THE HARRAP LIBRARY
1. EMERSON’S ESSAYS
First Series
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Second Series
3. THE POETRY OF EARTH
A Nature Anthology
4. PARADISE LOST
John Milton
5. THE ESSAYS OF ELIA
Charles Lamb
6. THE THOUGHTS OF MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS
George Long
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R. W. Emerson
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R. W. Emerson
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Charles Lamb
10. PARADISE REGAINED AND MINOR POEMS
John Milton
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Thomas Carlyle
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The Enchiridion, with Chapters from the Discourses, etc. Translated by Elizabeth Carter. Edited by T. W. Rolleston.
13. THE CONDUCT OF LIFE
R. W. Emerson
14. NATURE: ADDRESSES AND LECTURES
R. W. Emerson
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W. M. Thackeray
16. DAY-DREAMS OF A SCHOOLMASTER
D’Arcy W. Thompson
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Thomas Carlyle
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Bret Harte
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Walt Whitman
20. HAZLITT’S ESSAYS
21. KARMA AND OTHER ESSAYS
Lafcadio Hearn
22. THE GOLDEN BOOK OF ENGLISH SONNETS
Edited by William Robertson
Further volumes will be announced later
MICHAEL FIELD
BY MARY STURGEON
“ ... the two friends ...
Who sought perfection and achieved far more.”
Gordon Bottomley
Katharine Bradley
and
Edith Cooper
The latter from a miniature
by Mr Charles Ricketts in
the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
MICHAEL
FIELD
BY MARY STURGEON
AUTHOR OF “STUDIES OF CONTEMPORARY
POETS” “WESTMINSTER ABBEY” ETC.
LONDON: GEORGE G.
HARRAP & CO. LTD.
2-3 PORTSMOUTH ST. KINGSWAY
& AT CALCUTTA AND SYDNEY
First published March 1922
Printed in Great Britain at The Ballantyne Press by
Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd.
Colchester, London & Eton
PREFACE
SOME years ago the writer of this book discovered to herself the work of Michael Field, with fresh delight at every step of her adventure through the lyrics, the tragedies, and later devotional poems. But she was amazed to find that no one seemed to have heard about this large body of fine poetry; and she longed to spread the news, even before the further knowledge was gained that the life of Michael Field had itself been epical in romance and heroism. Then the theme was irresistible.
But although it has been a joy to try to retrieve something of this life and work from the limbo into which it appeared to be slipping, the matter may wear anything but a joyful aspect to all the long-suffering ones who were ruthlessly laid under tribute. The author remembers guiltily the many friends of the poets whom she has harried, and kindly library staffs (in particular at the Bodleian) who gave generous and patient help. To each one she offers sincere gratitude; and though it is impossible to name them all, she desires especially to record her debt to Mr Sturge Moore and Miss Fortey; Father Vincent McNabb, Mrs Berenson, and Mr Charles Ricketts; Dr Grenfell, Sir Herbert Warren, and Mr and Mrs Algernon Warren; Miss S. J. Tanner, Mr Havelock Ellis and Miss Louie Ellis; the Misses Sturge; Professor F. Brooks and the Rev. C. L. Bradley; Professor and Mrs William Rothenstein; Mr Gordon Bottomley and Mr Arthur Symons—;who will all understand her regret that this book is so unworthy a tribute to their friend and that the scheme of it, designed primarily to introduce the poetry of Michael Field, rendered impossible a fuller use of the material for a Life which they supplied.
To the courtesy of Mr Sydney C. Cockerell, the Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the author owes the copy of Edith Cooper’s portrait. This portrait is a miniature set in a jewelled pendant (both drawing and setting the work of Mr Charles Ricketts) which was bequeathed to the Fitzwilliam Museum on the death of Katharine Bradley.
Warm thanks are also tendered to the publishers who have kindly given permission to use extracts from the poets’ works, including Messrs G. Bell and Sons, the Vale Press, the Poetry Bookshop (for Borgia, Queen Mariamne, Deirdre, and In the Name of Time); to Mr T. Fisher Unwin, Messrs Sands and Company, and Mr Eveleigh Nash; and to Mr Heinemann for Mr Arthur Symons’s poem At Fontainebleau.
A Bibliography is appended of all the Michael Field books which have been published to date; but there still remain some unpublished MSS.
MARY STURGEON
Oxford
November 1921