"... je ne comprends pas l'exclusivisme du Mercure, il m'a étonné et peiné.."

Signed autograph letter by Francis Viélé-Griffin (32 lines in purple ink from his Parisian home) addressed to Edouard Ducoté, poet, bibliophile and director of the review l'Ermitage since 1895.
Fold mark inherent to postal handling, pen annotations on verso of fourth leaf.
Francis Viélé-Griffin thanks his fellow poet Edouard Ducoté who dedicated his future collection Fables to him and apologizes for the intransigence of Mercure de France which only wants to publish authors and poets stamped Mercure de France: "... je ne comprends pas l'exclusivisme du Mercure, il m'a étonné et peiné.." ["... I don't understand the exclusivism of Mercure, it surprised and saddened me.."]
He assures him that he has no influence within the review and publishing house directed by Alfred Valette because he takes care of none of the administrative formalities: "... je n'ai que peu assisté, jusqu'à présent, aux séances du comité où mon influence, au reste, est nulle." ["... I have attended committee meetings little, until now, where my influence, moreover, is nil."]
As a good friend, Francis Viélé-Griffin wishes to temper Edouard Ducoté's disappointment at not being published by Mercure: "Mais n'êtes vous pas aussi bien chez Perrin ? " ["But aren't you just as well off at Perrin's?"] and invites him to visit soon to: "... causer de vos projets d'art..." ["... discuss your artistic projects..."]
Intimate friend of Stéphane Mallarmé, friend of André Gide, Paul Valéry, Francis Jammes, Emile Verhaeren, Francis Viélé-Griffin is an American symbolist poet writing in French. He became, with Gustave Kahn, one of the principal theorists of free verse.