WCP4918

Broadstone, Dorset

Feb[ruar]^y. 15th, 1904

Dear Mr. Marriott

The Librarian of the London Library has obtained a copy of Riley's "Armazindy" — which contains "Leonainie" & has sent it to me. The publishers say that this vol[ume]. "contains some of Mr. Riley's latest and best work including "Armazindy" & the famous Poe Poem."

I have looked through the whole volume and read every verse in it which has the least claim to be called poetry, & though some of it is pretty and graceful, there is absolutely nothing to be compared with Poe's best work or with "Leonainie". The volume is dated 1895, and as Mr. Nicholson says he perpetrated the Poe hoax in "his younger days", and he was born in 1849, he must have kept this poem by him for many years and now prints it without a word of explanation anywhere! Moreover he [2] prints it in an 8 line verse, whereas my brother's copy is in the 4 line verse. Moreover there are 4 verbal differences, all of which (I think,) are the reverse of improvements —

I. "In the solemn night"

In the 2nd line of verse 3 — he has

2. "heard her whisper"

which spoils the whole idea of the "Angel-tongue"—Poe evidentally meant "heard the whisper" to be an inward or spiritual hearing a premonition—a foreboding—

3. The—"Tales but told you" which you agree is clumsy & vile—

4. And the "where" at the end, which you also agree is nonsense.

I may just say that I think the repetition of "in a solemn night" more poetical and more in Poe's style — and also because "the solemn night" implies that all [3] nights are solemn, whether wet, windy, gloomy, foggy, &c.

"In a solemn night"

followed by

"In a solemn night of summer"

and a night followed by a morning so exquisite that it seemed a very "smile of God", is, I think, perfect as it stands.

I notice in other of his poems similar harsh crudities like the "but" and the "where"; and the fact that he published this poem disguised in form, and verbally mal-treated and without one word of explanation of the very suspicious circumstances under which he put it forth first, seems to me to point to the fact that he came into possession of this poem [4] by some accident and then, having got the reputation he wanted by being supposed to be capable of imitating Poe so closely that Poe critics accepted it as genuine, waited till the whole story was almost forgotten, & then included it in his poems without a word of explanation or apology!

I see in the ad^t. of a vol[ume]. of his called "Afterwhiles"—cont[ainin]^g. 62 poems and sonnets—a quotation from "The Scotsman" says—"Mostly his verse resembles Poe"—Have you this volume? If not I must try & get it.

What I chiefly write to you about, however, is to ask you to send me the names of one or two of the American Editors or Biographers of Poe with their addresses or those of their publishers, so that I can write to them about this matter, as I think it should be probed to the bottom.

I think of writing a letter to the "Fortnightly" stating much the same facts and ideas as I have here expressed so as to compel some statement from Riley or his friends.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

I enclose a list of his advertised works