Locksley Hall proof
The outline of the daughters head is too thick from this' in....ssion I cannot see her mouth but will wait for the next, the nostril is too large, and the mother's face is too full of little fine lines, take away the fuzzy lines indicating the upper lip—Clear the eye enlarging the upper lid by making this line of the eye less thick bad right There are some little scratches on his fingers holding the envelope thus which may be taken out, In the shading of the daughters hands on her side, there are some black veins which may also be eradicated—There are other little corrections if you compare these touched proofs, with others as the blocks are—I rush now I am very hard at work painting but will attend to the Coleridge & Byron designs at my first liaison—Hoping to hear from you soon believe me yours very truly
Dalziel Brothers. John Everett Millais
The volume was published by Mr. Moxon at £1 11s. 6d., but the public did not respond as had been expected, consequently a large stock was left on hand. These were sold to Messrs. Routledge and Co., and, with the stock, the entire set of the wood blocks went also. The price of the volume was reduced to £1 1s., and it sold out immediately. On this success Messrs. Routledge wished to produce a new edition, but Tennyson's terms were too high to leave any margin of profit to the publisher. This doubtless was the cause of the book being so long out of print; but the property having since passed into the hands of Messrs. Macmillan they have reproduced this very interesting book.
On November 23rd, 1856, Mr. Holman Hunt, on receiving the proof of a drawing he had made for Moxon's edition, writes:
"I find the proof of the last design for 'Oriana' very satisfactory, giving the character of the drawing with great truth."
From "The Talking Oak."