This letter to Watts-Dunton is one of three from late 1875 and early 1876 in which DGR renewed his interest in writing the ballad on Michael Scott. This letter is dated 4 January 1876.
The Ashley Catalogue
PS What do you think of such a
metre as this for The Michael
Scott ballad?—
The stanza, as wording, is only a first
notion from a moonlight
sea-walk
last night. The metre is my own devising,
& I
used it once before in a small
piece in my vol: called First
Love.
I'm not sure about its fitness.
PPS
Or what do you say to running it into
a three six-lined stanza?—
I fancy that is better for the purpose.
What do you think? It wd
refer to the
moment when M.S. is left alone while his
friends
knock up the father.