Cosmo Monkhouse, pub Heinemann.