From Bernard Martin (b. 1897). He refers to a book of his on John Newton [eighteenth-century divine and friend of poet William Cowper] and to Newton's account of his religious conversion, the Authentic Narrative. Martin has discovered that this narrative probably had an influence on Coleridge in his composition of The Ancient Mariner, and he has published a book setting forth his argument, entitled The Ancient Mariner and the Authentic Narrative. The book has largely been ignored by the literary journals and he is sending copy to Nicholson, whilst expressing his disappointment that Nicholson's review of the Newton biography in the Times Literary Supplement omitted to mention Martin's theory. He also makes reference to William Cowper and responds to Nicholson's idea that the Authentic Narrative shares stylistic similarities with the work of Defoe. In /1 he encloses a cutting relating to Cowper which he is returning to Nicholson.
Dated at: Danbury, Essex.
/1 includes envelope.