Macdonald, Henry James, 1835-1891

Overview: This collection comprises 16 items, including 15 letters from Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones and Cormell Price and 1 autograph envelope from Burne-Jones addressed to Price. The correspondence was written over the course of a decade, between 1852 and 1862. The letters are indicative of Burne-Jones and Price’s long and close friendship and are very affectionate and personal in nature. The letters are rich in detail, with Burne-Jones sharing news of mutual friends, his Oxford lessons, his social...

Scope and Contents: Burne-Jones tells Price that he must write a letter to "Harry" (Henry Macdonald), but, not knowing Harry's address, must send it via Price. Burne-Jones commiserates with Price regarding "the suppression of the Press" which Burne-Jones declares an "act of high-treason against the Great Republic of Literature," "Inquisatorial in a land that acknowledges no Inquisition" and "tyranny." He quotes Tennyson, assuring Price that "the tyrant's cruel glee forces on the freer hour." ...

Scope and Contents: Burne-Jones asks why Price has not yet sent the "MS," presumably a piece for The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine. He tells him that Burne-Jones's aunt has been Price's "champion all along," transcribing a humorous conversation he had with her at breakfast the previous day, in which Burne-Jones describes Price as a "reprobate" and "a dissolute little creature" while "Auntie" defends him as a "dear little fellow." Burne-Jones says he does not want to hurry Price over the magazine but that they...

Scope and Contents: Burne-Jones sends his best wishes for Price's recovery from a bout of illness, remarking that he "daren't tell Auntie about it, or she'd be hurrying off to nurse [Price]." He asks if Price could stay in Birmingham for the first three days of the following week as Burne-Jones will be visiting his father and would like to see Price, commenting that "it seems generations past since [they] had one of those dear evenings." Burne-Jones says that he is happier than he has ever been which...