It is quite refreshing to find you so pleased with my good friend Davies’s book, and I wish he were in London, as I would have shown him what you say, which I know would have given him pleasure. He is a man who suffers much from moods of depression, in spite of his philosophic nature. I have marked fifty pieces of different kinds throughout his book, and of these twenty-nine are sonnets. Had those fifty been alone printed, Davies would now be remembered and not forgotten: but all poets now-a-days are redundant except Tennyson. ... I am this evening writing to Davies, who is in Rome, and could not resist enclosing what you say, with so much experimental appreciativeness of his book, and of his intention to fill it with moral sunshine. I am sure he ‘ll send a new sonnet if he has one, but I fancy his bardic day is over. I should think he was probably not subject to melancholy when he wrote the _Wayfarer_. However, he tells me that his spirits have improved in Italy. One other little book of Herrickian verse he has written, called _The Shepherd!s Garden_, but there are no sonnets in it. Besides this, he published a volume containing a record of travel of a very interesting kind, and called _The Pilgrimage of the Tiber_. This is well known. It is illustrated, many of the drawings being by himself, for he is quite as much painter as poet. He also wrote in _The Quarterly Review_ an article on the sonnet (I should think about 1870 or so), and, a little later, one which raised great wrath, on the English School of Painting. These I have not seen. He “lacks advancement,” however; having fertile powers and little opportunity, and being none the luckier (I think) for a small independence which keeps off _compulsion_ to work, though of willingness he has abundance in many directions. There is an admirable but totally unknown living poet named Dixon. I will send you two small vols, of his which he gave me long ago, but please take good care of them, and return them as soon as done with. I value them highly. I forgot till to-day that he had written any sonnets, but I see there are three in one vol. and one in another. I have marked my two favourites. He should certainly be represented in your book. If I live, I mean to write something about him in some quarter when I can. His finest passages are as fine as any living man can do. He was a canon of Carlisle Cathedral, and at present has a living somewhere. If you wanted to ask him for an original sonnet, you might mention my name, and address him at Carlisle with _Please forward_. Of course he is a Rev.