Bisbee daily review., 1906-06-19
Option Has Been Secured on the House in Rome Where the Poet John Keats Lived and Died. g4E
President Roosevelt, the King of England and King of Italy Have Written Letters En- dorSing the Movement,
Associated Press correspondence)

 ROME, July 1l.-After years of ne gotiations arrangements have been concluded by which an option has been secured on the house in Piazza di Spagne in Rome, where the poet John Keats lived and died. This house is at the foot of the picturesque Spanish Steps, which lead to the Vile Medici and, like il, are owned by France. It is now in a fair way of being preserved forever as a memorial, not only of Keats, but of his friend and elegist Shelley who was buried near him nthe old Protestant Gene tery of Rome. The plan of the pro- motors of the project which has been well kept from publicity in America, aims at a complete library of the va TiouS editions of the poems and let Jers O fthe two great Englishment, to- gether with all the obtainable criti- cisms of their works. with original portraits, photographs of places and people associated with them. It is further planned that the trustees of the house shall exercise perpetual guardianship over the graves of the two poets, as the older part of the cemetery in which eKatS is buried has been threatened with inroads and the autcual removal of his grave was once prevented only by the interven- tion of Queen Victoria.
 4 movement to buy and preserve the house of Keats and to establish in it a memorial library of the works of him and of Percy Shelley. was set on foot in 1903 by eight American writers, then in Rome; informal con- mittees were organized in that city, in England and in the United States. and fund of private subscriptions amounting to s11, 900, representing five hundred contributors, has been rais- ed and deposited at Plowlen's Bank in Rome. The difficulties in the way of obtaining an option on the proper ty have seemed at times insuperable. But an option on the house for eight months has just been signed, the con- mittees making an advance payment , of six thousand frances on the total purchase price of 106,000 francs, about S21 ,000 a considerable concession on on the part of the owner. The Ital- ian transfer tax of about five thou sand francs will be further addition to the cost, unless it shall be remit ted by legislative act in view of the international and public aspects of the enterprise.
 The lis tof subscribers includes the most distinguished names in the liter ary and political worlds of England and America. While the rentals of the floors of the house which Keats and Severn did not occupy are expect ed to be sufficient for the maintenance of the memorial, the committees de- Sir fn hNr frrtf1 c1lh irt3 . during the eight months life of the option, not only the remainder of the purchase money but enough to provide an ample endowment fund. Owners of editions and memorials of the poets are to be invited to contribute or be- queath them to the library.
 The following letter to MT. R. U. Johnson, secretary of the American Commission, show that the interna- tional comity of the project has re ceived distinguished recognition:
 January ,, 1906. My Dear Mir Johnson;
 As you know, am greatly inter- ested in the project to buy and pre- serve as a memorial the house in Rome in which Keats died, a project which was first calle dto my atten- tion by John Hay, who felt the liveli-
 
 of the building are such as to make it peculiarly fitting that it should be pur- chased and that therein should be es- tablished a permanent memorial in honor of Keats and Shelley. I am glad that the movement to establish this memorial, both in the form of a memorial library and in the form of providing for the perpetual care of the graves of the poets, should have been set on foot by our countrymen
 Sincerely yours,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT. MT. R. U. Johnson, Secretary Ameri-
 can Committee, Keats-SheIley Me
 morial, 8 East 17th St., New York. g Ministry of the Royal House, Rome. --.--- March %, 1906.
 His Majesty the King, having all ready had personal cognizance from you of the proposition of distinguish ed English and American citizens to devote the house in which John Keats died to library of the works, mem orials and portraits of the past, and of Percey Shelley, and to provide perma. nent guardianship for their graves in Rome, wishes to manifest his approba. tion of so noble an undertaking.
 To confirm this His Majesty desires to formally attest to you, and through the committee, how much he appre ciates the solemn and durable form of the project and how sincerely he hopes that the House of Lords already dear to the English and American people will acquire new title to their devotion by receiving and preserving also the works and souvenirs of Shelley for study and veneration.
 The City of Rime will be proud to witness the founding of this civic temple, sacred to the name of two il iustrious men, who loved her and within her walls mediated and wrote imperishabie poems.