1890-08 to Edmund Gosse

Autograph letter signed, National Library of Ireland, 425 words

[Edited for paragraph breaks, capitalization, spelling and punctuation.]

8 Kings Bench Walk, Temple

Monday night [August 1890]

Dear Mr. Gosse

No 29 Delamere Terrace carries me back many a long year. I remember leaving a card on you some fifteen years ago. We were both very young then. I had written nothing — you had written On Viol and Flute.

You will be glad to hear that Mr. Grove is delighted with my article. I got a note from him this morning and as you were more or less responsible for the article I thought I would write and tell you.

Unfortunately although I may sometimes attract attention I cannot speak authoritatively — now you can and an article from you discussing the possible advantages of a literary censorship would attract a great deal of attention and do a great deal of good. You will agree with me that nothing is so bad as to have literature dragged into the law courts under any pretence whatever. And all those articles on ’Pure Fiction,’ ’Candour in Fiction,’ do a deal of harm; they strengthen the hand of the Philistine. How people can go on writing such nonsense for the life of me I cannot understand. I wonder what good pure fiction can do anyone when the daily paper publishes five columns of sodomy.

Regarding the literary value of the condemned translations of Zola's novels it is quite unnecessary that I should express any opinion. You know what I think — they were horrible things but that is not the question. The question is whether anyone should have the right to drag literature into a court of justice.

A censorship can do no harm — just fancy you and I disagreeing about what should and should not be published. Such a thing is impossible.

And what is hardly less important is that a censorship would put an end to all this idle chatter about fiction. We want to be left to manage our own affairs. That is all.

The stupidity that is vented whenever this question is raised is incredible. Can you believe it, Mr. Burnand wrote to me about the time of the Vizetelly prosecutions to say that a man need not be educated to know whether a book was or was not immoral.

Pardon my long letter, and write the article.

Very truly yours

George Moore

PS My pen ran away with me. I have forgotten to thank you for having saved me from Henry Becque.