ALS, four pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, December 18, 1913. Lawrence writes to “Davies,” from Lerici per Frascherino, Golfo della Spezia, Italy, in full: “After that last letter of mine, I wanted to kick myself. What right have I to talk to you from the top of a stool. Don’t bear me a grudge, will you. I do wish things could go well with you. We shall be here till the end of May, I think, and shall be frightfully glad when you come. You would travel, by the ordinary route, over Paris, Milan, Parma, Spezia—and it costs about 4 pounds. But you could come by ship to Genoa or to Leghorn—they are both fairly near. You must think about it, whether you would like to come on sea or on land. We should like to come to England in June, I think, by ship from Genova—I should like the voyage. You might go back with us, unless you want to walk in the Appenines. We have’nt got anybody coming for Christmas, but we shan’t be lonely. The Italians are very jolly—they come and play with us, and sing to the guitar at evening. You must learn some Italian when you come. And here in the harbour there is Italy’s biggest naval arsenal—war-ships with search lights and cannon at night, and submariner nosing up and down. It is really jolly. The country is quite wild behind, really wilder than Wales, but not so gloomy. You didn’t tell me how the work was going. I hope you’ll have a good time in Wales.” A few trivial spots of toning, some faint paperclip impressions to the top edges, and some light smudge marks towards the top right corner of the first page, otherwise fine condition.
Lawrence wrote this letter to W. H. Davies, the Welsh tramp poet, he met in England in 1913. He was captivated by Davies and admired his nature-inspired work, but soon lost his enthusiasm for Davies’s poetry, and a few months prior to this letter wrote that Davies’s ‘work is getting like Birmingham tinware.’ In late 1913, Lawrence was staying in a cottage in Fiascherino with his wife Frieda Weekely. There he began to write two of his better-known novels, The Rainbow and Women in Love. This letter was published in The Letters of D. H. Lawrence. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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