This is a letter from Sir Henry Augustus Robinson (1857-1927) to Thomas Nally (1869-1932). Robinson writes to apologise for having kept Nally's play, the Spancel of Death, for so long. Robinson hopes that Nally's play will be printed.Sir Henry Augustus Robinson was an Irish public servant. He was primarily responsible for the drafting and implementation of the local government act of 1898, and shortly before the bill became law was appointed vice-president of the Local Government Board. Thomas Nally was an Irish playwright and colleague of WB Yeats. His work, the Spancel of Death, was due to open on Easter Tuesday 1916, the play was cancelled due to the Easter Rising.