SOURCE: "Richard Middleton" in his Mainly Victorian, Books for Libraries Press, 1969, pp. 252-56.

In the following excerpt from an essay originally published in The Fortnightly Review, October, 1922, Ellis discusses Henry Savage's assessment of Middleton's life and work.

Richard Middleton distinctly had a touch of genius. His fantastic stories—"The Ghost Ship," "On the Brighton Road," and "The Coffin Merchant"—will always stand in the van of bizarre literature; his rather morbid studies of himself as a boy—"A Drama of Youth" and "The New Boy"—are marvels of introspection; and much of his poetry has beauty and charm. We were indebted to Mr. Henry Savage for collecting and supervising the publication of Middleton's work in prose and verse—five volumes, which commenced to appear a year after the young author's mournful death. The same devoted and enthusiastic friend has now come forward as the biographer of Richard Middleton...