Burne-Jones says he has been a "villain" in his lack of correspondence with Price and says that the rest of the day will be given over to writing him letters, remarking that although the letter will only take half an hour to write, "the exertion will completely do for [him]." He asks if Price is "lonely out there" and says he has encouraged William Morris to write to him and will try to get "everyone" to do the same. He says they will all be so glad when Price comes back. Burne-Jones has been doing "heaps of work" but admits that when the summer days get hot, he will not work as much. He tells Price that Charles Faulkner will be moving from Oxford to London this month. He says that "there has been such a fire here in London" [referring to the Tooley Street Fire], stating that one could see it from thirty miles away. Burne-Jones asks Price if he has heard of the "Co." (Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.), stating it has been founded by himself, "Topsy" (William Morris), Marshall, Brown, Webb and Rossetti. He tells Price that they produce "stained glass, furniture, jewelry, decorations and pictures," noting that they have many commissions already. Burne-Jones describes the ordeal of a friend (probably Elizabeth Siddal) whose baby was stillborn, commenting that the mother is physically better but mourns for her child. Burne-Jones gives an account of his and Price's mutual friends, remarking that Ford Madox Brown is "fat and cheery" and that he sees Richard Watson Dixon about once a year. Burne-Jones does not approve of Dixon's marriage to Maria Sturgeon, the widow of William Thomson of Haddingtonshire, describing Sturgeon as "an old dry coquettish hag." On page four, Burne-Jones admits that the first three pages of the letter were written three months ago. He asks Price to forgive him his silence and says he had a dream where Price would not speak to him because he had not written in so long. He says that not much has happened in the intervening period but that he has run in to trouble in the wake of Thomas Edward Plint's death, as Burne-Jones owed him £550. He comments that Elizabeth Barrett Browning has died, describing her as "the cleverest woman alive." Burne-Jones says that there have more murders and fires in London, putting the spate down to "that bloody comet," a reference to the Great Comet of 1861. Burne-Jones tells Price that he and his wife (Georgiana MacDonald) are expecting a baby but pleads with Price not to tell anyone "for fear it should be a monster." He gives further account of there mutual friends, telling Price that Charlie Faulkner has moved to London to work as a civil engineer, that Rossetti has "done a most wonderful picture," that Alice Prinsep is to "marry a rich cove" and that Val Prinsep has returned from Italy, "leaving many broken hearts." Burne-Jones gives Price his new address in Great Russell Street, commenting that his studio there is much better than his last. Burne-Jones apologizes profusely for not writing and sends love to Price from both himself and Georgiana. He talks of his plans to take her to Italy, if the baby is well enough to be left. He says he will not be able to get home to Birmingham until Christmas. Burne-Jones talks of his desire to move his father closer to London as he is growing old. He reflects upon fatherhood, writing "it's very dull to be a dad, and having a son cuttting about & enjoying himself ... I shall hate it when I'm a dad." This collection comprises 16 items, including 15 letters from Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones and Cormell Price and 1 autograph envelope from Burne-Jones addressed to Price. The correspondence was written over the course of a decade, between 1852 and 1862. The letters are indicative of Burne-Jones and Price’s long and close friendship and are very affectionate and personal in nature. The letters are rich in detail, with Burne-Jones sharing news of mutual friends, his Oxford lessons, his social life and his artistic and literary endeavors. The collection gives an account of the early activities of what came to be known as “The Birmingham Set” and Burne-Jones’s letters frequently refer to many of the group’s members, including William Morris (often affectionately dubbed “Topsy”), William Fulton, Charles Faulkner, Richard Watson Dixon, Edwin Hatch and Harry MacDonald. The close friendship held between Burne-Jones, Price and the wider group is evident in a letter dated May 18th, 1856, in which Burne-Jones sketches for Price a heart surrounded by the names of their friends, including many members of the Birmingham Set. The early publishing and exhibition activities of the group are recounted in Burne-Jones’s letters. The first letter in the collection, dated January 24, 1852, describes Burne-Jones’s agitation to receive articles from Price and Charles Faulkner for a forthcoming publication, perhaps a precursor to THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE MAGAZINE. Discussion of THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE MAGAZINE also features prominently in the correspondence. In one letter (circa 1856 January), Burne-Jones instructs Price to send him a piece of writing for a forthcoming issue while also lamenting the scandal caused by the January issue’s article on the work of Charles Kingsley, a university professor, historian, social reformer, novelist and Church of England priest. The letter goes on to state that William Morris has passed editorship of the magazine on to William Fulford, which Burne-Jones remarks is a “great relief” to Morris. The post-university activities of the Birmingham Set are also presented in the correspondence. Burne-Jones’s letter of June 28, 1861, announces the foundation of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. by Burne-Jones, William Morris, P.P. Marshall, Ford Madox Brown, Philip Webb and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The letter describes the company’s products as "stained glass, furniture, jewelry, decorations and pictures" and notes that the organization has received many commissions in the short time since its inception. Also evident in the collection is Edward Burne-Jones and The Birmingham Set’s place within the wider literary and artistic circles of mid-nineteenth century Britain. The letters often demonstrate Burne-Jones’s connection and friendship with prominent figures of the era. For instance, in his letter dated January 24, 1852, Burne-Jones expounds, at great length, upon his love of the influential art critic, John Ruskin, and his delight in receiving a letter from Ruskin, an event which Burne-Jones claims has transformed him into “a reformed character.” Later letters reveal a closeness with a variety of artists, patrons and writers. Burne-Jones’s letter of June 21, 1861, provides a particularly detailed account of the lives of a variety of such figures. In it, Burne-Jones describes the stillborn birth of a child of Elizabeth Siddal and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the death of the Pre-Raphaelite art collector, Thomas Plint, the death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and the marriage of Valentine Cameron “Val” Prinsep. The letters abound with contemporary cultural references and accounts of major events in Victorian society. Burne-Jones expresses, at length, his deep love of the poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who he describes as “save Shakespeare only […] the only guide worth following far to dream-land.” In the same letter, Burne-Jones warns Price that he should avoid seeing Chevalier Count George Jones’s “mangling” of Shakespeare and, in another, recommends the work of Edgar Allan Poe (see May 1 and October 29, 1853). The letters also give details about major public events, including the Tooley Street Fire in London and the Victorian superstitions surrounding the Great Comet of 1861 (see June 28, 1861). The collection chronicles some of the political and academic history of Oxford University in the early to mid-1850s. In a letter dated March 5, 1853, Burne-Jones describes the employment and promotions of various Oxford professors and chaplains and how they relate to the philosophical and ecclesiastical debates of the Oxford Movement. Later, in his encouragement of Price’s application to study at the university, Burne-Jones gives long descriptions about Oxford fellowships and scholarships and how to write “Oxford Latin” (see February 28, 1854). The long and close friendship between Burne-Jones and Price is reflected in the personal and quotidian events about which Burne-Jones writes to his friend. He sends Price a lengthy description of his infant son’s features and personality and the health and happiness of his family (see February 23, 1862). The letters are full of details and references to Burne-Jones’s father, aunt, friends, social life and the romantic exploits of his and Price’s mutual acquaintances. In one letter, he gives Price an hour-by-hour account of his holiday in the River Wye area. (see January 24, 1852).