Dante Gabriel Rossetti letter to Ellen Heaton, 1862 January 20

Rossetti apologizes for his delay in writing to Heaton. He admits that Ruskin did not view the St George again, as Ruskin was so delayed in arranging a viewing that Rossetti thought it best to send the drawing to Heaton. Rossetti describes the picture of St George saying "his attention is for the moment diverted by the shouts and trumpeting outside and that he is gazing out toward the procession and crowd." Rossetti promises Heaton that if he has any uncomisssioned work he thinks will please her, he will let her know. Rossetti will send Heaton pieces for a charity exhibition but admits that the only two pieces he has are a watercolor portrait of Robert Browning and a pen and ink drawing from Le Morte d'Arthur. He tells Heaton he will send her the works and requests that she return them the day following the exhibition. Rossetti says that there was a good review of his The early Italian poets in the Spectator a few weeks earlier "but it a sort of work that takes time to get up by a competent reviewer, though fools rush in and the best will necessarily be the latest."