Holograph Poem signed "J.S.B." with quotations from Browning and "Goethe's Werther" in Blackie's hand, with signature "John S. Blackie 1st October 1883".

Piece of paper, c.17.5 x 11cm, fold mark down middle, good condition. The initialled poem, four lines, is headed "Love" ("Poor is the man who in self-hardened shell . . . . And grows to great estate by loving great and small." The next heading is "Life" folowed by the line "Why stay us on the earth, unless to grow. | Browning", followed by the heading "Evil", with the line, "I gulp down the devil, without looking at him. | Goethe's Werther". This paper was accompanied in the source-album by an envelope front addressed by Blackie to "Mrs Thomson | 3 Victoria Crescent | Glasgow", with a postmark and his name (presumably) in Greek .(I have seen an envelope addresssed to Gladstone with the same affectation in the BL collections). If the envelope belongs with the paper then speculation of a personal nature might be relevant.