1887-07-29 to Joseph Gleeson White

Autograph letter signed, Boston College, 275 words

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

The Green, Southwick, Sussex

Friday [29 July 1887]

My dear Sir

The last three lines of the third stanza of the ballade I sent you by the last post should run —

"And oh, for an hour of life, my dears,

To kiss you, — to laugh at your gallants dismay,

My love was stronger and fiercer than theirs"

With this emendation I think the ballade will come out fairly well. It is in a form which has not been much used in England — I doubt if you have many specimens of this form in your volume — but many examples of it are to be found in Villon: I believe that magnificent ballade "La ballade de la grosse Margot" is in this form. The rondels I sent you are in the form invented by Charles d'Orléans, so nothing can be more correct; I do not know of any writer who has written in this form in English. Banville has written quite a series of little poems, little gems, to this exquisite old French cadence. I say this because you may not know the Prince Charles of Orléans work and may think I am in error.

Hoping you will like the ballade I remain

Yours very sincerely

George Moore.

Would “Ballade of Don Juan” be a better title? Will you alter "fair to the eyes" to "fair to girls"?

PS I enclose you the ballade rewritten. I cannot say I think much of it, but it is the best I can do; do with it what you like.