Two Autograph Letters Signed ('Souhesk') from James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk [previously Sir James Carnegie of Kinnaird and of Pittarrow], advising John T. Baron of Blackburn on the publication of his poems.

Both letters in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Letter One (25 June 1883): 6pp., 12mo. Southesk begins: 'I now am able to fulfil my promise, and beg to send you a copy in my own writing of a semi-mystical little piece, which some people have liked, from the "Greenwood's Farewell" volume.' Regarding the question of 'the publication of poems', Southesk writes: 'I fear that even the "aesthetic" writers who have the command of the literary papers do not find verse a marketable thing, and writers who dislike artificiality conventionality and sickly affectation have no chance of a hearing, to say nothing of praise'. The 'safest plan', in his opinion, 'is to print a number of copies for private circulation'. He stresses that he is speaking 'entirely on the general question', and would not 'care to discuss the special question', not feeling competent to 'play the critic's part, either for blame or commendation, except under different conditions from those of a private letter [...] no human being could with certainty predicate the reception a volume of new poems would experience in the way of criticism, while on the other hand few could entertain the smallest doubt that, commerically speaking the venture would prove a heavy losss to its undertakers. | I believe all publishers will tell you the same "o'er true" tale.' Letter Two (29 June 1883): 4pp., 12mo. He is enclosing a copy of his pamphlet 'Britain's Art Paradise', and points out that his last letter 'was in no way meant to discourage you specially from publishing your poems, but was a statement of general experience on the subject of verse publications, regarding which I know something from several quarters.' Despite the fact that 'publication is too apt to lend to expense, and to annoyances untold' he would never 'advise a poet to leave his works to die. It is not difficult, nor necessarily costly, to print a limited number of copies for private circulation. This at least keeps the works together - to be appreciated perhaps by a future generation even if not by the present.' Baron was an inveterate autograph hunter, and his appeal for advice may well have been a pretext.