# The Life of William Morris

THE LIFE OF WILLIAM MORRIS
The Manor House, Kelmscott, from the Garden From a drawing by E. H. New
THE LIFE
OF
WILLIAM MORRIS
BY
J.W. MACKAIL
NEW IMPRESSION
TWO VOLUMES IN ONE
WITH FRONTISPIECE
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO, 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C. 4 55 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS 1922
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.
First Edition, in Demy 8vo, April, 1899; New Impressions, May, 1899, and October, 1899.
New and Cheaper Edition, in Large Crown 8vo, 1901; New Impressions, October, 1907, and February, 1911. New Impression, in Demy 8vo, July, 1920.
Pocket Library Edition, in 2 volumes, Fcp. 8vo, July, 1912. New Impression, in 1 volume, Crown 8vo, with Fronti- spiece, February, 1922.
DIVO PATRI
J. W. M. M. B.-J.
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION
This biography was undertaken by me at the special request of Sir Edward Burne-Jones. I will not attempt to say how much it owes to his guidance and encouragement, nor how much it has lost by their removal.
When the task of writing the life of Morris was placed in my hands, his family and representatives gave me unreserved access to all the materials in their possession. To them, and more especially to his executors, Mr. F.S. Ellis and Mr. S.C. Cockerell, I owe my best thanks for their friendly help. I am further indebted to Mr. Ellis for the index at the end of the book.
Among the few survivors of Morris's earliest friends, I must express very special obligations to Mr. Cormell Price for generous and ungrudging assistance, and to the Rev. Canon R.W. Dixon. For information as to later years I am greatly indebted to Mr. Philip Webb, Mr. George Wardle, Mr. C. Fairfax Murray, Mr. William De Morgan, and Mr. Emery Walker, who were all long and closely associated with him both in work and in friendship. The partners of the ​firm of Morris & Co., Messrs. Smith and Mr. J.H. Dearie, have given me access to the early books of the firm and much valuable information with regard to Morris's conduct of the business.
I would take this opportunity of thanking all those others who have communicated letters or other material to me in the course of the work. To Lady Burne-Jones, whose share in the help given me has not been less than that of any one I have named, this is not the place where I can fully express my gratitude.
6, Pembroke Gardens, Kensington. 24th March, 1899.
CONTENTS
VOLUME I
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
VOLUME II
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
From a drawing by E. H. New.
* Sed dico, Numquid non audierunt? Et quidem in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum et in fines orbis terræ verba eorum.
* Hæc autem omnia in figura contingebant illis: scripta sunt autem ad correptionem nostram, in quos fines seculorum devenerunt.
* ↑ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Romans 10:18) (Wikisource-ed.)
* ↑ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:11) (Wikisource-ed.)
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1945, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 79 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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