Editing William Morris (section)

=== Kelmscott Manor and Iceland: 1870–1875 ===
[[File:KelmscottManor1.JPG|thumbnail|right|Main entrance to [[Kelmscott Manor]]]]

By 1870, Morris had become a [[public figure]] in Britain, resulting in repeated press requests for photographs, which he despised.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=269–270}} That year, he also reluctantly agreed to sit for a portrait by establishment painter [[George Frederic Watts]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=213|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=270}} Morris was keenly interested in Icelandic literature, having befriended the Icelandic theologian [[Eiríkur Magnússon]]. Together they produced prose translations of the [[Eddas]] and Sagas for publication in English.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=200–201|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=176–179|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=290–291, 325}} Morris also developed a keen interest in creating handwritten illuminated manuscripts, producing 18 such books between 1870 and 1875, the first of which was ''A Book of Verse'', completed as a birthday present for Georgina Burne-Jones. 12 of these 18 were handwritten copies of Nordic tales such as ''[[Halfdan the Black]]'', ''[[Frithiof the Bold]]'', and ''The Dwellers of Eyr''. Morris deemed [[calligraphy]] to be an art form, and taught himself both Roman and italic script, as well as learning how to produce gilded letters.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=276–280|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=264–269}} In November 1872 he published ''Love is Enough'', a poetic drama based on a story in the Medieval Welsh text, the ''[[Mabinogion]]''. Illustrated with Burne-Jones woodcuts, it was not a popular success.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=280–288|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=151–153|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=323–324}} By 1871, he had begun work on a novel set in the present, ''The Novel on Blue Paper'', which was about a love triangle; it would remain unfinished and Morris later asserted that it was not well written.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=273–275}}

By early summer 1871, Morris began to search for a house outside London where his children could spend time away from the city's pollution. He settled on [[Kelmscott Manor]] in the village of [[Kelmscott]], [[Oxfordshire]], obtaining a joint tenancy on the building with Rossetti in June.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=225|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=161, 173|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=275–276}} Morris adored the building, which was constructed ''circa'' 1570, and would spend much time in the local countryside.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=225|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=174–175|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=311–314}} In contrast, Rossetti was unhappy at Kelmscott, and eventually suffered a mental breakdown.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=319–321}} Morris divided his time between London and Kelmscott, however when Rossetti was there he would not spend more than three days at a time at the latter.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=335}} He became fed up with his family home in Queen Square, deciding to obtain a new house in London. Although retaining a personal bedroom and study at Queen Square, he relocated his family to Horrington House in Turnham Green Road, West London, in January 1873.{{sfnm|1a1=Thompson|1y=1955|1p=165|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=325–326}} This allowed him to be far closer to the home of Burne-Jones, with the duo meeting on almost every Sunday morning for the rest of Morris's life.{{sfnm|1a1=Thompson|1y=1955|1p=165|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=361}}

{{multiple image
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| image1 = Morris Acanthus Wallpaper 1875.jpg
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| image2 = Rubaiyat Morris Burne-Jones Manuscript.jpg
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| footer = Morris's ''[[Acanthus (ornament)|Acanthus]]'' wallpaper design, (1875, left) and a page from Morris's illuminated manuscript of the ''[[Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam]]'', illustrated by Edward Burne-Jones
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Leaving Jane and his children with Rossetti at Kelmscott, in July 1871 Morris left for Iceland with Faulkner, W. H. Evans, and Eiríkur. Sailing from the Scottish port of [[Granton, Edinburgh|Granton]] aboard a Danish [[mail boat]], they proceeded to the island via [[Tórshavn]] in the [[Faroe Islands]] before arriving at [[Reykjavík]], where they disembarked. There they met the President of the [[Althing]], [[Jón Sigurðsson]], with Morris being sympathetic to the [[Icelandic nationalism|Icelandic independence movement]]. From there, they proceeded by [[Icelandic horse]] along the south coast to [[Bergþórshvoll]], [[Þórsmörk]], [[Geysir]], [[Þingvellir]], and then back to Reykjavík, where they departed back to Britain in September.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=240–274|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=179–182|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=279–309}} In April 1873, Morris and Burne-Jones holidayed in Italy, visiting [[Florence]] and [[Siena]]. Although generally disliking the country, Morris was interested in the Florentine Gothic architecture.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=293–294|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=307–308}} Soon after, in July, Morris returned to Iceland, revisiting many of the sites he had previously seen, but then proceeding north to [[Vatnajökull|Vatna glacier]] and [[Fljótsdalur]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=294–298|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=330–334}} His two visits to the country profoundly influenced him, in particular in his growing leftist opinions; he would comment that these trips made him realise that "the most grinding poverty is a trifling evil compared with the inequality of classes."{{sfnm|1a1=Thompson|1y=1955|1p=184|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=278}}

Morris and Burne-Jones then spent time with one of the Firm's patrons, the wealthy [[George Howard, 9th Earl of Carlisle]] and his wife Rosalind, at their medieval home in [[Naworth Castle]], [[Cumberland]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=304|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=336–340}} In July 1874, the Morris family then took Burne-Jones's two children with them on their holiday to [[Bruges]], Belgium.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=304|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=336}} However, by this point Morris's friendship with Rossetti had seriously eroded, and in July 1874 their acrimonious falling out led Rossetti to leave Kelmscott, with Morris's publisher [[Frederick Startridge Ellis|F.S. Ellis]] taking his place.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=308|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=162–163|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=335–336}} With the company's other partners drifting off to work on other projects, Morris decided to consolidate his own control of the Firm and become sole proprietor and manager. In March 1875, he paid £1000 each in compensation to Rossetti, Brown, and Marshall, although the other partners waived their claims to financial compensation. That month, the Firm was officially disbanded and replaced by [[Morris & Co]], although Burne-Jones and Webb would continue to produce designs for it in future.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=305–308|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=97|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=341–344}} This accomplished, he resigned his directorship of the Devon Great Consols, selling his remaining shares in the company.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=324|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=192|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3p=347}}