ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901)
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ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901) |
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ROBERT BUCHANAN’S LETTERS TO CHATTO & WINDUS
4. 1893 - 1894.
96. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 3rd January, 1893. TELEPHONE No 7442. MERKLAND, Dear Mr Chatto, I return the list, having deleted several presentation copies. No work of mine ever goes to the Athenæum or National Observer with my consent, & I particularly request you not to send a copy to Mr Clement Shorter. Truly yours Andrew Chatto Esq.
[Collection page no. 139. This letter refers to The Wandering Jew. _____
97. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. 18th January, 1893. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Mr. Chatto Mr. Buchanan would be much obliged if you would kindly send him on twenty copies of the “Wandering Jew” Yours truly,
[Collection page no. 140. _____
98. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 31st January [1893]. TELEPHONE No 7442. MERKLAND, Dear Mr Chatto, Here is the note– It is to follow the poem, in not too small type—in fact, the same type as text, with a fly- leaf marked “Author’s Note” between. — Ill bring round the corrected book to-morrow—also advt. matter– Meantime, the printer has better be setting up this, & send me a proof, so that I can return it by Monday morning Yours truly Andrew Chatto Esq.
[Collection page no. 141. The “Author’s Note” was for the second edition of The Wandering Jew (available here) which Chatto & Windus printed almost immediately after a controversy developed around the book following Richard Le Gallienne’s review in The Daily Chronicle. The question, “Is Christianity Played Out?” was debated in the letters column of The Daily Chronicle, and in churches, throughout January 1893, and is dealt with in this section of the site.] _____
99. Letter to Chatto & Windus. 2nd February [1893]. TELEPHONE No 7442. MERKLAND, Dear Sirs, I return the adv. with quotations most necessary marked. I also send revise of same for printer. Truly yours Messrs Chatto & Windus.
[Collection page no. 142. _____
100. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 9th February [1893]. TELEPHONE No 7442. MERKLAND, Dear Mr Chatto, If the 2nd Edn. is ready, please send me a few copies at once– I hope you’ll keep up the advertising– There is a very brief but excellent notice in the World which you might use bodily, omitting only the reference to the novels. The Berlin Tageblatt has a fine review, & others have appeared in Paris & the continent generally. Truly yours A. Chatto Esq.
[Collection page no. 143. _____
101. Andrew Chatto’s notes regarding two Buchanan novels. 16th March, 1893.
‘Come live with me & be my love’ April 30. 91 Offered Mr Robt Buchanan £180 for the book rights for a term of years (term not mentioned) of his new 2 vol. story to appear in The Illustrated London News to be subtitled “Woman & the Man” He declined it as he said he had a better offer for it in this form and also an offer of payment of a royalty in advance on the sale of 12000 copies in a single volume form. A Chatto May 13. Mr Buchanan says the story will not appear in the Illustrated News until Oct. and is to consist of about 65,000 words only—the length of Heir of Lynne—offered £180 for all remaining book rights. A. C. June 4. 91. Mr. Buchanan said he has sold the story of 80,000 words intended for the summer no of The Illustd to Mr Heinemann for £250 advanced on a/c of 15 per cent royalty. Receiving also royalty on American & Continental Edns. ——— Offered £180 for all remg rights of Story to be comenced in Il. N. Oct. & completed in Dec. entitled “Come Live with me & be my Love” to be published for 12. or 15. payable on receipt of complete story. Mr. Buchanan would accept this offer only on condition of immediate payment before completion of story, which offer C & W. could not agree to. A C ——— 16 Mar ’93 Mr Buchanan asked for an approximate offer for a 2 vol story to be entitled “Man & the Woman”—I would not make any offer before seeing slips or ms —— I did not see how any offer of ours could be for more than £180 which we had offered for ‘Come With Me’ and ‘Woman and the Man A. C.
[Collection page no. 133. Come Live With Me And Be My Love (a novelisation of Buchanan’s play, Squire Kate, which was only produced in America) was published in New York by Lovell, Coryell & Co. and in London by William Heinemann in the summer of 1892. Woman and the Man was published by Chatto & Windus in the autumn of 1893. However, this novel had previously been published in America by the Cassell Publishing Co. in 1891, with the title The Wedding Ring. It had also been serialised in various provincial newspapers, including The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post from January 10th to March 28th, 1891.] _____
102. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 23rd June [1893]. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Mr Chatto, Please dont think me careless or thoughtless, but I’ve been very ill & dreadfully worried. I’m doing the new matter now, & you shall have it directly. Faithfully yours A. Chatto Esq.
[Collection page no. 145. Despite the success of The Wandering Jew, Buchanan seems to have sunk into depression later in the year. One reason could have been the ending of his collaboration with G. R. Sims (and thus the loss of a regular source of income), which concluded with the comparative failure of the two month run of The Black Domino, which closed on 27th May. Also in May, his contribution to the ‘My First Book’ feature of Jerome K. Jerome’s magazine, The Idler, contained this advice to young writers: “In Literature, as in all things, manners and costume are most important; the hall-mark of contemporary success is perfect Respectability. It is not respectable to be too candid on any subject, religious, moral, or political. It is very respectable to say, or imply, that this country is the best of all possible countries, that War is a noble institution, that the Protestant Religion is grandly liberal, and that social evils are only diversified forms of social good. Above all, to be respectable, one must have ‘beautiful ideas.’” And in a letter written in August to Dr. Stodart Walker (quoted by Henry Murray in Chapter 26 of Harriett Jay’s biography) Buchanan wrote: “It has been a damnable year for me in every way, and at times I’ve felt quite helpless. ’Tis all very well for me to croak anathemas on the dismal folk, but I’m a dismal, despairing, self-tormenting creature myself and as for the joy of life, my share of it is a flickering candle. Friday next is my birthday. I shall keep it in the coal cellar, a sheet round me, and ashes on my head. Why the deuce was I ever born?” Presumably, the ‘new matter’ refers to the novel Woman and the Man, which is the only work Chatto & Windus were preparing to publish at this time. Although it calls for speculation, another reason for Buchanan being ‘dreadfully worried’, could possibly be that he was concealing its previous publication as The Wedding Ring.] _____
103. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. [July, 1893]. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Mr. Chatto, Mr. Buchanan desires me to say that the “Wedding Ring” was published serially in Tillotsons syndicate but he does not know in which of the papers it appeared Yours very truly
[Collection page no. 146. The first in a series of Harriett Jay letters, this one is dated due to Chatto’s note.] _____
104. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. Undated. [1893]. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Mr. Chatto Mr. Buchanan desires me to say he would feel much obliged by yr. forwarding to him 6 copies of 2nd Edition of the “Wandering Jew” also copies of the following works by him Yours truly,
[Collection page no. 147. _____
105. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. Undated. [1893] Merkland Dear Mr. Chatto I ought to have written before to thank you for the books. When you have the 6/- editions of the “Queen of Connaught” & “Dark Colleen” I should be glad of a copy of each as I want to put them in my library along with the set of Mr. Buchanans novels which you were kind enough to send me. Yours very truly,
[Collection page no. 149.] _____
106. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. Undated. [August, 1893] TELEPHONE No 7442. MERKLAND, Dear Mr. Chatto Thank you very much for the books – but I wanted Mr. Buchanans “Collected Poems” – not his “Selected Poems” Are you not going to have any more of the 6/- editions of mine? I shouldn’t bother you so only I am getting a set of Mr. Buchanans & my works specially bound & I did not think the 2/- editions good enough. Yours truly May I trouble you to send me the Collected Poems?
[Collection page no. 150 and 151. _____
107. Telegram to Andrew Chatto. 27th September, 1893.
Chatto Posting proofs Title already used am altering it
[Collection page no. 137. These proofs are presumably for Buchanan’s novel, Woman and the Man, which Chatto & Windus published in November, 1893. The title change could refer to the fact that the novel had originally been published in America, and as a newspaper serial in Britain, as The Wedding Ring. However, it is more likely that it refers to the dramatisation of the novel, which had been performed once, at a matinée at the Criterion Theatre on 19th December, 1889, with the title, Man and the Woman.] _____
108. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. Undated. [October, 1893]. Parade House Dear Mr. Chatto Mr. Buchanan has been confined to his room for the past ten days with bronchitis. He hopes to be in town the end of the week when he will call Yours truly
[Collection page no. 152. _____
109. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 20th October [1893]. Parade House Dear Mr. Chatto, Since I saw you I have been down with bronchitis, & unable to stir save to crawl up & see my Doctor in Town. I am a little better, & trust to be in Town again on Tuesday. Meantime, all my work & all my arrangements have been standing still—among other things, your agreement. Yours always A. Chatto Esq
[Collection page no. 154. _____
110. Draft title page of Woman and the Man. Undated. [1893].
Woman & the Man. A Story. [The rest is in another hand] ‘By Robert Buchanan —— In Two vols London [Sideways on the right.] & also a Colonial Title
[Collection page no. 158. _____
111. Prefatory Note to Woman and the Man. Undated. [1893].
Prefatory Note. The right of dramatising this
[Collection page no. 159. _____
112. Letter to Andrew Chatto from Harriett Jay. Undated. [December, 1893]. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Mr. Chatto Could you please send Mr. Buchanan four copies of his story “Woman & the Man” – Yours truly
[Collection page no. 156. _____
113. Letter to Chatto & Windus. 5th March, 1894.
Excuse this— 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Sirs, I am too ill to see you as I had hoped to do after hearing your message thro’ Mr Murray, but I have asked Miss Jay to bring you this & to explain my feeling concerning your treatment of me over Rachel Dene. I am sure there must be some mistake, & that you would never act so cruelly & inconsiderately. But I see in 2 newspaper paragraphs that Mr Buchanan “has just completed a new novel” &c. &c., all pointing to the fact that an old and inferior book of mine, printed in a penny newspaper 10 years ago, is being foisted on the public as a mature & recent work. Yours truly, Messrs Chatto & Windus
[Collection page no. 160 and 161. ‘Mr. Murray’ is presumably Henry Murray, who was living at 25 Maresfield Gardens at the time. _____
114. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 25th April, 1894. 25 Maresfield Gardens Dear Chatto, You are under a misconception about My first Book, as I never part with the book rights of magne articles, & I have another use for this one. You cannot therefore republish it in your volume. Yours truly Andrew Chatto Esq.
[On reverse, in Andrew Chatto’s hand.] Ap 26. 94 Mr Burgin showed me copy of Mr. Jeromes letter of Nov 7. 93 to Mr. Buchanan offering him the same rate as accepted by Kipling, Doyle and others for My First Book to include right of republication in book form, but not preventing Mr. Buchanan’s using it in other form for abt £25. Mr. Burgin wrote to Mr. Buchanan asking him to write to me directly and admitting the right of the Idler to sell me the volume. A. C.
[Collection page no. 162. The series of articles entitled ‘My First Book’ were published in Jerome K. Jerome’s magazine, The Idler. Buchanan’s contribution was published in the May 1893 edition. Chatto & Windus published the articles in 1894 as My First Book, and it did include Buchanan’s article, which is available here. _____
115. Telegram to Andrew Chatto. 25th April, 1894.
Chatty Wait for proofs until tomorrow important buchanan
[Collection page no. 165. _____
116. Letter to Chatto and Windus. 12th May [1894]. Parade House Dear Sirs, Post me the proofs of Rachel Dene so far as set up at once, & oblige Yours truly Messrs Chatto & Windus. I have only seen a few sheets as you know.
[Collection page no. 166. _____
117. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 18th May, 1894. TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS PRINCE OF WALES CLUB. Dear Mr Chatto, The last proof of R. & W. Heather will be posted to-night. Complete Poetical Works & of God & the Man & the Shadow of the Sword? Truly yours
[Collection page no. 167. _____
118. Memorandum regarding The Charlatan and Rachel Dene. 3rd August, 1894.
Memorandum of agreement made this 3rd day of August 1894 between Robert Buchanan Esq on the one part and Messrs Chatto & Windus on the other part Mr R. Buchanan agrees to sell M. C&W agree to purchase for the sum of £120 payable by bill for £100 due - and the balance in cash, a new story of about 80,000 wds entitled The Charlatan. Mr R. B reserving all dramatic rights and until the 1st of Jan 1895 the right of serial publication, but not after that date, when C&W. are to be at liberty to publish the story in book form. It is further agreed that Mr. Buchanans story “Rachel Dene” the publication of which Messrs C&W have delayed at Mr R Bs request may now be published as soon as Messrs C&W think fit.
[Collection page no. 169 and 170. Buchanan had written The Charlatan for Herbert Beerbohm-Tree and the play had a three month run at the Haymarket Theatre, opening on 18th January, 1894. The novelisation, by Buchanan and Henry Murray, was published by Chatto & Windus in January, 1895. _____
119. Letter to Andrew Chatto. 9th August, 1894. 11 Park Road Dear Chatto, You are not using me either kindly or justly in the matter of Rachel Dene. You already announce it for publication in Septbr., although you promised to give me an opportunity of getting a friend to buy it back. You may retort that I gave you permission to publish in the agreement of the Charlatan. That is so; but you know very well that I gave that permission under pressure of need for the money. Truly yours Messrs Chatto & Windus. If I can refund you the sums paid for the Charlatan & Rachel Dene, will you cancel the contracts for the same, & so save me the annoyance of a public explanation? I can see no other way, if you decline to study my wishes. R. B.
[Collection page no. 171 and 172. This letter was written the day after Buchanan’s second meeting with the Official Receiver.] _____
120. Letter to Chatto and Windus. 11th August [1894]. 11 Park Road Dr Sirs, When I signed the agreement you distinctly said that I could buy back Rachel Dene within a month, yet within a day you announce it for publication ‘as a new novel by R. B.’ Truly yours Messrs Chatto & Windus.
[Collection page no. 173 and 174. _____
121. Title page of Rachel Dene. Undated.
Rachel Dene: By Robert Buchanan. 2 vols.
[Collection page no. 178. _____
122. Official Notice of Buchanan’s application for discharge of bankruptcy. 1st November, 1894.
In the High Court of Justice.
IN BANKRUPTCY. SUMMARY CASE.
RE ROBERT BUCHANAN, of No. 25, Maresfield Gardens, South Hampstead, in the
TAKE NOTICE that the above-named Bankrupt has applied to the Court for his discharge, and that the Court has fixed the TWENTY-NINTH day of NOVEMBER, 1894, at ELEVEN o’clock in the Forenoon, at the Court sitting in Bankruptcy, at Bankruptcy Buildings, Carey Street, London W.C., for hearing the application.
Dated this 1st day of November, 1894. G. WREFORD,
[Collection page no. 175. Newspaper reports relating to Buchanan’s bankruptcy are available in the Buchanan and the Law section of the site. In the report in The Times (30th November, 1894 - p.3) regarding the discharge hearing, the verdict was given as follows: “MR. REGISTRAR GIFFARD, in giving judgment, said it appeared that the debtor had been able to earn £1,500 a year in the past by his writings, and there was no reason why he should not do so in the future. He was a man of great ability and versatility, and his works were very popular, and it was only reasonable that some provision should be made for the creditors. The offences alleged by the Official Receiver had not been displaced, and the order of the Court would be that the debtor be discharged subject to his setting aside one half of his income over and above £900 per annum until the unsecured creditors had received dividends amounting to 7s. 6d. in the pound, the debtor to file accounts annually of his receipts.”] _____
123. Letter to Chatto and Windus. 7th December, 1894. 11 Park Road Dear Sirs, Herewith I return the proofs of The Charlatan. In view of the fact that Mr Henry Murray has been of large assistance to me, both on the play & story, have you any objection to putting his name with mine on the title-page? Otherwise, the matter is sure to be mentioned, perhaps unpleasantly. Moreover, Murray will be able to help the book with the press, having influence on several newspapers, whereas I, as you are aware, am not a favourite. It is will be better in every way, I feel assured, to acknowledge his part of the labour in a definitive manner. Truly yours Messrs Chatto & Windus.
[Collection page no. 176 and 177. Buchanan was very close to his mother and her death hit him particularly hard. It also occurred just a few months after his bankruptcy, so it’s safe to say that this was one of the darkest periods in his life. There are a couple of corrections in the letter, and one uncorrected error, ‘It is will be better in every way’, and there are a number of ink blots on the first page, which perhaps reflect his state of mind. _____
The Chatto & Windus Letters - continued
Robert Buchanan’s Letters to Chatto & Windus - contents
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